Be Born Again. What Does It Really Mean? (Knowing is not enough)

We often quote John 3:16. But how many times do we really take time to sit and read the verses that precede that verse in the chapter?

The story was told of Nicodemus, a member of the ruling Jewish council (a religious leader), who came to Jesus at night for a heart-to-heart talk. He said to Jesus, "We all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you,"

From Nicodemus' statement, we can see that he is knowledgable about who Jesus is. But that knowledge alone is not enough. Jesus told him directly, "Unless you are born again (born from above), you cannot see the Kingdom of God."

Nicodemus exclaimed,  "What does that mean? How can an old man like me go back into my mother's womb to be born again?"

Here is what Jesus told him in response:
“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.” John 3:5-8.

Again, Nicodemus asked, “How can this be?” It is very important to ask questions when in doubt. Nicodemus wanted clarification on what Jesus meant by the above response. It was in the process of further explanation that Jesus made the statement that has today become a popular text in the Christendom and even among everyone:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17.

As a child, one of the early lessons I learnt as a Christian was the importance of being born again. I was told it starts with confessing my sins, repenting and accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and saviour. Then, there was the conscious decision to be baptized by water, which represents dying with Christ and resurrecting to a new life in Christ and baptism of  the Holy Spirit, which comes with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

But the above should not just stop as "to do" activities we check off.

Recently, I was filling a form while joining a department in a church fellowship. One of the questions that was asked was something like, "Are you born again?" "If yes, what does it mean?"

At first, I gave the automated response, "Being born again means repenting of your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and savior."

Any young christian would give such response, right? But as I read and reflected on my response, I felt the superficiality in it. Something inside of me for the first time questioned my christianity and so-called status of being born again. I knew there was more to it than I was embracing.

So, here I am, sharing my testimony. Being born again starts with repenting of one's sins and confessing Christ as our Lord and Saviour. It does not end there. We must live to emulate Christ, not just because the word "Christian" means Christ-Like. But we cannot emulate or be like someone we do not know. So, we have to study the Bible to be knowledgeable and empowered to spread the gospel to others and be able to stand in the day of battle. We must also be baptized in water and in the spirit. We cannot afford to be all creed without substance or seed! God is able to reveal His glory in us and through us! Embrace the salvation in Christ fully and see your life bloom!

We must not mix up religion with salvation. Nicodemus, who came to Jesus was a religious leader. If religiosity was all we needed, Christ would not have told Nicodemus about salvation. These days, it is easy to get carried away with religious activities and forget the true essence of salvation. That is why we find an acute church-goer who claims to love Jesus but hate his/her brother. How can you say you love Jesus and hate your brother...? (remember that song?).

Don't get me wrong, fellowship with brethren must not be forsaken. But like Pastor Tunde Bakare use to say, Make sure you know God for yourself. Meaning, know who God is...ask Him to reveal Himself to you... study the word so no one can confuse you when they dilute the word with human philosophy. Seek the truth like Nicodemus did, know it and let the truth set you free from all religious bondage. By attending a Bible-believing church, you are able to hear the word and grow in your faith. Also, ask your pastor or church leader how you can be baptized in water and in the spirit.

Thanks for reading this blog post! So, are you born again?

Check Point
"For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times." Romans 3:23-25

"For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." Romans 10:9-10

"For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen." Romans 11:36.

How to die right. Not just yet.

'He is not here, but is risen!' Luke 24:6

Christ, the founder of Christianity, was the only man capable of making an appointment beyond the grave and turning up to keep it.
Jesus told His disciples, 'After I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee' (Matthew 26:32 NKJV).

And He did. If you visit the graves of those who founded the great religions of the world, you will
find that they are still occupied.

But if you visit the grave where they laid Jesus, you will find that
it is empty and the words of the angels still echoing, 'He is not here, but is risen!' Those words turn every Christian burial into a celebration. Jesus promised, 'Because I live, you will live also.' Eventually you will die of
something; the question is; how can you die right?

There are two correct answers to that question:
1) By preparing in advance.
It was a truly human tombstone that bore the inscription, 'I expected this, but not just yet.'

Here's how you prepare for death. 'If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved' (Romans 10:9 NKJV).

2) By fulfilling your life's assignment.
Jesus said, 'I have glorified You on earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do' (John 17:4 NKJV).

In the final audit you will stand before God and He will ask you, 'What did you do with the gifts I gave you? Did you fulfil your
assignment on earth?' In that moment, nothing will be more important than how you answer
that question.

As seen in The UCB Word For Today.

Reposted by https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=32836367113&ref=stream&refid=17

#Ajuwaya Praise

The song at #NCCF:

Papa we praise you,
For all you have done!
We remove head dressing,
Ajuwaya praise the Lord.

