Blog Posts - TheNewU

BEING A VESSEL FOR HONOR

8/13/2023

August 13, 2023 BEING A VESSEL FOR HONOR

2 Timothy 2:20-22 “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee youthful lust, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the name of the Lord from a pure heart.”

We set the course of our life; we continually make choices and decisions that determine our actions and our mindset. It is a sobering thought, but we either qualify or we disqualify ourselves for being useful to the Master. Do not misunderstand; being loved by God is not based on our works; but our being useful in His kingdom is dependent on us making ourselves useful to Him. According to the passage above, we make ourselves useful to Him be cleansing ourselves of anything about our life that is not pleasing to Him. (In the verses preceding the verses above, Paul list some of the things that we are to cleanse ourselves of.) In verse 15, we are instructed to “Be diligent to present ‘ourselves’ approved to God as a workman who does not need to ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” The message to us in this passage is clear, and it has very practical implications for us. The first point is that we must not live on auto pilot, just having the mindset that ‘I am who I am-I was born the way I am.’ As believers, we are called to grow in the faith and in the knowledge of God; believers should be in an ongoing state of change because we are to always be growing and maturing; we are in the process of being transformed from image to image. Second, we are to lay aside, or put off anything that is unlike God-could be certain thoughts, certain things we do, anger, impatience, dishonesty, laziness, a argumentative spirit, selfishness-and the such. It is good to occasionally examine ourselves and see if there are things we need to lay aside. God values a pure heart. God is for us, and He desires for us to be a vessel for honor, sanctified, prepared for every good work. The good news is that because the Holy Spirit lives in us, it is not difficult to lay aside what we need to, and it is easy to ‘pursue righteousness, faith, and love and peace.’ So, let each of us prepare ourselves to be vessels of honor to the Master, ready to be used in any way He chooses.

Colossians 3”12-13 “And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

Blessings, Buddy

NOT BY ACCIDENT

8/11/2023

August 11, 2023 NOT BY ACCIDENT

Hebrews 2:10-11 “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying ‘I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise.’”
John 20:17b “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”

This is bigger than life; what we are a part of is much greater than we know-even beyond our imagination. We may mistakingly think that we are here solely because our mother and father, or a man and woman, had a baby. When it is revealed to us in our innermost being that God is our real Father, our view of ourselves and our view of life drastically changes. Our earthly parents, no matter who they were, were simply the means by which God arranged our physical birth. Even though our earthly parents played an important role and certainly our upbringing had a great influence on us, our true identity is rooted in God, who is our Father. What a blessing that Jesus calls us and thinks of us as His brothers and sisters. In fact, Jesus came and suffered and gave His life to redeem us back to the our Father. As believers, we have been restored to our Father and can now live in relationship with Him. We have been redeemed! We were not redeemed because we did something to deserve it or was good enough; we are redeemed only because God loved us. God likes family, and He has made us a part of His family. With God being our Father does not mean that all will be roses in this earthly life. Just as earthly parent train up their child, God trains us to live as His sons and daughters, and even transforms us into His image. Because we are fathered by God, no matter who our earthly parents were, even if our conception was ‘accidental,’ and perhaps we grew up in unhealthy surroundings, we must remember that God knew us and formed us in our mother’s womb; we are important to God and loved by God; knowing this truth takes care of any poor self image. No matter our circumstances today, let us reflect on the fact that God knew us long before we were born physically, that He sent His Son to redeem us back to Himself, and that Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters.

Psalm 139:13-16 “For Thou formed my inward parts; Thou weaved me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me.”

Blessings, Buddy

WHAT TO PUT ON

8/9/2023

August 9, 2023 WHAT TO PUT ON

Colossians 3:12-15 “And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful.”

