Blog Posts - TheNewU

AND SUCH WE ARE

5/22/2024

May 22, 2024 AND SUCH WE ARE

1 John 3:1-3 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

We may overlook, or not be conscious of some awesome truths found in these verses. Do we know, do we experience the great love that has been bestowed upon us by our Father? God did not have to bestow His great love on us; He chose to because He loves us. Because of His great love being bestowed upon us, we are called children of God! Let us not take that lightly; for you and I to be called children of God is no small matter. There is an element of mystery in this passage of scripture. We do not presently know exactly what we shall be like as His children-that has not appeared to us yet. The absolutely amazing thing is that when He appears, we shall be like Him!!!! When we see Him just as He is, an awesome transformation takes place-we become like Him. Anticipating this amazing reality of seeing Him and becoming like Him does a particular work in us. If we believe that these things will come to pass and our hope is set on Christ, we will be about purifying ourselves, because He is pure. The process of becoming like Him starts now. God is holy and nothing can diminish His holiness; as we welcome Him and embrace Him, and as we behold Him, what is not pure in us vanishes. Sin-impurity-can not co-mingle with Christ. So, for us; let us focus on what lies ahead as we anticipate being changed into Him image and let us set our hope on His return above everything else. If and when we see anything in us-any thoughts, any actions, any motives, any deceit-or anything that is not pure, let us repent of whatever it is-let us cleanse ourselves of anything that is not pleasing to the Lord-it matters greatly.

2 Corinthians 7:1, 3:18 “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Blessings, Buddy

INSTRUCTING US

5/19/2024

May 19, 2024 INSTRUCTING US

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

These verses make a great statement of purpose for believers; they are our marching orders; they are to be our mode of operation. We live in a fallen world; a kingdom of darkness where Satan currently rules. All though we live in a fallen world, we are not a part of it; we have been transferred to the kingdom of light-the kingdom of God. The obvious big point is that the people of God are called to live not according to the world system, but to live according to ways of the kingdom of God. We can live according to the ways of God only because we have been born into the kingdom of God and because we have the Holy Spirit living in us. Before our coming to know Christ as our Savior, all we knew was the ways of the world; we needed and we got a drastic retraining-a remaking. The word of God is our new manual, our new instruction book. The word of God is not a book of rules we must keep to gain God’s approval; rather, it is a book showing us who we are in Christ; it reveals our new identity. To live life as children of God is not automatic-there is a learning curve. We are called to grow in the knowledge of God and to grow in the faith. It’s a ‘both-and;’ we have been made new and we can live as unto Him right now, but we are also to grow spiritually. Do not miss the first few words of the verses above; ‘the grace of God has appeared;’ God sent His Son to redeem us-to save us, and He came instructing us in living. Life in His kingdom is unlike living in the kingdom of the world; we live differently-in a good way. There are many words that paint a picture of the life we are called to live-compassion, love, forgiveness, kindness, honesty, gracious, preferring others, and the list goes on. A good summary of how to live life is to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live godly-God like. The Holy Spirt in us enables us to live righteously and godly in this present age. The world would like to squeeze us into it’s mold; but we have been set free from the power of sin, have been made new and we have the Spirit of God at work in us enabling us to live not as the world lives, but to live life on it’s highest plane, experiencing the abundant life that Jesus gives. So, let us always be aligning our lives according to the word of God that has been given to us.

John 14:23 “Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’”
Blessings, Buddy

CALLED INTO HIS KINGDOM

5/17/2024

May 17, 2024 CALLED INTO HIS KINGDOM

1 Thessalonians 2:11-13 “just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted it not as the word of man, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