:-)

Character check- what stood Daniel out?

Young
Teachable spirit
Sharp looking
Intelligent
Diverse skills
Competent
Servant heart
Convictional spirit
Favour with people
Submissive spirit
Relational spirit
Well-informed
Gifted
Excellent Spirit

The character traits that stood Daniel out! Read more in Daniel 1. Keep standing out! :-)

Going into an uncharted territory! #NYSC

I'm packing again :-) Heading to NS via Abj for a compulsory volunteer service #NYSC! I can't contest for presidency or serve in public office here in Nigeria without it, I hear :-) (That is to show you how serious the programme is). God dey! In Him I put my trust.

Wishing every Batch A corper an exciting year ahead! May we have a great testimony. And here is my anthem as I head out:

I have been gifted (Testimony time)

Life is a gift. This almost sounds like a cliché now. But it is what it is. Not matter how we want to flip the sentence around, the truth still stares us in the face- life is a gift. It might take a while for some to figure this out but the moment you do, your attitude towards life will never be the same again.

The moment you realize this, you’ll stop competing with anyone. You’ll stop comparing yourself to others and start to realize that your core responsibility is to nurture your talent to increase and bless others around you. You’ll start to live life right, at a different pace.

You ‘ll also start to see the meaning in Ecc 9:11:

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. Ecclesiastes 9:11 - New Living Translation (©2007)

For those who know me well, I used to rant a lot about how I’m able to achieve the little I have by excessive hardwork. In the past, I have caught myself being overly critical of young ladies who sit on their hands expecting some sugar daddies to come rescue them. I have also been very critical of young men who sit all day hoping to become millionaires by just dreaming and doing nothing. But I know better now.

Everything I have- from my good grades in college to my seemingly stable paycheck- I have been given. I wish I could tell you that it was all earned from sleepless nights of reading with candle lights or many days of juggling two to three jobs, combined with full-time studies. But those were just part of the process that paved way for divine increase of my talents.

I know people who are smarter than me, who even work harder than I do. But each time they turn to ask me how they can step up to a new level, I stare back blankly at them. Sometimes I try to share basic theories they can put into practice etc. but the reality is that I am what I am by the grace of God. It is difficult to explain what I know or how I do what I do. It is all a gift.

Today, I wake up, I ask for strength to carry on and the grace never to abuse the gift or take the grace for granted. I pray for the courage to learn to give back.

We have all been gifted- some with one talent, some with two and some with five talents. What are you doing with your gift?

I was listening to Bishop T.D Jakes preach “Instinct to Increase” last week and I was totally blown away. Because it confirmed what I’ve been thinking about the previous week. Here are some notes from the message:

Text: Matthew 25:14-30

If you don’t understand that you have been gifted, you will spend the rest of your life walking away and walking past only what God has given you. Your gift may not be shimmering in the light like others, it may not be the ability to do what others are able to do but you have something. You have been gifted.

If you don’t see what you have as a gift, you won’t protect it. You won’t guard it, you wont take care of it, you won’t appreciate it. You’ll run around to other people who are gifted and you’ll be so ignominious with what they have that you will not appreciate what you have.

You don’t know how or why you can do what you can do? You just know you can do it? That is the gift of the talent! God is at work in your life.

If there was no gift in the first place, there’ll be nothing to enhance.

The goal is not to catch up with anyone but to be excellent on your level.

Anything above zero is increase.

Opportunity often come to you draped in the suit of opposition.

I am thankful for the gift of life. I’m thankful for the gift to be and do. I’m thankful for wisdom to know how to give back and impact others. I’m thankful for my talents. I pray you find yours too and nurture it well. Don't be like the man with one bag of gold who hid his gold (talent) in the ground.

Live well. Live love.

Praise God!

image via peoplepolarity

I will wait for You...

I Will Wait For You (lyrics) - Juanita Bynum:

I will wait for you Jesus
You're the sun in my horizon
All my hopes in you Jesus
I can see you now arising

There's a wall that stands in front of me
I know I just can't climb
Like an eagle You will carry me
Just a matter of time, Your time

I will wait for you Jesus
You're the sun in my horizon
All my hopes in you Jesus
I can see You now arising

There's an evil army all around me
Another wall thats in my way
I believe in the word you promised me
So I will wait another day

I will wait for you Jesus
You're the sun in my horizon
All my hopes in you Jesus
I can see you now arising.

Note:
I usually just skip through this track on my music device. Today I decided to listen to it carefully. Trust me, I clicked on replay right away! The song is empowering.

All we need to go from victory to victory is Jesus! Wait for Him. He is our Lion of Judah, He will do it again.

Happy New Month friends! Lets keep winning! Great grace, for the race!