A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Thursday,
August 22, 2019
California
Coastline
Photo by our friend Nancy Martin
Click on photo for larger view
"Born Again"
Photo by our friend Nancy Martin
Click on photo for larger view
"Born Again"
Message
summary: "I'm just
a nobody trying to
tell everybody all
about Somebody who
saved my soul."
Listen to our message on your audio player.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who, according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God" (1 Peter 1:23).
Forty-eight years ago today, as I was preparing to enter my junior year in high school, I placed my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy my heavenly Father invited me to be born again, and according to His great love He forgave me all my sins!
Several months earlier I had been confronted with the Gospel message through the witness of my older brother Pat who became a born again Christian while serving in the Air Force in Europe. Initially I rejected Christ's claims on my life. I was entering into the fun times that is typical of those in their teen years and was certainly not inclined to give any thought toward that which I thought was "religious". I clearly did not understand that faith in Christ initiated a relationship. Those several months I was pretty miserable as I fell under the conviction of the Holy Spirit while He was working in my life to convict me of my sin and show me my need for Christ.
On Sunday evening August 22, 1971 I was persuaded to attend an evangelistic service at the old Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The preacher was evangelist Lowell Lundstrom, who faithfully proclaimed the Word of God. The Holy Spirit dealt with my heart and that night I accepted Jesus Christ into my life and became "born again". I got saved not just that night but my decision to be born again granted me an eternal inheritance in heaven!
Thankfully lost souls continue to get saved and have been ever since Christ began His mission to seek and save the lost. Will you examine your heart today? Have you been saved? Today can be your day of salvation.
In our first daily text the Lord is speaking to Nicodemus. This is the primary verse most of us recall when we consider the Bible's teaching concerning the necessity of being born again. Jesus emphatically stated several verses later that, "You must be born again" (v.7).
In 1 Peter he is writing to the believers in the first century church. Like us, these believers had never seen Christ during His earthly ministry (1 Peter 1:8) but at the proclamation of the gospel they had believed in Him for their salvation. Peter says they "have been born again", the same term used by Jesus when He witnessed to Nicodemus. This is one of the Biblical terms used for conversion.
This new birth is "not of perishable seed, but of imperishable". This indicates the spiritual, eternal dimension of the work of the Spirit and Word of God in our lives.
Note these two powerful qualities of God's Word from our third text today, "through the living and enduring Word of God":
Today we join hundreds of millions of believers around the world who are born again; those who are reading and applying the truths of Scripture; those earnestly seeking to "bear fruit in keeping with repentance". Many will be proclaiming this life-giving Word to others as I am doing so through this encouragement message. Most, like us, relative to worldly fame, are "just a nobody trying to tell everybody all about Somebody who saved my soul." (See song "Nobody" below.)
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
Prayer: "O God,
our help in ages
past, our hope for
years to
come!" How
powerful and
enduring Your Word
is. It is
ever-living,
ever-relevant and
ever-active in the
lives of believers
all over the globe
convicting people of
their sin and
calling them to
repent that they
might be born again.
More than just print
on a page, the Word
of God penetrates
the heart; guiding,
instructing,
convicting,
delighting,
comforting and
performing Your
supernatural work in
our lives. Increase
our love and passion
for reading Your
Word faithfully so
that we may grow in
understanding and
appreciation for all
You have to show us.
We seek to bring You
glory as we witness
to others that we
are born again and
appeal to them to be
born again. We pray
that our lives "bear
fruit in keeping
with repentance" as
a visible witness to
others of Your
awesome life
changing power in
our lives. Through
Christ Jesus we
pray. Amen.
Listen to our message on your audio player.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who, according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God" (1 Peter 1:23).
Forty-eight years ago today, as I was preparing to enter my junior year in high school, I placed my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy my heavenly Father invited me to be born again, and according to His great love He forgave me all my sins!
Several months earlier I had been confronted with the Gospel message through the witness of my older brother Pat who became a born again Christian while serving in the Air Force in Europe. Initially I rejected Christ's claims on my life. I was entering into the fun times that is typical of those in their teen years and was certainly not inclined to give any thought toward that which I thought was "religious". I clearly did not understand that faith in Christ initiated a relationship. Those several months I was pretty miserable as I fell under the conviction of the Holy Spirit while He was working in my life to convict me of my sin and show me my need for Christ.
