Born Again... & Again & Again
Today commemorates 16 years I was born again. Shortly after 11pm on the 25th of September in the year 1998 at the south-side of Manhattan Beach pier in Kalifornia, I was born again before over two dozen witnesses... and the conversion took! Praised be His Holy Name Yeshua!!
Yeshua 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!”
Yeshua 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.’
- John 3:3-7
The choice to be baptized into the Name of Yeshua Christ was my decision after God had opened up my heart and mind to the message of the gospel. Prior to having an epiphany that I truly needed to be born again, my arrogance and pride wouldn't allow me the humility to allow another man put me in the water... for I thought I was 'okay.' Up until that point I had been a liar, a fornicator, an adulterer, an outright hypocrite and pretty much a man pursing the carnal desires all around us while worshiping Mammon and women. And after that point, although I still struggled with the person I was before going into the water, by His grace and His grace alone, I was enabled to overcome the many pitfalls of the world... and every day I wake up is a new day and another opportunity to make better choices than yesterday.
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Yeshua Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
- Titus 3:4-7
I used to think that I had to keep a perfect record from the moment I came out of the water in order to be saved, and this caused me much discomfort and apprehension getting baptized in the first place. I knew that I was bound to screw up and sin once again in some way, although I didn't want to. the thought that I would even do one thing I used to indulge in was disgusting to me and intolerable to ponder. I even considered never leaving the house again and doing whatever necessary to prevent my eyes from hearing, my eyes from seeing and my mouth from speaking anything 'wrong' or sinful... but that is a religious response to the reality of grace. God isn't calling people to become monks and shut themselves out of sight, but quite the contrary.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Galatians 5:13-14
Grace isn't a free pass to sin and still be saved and be found in good standing before the Lord. Do not be misled by what so many who call themselves children of God do and then justify what they do, for those surely do not 'know' God. Grace answers the reality that we are still fallible and still apt to fail in some areas of our lives. It is not 'right' to decide to sin and believe you will be forgiven because He is gracious, for that is hypocritical and the reason why so many blaspheme the Holy Name, for they are witnesses to people who take His grace as a license to sin and do as they please. No one has kept a clean record since being baptized, not those who knew Yeshua personally nor those Today who believe. Only One who had a clean record prior to His baptism and after His baptism: Yeshua Christ!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Yeshua Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will - to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ.
- Ephesians 1:3-9
We have all been blessed in ways we cannot understand thanks to this reality. Whether people choose to believe the message or not does not concern the message nor the reality of God. And since this grace exists, since the sacrifice of a perfect life was made in exchange for my imperfect life, I do my ultimate best to obey according to His Way. I don't simply 'try,' I DO! And the moment I realize I have fallen short, instead of beating myself up like I used to from the guilt programming I received in religious organizations, I instead recognize my nature and give Him glory, honor and praise for His divine nature and for His choice in revealing Himself to me. I give Him thanks for His message of love and how He knows I am fallible and yet still loves me. It is this knowledge of His love and mercy in my life which further propels me to act according to His Way. It is His love which motivates me to deny my self and deny the temptations that the world throws at me on a daily basis.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
- John 16:33
He revealed Himself to me by putting in my heart the notion to be baptized in His Name. As I now reflect on this reality, I see that being baptized is also to be empowered to do His will, not simply be forgiven of past and future sins ( that is just the start of the Way ). To be baptized is to have a clear conscience as I make decisions to do His will from now on. Every day is a new Day. Today is the time to be used as an instrument to help, serve and assist others as they move forward in life, praying all whom I see will also recognize and answer the calling.
And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
- Romans 8:30
Yeshua 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!”
Yeshua 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.’
- John 3:3-7
The choice to be baptized into the Name of Yeshua Christ was my decision after God had opened up my heart and mind to the message of the gospel. Prior to having an epiphany that I truly needed to be born again, my arrogance and pride wouldn't allow me the humility to allow another man put me in the water... for I thought I was 'okay.' Up until that point I had been a liar, a fornicator, an adulterer, an outright hypocrite and pretty much a man pursing the carnal desires all around us while worshiping Mammon and women. And after that point, although I still struggled with the person I was before going into the water, by His grace and His grace alone, I was enabled to overcome the many pitfalls of the world... and every day I wake up is a new day and another opportunity to make better choices than yesterday.
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Yeshua Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
- Titus 3:4-7
I used to think that I had to keep a perfect record from the moment I came out of the water in order to be saved, and this caused me much discomfort and apprehension getting baptized in the first place. I knew that I was bound to screw up and sin once again in some way, although I didn't want to. the thought that I would even do one thing I used to indulge in was disgusting to me and intolerable to ponder. I even considered never leaving the house again and doing whatever necessary to prevent my eyes from hearing, my eyes from seeing and my mouth from speaking anything 'wrong' or sinful... but that is a religious response to the reality of grace. God isn't calling people to become monks and shut themselves out of sight, but quite the contrary.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Galatians 5:13-14
Grace isn't a free pass to sin and still be saved and be found in good standing before the Lord. Do not be misled by what so many who call themselves children of God do and then justify what they do, for those surely do not 'know' God. Grace answers the reality that we are still fallible and still apt to fail in some areas of our lives. It is not 'right' to decide to sin and believe you will be forgiven because He is gracious, for that is hypocritical and the reason why so many blaspheme the Holy Name, for they are witnesses to people who take His grace as a license to sin and do as they please. No one has kept a clean record since being baptized, not those who knew Yeshua personally nor those Today who believe. Only One who had a clean record prior to His baptism and after His baptism: Yeshua Christ!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Yeshua Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will - to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ.
- Ephesians 1:3-9
We have all been blessed in ways we cannot understand thanks to this reality. Whether people choose to believe the message or not does not concern the message nor the reality of God. And since this grace exists, since the sacrifice of a perfect life was made in exchange for my imperfect life, I do my ultimate best to obey according to His Way. I don't simply 'try,' I DO! And the moment I realize I have fallen short, instead of beating myself up like I used to from the guilt programming I received in religious organizations, I instead recognize my nature and give Him glory, honor and praise for His divine nature and for His choice in revealing Himself to me. I give Him thanks for His message of love and how He knows I am fallible and yet still loves me. It is this knowledge of His love and mercy in my life which further propels me to act according to His Way. It is His love which motivates me to deny my self and deny the temptations that the world throws at me on a daily basis.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
- John 16:33
He revealed Himself to me by putting in my heart the notion to be baptized in His Name. As I now reflect on this reality, I see that being baptized is also to be empowered to do His will, not simply be forgiven of past and future sins ( that is just the start of the Way ). To be baptized is to have a clear conscience as I make decisions to do His will from now on. Every day is a new Day. Today is the time to be used as an instrument to help, serve and assist others as they move forward in life, praying all whom I see will also recognize and answer the calling.
And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
- Romans 8:30
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