BORN AGAIN TO SEE AND CONQUER!

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:1-6

To be converted and become as a little child!

To be converted means to turn around from a course of conduct, or lifestyle, or to change one's mind!

But how does one become as a little child? Be born again! What did you say? Be born again?!? What in the world is that? It's not in the world! It's out of the world. You're born once into this world. When you are born again, you are born into God's Kingdom, and that my friend, is out of this world!

The natural mind fails to grasp the spiritual things. The natural mind is limited to the physical realm. The spirit sees beyond the natural. A religious leader had to be taught this by the Lord! And I dare say there are many religious leaders today who need to be taught this basic truth of the kingdom of God all over again!

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 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. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:1-8

Sometimes we get hold of a tiny piece of knowledge and delude ourselves into thinking we know everything! We are like the six blind men who went to "see" an elephant! Each one came into contact with a single part of the elephant and assumed it was the whole elephant. We sometimes grasp only a little bit and make it the whole! We then strut around thinking that we have the knowledge and know it all! In reality we know so little! We need to be born again to begin seeing! And when we start seeing the way God intended for us to see, we will be looked upon as foolish, simple, unsophisticated, behind the times! But who cares?!?

God has said that HE will choose the foolish things to confound the wise! Only God can have such confidence in His action! For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:18-21

Why is this gospel hidden? There is a horrible dread in the enemy camp! The enemy has an intense fear of people believing this gospel. Why? Because the glorious light of the gospel shatters satanic darkness, and scatters it like so much fragile shards of glass into the mocking winds of despair and defeat! The enemy fears when men begin paying heed to the gospel! Its very simplicity mocks at the convoluted complexity of the spurious intellectual web that the enemy wraps around the mind of men, ensnaring them into thinking their learning is enlightening, and of a higher level than that of mere mortals. They are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth! But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 1 Corinthians 1:27-28

Truth is wrapped up in the person of the Messiah for He said  I AM THE TRUTH! Truth stares one in the face but because of the jaded veil of the enemy, many like Pilate simply shrug and ask What is truth? All the while truth stands patiently before them, yet is not seen! 

This gospel is like that insignificant pebble, in the insignificant sling ,of an insignificant shepherd boy! He was so insignificant in his own family's eyes, that his father presented him as an afterthought, when Samuel asked Jesse if he had any other sons! His brothers despised him when he queried the right of the philistine to blaspheme Yahweh and His people. The Goliaths of this world roar in mockery at the puny insignificant seeming story of a God who died for the sins of the world! A likely fairy tale the worldly wise ones say and think.

Are we tempted to discard that which seem insignificant and run with something more sophisticated? The spirits over America influences and encourages mockery at the simple, foolish, little things, all the while casting their illusory allure over the masses, deceiving them into believing they are into a higher level of wisdom and intellectual superiority.  But a tiny spiritual pebble, in the sanctified sling of the insignificant disciple, has ability to bring the Goliaths of worldly wisdom, insipid intellectualism and popular philosophies, crashing down in devastating defeat!  In their futilely frantic efforts to be accepted and acclaimed as the superior, sophisticated, super intellects of the world, the ungodly worldlings blindly follow the naked emperor, deceiving themselves into believing in invisible garments; and unable to come to terms with the fact that they have strained their credibility to breaking point. They refuse to acknowledge that it is the Word of the Gospel alone that brings salvation to men, to any who believes! God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save man. 

