Blog Archives - TheNewU

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OR WANT FROM US ?

10/28/2022

October 28, 2022 WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OR WANT FROM US ?
Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.
John 17:6 “and I have made My name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them.”
It is a probing question; what does God want or expect from us? The nature of man tends toward complication. Paul understood that; in 2 Corinthians 11:3 Paul expresses his concern that some of the believers would be ‘corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.’ If not alert and if we do not guard our minds, we can be overwhelmed by the endless flow of information and teachings on how we are to live life and what we are to do and not do. To add to the problem, there is much contradiction and different opinions given as to how we are to live as believers. To further complicate the issue, many believe that we must do certain works if we are to please God. To clarify what I am about to say; we are to embrace the teachings of scripture and we are to be growing in the faith and in the knowledge of God; we are not to be idle or lackadaisical when it comes to living out the gospel. With that being said, let us be reminded that God does not lead us to a complicated life where we are continually questioning what we are to do, nor does He desire that we live with confusion and uncertainty. It is refreshing to know that God does not require a lot of us. Simply said, I think God wants us to live holy lives-no more or no less; we can live holy lives because He lives in us. A holy life is doing justice, loving kindness, walking humbly with our God, being blameless in our conduct, loving God and loving each other. God is about relationships. Jesus calls us His brothers; we have already been redeemed and made new; and He is looking forward to the day we are with Him in heaven. So, let us lay aside any pressure to perform or to measure up to unscriptural standards that we or others have set; let us go about today doing what we do as unto the Lord, walking in the freedom and the simplicity we have in Christ.
Matthew 11:29-30 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Blessings,
Buddy

IN DIFFICULT TIMES

10/26/2022

October 26, 2022 IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Hebrews 13:5 “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you.’”
Psalm 55:22, 46:1 “Cast you burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Genesis 50:20 “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”
It’s not a matter of if we will experience difficult times, but a matter of when. We can face difficult times when there seems to be no way out and it seems that the sun will never shine again for us; it seems the storm will never pass. In such times, we need an anchor for the soul; in Hebrews we find the assurance that Jesus is the sure anchor; “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtains.” (The ‘inner place’ refers to the physical temple of God in the Old Testament and is a picture of the presence of God where Jesus sits as our High Priest in the New Covenant.) Difficulties and trials have a way of testing our faith and trust in God; our response to the trials reveals our faith. Even though the trial brings great pain, and all seems to be hopeless, and there is no way that we can fix it-or make it go away, and even though we can see no way that the trial will have good results, we must know in the bedrock of our soul that God has not forsaken us and that He will be with us through the storm. I’m reminded of the words of a song that blesses me; “I cannot calm the raging storm, BUT I know a Man who can.” Another similar song is “I know the Master of the wind-I know the Maker of the rain.’ God takes no thrill in seeing His loved-ones suffer, but He does allow trials for a reason; He wants our total trust and reliance to be in Him; He knows if our faith is weak or strong, BUT He wants us to know that we are truly trusting Him. One major thing that trials reveal is whether or not our peace and joy is tied to circumstances; it is easy to have ‘faith in God’ when things are good. So, let us not deny that trials can cause great pain, but as we work through the pain, let us be aware of His presence and have the assurance that He is working. In the greatest difficulty, we can at the core of our being know that He is our Father and that He will be with us, comforting us as only He can. It may sound like a stretch, but when we believe that God is working for good in the midst of the darkness, as James 1:2 says, we can experience joy. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

BRINGING HOLINESS TO COMPLETION

10/24/2022

October 24, 2022 BRINGING HOLINESS TO COMPLETION
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion.”
1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lust which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
In the last blog, the phrase in one of the verses referred to caught my attention. In the first verse above, we are told that we are to be “bringing holiness to completion.” For certain, God is the Holy One, and holiness on our part comes from God. The interesting thing is that we have a part to play in the process of holiness being expressed on our lives. We can say that we are presently holy because the Spirit of God lives in us; now we are to live holy lives in the nitty-gritty of life. As we go about our routines of life, in whatsoever we do, we are to do it in a way that is holy and righteous. ‘Bringing holiness to completion’ implies that we are to be alert to how we might express holiness and how we might be expressions of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. It is a matter of living out of our true identity as sons and daughters of God who have been made new. Peter tells us that since we have been made new, let us not be conformed back to the old way of life where we were not free from the power of sin. We have the power to lay aside anything that is unlike God, and we have the power to put on what is like God. It is a simple but powerful truth; God tells us to be holy because He is holy; and God does not give us commands that we cannot obey. We are not only to be holy in ‘all of our conduct;’ we are to be holy in our spirit; our attitudes, our thoughts, and our responses are to be pleasing to God. So, let us always be cleansing ourselves from any defilement of flesh and spirit as needed, and be about bringing holiness to completion.
2 Timothy 1:9a “He has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose grace.”
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship.”
Blessings,
Buddy

