Blog Posts - TheNewU

CONTEND EARNESTLY

3/8/2024

March 9, 2024 CONTEND EARNESTLY

Jude 3, 17-21 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last times there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lust.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”

Since the beginning, there have been those who oppose God and oppose those who worship and love Him. Jude reminds us that those who oppose Him suffer the consequences of their choices. The fact is that no one can change the plans of God or thwart His purposes. The good news for us is that ‘once for all,’ God delivered faith, the gospel, to all the saints. Jesus came inaugurating and demonstrating the kingdom of God. The blessing is that we have a book, the Bible, that reveals the gospel of God; and this gospel is received and understood through faith. The gospel is not a ‘evolving document;’ it is a ‘once for all’ deal. When we read from the Bible, we are reading what God has said to man! We are to be about contending for the faith; there will always be forces trying to distract us from the faith. There are many false gospels that would draw our attention from the gospel of God. Many interpret and filter the gospel thought their own preferences, and in so doing, miss the clear message of the gospel that has been delivered to all the saints, causing divisions. The main point is that we are to manage our lives and be directed by the pure, unchanging word of God, with no compromise. Our fellowship with others, our relationships are to be based on the sure foundation of the true gospel. The gospel speaks for itself; it does not need our input; the gospel changes us-we do not change it. So, let us build on the solid foundation of the gospel; let us walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh; and let always be contending for the faith by conducting our lives in a way worthy of the Lord and by speaking and demonstrating the truth of the gospel. In other words, let the faith that God has given be what we live by.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

Blessings, Buddy

WE HAVE A GUIDE

3/6/2024

March 6, 2024 WE HAVE A GUIDE

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteous.”
Isaiah 30;21 “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

To think that we have the wisdom and the knowledge on our own to navigate this life successfully in all of it’s twist and turns and all of it’s complications, is ludicrous. We must be alert to the fact that ‘there is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is death.’ Another error that we must be alert to is that it is possible for one to say that God’s word is important and to read the word because that is what we are suppose to do, but yet not be guided by His word; one can read the word in their quite time, then go their own way. The good news is that in spite of living in a dark world where confusion abounds, we have a sure guide to life-the word of God. The Bible is the wisdom of God; there is no other book like the Bible. The amazing thing is that His word is a living word; it speaks to the present and addresses the root issues; the word has a way of revealing what is in our hearts. It is true that the Bible does not give us a specific word on many day to day decisions we must make. For example, it does not tell us directly whether we are to make a certain purchase such as buying a house or whether to take a certain job, or whatever. However, the word of God gives us a framework in making decisions; will our decision honor Him; is it based on the wisdom God gives; is it a decision based on faith. Plus, we have the Holy Spirit in us who will guide us in our decision making. Often, it is a matter of having the peace that the Holy Spirit gives regarding the decision we are making. The main point is that we should have as our hearts desire to please Him in all we do. Another truth; the word of God makes it abundantly clear that our trust and faith must be in God as our provider; we must not trust our ‘wise’ decisions or our good work, our savings, our insurance, etc. As we trust God, and as we grow in the knowledge of Him through the study of His word, we will discover that He does indeed guide and direct us in this life.

Matthew 4:4 “But He answered, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Blessings, Buddy

GOD’S WISDOM-A MYSTERY

3/4/2024

March 4, 2024 GOD’S WISDOM-A MYSTERY

1 Corinthians 2:4-7 “And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak of God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;”

The world operates on the wisdom of man. As you look at the history of the world and observe the current state of affairs, the obvious conclusion that the wisdom of man has a poor track record. However, there is a wisdom that comes from God-but it is a mystery, and it is hidden, and many never experience the wisdom of God. That may sound a little strange, but that is what it is. Before the ages, God predestined His wisdom to our glory; Jesus came demonstrating the wisdom of God, and later, Paul, called of God, spoke of the wisdom of God. Today, we value and enjoy listening to those who speak with persuasive words; but persuasive words alone are empty and are of little lasting value. Paul, a brilliant, well educated leader of his day did not rely on persuasive words, but instead, relied on the power of the Spirit. Paul wanted the followers of Christ to have their faith based not on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. Paul spoke and demonstrated the wisdom of God through the power of the Spirit. The world does not, and is not able to comprehend the wisdom of God. The good news is that we can hear, believe and receive the wisdom of God because the Spirit of God reveals it to us. Even though the wisdom of God is hidden from those who do not know Him, His wisdom is revealed in the scriptures. It is not up to us to figure out the wisdom of God, but to put our faith and trust in God and to be sensitive to the Spirit of God who is present in us to reveal the things of God. We must hunger and thirst to know God and to learn of His ways. When we have decisions to make, or we need to know how to respond to certain situations, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will reveal the way in which we should go. Often, it is a matter of just following the peace in our hearts; sometimes the Spirit speaks a word to us; or He may use someone else to speak a word; or a particular scripture may give us a clear direction. So, let us be reminded that God reveals His wisdom to those who seek Him; He gives us direction; He empowers us and equips us and enables us experience His wisdom in this life; we have a wisdom not of this world, but a wisdom that comes from God.
James 1:5 “If any of you wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Blessings, Buddy

