"How can a man be born when he is
old?" Nico asked. ...Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one
can enter the kingdom of God unless he is 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." John 2:4-8
Have you ever watched a Boeing 747 take off or land? Have you ever seen just a white vapour trail in the sky knowing it was a jet flying forty thousand feet above you? Doesn't it make you wonder how in the world they make those huge machines 'fly'? Have you ever walked down a boarding tunnel and stepped into one of those planes? There are hundreds of seats, and isles down the centre and on the larger planes an isles on both sides. They come complete with kitchens and bathrooms. It almost feels like you're sitting in a movie theatre. Then at take off the speed forces you back into your seat and the theatre tilts up at a steep angle and you can feel the vibrations as the plane climbs...and you pray that it climbs, until finally it levels off and it cruises to it's destination. I wouldn't have gotten on the plane if I didn't have the faith to believe it could fly.
I'm not an engineer. I don't understand how they get those planes that weigh so many tons of steel and people into the sky. But just because I can't explain how they do it doesn't mean they can't do it. In fact I trust them to do it because I have put my life in the hands of the people who build them and fly them.
So it is with spiritual things. Just because we may not be able to understand all of the whys and hows, doesn't mean we can't have faith in the one who created and sustains life (just like having faith in the builders and pilots of air planes). Jesus coins a term of being 'born again'. It may have become unpopular to the world to be like Christians who call themselves born again because of the strange ways they might act or the strange language they might speak (sadly, sometimes I feel the same). But would you stop flying because of some travellers in airports who act dumb, or are upset because they are having difficulty connecting flights? Would you stop flying if you saw people laughing or crying or both because they are seeing friends and family for the first time in a long time? I hope not.
Jesus is just trying to get Nicodemus to understand that people have to have two birth experiences, one of water (amniotic fluid) and flesh, and one of the spirit. Just like the jet plane, sometimes you can hear them coming but you don't know where they are coming from or where they are going to. It is by faith you know the plane has taken off, is flying, and will land safely. Each of us must have a "born again" spiritual experience accepting that Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again and that the purpose for that is so we can have eternal life with Him.
If you have never made that confession before here is a simple one you could offer:
Jesus by faith I believe you are the Son of God, I accept you as my Lord. I believe that not only did you died for my sins but that you also were raised from the dead. Just like I don't know how they make air planes fly, I don't know how you will make me live for eternity in heaven. But it is by faith that I do and believe in you to do it, please help me to better understand. Amen.
Please find a spirit filled church and tell the pastor that you have prayed that prayer. It will take a lot of courage, but your life will change forever. Let me know also, I want to hear from you and maybe I can answer some of your questions. Sincerely, jesusandjeff
Have you ever watched a Boeing 747 take off or land? Have you ever seen just a white vapour trail in the sky knowing it was a jet flying forty thousand feet above you? Doesn't it make you wonder how in the world they make those huge machines 'fly'? Have you ever walked down a boarding tunnel and stepped into one of those planes? There are hundreds of seats, and isles down the centre and on the larger planes an isles on both sides. They come complete with kitchens and bathrooms. It almost feels like you're sitting in a movie theatre. Then at take off the speed forces you back into your seat and the theatre tilts up at a steep angle and you can feel the vibrations as the plane climbs...and you pray that it climbs, until finally it levels off and it cruises to it's destination. I wouldn't have gotten on the plane if I didn't have the faith to believe it could fly.
I'm not an engineer. I don't understand how they get those planes that weigh so many tons of steel and people into the sky. But just because I can't explain how they do it doesn't mean they can't do it. In fact I trust them to do it because I have put my life in the hands of the people who build them and fly them.
So it is with spiritual things. Just because we may not be able to understand all of the whys and hows, doesn't mean we can't have faith in the one who created and sustains life (just like having faith in the builders and pilots of air planes). Jesus coins a term of being 'born again'. It may have become unpopular to the world to be like Christians who call themselves born again because of the strange ways they might act or the strange language they might speak (sadly, sometimes I feel the same). But would you stop flying because of some travellers in airports who act dumb, or are upset because they are having difficulty connecting flights? Would you stop flying if you saw people laughing or crying or both because they are seeing friends and family for the first time in a long time? I hope not.
Jesus is just trying to get Nicodemus to understand that people have to have two birth experiences, one of water (amniotic fluid) and flesh, and one of the spirit. Just like the jet plane, sometimes you can hear them coming but you don't know where they are coming from or where they are going to. It is by faith you know the plane has taken off, is flying, and will land safely. Each of us must have a "born again" spiritual experience accepting that Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again and that the purpose for that is so we can have eternal life with Him.
Romans 10:9-10 says 'That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is
Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.'
If you have never made that confession before here is a simple one you could offer:
Jesus by faith I believe you are the Son of God, I accept you as my Lord. I believe that not only did you died for my sins but that you also were raised from the dead. Just like I don't know how they make air planes fly, I don't know how you will make me live for eternity in heaven. But it is by faith that I do and believe in you to do it, please help me to better understand. Amen.
Please find a spirit filled church and tell the pastor that you have prayed that prayer. It will take a lot of courage, but your life will change forever. Let me know also, I want to hear from you and maybe I can answer some of your questions. Sincerely, jesusandjeff
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