Do we allow ourselves to be exhorted and encouraged in the things of the Lord?If not careful, we are guided by our own preferences and our own understanding. And, we may try to make the word of God fit our viewpoints instead of letting the word of God form our viewpoints and our beliefs. Paul and his co-laborers were exhorting and encouraging believers just as a father would do so to his own children. Whether its through a fellow believer, a teacher of the word of God, and certainly through the Holy Spirit, we are being exhorted and encouraged to walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. We are no longer our own; we have been bought with a price and have been joined to God; now we are to live as unto Him. It is amazing and life-changing to realize that GOD HAS CALLED US INTO HIS OWN KINGDOM AND GLORY! Notice that we are called-not forced into His kingdom; not forced to live in a way that is pleasing to Him-but He is always drawing us to Himself. As in the case of the believers that Paul was writing to, let us also receive God’s word NOT as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God. When we accept the word as the word of God, it performs its work in us! Yes. We are to obey His word and we are to study His word, but it is His word that performs its work in us-it is a miracle, a work of the Holy Spirit. We can and should cooperate with the work of God in us, but it is God who produces in us what He wants to produce. Just think about it-God Himself calls us into His own kingdom and glory. Wow! Because of who He is and because of what He has done in restoring us to Himself, WE CAN walk in a manner pleasing to Him; we have the power to say no to sin.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “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.”

Blessings, Buddy

HOPE

5/12/2024

May 12, 2024 HOPE

Romans 15:13, 5:5 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” “Now 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.”

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has called us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

There is a sense of hopelessness throughout the world. In the natural, there it is understandable why so many, including believers, are without hope-just look at the brokenness, just listen to the news. However, the astounding truth is that if one knows God as Savior, reads and receives the word of God as true and relevant, and knows his or her true identity in the Lord, they will have an abiding hope that comes form God. We all have disappointments along the way, but the hope we have from God will not fade away even in the most difficult times. Hope gives energy; hope is a motivator; and hope moves us to action. Hopelessness makes one lethargic and often leads to depression; hopelessness makes all of life a drudgery. The liberating news for us is that when our hearts are turned to Him as the source of life, He fills us with joy and peace and by the power of the Holy Spirit He causes us to abound in hope. We do not have to try to muster up hope. He is the God of hope! Because He is the God of hope, the result of His love being poured out in our hearts is that we receive a hope that does not disappoint. This hope we have does not come and go as it is a living hope and and ever-present hope. As alluded to above, life is not always a bed of roses; the hope we are talking about is not dependent on pleasant circumstances. It’s ok to be burdened about something-at times that is a part of life. In fact, the Bible tells us to bear one another’s burdens. Even though we hit bumps in the road of life, the hope derived from the presence of God never leaves us. If and when we feel hopeless, let us turn our thoughts from ourselves and our circumstances and plug into the hope that God has put within us.

Isaiah 40:31 “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Blessings, Buddy

PURPOSE

5/10/2024

May 10, 2024 PURPOSE

1 Thessalonians 1:4 “knowing, beloved of God, His choice of you.”

The realization that we are chosen by God is a life-changer. To know that God loves us not because of anything we have done, but simply because He chose to love us, impacts us in every way. His love for us is the big deal; everything revolves around His love for us. One thing that comes with the realization of His love for us is a sense of purpose. God is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, everywhere present; He is gracious and compassionate, He makes all things new; yet, we have been joined to Him and adopted into His family. With God, nothing is mundane or insignificant. It may be difficult to grasp, but God calls us to partner with Him in what He is doing; we can be a part of His fulfilling His purposes.WOW! We have been given the Holy Spirit to equip us, empower us and guide us in fulfilling our purpose. There are some purposes common to all believers; we are to glorify God in all we do, love others, forgive, and etc. However, God has specific, unique purposes for each of us. As we read the scriptures, as we learn of God, as we grow in the faith, and as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will discover the purpose(s) God has for us. Only as we walk in the purpose God has assigned to us, will we find complete fulfillment. Our purpose may not sound grand and glorious, but it is important in the kingdom of God-and that’s what matters. There is no ranking of purposes; whether one is preaching to thousands or visiting someone who is sick, each is important in the work of God. So no matter your circumstances, your background, your abilities, your financial status, or whatever, know that if you know God as your Savior, you have a purpose from God to fulfill. There are times when we may question our purpose or even wonder if we have a purpose, but that does not change the fact that we have a God given purpose. Let us examine ourselves and ask God to help us in identifying the purpose(s) He has for us-then let us be about it.

2 Timothy 1:9 “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but for His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,”

Blessings, Buddy

LIVING WATER

5/8/2024

May 8, 2024 LIVING WATER

John 4:10,13-14 “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’” “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall become to him a well of water springing up to eternal life.’”

