Born Again. How Can Anyone Be Born Again?

Truly, truly I say to you that unless one is born of water (baptism) and the Spirit they can not enter into the kingdom  of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  John3:5-6

In this passage of Scripture Jesus was speaking with a man named Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, a religious, moral man of his time.  Compared to others he felt pretty good about his own righteousness,  yet he was a "dead" man walking and didn't even know it. Scripture shows us he was seeking knowledge from Jesus when he came to Him in the night.

Nicodemus recognized Jesus only as a "teacher" come from God, because of the wonders & signs Jesus had done.  He was what I call a "seeker", he knew there was something special about Jesus, but did not recognize Him as Gods Son, the Messiah, God in the flesh, God who had come from heaven to on a rescue mission to save His creation .  Nicodemus was spiritually blind.  He didn't understand Jesus was speaking of a spiritual birth in this verse.  A birth that brings to life the spirit of man, that part of us which died after the fall.

Jesus tells Nicodemus being "born again" was necessary to enter the kingdom of God.  Being born again is still necessary 2000 years later.  Unless we are spiritually given a new life in Christ Jesus, we will stay spiritually dead.  We won't know or be able have a personally relationship with God.

What is so important about being born again. It is, that this new birth that comes from salvation, brings to us the Holy Spirit of God to live within us and bring to life our dead spirit.  The Spirit is how we have a personal intimate relationship with God. This is what Jesus was speaking of in the next verses when He tells Nicodemus about the wind.

"The wind blows where it wishes and we hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going, so it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:8  Humans do not "see" visually the wind when it blows, yet we feel it when it touches us.  We hear it, yet do not know where it comes from.  So it is with Gods Spirit.  He touches us, and we hear Him speak to our hearts and minds through our reborn spirits.

For those of us who suffer, for what ever reason, be it physical health problems, strife, broken relationships whatever, this is the most important information we can come to know, next to our salvation experience in Christ.   Why? because it is only through the Spirit of God living in us we can have true strength to endure and overcome the trials of this life. Real strength comes when we know God is in control no matter what the circumstances and He has promised that He will work all to good for those who are His children, born of adoption into His family through faith in His Son.
It's Gods promise.  And I am learning through my own experience God promises never fail. God does exactly what He says He will do.

He says being born again brings us eternal life.  I have learned it also brings us "life" here on earth.
We can live, with Christ living within us, growing us into His character, strengthening us when we need it, comforting us when we suffer, bring peace in the midst of chaos.  Only Gods Spirit at work within us can give true joy and peace to our souls even when we are suffering deeply.  God never promised we as His children would never suffer, He promised He would be with us in our suffering, which is what those who do not know Him do not have.  His Presence, His Spirit alive in our spirits.  How amazing can that be?

Many think they can navigate the trials and tribulations of this fallen, broken world on there own sufficiency.  Maybe they can.  I cannot speak for them, but for myself I can say that only by Gods Spirit can I each day find the grace to live with my chronic pain and degeneration of my body and still find life worth living. How? God walks with me within my heart and talks with me through His Word, and He desires to do so for all His creations. 

If you want a new life in exchange for the one you have now, to be born again, He is oh so willing to come and give it to you.  Call out to Him and He will answer I know for sure because it is another promise...He will not turn away those who come to Him...Matt. 7:7

Lord I am so thankful for Your Spirit that lives within me and gives me the ability to know You.  My prayer is for anyone reading this that they will see You are the answer to all the suffering, pain, and heartache this life brings. because You bring hope and a new way of living here on earth as we wait for our coming home to heaven.  Thank You because of all You suffered for me Lord on the Cross I can now have a life in and with You and God the Father through Your Spirit.  I am born again in You. Praise You Lord.







 

Obedience...Why?

Although He existed in the form of God....He (Jesus) emptied Himself taking on the form of a bond-servant...as a man He humbled Himself by becoming obedient ...even to death on the cross.

Obedience to the Word of God can appear very difficult, even at times down right impossible.  Yet obedience in the difficult times is one a believers greatest witnesses to those who don't know Jesus.  Believing Gods promises when we are in the midst of trials and suffering is the proof of obedience. I show the faith of those who know Him as the loving Father He is. God never asks us to do any thing that is not for our best.  He only wants what's good for us.  As impossible as it seems when we praise Him for His presence in our suffering, it releases His Spiritual power to bring help to us in our time of need. It is choosing to obey what He has told us in Scripture and trusting Him to handle the consequences.

