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OUR  PAST  IS  OUR  PAST

10/30/2016

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October 3, 2016                               OUR   PAST  IS  OUR  PAST
Colossians 3:3: “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”                                                                                                          
We often hear that our past shapes who we are today, and there is some truth in that statement. Everyone has both pleasant and unpleasant memories of the past and many find themselves bound by the memories of past events. However, the liberating truth of scripture is that we have not just been ‘refurbished’, or improved, but have been made new-we are not who we use to be! In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” It is a spiritual giant step forward for us to believe, and accept as absolutely true that we are a new species of beings-that we have been transformed by the power of God and have been given new minds, new spirits, and new hearts. The transformation that we have undergone changes how we think, it changes our spirit, and it gives us new appetites and desires in our heart; in fact, the life that has been transformed by God is a supernatural life. As new creations, and because of our new identity, we can now reflect the very nature of God in the way we live; we can now extend genuine forgiveness; we can now express love even to the unlovely; we can now comfort those who need comforting; we can now speak words of hope to the hopeless; we can now give wise counsel; and we can now be light in a dark world. Many have had horrible experiences in the past, and it may seem impossible to be set free of these experiences, but God has the power to break us from the chains of the past that still bind us today-and He does so by making it possible to die to who we use to be and be made brand new. However, we must understand that to experience this new person that we are is not automatic, but there is a part for us to play in the process. Our part is to put on the new person, but before we can put on the new person, we must know that there is a new person to put on. This all has to do with knowing our new identity in Christ, and we come to know our new identity when the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. The obvious question then is how and when does the Holy Spirit give us revelation concerning our new identity, and what, if anything can we do to receive such revelation. Basically, at the risk of sounding overly simplistic, we become good candidates to receive revelation when we have a hunger and a desire to know God, and we read His word with an open mind and heart, being willing to believe what we read. We also must understand that even though we have come to know our identity in Christ, it is possible for us to revert back to the old self. The key is that we see putting on the new man as something we do as a way of life-day by day. We are to be continually being filled with the Spirit; walking in our new identity and not living according to the flesh. Yes, God has made us new, and He has given us His written word in which we learn of our new identity, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to empower us to put on the new self.
 Ezekiel 36:26: “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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PUT  ON  (part two)

10/27/2016

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October 28, 2016                                    PUT  ON  (part two)
Colossians 3:13-15: “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
In the last blog, we saw that if we are to live life according to God’s plans and purposes, it is crucial for us to take off the old self, and put on the new self that is made in the image of God. It is by the power of God that we take off the old and put on the new, but He has given us responsibility in the process of being transformed. In the verses above, we are given a wonderful picture of living according to the new self, and if we belong to Him, our spirit within confirms and agrees that this is the life we desire to live. What I find so wonderful and so refreshing about the word of God is that the scriptures are not just for theological discussion, but that they address real life issues. God is well aware of the fact that we do not live in a perfect world, but live in a world where we encounter trials from within and without, and He yet He has made provision for us to live an abundant life. There are times when we may be frustrated with others, there will be times when we need to extend forgiveness or receive forgiveness, and there are times when we have a complaint against someone. The old self is contrary to the new self; the old self tends to hold a grudge, resist forgiving others, and magnifies a complaint that he or she may have against someone else, whereas the evidence of having put on the new self is that we  “bear with one another” and we “forgive one another.” Our forgiveness for others is not difficult when we realize how much the Lord has forgiven us. The glue that binds, or holds relationships together, and the necessary ingredient for unity in the body of Christ is the love of God being manifested among us. Because we so often hear about the “love of God,” we may become desensitized and loose the awe, and the impact of His great love for us. We can avoid becoming desensitized to His love by choosing to put on the new man having as a goal in life to be a reflection of our Father. His love is not to be kept a secret, but is to be expressed in tangible ways to all we come in contact with, and it is to be the very foundation of our lives. We are admonished to “let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,” and this becomes a reality for us when we “put on love,” for He is love, and where He reigns, there is peace.
Ephesians 4:22-24: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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PUT  ON  (part one)

