Day: September 19, 2018

Pastor’s Blog 9.19.18

John 3:1-8
3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
NKJV

After being a Senior Pastor now for 32 years, I am convinced that there are a lot of people who say they believe in Jesus, even attend a church, but have never been born again. A new birth is a new identity – period. Many people have no realization of a new identity in Christ. They live in the memories of their former lives and still identify as a victim of what has happened to them, before they accepted Christ. The fact is they never died with Him, so they have not been raised with Him to a newness of life!

Colossian 2:11-12
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. NKJV

Colossians 3:1-11
3:1 Not Carnality but Christ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. NKJV

I know I sound like a broken record to some, but the facts are the facts. Many say they believe the facts, but live as though they are myths. I don’t want to complicate the simplicity that is in the plan of man’s redemption through wordy philosophy, I want to help every person embrace the reality that they are a new creature in Christ, and until they believe that they will not act like it!

Years ago, in the Charismatic movement, we were taught to meditate on the truths of the word of God until they dropped into our spirit as a reality- not just an ideal. To think we can cause someone to really change, without the power of the Holy Spirit and the revealed word of God is the ultimate expression of arrogance. To see a million babies a year being aborted and then to hear that only about half of the Church even show up to vote is evidence that many have not been born again! The nature that is from the new birth would never see abortion as a woman’s right to choose whether or not a child lives or dies!

Christianity is not a life enhancement for your time on earth, it is eternal life that begins on earth. This is prep school for our eternal reign with Christ. Some people give the least amount of effort to understanding the things with the greatest consequences for sure!

Until next week, be blessed!