One of the most impossibly hard principles God has asked of those who follow Him is to forgive someone else who has hurt or wronged us.  The world tells us when someone wrongs you, get even, pay them back.   Gods words says, " forgive and you will be forgiven...Matt.6:12  Why? because God has forgiven us so much for our sins, we must forgive those who sin against us.  Hard! Very hard, but not impossible with Gods help.

Forgiveness, real forgiveness comes only from the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He exemplified true forgiveness when He forgave those who were crucifying Him, literally torturing Him as He hung on the cross.  Could I forgive someone who was taking my very life?  I pray I never have to find out.  It is hard enough for me as it is, to forgive someone who has wounded me emotionally.

Yet as I come to know my Savior and God His Father in a deeper understanding from studying Scripture, I am learning their ways are always right, perfectly fitted for me, their beloved child.  I have learned that Gods request for me to forgive another is not for the benefit of the one who hurt me, but for my benefit.  His Word teaches me anger, resentment, and bitterness poison our souls and hurts us worse than the offences committed against us.  Scripture has much to say about forgiveness and I have spoken a lot about it as an example of why its important to obey what Gods Word tells us.

Jesus was obedient to the Father whom He loved above all else.  He was Gods Son and He learned obedience, so why would I not understand that I need to learn it also.  Personally I am, and it's tough,
but the peace it brings me deep with in and the joy of my relationship with Jesus close beside me is worth every moment.  The Lord love is for all.  No one is exempt, even the worst of sinners.  Does this mean that someone can deliberately cause you harm and not have consequences.  No God is a just and righteous God, and He will judge the sins we all have committed.  As believers in Christ  atoning work on the cross, we are forgiven our sins, so we become children of God, even though that may be hard to believe.

So God asks us, commands us actually,to forgive others because He has forgive us so much.  Our forgiveness cost the life of His Son. That much!

Why do we forgive?  Because we are forgiven.  And when we obey what Gods says the benefits and rewards are greater than anything we can comprehend unless we experience them personally Obeying Gods Word brings blessings,  the Bible tells us so, "Blessed is the one who hears the Word of God and does it."

The earthly rewards for obedience are peace, joy and contentment within our hearts and souls. will also be eternal rewards for those who trust and obey and follow their Lord's example.  Heaven awaits those who believe Jesus died for us and has given us eternal life.  I know that rewards are being stored up for me in the heavenly realms and when I arrive I will know what they are.  So why obey?  Because Jesus obeyed  His Father in all things. And He is my example to live by.  Yes the rewards are apart of the blessing, but a personal relationship with God the Creator is a far more valuable reward.

Thank You so much Lord for the example You gave us in Your life of obedience while You lived here among Your creation.  You were the most perfect  man to walk the face of the earth and You learned how to obey.  May each of us who love You with all our hearts, souls, and minds follow You in such obedience as we hear Your voice speaking to us.  If You could die for me, even while I was a sinner, I can forgiven those who sin against me through Your perfect love.  Praise You Name! 

Hurried Sickness????

Be still and know that I am God;  I will be exalted....Psalms 46:10

Stillness.  A word today that has little meaning in most of our lives.  Even when we are trying to "be still" we are often still in motion.  We hurry to get up in the mornings, to hurry off in speeding cars to get kids to school or arrive on time at jobs.  We hurry through our work day to complete all that needs to be done, so we can go on to the next thing.  Hurry!  Hurry! Hurry!  And then the next thing most of us know, we have to slow down because we are sick, or extremely tired, or both sick and tired.  A perfect definition for "hurried sickness,"  rush, rush, rush, until we are forced to slow down   Hurried sickness is a term I came across sometime back reading a medical article , which stated that this term was actually being considered by professionals to cover some stress related illness's most likely resulting from the business of today's world where people are caring less and less for their health needs.  For most of us we are hurried sick--could even say worried sick.