THE EYES OF OUR HEART

10/21/2022

October 21, 2022 THE EYES OF OUR HEART
Ephesians 1:17-19 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
It seems we are geared to live according to our mind and to logic, neglecting the more important aspect of spiritual understanding, wisdom and revelation. It is impossible to live the Christian life just on our mental understanding; we must receive revelation from God concerning who He is and His plans and purposes for us. In fact, 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us that the natural man (one who does not know God) cannot understand the scriptures. Since the very beginning, God has been revealing Himself in various ways, but the most powerful and most dramatic way He has revealed Himself is through His Son Jesus Christ. All that Jesus said and did reflected His Father; through Jesus, we come to know God. The New Testament is based on the life and teachings of Jesus and the writing of the New Testament was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to each believer, and the primary role of the Holy Spirit is to give us understanding and revelation as we read God’s word. Even though believers have the Holy Spirit living in them, many still depend on and rely on their mental appraisal of the scriptures. One reason for this is that many have for a long time been exposed to and have heard teachings that are not in keeping with the gospel that Jesus proclaimed. Man, even believers, have been guilty of interpreting the scriptures according to their own preferences and own prejudices. The gospel that Jesus proclaimed is clear, it’s not up for debate, and there are no contradictions in the scriptures. Peter Parris has said that “There are contradictions in the scriptures, but only in our mind.” The riches that are in God and in Christ are unsearchable, they are beyond our natural ability to understand or comprehend. If we think we fully know God and His greatness, then we do not know Him. If we are to experience the life God has for, if we are to be transformed, it is essential that God gives us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, and that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened that we might know the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus. The Christian life is not about ‘trying harder’ or being ‘more dedicated’ or being ‘more disciplined’ etc. Only when we seek Him first and as He gives us revelation about who we are in Him and about who He is in us, will we experience the awesome life He has for us. The good news is that if we seek Him first, He will continue to reveal Himself to us in new and powerful ways throughout our lifetime. There is always more to know about Him. Let us take this prayer that Paul prayed personally, that the eyes of our heart be enlightened. God reveals Himself to those who desire to know Him.
Ephesians 4:24 “and put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Blessings, Buddy
Buddy

HAVING A PURE HEART

10/19/2022

October 19, 2022 HAVING A PURE HEART
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
1 John 3:3 “And everyone who hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.”
Philippians 1:9-10 “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”
Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
One of the greatest blessings available to us is that of having a pure heart. The condition of our heart is all important as we see in Proverbs 4:23: “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of the heart flows the issues of life.” In a spiritual sense, the heart is considered the ‘seat of our strength-the mind, soul, spirit, or one’s entire emotional nature and understanding.’ There are many scriptures that admonish us to have a pure heart. The good news is that no matter how impure we may have been in the past and no matter how often we have sinned in the past, God has made a way for us to have a pure heart. The first primary step in having a pure heart is to confess and repent of those things in our life are not pleasing to God-and then receive forgiveness from God, and also forgive ourselves. Forgiveness frees us from the chains that bind us. Having a pure heart is not automatic-it is our responsibility. Another basic step in gaining a pure heart is to turn our hearts to God. Turning our hearts implies that we desire to know Him and to learn of Him; and it implies that we are turning from our ways to His ways. It is a no-brainer; if we want to learn of Him, then we must read His word, and adjust our life to live according to what we learn in His word. The good news is that gaining or having a pure heart is not difficult; it is a matter of living out of the new heart that God has given us. As we grow in the Lord and as we discover who we are in Him, our hearts will be pure. As we examine our hearts, we must ask some critical questions; such as, what are my deep-seated desires in life; what is it that motivates me; am I primarily looking out for myself. We do not need to be consumed with self-introspection; just be aware of the direction of our heart. Let us focus our thoughts and our hearts on the things of God, whatever is excellent; be quick to reject any impure thoughts that try to land in our minds and spirits; let us be honest; be about blessing others because God has blessed us; make sure our motives are pure and pleasing to God; let us acknowledge our wrongs. A basic truth we see in the scripture above is that if our hope is truly in God alone, we will be purifying ourselves because He is pure. No matter our past, we can have a ‘pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.’ Remember, Jesus said that ‘blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
2 Timothy 2:22 “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
Blessings,
Buddy

SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE

10/17/2022

October 17, 2022 SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE
2 Corinthians 5:1-4 “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our home is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heaven. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-“
Our focus and our attention tends to get set on life on this earth as if there is all there is. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are living in a temporary dwelling, or as Paul said, a tent. As believers, deep within we know there is more; we envision what it will be like to be in heaven where God is. In this life on earth, we experience conflicts and various trials; yet, in our spirit there is a longing to live in the presence of God where we experience life as He designed. As believers, we are wired for heaven-yet we have been placed here on earth for a season. As Paul said, in this earthly tent in which we presently live, we groan, being burdened, but we know that there is more. We want things to be made right; we want justice to prevail; we want righteousness to rule; we want to see and experience the kingdom of God. Someone said that our life is like having one foot in heaven and one foot on earth. This longing we have, this groaning, is from God who has given us a destiny with Him. Because God understands our groaning and our longing for more, He has given us the Spirit as a pledge that He will indeed fulfill this longing; and because we have this pledge, the Holy Spirit, we can be of good courage; and we can look forward to being clothed with our dwelling from heaven. We can live with the assurance that one day that that which is mortal will be swallowed up by life!! I understand that there is a general dread of dying, and that is normal. However, as we begin to understand that we were created for more than life on this earth and that it is our destiny to be with our Father in heaven, the fear or dread of death is removed. Psalm 116:15 is an amazing verse that is often overlooked; it gives us good insight as to the heart of God concerning the death of one of His followers: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.” Because we have a destiny with God, and even though there is more to life than we experience on earth, let us live our life on earth in a way that pleases Him, and experience the abundant life that He gives even while living in this temporary tent.
1 Corinthians 15:49, 52-53, 55 “And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For the perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Blessings,
Buddy

FIRMLY ROOTED

10/15/2022

October 15, 2022 FIRMLY ROOTED
Colossians 2:5-7: “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
If there are two things needed today in the body of believers, it is good discipline, and stability of our faith. It seems that as a whole, in the Christian community today, there is a shallowness, evidenced by and a lack of discipline and stability in our faith. For whatever the reason, we are rather easily discouraged, and tend to be lacking in ‘good discipline.’ We live in times that are difficult in many ways; our society faces numerous challenges and problems-it would take the rest of the page to list them-you know what they are. And, I dare say that everyone reading this has in some way been touched by the difficulties and brokenness we face today. However, the believers who lived during the time these scriptures were written suffered in ways we can’t even imagine. Believers were routinely persecuted by the government and by the religious leaders because of their faith in Christ; many were imprisoned and many were tortured and put to death. In the midst of such suffering, Paul said that he rejoiced to see their good discipline and the stability of their faith. In our “Christianity” it is paramount that we, just like those believers of the past, adopt as a life style, good discipline and a stable faith, no matter what our circumstances may be from day-to-day. By receiving Jesus as Lord, He is to become our life and we are to be built upon Him, walking in His ways. If our life is rooted in anything other than the Lord Himself, our roots will not hold when difficulties come our way, and we will not be properly nourished. We are not left to do ‘the best we can’ and figure things on our own; the scriptures give us instruction concerning how we are to live. We become ‘firmly rooted’ as we read and study the scriptures with the desire to increase in the knowledge of God, and as we apply or act on what we learn from the scriptures. The all-important question for each of us is whether or not we know Jesus as our Lord and are we walking in His ways. Don’t be distracted by the temporal world, but be focused on what is eternal; seek His kingdom first.
1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, My beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Blessings,
Buddy