We may not know exactly what living water is, but we all want it-right? There is something in us that longs for that which satisfies our deepest longings. Most go about life trying to find fulfillment, whether it be in their career, their possessions, their popularity, their physical appearance, their hobbies-or whatever. The woman at the well in the above verse was seeking what satisfies through relationships but never found it. Jesus said to the woman, that if she knew the gift of God, and she knew that she was talking to Jesus, she would ask Him and He would have given to her living water. The starting point is to know that God has a gift-and it is living water. If you have ever been deprived of water for several hours or a day or so, eventually you get to a place where you would give all you own for a drink of water; water is essential for life. Just as physical water is essential for physical life, the water (life) that Jesus gives is essential for a fulfilled life. We get thirsty, get a drink of water, but a little later we are thirsty again. When we drink the water Jesus gives, we never thirst again! I do not have a good definition of living water-but I know what it is. The water He gives becomes like a well of water springing up in us. This well flows no matter the circumstances we face or the difficulties we endure; nothing can cap this well. We may get discouraged at times, but this living water gives us the strength and comfort we need. This ever-flowing river of life is not something we produce; it is bigger than us-it’s the gift of God to us. Let us not look for what satisfies somewhere else, but let us continually recognize Jesus as the source and let us drink what He offers.

John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.’”
Psalms 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Blessings, Buddy

LIVING TO GLORIFY GOD

5/6/2024

May 6, 2024 LIVING TO GLORIFY GOD

Romans 15:5-6 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirt, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you have been bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”
Isaiah 43:7 “Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory.”

It’s a reality check for us: we were not created for ourselves, but for God. It may be a shocker for some, but life is not about us. Yes, we do live life on planet earth and we must go about the task before us, but our purpose is much greater than than that. It is a foundational and rudimentary question, but in order to fulfill our purpose, we must know and accept the fact that we were created FOR GOD! Man thinks that he must go about finding his way, fighting and working foe what he wants; however, he is never truly satisfied because the pursuit he is on does not lead to life to the fullest-instead to leads to death. I saw the title to a sermon from years back and it was “Living to Glorify God.” That title caught my attention. Certainly, every believer would mentally agree that we are to glorify God; but perhaps not see that they were created to glorify God in the way they live. Our very life, the things we do, the things we say, the way we relate to others, the way we spend our time-our very being is to glorify God. This does not mean we have to live in a monastery or go into ‘full time ministry’ in order to glorify God. It does mean that our life will reflect the goodness and glory of God, that He lives is us, that we have been restored to Him, and that He is our life; it means that we can’t take credit for anything but that all praise goes to God. Whatever we do, we can do knowing that His life is flowing in us and out of us and that He is the source of life. We can give glory to God for allowing us to lead a bible study, have a job, build a house, change the oil in our car-literally in all we do. Of course we want to be about doing the things that are pleasing to Him. I think the main point for us today is to know that we were created for Him and that we are not our own. Our true DNA, our true identity, is to glorify the God that loved us and gave His life for us. A few obvious ways we can glorify Him is to praise Him with our lips, obey His word, pray in Jesus name, seek the good of others, give generously, live honorably among others, and enjoy Him. When we truly experience the love of God in our hearts, it is only natural to glorify Him.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Blessings, Buddy

WITHIN OUR SPHERE

5/4/2024

May 4, 2024 WITHIN OUR SPHERE

2 Corinthians 10:15 “not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we shall be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,”