Jesus came, and that is a historical fact that cannot be ignored! He died, and the enemy would like Him to remain dead, and that would be the end of it all! But Jesus did not remain dead! Instead he was the Irresistible Force that had come against the immovable object, and the object suddenly found out that it was not as immovable as it had thought! Men always faced up to the inevitability of death and the grave. They always lived in knowledge that it catches all. But death could not keep Jesus and the grave could not hold Him! He not only arose from the dead but made a mockery of death and hell. He lead captivity captive! He spoiled principalities and powers! He made them a spectacle to all the unseen world! His triumph reverberates through time and eternity! He has seized authority of death and hell! He has their keys! He locks and none can open! He opens and none can lock! And today that precious door of grace is opened by Him, to anyone who comes believing! His nail pierced hands are outstretched in a welcoming invitation, to all for His grace has appeared to all men! And he stands there offering this precious life giving stream to anyone who is wise enough to believe on Him! A jaded, worldly wise, cynical, woman who had stared the harshness of life in its face found that living fountain sitting by a traditional well. She saw both and made the comparison. The Messiah won hands down! Come see a man, she says! Is not this the Messiah?

The Messiah is the Messenger! The Messenger is also the Message! They killed the Messenger because they did not like the Message! But the Messenger and His Message lives forever! And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 1:12-18

What would have been the response if Jesus had appeared to the Jews, Pilate and Caesar like He appears in The Revelation? How would they have reacted? They would have done the same things those who saw Him did! Run to hide and call on the rocks to fall on them, and cover them! And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?  Revelation 6:15-17

This world continues to mock and malign the Christ! They continue to deride and deny this Word! They seek to negate and nullify the power and glory of this gospel! The puny, pitiful, plotting produces mocking laughter in God! And we also laugh with Him! Do you know why?  Because we've read the Book. We know how it all ends! And just in case you did not know it, here's how it all ends! You lose devil! GOD WINS!!! WE WIN!!! 

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:5-8

THE VALUE OF OUR SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE!

 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46

Picture a man working in someone's field! As he goes about his daily toil in this field he happens on buried treasure. No one knows about that treasure. He estimates its worth and decides it's of immense value. He buries it up again and then goes and sells everything that he has in order to purchase that field from its owner! He is willing to part with all he owns, because what he will gain in return is far more valuable than all his previously combined possessions!

Something more precious than every other possession!

The merchant man is a seasoned entrepreneur. He knows his goods. He understands value. You cannot fool him. He has been dealing in his merchandise all his life, and he knows quality when he sees it! He's out hunting for bargains to make a profit. He is prepared to pay as little as possible for as much as he can get.

Then he sees the pearl! And he knows it for what it is! He must have it. What he has already is nothing compared to what the pearl is! If it means selling everything he has for the pearl, so be it, and so he sells everything that he has! They no longer matter! The pearl has become the purpose of his existence. He buys it!

So is the kingdom of heaven to be desired! All our possessions are nothing compared to it! The things of this world go strangely dim in the light of His excellence, and incomparable grace of His presence! We must have it! Nothing else matters! This is the purpose of our existence! This is the reason for our living! This is the conclusion of the whole matter! Get it! Strip the non-essentials! Cut the binding ties! Throw the dead weight overboard! There is the prize, the purpose, the point of it all! The power and the glory! The righteous and the holy! Reach for it! Grab hold of it! Hold on to it! Secure it!

The rich young ruler simply did not get it! One thing he lacked! One thing prevented him from that great prize, but he was unwilling to pay the price!  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.  Mark 10:21-22 He placed too much value on his earthly possessions! What he prized and counted as precious became a barrier and stumbling block to his possession of the Eternal Prize!

Abraham saw it! Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.  John 8:56. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, while in Ur of the Chaldees and he saw it! Almighty God opened Abraham's eyes and gave him a vision. In the glory and light of that dazzling vision, the noise and bustle of Ur disappeared into nothingness. The pomp and splendor of the hub of civilization was suddenly dross, cheap, and tawdry tinsel. For Abraham saw the city of God! The city that God built! God had laid the foundations of that city, and how glorious it was! Unsurpassed by anything man can build! The highest, most intense imagination of man could not begin to comprehend that which God had shown Abraham! But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. Abraham saw it all that day! Then God said Come to a place that I will show you, and Abraham left with no regrets, no looking back, no turning again! He left never to return!

