IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Rev. Barr. Dele Buoro Rev. Barr. Dele Buoro

TEXT

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, l say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John chapter 3 verse 3, King James Version)

Yes, today is the 4th day of March and it's my birthday!

     In life, we all cherish very much the day we were born. Very often, we mark it, putting in place very elaborate events by way of celebration. Our joy comes alight when our relatives, friends, and well wishers would give us phone calls, take us out, aside messages and birthday wishes on our walls/pages on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media outlets. Honestly, this shows how much attention humanity gives to the celebration of birthdays.

       As it is, everyone experienced a natural birth through the agency of our earthly parents. But the Lord Jesus has spoken of another kind of birth, a rebirth, a second birth, otherwise called the "born again" encounter! He told Nicodemus that he needed to experience it if he desired to see God's Kingdom (see John chapter 3 verses 1 to 7). It is a spiritual birth, a very necessary experience for those that'll want to see or encounter God's Kingdom. God's Word reveals that it is His will and intention that we all go through this second birth. Jesus says in John chapter 3 verse 7,  "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye MUST be born again." (emphasis added). To be born again is to bear the image of the heavenly after we have borne the image of the earthly (1st Corinthians chapter 15 verse 49). In the mind of God, to be born again is a necessary follow up on the physical or natural birth; and He expects every human to go through it.

       The question is have you experienced it? Or have you been basking in the warmth of the natural birth all this while? What are you waiting for? Friend, don't be content with the first and the natural. The new birth spoken of by the Lord Jesus is actually a birth into the realm of the supernatural because it's a spiritual birth. Failure or neglect to go through the second birth renders you incapacitated and limited to the natural realm. There's so much taking place in the spirit realm that we can't afford to miss out or be ignorant of; or rather, to be victims of the manipulations that go on in that realm. Indeed, the spirit realm is superior to and actually controls the physical realm.

      This being so, it follows that the natural birth which is physical in nature, and which takes after the similitude of first man Adam, is inferior to the second birth which being spiritual is after the similitude of the Second Man who is Lord from heaven (see 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verses 46 to 49).

      It will interest you to know that God has so much in stock for humanity through the born again phenomenon. Amongst other things, the second birth serves to grant us unfettered access to God's love and grace, aside His very own ability through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We need to understand that to see God's Kingdom made manifest in our lives is the function of the second birth that we are talking about.

      Friend, what are you waiting for? Take a step today, plunge into the spiritual, enjoy God's privileged provision of mastery over it through the born again phenomenon and you'll never remain the same!

     But what does it take? Simply, repent of your sins, forsake them, accept and confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour; and you are born again (see Romans chapter 10 verses 9 to 10). Receiving salvation is made so cheap by God, yet it costs Him so much to accomplish for humanity.

       Undoubtedly, the second birth is superior to, preferred over and above the first and natural birth.

   I wonder when Christians will begin to celebrate their spiritual birth! Don't you think that if we must celebrate a birthday, it should be the one recommended by the Lord Jesus as a must encounter for the attainment of that wonderful, important and universal desire to experience God's Kingdom?

        Alas, in this matter, it's obvious that humanity has misplaced its priorities. We have chosen to esteem or rather prioritize that which is earthly or base over and above that which is heavenly and of eternal value. But I think that there's a more serious problem! Many of us who profess to be Christians have not actually experienced the second birth; and in some cases, even if we have, we have not seen it as an invaluable experience to cherish and to celebrate. Perhaps, we have actually not made progress in it, to bring us to value what it means to us to be in Christ. This accounts for why some of us have no date to refer to as our birthday in Christ;  that is, the day we became born again! May God help us!

       Let's strive to experience it and we'll be the better for it, in Jesus name.

PRAYER:

Dearest Heavenly Father, thank you for making it possible for me to be born again. I take it seriously and I strive to make progress in this new experience so that I may have a meaningful access to all that you have in stock for me in Christ Jesus, AMEN.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!