Just as we choose what clothes to put on, we choose what spirit to put on. This choice as to what to put on has major consequences both for us and those around us. We are born with unique personality traits, but these traits are not to define who we are. As believers, we have been chosen by God and we are not who we use to be; we have been, and are being, transformed into His image. We are not refurbished, we are new creations. As new creations, and having the Spirit of God living in us, we have the ability to ‘put on’ what is of God-what is like God. We are no longer bound to who we use to be, or to our past, or to our old temperaments, or to our surroundings and circumstances. It is nothing short of a miracle, but we can now put on the new self; a new self that is in the likeness of God. We are primarily known by our actions-how we relate to others; and our actions flow out of out of our hearts. For example, if I get angry because someone cuts in front of me in traffic, then I have anger in my heart and the traffic incident simply exposed what was in my heart. This is why it is so important to put on the new self; the new self is compassionate, kind-hearted, humble, gentle, patient and forgiving. Paul summed this up by saying above all, we are to put on love; the love that is of God produces in us good fruit-the fruit of the Spirit. His love in us cannot be contained; when we are walking in the love of God, we cannot help but be expressions of His love. Back to the traffic incident; I know how easy it is let rude drivers make us irritated and angry; I am not saying that we are perfect in all our ways all the time; BUT it is ever so critical that we know that God has given us a new heart; however, we must ‘put on’ this new heart. This is a major cross road-a major issue for all believers; we daily, even hourly, make the choice whether we will walk by the old self, or put on and walk according to the Spirit. Being made a new creation is radical; the new creature that God has made is in the likeness of God. What a miracle that flesh and bone like ourselves can be walking-talking expressions of the nature of God-even in unpleasant circumstances!

Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Blessings, Buddy

CONTRARY TO THE TEACHING

8/7/2023

August 7, 2023 CONTRARY TO THE TEACHING

Romans 16:17-19 “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Jesus Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.”
Galatians 1:8 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”
Jude 1:3b “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.

We live in a day when it is admirable to promote the idea that everyone should live according to their own opinions and dictates and believe whatever seems right to them; it is unpopular to espouse absolutes. This is true in Christians circles as well. If you tune into the tv ‘evangelist’ and if you were to attend different churches, and if you were to read ‘Christian’ books, you would be amazed at the contrary messages you would hear. However, Jude tells us that the ‘faith was once for all delivered to the saints.’ Paul makes it clear that there is but one gospel, one truth. This gospel we have is the gospel of God; He sent His word; there is no alternate gospel. There is no room for us to read or view the gospel according to our own preferences or our own interpretation. A major problem in our day is that many twist the gospel to say what they want it to say; after all, it is unpopular to go against the culture. There are glaring cases where some preach a message that is obviously contrary to the gospel; but we must be alert to the more subtle messages that are contrary to the gospel; some messages sound really good, but yet are in contrast to the gospel that God has given. We may not like it, but sometimes the gospel contradicts us! Sometimes we had just rather skip over certain verses. However, we must ‘contend’ for the gospel and be willing to adjust our beliefs so that they are in agreement with the word of God-even if it is uncomfortable. Peter Parris made a good point when he said “The gospel contradicts itself-but only in our minds.” The gospel was given in such a way that we must study it, wrestle with it, dig in to it, and grow in our understanding of it; at the same time, it’s message is clear to all who read it with a seeking heart. Let us be alert; there are those who are preaching and proclaiming messages contrary to the gospel and who are promoting and seeking to benefit themselves; let us ‘turn away’ from them and oppose any teaching contrary to the gospel that has been delivered to all the saints.

2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Blessings, Buddy

BE COUNTED WORTHY

8/5/2023

August 5, 2023 BE COUNTED WORTHY

2 Thessalonians 1:10-12 “when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among whom all have believed-for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

There are many songs, particular older gospel songs, that are about being ready when the Lord returns; and there are many scriptures that call us to be ready for His return. The scriptures above admonish us to be ‘worthy of our calling;’ the inference is that we may be found worthy of our calling, or we may not be found worthy. This speaks to the lives we are living today-are we living worthy of His calling today. If we are to live worthy of our calling, then we must know what our calling is. I can’t answer that completely, and I understand that we are called individually to follow Him in the way He leads. However, all believers share in a common calling. We are all called to love God with all of our hearts; to walk in love; to be bearers of the fruit of the Spirit; to grow in the knowledge of God; to lay our lives down and to put on the new man; to serve and bless others; to be givers-and the list goes on. We need to connect our daily living with being found worthy of His calling at His sudden and unannounced coming for His followers. Being found worthy is more than believing; being found worthy certainly includes believing the gospel, but it also means living out, or putting into action the gospel. This truth is amplified in James 2:17; “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” When we are living in a way that is pleasing to Him, then His name is glorified in us; we bless and honor Him when we live according to His ways. So, day by day, let us live as though He is coming again at any moment, and be found ready at His return.