On Sunday evening August 22, 1971 I was persuaded to attend an evangelistic service at the old Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The preacher was evangelist Lowell Lundstrom, who faithfully proclaimed the Word of God. The Holy Spirit dealt with my heart and that night I accepted Jesus Christ into my life and became "born again". I got saved not just that night but my decision to be born again granted me an eternal inheritance in heaven!
Thankfully lost souls continue to get saved and have been ever since Christ began His mission to seek and save the lost. Will you examine your heart today? Have you been saved? Today can be your day of salvation.
In our first daily text the Lord is speaking to Nicodemus. This is the primary verse most of us recall when we consider the Bible's teaching concerning the necessity of being born again. Jesus emphatically stated several verses later that, "You must be born again" (v.7).
In 1 Peter he is writing to the believers in the first century church. Like us, these believers had never seen Christ during His earthly ministry (1 Peter 1:8) but at the proclamation of the gospel they had believed in Him for their salvation. Peter says they "have been born again", the same term used by Jesus when He witnessed to Nicodemus. This is one of the Biblical terms used for conversion.
This new birth is "not of perishable seed, but of imperishable". This indicates the spiritual, eternal dimension of the work of the Spirit and Word of God in our lives.
Note these two powerful qualities of God's Word from our third text today, "through the living and enduring Word of God":
1)
The Word of God
is living. The
writer of Hebrews
uses this very
phrase when he
says the "Word
of God is
living" (4:12).
The living God
imparts spiritual
life through His
living Word. I
once read the
story of a street
evangelist who had
placed his hat on
the ground and
drew a crowd by
pointing at it and
shouting, "It's
alive". When a
group gathered
around him he
lifted up his hat
to reveal a Bible!
2) The Word of God is enduring. The Psalmist wrote, "All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal" (119:160). No other written work comes even remotely close to the Bible in its enduring qualities. Peter concludes the chapter with this powerful truth: "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever" (1 Peter 1:24,25).
2) The Word of God is enduring. The Psalmist wrote, "All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal" (119:160). No other written work comes even remotely close to the Bible in its enduring qualities. Peter concludes the chapter with this powerful truth: "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever" (1 Peter 1:24,25).
Today we join hundreds of millions of believers around the world who are born again; those who are reading and applying the truths of Scripture; those earnestly seeking to "bear fruit in keeping with repentance". Many will be proclaiming this life-giving Word to others as I am doing so through this encouragement message. Most, like us, relative to worldly fame, are "just a nobody trying to tell everybody all about Somebody who saved my soul." (See song "Nobody" below.)
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
Prayer: "O God,
our help in ages
past, our hope for
years to
come!" How
powerful and
enduring Your Word
is. It is
ever-living,
ever-relevant and
ever-active in the
lives of believers
all over the globe
convicting people of
their sin and
calling them to
repent that they
might be born again.
More than just print
on a page, the Word
of God penetrates
the heart; guiding,
instructing,
convicting,
delighting,
comforting and
performing Your
supernatural work in
our lives. Increase
our love and passion
for reading Your
Word faithfully so
that we may grow in
understanding and
appreciation for all
You have to show us.
We seek to bring You
glory as we witness
to others that we
are born again and
appeal to them to be
born again. We pray
that our lives "bear
fruit in keeping
with repentance" as
a visible witness to
others of Your
awesome life
changing power in
our lives. Through
Christ Jesus we
pray. Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
"Nobody"
Video
Casting Crowns/Matthew West
"I Got Saved" Video Corey Voss
"Born Again" Video Newsboys, suggested by Ester
"All My Hope" Video Gold City
"My Living Hope" Video Calvary Church worship team Considering the phrase in our 2nd daily text about having a living hope.
"I Got Saved" Video Corey Voss
"Born Again" Video Newsboys, suggested by Ester
"All My Hope" Video Gold City
"My Living Hope" Video Calvary Church worship team Considering the phrase in our 2nd daily text about having a living hope.
Hallelujah,
praise the One who set me
free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Finally
today: We heard from
those who expressed
appreciation for our short
series the last several
days on "A Consideration
Of Marital Vows". Our
friend, David Penley,
reminded us of an
outstanding example and
expression of enduring
love when Dr. Robertson
McQuilken resigned his
post as president of
Columbia Bible College in
South Carolina to care for
his wife. Video
(1:48 minutes). Here
is a longer version with
a very moving testimony
(10 minutes)
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA