Blog Posts - TheNewU

THE POWER OF WORDS

11/16/2023

November 16, 2023 THE POWER OF WORDS

We hear a lot about the power of the tongue. And it’s true; there is much power in the words we speak. Our words can build up or tear down and can wound. Our words express what is on the inside. You cannot overestimate the power and influence of the words we let proceed from our lips. Below are some scriptures that deal with the power of words and the importance of having dominion over our tongue.
1 Peter 3:10 “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.”
Colossians 4:6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Proverbs 15:4 “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”
Matthew 15:11 “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Proverbs 21:23 “Those who guard their mouths and their tongue keep themselves from calamity.”
Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 12:18-19, 16:24 “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
We have the choice and the power to choose the words we speak. James compares the tongue to a rudder that directs a large ship. Because our words flow out of our hearts-our spirits, it is crucial that we walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh. We need to know in the deepest part of our being that God has made us new and has put a new heart and new spirit within us; as we walk in our new identity, our words will be words that build up and bring life. The good news is that we do not have to continually be trying our best to speak the right words. As we know our true identity and as we live out of our new heart, the words we speak will be words of life, encouragement, and edification.

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Blessings, Buddy

PUT INTO SERVICE

11/14/2023

November 14, 2023 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

CONSCIENCE OF NOTHING

11/12/2023

November 12, 2023 CONSCIOUS OF NOTHING

1 Corinthians 4:4-5 “I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”

What a wonderful way to live-conscience of nothing agains ourselves! And we can live that way. It does not mean that we are perfect, but it does mean dealing with and acknowledging when we are wrong and if need be, making restitution, and walking in the ways of the Lord. We can sin or do wrong in some way, but doing so should be abnormal for us; we can walk according to the Spirit day by day and thus avoid committing sins and wrong doing. We are blessed to be able to live with a clear conscious. We are told to examine ourselves in 2 Corinthians 13:5 and 2 Peter 1:10; however, as Paul said, we are not acquitted by our personal examination. We should live with a conscious mindset that it is the Lord who examines us-and that is not a fearful thing because He is always calling us to life and to Himself; He watches over us and He wants nothing to interfere with our relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit will guide us and lead us in the ways of the Lord. When needed, let us be willing to adjust our thoughts, our actions, our attitude, and our motives in order that our lives reflect the presence of the Lord in us. In this passage, Paul instructs us not to judge others; it is freeing that we do not have to pass judgement on others; rather, we are to wait on the Lord who will bring all things to light. There are times when we need to encourage and admonish someone who is obviously turning from the Lord to turn back to the Lord; we can do this not with a judgmental attitude, but out of a heart of compassion and love for a brother or sister. Let us determine to live life in such a way that we can say with Paul, that we are conscience of nothing against our selves; and let us know that it is the Lord who examines us, with the motive of drawing us to Himself.

Ephesians 5:8-10 “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”
1 Timothy 1:5 “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

Blessings, Buddy

DAY AFTER DAY

11/10/2023

November 10, 2023 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

NOT IN PERSUASIVE WORDS

11/7/2023

November 7, 2023 NOT IN PERSUASIVE WORDS

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 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 God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory;”

In our culture, we admire those who have mastered the art of using persuasive words and who are skilled in speech. This indictment is not all inclusive, but often, one main qualification of potential pastors is that they be good speakers. (Don’t misunderstand; it’s a good thing to be a good communicator. The apostle Paul was a good communicator.) What Paul says in the above verse may cause us to ‘scratch our heads,’ as we try to figure what this looks like-and how in stead of relying on persuasive words, we rely on the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. As we meet together at our churches, are we hearing good messages with persuasive words, or are we witnesses to the work of the Spirit among us. To be witnesses of the power of the Spirit does not mean we will be swinging from the chandeliers, but it does mean that we will in someway be impacted by the super-natural work of the Spirit of God. Hear me-I have compassion for pastors and preachers and teachers who stand behind the pulpit; it is a big deal to be the one who proclaims the gospel of God. This does not only apply to pastors and teachers, but also applies to individual believers. As believers, we do not want to be ones who use words only; what we say and what we do should be done under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It’s not that every action and every word we speak should in someway be an obvious supernatural happening; but it should be that we walk according to the Spirit, expressing the supernatural life that flows from God to us. At times we find ourselves in a place of conflict and confusion; such times present the opportunity for us to demonstrate and to speak the words God would have us speak in a spirit of love and compassion. Again, it’s a blessing to be a good communicator. We are to live by the Spirit; but we are also to walk in wisdom; however, this wisdom is not of this world or from the rulers of this age.
True wisdom comes only from God and only those who know Him and love Him can have and can understand His wisdom; Paul calls it the hidden wisdom. One example; the wisdom of the word emphasizes getting, while the wisdom of God says it’s more blessed to give. So, let us walk by the Spirit and be used by Him to demonstrate the power of God, and be ones who know and who express the wisdom of God to those who know Him.

Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirt has come upon you; and you be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in Judaea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Blessings, Buddy

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH

11/5/2023

November 5, 2023 SHOW ME YOUR FAITH

James 2:15-18 “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, ‘You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’”

Without any doubt, scripture makes it clear that salvation comes by faith and not by works. However, it is also clear in scripture that once we are born again, we are to be about the works that God has ordained for us. Ephesians 2:10 tells us “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The above verse in James is about giving food and clothing, and certainly that is one good way of putting faith into action; but there are many opportunities for faith to be put into action. We must be alert to the tendency to think that believing the right thing is sufficient; true belief leads to action-we live out what we believe. I heard about a story where someone told another that their car was broken down and they had no way to get to an important appointment; the response of the one hearing this story was that “I will pray that the Lord will provide a way for you to get to your appointment.” That is a clear example of not putting faith into action. (It’s one thing if this person had no way to take the person to their appointment.) The verse referred to above, Ephesians 2:10, is an amazing verse. God has already ‘ordained’’ or ‘prepared in advance’ works for us to be about-that stretches our minds. When you come face-to-face with a good work that you sense the Lord wants you to do-that opportunity to do a good deed originates from God! Life is not accidental-God is at work involving us in His works. So, lets us know that it is a serious thing to say we have faith; knowing that the faith that is from God is an action word. Our faith is to be active not only in blessing someone else; but also in embracing and applying truths from God’s word to our own lives. For example; scripture tells us to be patient; by faith we can believe that the Holy Spirit produces patience, and by faith, we actually practice patience. Let out faith find expression.

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.”

Blessings, Buddy

THE VEIL REMOVED

11/1/2023

November 1, 2023 THE VEIL REMOVED

2 Corinthians 3: 16-16 “But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “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 straight your paths.”
Proverbs 4:5-6 “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forget her, and she will guard you; love her, and she will watch over you.”

It is amazing how one can be blinded and yet not know that they are blinded. The reality is that all people are blinded to the truth until the veil that blinds is removed by God. No matter how well-read one may be or how intellectual one may be, they are blinded if they have not turned to the Lord; only by turning to the Lord is the veil taken away. We live in a day when the pursuit of knowledge is all important; the ones who have the highest degrees are honored and respected the most. (I’m not saying education is useless or a bad thing-we need education.) We must not overlook the basic, unchangeable fact that all truth and all wisdom come from God; and God has chosen to reveal truth and wisdom to those who love Him and who seek Him first. It is ever so important for us who belong to God, not to lean on our own understanding. We have many opportunities before us, many options, and many possibilities; certainly we need wisdom from God as to what we do or do not do, and to know how we are to respond to the circumstances surrounding us. We do not know what the next moment holds-but God does. The good news is that we are not left alone to figure out the path we should take; God invites us to trust Him with all of our hearts, not to lean on our own understanding, and to acknowledge Him in all our ways, knowing that He will make our paths straight. We need wisdom if we are to avoid unnecessary pitfalls and to know the way in which we should walk. Wisdom is not automatic, but God gives it to us when we ask and when in our heart we trust in Him. Let us live life with the veil removed-knowing that it is our Father God who removes the veil as we turn to Him. We no longer have to live in doubt and we are no longer limited to our minds to determine which way to go. If we have turned to the Lord and our trust is in Him alone, He will direct our steps. Yes, God gave us a mind, but our minds are to be under the influence and direction of the Spirit of God.

