Blog Archives - TheNewU

TAKE CARE

8/30/2024

August 30, 2024 TAKE CARE

Hebrews 3:12-15 “Take care brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heat, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; while it is said, ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.’”

Since God is telling us to ‘take care,’ we should be all ears! Many believe that because at some point they received Jesus as Savior they will go to heaven when they die-end of story. It’s true that if one trust Jesus as Savior, they will go to heaven when they die; but there is a lot more that accompanies salvation-a whole lot more. The alarming, scary reality is that believers can be deceived by sin; believers can fall away from the living God-and that is not a good place to be. Paul said that ‘in any one of you’ there could be an ‘evil, unbelieving heart.’ That should get our attention and that is exactly why we must take care. Here is the deceitfulness of sin; we are not likely to commit murder or rob a bank-or whatever; but we may allow or make room for the seemingly small things that are contrary to the ways of God. For example, we may allow wrong thoughts, wrong attitudes, a focus on self, anxiety, fear-or whatever it may be. We may excuse these things or may claim they are just part of how we are wired. However, as children of God, our life-how we live matters. Our thoughts, our motives, our responses, our concern for others, our actions, and our view of life are all super important because we represent Christ and His kingdom in everything we do-we are His ambassadors 24/7. We must take care that we walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. It’s clear in scripture that believers are a part of the body of Christ, and as a part of His body, we are to be about encouraging one another in the ways of the Lord ‘day after day.’ God has spoken and has made clear the life He has called us to live-let us hear and obey what He has spoken.
Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what the Lord does require of you both to do justice, and to live kindness, and to walk humbly with you God?”
Ephesians 4:1 “I therefore a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,’

Blessings,
Buddy

PUT INTO SERVICE

8/28/2024

August 28, 2024 PUT INTO SERVICE

1 Timothy 1:12-14 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.”

This passage in someway is a synopsis of the life of Paul. We all have in someways ‘messed’ up, sinned in the past; there are things in our past that we are ashamed of, just as was the case with Paul. However, Paul found that the grace of the Lord Jesus was more than abundant. That is super important, but that is not the main point of this blog. In spite of Paul’s past, God put Paul into service. As believers, you and I have also been called into service. Many no doubt remember, or have hear about, getting a letter form ‘Uncle Sam’ advising us that we had been drafted, or called into active duty. In no uncertain terms, we had to make preparations to report for service at a particular location on a particular day and time! The old hymn, Onward, Christians Soldiers, captures this idea of being in service; “Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.” Those who know God as Savior are called to action; the Christian faith is not theory-it’s real, it’s boots on the ground, and it’s active. We may serve in a particular ministry, but our calling into service is a way of life. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord…” Colossians 3:23a. Contrary to what some believe, in the scriptures you find no basis for the idea of clergy and laity; all believers or called into ministry. Some are called to certain positions in the church, such as pastor, while others are called to be ministers at the work place-or wherever; some are called to care for the sick, help someone in need, and etc. The point is that we are not to be spiritually idle but are to embrace and respond to the calling of God for us. God will strengthen and equip us for the work He has for us.

Ephesians 6:7 “With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men .”
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.

Blessings, Buddy

KEEP SEEKING

8/25/2024

August 25, 2024 KEEP SEEKING

Colossians 3:1-4 “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, and not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

If is an important word. IF you have been born again and raised up with Christ, then there are instructions for you, and I, in this passage. True salvation means that we have died and that our life is hidden with Christ in God-and that is no small deal. It is possible for a believer to revert back to living according to his or her old nature-what Paul described as yielding to the flesh. These verses are an admonition to live according to our new identity we have as sons and daughters of God. We cannot live the Christian life on auto-pilot; its a matter of daily walking out who we are in Christ. The apostle Paul said that he ‘had not arrived’ but that he kept ‘pressing on’ to the things that God had for him. The kingdom of God is above where Christ is seated; but it can also be experienced here on earth. To seek the things above is to seek the the things of the kingdom of God in order that we may live here on this earth in a kingdom of God way. The kingdom of God is real and it is eternal; in fact, it is more real than the temporal things here on earth. Because the ‘things above’ cannot even be compared to the things of this world and because they are good and perfect, it only makes sense to seek those things. Note that we are ‘to keep seeking;’ it’s a way of life. We have the option of ‘setting our minds.’ That is a super-powerful option that God has given to us. Many fail to take dominion over their minds; when the mind is allowed to think whatever comes to mind, the results are not good. Briefly, the things on this earth consist of greed, selfishness, pride, getting what one wants, self-preservation and self-awareness, and etc. In contrast, the things above, God’s kingdom, consist of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, forgiveness, preferring others, blessing others, peace, and serving. These are not things we have to muster up, but are part and parcel of living with a kingdom of God mindset. We are to have our hearts turned and our minds set on God’s kingdom; when we see something about our life that is not a part of the kingdom of God, we are to lay that aside and replace it with what is of God’s kingdom. It is amazing, but God has worked in such a way that we can live on this earth in the kingdom of God! In Christ, heaven comes to earth. And here is the crucial key to all of this: we must understand that when we accept Christ as our Savior, we are exchanging our life for His life; we are dying to ourselves. Baptism is a picture of us dying and being raised up with Him.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Blessings, Buddy