Scripture defines "still" in the Bible as being motionless, quiet.  How many of us can say we have very many or even any moments of motionlessness in our daily lives, except when we are sleeping?  But even then are we motionless? Sometimes, many times not. Those who do not sleep well at night will understand.
And quiet...that's a concept our world of voices, noise, audible sounds and modern day technology have almost eliminated. Where does any one find quiet. Recently I found a TV in the rest room I used.  At one time that at least might have been a few moments of quiet for some. Not to say privacy!

Why talk about  "being still"?   Because the Bible tells us this is how we will know God.  We will not know Him if we can not be still, listening with our hearts and minds to hear what He has to say. Many question if there is a God and that He speaks to man.  Oh yes my friend there is a God and He speaks to all who come to Him with a heart to hear what He has to say.  He speaks to us through His marvelous Word the Bible and through the knowledge of His Son.   Scripture tells us  Jesus has the power to speak to the wind and seas and calm them.  He has power and the desire to do the same for us.  But Scripture also tells us He doesn't speak in the whirlwind but n the soft sweet voice that speaks to our hearts.   But we have to seek Him to do so. Seek involves stillness.  Taking time each day to read what God has to say. And over and over I hear more and more people saying, I don't  have time to sit motionless for a few minutes and read my Bible.  Or take some time out from my busy hurried day to spend in prayer.  I have so much to do.

And for what.  To accomplish the methods of acquiring the things of this world.  Power, pride, success, material things.  Bigger and Better?

So we hurry  and scurry and move, and do, to accomplish something that we see, or feel is important.  What may then happen to us is the crash of sickness or just not "feeling" well which falls upon us.  We "catch" some bug with our name on it, and we still continue to keep doing, because in our minds if we do not, it won't get done.  Hurried Sickness is an almost, all or nothing "disease of our day".  We keep giving our all, emotionally, and physically, until we run out, and then spend many days trying to recover.

Gods created His children for having times of stillness and moments of refreshing.  He desires to share these with us.  Scripture speaks of Jesus telling His disciples to came away to a secluded place and be with Him.

I am writing about this because I myself have experienced this same hurried sickness, for most of my adult life.  I like so many others operated on the principles of this world emphasis and not on what the Word of God said.  Have I paid a price for this?  Most definitely.  Because my dear friend what I have learned is that Gods Word is Truth, whether we choose to believe it or not does not change it.
If God says this is what will happen if we do this, that is what will happen, sometime, somewhere, somehow.  We know it as the principle of "sowing and reaping".

When I wasn't "still", before God, I did what I thought was right.  I believed you could, and should, continue pushing yourself though every sick, tired day.  Now the price is a body that won't let me push "ahead" or anywhere else for that matter, without help.  Sickness has forced me to learn to be still whether I want to or not.

And I am here to tell you where the help comes from when you find  that this may be a problem you share with me.  When I have exhausted all the assurances  of this world,  all the, "I can do it myself"
times and find I can not push on myself,  the One who command the wind to be still and the seas to be calm can still the "winds" of my world and calm the storms of life that blow against me.  It is in the stillness of these times He asks me to sit quietly and listen to what He says to me through His Word.  He gives me hope and joy, love and peace, because I can hear His soft sweet voice speaking just to me.  Jesus Christ is the most loving person that ever walk this earth.  He loves with a love that no one else can give and I am so grateful that He chose me to lavish His love upon.

Being still with Him each day has become my life's sustaining force.  I could not live without it,  would not live with Him.    And all it took was for me to finally be still motionless in my struggling with the toils of this life and He came and met me right there where I cried out to Him in my need.  Will He only do this for me?  Is there something special about me.  No!  He will and wants to meet all His creations in the same way.  Every created being.  You my friend no matter who you are.  His love and His power are infinite and yet as available as the soft whisper He offers them in.  Just be still and Know Him.  He wants you too!

Be still and know that I am God...Psalms  46:10  ...and Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea,"Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm...Mark 4:39

Lord You are everything I have ever hoped for, longed for, or desired to want to know in this world.  Your love and guidance are the only thing that brings wellness to those of us who experience Your healing love.  May someone else reading these words, be spurred to take time that is totally focused on seeking You; on quietly reading Your Word because they want to know You and this love of which I share.  I know You will meet with them, just as you have with me so many times, speaking to me in the stillness with the soft voice filled with love.  Thank You Precious Lord for such a love that is from everlasting to everlasting