KNOWING THAT

3/2/2024

March 2, 2024 KNOWING THAT

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

Having a reason motivates us to do whatever it is we need to do. Doing something when we have no reason is a real downer. The ‘banner over our life,’ the over-arching view of ourselves should be that we have been purchased by God, our sins are forgiven, we have been made new with a new identity, we live to glorify God through our actions, we have been given a spiritual gift, we have a ministry, and we are destined for heaven. We must not separate what we do into ‘secular’ and ‘spiritual.’ All we do is to be done out of our new identity as ones who belongs to God and ones who reflect the character of God. ‘Therefore’ is an important word; because of who God is and because of who we are in Him, we ‘therefore’ are to be steadfast, immovable, and always abound in the work of the Lord. The ‘work of the Lord’ is all inclusive; it’s more than bible study, attending church or teaching a class. Choosing to walk according to the Spirit instead of the flesh is a work of the Lord; helping someone in need, being a giver of time or resources, being faithful and diligent, encouraging others-are all works of the Lord. It’s awesome to realize that our life has a big purpose-a purpose set by God. We are flesh and blood-but the Spirit of God has taken up residence in us and His presence brings about a supernatural life; a life unlike the life of those who do not know Him. Only by the work of God in us and our working with Him as He works in us can we be steadfast, immovable and abounding in the work of the Lord. Sure-there will be trying spiritual and physical times and times when we need to renew our minds, but remembering who we are motivates and renews us and enables us to abound in the work of the Lord. Knowing that our work in the Lord is not in vain is motivation and reason to keep on keeping on in the work of the Lord. What we do daily matters in the kingdom of God. We have every reason and every motivation to be faithful in the calling we have from God. If by chance, we have failed along the way, He is always calling us back to Him and to the plans He has for us.
Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Jesus.”

Blessings, Buddy

AND NOT ONLY THIS

2/29/2024

February 29, 2024 AND NOT ONLY THIS

Romans 5:1-5 “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but also we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Faith is believing. Believe is an over-used word: to truly believe means we act on what we say we believe. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He came to earth and died for our sins, and was raised from the dead and ascended back to the Father, then we have been born again and we have been adopted into the family of God. Faith is the fundamental tenant of Christianity. It is no small thing to say that we believe, that we have faith, that the Bible is the word of God. God has given many awesome promises to His people-the question is, do we receive His promises as being for us? If we do, wow! Just to name a few of His promises for you and I: our sins are forgiven; we have been made new creations with new hearts, new natures and new minds; we have been given the Holy Spirit to live in us; we have received spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit; we are members of the body of Christ; we have a hope and a future; He renews us; He comforts us; He leads us; we are destined for heaven; we are overcomers in Him; we have peace—and the list goes on. The result of having faith in God is that we are justified with God-made right and forgiven of all sins; and that we have peace with God. We do not yet fully understand the grace of God in which we stand-we have just been introduced to this grace; there is much more to come and much more to discover just how awesome this grace is. It gets even better. Not only do we celebrate and exult in the magnificent promises of God, we can also exult even in our tribulations. I admit that sometime seems like a stretch in the midst of some trials I have faced. However, to exult in trials can be and should be a reality for us. The key is to understand that the trials we face produce a good work in us-even though it is painful. We do not rejoice over the pain of the trial, but the outcome of the trial-and that takes faith. The essential truth we must understand is that we cannot live this Christian life by our best effort; we can live in the ways of God ONLY when we live out of the new person that has been created in His image. His love has been poured into our hearts; now, out of our new hearts we live. Living out of our new hearts, our responses, our spirts, our attitudes and our thoughts are life-giving and they reflect the character of God. HE is living IN US-so let His life flow out of this flesh and blood.