TRUE RELIGION

8/23/2024

August 23, 2024 TRUE RELIGION

James 1:25-27 “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this mans religious is worthless. This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

This passage clarifies and brings us back to the foundation of what Christianity is all about. We need to hear this message because all to often, Christianity and ‘church’ have become somewhat faddish in certain circles and has become much like an industry, promoting the ‘brand.’ Many feel that if they attend church and give some financial donation to the church, they are all good. However, as always, the scriptures cut right to the core. We love hearing a good message/sermon; we are impressed with good communicators. These verses remind us that hearing a good message, and reading good verses in the bible has no value unless we do, apply, and put into action what we read. God’s word is an ‘adapt and apply’ book. The promise is that when we are an ‘effectual doer’ of the word, we are blessed in what we do-quit simple. If we claim to be ‘religious’ or claim to be a Christian and yet do not do the word, we have deceived ourselves. In particular, James says that effective doers of the word have bridled their tongue. That may not sound like a big deal, but to bridle our tongue is a huge deal for sure. The words we let proceed out of our mouths can build up or they can tear down. Controlling our tongue is an indication of the leading of the Spirit. In a sentence, James gives a clear picture of what true religion (Christianity) is all about and what pleases our God and Father. Visiting orphans and widows in their distress is pure and undefiled religion. Of course visiting orphans and widows are not the only actions that are pure religion; but such things as that paints a picture of what pure religion looks like. James ends this passage with saying that pure religion is keeping oneself unstained by the world-another big deal. We live in the world, but we are of another kingdom-the kingdom of God, and the two cannot be blended together. Our motivations, our desires, our thoughts, our actions, our words and our attitude are to flow from the kingdom of God within us. So, let us look intently at the perfect law, God’s word, and abide by it-not becoming a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer of the word. When we do, we will be blessed in all we do.
James 1:22-24 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”
Blessings,
Buddy

WHY WE WERE CREATED

8/21/2024

August 21, 2024 WHY WE WERE CREATED

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

We hear much about how important it is for us to know our identity-and that is true. Much could be said about our identity as believers; but the passage above is a central part of our identity; no matter what we may know about our identity, if we miss this part, we have missed the mark. In this passage, it clearly states why God created us-that’s real identity! To know why we were created is powerful, and it’s liberating. No longer do we have to wonder why we are here and no longer do we have to try to find our purpose. How beautifully simple; we were created in Christ Jesus for good works. That’s it. We are His workmanship; made for a purpose. Do not overlook verse eight above; we are saved by grace through faith, not by good works-but we were saved for good works. If our salvation is not resulting in good works, then we are not spiritually healthy. And it’s not just any good works; the good works we are to do have been prepared by God! Many civic clubs and various groups promote ‘good works’-and that is a good thing; but in most cases, the works are done in order for the organization to get recognition for the good work. Why is it so important for the followers of Jesus to do good works? God is a good God and it is His nature and His desire to bless. Because we have been given a new nature that is of God, we too should have a natural desire to do good works-that’s just who we are and that’s what we do. We get blessed when we bless others, but that is not to be our motivation; we do not do good works to get a pat on the back. We do good works because God is our Father. You could never list all of the good works that one could do; it could be as simple as giving someone a glass of water or opening a door for someone; speaking an encouraging word; praying for someone; visiting the sick; giving financially; teaching a class; preferring others over yourself—you get the idea. We cannot meet every need we see; but if we are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirt, He will direct us. The Spirit will lead us in specific ways, but at the same time, it should be a natural way of life for us to be about the good works that God has prepared for us. We should not feel compelled to do good works, rather, we should be looking for opportunity to be about good works. Finally, and very important: we do not do good works to get credit for it and we are not to be prideful of any good works we do. Only by the grace of God at work in us can we as mere flesh and bones do the good works that God puts in front of us.
Matthew 5:16 “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Blessings, Buddy

