Blog Posts - TheNewU

MOMENTARY LIGHT AFFLICTION

9/9/2024

September 9, 2024 MOMENTARY LIGHT AFFLICTION

2 Corinthians 416-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

For sure, we may have difficulty seeing afflictions as momentary and light. Yet, if we gain understanding of the gospel and we have the perspective of the kingdom of God and we know that we have an inheritance form God as believers, we will be able to see our afflictions as momentary and light. We must not be spiritually shortsighted but must keep the big picture of the purposes of God in mind. Knowing what’s coming for those who know God enables us to see this life on earth as momentary. Another reality we must accept is that our physical bodies are decaying! No matter how much attention we give to keeping ourselves in good shape and no matter what we do trying to improve our outward appearance, we are decaying. (I know that is a hard word-sorry.) That is not a doomsday or futile awareness; we should take steps to be in good health as our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Actually, accepting the fact that God designed us in such a way that our physical bodies wear out and one day we die helps us appreciate and value the time we have on this earth. The other good news is that the trials we endure are not just trials for no reason; the trials we endure are producing something-an eternal weight of glory. The message of this passage gets to the core of our culture; the culture focuses on the now and what is seen. The problem with that is that what is seen is temporal; to build a life on the temporal insures disappointment. The believers who lived during the early church days endured great affliction, yet they were overcomers in those afflictions because they were focused on the inheritance in the Lord that was reserved for them. So, while we live on this earth, let us be good stewards and view this life as being precious times we have to be the people God calls us to be; but also let us have our focus on all that God has in store for us and the inheritance that will be ours when we take our last breath. Finally, how blessed we are that our inner man, the real us, is being renewed day by day.
1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all the grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Blessings, Buddy

September 07th, 2024

9/7/2024

September 7, 2024 ENSLAVED TO GOD

Romans 6:17-18, 22-23. “But thanks be to God though that you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed form sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” “ But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We take pride in our independence, but the truth is that whether we realize it or not, we are enslaved to something or to someone. Prior to becoming a believer, a follower of Christ, we were slaves to sin. We may not have been guilty of the sin of murder, theft or whatever; but we all had a sin nature from birth. We tend to grade sin as ‘big’ sin or ‘small’ sin; but in God’s sight, sin is sin. This idea of classifying some sins as small sins may actually cause us to not be alarmed by the ‘small’ sins we may be guilty of-we just allow them to continue. Anyway, we have been freed from the power of sin-and that is a big deal. It is saying that we no longer have to sin since we have been freed from the power of sin; when we sin, we do so by choice. Being freed from sin is half the story. The other half is that we have become enslaved to God. Obviously, being enslaved to God is a wonderful thing; it has many benefits in this life and the life to come. Let us not be consciously or unconsciously enslaved to the ways of the world or to our own passions and desires that are not of God. Being enslaved to God is the best thing that can happen to us; the ways of God lead to life and fulfillment and to life with no regrets. Being a slave of God means that our purpose is to do what He bids and do the things that are pleasing to Him; it means that we live for Him and not ourselves. The amazing thing is that as we live for Him, we find life. The good news is that no matter our past and no matter that we were slaves to someone or something other than God, when we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are set free from our past and the power of sin, and we are enslaved to God and His righteousness. No matter what we may think or believe and no matter our circumstances, the fact is that only as we become enslaved to God, will we find that which satisfies our deepest longings and find our true identity.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirt who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

Blessings,
Buddy

GRANTED TO US EVERYTHING

9/4/2024

September 5, 2024 GRANTED TO US EVERYTHING

2 Peter 1:3-8 “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 precious and 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. 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 if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We have things to do! It is God who is ruling and reigning and it is God who initiates and who enables. As human beings, we have nothing to brag about or take credit for. With that being understood, we must know that we have a part to play in what God is doing; we have to work out what He is working in. This passage begins with an awesome truth. We may see ourselves lacking in certain areas, but the truth is that God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness. This is primarily saying that through the Holy Spirt, we know how to negotiate life and we know how to live in a way that is in keeping with the ways of God. God has put within us what we need in order to live in victory and the power to not be overcome by the world and the trials we face. These things come not through our own strength, but through the true knowledge of Him; we gain the true knowledge of Him through His word. (Be alert: some misinterpret the word of God and some preach a false gospel.) Here is another awesome truth; He has provided a way for us to become partakers of the divine nature. Wow! Another point we must not miss is that we are called to be diligent and ‘supply’ certain qualities to our lives. We are to add moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. We are not to wait for God to ‘zap’ us; we must actively add these qualities-it is God who gives us this ability. God has ‘granted to us precious and magnificent promises in order that we might partake of the divine nature.’ Now, let us be about adding these godly qualities. As we do, we will become useful and fruitful in the true knowledge of Christ.
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 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.”