His eyes constantly tracked the vision that he saw afar off! For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  Hebrews 11:10 And Abraham never built another house! He just kept on pitching his tents, for he recognized the city had no earthly foundations. He was a pilgrim and a stranger here! No ties! No permanent place down here, for I see that city, he said. It is constantly before me, so I see it in its glory and the splendor of God! It beckons  to me! it urges me on! I have no time for permanent ties on this earth but must be ready to move at His command! And he was called the friend of God!

Moses saw it! He saw the magnificence and splendor of God! It makes men do strange things- this vision! The world thinks you are mad, but they cannot see what you see, what Moses saw! He was called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, an heir to the riches and glory of the mightiest nation on earth! And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. Acts 7:22 Egypt was his for the taking!

Then he came face to face with the reproaches of Christ! He saw Him who is invisible! He had a vision, and when he placed the reproaches of Christ side by side with the wealth of Egypt, it was no contest. All the wealth of Egypt could not tip the scales in Egypt's favor! The reproaches of Christ won hands down! Do not even begin to mention the glory and splendor and the riches and rewards! Moses never turned back! He caught the vision and held on to it! He spoke with God face to face! And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend…Exodus 33:11 Of Moses, God said, My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?  Numbers 12:7-8

Paul caught it on the road to Damascus! He who was Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Philippians 3:5-6. But what men counted as a plus and gain, Paul counted it loss for Christ! He cheerfully let it all go, counting it all as nothing but dung! Something had gotten hold of him, and he wanted to get a hold of that which had gotten hold of him! He wanted to know more of that which knew him! He constantly pressed on, ever forward in his spirit to know Him, just to know Him more!

Let's become aware of what we have inherited in Christ, In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  Colossians 2:3. It matters not, and profits nothing, if we gain this whole world but lose our own souls, for there is nothing a man can give in exchange for his soul. Let's not become so obsessed with a temporal longing that like Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. He treated the blessing as a light thing to be despised while he pursued the flesh. Life was never the same for him again! For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.  Hebrews 12:17

But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:9-12

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:1-3

WE SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS MOTHER! BUT MORE IMPORTANT, GOD SEES!

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

You shine!

To all mothers, and those who have assumed the role of mothers…the aunts, cousins, sisters, the friend, relative or neighbor, to you who have dedicated your lives to the often unthankful task of tutoring, training, thoughtfulness, serving without expectation!

We see your good works!

Your light is shining!

You may never see the results of all your caring, but we see your light shining!

Your labor of love and sacrifice will never go in vain before the Almighty Father!

You shine on girl!!! Just do it!

We see your good works mother!

We see them in our sister and brother

whom you faithfully reared,

when no one else cared!

And your good work unfolded

in the character that you molded!

You're the woman Paul enlightens Timothy about! The woman who cares more about making a godly impact on her children in this world, than in succumbing to the selfish desires of flesh, fame and fashion! In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.  1 Timothy 2:9-10

Timothy himself was the product of two godly women who earned this beautiful testimony from Paul: I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 2 Timothy 1:3-5. Paul saw the good works of two godly mothers and had the privilege of ministry with their end product…Timothy!

Washington Irving  said, "A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."

We've seen your light shine mother

when you rose before dawn

from one day to another

to get a head start

on the new day's toils

as faithfully for your children

you gathered the spoils.

We've seen your light shine mother

when you stood all alone

for your son and your daughter,

as you battled on your own

abandoned by others

who gave up on them.

But you it did not bother

Your light did not dim

while you defied the odds

and denied yourself

for your child who will not

be left on the shelf!

for just one opportunity

you sacrificed all

for your child to be

everything he could be

Your light kept shining

past the setting of sun,

then it shines even more

when there's no one

to see when you went

down on your knees

to catch the ear of the Father

with your fervent pleas!

