TheNewU
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Resources
  • Contact Us

MORE THAN WE CAN BEAR

8/21/2025

0 Comments

 
August 21, 2025                   MORE THAN WE CAN BEAR


1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape, also that you may be able to endure it.”
2 Corinthians 1:9 “indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;


We often hear it said that ‘God will not put more on you than you can bear.’ I have said the same thing. However, believing that God will not put more on us than we can bear is a great misunderstanding of the gospel. The misunderstanding comes from 1 Corinthians 10:13 where we see the phrase ‘who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.’ That verse is about temptation; God says that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond a point that we cannot escape or endure the temptation. We see the contrast in 2 Corinthians 1:9: Paul and his companion had the ‘sentence of death’ within them-they though they would die. God will allow trials to come and we may feel that there is no way out and we feel we cannot bear what we are facing-we feel the sentence of death. God takes no pleasure in seeing His people suffer, but He will allow things we cannot bear to come our way. Here is the point we must not miss; God allows the unbearable for a purpose. We tend to think we can handle the situation, we can deal with, we can fight our way out, we can survive-and that is where we err. God is showing us that it is useless to trust in ourselves-our best effort. In the deepest, darkest hours; when there seems to be no way out, God tells us not to trust in ourselves, but to trust in Him who raises the dead. We may feel as good as dead and hopeless, but God raises us from that death as well. So, in the midst of the unbearable burdens, let us yield our lives to Him and trust that He will sustain us and lead us to life. As I think about this, I realize how flippant it is to tell someone who has just lost a loved one or who is experiencing a really difficult time ‘that God will not put more on them than they cay bear.’ There is no comfort in that. What we should say is that we understand having a sentence of death and seeing no way out-but encourage them not to trust in themselves, but trust in God for His comfort, strength, and deliverance. There is comfort in that. We can be alive physically, but feel dead emotionally and spiritually, but when we put our trust in Him, He raises us up-even in the midst of the trial.


Psalms 40:1-2 “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He bought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear, and will trust in the Lord.”


Blessings, Buddy 
0 Comments

OLD DEBT CANCELED

8/19/2025

0 Comments

 
August 19, 2025                  OLD DEBT CANCELED


Colossians 2:13-14 “And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”


I can say without any doubt that we are all guilty of past sins; and these past wrongs we have committed can ‘haunt’ us or make us feel condemned. Living with regret over past actions and choices robs us of peace and joy. At the heart of feeling condemned and or guilty, is the issue of forgiveness; it can also be a pride issue-it’s just difficult for us to accept the fact that we did what we did. If we can grasp the liberating truth of the above scriptures, we will be set free from the things in the past that would condemn us. This truth applies to the sins we committed before we were born again as well as any sins we committed as believers. Before one comes to know Christ as Savior, he is lost, or dead in his transgressions; but when he comes to know Christ, he is made new and made alive with Christ. The good news is that ALL of our sins, no matter what they were, have been forgiven. If we cannot fully accept the truth that we have been forgiven, then we cannot know the joy of our salvation. If we do not know and do not receive the fact that we have been forgiven, our past sins keep us in bondage-like a ‘certificate of debt’ over our heads. Not knowing and not receiving the fact that we are forgiven enables our enemy to make us feel condemned and unworthy. So, there was a certificate of debt and decrees against us; we were guilty, but Jesus HAS CANCELED the debt and has cleansed us. As the scriptures tell us, as far as the east is from the west, he has removed transgressions; that means they are no more! Psalms 103:12. When Jesus died on the cross, our sins were dealt with once for all-believe it. No longer do we have to live with regret, shame or condemnation; we have been freed from the power of sin. There will likely be times when the memory of a past sin comes to mind; when it does, agree that yes I was guilty of that sin, BUT God has forgiven me; this is using the remembrance of sin as a springboard to proclaim our forgiveness. It comes down to this: are we going to believe what God has said-that He has forgiven us of all sin. There is great power in forgiveness-both receiving it and giving it. 


Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Thought your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.”


