I often imagine what many of you who read Earth Images think when you
see another “religious” article unfolding before you. Over the years,
I too would sometimes cringe or run when I saw something like that
coming from other locales. In fact, I delayed writing about that
subject on this blog even after I had personally embraced those
beliefs. Sometimes in my earlier life when I saw that subject coming
from somebody else I would say, it’s great that he/she feels that way,
but do they have to write (or talk) about it?  Often I was embarrassed
to read it, and I would have surely been embarrassed to write or say
it.

Times, change, and more importantly lives change.

The term rebirth can be used to mean many things, but in my life, it
has only meant one thing that mattered. Rebirth of course, is
synonymous with the act of being born again.  A second chance (really
the only chance), to experience life not only on a higher level than
ever could be thought of, but to experience an eternal life, right
next to God!

Understanding what it means to be come under the “Blood of Jesus”, and
how each and every one of us, has the opportunity to
experience a personal, one on one, ethereal, and eternally rewarding
relationship with God. Through Jesus we experience the “whole God, The
Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.  The Trinity of perfection and
joy. One God, three parts.

When I was young, especially when I became a teenager, and again
throughout my life, I was never asking for, but constantly receiving
second chances.  The kindness and sometimes the love of those such as
a teacher, parents, a wife, and others, meant that I had a few
thousand (or so it seemed) second chances in life.

Despite all of those chances, during the 1980s I was a superstar of
immorality.  If they gave awards, I would have many. It is only by
God’s Grace, that I lived through that decade.

I was never a mean sinner, but I was a frequent one. I finally
realized that I could not continue that way, without not only giving
up my life on this earth, be it by alcohol, cigarettes or even a
bullet, but also by giving up the “eternal life” that I kept hearing
about from Christians. I grew up going to Sunday School and
occasionally to church, but those who would teach were seemingly
incapable of explaining it. I still believe, that’s because many of
them did not believe it themselves. Sadly, I fear that is true in even
more churches today than back then.

A drive coming from somewhere or someone inside of me, to learn and
understand the Bible, slowly became an obsession as I moved into the
2,000s.  It was an intellectual journey at first, but it became the
spiritual journey of my life.  I needed help in understanding it, and
my journey took me to many false teachers, some accidentally false,
but many who were false by intent. Some of the best teachers, were
often the least likable characters. Many of the smoothest most
likable souls, were “the best false teachers”.

Every journey is full of side trips. The secret is to always find your
way back to the main road.  If you do, you will find your way home.

I eventually discovered the overall meaning of the Bible, although I
still have a million miles to go in learning each and every specific. When I began asking God for help, through prayer,  His Spirit, The Holy Spirit, prodded me and helped me
until the light began to shine on His Word, and my life.  The wisdom
and joy are imparted through His Spirit.  The Holy Spirit!!

If someone as lowly as I can have this happen, then it can surely
happen for you.

——————————————————————————————————

One of the hardest things for a human to reconcile, is the bringing
together of our intellect, and our emotions.  It certainly has been the case for
me.

For much of my life, when my emotions were front and center, my
intellect or brain power if you will, was missing in action.
Conversely, when my thoughts were intelligent and well formed, and my
perceptions were intellectually arrived upon, my heart was absent. I
was smart, but dead inside.

Accepting God’s offer to become cleansed of sin and come to know Him,
has allowed both parts to work in tandem.

Stand with your hands out in front of you, but far apart.  Begin
moving them closer together. Closer and closer until they touch. Now
gently interlock your fingers. The moment they embrace each other is
what I speak of.

Don’t accept the Bible on a purely emotional level. Also don’t make
God’s Word into a harsh, emotionless collection of words either. The
intellect and heart can live together.

When those hands touch and those fingers interlock, and if you are
sincere those things will happen, you will understand everything I have been
writing about…….and more than I am capable of imparting, I am sure.

There are some churches that teach their parishioners that if you sin after salvation then
you were never legitimately saved in the first place. While I don’t
doubt that sometimes people are not sincere when they accept God’s
Grace, if you were, then do not despair when you fail to be all you
might be.

Since sin entered the world, each of us has been born with a “sin nature”.  Every human except Adam and Eve and Jesus has has sin nature. Born again or not.  It exists today. For many it seems as if it is on steroids.

Satan cannot enter and own a born again Christian, but this earth is
his domain (up until Christ’s return), and he has the right to attempt to side track
you. To make your journey miserable instead of fruitful and joyful.
You have God on your side and you can tell Satan to go to hell.

The above pun and the language was intentional and is perfectly appropriate when writing about the devil.

We will fail at times, but do not fear, sincere born again Christians
have the protection of our great mediator,  Jesus Christ the Son of
God.

May God Bless,
Wayne