Jesus tried to explain the fact to Nicodemus that one must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God.  We read about this in John 3:1-7:

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’  Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.”’”

Nicodemus missed the whole point and was only thinking in physical terms, while Christ was speaking in spiritual terms. Since Nicodemus did not have God’s Spirit at that time which would have helped him to understand spiritual concepts, he just did not get it, which is made obvious by his response in verse 4 (“How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”).

When it comes to human reproduction, the human egg is incomplete. It must be fertilized by the sperm of a man. Then, an embryo will grow in the mother’s womb. In time, the embryo becomes a foetus which is fed and protected in the womb. It grows to full term until it is born into this world.

While in the womb, the baby exists in darkness, but it is protected and nourished. Once in the world, the baby has entered a realm of light, but it still needs to be fed and taken care of.

God gives each baby a spirit at the time of conception. But even with the human spirit within him, a man is still incomplete.  In order to be able to ultimately enter the spirit realm and become a Spirit being, he must first receive God’s Holy Spirit upon repentance, belief and baptism. At that time, he becomes a begotten child of God; he is not born yet. But even with the receipt of the Holy Spirit as a “down payment,” the spiritual mother–the Church of God–has still the responsibility to feed God’s begotten children spiritually and to protect them from the negative influences of the god of this world, Satan the devil. But it is also important that God’s begotten child is willing to be nourished by his or her mother.

Once  a person has achieved the necessary level of spiritual maturity, as determined by God, he can enter into the Kingdom and Family of God as a born-again child of God at the time of Christ’s return, not prior to that. He will be changed into a Spirit being and enter the spirit realm. For those who are called in this day and age and have received God’s Holy Spirit, their transformation and change will occur when Christ returns. Others will be called after Christ’s return to obtain the same opportunity.

That is our human potential.

The transition into the spirit world will be much more dramatic than at the time when a baby is born into the physical world. We will enter a world of light with opportunities that we can hardly imagine. What a glorious future lies ahead for those who remain faithful to the end! As Paul stated, the trials of this world are nothing in comparison to the glory that awaits us in the Kingdom of God.

Let’s ensure we keep our eye on the goal and remain faithful to our calling. 

There is an old rhyme which says, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me.”

From one standpoint, this is true—if we don’t allow ourselves to take offence at what others may say to or about us. However, words are powerful, and they can dramatically affect our lives. The Word of God gives abundant instruction concerning the words we use and the kind of fruit they bear. Note this admonition:

“An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire. A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends” (Proverbs 16:27-28).

The apostle James states, “For we all stumble in many things, If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a [mature] man, able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2). James continues, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” (verse 6); and, “It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (verse 8). He also warns us:

“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:11-12).

How do we apply this instruction from God? How can we really begin to do what we are taught regarding the words we speak? The answer is that we must think before we speak. Even more foundational is the fact that we must learn to think right thoughts and here is what Paul said to those in Philippi:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

In the days ahead, test yourself and practice thinking this way. Don’t imagine raging thoughts of hatred filled with anger and revenge—don’t even think this way! Rather, think godly thoughts so that your words will reflect the light of Christ in everything you say!

What is the most important task and commission that God has given to His Church in this day and age, just prior to the return of Jesus Christ?

Is it to try to make this a better world by engaging in politics and political campaigns? Are we to attempt to replace the government, perhaps through peaceful demonstrations or even with violent means? Is it proper for Christians to become soldiers to fight for our country? Is it to be applauded when Christians vote in governmental elections or serve in the nation’s jury duty system? Is it the responsibility of the Church today to establish missions all over the world and to collect money for Third World countries? Does God command His Church to feed the hungry at food banks or to help environmental causes by volunteering to clean up freeways, beaches or forests?

Now, a few of the above-mentioned endeavors might be entertained by Church members on an individual basis. These would be personal decisions. However, most of the tasks listed ought not be engaged in by true Christians at all. But insofar as the organized Church is concerned, NONE of the activities constitute a part of God’s great commission for Christ’s spiritual Body.

So, WHAT IS the Church to do today?

We read Christ’s clear words about the first part of the commission in Matthew 24:14:

“And THIS gospel [of the Kingdom of God] will be preached in all the world AS A WITNESS to all the nations, and THEN the end will come.”  Notice, the end of this present evil age will ONLY come WHEN the Church fulfills this part of its commission.