Blessings, Buddy 
0 Comments

DO NOT

8/17/2025

0 Comments

 
August 17, 2025                              DO NOT


Proverbs 3:5-8 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. 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 want some solid advice for life, these verses are it. There is a strong tendency in man to trust in his own understanding and reasoning. Some things just seem right and logical, and others will agree that they are right and logical, but yet they are not according to the ways of God. We may mistakenly think we know all there is to know about a certain thing we are considering, but the fact is that we cannot look one minute into the future and the circumstances in which we may find ourselves in tomorrow. I hate to say it, but we are not all that smart. On the other hand, God has all knowledge about the past, the present and the future. And the really good news is that God desires to guide and direct us, but it’s our place to trust Him with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding. The key words are ‘with all your heart.’ God wants our hearts. In our hearts, we can be 100 percent  certain that God always knows what is best for us and we can know without a doubt that He will make our paths straight-we will not be wondering about without clear direction. There will be times when God is leading us to do something that contradicts our own understanding or preference, but that is when we must make the choice to trust Him and follow His leading. Trusting God with all of our heart may sound like that is difficult to do or something unobtainable. However, when we come to know our true identity,  that God has made us new creations with new minds, it becomes natural for us to trust Him with all of our heats and not lean on our own understanding. This is another way of saying that we have the choice to walk by the Spirit. As this verse tells us, it is a blessing to us to acknowledge Him in all we do; to walk hand in hand with Him. And, trusting Him brings healing and refreshment.
1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,”
Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”


Blessings, Buddy 


0 Comments

THOSE WHO WAIT

8/15/2025

0 Comments

 
August 15, 2025                THOSE WHO WAIT


Isaiah 40:29-31, 41:10 “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He  increases power, though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk  and not become weary.”      “Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look around you, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”




Most of us do not like waiting. Yet, in many places in the scriptures we find the admonition to ‘to wait on the Lord.’ Waiting implies trust; if we trust someone fully, we wait for them to do what they said they would do. To wait, also implies dependency; as believers we depend on God to do what only He can do. It is the nature of man to fight for the things he wants, to go after whatever he thinks will be fulfilling or whatever he needs for survival. No matter how strong and determined one may be, they eventually become weary and stumble-and that is because what they are striving for is found only in the Lord. In contrast, those who wait on the Lord, those who trust and depend on God, gain new strength and they do become weary and they do not stumble! Don’t misunderstand; its possible for a believer to not be waiting on the Lord, but to be living according to their own dictates, or what the scripture calls, living according to their flesh. The promises we see in the above scriptures are for those who have a heart to live according to the ways of God and are indeed walking in His ways. This is not saying that we must be perfect; if we are walking in His ways and we in someway do or say something that is wrong, we quickly confess, turn form it, and then continue to walk according to His ways. Living with an attitude of wanting on the Lord brings with it amazing blessings for us: He gives us strength, increases power, we run and do not get tired, and we do not become weary! We do not have to be anxious, worrying what will happen next BECAUSE HE IS OUR GOD. He will surely help us and uphold us. Sounds to good to be true? It’s not; that is who our God is. The key for us is to have our hearts and our minds turned to the Lord-that is our part. Present circumstances may be difficult and we may have desires and dreams that may not have come to fruition, even though we may believe that God gave us these desires. The word for us is to wait on the Lord to move in His own time and in His own way. Waiting on the Lord in no way means we are to be spiritually lazy or indifferent. We are to be about the task that God has put before us-but as we are about doing what we must do, let us be waiting on the Lord.
Psalm 27:13-14 “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”
Blessings, Buddy 
0 Comments

A TREASURE HIDDEN

8/11/2025

0 Comments

 
August 12, 2025                A TREASURE HIDDEN


Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the kingdom is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”


( If you read Matthew 13 carefully, you will find that many have the events taking place at the end of the age out of order-check it out.)


We can make two important conclusions from this passage. One is that the kingdom of heaven is not obvious to the natural eye, and two, it’s worth everything and any price to find it. We are prone to be driven by and motivated by what we see with our eyes and what we perceive to be true or right. Even though we cannot ‘see’ the kingdom of God as it is spiritual, it is more real than what we see with our eyes and it affects and influences our natural lives in tangible ways. (See 2 Corinthians 4:18). God’s kingdom is bigger than life. We learn of the kingdom of God in His word, and by faith, when we receive Jesus as our Savior, we also receive the kingdom of God. Even though we become members of His kingdom, there is still the need to be seeking and learning of His kingdom. Once we experience life in the kingdom of God, nothing else satisfies; everything else is less than. We cannot escape living in the flesh in a fallen world, and there are certain responsibilities we must be about in this life here on earth; however, all we do here is done as representatives and agents of His kingdom. As members of His kingdom, we have been given the power to conduct our affairs in a way that reflects the kingdom of our Lord and Savior. Let us give up on seeking to find life anywhere other than life in His kingdom. The kingdom life is not mysterious and its not ambiguous; again, it’s more real than the temporal, natural world in which we live. We now live according to the ways of God; we have new motivations in life and we have higher and more worthy goals. And hear this: we-you and I-are God’s representatives here in this life; this truth deals with any poor self image problems and it does away with boredom and aimlessness. So, let ‘finding’ and experiencing His kingdom be our passion in life. And here is the good news: He has shown us His kingdom through His Son-and He desires for us to live in His kingdom.
Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”


