Being Born Again
John 3:3-8: “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit] gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Maybe you have reached that point in your life and maybe you haven’t. Many come to a faith in God without being born again and decide it seems good idea and, while they mix in Christian community, it continues to feel good. But take them away from that and the feeling goes, because they have not been born again in the Spirit. Sadly, there are many who are never led to the point of understanding they have to make that decision to allow themselves to be born again. I believe it is from generations of people pursuing church leadership because they were the oldest son and it was traditional for the oldest son to be a ‘man of God’ even when he did not believe and from generations of children never being taught by their parents or their unsaved leaders that they must make a personal commitment to God.
So what has to be done to be born again? It is hard to describe a spiritual experience so anything I write will sound dry and clunky but, with God’s guidance, I will try. Every person must come to a point of making a decision for themselves. I have mentioned before the story of an old man I knew who told me the story of being a young man standing outside a Christian bookshop, looking into the window, when a famous evangelist walked by. The evangelist asked him if he was saved and he replied yes. The evangelist (who I am positive was prompted by God to ask these questions) asked him how he knew. His reply was that he had worshipped in a church all this life. The evangelist replied that was not enough to be saved. So the man said his parents and grandparents had always worshipped in the church. The evangelist replied that was not enough. The man was very confused and asked what he have to do then. The evangelist replied it was essential to make that personal decision to take responsibility for his own life. He had to decide if he believed in God or not. If he did then he had admit to God he believed and ask God to be born again. When we ask, God’s response is to send the Holy Spirit and then the real decision comes. When the Holy Spirit challenges us we realise we have to give up ourselves to be born again. We need to express a willingness to give ourselves to God. The rest of our time in relationship with God is spent learning how to do that and giving up more of ourselves each day. If you have the Holy Spirit witnessing to you, you know that giving up yourself is not bondage, it is true freedom. That you don’t cease to exist as a person, you come into full existence. So much of ourselves is that bit that is corrupted by sin. Our true self is so much better. It is in our true self that we can be at peace. It just gets better each day.
For reading and reflecting on over the coming days: John 3:16-21
 

The Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:3-9: “…“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
This parable reveals a lot about following Jesus. Jesus gives this teaching in parables so that the listeners will not be able to understand. In 19-23 Jesus tells the listeners that they can hear if that is what they desire. He likens the seed that fell on the path as the message about the kingdom hearing the message and not being interested to seek to understand it. It is quickly snatched away and they learn nothing. He likens the seed falling on rocky ground to someone who hears the word and is joyful and interested to receive it. Sadly, their interest in the word is short lived and there is little understanding so the joy quickly passes. They might stick to the word until persecution or hardship makes it hard to follow. They do not persevere. Instead they move on to the next fad. He likens the seed falling among the thorns to those who hear the word and appear to be keen to follow it but care more about the world, and money, and self seeking. So they quickly forget the word and ignore it. However, Jesus likens the seed that fell on good soil as the person who hears the word, understands it and seeks to follow it and understand it more and more. In that person the word grows and the person grows in understanding and love of God. That person follows Jesus on the narrow way, seeking to put the word ahead of self. Considering nothing as important as hearing the word. That is the follower, the sheep, the one who takes up their cross daily and follows Jesus.
The parable of the sower is a good summary of what has been written so far. We are to follow Jesus on the narrow way through the narrow gate that few enter. We are to remember the greatest commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind. We are to seek to be one who hears and word and responds to it by obeying Jesus commands. In our journey on the narrow way we can be guided by the imagery of the soil growing on good soil, because the narrow way contains such fertile soil. When we come to Jesus through the narrow gate we will gain much benefit from following that narrow way. It may not be popular. It may not be the way our friends, colleagues, even family, follow but it is the best way to be. When we travel on that path we will grow and be blessed in many ways through the increase of our faith. We will find that our desire for self, willingly given, will be replaced by true freedom and the greatest friendship ever. That narrow way requires hard work and a lot of sacrifices but it is worth it.
For reading and reflecting on over the coming days:
John 3:1-21
 

The Sheep and the Goats
Matthew 25:34-36 “… Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” NIV
One thing we know, at some time in the future Jesus will return.
When He comes we will all be judged. Jesus speaks in the parable of the sheep and the goats of that day. He will separate the people as a shepherd will separate his flock of sheep from the goats they have been running with. The sheep are the ones who have cared for Him. They have followed the narrow path behind Him as a sheep does, trusting its shepherd to keep it safe and guide it to food and water. Remember, Jesus told us in Matthew 7:13-14 that small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life (NIV).
There are those who may say they believe in Jesus. They even go to church every Sunday. They are often very smug about it. They are “nice” people, conservative and worshippers of the status quo. They profess to care for those “less fortunate than them” but if such a person walks into their church they judge and even reject them. You see these people around. They sit in governments and refuse to give assistance to the homeless, the poor, the fatherless, the widow, the sick, the refugee You see them in Insurance Companies that deny people their rightful insurance claims and, in countries where health care is seen as a privilege, not a right, deny essential medical care. You see them on the boards of corporations that put profits, shareholders and bonuses ahead the needs of everyone else. You see them in suburban houses where they refuse to offer support or compassion for others in need. You see them in a harsh and judgemental attitude. You see them everywhere. These people are the goats. They will be separated out from the sheep.
Jesus tell the sheep they are blessed, favoured by God and appointed to eternal salvation, inheritors of the kingdom of God. Then Jesus tells them they gave Him food and water when he needed it, welcomed him when He was a stranger and showed hospitality to Him. They clothed Him when he had no clothes, visited Him when He was sick (mentally as well as physically) and offered Him help. They also visited Him in prison.
Jesus said that those designated sheep would be puzzled and ask when they had done this for Him and He will reply what was done for “one of the least of people was done for Him”. In doing this the sheep follow Jesus on the narrow way.
The goats will be cast out of Jesus’ presence, never to enter heaven because they never desired to follow Jesus on the narrow way, but chose the path of human approval and self interest.
This parable does not say we should be seeking to do all those things. It indicates an attitude of the heart. A humility that involves seeing self as less important than Jesus. That is ready and willing to do what Jesus asks. Jesus once asked me to buy a small book of encouraging verses for someone I knew. That was difficult to do as I didn’t have much money to pay for it. I later heard the woman had received the book and immediately thrown it in the bin. I was really upset. To me this was a massive rejection of me and I felt I had been a fool to spend money we didn’t have. But this was about God not me. Since then God has reminded me often that if someone rejects a message from Him they reject Him and they will have to answer to Him. In the same way, the sheep express a willingness to obey the shepherd and that is good enough for Jesus. He values the attitude that prompts us to do things in His name, not what we do in His name.
For reading and reflecting over the coming days:
Matthew 13:3-9