Romans 14:8 “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

Blessings, Buddy

NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED

8/3/2023

August 3, 2023 NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED

1 Corinthians 2:12-15 “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, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those things taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thought with spiritual words. But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.”

Those who do not know God as Savior have great limitations; one being that they are limited to living life solely based on human wisdom. Another limitation is that they are subject to the spirit of the world, a spirit which is self-centered-and that alone leads to all manner of conflict. In contrast, those who know God as Savior have received the “Spirit who is from God, that we might know things freely given to us by God.” The natural man, the one who does not know God, cannot understand or accept the things of God because they foolish to him and he cannot understand them because they are ‘spiritually appraised,’ and he is void of the Spirit. So, the big plus for us is that because we have the Spirit of God living in us, we can know the things given to us by God; we are taught by the Spirit! We are not limited to our minds; we have the Spirit of God who reveals to us the things we have been given by God. We are not dependent on mere human wisdom-we can be guided by the Spirit of God. We could not give an adequate list of the things given to us by God, but it would include such things as a wisdom from God; eternal hope; peace; joy; a spirit of forgiveness; patience; kindness; perseverance; faith; love-and the list could go on. Let us be continually appraising all things by the Spirit of God and live according to the ways of God. God gave us a wonderful and amazing mind, but the mind must be under the influence of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:15-16 “But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that He would instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Blessings, Buddy

FREED FROM SIN

8/1/2023

August 1, 2023 FREED FROM SIN

Romans 6:4-7 “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united in Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

Many believe that even as believers in Christ, we we continue to be sinners at the core; in essence, they are saying that we are still slaves to sin. What a tragedy to have this understanding of salvation. Believers can sin, but it is by choice; it not because the flesh is stronger than the Spirt. In the verse above where it says that ‘sin might be done away with’ has the meaning of sin being ‘made powerless.’ It is crucial that we know that we have been set free from the power of sin. The very essence of why Jesus came and died for us was that we could be forgiven of our sins and be set free from the power of sin. It is clear from scripture that our flesh-our old self-has not been annihilated but it is also clear that when we yield to the Spirit, the flesh has no power over us. For us, it is simply a matter of who we choose to yield to; the flesh or the Spirit. That is the choice we have. Galatians 5:16 tells us “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” I have heard believers seemingly excusing their sin by saying that even though they are saved, they are still sinners who continue to sin. Again, believers can sin, but it is important for us to understand that it is by choice that we sin. It is a major breakthrough for us to know that sin no longer has dominion over us. It is liberating to know that we can yield to, and walk by the Spirit, and thus not have to deal with all the fallout that sin brings about when we choose to yield to the flesh. We have been given the Holy Spirit to empower us to live according to the ways of God. If we find ourselves committing a sin, let us confess it, turn from it, and continue to walk according to the Spirit. To live liberated from the power of sin has a major positive impact on our lives. No matter our circumstances or no matter how others act, we can experience the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) being expressed in us. Let us believe what God has said about the power of sin being broken.