Blessings, Buddy 
0 Comments

LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATER

8/10/2025

0 Comments

 
August 10, 2025         LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATER


Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.”


This passage of scripture has awesome promises for the one whose trust is the Lord. Who or what we trust is an all important issue. Trust is believing with all of our hearts; trust believes even in face of all contradictory and adverse circumstances. Many put their trust in themselves, in their possessions, their jobs, their insurance policies, their savings and investments, their reputation, their accomplishments, their knowledge and in their ability to do whatever they need to do. It is certainly not wrong to have confidence, but it is the source of our confidence that matters. Truly trusting the Lord with our life is the only trust that is secure and eternal; putting our trust in anyone or in anything else is like building a house on the sand-it will not stand when the storms come. I like the analogy of being like a tree planted by the water; it extends its roots, and because the roots reach the source of life (water), its leaves will be green even when the heat comes and it is not anxious about the year of drought, and it will not cease to yield fruit. All the things mentioned above that many trust in will not pass the test of this passage. So, it is a good thing for us to prepare and be diligent in life, but the crucial thing is that our bedrock trust is in the Lord. It’s interesting that it says to ‘trust in the Lord’ and also that the Lord ‘is our trust.’ We can trust in the Lord because of all that He has done and is doing, but we also trust Him just for who He is-He is our trust no matter what’s happening around us. If you want to be blessed now and in the day the Lord returns, put your absolute trust in the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”


Blessing, Buddy
0 Comments

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING

8/7/2025

0 Comments

 
August 7, 2025                INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING


Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-5 “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 purity for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” 
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,”


Thank God that he does not leave us on our own to figure out how to live life. In God’s word, we find instructions on how to live life in such a way that we and others are blessed and He is honored. God’s grace has appeared to all men; Titus 3:4 tells us that God loves mankind. The book of Titus is a book of instructions, and it is quite detail in scope. Paul reminds us that we are not saved by good deeds, but he also emphasizes that we are called to be about good deeds because we belong to Him. Following is just a partial list from Titus of some of the good deeds we are to be about and some instructions we are to carry out; do not gossip, encourage others, love your spouse and your children, be sensible, pure and kind, be an example of good deeds, have sound speech, be beyond reproach, be under authority, show good faith, deny ungodliness and worldly desires, live righteously and godly, look for the appearing of Christ, be ready for every good deed, shun foolish controversies and strife, reject a belligerent man, meet pressing needs, hold fast to the word of God-and many other instructions for life are found throughout the New Testament. The point is that God’s word is not just a good book to read, and it is not just a historical book; the word of God is given to us that we might discover life as God designed. His word is not a list of do’s and dont’s, and His word is not to condemn us but to guide us. Outside of God’s word, there is no other book that reveals who God is nor who we are in Him. Some believe that life is all about fulfilling personal desires; the problem with that is that it simply does not work; the sense of pleasure that comes when a selfish desire is met, it short lived. God’s word deals with our hearts; God works in such a way that life flows out of our new hearts; we no longer have to search for what satisfies. Even though we live on this earth for the time being, we have been made a part of the kingdom of God and now we have the opportunity to live according to the ways of His kingdom-even in a fallen world. Let us not live according to our own understanding, but live according to the ways of God.


Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is the good and acceptable and perfect.”


Blessings, Buddy 
0 Comments

THE NEED TO HEAR

8/5/2025

0 Comments

 
​August 5, 2025                   THE NEED TO HEAR


Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.”


