How Can One Be Born a Second Time?

How Can One Be Born a Second Time?

Good Morning Friends,

To enter the Magic Kingdom one has to have a ticket. To enter the Human Kingdom one has to be born into it. Of course the Mineral Kingdom is consumed by the Vegetable Kingdom and the Vegetable Kingdom consumed by the Animal Kingdom and the Human Kingdom consumes them both. The process for moving up in greater consciousness seems to be dependent on the Kingdom above. That is why we need to be born from above to enter the Kingdom of God….to recognize God as our Father. Here the fifth commandment is a bridge between the relational laws of interacting with God and the moral laws of interacting with our neighbors. Here there is a promise attached….the promise of a long life. And on this long journey, honoring our parents becomes intertwined with honoring God our Father in the hope of our birth in a Kingdom that never ends. Rejoicing in the promise given to Abraham becomes integrated with the promise of the fifth commandment. Here the father of our faith and the faith of our fathers are born in us as a gift from above and in this we continue the story even as we ask today’s question, How Can One Be Born a Second Time?

Scripture: Top of Form

Bottom of Form

3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ²He came to Jesus^* by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ ³Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’^*
4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ ⁵Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.^*
7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You^* must be born from above.”^*

John 3:1-7 (NRSV)

¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:12-13
(NRSV)

¹¹By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised.^*

Hebrews 11:11 (NRSV)

Message: Faith is about moving forward with a God who leads us to experience new things. Faith is about sharing as an heir to our heavenly legacy…. heirs to the Kingdom of God. This is the birth of the promise in us…the source of our significance…When the infinite became an infant….when the promise was manifested in the passion, we too who believe were graphed on to the family tree…the tree of faith as children of God. Here we are born into a new life which consumes us even as we take and eat of the Body of Christ. Friends, if you want proof of your second birth you will have to be your own witness even as you partake of the divine nature.

Pray that we be heirs of a faith in God…heirs of the promise to Abraham. Pray that we be children of God that honor our earthly parents. Pray that we ignore our human difficulties. Pray that we be born of God.  Pray that we put a simple trust in God as we would our own father. Pray that we honor our heavenly Father and earthly father though our faith put into action. Pray that we be fully persuaded to trust in God no matter what. Pray we realize we were all meant to be God’s Children. Pray we focus on the things that really matter. Pray we see each child of the world as a gift to be welcomed into the Kingdom, cherished and protected for God’s Kingdom purposes. Pray with the power of, the awe and wonder of His creation. Pray in the mystery of a little child sent by God to be God with us so we might realize that Jesus is the ticket to the Kingdom. Pray we believe and experience in the same breathe God the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer as our Father. Pray we are born from above in the experience of God.

Blessings,

John Lawson