RELIEF IS ON THE WAY

8/19/2024

August 19, 2024 RELIEF IS ON THE WAY

2 Thessalonians 1:4b-7 “for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and affiliations which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in inflaming fire dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

Let me say at the outset that I don’t know how many in the western world are being persecuted because of their faith in God. I do know that many face various trials and afflictions as Jesus said that we would have trials in this life. This passage reminds us that God executes righteous judgement; and it also reminds us that it is supremely important for us to persevere and remain faithful during afflictions and persecutions; by doing so, we will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. Even though we live in the light of God’s kingdom as believers, we at the present live in the kingdom of darkness while on this earth which is in great contrast to the kingdom of God-thus the battle ground. We are at odds with the kingdom of this world; it’s a no-brainer that we will experience conflict. Again, we have the call to be faithful and to persevere in the trials we face as temporary residents of planet earth. The fact is that there is no way one can move from the kingdom of this world to the kingdom of God without some trials and conflicts that must be faithfully endured. Realizing this is the way it is, we can find comfort and encouragement in that God is well aware of our plight and He will not leave us in this place forever; relief is on the way. God will repay with affliction those who afflict us and He will give relief to us. Can you imagine what it will be like when the Lord suddenly appears with His mighty angles in flaming fire dealing out retribution to those who do not know Him and to those who do obey His gospel!!! We may think of angels as being nice guys with wings-but notice, they will be mighty angels that no one can resist! When I read this passage, there is something in me that says ‘Yes, I want to be ready when the Lord returns; I want to persevere and be faithful to His gospel.” We face trials now, but the trials and afflictions will cease one day. Even though we may not face sever persecutions at the present in the western world, we have many brothers and sisters in other parts of the world that are suffering greatly. Let us pray for them and in some way bear their burdens. The point for us that we must not miss is for us to persevere and remain faithful and to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”

Blessings, Buddy

LEST WE DRIFT

8/17/2024

August 17, 2024 LEST WE DRIFT

Hebrews 2:1-3 “For this reason we must pay closer attention what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard.”

God is gracious to us; because He knows that we can drift from the truth of what He has said, He reminds us to pay close attention. Our old flesh resist the Spirit, and the Spirit resist the flesh and it is the flesh that calls us to drift away from the things of the Lord. (There is this continual battle between the flesh and the spirit; however, there is a way for this battle not to be raging in us at all times. The key to walking in victory over the flesh is to walk by the Spirit.) It is a fact; the words spoken by angels and the Lord Himself is unalterable. That may sound fearful to some, but in reality, it is a blessing to us because we do not have to guess as to what God is up to; He is dependable and we know the boundaries; we know His plans for mankind and we know His character. Those who are the saved must understand that salvation is much more than a ticket to heaven; the salvation that God grants to us through His Son is a great salvation. Salvation means that we will spend eternity with God; but it also means that He is in the process of transforming us during our time on earth-and that’s a big deal. Here is where we must not drift: we must be alert to working with Him as He works in us; we must be paying close attention to the things of the Lord and walking in them-not neglecting the work of God in us; we must daily embrace all that He is doing in and through us. This great salvation also includes us being His ambassadors here on planet earth and it includes us reflecting Him in all we do-being light. It is to our benefit and a blessing for us not to drift from the Lord. This passage contains a sobering reminder in the form of a question: “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” We should honor the Lord and walk in His ways out of our love for Him; but as a safety net, we should have a healthy fear of drifting from the Lord. (If we have any sense at all, we will follow Him. lol.) Woe to any believer who allows himself or herself to drift from the Lord. It is right and it is wise to bow before the Lord, living under His lordship and not drifting from the things the Lord has clearly spoken.
Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Blessings, Buddy