An all important question for us, is what foundation are we building our life on. Jesus uses the analogy of building a house to stress the importance of hearing and acting on His words. To hear and act on the words of Jesus is the only way to build a firm foundation that will stand the test of storms and difficulties that come our way-and they will come. It’s two parts; hearing and acting. First, concerning hearing; we can hear, but not really hear. To truly hear is to turn our attention to what is being said, to let it sink in, to meditate on it, tuning out all other distractions. Concerning the acting on part; if we value what we hear, obviously, it would be wise to act on what we hear-to apply. One danger is that we tend to elevate knowledge; we may believe that knowledge is the goal. The goal should be to acquire the knowledge we need that equips us to do what we need to do. The major, overriding truth in life is that God has spoken and has made it abundantly clear the way that leads to life. When anyone builds upon any foundation other than Jesus Christ, that foundation will crumble at some point-it’s guaranteed. Many spend a life time pursuing material possessions and wealth; yet when they near the end of their life, it is a tragic emptiness, a life wasted-they missed the life God had for them. There are many things one can build their life on; hobbies, education, being admired by others, music, and whatever. It is rewarding for us when we take to heart the words of Jesus and begin acting on them. Just one example: God loves a cheerful giver and He said it is better to give than to receive. In light of that, let us look for ways to give; we can give a kind word, help someone, pray for someone, give financially, be an encourager-the list goes on. You get the idea; let us make a choice to act on what Jesus has said; let us be like the wise man who built his house on the rock.
James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”


Blessings, Buddy
0 Comments

DAY AFTER DAY

8/3/2025

0 Comments

 
August 3, 2025                  DAY AFTER DAY


Hebrews 3:12-14 “Take care brethren, less there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, 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 salvation firm until the end;”


It is wise for us to be conscious of the fact that it is possible for us to have an unbelieving heart and to fall away from the living God. And there is something else to be aware of; if we are living our lives without a living, vibrant relationship with God, if we are spirituality coasting, then we have fallen away from the living God. (I am not saying we have lost our salvation-that’s another subject.) God is not in to a casual relationship with His people! Either He is our Lord and He is our life, or He is not; He is not about being a ‘part’ of our life. Paul tells us to ‘take care;’ if we do not take care, then before we realize it, we are living ‘our’ life, pursuing our goals, doing what we want to do, and trying to work God into our schedule-and that is falling away from the living God. We must remember  that sin is deceitful-and deceitful is just that-deceitful. If we chose to walk in sin, our hearts become hardened. Because falling away is a possibility, we are to be actively encouraging one another, and ourselves, ‘day after day.’ Today, there is a strong tendency to live independent lives, to be private; we must not yield to that but must be willing to be ones that encourage other believers to continue in the faith. What Paul says at the end of this passage is sobering; holding fast the beginning of our salvation is a fruit or result of our being partakers of Christ. If we find that we are drifting or becoming stale spiritually, let us recognize that and turn to the Lord and renew ourselves in the things of the Lord. We are not perfect; sometimes we live according to our flesh; but let us not continue to do so. The good news is that the Spirit of God lives in us and He is always leading us to life, and He is in fact our life. Our part is yielding to Him. 


Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”


Blessings, Buddy 
0 Comments

LED IN HIS TRIUMPH

8/1/2025

0 Comments

 
August 1, 2025                      LED IN HIS TRIUMPH 


2 Corinthians 2:14-16 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifest through us the sweet aroma of His presence in the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to one an aroma from death to death, to others and aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?


I’m not sure we get it. Is it really true that God can/will always lead us in His triumph? You know the answer; God’s word is true whether we fully understand it or not. The awesome and amazing truth is that yes, when our heart is turned to God and when we are walking in the Spirit, God always leads us in His triumph in Christ. The key is that we are in Christ, and Christ is in God; and God is always triumphant. We have to know that we are not separated from God-ever. Wherever we go, in every trial and in every victory, Christ is with us. And hear this; we are a fragrance of Christ! Let that sink in. Our life, our countenance, our mindset, our words-all we are can reflect Christ. Through us, God manifest the sweet aroma of the presence of Christ in every place!! If you have a scent candle burning, the aroma fills the room; and if you move the candle to another room, the aroma follows. There is no ‘secular’ life for us; all we do and all we are is to be a reflection of Christ in us. The candle does not have to work at producing an aroma-it just happens; neither do we have to ‘produce,’ we simply reflect Christ. Christ leads us to do certain things, but the things we do are a reflection; we work out, or express what He is doing in us. Again, we are not producers, but reflectors. Out of our new hearts flow the life of Christ.
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I like by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”


Blessings, Buddy 
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Buddy Fitzgerald

    Archives

    September 2025
    August 2025
    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Web Hosting by FatCow