10/24/2016

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October 24, 2016                                          PUT  ON     (part one)
Colossians 3:10,12: “and having put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him- And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
The power of God to totally transform the lives of those whom He has called is beyond the comprehension of the natural mind. It is God who initiated, and the One who called us, and it is only by His power that our transformation takes place, but He has given us a part in working out this transformation.  We have been transformed, we have been made new, and now we must learn to live, or walk in our newness, and just as we choose to put on a coat, we choose to “put on the new self.” The putting on of our new self, requires that we first take off the old self; in the first part of Colossians, chapter three, we find a list of some of the things we are to lay aside or take off. The awesome fact is that the new self that we are to put on is made in the image of God! God has made wonderful provision for our lives to be a reflection of Him, and we become that reflection not by our own strength, but by being transformed. The taking off of the old man and putting on the new man is the most crucial choice we must make as Christians; it determines whether or not our life is lived according to His design and purpose. Putting on the new self is not a one-time event, but we are to be continually putting on, or choosing to walk in our newness. As we see in the above verses, we have the opportunity, and the ability, to put on a heart of compassion in place of being indifferent or selfish, and instead of being rude or ill-tempered, we can express kindness, even when others are un-kind. We can lay aside our pride and clothe ourselves with genuine humility, and in place of being harsh, we can be gentle in nature as we relate to others, and we can exchange impatience for patience. What a difference it makes, and what a blessing it is not only to us, but to others as well, when we live and respond to life in the here and now out of the new self.  Colossians 2:10 tells us that we “are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” We lack nothing, but have all we need to live according to the new self, and thereby be a reflection of our Father. Let us be quick to lay aside the old self and quick to put on the new self that God has designed us to be.
Romans 6:4: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as in Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Blessings,
Buddy
 
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GOOD  FOR  THE  BONES

10/21/2016

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October 21, 2016                                      GOOD  FOR  THE  BONES
Proverbs 3:7-8: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body; and refreshment to your bones.”
If you read then entire bible, you could not find one verse that gives bad advice or instruction. In the book of Proverbs you find nuggets of truth packed in just a few words and so often there is even a greater truth than the obvious truth of the verse. God, being our designer and creator, knows every minute detail of our physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional makeup and He also designed the laws of cause and effect. Psalms 139 tells us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and that God weaved us in our mother’s womb!  As much as has been learned about the human body, we have not yet uncovered the mysteries of how the non-physical (thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and beliefs) affects our physical bodies, but in the two brief verses above, we see that there is a relationship of the two. Most would agree that it is good advice to not be conceited or wise in our own eyes, and a good idea to turn away from evil, but we may miss the cause and effect aspect of our actions and beliefs. It may sound like a stretch for some, but fearing the Lord, being humble in spirit, and turning from evil has a positive effect on our physical and emotional health! The ‘fear’ of the Lord as used here is not being ‘afraid’ of God, but rather indicates a healthy respect and an acknowledgement of His lordship over our lives. It may sound like a contradiction to some, but it must be understand that this verse is not a promise that we will always be in perfect physical health if we carry out the instructions given in this verse. But, it does mean that if we adhere to the truth of this verse, we will generally experience better health than we would if we did not believe this verse. Even should we become ill, it is of great help to turn to the Lord and to trust Him in sickness, and even in our sickness, we can be emotionally healthy-and that in turn will aid in our physical recovery. The overall truth is that God desires that we enjoy good health, but even when we are ill, He can use it for our good. Much of the sickness we see today is brought on by the poor choices we make when it comes to diet and exercise as well as allowing undue stress to take its toll on us. In a practical sense, what we believe has a great bearing on our health; if, for example, we believe that it’s ok to over indulge in alcohol or food, we will surely suffer physically. By fearing the Lord, we will welcome His instructions for life that are found throughout the scriptures, and by doing so, we will enjoy greater health and wholeness.  We are blessed when we have the seemingly simplistic belief that God is good, that He is faithful, and that He is the potter and we are the clay. May we truly have a healthy fear of the Lord that would keep us on the path of life that He has for us-if we do, we will be blessed.
Acts 2:28: “You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”
Proverbs 17:22: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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NO  CONDEMNATION

