"Except ye be converted"

[cizz]

Mat 18:1     ¶     At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Mat 18:2           And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

Mat 18:3           And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Why does the Lord tell us that we need to turn around (be converted) and become as little children again?     

As old as I am    what does that mean? 

It means what it means, start over again...from the begining, be raised up and trained again  sounds fun, Huh!   

Okay, so lets see how we start again! 

[dgbygrace]

Oh Cizz...

If it were possible it does sound SO good!

Yet, if he said it it must be possible, right? 

John 3:3-5 (Amplified Bible)
3Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

    4Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb again and be born?

    5Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [[a]even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.(A)

   

Matthew 5:6
Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!

[cizz]

Who are the ones that are going to be used to train us again?   Where is Mom and Dad for us now?  

Luk 16:19     ¶     There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

Luk 16:20           And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

Luk 16:21           And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luk 16:22           And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;


Oh wow!   Itz the parents from way back! A spiritual re-birth means that we are carried back into Abraham's bosom   and so we start all over again!  

And it is Abraham's bosom...it was his seed  

[dgbygrace]

!!!!  And look at the timeline!  The promise to Abraham was before the law!
 
God's promise just for believing Him!  ALL the glory to God!

Matthew 5:6
Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!


Deuteronomy 24:13
You shall surely restore to him the pledge at sunset, that he may sleep in his garment and bless you; and it shall be credited to you as righteousness (rightness and justice) before the Lord your God.

Psalm 106:31
And that was credited to him for righteousness (right doing and right standing with God) to all generations forever.

Romans 4:5
But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).

Romans 4:22
That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).



Please know too...I am not in any way discrediting the law of the Lord.  His law and is always the way things work.  I just happen to believe that our only chance of doing things righteously is through the gift we have been given in Jesus Christ!

[cizz]

So, I think everyone knows what happens when you end up in Dad's bosom again...we ain't gona talk about that!   

Okay, we now have parents that are going to be used to train us again!

But, lets start with some basic guidelines of what to expect, come on, we've been here and done this before!  

Deu 5:16     Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Note: key word here is "AND"

How are we going to honour father and mother? By learning from BOTH of them...

Pro 1:8     My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Pro 6:20     My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Pro 15:20     A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

Pro 20:20     Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

Pro 23:25     Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

Pro 28:24     Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, [It is] no transgression; the same [is] the companion of a destroyer.

Pro 30:11     [There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

Mat 15:4     For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

Mat 15:5           But ye say, Whosoever shall say to [his] father or [his] mother, [It is] a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

Mat 15:6           And honour not his father or his mother, [he shall be free]. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Mat 19:19     Honour thy father and [thy] mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

[Adullam]

We need conversion in our minds as well as hearts. This is the process of sanctification...without which no one shall see God.

Our minds are corrupt and need converting...otherwise we will not be able to avoid sin.

If the Lord gives us one dollar to give to a brother....well, that's easy

If He gives us a thousand to give to a brother....that's doable! 

If He gives us a million to give to another.....why is that any different or any harder to give than the dollar?

Isn't mammon just mammon? Are we still only thinking as carnal men? So the mind of Christ is set NOT on things below but on things above!

Likewise the difference between a day or year...it's only time and this is in the realm of the temporal.

2 Cor. 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

[dgbygrace]

Good points.  Cizz talks often about "nothing"...it has taken me a while to have my mind converted on that one!  We claim nothing as our own and hold on to nothing.  It all belongs to God.

[cizz]

We need conversion in our minds as well as hearts. This is the process of sanctification...without which no one shall see God.

Our minds are corrupt and need converting...otherwise we will not be able to avoid sin.

If the Lord gives us one dollar to give to a brother....well, that's easy

If He gives us a thousand to give to a brother....that's doable! 

If He gives us a million to give to another.....why is that any different or any harder to give than the dollar?

Isn't mammon just mammon? Are we still only thinking as carnal men? So the mind of Christ is set NOT on things below but on things above!

Likewise the difference between a day or year...it's only time and this is in the realm of the temporal.

2 Cor. 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Amen! 

[cizz]

Being a mom, when I consider in what way can my children bless and honour me. My first thought and prayer is that they will extend their hearts, ears and eyes...and their hands to help this life that I have been given be not in vain and useless...

When I consider my own mom and dad, I have spent many years being fueled by anger for knowing their imperfections, and in the other hand, I have spent many years crying trying to deny they had imperfections. And I justified their seeming lack to become the cause of their imperfections...right hand to left hand back to right hand... now I spent many years being fueled by anger for knowing my own imperfections...

I honour and I bless both my parents when I extend my heart...

The first thing deemed "not good" to be alone...

In all my own imperfections, both my parents have made it so that I am not alone in this...let me not make their life vain and useless, but if I do, I will have company in my own vain-ness and uselessness, there they both will be with me, I am not alone...

I pray my children will use this life given me, that they will not only learn and find comfort from and in witnessing my perfections, but my imperfections      too and know that I love them and that I am with them in all these things...


When I stand in blinding darkness, send me a light...and when I stand in blinding light, send me a pair of really cool shades!    In all ways let me walk the path of truth and honesty...