Blog Posts - TheNewU

A HOPE THAT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT

5/27/2025

May 27, 2025 A HOPE THAT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT

Romans 5:3-6. 8:24-25 “And not only this, but 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 been poured out within out hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hoes for what he sees? But if we hope for we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

These verses go a long way in dispelling discouragement. When our focus is on the present and when immediate circumstances are contrary to our liking, the natural thing is to become discouraged or even become angry. But the ways of God or unlike the ways of the world and unlike what is natural human response. God does not expect us to enjoy tribulations, but He does tell us to ‘exult’ in or tribulations. To exult ‘signifies a state of profound joy, triumph, and rejoicing; a joyful expression of worship, gratitude, and recognition of God’s goodness and sovereignty.” Wow! We are to do that in the midst of tribulation? The answer is ‘yes.’ To exult in tribulation, we must be able to believe the end results and the benefits that will come to us if we exult instead of complaining when the difficulties come. Exulting in tribulations produces in us perseverance, proven character, and hope. Even though we do not see all that God is doing and will do through the tribulation, we can hope with all assurance that God is at work in us. When we know the love of God that has been poured out into our hearts, we are confident that He will complete the work He has begun in us. The Christian life is not based on concrete evidence and facts; it is lived by faith in all that God has done and said. Our part is not to live by what we see with our eyes or live strictly on what is logical. Let us be the ones who live according to the ways of God; and let us look beyond the immediate to the glorious future that God has for those who walk in His ways.
Hebrews 6:18b-20 “we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Blessings, Buddy

WALKING WORTHY OF THE CALLING

5/24/2025

May 24, 2025 WALKING WORTHY OF THE CALLING

Ephesians 4:1-3 ”I, therefore, as a prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

We have been bought with a price; we belong to another; we have been and are being transformed; and we have been called by God to be His people. We are called to live according to the ways of God-according to the gospel of God. In God’s word we find specific instructions as to how we are to live as children of God. Today, I will just list some of the specific instructions for life we find in Ephesians. Be reminded that the reason for trying to keep God’s word is not to gain His love or approval, but because we belong to Him and because of His great love for us. So here are just some of the instructions for us as believers: speak the truth in love: grow up in Christ: lay aside the old self: be renewed in the spirit of your mind: put on the new self which is in the likeness of God: do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil and opportunity: labor, performing with your hands what is good so that you have something to share: speak no unwholesome word but only words that are good for edification: do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God: let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you: be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love: do not be immoral: walk as children of light: be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time.
The commands and instructions of God or not to burden us, but are given to set us free to live as sons and daughters of God. Also, the commands of God point us to our new identity; when we discover who we are in Christ, it is our heart to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord; keeping His word becomes our delight.

Ephesians 4:13, 5:8-10 “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.” “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consist in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”

Blessings, Buddy

HAS GIVEN UNDERSTANDING

5/20/2025

May 20, 2025 HAS GIVEN UNDERSTANDING

1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

We did not find God; He revealed Himself to us while we were yet in darkness. How blessed we are that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding that we might know Him. Not only did He give us understanding, He has placed us in Himself. Being given the understanding to know Him and being in Him is the greatest gift we could ever be given. We did not achieve this on our own; it is a gift from God and a work of God in us. The philosophy of the world is based on lies; just one example of the lies of the world is that we need to be about getting the things we want and doing the things we like in order for us to be ‘happy.’ Just as we are blessed to have been given understanding, we also have come to know the truth as the truth is in Jesus, and we are in Him. Even though we are surrounded by the lies of the culture, we can live a life based on truth. So, let us know that we do not have to live in confusion, doubt and fear because we have been joined to Christ and He has given us understanding. May we be about pursuing an ever increasing understaning of what it means for us to be in Christ.
John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Blessings, Buddy

ABOUNDING IN JOY

5/18/2025

May 18, 2025 ABOUNDING IN JOY

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
James 1:2 “Count it all joy, My brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”
Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

