Newness of Life in Never Being Outnumbered.

  As I watched my team get pummeled in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Basketball Tournament for the second straight year, it was easy to notice one reason why.  Every now and then the defense will be slow getting back to guard their basket and the opposition will glide down the court on a fast break with "numbers". Simply, the team gets caught outnumbered, and it usually spells trouble.
  Often in life, we can feel the same panicked emotion as we struggle to defend our baskets. Baskets of our families, our vocations, our enjoyments, or our controlled climate comfort zones.  Those who have tasted the sometimes bitter water of loneliness know full well of the thoughts of being outnumbered in this world. Even more, sometimes it is the flurry of problems that encompass us and threaten us.
  The good news flows again for us, though, as we look to God's powerful Word. Truly, as a child of His, there is never a moment when you are outnumbered. Look at what He lets us know in Romans, chapter 8, verses 26-39, especially verse 26 ("...the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us...") and verse 34 ("...Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen...who also makes intercession for us.). God's holy Trinity thinking of and praying for us.
  No fast break, no tough break, no breaking wave, no broken body, no broken relationship, no broken dream, no broken promises can leave us completely alone, powerless in outnumberedness if you have trusted in the God of the universe for salvation and true life. He says so, and I believe Him, that we are never again alone.  And there is no better place to be than by His side. Walking in newness of life is a road trip with a Companion second to none, an adventure of joy and peace.
This is how we do it: remember He knows where we are and reach out to Him in dependence upon Him.
James MacDonald encourages us with these words: "You've got to know that God sees you. He's not missing a single detail in your life. He hears your conversations with your spouse. He sees your checkbook. He knows your unspoken fears. He's also watching the depth of the water. He's monitoring the heat of the fire. He's pouring out the strength that you need to endure in the minute you feel you can't go on. At this moment, God is watching your life and at some point in this trial, He will say enough. You don't need to falter."

A prayer:
Father in Heaven, You are in complete control.  You know all about us and everything that is ahead of us.  Please help us trust Your ways and draw close to Your heart as we remember your promise to never leave us alone. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
 
 

Newness of Life in Prayer, Part 1

To say that I have walked a few miles is a bit of an understatement. The reasons are numerous. I come from a long line of walkers (including my grandma, a legendary walker who logged countless miles in cities large and small).  I walk for sheer leisure and enjoyment (Arizona is full of walks with some incredible sunsets and desertscapes). I walk for fitness (with somewhat lofty goals of miles to complete) and see that it is effective powerfully in maintaining better health.  I walk also with freedom on my mind, with the matchless ability to live in the great country of America and the gratefulness to God for giving me the chance to know it.
As I reflect on these components of walking, I easily see parallels in an integral aspect of walking in newness of life - in prayer.
I look to God's Word to see the people through the ages among His people that called upon His name in prayer and realize how their lives are changed because of it.
We can definitely pray because of the sheer enjoyment of it: loving people by doing the one most powerful thing we can do for them, relishing spending time communicating with the Maker of me and the whole universe, and following in the footsteps of the One who gave His life so that we might truly live (see John 17 where we see Jesus praying for us!).
"If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me." - Robert Murray McCheyne
We bring our hearts to God, knowing that it is powerful and effective, because He says so. In James, chapter 5, verse 16, He says "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
The freedom to pray reminds us that God is all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), unconfined by time or space (omni-present), and unchangeable (immutable).  This comforts me to no end and gives me every motivation to adore Him, confess my sin to Him, thank Him for every good and perfect gift, and bring requests for others to Him (supplication).
"Pray then like this: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."  - Matthew 2:9-13

Newness of Life in Progress (in Holy Living).

"But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" - 1 Peter 1:15-16

Progress is one of my key life words for this year. I have plans and goals and schedules and  resolutions pertaining to make excellent progress in various areas such as physically, vocationally, financially, relationally, etc. with the list extending onward and upward. But overarching it all, I look to progress (make every effort) in holy living.  Holy, simplified, is meaning set apart. Actually based on two ideals, it is set apart from something (the world and sin) and set apart to someone (Almighty God).

