When we think of be coming a new person, or being "Born Again" we think of it as being a new testiment concept... something that Jesus taught. However, in the book of 1 Samual we see the following:
1Sam 10:6
And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
The "thee" in this verse was Saul, and the "them" is the prophets.
Jesus taught us that in order to go to heaven we must be born again, or become a new man.
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Here we see this same truth in the life of Saul. Samuel the prophet of God annoints Saul and he literly becomes a new man. He beings to praise God, and Prophesy with the prophets.
1Sam 10:10-11
And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What [is] this [that] is come unto the son of Kish? [Is] Saul also among the prophets?
This was so uncharacteristic of Saul, that people were astonished. When we devote our lives to following Jesus Christ, and he becomes the Lord of our lives and lives in us ... we should have a change in our lives that is significant. People should be talking about us, saying "What happened to this guy!"
If we have never seen this "born again" experience in our lifes, and we call ourselves a Christian (Of Christ), then we really need to be searching our soul to see if we have really devoted our lives to Jesus Christ. If we find outselves coming up short, then it is time to rededicate your life to serving Jesus Christ. In addition to praying that prayer of rededication, where you cry out to God and turn away from your self and towards him, we need to put some shoe leather on our faith. The book of James says:
Jam 2:26
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Often it is when we turn towards Jesus in our actions, that his Holy Spirit meets us and empowers us as it did Saul.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Clean by His Word
I was reading John 15 during my family time this evening and was struck by this scripture:
John 15:3 - Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
What a powerful truth! By the word of Jesus, we are made clean.
I am reminded of how our bodies work. Each morning I take a shower and I am clean, as clean as a shower can make me anyway! Throughout the day my body releases toxins and other waste, and I may touch things that make me dirty like when I work in the garden. By the end of the day, I am in need of cleansing again. Even if I didn’t work in the garden, or clean the fireplace, or do something that got me dirty, I am still in need of cleansing because my own self makes me dirty! And lets not even talk about what happens after a few days without a shower!
So is it with our souls. Even if we do not have a major setback and give in to temptation, we are still in need of cleansing and renewal from the only place that can clean us... Jesus Christ. One of my favorite scriptures 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I have found that just being in the presence of God provides cleansing and renewal. When I spend time worshiping him in my living room, or in church, I feel clean. But when I don’t spend time with Jesus each day, I start to feel like I would smell if I missed a shower! Not sick or tired, but not at all right!
Another one of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 53:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Jesus is forgiveness. Jesus give us freedom from sin, Liberty! Jesus makes us brand new!
John 15:3 - Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
What a powerful truth! By the word of Jesus, we are made clean.
I am reminded of how our bodies work. Each morning I take a shower and I am clean, as clean as a shower can make me anyway! Throughout the day my body releases toxins and other waste, and I may touch things that make me dirty like when I work in the garden. By the end of the day, I am in need of cleansing again. Even if I didn’t work in the garden, or clean the fireplace, or do something that got me dirty, I am still in need of cleansing because my own self makes me dirty! And lets not even talk about what happens after a few days without a shower!
So is it with our souls. Even if we do not have a major setback and give in to temptation, we are still in need of cleansing and renewal from the only place that can clean us... Jesus Christ. One of my favorite scriptures 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I have found that just being in the presence of God provides cleansing and renewal. When I spend time worshiping him in my living room, or in church, I feel clean. But when I don’t spend time with Jesus each day, I start to feel like I would smell if I missed a shower! Not sick or tired, but not at all right!
Another one of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 53:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Jesus is forgiveness. Jesus give us freedom from sin, Liberty! Jesus makes us brand new!
Why does God allow suffering
The answer begins in Genesis, the book of Beginnings. God created mankind in his own image. We were created like God, with the freedom of making choices. If God had created us without that desire and ability, we would not have been in his image. In order to truly love, we must be free. Love by compulsion is not love at all. God gives us the choice to love him and follow his commandments, or the choice to not follow his commandments. In the Garden of Eden, mankind made a choice to not do what God asked them to do, and they tasted of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. This brought sin into Adam and Eve’s lives. Before that time, there was indeed no suffering. It was our choice not to follow God, and our choice to bring suffering into our lives. God did not create suffering, mankind did that by our choices.
So why doesn’t God just eliminate suffering?
God is good, in him there is no evil. This is his very nature, and it cannot be changed. God looked at poor Adam and Eve, shivering naked in the Garden of Eden, and had to do something with them. He could have wiped them out, and started over again… but God by his nature is good. God had compassion on Adam and Eve, and even though he knew Adam and Eve’s actions would cause suffering in their lives and the lives of their descendents, God loved them and wanted to give them a chance to choose to love him before he ended mankind. Would not any good father choose life and freedom for their own children, even though they would have hardship? What God did do, was to send his own Son at the appointed time to provide deliverance to all who loved him. Jesus Christ was appointed to die for mankind on the cross, so that all who love him might overcome the evil and suffering of this world and have eternal life. Jesus is our way to overcome and eventually escape suffering. God will indeed end suffering forever. However, in order to do so he must end this earth as we know it. Why? Because mankind gave Satan dominion over this world when they departed from God in the Garden of Eden. In order to end that dominion, this world as we know it must end. God is good, and he has provided a way for us to escape the suffering and have an eternity of perfection with him in a place he calls heaven.
So why doesn’t God bring us all to heaven now?
God is good, he cannot and will not do evil. God wants to make sure that everyone has a chance to go to heaven. Just like a father and mother in a family of many children love each and every child with all their heart, God loves each of us with all that he is. He has commissioned his followers to make sure everyone has heard about Jesus so that no one misses the chance for heaven without having an opportunity. God would like us all to go to heaven, but we are created in his image with freedom, and we must choose him. He cannot make us choose him. When all have heard the truth about Jesus, Jesus will come back and this world as we know it will end. Those who love Jesus will be taken to heaven where there will indeed, be no more suffering.
So why doesn’t God just eliminate suffering?
God is good, in him there is no evil. This is his very nature, and it cannot be changed. God looked at poor Adam and Eve, shivering naked in the Garden of Eden, and had to do something with them. He could have wiped them out, and started over again… but God by his nature is good. God had compassion on Adam and Eve, and even though he knew Adam and Eve’s actions would cause suffering in their lives and the lives of their descendents, God loved them and wanted to give them a chance to choose to love him before he ended mankind. Would not any good father choose life and freedom for their own children, even though they would have hardship? What God did do, was to send his own Son at the appointed time to provide deliverance to all who loved him. Jesus Christ was appointed to die for mankind on the cross, so that all who love him might overcome the evil and suffering of this world and have eternal life. Jesus is our way to overcome and eventually escape suffering. God will indeed end suffering forever. However, in order to do so he must end this earth as we know it. Why? Because mankind gave Satan dominion over this world when they departed from God in the Garden of Eden. In order to end that dominion, this world as we know it must end. God is good, and he has provided a way for us to escape the suffering and have an eternity of perfection with him in a place he calls heaven.
So why doesn’t God bring us all to heaven now?
God is good, he cannot and will not do evil. God wants to make sure that everyone has a chance to go to heaven. Just like a father and mother in a family of many children love each and every child with all their heart, God loves each of us with all that he is. He has commissioned his followers to make sure everyone has heard about Jesus so that no one misses the chance for heaven without having an opportunity. God would like us all to go to heaven, but we are created in his image with freedom, and we must choose him. He cannot make us choose him. When all have heard the truth about Jesus, Jesus will come back and this world as we know it will end. Those who love Jesus will be taken to heaven where there will indeed, be no more suffering.
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