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| In the natural world we begin life's journey at birth. Birth is a very painful process as any mother will tell you but the process is worth it when a new life is the result. |
| The Children of Israel began that great trip to the "Promised Land" with the shedding of the blood of the Passover Lamb. God speaks of His deliverance from Egypt as being done with a mighty hand and an outstrected arm. It was a great work of God done through the ten plagues (outstretched arm against the Egyptians) to the parting of the Red Sea (A mighty work of the hand of God). |
| Starting Out On The Journey |
| Our Spiritual birth begins when we are born again. It happens just as Jesus explained in John 3 when He said that just as you need a natural birth to enter the natural world, so you need a spiritual birth to enter the spiritual world. In the 7th verse Jesus said to them, don't be amazed at what I am saying because things happen in the spiritual just as they do in the natural. God created the natural world to be an illustration of the spiritual world so that we would be able to understand spiritual truth with our natural minds. |
| In the parable of the sower the man who is like the rocky ground hears the Word and receives it with great joy. That brings about new life in the plant and a spurt of growth. Notice that the ground is rocky because it is a tough process and the new sprout that grows up has no root to it. Sounds a lot like a new Christian to me. |
| "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, `You must be born again.' John 3:3-7 |
| "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, `You must be born again.' John 3:3-7 |
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| It is very difficult to understand God and the way He does things. But through these pictures that we read about in the Bible we can understand so much better. |