OVERCOMING

10/11/2022

October 11, 2022 OVERCOMING
1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing as though something strange were happening to you;”
John 16:23 “These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”
I’m sure that all would agree with Jesus when He said that we will have tribulation in the world. As someone has said “We are either going into a storm, are in a storm, are we are coming out of a storm.” As believers, we know that we are to be overcomers, but we may find ourselves being overcome by our adverse circumstances. What does it look like to be overcomers and just how do we overcome the difficulties we encounter. I certainly do not have all the answers, but I think that we can glean some insight from God’s word. As a starter, it is helpful for us just to realize that trials will come our way-do not be surprised when they do. I think we do a great disservice to new believers by implying that ‘their life will be wonderful when they trust Jesus as their Savior.’ It is also helpful to know that trials have a purpose; trials test us and try us; trials reveal our faith, or the lack thereof. Instead of complaining about the trial or becoming depressed over our circumstances, let us trust that God is at work in the midst of the trial. We are called to endure and remain steadfast in trials-and enduring is not easy, but it is possible. Understandably, we look for the trials and difficulties to end; we want to be delivered from our difficulties. Some trials we face are short-time, while others may be long-term, or even for a life time. When Jesus spoke of overcoming the trials and difficulties of life on this earth, I do not think He was primarily talking about how to get out of the trials or how to put an end to the trial, but rather how to not be defeated or discouraged by the trials we face. For sure, many trials we face are painful; however, even in the most difficult times we can be aware of His presence, and His comfort, and know that in some way, He is using the trial for our good. So, let us not deny the fact that trials will come our way; when they do come, remain at peace and be steadfast in your faith in God; even though we may not understand why, we can trust our heavenly Father who loves us and who will never forsake us.
1 John 4:4, 5:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Blessings,
Buddy

GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER

10/9/2022

October 9, 2022 GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER
2 Corinthians 9:6-11 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, ‘He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness abides forever.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.”
Man, apart from God, is a taker; his emphasis is on getting. In contrast, the one that knows God and who is walking in His ways, is a giver. God demonstrated His giving nature when He gave His Son that we might be redeemed. We normally think of money when the subject of giving comes up; blessing someone in need financially is certainly a great way to give, however, there are many other ways to give. We can give our time; we can give a listening ear; we can help someone in need; we can open the door for a stranger; pray for someone; speak an encouraging word-and etc. God is not interested in us giving under compulsion or because we think that we are suppose too give in order to be a ‘good Christian.’ When we come know God as our Father and we experience His love, and when we know our true identity as His sons and daughters, we become givers at heart; being a giver is in keeping with the heart of God. Having a spirit of giving is what it is all about. Once we discover the joy of giving and discover that it is our new nature to be givers, we look for ways to give. There are some awesome promises in the passage above. One is that when we are a cheerful giver, we will have ‘all sufficiency in all things,’ AND God will supply us with seeds to sow, AND He will multiply our seeds for sowing! Giving is a part of the righteousness of God being expressed in and through us; and He says that the harvest of our righteousness will be increased; we will be ‘enriched in everything for all liberality.’ After seeing all the promises and benefits of being a cheerful giver, it makes you wonder why anyone would not want to be a giver. Again, giving is not to be something we do occasionally; God desires that we have a spirit of giving; if we live out of our new identity, our new nature that He has given us, we will have a spirit of giving, and we will never run out of seeds to sow.
Proverbs 11:24-25 “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessings will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

BEING TRANSFORMED

10/7/2022

October 7, 2022 BEING TRANSFORMED
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
As believers, we are called to action; we are to be about obeying the scriptures out of our love for God. However, there is one thing we cannot do; we cannot transform ourselves; transformation is a work of God. The above scriptures point out a very basic truth that must not be ignored; the crucial matter is that of the heart. The heart of man is either turned to the Lord, or turned elsewhere. If the heart is not turned to the Lord, then that individual is blinded; a veil lies over their heart. This veil cannot be removed by anything or by anyone except by the Lord; and the Lord removes the veil only when one turns his heart to the Lord. The veil is not removed by doing good works, by reading the scriptures, or by doing what one considers his religious duty. Having our hearts turned to the Lord means we have a longing to know Him, and it implies that we understand that He is the only one who can fill our deepest longings. When one’s heart is not turned to the Lord, he cannot truly understand the scriptures or the ways of the Lord because the veil that blinds has not been lifted. Once our heart is turned to the Lord, He removes the veil, enabling us to see, ‘as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord.’ And here is the good news; as we behold His glory, as we gaze upon Him, and as we seek Him, we are transformed! And listen to this-we are being transformed into the same image as the Lord!! Even though we are flesh and bone, we are becoming like Him. Wow! This transformation process is on-going, it is continual. Many may have difficulty believing that we are becoming like Him; we do not become God, but we become like Him in our character and in our thought life; we reflect His glory and His life as we go about life here on planet earth. As simple as it may sound, let us make sure that our heart is indeed turned to the Lord.
Blessings,
Buddy