It seems that we are prone to ‘bite off more than we can chew’ or take on something beyond our capabilities or our time, and beyond what God has called to us. I heard a good message years ago and it was about tending our garden. It is spiritually healthy and in general wise to define our garden, and then to tend what and who is in our garden. Some have bigger gardens and some have smaller gardens-and that is God’s plan. Knowing what and who our garden encompasses is freeing and it makes us much more effective. We personally can’t reach the whole world or even our city, but we can reach and minister to who is in our garden. Having a garden requires work; we must til the ground, plant, fertilize, get rid of the weeds, and harvest. That is a good picture of what we are to be doing in our garden of people and of the possession that God has entrusted to us. Paul uses the word ‘sphere;’ and that is another word referring to our garden. This is not to say that on occasions God may call us to do something outside of our garden, but our garden is our primary place of ministry; also, we are to let our light shine wherever we go. And, it’s possible that God may increase or grow our garden-our sphere; if He does, it will not be burdensome. Our garden calls for action. We can plant good seeds in those in our care; we can give wise counsel that results in growth; when we see weeds sprouting up, we can be a part of getting rid of the weeds before they take over the garden. We also get to enjoy the harvest; what a blessing to see those in our garden growing in the faith and walking in fellowship with God. God does not give us impossible task; He equips us and enables us tend to what He places within our sphere. Let us take our place in blessing and helping those around us to be growing in the faith. We are stewards who are to be about what God has put before us.

1 Peter 4:10 “And each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

Blessing, Buddy

PROOF

5/2/2024

May 2, 2024 PROOF

John 5:31-32 “Jesus was therefore saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”

We sometime forget that during the time that Jesus was on earth, there was no bible. Jesus went about teaching and demonstrating the kingdom of God and what He taught was counter-culture; it cut to the core of what the religious leaders of the day were teaching. Jesus did not contradict the Old Testament, but fulfilled it. Especially for the Jews, to believe and to follow Jesus meant sure rejection and persecution by the religious leaders. In the verse above, Jesus was talking with Jewish believers who received Him as Savior; but what He said to them applies to all believers. We hear a lot about abiding in the word; but we must make sure we do not misunderstand what that means. We may tend to think that if we read His word daily, spend time in bible study, we are then abiding in His word-and that is where we can miss the point of abiding. The definition of abide is “accept or act in accordance with.” Remember, the believers that Jesus was talking too had no bible-they only had what He said at the time. Jesus is not with us physically with us today, but He has left us His word and He has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to understand and apply His word. Jesus clearly identifies who it is that are His disciples-those who abide in Him. As said above, to abide in His word is more than reading His word. To abide in His word is to receive His every word as true; it is embracing Jesus as the Son of God; and it is taking His every word to heart and acting on and applying His word to the life we live. In other words, it is His word that directs our life. It is not about us; it is about being His disciples. One blessing of being His disciple is that we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. The world defines freedom in the wrong way; true freedom is found only in being disciples of Jesus. We cannot be His disciples without reading and studying His word because it is in His word that we learn of Him, and in order to be a disciple of Jesus, we must know Him. So, may we truly abide in Him-that’s what disciples do.

1 John 2:6 “Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same manner in which He walked.”

Blessings, Buddy

THE LIGHT OF LIFE

4/30/2024

April 30, 2024 THE LIGHT OF LIFE

John 8:12 “Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world, he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.’”

What Jesus says in this verse is amazing to say the least. In this life, we are constantly presented with various trails that we could take, choices we could make, that would lead to where we do not want to go. There is a constant call or temptation to go the ways of the world; as someone said “The world is always trying to squeeze us into its mold.” If you are trying to find your way on a pitch dark night in a place where there are many dangers, you would be forever grateful if someone lit your path. Jesus made an astounding statement when He said that HE WAS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD! The world was and is a dark place-but Jesus is light-and He is the only light. The most brilliant person, the most ‘educated’ person walks in darkness if they do not have the the light of life-Jesus. There is a danger that we as believes must be aware of; it is possible for us to lean to our own understanding or to walk according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit. To follow Jesus is a big deal. We can say that we are following Jesus but actually be living according to our own preferences and our own wisdom. The good news is that when, and only when, we follow Jesus, we have the light of life. Following Jesus is not vague or ambiguous; Jesus modeled life as God designed it to be; He was and is our example. Not only did Jesus model life, He taught and gave written instructions on how to live life. Jesus was wisdom and He is all-knowing. Our enemy, the devil, is a deceiver out to deceive even the believers to follow their ways instead of following Jesus. Our call is to learn of the ways of God as modeled by the life Jesus lived and to hear and obey the words Jesus spoke-it’s quite simple. In our particular place in life, in our sphere, Jesus will show us the way and He will be the light of life to us! Let it be our greatest heart desire to be flowers of Jesus.

1 Peter 2:21 “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.”

Blessings, Buddy