Preface: The following post is from the beginning of February. The 'hits' to these posts usually come in the 'ones....and twos....and sometimes but not often threes at a time." This enables me....and it is one of the most important things to keep me going....it enables me to pray for almost every person that either stumbles across or purposely comes to these posts. There may be a 'hit' from Romania....or Turkey....and I pray for that person....whoever they might be.....God knows....for they are someone I will never meet. Praying for blessings.....and salvation if they are in need of that....is a gift and a blessing and a great joy that God has given us. So....If someone reads a post.....maybe on Donald Trump...and really were not happy about it....that's not important to me. What is important is....has that person come to know Jesus Christ....having been 'born again'.....'born anew'.....adopted.....redeemed.....whatever term you want to use. Thus there are posts such as the following.....and without them there would be no posts here at all....for I surely would not have spent eleven plus years only on politics....important as it can be.....especially today. Here's a hint before you read this post....the person who has been born again.....knows that they have been born again. They may not use that term.....and initially they may balk at the thought....but if they look into it....and consider it....they'll say....."Oh.....yes I have been born.....again....and I praise God every day.....and almost every hour of every day....for it.
It seems that the blind men healed in the synoptic gospels of Matthew and Mark and Luke 'regained' their sight....for one of them at first saw men....as trees....walking....and Bartimaeus was made...."well"....but the man in the ninth chapter of the gospel of John....the gospel that focused on Christ's divinity....was blind from birth!
Ponder this scenario with me for a few moments if you would....a man....or a woman....was raised in the church....faithfully attending throughout their youth....but maybe they go off to college and lose that faithful attendance....or not attend at all....time passes.....they get married and have a family....see the futility of life....and decide to return to God....once again faithfully attending church....maybe even becoming an officer or a Bible Study teacher....or maybe even a pastor?
My own experience was this. I attended church fairly faithfully in my youth.....and even into my time in the army....and college....but I was still....as everyone is....blind from birth to Jesus Christ....and to myself....not in need as simply 'regaining' something! Long story short....I was born again....and the earth shook....and the Bible came alive....and I had to tell people....but I never....even through valleys....and taking the wrong path....and times of despair....and finding myself too at home in Vanity Fair....I never lost the knowledge of the immeasurable grace....and only temporarily lost the unimaginable joy....of knowing that I was once dead....but that I was now alive!
Simply as an exercise in examining ourselves as we all should do....I would ask you to consider....to double-check....that you may had not only....'regained"....the sight you once had....that you were not only made 'well' once again....with a sight that is not regeneration....or being born again....or leading to eternal life? Hopefully you'll just say....'Yes....I know what you mean....and I was born again"....but if not....if the born again part has always dismayed you....take heart....for it is right there before your blind eyes....for you will be given sight for the first time....if you but go to Him even now....for He turns no one away.
It seems that the blind men healed in the synoptic gospels of Matthew and Mark and Luke 'regained' their sight....for one of them at first saw men....as trees....walking....and Bartimaeus was made...."well"....but the man in the ninth chapter of the gospel of John....the gospel that focused on Christ's divinity....was blind from birth!
Ponder this scenario with me for a few moments if you would....a man....or a woman....was raised in the church....faithfully attending throughout their youth....but maybe they go off to college and lose that faithful attendance....or not attend at all....time passes.....they get married and have a family....see the futility of life....and decide to return to God....once again faithfully attending church....maybe even becoming an officer or a Bible Study teacher....or maybe even a pastor?
My own experience was this. I attended church fairly faithfully in my youth.....and even into my time in the army....and college....but I was still....as everyone is....blind from birth to Jesus Christ....and to myself....not in need as simply 'regaining' something! Long story short....I was born again....and the earth shook....and the Bible came alive....and I had to tell people....but I never....even through valleys....and taking the wrong path....and times of despair....and finding myself too at home in Vanity Fair....I never lost the knowledge of the immeasurable grace....and only temporarily lost the unimaginable joy....of knowing that I was once dead....but that I was now alive!
Simply as an exercise in examining ourselves as we all should do....I would ask you to consider....to double-check....that you may had not only....'regained"....the sight you once had....that you were not only made 'well' once again....with a sight that is not regeneration....or being born again....or leading to eternal life? Hopefully you'll just say....'Yes....I know what you mean....and I was born again"....but if not....if the born again part has always dismayed you....take heart....for it is right there before your blind eyes....for you will be given sight for the first time....if you but go to Him even now....for He turns no one away.
