October 1, 2022                                     THE  NEW  LIFE
Colossians 1:9a-13 “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
When we are so focused on and involved with all of the difficulties of life; when bombarded by the culture and the ways of this world, we can lose sight of the life that God has called us to. In fact, some may read the above passage of scripture and conclude that it’s a nice thought, but it is just too good to be true that they can experience this life here on earth. The passage does present some awesome promises and instructions for us. It is God’s desire that we be filled with the knowledge of Him; that we have spiritual wisdom and understanding; that we live worthy of the Lord and that we please Him in all respects; that we bear fruit; that we increase in the knowledge of God; that we are strengthened with all power; and that we be steadfast and patient. The salvation that comes from God is far greater than we presently know; yet, God has revealed in His word just how great this salvation is. It is amazing, but God has taken us out of the domain of darkness and has transferred us to His kingdom! I wonder-do we know that we have been transferred? The kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God are light-years apart and there are no similarities. The awesome good news is that the life God has made available to us is not too good to be true! It is a matter of believing and totally embracing what God has said in His word regarding our salvation. It should be our heart-beat, our greatest pursuit, to discover our true identity as sons and daughters of God-not our personal identity-but who God says we are. Whether we understand or not, and even though it may sound too good to be true, and even though we at times have fallen short of what God desires for us, let us believe and totally embrace the fact that God has made us new and has given us a new identity-we are not who we use to be; we are sons and daughters of God who have been transferred to His kingdom where we can live according to His design.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
September 28, 2022                                        MINDSET
Romans 8:5-9 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”        (Read all of Romans 8.)
It matters greatly. We have the option of choosing our mindset. In reality, as believers, we have only two options; we either set our mind on the flesh, or on the Spirit. This freedom to choose our mindset can be a little scary. We have to take responsibility for our mindset; we cannot blame others or our circumstances for how we think. The Spirt of God draws us to God, but He does not force things on us; we can follow His drawing us, or we can refuse; and that is the tell-tale sign as to whether we are walking according to the Spirit or according to the flesh. When our mind is set on the Spirit, we walk according to the Spirit and when our mind is set on the flesh, we walk according to the flesh. It sounds so simple, yet that is how it is. Mindset is more than just mental agreement; our mindset is what sets our direction in life, it determines how we process information, and it sets the tone of how we respond in all of life. When our mind is set on the Spirit, our thoughts and our actions are in keeping with the ways of God. Just to clarify, flesh refers to that part of us that is always calling us to do whatever we want to do, to do what we like and to live according to our own dictates. We have been made new and given a new spirit, and this new spirit of ours is led by and empowered by the Holy Spirit who live in us. With these two opposing ‘entities’ in us, you can see that there is an ongoing battle-a battle about choices. Again, we must choose whether we walk according to the Spirit, or our flesh. We do not have to fight this battle every single moment; we must set our minds on living according to the Spirit; when the flesh rises up within us, out of our mindset, we simply say no the flesh and continue walking according to the Spirit. We must predetermine our response to the flesh and to the Spirit-that’s a mindset.
Colossians 3:1-3 “If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
September 26, 2022                               A  GOOD  CONSCIENCE
Acts 24:16 “In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.”
1 Timothy 1:5 “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
1 Corinthians 4:4 “For I am conscience of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.”
Hebrews 13:18 “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.”
What we believe is certainly important, and so is our conduct. An obvious goal and desire that Paul had was to live in such a way that he would always have a good conscience before God and before man. Having a good conscience is not the ultimate goal in life; Paul said he was not acquitted by having a good conscience, but it was the Lord who examines him. The goal is to live in a way that pleases the Lord, which results in a good conscience. In a simple but profound way, Paul said that the ‘goal of their instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.’ Life does not have to be complicated or burdensome; no matter what our current circumstances may be, we can live with a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith-it’s that simple. It is good for us throughout the day to make decisions and do the things that are right and avoid doing the things or speaking words that later bring condemnation guilt. As they say “Just do the right thing.” We have all done things or spoken words that we regret; and we know how burdensome a bad conscience can be. The good news is that God has given us a way to rid ourselves of a bad conscience. We gain a clear conscience when we confess or admit what led to a bad conscience and when we turn from it; and if our wrong involved another person and the Spirit so leads, we should go to that person and ask their forgiveness. As we do this, our conscience is cleaned. As we walk by the Spirit, we will avoid the things that foul our conscience. One of the greatest blessings in life is to live with a clear conscience.