10/16/2016

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October 16, 2016                                       NO  CONDEMNATION
Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
If there is any good news in the scriptures and if there is any verse that calls for a celebration in our spirit, it is that there is “no condemnation” for us. It is interesting to note that this promise of no condemnation is reserved for those who “are in Christ Jesus.” How difficult it would be to live with a defiled conscience-a black cloud over our head-because of past actions that were wrong. (We will feel a sense of conviction if and win we sin, but that is different than feeling condemned.) If we are living, then there are things in our past that would call for our condemnation-a sobering thought. Many believers are haunted day and night by ‘ghost’ of the past, of memories from which they cannot escape no matter how they try. Often, it is our pride that says -“how could I do such a thing” or “I am so embarrassed by what I did,” and it is this pride that stands in the way of receiving God’s forgiveness. When we lay our pride aside and when we humbled ourselves before God-and others if need be-and confess and agree with God, that we sinned, then, and only then, are we forgiven and made clean. The sin in the heart of man was a barrier between man and God, and to remove this barrier, Jesus came and gave His life so that we might be forgiven and restored to Him. Knowing the great price that Jesus, and the Father, paid for our forgiveness, how tragic it is to reject, or not receive the forgiveness that is freely offered. We have all witnessed those occasions of celebration when in court, the verdict ‘not guilty’ is rendered, and the defendant walks from the court room with a new sense of relief and freedom. So it was with us; except we were guilty and we were condemned!  In our case, someone else, whose name is Jesus, stood in our place and paid the ultimate price for our forgiveness and our freedom. We somehow have to grasp the fact that in spite of our past and even present sins and failures, we ARE NOT CONDEMENED! Just as in our court room example, celebration is called for because we have been set free from any and all sin and there is no more condemnation for us! There will be times when the memory of a past sin comes to mind, but when it does, we can use it as a springboard to remind ourselves of the forgiveness that God extended to us, and by so doing, we disarm the enemy and we take dominion over our thought life. I fear that many, if honest, will admit that all too often they experience a feeling of condemnation because of past failures. Let us welcome, let us embrace, let us accept as true, and let us celebrate the good news of the gospel that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
John 3:18: “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Galatians 5:1: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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GETTING  VS  HAVING

10/12/2016

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October 12, 2016                                        GETTING  VS  HAVING
Colossians 2:9-10: “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”
Many believers struggle with the truth that we are presently “complete in Him,” and as a result, live their life trying to attain to a certain level of spirituality. Not understanding that we are complete in Him is accompanied by a belief that we are lacking in something. The writers of the New Testament understood the power of God to change men at the core-to totally transform them into His image. Many sermons and messages that we hear are geared toward pointing out our spiritual deficiencies and failures and telling us that we need to be more committed spiritually. Missing in much of what we hear today is that our salvation not only assures us of spending eternity in heaven, but our salvation also makes us ‘new creatures’ with the desire and the power to live life as God designed. It seems that the greatest struggle for many is to grasp the truth that we are not who we use to be, but have been made new-not just renovated, or made better. The fantastic news according to the clear teachings of scripture, is that we have been given a new nature, and it is our new nature to walk in His ways, to be free from the dominion of sin, to love Him, to think the right thoughts, and to be imitators of Him! If this is true-and it is-we have to ask why is it that many believers do not experience this reality on a daily basis. Primarily, because we have heard for so long an incomplete or insufficient gospel, we do not know our true identity as sons and daughters of God. There is one scripture, when misunderstood, is used to justify, or excuse walking in the flesh. In the seventh chapter of Romans, Paul is describing what it was like when he was living according to the flesh, saying that he did  the things he did not want to do, and the things he wanted to do, he did not do them, and in Romans 7:24 Paul says: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free the body of this death?” However, in Romans 8:2, Paul makes the wonderful proclamation and gives the remedy for living according to the flesh: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free form the law of sin and of death.” It was not Paul’s testimony that he lived a wretched, miserable life; his testimony was that he had been made new by the power of God and he was able to say to other believers-“Do as I do, for I am doing as Christ did.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)  When we read the New Testament with open eyes and hearts and without preconceived ideas, we see from Matthew to Revelations the power of God to give ordinary men and women a new nature and a totally new identity. It is this new identity that opens our eyes to see just how great and complete our salvation is, and that we now already have all we need to live the Christian life.
Ephesians 4:24: “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Blessings,
Buddy
For more insight on the subject, read: ‘The Truth of the Gospel’ by Peter Parris.
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NO  FEAR

10/9/2016

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October 9, 2016                                         NO  FEAR
Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Fear is a dreadful companion to live with. There are numerous things to fear: sickness, death, financial loss, unemployment, divorce, war, civil unrest, accidents, being rejected by others- and the list goes on. At times, a sense of fear ‘form out of the blue’ may come upon us for no apparent reason. Living with fear is living in bondage. David, the writer of the twenty third Psalm, had much to fear, but because of his sure trust in God, and because he knew God, fear did not overcome him. Even though we are surrounded with a seemingly unending list of things that could cause us to fear, God has made a way for us to experience life free of fear. A truth that is key to living without fear, is expressed in just four words-“Thou art with me.” Knowing that the creator God, the ruler of the universe, and the God who is all powerful, is ‘with us’ personally, is the sure antidote for fear. Another essential truth that takes away fear is knowing and experiencing the love of God, as seen in 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” It is accurate to say that if we are experiencing fear, it is because we do not know in the deepest part of our being that God is with us and we do not yet know His great love for us. Also, by not knowing and experiencing God’s forgiveness for us results in a life of bondage, and one aspect of bondage is fear. Just by living on planet earth, we will continually be surrounded by those things that could cause one to fear, and God is well aware of that fact. However, God, in His love has made provision for His people to live life without being subject to fear, and that provision is His presence, His love for us, and His total forgiveness for us. We will face difficult times, we will see devastation all around us, and we witness what life is like when people reject God, but because we know that He is with us, we are able to live without fear! We can live with the perspective that even though we may not understand why things are as they are, or why people act as they do, or why we experience trials, but no matter what takes place around us, God is faithful and His abiding presence with us enables us to live free of fear.
John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
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RESTORING  THE  SOUL