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 live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Blessings, Buddy

THAT WHICH IS LIFE INDEED

2/27/2024

February 27, 2024 THAT WHICH IS LIFE INDEED

1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

We should live with the awareness that His ways or not the ways of the natural man; without the Holy Spirit’s direction, one lives according to what ‘seems’ right, but what ‘seems’ right is the way of death. It is possible even for believers to fall into the trap of living according to what seems right if they are not walking according to the Spirit. The instructions that Paul gives in the above verse is a good example; it may seem right to acquire riches so that we can have a secure future. Or, it may seem that by having good insurance, we will be protected from financial ruin in case of accident of sickness. There is nothing wrong about saving or having insurance or planning for the future-in fact, those are good things. But, it is a major mistake to put our hope in these things. I am reminded of the man who felt secure because he had built bigger barns to store all of his crops-only to find out that he would lose his life. The fact is that there is NO security other than the security we have in God. What man thinks leads to life actually leads to death. God is good; in the above verses in Timothy, God reveals to us how we find life indeed. A core truth about God is that He is a giver; He gives us all things to enjoy-He does not withhold good things from us. If we want to experience life as God designed, it’s quite simple. First, make sure our hope and our trust are in God alone. Next, be rich in good works, be generous, and be ready to share. In other words, be focused on how we can bless others-by doing so, we represent the nature of God who blesses. Certainly we are to take care of our responsibilities in life, but in all we do, we can do it as unto the Lord, with the awareness that He is our hope and He is our life. He has purchased us-we belong to Him; our life is to reflect His goodness and His grace. By being rich in good works, we are laying up a sure foundation that will stand the test. Our motive for doing good works is not to gain His approval; we dood good works because we now have been joined to Him and have been made new creations who express the nature of God to those around us.

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 good and acceptable and perfect.”
Blessings, Buddy

THIS IS THE HERITAGE

2/24/2024

February 24, 2024 THIS IS THE HERITAGE

Isaiah 54:17:b “This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me, declares the Lord.”

Before or after you read this blog, please read Isaiah 53 and 54. Today, this will come form Isaiah 54. The Old Testament is primarily about God dealing with His people in the natural or physical, and it is a foreshadowing or picture of spiritual blessings in the New Testament. (That is not to say that God does not move in the natural in the New Testament.) In chapter 54, God is directing His comments to a barren widow; this is a picture of how God deals with those who feel barren or forsaken. This chapter is full of good news for the believer in our day; it shows the heat that God has for His people. God sees our plight in life; He knows that life on earth is not easy. As I read this chapter, I feel lifted up and greatly encouraged even in difficult times. We may not see all of the promises of God being fulfilled at this very moment, but we do see God’s intentions for us that will surely be fulfilled. Do not misunderstand; Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament when He rose from the dead, and many of His promises are for the here and now. Yet, there are promises and blessing yet to come. As you read chapter 54, see the heart of God for us. He is about restoring, giving increase, us overcoming, forgetting our transgressions, compassion and His loving kindness. He is jealous over us. No weapon formed against us will prosper. We can start claiming and receiving this heart of God and His promises for us now and we can look forward to many other promises awaiting us. So, read and re-read these verses and let the Holy Spirit encourage you as it has me.

Isaiah 55:12 “For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”