Hebrews 10:22 “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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September 24, 2022                                      TALK  TO  YOURSELF
Psalm 43:5 “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
1 Samuel 30:6b “but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
At times, we may feel downcast or distressed for no particular reason, or we may feel that way because of adverse circumstances and difficulties. 1 Peter 4:12 wars us that trials will come; “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing was happening to you;.” And Jesus said in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” So, knowing that things will come that would discourage us or defeat us, we must know how to overcome what comes against us. Of course, in such times it is helpful to read God’s word, to pray, to worship Him in the midst of the storm, and perhaps share the struggle with a friend. But all so often, we forget to use one of our most effective weapons against the things that bring discouragement. We may find ourselves simply dwelling on the problem or challenge we face, giving it room to bring even more discouragement. Problems, adversities, trials, difficulties and the like are to be overcome and they are to make us stronger. The effective weapon I am referring to is that of talking to ourselves. Peter Parris made an interesting statement when he said that we must talk to ourselves more than we listen to ourselves-so true. What we say to ourselves is critical; we must speak the truth of God’s word and speak what is in keeping with the nature and character of God-no matter the circumstance or how difficult it may be. Proverbs 18:21 says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Our words, whether spoken to others or to our self are powerful. We must actively manage our thoughts and our words; we have to instruct our minds what to think about and how to process what thoughts come to mind. Our mind is not to be independent; our mind is to be directed by the by our spirit, and our spirit is to be established and guided by the Holy Spirt. No matter the circumstances, nor how difficult it may be, and when discouragement knocks at our door, let us tell ourselves to put our hope and trust in God; He is always faithful and is always working things for good to those who are called according to His purpose.
Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
1 Samuel 30:6 “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
September 21, 2022                                           PRACTICE
1 Peter 1:10-11 “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
Philippians 4:9 “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me-practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
1 Timothy 4:15 “Take pains with these things, be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all.”
Obeying the words and commands that we find in God’s word brings many blessings. It is important to understand that our motive in obeying His commands is not that He might love us; He already loves us, and it is because He loves us and we love Him that we want to keep His word. If not alert, we can get to a place where we are comfortable spiritually and lose the active desire to obey His word. We are to always be growing in the faith. One of the promises for those who put into practice the instructions of scripture is found in the verse above in 1 Peter when it says that “as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.” That is amazing! (‘These things’ are all the things Peter had previously written, and certainly it applies to all of the teachings of the New Testament.) Think about it-as long as we are practicing and applying the truths of God’s word, we will never stumble! Another amazing truth is that doing and obeying the scriptures IS the doorway to living in His kingdom! We enter and enjoy life in His kingdom abundantly here on earth AS we follow His teachings. Another fruit that comes as we obey the words of God, is that we become certain about His calling and His choosing us; obeying Him leads has a way of revealing to us our true identity as His sons and daughters. If we stop there, what we have learned is a life-changer; but there is more. If we practice the words of God, God will be with us! Following the teachings of scripture is not something to be taken lightly; Paul instructs Timothy to “take pains with these things, be absorbed in them.” Obeying and following the truths of the scriptures does not happen automatically; we must make conscience decisions to read His word in order to know His commands and then practice and apply what we read. All of this is doable because God has given us the Holy Spirit who enables us and empowers to follow all of the ways of the Lord. As we daily practice what we learn in the scriptures, our progress will be evident to all. We do not have to be aimless in life, unsure, unfulfilled, or fearful; we can  find what we long for as we make it our priority in life to learn what God teaches in His word and by putting into practice what we learn-all with the help of the Holy Spirit.
James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
John 14:23 “Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love Him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him.’”