10/6/2016

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October 6, 2016                                    RESTORING  THE  SOUL
Psalms 23:3: “He restores my soul;”
Psalms 42:11: Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance, and my God.
As I was searching for a concise definition of ‘soul,’ I found that there were none! The best summary of the definition of soul is that the soul is the seat of affections and desires of man. Man is a triune being made up of spirit, soul, and body. The soul and the spirit or not the same; the spirit is the part of us that relates to God, and when we are born again, our spirit is regenerated, or made new. When we think of a person’s soul, we think of their personality, the way they relate to others, their temperament, and their demeanor. Perhaps, to our own hurt, we do not pay much attention to our soul, letting our soul be ‘independent’, and we just take whatever message the soul is putting out.  In our soul we can experience joy and peace, and in our soul we can also experience feelings of despair. I started thinking about our soul as I watched a movie about a wealthy elderly lady who had become bitter in life, but through a series of events, she came to live with a young lady who lived on a house boat. Living on the river, brought back many wonderful memories she had of living on the river as a child. Now as an elderly lady who had exchanged her mansion for a river boat, she proclaimed that she had “found her soul.” I fear that there are many believers who need “to find their soul.” Unmet expectations, disappointments, hurts, broken dreams, and failures, if not properly dealt with, will result in an unhealthy soul. Even though we have a triune makeup-body, soul, and spirit, the three aspects of our makeup are not independent of the other. However, the key to having a healthy soul, and to a great degree a healthy body, is to be renewed in our spirit. When God regenerates our spirit, when His Spirit comes to reside in us, the result is a healthy soul. We must remember that even a healthy soul will at times experience a sense of sadness or grief, because life is not always as we want it to be. The Holy Spirit within us enables us to live life as God designed, where the body, soul, and spirit are in sync-one complementing the other.  If we are expecting life to be free of trials and tribulations, we have wrong expectations and we are setting ourselves up for disappointments. We do have influence over our soul because Christ lives in us, and as we walk in step with Him, we will find that our soul rejoices because of His presence. Let us not forget that God gave us a soul, and His intention for doing so was to bless us. No matter what circumstances we face, not only can our soul can find comfort, but it can also find reason to be confident in whatever God is doing. We do not have to live on a river boat to find our soul, but we do need to make sure that our soul is healthy by being under the influence of the Spirit within. Go ahead-decide to rejoice, decide to enjoy life, and let your soul find its rest in the Lord.
2 John 1:2: “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
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CHOSEN

10/2/2016

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October 2, 2016                                            CHOSEN
1 Peter 2:9-10: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have attained mercy.”
Though we live in the midst of non-believers, and though we must be about many of the same task and activities as non-believers, we must not lose sight of the fact that as believers, we are a “chosen generation.”  God has called us out of darkness into His “marvelous light,” and has made us “a royal priesthood,” and a “peculiar people.”  When we hear the word ‘peculiar,’ we may think of being strange or abnormal, but as used in this verse, it has the idea of ‘belonging exclusively to’ God.  We were not chosen by God because of our own goodness or that we earned it, but only by His grace did we become one of the chosen ones. The awareness of being chosen by God, obviously should have a great impact on our life and our natural response should be that of praising Him and honoring Him.  When we are trying to walk through a totally dark room, or find our way outside on a dark night, we soon realize the value of light. Even though a non-believer has physical eyesight, he is in total darkness spiritually and is lost in his way. What a blessing it is to be transferred from darkness into the marvelous light, that is found only in the kingdom of God. As a ‘royal priesthood,’ we have unlimited, and direct access to the Father, and we are now a ‘holy people’-a people set apart for His purposes. At one time, whether we knew it or not, we were in darkness and in need of mercy, but now, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have received mercy. At one time, we had no real identity, without a future and without hope, but God chose to reveal Himself to us and make us a part of His family!  Let us not lose the awareness of being “called out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Ephesians 5:8: “for you were formally darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.”
Ephesians 1:4-5: “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In Love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,”
Blessings,
Buddy
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    Buddy Fitzgerald

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