But there is a second part as well, which can be found in John 21. After His resurrection, Christ gave Peter (and all ministers) the timeless responsibility to feed Christ’s lambs (verse 15); to tend His sheep (16); and to feed His sheep (17). In other words, the ministry is to look after and protect Christ’s disciples by “feeding” and “tending” the flock”—which includes, standing up to savage wolves which might come in with the attempt to spiritually destroy and devour the sheep (Acts 20:29; compare also John 10:11-13).

We clearly do NOT read that Christ’s Church has the commission to do missionary work in Africa, India or other parts of the world. It is NOT the responsibility of the Church of God to try to rectify all wrongs and to make this world—Satan’s world—a better place. Christ’s words apply, in principle, to this issue as well, when He said: “Let the dead bury [or assist] the dead” (Luke 9:60). Instead, He required of His disciples to follow Him and obey His words and fulfill the specific tasks given to them.

This is not to say that we are not to help others, but Paul makes very clear what this means. He states in Galatians 6:10: “Therefore, AS WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, let us do good to all, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO ARE of the HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH.”

When individuals do good to others, including to those who are NOT of the household of faith, they have to make sure that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing (Matthew 6:1-4). Far too often, Church organizations that are getting involved in local, national and international outreach programs crave the recognition of the community, the nation and the world—in other words, they seek the reward from man. Truly, they will receive their reward, but not from God.

As Paul clearly emphasized, we are to concentrate on doing good especially and mainly to those in the Church. When Christ chides those in the parable in Matthew 25:31-46 for not helping others in need, He is referring to Church members who refused to help their brethren (verses 40, 45). He is NOT talking about visiting all the prisoners in the country; inviting every stranger and homeless person into your home; feeding all the poor; and clothe all those who are naked. With the Church’s limited resources, that would be impossible anyhow. No, Christ is addressing the individual relationship of BRETHREN WITHIN the Church.

Experience has shown that when organizations lose focus on the Church’s two-fold commission and get entangled in numerous other tasks, they will pretty soon lack the necessary zeal to do what they have been commanded to do. With lack of obedience will come lack of understanding; and slowly, but surely, those organizations will lose God’s precious knowledge which had been entrusted to them, and they will begin to teach all kinds of wrong ideas. It has happened before, and it is prophesied to happen again.

We must be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49). We must be faithful servants (Matthew 24:45-46), doing what we are commanded to do (John 9:4). In the process, we have to overcome sin in our personal lives (Revelation 2:7,11,17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). When we have our hearts in the true Work of God, we WILL overcome, as we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Then, and ONLY then, will we be counted worthy to escape all the terrible things which are soon going to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man when He returns (Luke 21:36). 

Do you have a problem with time keeping? If you do, maybe you think it’s not that important or that it’s not top of your “to do” list of those things that you need to improve on. We do have to remember that poor timekeeping can be an irritant to many other people, and we shouldn’t want to cause any offence to anyone unnecessarily.

This is something that I have had to battle with and have failed so many times and so I am speaking from the heart! Years ago, as a senior manager, trying to get a quart into a pint pot was something that I used to try and do so often when I had a very busy schedule of appointments. For example, with a spare five minutes before my next appointment I would often try and squeeze a short telephone call in which usually lasted several minutes thus making me late for my next appointment!

I recall being on a management course and the question of timekeeping and punctuality arose. The lecturer said that we should always start meetings on time even if there were people missing. He said that if we waited until everyone arrived that would send out the wrong signals and would reward the latecomers and penalise those who had played by the rules and had arrived on time. I thought this was an extremely good strategy and have tried to implement this wherever and whenever possible unless there was some extenuating circumstance.

If anyone feels that this is too pedantic, then they may just want to consider that God’s punctuality is perfect. He calls people at exactly the right time. He intervened when Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac at exactly the right time. And He will send His Son, Jesus Christ, back to the earth at precisely the right time in order that man will not blow himself off the face of the earth. Christ will return on time.

In just over two weeks, we will be keeping the Feast of Pentecost. We see in Acts 2 that the disciples were there together “in one accord” when the Day of Pentecost came. They were there waiting for the day and were rewarded with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Had they turned up on the wrong day or had been late, they would have missed this event.