Blessings, Buddy

GIRD YOUR MIND

9/3/2024

September 3, 2024 GIRD YOUR MIND

1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in your spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lust which were yours in your former ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

We have been through some tough times personally, and we know of a lot of others who are experiencing difficulties. I think there is an important lesson for us in this passage. In the day in which we live, the focus is mostly on the present. We wonder why God allows sufferings and trials and wonder why He does not take the difficulties away-now, today. We tend to think that because we are believers, and because we say that God is good, we should not have to endure trials and difficulties. However, that view point is not biblical. In the days of the early church, believers suffered great trials and persecutions-just check out the history of life during the early church period; trials were just a part of life. Throughout the New Testament scriptures, you find instructions and admonitions for believers to set their hope completely on the day of the Lord-His appearing-and the revelation of Jesus. We look at the right now! We want deliverance now. Today, we hear few sermons and messages on what it will be like when Jesus returns and when we are joined with Him in heaven. We must not put our trust in being delivered from our trials today. God’s word says a lot about an inheritance reserved for us-a day when our salvation will be complete. Today is about enduring while trusting Jesus as our Helper and Comforter. Do not misunderstand; we are not doomed to live a miserable, difficult life; God does deliver us from a lot of trials today and He is a God who heals and restores. Yet, He does not always deliver us as we want Him to and sometimes He allows the trials to linger. But the good news is that He is at work even during the most difficult times we face, and He strengthens us and comforts us during the trials; He never forsakes us. We are called to ‘gird our minds for action, to be sober in spirit, and to set our hope completely on the grace we will receive’ when Jesus is revealed. We are not to be inactive in living out the words of God; life is big and life is important-no room for the mundane. And, it is clear from this verse that we have been made new-we must not be conformed back to who we were. Also, it is a command of God for us to be holy in all our behavior-all because He is holy and we are in Him. Contrary to popular belief, we can live holy lives. That does not mean we are sinless; if and when we sin, we confess it and continue to walk in the ways of God. So, let us be diligent to walk according to the ways of the Lord and not according to our own ways or the was of the world. A lot is at stake.
Colossians 2:6-7 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Blessings,
Buddy

FROM ONE FATHER

9/1/2024

September 1, 2024 FROM ONE FATHER

Hebrews 2:10-11 “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,”

This passage stretches our understanding to say the least and it reveals a most important aspect of our identity. It was, and it is God’s goal and desire to bring many sons and daughters to glory; and He made this possible through His Son who suffered and died on our behalf. God’s plan for the salvation of His children was perfect and was perfectly executed. Here is the truth that stretches us: Jesus and we as believers ARE ALL FROM ONE FATHER! Think about that. Can we comprehend the fact that God knew us long before we were born physically and that He even ‘knit us together in our mothers womb?’ (Psalm 139:13) You and I were not just randomly born or born by chance to some couple who had a physical relationship. God used our earthly parents to give us a physical birth, but our true Father is God Himself. We are spiritual beings with a body; It was God’s plan that we would spend x number of years in a physical body here on earth during which time His plan of salvation would be fulfilled. I must admit that I cannot comprehend this great mystery that has been revealed, but by faith I believe it to be true. Our earthly parents may have been great, or not so great parents, but the overriding factor is that God is our Father. Since we and Jesus have the same Father, Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. Jesus is a part of the Trinity, yet He is our brother. Through the sufferings of Jesus, we were sanctified. To be sanctified means to be “set apart for God’s special use, or to make something holy or sacred.” That again stretches us. You and I have been set aside for God’s special use and we have been made holy! So, no matter what our past or present is like, let us receive in our minds and spirits that God is our Father, that we have been sanctified and made holy, and that we have a purpose to fulfill. No longer must we be searching for our identity because God has given it to us. Finally, because God is our Father, we do not have to be anxious or fearful, but on the contrary, can live in peace and hope no matter the circumstances.
Isaiah 64:7 “Yet, Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and you our potter; we are the work of Your hand”
Matthew 23:9 “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.”
John 20:18 “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”

Blessings, Buddy

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