I realize that relying upon God for righteous living is vital, but also want to do as He says in Hebrews 12:14 - "Make every effort...to be holy..." I consider that the only way to do so is by pressing on, no matter what, since perfection is quite elusive. Truly, sometimes there is pain in progress, but it is worth it.

I like the words of J.I. Packer on this subject. "While we lay heavy stress on faith (coming to Christ, trusting His promises, believing that God knows what He is doing with our lives, and hoping for heaven), we touch very lightly on repentance (binding one's conscience to God's moral law, confessing and forsaking one's sins, making restitution for past wrongs, grieving before God at the dishonor one's sins have done Him, and forming a game plan for holy living).

A gameplan for holy living, living in newness of life can be part of our passion of life. Let's keep pressing on together.

A prayer:

Lord, all I have is yours.  All in my life really belongs to you. Please help me to realize and reaffirm that spending this life for you, in holiness, is worth any pain of progress.  In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

 

Newness of Life In Loving Our Enemies.

How many enemies do you have?  We may not have a nemesis or be at war with another, but there are folks that we just find it incredibly difficult to deal with.  There are even times when the enemies for a season seem to be the ones closest to us. Walking in newness of life involves actually loving our enemies. Some things come so hard against our nature that we can easily just try to pass them over for another day. In Matthew 5:44, we read the words of Jesus, from the Sermon On the Mount, about loving the enemies that appear in our lives.
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,"
So, He gives us a list of our enemies (those who curse us, hate us, spitefully use us, persecute us) and also a practical list of how to love them (love, bless, do good to, pray for).
But why?  Why would we do this that goes so forcefully against the grain of what the world tries to teach us?  Because of His great love for us.  We need only to know His Truth from Romans 5:8, "God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."  Harold Myra wrote that, as God's beloved, "He wants us to hear these words with tenderness and force so that they reverberate in every aspect of our beings: 'You are the beloved."
We also love our enemies for another vitally important reason.  He commanded us to, there in Matthew 5:44. Believe me, obedience is always the best road to travel.  But we also love our enemies because of our growing love for God as we mature in knowing Him better.
So when you inevitably deal with the enemies of life at any given moment: when the stones fly, and they're aimed at you, pray " Forgive them Father, they know not what they do."
If anyone comes to mind today as an enemy in any way, we can commit to pray for them and then decisively act by loving and extending forgiveness before another moment passes us by.

A simple prayer:

Father in Heaven,  I want to sense that I am truly your beloved, and I open my arms and heart to you. I do this so that I may also both love my enemies and take advantage of opportunities to share your great love with them.  In the matchless name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Newness of life defined.

Walking in newness of life (living a life of victory in Christ today, and every day)
 involves some strategy. The strategy includes: realizing that without Him, I can
do nothing, praying fervently to the Father- looking intently for His guidance,
sharing concerns, and asking for help in living in His freedom. It is simply a new
way of living and behaving.  The living is for God's glory (His excellence, His perfection). As Henry Blackaby has said "Living with Him and alive to Him (love Him so much that we obey Him and do not sin)".
Woodrow Kroll said "We are to journey deliberately into life, not wander around like we are still dead." This means trusting Christ with your past, your present, and your future.
"No longer live as a 'betweener'- living between Egypt and Canaan, saved but not satisfied; living between Good Friday and Easter, believing in the Cross but not entering into the power and glory of His Resurrection." -Warren Wiersbe
Please join me in this adventurous journey.
"When we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace- a new life in a new land." Romans 6:4 (The Message)
A prayer:
Heavenly Father, so many times i wonder what I should do on this journey. Help me now to listen intently to what Your Spirit is saying. Please give me the strength and courage to act on what you command and share Your love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.