Blessings, Buddy
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September 19, 2022                                               SANCTIFIED
1 Thessalonians 5:21-24 “But examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
1 Corinthians 6:11 “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
To ‘sanctify’ something is to set it apart for special use; to ‘sanctify’ a person is to make him holy. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary says that the ‘generic meaning of sanctification is the state of proper functioning-to function as intended by the designer; a human being is sanctified, therefore when he or she lives according to God’s design and purpose.’ In our culture, when one hears the word ‘saint,’ they likely think of a marble sculpture of someone who has been declared a saint, as if they had a special standing with God. (To excuse one’s wrong deed or mistake, the response is something like “I’m no saint you know.”) The truth is that all believers have been set apart and sanctified to live as He designed and to fulfill the purpose for which they are called. We have been set apart; now it is a matter of living as though we have been set apart. Sanctification happens when we accept Christ as our Savior, but it is also a continuing process. As believers, we should see that living as saints of God in this world is our highest calling. As saints, we are called to live in a way that reflects the nature of our Father and to please Him in all we do. We are not here to live our own life; we are here as ambassadors for Christ-to represent Him. As ambassadors, we are to conduct ourselves in such a way that honors Him and rightly represents Him. Our words, our actions, and the intentions of our heart matter-more than we may realize. We have the privilege of being reflectors of the very nature of the Creator God. God has saved us, reconciled us, given us His Holy Spirit, and has sanctified us to be vessels for His use. Of course we could never live life in a way that pleases the Lord apart from the work of the Spirit in us. For sure we  do not become proud or boastful over the fact that we are saints, but neither are  we to deny or ignore the fact that God has sanctified us; He has set us aside for His purposes; now let us now live out of who we are-saints of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
September 16, 2022                            RESPONSIBLE  FOR  GROWTH
2 Peter 3:18a “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-“
2 Peter 1:5-8 “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For it these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We either grow spiritually, or we become stagnant; spiritual growth is a responsibility that God has given us. God draws us to Himself and the Holy Spirit is always desiring to reveal the Father to us, but we choose our response. If we are to grow spiritually, studying His word is essential, for it is in His word that we learn of Him and come to know His ways. His word gives specific instructions on how we are to live and it clearly identifies certain qualities that we are to develop as His sons and daughters. Gaining knowledge alone is not the goal; the Holy Spirit and our increasing knowledge of God work together; the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual discernment and the power to live out and apply what we learn in His word. The verses in 2 Peter above gives us a list of character qualities that we are to add too and apply to our lives. Growing and maturing spiritually involves change. Some take the stance that ‘they are who they are,’ or ‘that is just the way I was born’ to justify the way they live. Some resist change; but rather than change being difficult, change becomes natural as we walk with the Lord and as we mature in the faith. For example, at one point in life we may find ourselves to be one who worries a lot; but as we grow in the Lord, worry diminishes-we are changed. Let us not get caught in living life in a rut or a coasting mode; but let us ‘apply all diligence’ that we might grow in the faith and in the knowledge of God, becoming mature sons and daughters of God.
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not ceased praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may have a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
September 14, 2022                              OUR  HEARTS  ESTSBLISHED
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 “and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in your love for one another, and for all men, just as we do also for you; so that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
It seems that many have a heart that is unsettled, or unfulfilled. Having an unsettled heart leads either to a never ending search for what satisfies, or to despondency or depression. (Despondency is defined as ‘a state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage.’) There is only one cure for an unsettled heart or a heart that feels something is lacking. It is amazing, and it is a miracle, but it is only the love of God that satisfies our deepest longings. Everyone has heard that God is a God of love; but hearing about the love of God or believing in our mind that God is a God of love is not enough; only as we personally experience the love of God in our hearts are we truly satisfied. Experiencing His love changes us from the inside out. Proverbs 4:23 tells us that the issues of life flow out of our hearts. The critical point of this is that our love is not sufficient; only the love of God in us is sufficient. Romans 5:5 is an amazing verse in that it tells us that God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit! No longer are we limited to human love; we now have the love that comes from God operative in us. As alluded to above, His love fulfills and satisfies, and overflows. Paul prayed that our love for one another would abound and increase; loving others with the love of God has a way of establishing our hearts. Living in the love of God results in us living holy and godly lives where we are truly free and at total peace. I realize that what I am saying may sound like a ‘dream world’ or unattainable-but it is for us to experience. The love of God is all inclusive; even when we fail, His love enables us to confess our failure and to deal with it as He leads, then continue to walk in His love. We cannot come to know and experience the love of God by our own initiative; it is something that God reveals and makes known to us. So, if one does not know His love personally, let them pray, asking God to reveal His love. We can be assured that God wants us to know His love.
