Hi, Pastor Bob here. Welcome back to the Men of Valor podcast. The verse for today is from 2 Corinthians, chapter 5 verse 17. It states, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old is gone, and the new is here!”

"... why would you go use something that is old instead of moving to something new that is so much better in every way?”"

Janet and I, like most of you, experienced the loss of electricity recently. During the day, obviously it got a little uncomfortable without air conditioning, but as night approached, we started to get ready since we knew we may not have any lights throughout the night. So we went to the closet and got our big 14-inch metal flashlight, but to our dismay, as I pushed the button, it wouldn't light! So we checked the batteries, and the four large D batteries obviously had been drained of power, and there was not enough left to light the big flashlight. We then went out and got our two new LED 4-inch flashlights from the car, and when we turned them on, man, were they bright! Janet and I each had one, and the darkness disappeared as the light from those little LEDs lit up the entire room. The next morning, I was gonna order some of those D sized batteries for our old flashlight so we would be prepared if we ever lose power again. Then I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Bob, why would you go use something that is old instead of moving to something new that is so much better in every way?” I literally said to myself out loud, “Duh! What are you thinking? The new ones are probably five times brighter, so much easier to carry, and you can get a completely new flashlight for less than the four D size batteries would cost! And then if you got the batteries, you would be putting them back into an inferior flashlight! Why would I do that?”

"How many times have you relied on your old logic, your old reasoning, instead of listening to My voice, which is always right?"

And the answer is: Because all my life, I've always done that - I just automatically replace old batteries with new batteries. And then I heard the Holy Spirit: “How many times have you done the exact same thing in your life when you try to walk with Me? How many times have you relied on your old logic, your old reasoning, instead of listening to My voice, which is always right? How many times have you relied on your own understanding because My ways just didn't seem logical?” And then I heard, “How has life done you so far always being led by logic instead of My Spirit My voice and My Word? Look at your life! How has it done you?” How many things did Jesus do that just didn't seem logical, like putting mud in a blind man's eyes, or letting Lazarus die - only so He could raise him up later from the dead? After getting deeper into this, I went out and threw the old flashlight in the garbage and ordered two new LED flashlights.

"How many things do you do out of habit, out of your intellect, out of your common sense, instead of being led - L - E - D - by the light of the Holy Spirit... the light of the Lord"

You know, I almost made that same kind of decision I have been making so many times in my life - holding on to my old life’s ways of thinking, that was so dim without the light of the Lord. How about you? How many things do you do out of habit, out of your intellect, out of your common sense, instead of being led - L - E - D - by the light of the Holy Spirit, which is so much brighter? Today let’s throw the old ways in the garbage, and have our lives be lit up by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us live our lives, let them become walking testimonies of the transformed lives that only the Lord Jesus Christ can do in a man, so when we have encounters with people, they have the same reaction that I had when I turned on those new flashlights! “Man, the light in that person is so bright compared to the old religion that I have! I need to also find that bright light!”

Ah, Heavenly Father, King of Kings, Lord of Lords - thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit that brings the light of Jesus Christ into our lives. We thank You Lord, as we deliberately follow You, You'll light the path that You desire for us to follow to establish Your Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. My, what an amazing God we serve. God bless you all.