Psalm 119:130 “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”
Ephesians 4:18 “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, dune to their hardness of heart.”
Blessings, Buddy

MORE THAN WE CAN BEAR

10/30/2023

October 30, 2023 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

RECEIVING INSTRUCTION

10/28/2023

October 28, 2023 RECEIVING INSTRUCTION

1 THESSALONIANS 4:1-2 “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, 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 still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

We rightly think of the Bible as the word of God, and we agree that it is a good book to read. However, some may think that to live according to the Bible is beyond their reach; they claim that they are ‘not perfect.’ Our primary view of God’s word should be that it is a book of instructions that God has given to His followers. (His word is not only a book of instructions; in His word God reveals His character and we learn about the history of God’s dealing with man, the origin of the universe and so much more.) Throughout the New Testament we find many specific instructions on how we are to live and how we are to relate to one another and how we are to relate to God. I must confess that there have been times when I read from God’s word, but then ‘go my way,’ practically forgetting what I just read. The amazing reality and the trap that we must be aware of is that we can feel good about ourselves just because we read from God’s word; it’s like we get our spiritual ‘fix’ by just reading His word. When we receive God’s word for what it is, we are challenged to the core; our motives and the intentions of our hearts or revealed; and we are reminded of the great love God has for us. Because God loves us, He gives us instructions as to how we are to live; left to ourselves we would not have a clue as to how to live abundantly. We are to view His word not as a list of rules we must keep, but as a book in which we find the keys to life. Importantly, we are not to follow His instructions only when we ‘feel like it;’ we are to obey His instructions even if our emotions are opposed to it or if seems inconvenient at the moment. The best goal we could ever have is to live life in a way that is pleasing to God. It is true that none of us are perfect in all of our ways; but when we recognize where we are wrong and then turn form it, that pleases God. The point is, let us not see the Bible as a book of good suggestions or see the instructions beyond our reach; let us see God’s word as His instructions that He has given that we might experience life to the fullest. Our motive for following His instructions should not be to earn His love and approval, but we are to walk in His ways BECAUSE He loves us, and His words are life. As we read His word, let us us be looking for instructions to obey.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Blessings, Buddy

LOVE PERFECTED

10/24/2023

October 25, 2023 LOVE PERFECTED

1 John 2:3-6 “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

We talk a lot about the importance of keeping His commandments. However, it is possible that we ‘are barking up the wrong tree’ concerning keeping His commandments. As we look at the verses above, keeping His commandments is a result of loving God and His loving us. If we know God-truly know Him-it is natural to obey Him; to know Him is to obey Him. God is not a distant God up in heaven some where beyond the sky; God is the Creator, He is all knowing and all powerful; He is eternal; He is the giver and taker of life; He is everywhere present; He IS love; He forgives sins; He heals and He restores. YET, He gave His only Son to die in our place that we might be restored to Him and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Once we come to know this-not just in a mental way-but with our whole being, we will love Him and we will desire to walk in the light as He is in the light. When His love has been perfected in us, it results in obedience to the One who loves us with His great love. If you are not sure of your love for God or His love for you, then all you have to do is to see if you are keeping His commandments. This does not imply that we must be perfect and it is not saying that if we ever sin, we do not love God; it is saying that we do not live in habitual sin. In the first chapter of 1 John we are told that if we say we have no sin, we are a liar. It also says that IF we sin, we have an advocate with the Father. One of His commandments is that if we sin, we confess it and turn from it; so even confessing sin is keeping one of His commands-but know that the power of sin has been broken. So, let’s keep it simple; if we have come to know Him, it will be our desire to obey every command that He has given. His love is more powerful than a nuclear bomb; it changes us at the core. The good news is that we can abide in Him as He abides in us, AND we can walk in the same manner as He walked! Let’s continue on in letting His love be perfected in us-let us grow in His love and continue being transformed to His image. We should be more like Him today than we were a year ago.

1 John 3:1 “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us, is because it did not know Him.”

Blessings, Buddy