Blessings, Buddy

THAT YOU MAY BE PERFECT AND COMPLETE

2/22/2024

February 22, 2024 THAT YOU MAY BE PERFECT AND COMPLETE

James 1:2-4, 12 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” “Blessed is a man who persevere under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Trials stink! (Pardon the slang.) However, there is something much bigger than the ‘uncomfortableness’ that trials bring. When we understand what’s going on behind the trial, we can come to a place where we can find some joy over what God intends as the outcome, or result of going through the trial. God takes no pleasure in the sufferings and the trials of His children. In the trial, our faith is tested. Do our trials defeat us, make us anxious, or discouraged, or causes us to lose our joy? Trials may make us question God’s goodness and cause us to doubt His word and His plans for us. If our faith is firm and unwavering in the trial, we are confident that God is doing a good work in us even in the most difficult times; we may not understand the why and how of the trial, but we know that our God is always working all things for our good if we are ‘called according to His purpose.’ (Walking in His ways.) Trials have a way of purifying us; our response to trials reveals what is in our hearts. And that is it—-God is transforming us and moulding us into His image-and that takes some fire. We must endure in the trial-not be defeated by it. Endurance is a great character quality. Endurance has a ‘perfect result;’ the amazing fruit of endurance is perfection and completeness. The word ‘perfect’ in the above passage does not mean that we are always ‘perfect;’ it has the idea of being complete or coming to the proper end. It is a fact; trials will come our way. The good news is that in the wisdom and power of God, He uses trials for our good. We must persevere under the trial; when in faith we endure the trial and persevere under the trial, we are approved before God and we receive the crown of life. (I can’t fully explain the crown of life-but I know it is good!) Enduring and persevering makes us better, and makes us complete where we lack nothing. Trials are unpleasant, but they are necessary in that it is in the trial that God does something really good in us.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Blessings, Buddy

HOW YOU OUGHT TO WALK

2/19/2024

February 19, 2024 HOW YOU OUGHT TO WALK

1 Thessalonians 4:1, 5:4-6,8 “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus Christ, that, as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you may excel more.” “But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night not of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

We are different-in a good way. One thing for certain; if we take the gospel lightly or do not make it a priority for us personally, we are actually missing the gospel. Throughout the scriptures, we find numerous exhortations, admonishments, teachings and instructions on how we are to conduct ourselves in life on this earth. The gospel is not vague and is not given in general terms; it is specific in how we ought to walk. In our culture, we put great value on independence-and there is a healthy aspect of being independent-but if our ‘independent’ mindset interferes with our being conformed to the image of Christ or causes us to not let the word of God override our ‘independence’ and our personal preferences, then we are in error. I once heard a believer say “I know we are suppose to be patient, but I am just impatient by nature.” That makes my point clear. (Please don’t think I am trying to put us on a guilt trip.) The point I want to make is that God has redeemed us as His own possession and He desires that the life we live resembles His life! He did not leave it up to us to figure our on our own how we are to live the Christian-Christ-like-life; He gave us clear instructions. HOWEVER; we cannot live the life He calls us to live in our own strength; trying to do so is mere religion. God gave us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live as unto Him, and God has made us new creations with new hearts, new minds, and new spirits. The gospel reveals our new identity; and its out of our new identity that we are to live. When we live in a way that is pleasing to Him, it is because we are living out of our new nature.. Even though He has made us new, we are not robots; we must continue to grow in the Lord and ‘excel still more’ in our walk with Him. The world is in darkness, but we are not; we are ‘sons of light and sons of day.’ Let us not put our preferences and our viewpoints above what we read in the scriptures; let us be shaped by the word of God rather than trying to fit the word into our preferences and into our comfort zone. We have our marching orders; we have been given clear instructions on how we are to live as sons and daughters of God. We are unique individuals and we have our own personalities, but the beauty is that the ways of God and the very nature of God can be expressed through each one of us in our uniqueness. May living out the gospel of God be our top priority in life.

Philippians 1:27 “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

Blessings, Buddy

EMPLOY YOUR GIFT

2/17/2024

February 17, 2024 EMPLOY YOUR GIFT

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” ‘But the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”
1 Peter 4:10 “And each one has received a special gift; employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Those who have put their faith in Jesus as their Savior, have been joined to the family of God and as members of the family of God, we have an active role to play. It is amazing to realize that God, the Creator of the universe, has given each believer a spiritual gift that is to be used to benefit the body of Christ. “Each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Again, how awesome is that God has chosen for you and I to be manifestations of the Holy Spirit of God! We do not choose our spiritual gift; God gives to each one just He chooses. Whatever gift you have been given is to be used for the common good. (Study the scriptures to learn about the various gifts and discover what your spiritual gift is.) The idea of each believer having a spiritual gift for the common good goes against an independent spirit; members of the body of Christ need each other; spiritual gifts are given to bless others; spiritual gifts being employed brings about growth in the body. What one member lacks, others supply. The working of spiritual gifts is supernatural. For example, if one has the gift of encouragement, they will sense when one is discouraged and will be quick to encourage-that is, if they employ their gift. So, let us be good stewards of the grace of God by employing the gift(s) that God has given to each of us.

1 Corinthians 12:1, 12 “ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.” “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

Blessings, Buddy