Shouldn’t we take these examples and try to emulate them? After all, it would be a courtesy to others too.

We are faced with decisions that we have to make every single day and many decisions that people make are either simplistic, common sense decisions or they can be poor and costly ones.  We see how our leadership in this nation has made poor decisions, especially ones that are unconstitutional and absolutely contrary with what the Bible teaches.  It goes hand in hand with what the Bible predicts, and it will not improve until Christ’s return.

In regard to decisions that we are faced with, it comes down to the choices that we have to make.  We have to know within ourselves just what is the right or wrong choice. We have to be careful with our decision making since we are the minority in this world who believe the truth, for WE are the called out ones, the hated ones (compare Matthew 10:22; John 15:18).  Because of this responsibility we have, there is a lot of pressure we are faced with in this world, since we have to live as examples and stay true to our faith.  We can’t compromise with our beliefs, but we must stand up for what is right.  People will know by our convictions and our actions where we stand.

Now we know that God does not change and He never will.  He will not compromise (Malachi 3:6).  His purpose for mankind is the same today, as it was then!  Every person on this earth makes choices, every day, whether they will live righteously or not. But there is one critical difference. While the world continues to go its evil way, there is a group of people that God has called out of this world; to come out from the evil ways, and to live their lives based upon His laws, His statutes, and His judgments!  Even God had a choice to make, choosing those out of the world for a purpose (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

We are supposed to live as examples and shine as lights.  Each of us being called to this Way of Life, make choices every day. Will we obey God or not? Will we walk in His Way or not? Will we attempt to worship Him in a false way, by worshipping false gods? Will we bow down to gods made with human hands, wooden or stone images? Will we dishonor God by taking His name in vain? Will we faithfully keep and properly observe His Sabbath and His Holy Days?  Will we keep man-made holidays originating from pagan origins? Will we kill another human being, for instance in war, or even murder him in our thoughts through the sin of hatred? Will we steal from others, including our brethren, or steal from God by not giving Him what is owed to Him through tithes and offerings?  Will we lie against our neighbor or God? Will we covet that which does not belong to us, thus sinning against our God?

The world continually finds itself in the struggles of evil.  We have to make sure that we don’t become a part of that.  God has His eyes on us.  Judgment is now on the house of God! With every decision we come to, with every choice we make; God is taking notice! He is ready and able to help in times of need (compare Psalm 34:15-20, 22). Will we do what is right in God’s eyes, in reference to our mates and our children, and in reference to our neighbor?  Each time we break a law of God, it is the result of a wrong choice we have made!

Noah was righteous before God.  Because of the choice made by this one man, God decided that He would allow life to continue on the earth for mankind, starting over with this one righteous man and his family, including the animals brought onto the ark. 

When it came to the obedience of His law, God chose Israel as the nation He would work through to continue to carry on His Way on the earth, because of Abraham’s right choices. Sadly, Israel chose to disobey God.

David was a man after God’s own heart. Jesus Christ walked upon the earth in the flesh and lived a perfect life. Each of these men had to make choices every day. God was pleased overall with the choices they made, and of course, in the case of Christ, He was always pleased.

After God had delivered Israel from the hands of the Egyptians and had revealed to them once again His righteous and perfect Law, He had given them a choice, as He gives us that same choice.  Let us see what this choice is: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil… I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19).”

God is very clear about a time that is coming when modern day Israel (including the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Jews) will be taken captive and be scattered among the nations due to their disobedience to God’s laws.  We find this clearly explained in Leviticus 26 and how this will come about. These events come in four different stages where God will increase His punishment on Israel to bring them to repentance.  Each time He increases the punishment seven times.

In Leviticus 26:14-17 we find the first stage. God states that if they reject His laws and fail to follow His commands, Hewill cause horrific diseases to devastate them!  Their crops will be planted in vain as their enemies will consume them.  Their enemies will defeat them and rule over them.  They will flee when no one is pursuing them.  Leviticus 26:18-20 states if after all this they still will not listen and will not repent of their sins, He will punish them seven times over.  He will break the pride of their power and the land will not produce food due to drought conditions.

In Leviticus 26:21-23 is the second stage.  If they continue to refuse to listen and obey, He will cause wild beasts to attack and destroy their livestock and the people, making them so few in population that their roads will be deserted.

