Blog Posts - TheNewU

LAY ASIDE

7/20/2023

July 20, 2023 LAY ASIDE

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth do easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

We are blessed to have the power to ‘lay aside;’ we do not have to live with unnecessary weights that would rob us of the life God has for us. Whether it be attitudes, thought processes, or habits, that are hindering us in life, we can lay aside those things that so easily beset us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Some would say “You just don’t know the struggle I am dealing with”; I understand that it may seem difficult to simply lay things aside, but yet, God word remains true-we do not have to live weighted down. It sounds so simple, but it is amazing what power there is in our spoken words and the commitments of our hearts. Throughout the scriptures we find that God gives us the power to be over-comers. There is a race set before each one of us and it is our unique race and we must run our race with patience, and we must lay aside any unnecessary weights if we are to win our race. God has not left us powerless. There are ‘clouds of witnesses’ who have gone before us, and there are witnesses around us today who are rooting us on in the race we are running; let us run to win. So if there is anything that hinders us or causes us not to run the race set before us-the life God calls us to live-let us lay it aside; it is not as difficult as it may appear.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, less possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.”

Blessings, Buddy

WORK IT OUT

7/18/2023

July 18, 2023 WORK IT OUT

Philippians 2:12-13 ‘So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

It is God who draws men and women to Himself that they might be saved; we cannot take any credit for being joined to the family of God. Yet, at the same time, there are things we are called to do; we have a part to play in being conformed to the image of Christ. Salvation happens at a certain time, and it is also a process of being saved. Becoming a member of the kingdom of God is a beginning point; as members of His kingdom, we are to learn of the ways of His kingdom and then walk in them. This involves adjusting our lives in any way needed in order to live as kingdom of God people. Our salvation is not to be taken lightly; Jesus gave His life that we might be saved. Hebrews 2:3 makes this point when it says “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?’ To me, working out our salvation means that we are expressing or putting into practice what the Holy Spirit is doing in us; it means we are expressing the nature of God in the way we live. Salvation brings about change; it means we are not who we use to be-expressing our ways-but about expressing and demonstrating the ways of God. We are called to be maturing in the faith. Central to working out our salvation is having a love for God and also knowing His love for us. Not to belabor the point, but the gospel of God, when received, brings about change; being followers of Christ, our life is to be reflections of the salvation we have in Christ. With our new identities in Christ, our lives should be marked with grace, love, gentleness, compassion and truth. Sometimes we have to confront wrong and deal with difficulties in life, but we do so in love-because God is love. Working out our salvation also includes repentance when we are wrong. A lot could be said, but let us be consciously embracing and putting into action the instructions and admonitions we find in the scriptures, not to gain God’s approval or love, but because He loves us. He loves us so much that He gives us His Holy Spirit to enable us to live as unto Him. Let us cooperate with God as He is working out His good pleasure in us.

John 14:15-17 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.”

Blessings, Buddy

GOD’S LOVE POURED OUT

7/16/2023

July 16, 2023 GOD’S LOVE POURED OUT

Romans 5:5: “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.” Ephesians 3:16-19 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”

We use the word ‘love’ in many different ways; perhaps we use it so often, we have watered down it’s meaning and impact. The love of God is far different from human love; human love is basically selfish and is limited. We may say we love someone, but we ‘love’ them because of how they make us feel, etc. The love of God is totally unselfish; His love gives and cares for the well-being of the one loved. You cannot explain the love of God; you can only experience it. We cannot earn His love or by some action on our part, become deserving of His love; His love reached down to us when we were sinners, separated from Him. We can thank Him that He has poured out His love into our hearts. That is amazing; human beings can be filled up with the supernatural love of God! The words ‘poured out’ carries with it the idea of being filled up to overflowing. We no longer have to live with the limitations of human love; we can now be expressions of the love of God! The love of God is pure and holy. Having His love poured out within our hearts has spiritual, emotional, and practical implications. The love of God in us enables us to respond as He would respond; instead of being irritated when someone does something we do not like, we can ‘return good for evil’ or speak peace and take the high road of the love of God. In place of judging, we have compassion. This does not mean that we never confront or oppose what is evil or wrong; God corrects and reproves, but it is done out of love. Just as Jesus laid down HIs life because He loved us, we too will find ourselves dying to ourselves when the love of God has filled our hearts. The good news is that when we live out of the love of God and when we die to our ways, we are fulfilled in ways never thought possible. God IS love; and now we can be “filled up with all the fullness of God.” May God grant to us the realization that He has poured out His love into our hearts-each one of us.