The joy that the above scriptures are referring too does not come from our own efforts to be joyful. And this joy abides even in the midst of difficulties; the roots of this joy run deeper than the trials we encounter. Let us not misunderstand; joy is not always expressed in laughter; there are times that we are burdened and in need of the comfort that God gives. The joy that is constant in all circumstances comes from God. However, God does not automatically zap all of His people with joy; experiencing joy is a by-product of believing God, loving Him, knowing Him in a personal way, and seeking Him first. If we are pursuing our ways and living according to our own preferences, we will not know the joy of the Lord. One primary reason that this joy is not dependent on circumstances is that God is a God of hope. Even though we may be experiencing trials, we know that God is working in the trials, that He has a purpose in it, and that He will bring us through the trial; even though we do not fully understand the ‘why’ of the difficulty and even though we cannot see how any good will come out of it, we can have hope in God-that He is in control. The very idea of hope is that we hope for what we cannot see. Because God is faithful, because He loves us, because He is all-wise and all-powerful, and because the Holy Spirit is at work in us, we have every reason to put all hope in God. Again; Jesus said we would have trials in life; sometimes things go wrong for us; sometimes we do not feel like laughing-but that does not change who God is. No one likes trials, but according to James 1:2, we can rejoice in the trial because we know that it is producing something good. So, the key point for us is whether our joy is tied to how we interpret what’s taking place around us in the the here and now, or is our joy rooted in our God who loves us. Jesus desires that His joy be in us and that our joy may be full; it is indeed the joy of the Lord that we need.

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever.”

Blessings, Buddy

OUR STRUGGLE

5/16/2025

May 16, 2025 OUR STRUGGLE

Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and have done everything, to stand firm.”

As a starter, we must realize that we are in a battle; if we do not know that there is a war going on, then surely we have our heads buried in the sand. There are physical wars going on in various parts of the world, but the greater battle that all are in is a spiritual war; behind the physical wars, spiritual forces are at work. It is critical to have the proper gear and proper training if one is going to be victorious in battle; God equips us and trains for battle. Much could be said about spiritual warfare, but today, let’s just look at one aspect of this spiritual warfare-the part about ‘our struggle not being against flesh and blood.’ I am sure that we all have, or have had people who oppose us, argue with us, attack us, are inconsiderate of us, are divisive-or whatever; but what we must understand and what we must remember is that behind the conflict they bring, there are spiritual forces at work. And these spiritual forces or not just some imaginary force-they are real forces-‘rulers and powers, spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.’ We also must be wise to the schemes of the devil; he will do whatever and use whatever to bring strife and discontent. On our own, we are no match for the forces we face; BUT the forces we face are no match for God! God has given us armor to wear and to use. God’s armor includes His word, prayer, worship, wisdom that He gives, faith, boldness-and all that the the Holy Spirit equips us with. Depression, anxiety, fear, indifference, loneliness, hopelessness, conflicts with people, unrest, and whatever, is a sign that the enemy is at work. But, we do not have to live with the enemy occupying any ground in our lives-our enemy can be expelled. I love how Paul said it “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.” We have the power to recognize and overcome the schemes of the enemy. Let us put on and use the armor of God; let us and those around us walk in love, peace and joy, and in victory as a result of God ruling and reigning in our sphere.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
Blessings, Buddy

WE SERVE A GOOD GOD

5/13/2025

May 13, 2025 WE SERVE A GOOD GOD

Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.”
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Perhaps we need to stop and reflect on the fact that God is good-always. No matter our present circumstances, God is good. No matter what, God is good. Thank God for His unfailing and everlasting mercy. There are times when we may have difficulty seeing the goodness of God, but that does not change the reality that He is good. It is an indication that we are growing in the Lord when we can by faith see His goodness and mercy in the difficult times. In Psalm 23:6 we may miss the point of the goodness and mercy of God following us; a more accurate word for follow is pursuing. The goodness and mercy of God is pursuing us-chasing us down. Someone called the goodness and mercy of God the hounds of heven-they have picked up our trail! So, as a bedrock of our faith, let us live in and revel in the goodness of God; let confess with our mouths that He is good. Even in the midst of trials, speak the words “God is good.” We are in good hands; He has us! An old friend of mine ended every prayer with the words “God, we are coming through-sink or swim.’ Relax, be at peace, because our Father is good.

Blessings, Buddy

CHRIST FORMED IN US

5/11/2025

May 11, 2025 CHRIST FORMED IN US

Galatians 4:19 “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you”

The letter to the Galatians was written to address a problem that had developed among the believers. The Galatians had gladly received the gospel that Paul had delivered to them, but later, they turned from grace and reverted back to living under the law. This blog is not about that but about a phrase we find in the verse above; and that phrase is ‘until Christ is formed in you.’ Those six words go a long way in summarizing the goal of the gospel and the heart of God for us. It is just that-it is God’s heart and His plan to have Christ formed in us. The idea of Christ being formed in us is not just for theological discussions but is for every child of God. Christ being formed in us is something that happens; its a real deal. It means that we become expressions of Christ in greater and more visible ways. We each have unique personalities, but amazingly, we are vessels through whom Christ desires to express Himself to us and to the world around us. The ‘laboring’ that Paul was doing was teaching, presenting and demonstrating the gospel message-the gospel of God. We also must be about digesting the gospel and adjusting our lives to the truth of the gospel; in no way are we to just take life as it comes with a ho-hum attitude. Our life on earth is crucial; there is a laboring that needs to take place on our part; we are in a battle against spiritual forces that would turn our hearts from the work that God desires to do in us. The kingdom of God has come to us and now we have Christ living in us and that without a doubt should impact our lives in a great way. Actually, our life has died and it is now Christ living His life in us. It’s not us and Christ-we have become one. Christ has certain attributes; as He is formed in us, we express those same attributes. Christ being formed in us is on-going, a process; but the big question for us is that process active in us now. The good news is that this laboring we must be about is not a labor that is burdensome or tiresome, but rather it is a laboring that energizes. Christ gives life, hope and peace. Finally, we have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, that enables us to have Christ formed in us.
Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Blessings, Buddy

WHAT TO PUT ON

5/9/2025

May 9, 2025 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

GOD HAS NOT GIVEN

5/7/2025

May 6, 2025 GOD HAS NOT GIVEN

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.”

This is a familiar verse-but did you, do I get it? God has not given us a spirit of fear, but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and He has given us a sound mind. (This will be a short blog-Im having trouble with my IPad.) Many experience fear to some degree; but if we have fear, it is an intruder. Somewhere along the way we have gotten off track with what the scriptures tell us about fear. To live with fear as a constant companion robs us of the life God has for us. If we truly trust God and believe what He says in His word, then there is no place for fear. So, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but He has given us some wonderful gifts-power, love and a sound mind. Yes! Because God has given us these awesome gifts, we can now live with power, love and a sound mind-that’s God’s plan for us. If we find that we are not experiencing these gifts in our daily lives, let us read and study God’s word and learn of Him and what He has for us-and ask Him to reveal to us that this are His gifts to us.

Blessings, Buddy

THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR

5/3/2025

May 3, 2025 THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR

1 Timothy 1:5 “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

I for one greatly appreciate how God is uncomplicated in His communications with His people. It is amazing how the scriptures in such simple and clear ways can reveal great truths. At the same time, the greatest theologians and teachers are challenged with the truth presented in the scriptures. I am convinced that it is man who makes the Christian message more complicated than God intended. There are some great books out there that do an excellent job in expounding on the scriptures; but the question I have is, concerning the scriptures, can anyone say it better than the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the scriptures. The point is, God gave His written word in order that His people could learn of Him, find comfort and strength in the time of need, and discover truths and instructions for life. Instead of us over-analyzing God’s word, let us accept it for what it is-the word of God to us. A verse that goes along with the above verse is Micah 6:8. “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Another verse is Matthew 11:29-30: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” It is refreshing to see that the goal that God has for us is that we have a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Wow! I get that. God calls us to purify our hearts. James 4:8. There are definite steps we can take to purify our hearts-that is an awarding endeavor. As our hearts are purified, we have a good conscience. What could be better than having a good conscience. Walking in the ways of God always leads to a good conscience. Finally, our faith can be sincere; we can receive the word of God as just that-His word. We can choose to believe His word and we can live on faith in who God is and what He has spoken in His word. A key element in the gospel message is that those who belong to God live by faith in Him. So, let us thank God that He has not left us alone to figure out life and how to live it; He has spoken and has revealed all we need to know about Him and about how to live as His people in a fallen world.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Blessings, Buddy