Romans 6:11 “Even so, consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Blessings, Buddy

WHEN JESUS IS SLEEPING

7/30/2023

July 30, 2023 WHEN JESUS IS SLEEPING

Matthew 28:23-26 “And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves; but He Himself was asleep. And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are Pershing!’ And He said to them, ‘Why are you timid, you men of little faith?’ Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’”

Books could be written about the amazing truths we see in this passage. But for today, lets us just look at one truth we can glean from what happened on that day on the Sea of Galilee. The storm was great, and the disciples were sure that this storm would take their lives. Most of us have faced storms and was convinced that all was lost. The disciples had witnessed Jesus performing many miracles, but in this storm, they feared for their lives; when they needed Jesus the most, He was sleeping!! Have you ever wondered or asked “Where is God when I need Him the most?” Or perhaps just in normal life you do not see evidence of Him working in your circumstances. There are times when we pray for something, but it does not happen the way we prayed. Many live with disappointments because things did not turn out as they hoped and thought they would. We can relate to the response of the disciples in the storm. But this storm took the disciples to a new level in their faith and in their understanding of who Jesus was. He allowed the storm to come; and He was present in the storm; and He would demonstrate a great truth that sustains us in the storm. Jesus calms the storms of life, but not until we are in the storm. Just because we do not see or understand how we will survive the storm does not mean that Jesus is not present. Also, we must note that Jesus was resting in the storm; let us learn from that-we should also find rest in the storms we face. Jesus was also giving His disciples the opportunity to let their faint arise to the challenge; they could either ride out the storm and live to talk about it, or they could speak to the winds and to the angry sea and see them calmed; either way it would be their faith that mattered. So, when we ask where is God, let us be reminded that He is present and He is in the process of growing our faith and our understanding of who He is. Even though at times we may not sense His presence or His working in our lives, let us be reminded that HE IS PRESENT. We may think He is asleep, but be assured that He is working in us and transforming us into His image. He’s in the boat of life!

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Psalm 139:7 “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence.”

Blessings, Buddy

CONTRARY TO NATURE

7/27/2023

July 27, 2023 CONTRARY TO NATURE

Acts 20:35 “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

We were born selfish with a nature to please ourselves first and foremost. But, when we accepted Christ as Savior and was born into His family, He gave us a new nature-a giving nature. We know from Romans that it is possible for us to revert back to living according to our old nature; to walk according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit. When we understand who we are, when we understand our new identity as sons and daughters of God, giving becomes a part of us, and as we give, we are in return blessed. Giving out of our new nature eliminates giving with reluctance or under compulsion; instead, we find joy in giving and look for opportunities to give. The amazing thing is that as we give, we receive; and the measure we use, it will be measured back to us. We often think that giving refers to the giving of money; however it is much broader than that; it includes time, extending kindness, giving thanks, and so much more. Primarily, we can have a spirit of giving that finds expression in all we do. Someone said that “We should give in order to get more so we can give more.” There is some truth in that, but I think we just give because that is who we are; we give with no expectations. Perhaps the greatest motivation for giving is that God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9;10-11 “Now He who supplies to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.”

Blessings, Buddy

LIVING LETTERS

7/25/2023

July 25, 2023 LIVING LETTERS

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirt of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.”

Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Letters are messages. To think of our life as being a living letter that is read by all certainly should have great influence on how we live. This begs the question “What is the message of my letter?” We cannot fabricate or muster up a life style that is truly godly. Romans 5:5 tells us that God has poured out His Love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit; and our letter flows out of His love in us. The letter of our life is written in our hearts; and this letter is reflected in the life we live. It is God’s plan and desire that we be a living letter of Christ! How awesome is that! To realize that the very life we live can be a picture of Christ is the greatest motivation we could ever have to live in a way that is pleasing to Him. The word of God is not a book of good suggestions; it is a book that reveals the ways and the character of God, our Heavenly Father. The word of God cannot be understood apart from the help of the Holy Spirt who guides us into all truth. When the eyes of our hearts are opened to all that God has said and done, it becomes our desire to live as unto Him. God’s life in us is all encompassing; it affects every aspect of our lives-our thoughts, our motives, our words and our deeds. Our focus is not to be on our life but on the life of Christ in us. When we experience His life in us, we will discover a fulfillment and a sense of completeness that comes only from Him. Let us take to heart the appeal Paul makes in the above verse and present our bodies as a living sacrifice and let our life be a letter that reflects the goodness of God.

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Blessings, Buddy