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Blessings, Buddy

LOOKING AT WHAT IS NOT SEEN

7/14/2023

July 14, 2023 LOOKING AT WHAT IS NOT SEEN

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

This passage certainly is contrary to the culture and to the ways of the world; the world system is built around what is physical and what brings personal satisfaction and pleasure. That our physical bodies are decaying is a repulsive thought to most; much time and money in spent trying to stop, or at least make it not so obvious, that our bodies are wearing out. This dread of getting old is understandable for the ones who does not know God; for them, death is the end of everything; they have no hope for life after death. I know a very brilliant man who is 82 years old, and he recently told me that when you die, ‘That’s it.” How sad. For those who know God as Savior, death is not the end; and because life with God after death is certain for believers, they have reason not to lose heart, even though their bodies are decaying. As believers, we should understand that the spiritual supersedes the physical; we have an ‘inner man’ and our inner man can be renewed day by day; we are spiritual beings; we are not a body with a spirit, we are a spirit with a temporary body. The afflictions we face, including getting old physically, can produce good fruit in us; if responded to the way God would have us respond, afflictions have a way of revealing the glory of God; and even as we suffer, we have peace and joy. This does not happen if we are looking at what is seen; for what we see is temporal. We must focus on the things of God, the spiritual, the eternal aspects of the kingdom of God. This does not mean that the physical is not important; God created the physical universe and we are to enjoy it. We have certain responsibilities in this world and we are to be good stewards of whatever God puts in our hands. Let us not have a dread of growing old; let us accept the fact that we are not going to change the aging process. For sure we should do the things that promote good health-that is being a good steward; our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. In spite of our afflictions, we can be renewed day by day and experience the blessings of God no matter our circumstances.

Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”

Blessings, Buddy

WHO GOD SAYS WE ARE

7/12/2023

July 12, 2023 WHO GOD SAYS WE ARE

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
Ephesians 1;3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him…”
1 John 3:1 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God: and such we are.”
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.”

How we view ourselves and how we define who we are has major implications for us; our identity is ever so important; our thoughts, our actions, our responses, and our motives flow out of our identity. As believers, we have the opportunity to discover our true identity as sons and daughters of God; and the identity we have in Him differs greatly from identity that is based on anything other than God. Perhaps the most rewarding thing we can do in life is to be continually learning about who God says we are; and not only learning, but also living out of our identity. The issue of identity is not theory; it is real and it is to be experienced and expressed in the nitty gritty of life. We could never discover our true identity on our own; we have the Holy Spirit who opens our hearts and minds to the truth we find in the word of God; and His word has a lot to say about who we are. Just to name a few facets of our identity: we are created in the image of God; He has cleansed us and forgiven us of all sin; we have been adopted into His family; we have a wisdom that comes from God; we have been filled with the love of God; we have an inheritance that will not fade away; we have the Holy Spirit living in us and He leads us, comforts us, and instructs us in the things of the Lord; we have been given every spiritual blessing; He has made us new; in Him we overcome….and the list goes on. The point is that we have a new identity, we are who God says we are; let us not live according to our emotions or according to the lies of our enemy. We have all had hurts and disappointments in life, but those things do not define who we are. Yes! We can live in this fallen world with an identity of who God says we are, being light and being expressions of our Heavenly Father.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Blessings, Buddy

