3 Jesus
replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,[a] you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an
old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus
replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water and the Spirit.[b] 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy
Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.[c] 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You[d] must be born again.’ John 3:3-7 NLT
On
Saturday October 22nd at 9:00 a.m. my 3rd grandchild,
Stephen Gregory, was born to Jonathan and Melissa. I arrived at the hospital shortly after 7 am
and prayed with them. With little sleep
the night before she was ready to have the baby. At that time she was only dilated at 4cm.
About 8:40 Jonathan and I stepped outside the room for a few minutes. When they invited us back in she was ready to
start pushing. 10 minutes later, Stephen
arrived.
Not
every delivery is this quick nor uncomplicated.
In fact many times there are complications with the deliveries or
problems with the health for the mom and
the baby. However, Jesus uses this event
to describe the parallel for every person to enter into the spiritual
kingdom. He says that there is NO other
way to be a part of His Kingdom. We must
be born again by the work of the Holy Spirit.
I
wanted to encourage all of us about this event.
After 9 months, the delivery was fast.
There was an increased acceleration at the end. You and I may have been praying for someone
to become a follower of Jesus. You may
have become discouraged seeing no signs that God is moving in their lives. But when their hearts become tender through
the moving of the Holy Spirit, it can happen quickly. One event can cause them to contemplate life
differently. One scripture can break the
stronghold of unbelief- “I believe, help my unbelief” or “At your word, I will
cast my nets on the other side”. One act
of love can melt the hardness of sin.
One word of humility can disarm years of unforgiveness and bitterness
that has caused them to be unable to take a step toward the freedom of God’s
love and forgiveness. Don’t give up on
your wayward child, your hardened spouse, your belligerent coworker, your
arrogant sibling, your picky neighbor, your gossipy church member, or the Muslim
friend who rejects you.
If
you are concerned for their spiritual condition at all…God is still reaching
out to them. He is inviting you to
participate in the delivery. Your hope
and your intercession are part of God’s imploring for them to be reconciled to
him. Again, if it is on your heart…it is
on God’s heart. Today is the day of
Salvation….it can happen sooner and quicker than you think. Don’t let outside appearances cause you to
loose heart. Faith is the evidence of
things unseen. Believe that God is
working and will continue to work.
Don’t
grow weary in well doing…for we shall reap.
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