Leviticus 26: 24-26 is the third stage.  God continues to warn thatif they still will not repent and obey, He will punish them yet another seven times for their sins.  He will cause disease and pestilence to decimate them.  They will fall into the hands of their enemies due to their weakness. God will cut off their supply of food so that ten women or families will bake bread in one oven and they will divide it among themselves and yet it will not be enough to keep them from being hungry – a sign of famine.

Leviticus 26: 27-39 is the fourth stage.  God continues to pour out His fury seven times more due to their stubborn unwillingness to repent.  The unthinkable will occur when they will eat the flesh of their own children because they are starving!  The cities are laid waste, the land is desolate and their enemies will be astonished by what they see happen to this rebellious people.  Modern day Israel will be taken captive by their enemies.  They will have become so weakened and terrorized by all they have experienced they will be fearful at the smallest of sounds and unable to stand before their enemy.

Notice each stage is increased by seven times more punishment!  All because they refuse to repent and obey God’s laws.

Leviticus 26:40-45 explains what will become of those who remain alive after all these horrible events take place.  If they will repent, our merciful God will forgive them and restore them once again.  We will be able to assist in this restoration if we continue to be loyal servants of God and yield ourselves to Him as He guides and directs us with His Holy Spirit in His truth, and continue in the work He has given us to do. We are to warn the nations of their impending disaster if they refuse to obey Him! The warnings are clear!       

Our culture is filled with stories and ideals of heroes.  We bestow the title of “hero” for deeds that seem to rise above normal human courage.  Soldiers charging into enemy fire to save comrades or teachers shielding innocents from murderous rampages—both speak to a selfless frame of mind.  A heroic act to save another is something that can never be repaid, and it is why we revere calling someone a hero.  Sadly, even the most honorable of intentions and deeds does little to stop the growing darkness of a world that is sick and dying.

While we give a fleeting nod to selflessness, our society reveres those who vainly set themselves upon pillars to be honored and even worshipped.  The entertainment industry is a self-aggrandizing enterprise, a distraction to show how Satan is transforming this world.  Our end-time age is warned against this practice: “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21).

It is easy to point out obvious idolatry that we should avoid.  What is difficult as a Christian is to not become blinded by subtle idolatry that is at times embraced by the world.  In a recent CNN article about Pope Francis the author states, “The popular pontiff has also made a positive impression among Americans in general: Nearly three in four view Francis favorably.  The new survey suggests that the Pope is arguably the most well-regarded religious figure among the American public today, said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. According to one study, Pope Francis was the most talked about person on the Internet this year, and even atheists have professed appreciation for the 77-year-old pontiff.” This kind of hero worship, whether it is of debase or lofty ideals, is still false worship. Judgment is coming to those that practice it.

Satan has masterfully hidden away from this world the truth of Jesus Christ: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).  Christ gave His life for all who have or ever will exist.  He alone is the epitome of Heroism because His self-sacrifice wasn’t in vain.  Many have died to give others longer physical life. Only One has died to give us eternal life. Paul acknowledged this belief was not in vain, he had “…hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2).  Our hope is not in vain! The One True Hero is alive and He awaits for us to join Him in eternal life.

Having just gone through the Passover and Days of Unleavened  Bread,  what lies ahead for us? The next holy day is Pentecost, which is some fifty days away and pictures the church receiving the Holy Spirit for the first time. We understand that some few received it in Old Testament times in order to fulfill God’s purpose, but it was generally not available until given to the Church on Pentecost in 31 AD.

Unleavened bread helped us to focus on the necessity of getting leaven, that is sin, out of our lives. Failing to do so can and would be detrimental to our future positions in the kingdom of God and even being in God’s Family. Sin, like leaven, if not dealt with will grow and eventually completely overcome a person. If not removed with the help of God’s Spirit in us, this can lead to the unpardonable sin and our destruction. Satan as the god of this world is very subtle and usually doesn’t attempt a major overhaul in our thinking but rather puts seeds of doubt, resentment or jealously in our hearts. If we are not careful to put them out in the early stages of their growth, it could be our undoing.

The society we live in is held captive by Satan:

“…whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Satan is seeking prey—and that includes us:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

We can overcome Satan:

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Notice, we must submit to God, which implies effort on our part in order for the devil to leave us alone. We must put our trust in God to help us.