LIKE MERE MEN

7/9/2023

July 9, 2023 LIKE MERE MEN

1 Corinthians 3:1-3,14-16 “And I brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink; not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealously and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”
“If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

We must guard against taking our salvation in a casual way; to claim to be a believer, a follower of Christ, has huge implications and carries with it responsibilities. As someone has said, ‘we must walk the talk.’ The alarming reality that we see in the above scriptures is that it is possible for a believer to live and to walk contrary to the ways of the Lord and to continue to live in the flesh instead of living according to the Spirit. If one is living according to the flesh where there is strife, selfish desires, jealously, and the such, then they are living ‘like mere men.’ That is a sad commendation for any believer. The indisputable fact is that the gospel of God has been given to us, the foundation has been laid, and now we are to be growing and maturing in the faith. We must not remain as babes in Christ. We are no longer mere men and women; we have been bought with a price and we have been joined to God; we are sons and daughters of God; we have been made new creations; we have been set free from the power of sin; we have been given new natures and new minds. Paul asked the Corinthian believers a powerful question: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Most of us would say that we know we are the temple of God and that He lives in us—-but do we really KNOW that? This blog is not meat to condemn us but is meant to stir us up so that we walk in step with what God is doing in us and to encourage us to walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward to goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Blessings, Buddy

LET US NOT LOSE HEART

7/7/2023

July 7, 2023 LET US NOT LOSE HEART

Galatians 6:2,9-10 “Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.” “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

If you ever feel discouraged, lonely, hopeless, or not sure what God wants you to do, there is a simple answer to your (my) dilemma-go do some good deeds! I know that sounds overly simplistic and may sound unsympathetic to your or my situation or circumstances. However, we must live by the ‘ways of the Lord’ instead of living according to how we feel or how we assess the circumstances we face. “Chose you this day who you will serve’ certainly is good instruction for us today. (Joshua 24:15) For us, this often means choosing between focusing on myself or focusing on following the ways of the Lord. One practical benefit of serving others or being about what God is calling us to do is that it gets our mind off of ourselves. Mark 10:41-45 tells us that Jesus came not to be served, but to served; and that can and should be our mindset as well. This does not mean that we neglect the things we should be doing or that we should never enjoy the things we like to do; it does mean that our overriding view should be that of blessing others in ways that are pleasing to the Lord. Bearing one another’s burdens and doing good is pleasing to the Lord. As we are about the things that God puts in our hearts and as we plant seeds, we do not always see immediate results; but we can be assured that the harvest comes later and we will reap-if we do not grow weary and cease sowing good seeds. ‘While we have opportunity’ are important words; let us not put off or delay doing what is in our hands to do today; let us live in the current moment, not missing any opportunity to be light and to be God’s representative.

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable.

Blessings, Buddy

THAT WE MIGHT KNOW

7/3/2023

July 3, 2023 THAT WE MIGHT KNOW

1 Corinthians 2:5, 11-13 “that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 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 taught be the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a 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 approved.”

The truths presented in these passages of scripture are amazing; the life God has for us is none less than super-natural. Our culture values the ‘wisdom of man’ even though it is void of the the knowledge and awareness of the Creator God. Even though the natural man believes he is in control and is the master of his or her destiny, the plight of man apart from God is hopeless. If our faith rest on the wisdom of man, we are in a bad place. In and of ourselves, we do not have even a clue as to what God is like or what God thinks. HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE SPIRIT WHO IS FROM GOD! Because of this great gift from God, we might know ‘the things freely given to us by God.’ Yes-we might know. The Spirit of God who is living in us at this very moment is desiring to reveal to us the things of God-to reveal the Father to us. The Spirit does not force His way upon us; we must yield ourselves to the drawing of the Spirit-even our desire to know God is a work of God. We could never list all of the things that God freely gives us, but the list would include such things as being forgiven of sin, being made new creations, peace in the storms of life, hope in a hopeless world, wisdom not of this world, comfort, a new mind with which we can think like God, confidence, a knowledge that we have an awesome inheritance reserved for us in heaven, no fear of death, that we are light in a dark world, the ability to be about righteous deeds because we are righteous in Him, and the opportunity to experience the abundance of life in Him. So, let us live as those who have the Spirit of God living in them; let us not settle for life as the world defines it. May we live in the awareness that we belong to God and that He has freely given us manifold blessings and has enabled us to know Him and to know His ways.

1 Corinthians 2:7-8 “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; for as it is written,’The things which eye has not seen and ear not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’’

Blessings,
Buddy

LIVING AND ACTIVE

7/1/2023

July 1, 2023 LIVING AND ACTIVE

Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

The word of God is not just a book about God; His word is ‘living, and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.’ That alone should cause us to handle His word with the upmost respect, and even with a healthy fear. There is nothing that is hidden form His word; His word even distinguishes between joints and marrow and is able to judge the thought and intentions of our hearts! Everyone and everything is open and laid bare before Him; such power gives us a sense of awe and even a certain fear-nothing we have ever done or ever will do or our every thought and intention is known by God. That fear can be a be harmful or be a healthy fear; it is good for us to have deep within us a strong desire not to ignore or miss God; note the phrase in the passage above ‘with whom we have to do.’ Do not misunderstand; remember that God is for us; He is not out to punish us or to make life miserable for us. Reading and studying the word of God is absolutely necessary if we are to live as God intended-and the life He intends for us to live is far better than any other life. God sees every aspect of our lives-our actions, our thoughts, the intentions and motives of our hearts, and our desires. Because He loves us, He has given His word, and His word is a light for our path-it instructs us for life-it gives us wisdom-it equips us and enables us to be victorious-it encourages us-it corrects us-it changes us from the inside out-it shows us what is true and right-and His word matures us and transforms us into the image of Christ. Let us be conscious of the fact that the Creator God has given us a book; and in this book He reveals Himself to us and He reveals how we are to live life according to His ways-to life abundant. The good news is that it is not solely up to us to learn of His word; He has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and enable us to understand His word. God is about transforming His followers into the image of Christ, and His word is a vital part of that process.

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.”

Blessings, Buddy

Approving What Is Excellent

6/28/2023

June 28, 2023 APPROVING WHAT IS EXCELLENT

Philippians 1:9-11 “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

There is more; let us press on to the things of the Lord; we have not arrived. God is calling us to a higher plane-to a life that is in contrast to the life the world offers. It is ever so easy to live on a spiritual plateau-it’s comfortable living on the plateau. Throughout the New Testament we find instructions and admonitions regarding the ‘upward call of God.’ Philippians 3:14. Living according to the ways of God is to live with a new perspective of life where we find joy and satisfaction in giving, blessing, serving, and doing good deeds; this is true because we are living out of the new person that God has made us. We are not to settle for what ever level of love we have, but our love is to ‘abound still more and more.’ Is our love growing-or is it on that plateau? The love of God being active in us results in a real knowledge of Him and it gives us discernment and it opens our eyes to see and to discern the things that are excellent. In other words, growing in the knowledge of God and increasing or abounding in love, gets out attention off of that which is not of God and enables us to see what is truly important in life and to know what is of God. It may sound simple, but having the mindset that is looking for and approving the things that are excellent is super important-and it gives us a totally new mindset in life. Instead of being focused on all the things that are wrong, we can be ones who are looking for what is lovely and what is excellent. As we live this way and as we are about the works that God has ordained for us, we will be ‘filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ.’ If our love is abounding, if we are growing in the knowledge of God, and if we are looking for and approving the things that are excellent, we will be blameless and will be rejoicing when He returns. In fact, it is beneficial for the present and for the future to live in such a way that we will welcome His sudden return and have no shame or regrets for the way we have lived. So, let us not settle for life on the plateau; let us press on to what Gos has for us.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 “and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts umblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”

Blessings,
Buddy