And right there as you knelt alone,

in the darkness of deepest despair

He heard your cry, your sobs, your groan

and comforted you, and shouldered your care!

No human could do what God had done!

And there on your knees the battle was won!

So you have patiently borne the burden of two,

because a man was not there to stand by you!

Where he should have been! 

But was nowhere to be seen!

How often you dreaded the peep of first light

As darkness fled before the morning light!

when you had to get out of the comfort of bed

to face a new day of labor with dread!

But as you girded your loins,

you thought of that child

and with a prayer to God

you were ready for the wild!

With shoulders thrown back

and your head held high

you defied the world

for the child who was nigh.

You were no preacher

though you still yelled lots

as you faithfully steered him

through life's harmful plots.

As a mother with God

you were determined to be

all that He expected you to be

for your child, for your home,

for the future of the world,

because you have no idea

who it is you're nurturing

or what training your child

will lead him to be

You lead by example

of honesty, integrity,

and devoted piety

manifesting your allegiance

to the eternal deity!

The world may look on you

 and see you in a different light

but really what counts in eternity

is how He sees you and your loyalty. 

Father God found it convenient to pick the insignificant bride-to-be of a village carpenter, to become the Mother of Immanuel! Before that event we did not know of her, and without that event we would not have known her!

But most important is this! She did not back down regardless of the consequences! She declared herself to be the handmaiden of The Lord, and asked that it be done to her according to His Word! Regardless of the implications, accusations and character assassination she stood her ground, maintained her faith, and defied the defamation and derogation when she declared, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. Luke 1:38

 

That is how her light shone! She did not back down from what had to be done but bore the stigma for being chosen by God for that special role, the mother of our Lord! Mothers have a special role to God and to their children! Mary was willing in humble submission, to lovingly wrap the Eternal Light in human flesh, so that in the fullness of time the All Conquering Light of the world would dispel man's dismal darkness! 

How's your light shining today mother?  Have you given up?

Have you let down your hair and thrown up your hands in disillusion, discouragement and despair? 

PLEASE DON’T!! The world desperately needs you and more of your kind!

Christian mothers, who will today take up once again, the challenge and continue in their uncompromising stand for God!

Christian mothers, who will today maintain faith before the world!

Christian mothers, who will today reject the seductive call of the flesh, and maintain integrity before God. For Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.  James 1:27

It is as we keep a spotless image before the world that we are best able to reflect His light!

It is as we remain in His presence that we are able to catch His light and reflect it! We cannot reflect His light when we're out of His Presence!  

It is as we immerse ourselves (baptize) in His light that we are able to radiate that light! The Light cannot get into you unless you are in  the Light!

Don't compromise the light in you! Compromise darkens the light, and darkness results in stumbling. When the light becomes darkness in us, we no longer are walking in truth, but in deception, where we become a law unto ourselves, and excuse our acts by that inner darkness, which we now believe to be light! We become obstinate and rebellious against the light, rejecting truth, and believing everything to be okay, when it's not, and despise the people we once loved!

In blinded self deception, we do not realize that we have been hooked, and are being slowly reeled in by the slimy, ugly coils of the sinfully seductive serpent, until one day we wake up and find ourselves alone, and naked, and hungry, in an undesirable place of misery, in a far country. Our light has dimmed, and we feel damned. Yet there is hope! Get up, declare, return! The Father awaits with welcoming arms, despite the anger and selfish grudge of the elder brother!

Don't limit your light by a worldly measure! Don't cover your light and confirm to the world's standards! The light in you does not belong under a bushel! It is not to be adjusted to the world's standards, for then it will eventually be darkened, and go out! We are not here to satisfy the world, or be molded by the world's standards! If the unsaved become too comfortable in our light, we probably are not shining as God intended us to! Your light belongs in a position of prominence, where it will shine with certainty of purpose! 

We therefore exhort one and all in the words of the apostle Paul to Timothy: Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. 1 Timothy 6:12-16