PS  Note, our love for others is not to plane out, but to be abounding and increasing.
1 John 4:7-8 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
September 12, 2020                                 I  SHALL  DRIVE  THEM  OUT
Joshua 14:11-13 “I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities, perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the Lord has spoken. So Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephumneh for an inheritance. Therefore, Hebron became inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephumneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully.”
Because Israel did not follow God’s command to enter the Promised Land, the children of Israel wondered in the wilderness for forty years. If you are familiar with this story, you will recall that Caleb was one of the two spies who wanted to enter the land when God said to enter, but the other eight spies were fearful of the giants in the land and they persuaded the people not to enter. After the forty years, Moses died and Joshua became the leader of Israel. Now, Caleb is eighty five years old, but he has not forgotten the promise form God that they would enter and possess the Promised Land. Even though he was eighty five years old, Caleb told Joshua that he was as strong as he was forty years ago and was ready for war and ready to drive out the inhabitants of the land that God had given them.  Caleb reminded Joshua of the promises of God, and Joshua gave Hebron to Caleb for his inheritance because Caleb followed the Lord God fully. There is much we can learn from this story. One obvious thing is for us to hold on to the promises of God even when things are difficult and when there seems to us to be a delay in the promises of God being fulfilled. Another amazing point is that at eighty five, Caleb was not sitting in his rocking chair reminiscing about the past or bemoaning the fact that they did not enter the Promised Land forty years ago; he was actively pursuing the plans of God. (I’m not putting down sitting in rocking chairs-just don’t give up on actively seeking what God has for you.) Caleb was ready for war and for driving out the enemies; but he also knew that he could do just that only if God was with him. Even though we are not facing real giants to drive out, we nonetheless have enemies we must drive out lest we be defeated by these enemies. The enemies we face are real; whatever our individual enemies are, we must drive them out. Some common enemies would include such things as hopelessness, addictions, laziness, apathy, living the self-life, unfaithfulness, watching and listening to what is not wholesome, impatience-and the list could go on. We must be proactive-ready for war-and be about driving out anything in our lives that is ungodly and not pleasing to the Lord. When we follow the Lord our God fully, He will be with us and He will insure victory. No matter your age, your health, or your circumstances, go to war; in whatever way you can, engage the enemy-not only the enemies in your life, but the enemies of those we love. Your war may be making a phone call, writing a letter, praying, speaking a word of correction or encouragement, or adjusting your mind-set, but whatever it is, be about it. We must drive the enemies out and keep them out-it’s something we do daily.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
Blessings,  Buddy
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September 10, 2022                             ABOUNDING  IN  HOPE   
Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”
1 Peter 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
The only hope that endures and stands the test of time is from God. In light of all the troubles and trials of the day in which we live, genuine hope is a rare quality. Often, hope is based on circumstances; if things are going my way, I am hopeful; hope that is unwavering regardless of our circumstances is rooted in a faith in God. Biblical hope sees beyond the immediate and it is not based on what we see at the present. It is indeed a miracle and a work of the Holy Spirit in us for to have hope in adverse circumstances. “Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1. There are many books written on the subject of hope and many sermons preached on hope, but in reality, there is one basic truth that leads to the hope that is ours. Simply said, hope is a by-product of a personal relationship with our heavenly Father where we know and experience His love for us. If we truly know the God of creation, the all-knowing and all-powerful God, then what do we have to fear or fret over? I know that that may sound like ‘pie in the sky,’ or theoretical, but it is true. We tend to take on too much-things we cannot control-and turn away from the liberating truths of the gospel and the simplicity found in Jesus. God knows and He forewarned us that we would have trials in this life, but no matter how severe the trial might be, God will take us through the trial and He will use it for good. As said above, hope is related to and based on faith in God-not on what we see in the natural. If the world around us needs anything, it is hope; not a false hope, but a genuine hope. God is moving toward an awesome day when things will be made right, when things will be restored, and when His people will receive their full inheritance. Sin, strife, wars, sickness and all that is wrong will be done away with when the Lord returns. Let fix our hope on the fact that God is with us in the here and now, and on the fact that He is coming back to restore and make all things right! The only sure hope and the only sure foundation is Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Ephesians 1:18 “Having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,”
Blessings,
Buddy
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