Remember, also, that we must be diligent in our effort to get the good news of the Kingdom of God out to this world!  The return of Jesus Christ is the only true hope for mankind. At the same time, we must continue to be vigilant in keeping sin out of our lives and in drawing close to God so that He can and will draw near to us:

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).

We can be assured that if we follow this admonition we will be successful in fulfilling our calling, and we will thus be guaranteed a position in the glorious kingdom of God. That is our hope; that is our destiny—-let’s ensure that we do not let down, but rather go on to glory in the future God has promised!

After participating in the Passover and while we are in the midst of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, many of us have similar thoughts running through our minds. Foremost, the sin that we acknowledged during our personal examination of ourselves in preparation for Passover has become starkly clear. We are all sinners (1 John 1:8-10), and the wages of the sin we commit is death (Romans 6:23). Because of this, God required that His Son be sacrificed so that we might have the opportunity to live forever as part of His Family. These facts describe the bottom line of Christianity – the ultimate plan of God. If we want to participate in that plan, we have some responsibilities.

The fundamental starting point occurs during the Passover, with the acknowledgement of our sin, when we take personal responsibility for causing the death of Jesus Christ. The Days of Unleavened Bread follow, giving us the instruction to continue from that acknowledgement of sin, and work to remove it from our lives. It is a common and intended phenomenon for us to become acutely aware of our inadequacies and weaknesses during this time, so we specifically know the areas where we need to improve. This is heavy stuff to take in, and this is the season of the year when these truths generally penetrate the deepest. It is enough to trigger a great deal of guilt, knowing that individually we have directly caused the death of our Savior – and that we have so, so much to work on.
 
Becoming paralyzed by guilt is not something that we should allow, however. While we live lives that include sinful actions, which might cause us to feel unworthy of Christ’s Sacrifice, our remorse must transform into repentance. Our willingness to change our behavior to be in accordance with God’s laws proves to Him that even though we sin, we are working to improve. Bearing fruits of repentance is what God looks for in our lives. That shows God that we are not behaving unworthily of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Repentance takes work because it is so contrary to the way of this world in which we live. However, it is something that God believes we are capable of performing, with His help, and He is glad to offer us the opportunity. It is, after all, His good pleasure to offer us the Kingdom of God (Luke 12:32). For this awesome opportunity to repent, we should be thankful.

Even though the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life! What we have to remember is that God wants us to take advantage of the opportunity He provides to us. Jesus Christ was not sacrificed so that we might continue to feel guilty and unworthy, but rather, so that we might claim it, change our lives, and be grateful. The guilt of our sin, transformed by repentance into good behavior, should make us grateful. Do you offer God your sincere thanks for this gift? Now is certainly the time to do so.
 
But even after partaking of the Passover, we find that we sin again. The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us that we have to continue, with God’s help, to conquer the sin that stares us directly in the face. We must remember how God wants us to respond. We must not become paralyzed by the faults we recognize, leading us to inaction. Instead, we must be thankful for the opportunity to be saved and actively express that gratitude by bearing fruit of repentance.

It would appear that no one lives or tells the truth–not our leaders in politics, not in business or not even in religion! Finding someone who is willing to put it all on the line for the sake of the truth is the rarest of exceptions! How many retractions, explanations or other justifications do we hear about in our daily lives when liars are found out and exposed?

God long ago issued an indictment against the world for its rejection of His Truth. In particular, His disapproval for the modern Houses of Israel and Judah—who should know better—fill prophecies relevant for our time:

“For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing and lying against the Lord, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice” (Isaiah 59:12-15).

Have you departed from evil—really? Are you persecuted—as Jesus was—for righteousness sake? Are you tormented “from day to day by seeing and hearing… lawless deeds” (2 Peter 2:8)?

More importantly, have any of us let truth fall in our own lives? We are implicitly warned that even some within the Church of God would reject truth! Note what Paul wrote:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

This has happened, and so it continues, that the Truth of God has fallen in the lives of some who have been called to salvation! Will you continue in the Truth? Will you be among the very few—the elect—who will be willing to uphold God’s Way of living at all cost?

As we watch the virtual collapse of morality and the rise of unspeakable evil in the world, our hope must focus on the unbreakable promise of God–that He will send His Son, Jesus Christ, to establish a Kingdom of righteousness in which truth shall never fall or fail!