HAS GRANTED TO US EVERYTHING

8/15/2024

August 15, 2024 HAS GRANTED TO US EVERYTHING

2 Peter 1:3-4 “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

We are not lacking; we have all we need pertaining to life and godliness. There is a tendency to see ourselves as being needy or insufficient in some areas of our lives. That is not to say that we have arrived and need not worry about improving or growing. This passage is saying something that we need to hear, and it is a vital message. A key factor in this subject is that we have all we need only through the true knowledge of Him. The amazing truth is that because the Spirit of God dwells in us permanently, we have everything pertaining to life and godliness. When we face a challenge or when we face a trial or we have a mountain of some sort before us, we can be assured that the Spirit of God will navigate us and give us the wisdom we need to address what is before us. We do not need to fret; just follow the leading of the Spirit. Hearing and following the Spirit is not always a dramatic, earth-shaking experience; often we simply hear a quite voice giving us direction. (Oswald Chambers says that as we walk with the Spirit, we get use to or accustomed to His presence; He is in us, a part of us; hearing Him becomes natural for us.) We must not ignore the Holy Spirt or grieve Him. As believers, we are unique to say the least; we have been joined to the Creator God; we have His Spirit living in us; and we have been given new minds, new hearts and new spirits, AND we have become partakers of His divine nature!! The sad thing is that we hear more sermons and read more books that hi-light our deficiencies rather than hi-light who we are as sons and daughters of God. God has given us magnificent promises and these promises or not reserved just for the future-they are for now promises. We live in the world, but God has called us out of the world system and out of the worlds philosophy; we are a new species of humans. There is a lot to say here, but the take home point is that God has given to you and I all we need pertaining to life and godliness. It is a mystery; but we have all we need, but we are also called to grow in the knowledge of God and to grow in the faith-but no matter where we are on our journey with the Lord, we have all we need because He is in us and we are in Him!
Colossians 2:10 “In Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Blessings,
Buddy

EVERY GOOD THING

8/13/2024

August 13, 2024 EVERY GOOD THING

Philemon 4-6 “I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.”

The book of Philemon is a letter written by Paul to Philemon urging him to receive Onesimus, who had done Philemon wrong, back as a brother in Christ. In the verses above, there is a statement made that gives us a good and proper insight as to how we should view ourselves; it’s an issue of identity. Paul prayed that Philemon would know ‘every good thing which was in him for Christ’s sake.’ At the outset, we must know that apart from Christ, there is no good thing in us; all truly good things come from God. However, if we know Christ as our Savior, He is in us and He has deposited many good things in us. And these good things in us or for His glory and honor. One primary good thing in us is that we are now able to bless others, even if they have done us wrong in some way. We are able to extend forgiveness and do the things that lead to life for those we relate too. There are many good things in us: we can show hospitality; we can give as the Spirit leads; we can help others who need our help; we can express gratefulness; we can encourage others; we can be compassionate-and the list goes on. It is not of God for us to view ourselves in a negative light; or to feel that we are lacking in some way and that we have nothing to contribute. We are to be humble in Spirt, not arrogant or prideful, because it is only by God’s grace that we have these good things in us. God put good things in us not to hoard or to hide, but to bless others and to demonstrate the character of God. The blessing is that as we use and walk in these good things, we are blessed in the process. So no matter of your background, no matter of your status in life, and no matter of past failures, God has put many good things in you-use them!
James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
1 Peter 4:10 “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Blessings, Buddy

ALERT AND SOBER

8/11/2024

August 11, 2024 ALERT AND SOBER

1 Thessalonians 5:2,4-6,8 “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” “But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

There is a tendency to coast in life; it seems that life just goes on day after day no matter what we do or do not do. Discipline, alertness, diligence and expectancy are not a part of our life automatically; they are ours by choice. Most like routines; however, being committed to routines can rob us of opportunity. There is nothing wrong with routines; we just have to know that life is bigger than our routines and we must be willing to forgo our routine if and when God allows something to interrupt our routine. (Excuse me for getting a little off track-I am just saying that how we live daily is super important.) As a starter, do we “know full well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief?” Let us not forget that as sure as you are reading this, there is such a thing as the ‘day of the Lord.’ Being fully convinced of that fact surely impacts how we live; we are either alert to that fact or we are not. God is warning us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (A thief once broke into our home while we were away-and it was at night.) God telling us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night is not to cause us to fear, but is a graceful warning from God on what awesome day lies ahead. If one is living in darkness, then it is a fearful thought to know that He could come at any moment. The good news for believers is that God has made a way for us to not be overtaken on that day when He suddenly returns. We will not be overtaken if we live daily in the light-we are sons of light and sons of day. Because of that magnificent day that is surely coming, we must remain alert and sober. We are to live in the ways of the Lord; to always be seeking to please Him in all we do. We are to put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation. Our salvation is so much more than a ticket to heaven-its a way of life. In all we do, let us be mindful of the fact that there is a day of the Lord yet to come. His returning will be the most glorious day one can imagine for those who are keeping themselves ready and looking for His return.
1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink back from Him in shame at His coming.”
Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not do deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.”
Blessings, Buddy