Relationship with Yahshua is a journey. The longer you walk with Yahshua, the deeper your relationship. The Most High, Most Powerful Creator of the Universe, wants to have relationship with me, Wow! There are secrets to speeding up the process. You can have a deep walk now with Yahshua, Creator of the Universe. Would you like to know these secrets? Are you humble enough to be taught? Having a teachable spirit is what it means to be humble. Yahshua loves the one who seeks out a mystery. For it is to God’s glory that He hide a thing, but it is the glory of kings to search out a matter.
Let’s take a short look at relationship levels, starting from the least intimate to the most intimate.
(1) Enemies are out to destroy each other, (2) strangers don’t know each other, (3) neighbors know each other because of their neighborhood, (4) servants serve their master, doing what they are told, (5) friends care for one another, (6) children in a family have privileges others outside the family do not have, (7) spouses know intimate details that the children don’t know. These seven earthly relationships help us see the increasing levels of intimacy in relationships. Yahshua wants the most intimate relationship with each of us.
Let me tell you about Nick at Night, about Nicodemus, one of the rulers of the Jews who had a night encounter with Yahshua. Let's look at what happens to him in chapter three in the gospel of John.
John 3:1-2 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Yahshua at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
Nicodemus was a famous teacher; he knows his bible. He knows all the religious rules frontwards, backwards and upside-down, because he makes judgments on the ruling council. He comes to Yahshua at night, trying to flatter Him, to get close to him. He comes at night because he is fearful of what other people, especially his co-workers, will think of him. This is a shadow of how each of us meets Yahshua. We are in darkness and when we receive Him; the light of the world enters us, illuminating us and making us His glory.
John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Yahshua doesn’t acknowledge the flattery Nicodemus tries to give to Him, he just starts teaching him truth. The kingdom of God is invisible to those who haven't been born again. You can't talk to them about things of the kingdom, you can only talk about right and wrong, light and dark, love and hate. No amount of arguing will let them accept or receive kingdom things because they are not allowed to perceive or understand. A veil of darkness is still covering them. Only those who are born again are permitted to SEE what is in the kingdom.
John 3:4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked.
"Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
Nicodemus responds as a man who has not been born again because he is in his fleshly mind. His questions are based on earthly understanding and not heavenly perception, even though he knows the first five books of the Bible and can quote them. You become born-again when you hear what Yahshua did and believe what He said. Yahshua paid for all your sins by dying on the cross in your place. When you believe with your heart and ask Yahshua to live His life out throught you, you are born again.
John 3:5-6 Yahshua answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Let me illuminate you about the difference in seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom with this short story:
It is a winter’s night and a young man walks past a house on his midnight journey. When he's not born again, he won't even see the house, because he is wearing his dark sunglasses on his midnight stroll, so none of the light from inside the house can be seen. I don't know how he can see where he is going; he can't even see that dangerous slippery slope into the ditch in front of him and if he doesn’t change the direction he is walking, he’ll be in a lot of trouble.
But if the man is born again, the shades are gone from his eyes and he can see the house, and he draws close and can peer into the house through the window. He can see that there is a roaring fire in the fireplace, and can even accurately count the number of people inside, he can even figure out what the next move should be for the chess players sitting at the little table in the corner. There is a lot he can know about the kingdom by seeing it from outside the window. But it is still limited knowledge.
Once he enters the house, he discovers there are things he can know that he didn’t know outside the house. He can bask in the warmth of the fire in the fireplace and smell the fragrance of the beautiful roses on the table. Now he can talk to the pretty young maiden sitting on the sofa. Perhaps if he carefully approaches her, he might get a kiss from her which would never happen with him outside and her inside. In fact, now he can smell the banquet that is prepared in the next room. While he was outside, he had no clue about the fabulous feast about to happen.
Wisdom is still needed to turn on the power inside the house. There are mysteries as to how the electricity in the house works. When we walk with as Yahshua walked, one with Him in thought and purpose, power is released.
John 3:6-8 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Yahshua points out that His Holy Spirit causes you to be born again. You didn't find Yahshua, He found you! Flesh cannot make spiritual things happen.
When you get baptized, immersed in water, your head comes off! All your hopes and dreams and plans die and you get a new head, Yahshua! You get His hopes and dreams and plans. You become the hands and feet of Yahshua on this earth. More about this intimacy journey later. Godspeed!
Let’s take a short look at relationship levels, starting from the least intimate to the most intimate.
(1) Enemies are out to destroy each other, (2) strangers don’t know each other, (3) neighbors know each other because of their neighborhood, (4) servants serve their master, doing what they are told, (5) friends care for one another, (6) children in a family have privileges others outside the family do not have, (7) spouses know intimate details that the children don’t know. These seven earthly relationships help us see the increasing levels of intimacy in relationships. Yahshua wants the most intimate relationship with each of us.
Let me tell you about Nick at Night, about Nicodemus, one of the rulers of the Jews who had a night encounter with Yahshua. Let's look at what happens to him in chapter three in the gospel of John.
John 3:1-2 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Yahshua at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
Nicodemus was a famous teacher; he knows his bible. He knows all the religious rules frontwards, backwards and upside-down, because he makes judgments on the ruling council. He comes to Yahshua at night, trying to flatter Him, to get close to him. He comes at night because he is fearful of what other people, especially his co-workers, will think of him. This is a shadow of how each of us meets Yahshua. We are in darkness and when we receive Him; the light of the world enters us, illuminating us and making us His glory.
John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Yahshua doesn’t acknowledge the flattery Nicodemus tries to give to Him, he just starts teaching him truth. The kingdom of God is invisible to those who haven't been born again. You can't talk to them about things of the kingdom, you can only talk about right and wrong, light and dark, love and hate. No amount of arguing will let them accept or receive kingdom things because they are not allowed to perceive or understand. A veil of darkness is still covering them. Only those who are born again are permitted to SEE what is in the kingdom.
John 3:4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked.
"Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
Nicodemus responds as a man who has not been born again because he is in his fleshly mind. His questions are based on earthly understanding and not heavenly perception, even though he knows the first five books of the Bible and can quote them. You become born-again when you hear what Yahshua did and believe what He said. Yahshua paid for all your sins by dying on the cross in your place. When you believe with your heart and ask Yahshua to live His life out throught you, you are born again.
John 3:5-6 Yahshua answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Let me illuminate you about the difference in seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom with this short story:
It is a winter’s night and a young man walks past a house on his midnight journey. When he's not born again, he won't even see the house, because he is wearing his dark sunglasses on his midnight stroll, so none of the light from inside the house can be seen. I don't know how he can see where he is going; he can't even see that dangerous slippery slope into the ditch in front of him and if he doesn’t change the direction he is walking, he’ll be in a lot of trouble.
But if the man is born again, the shades are gone from his eyes and he can see the house, and he draws close and can peer into the house through the window. He can see that there is a roaring fire in the fireplace, and can even accurately count the number of people inside, he can even figure out what the next move should be for the chess players sitting at the little table in the corner. There is a lot he can know about the kingdom by seeing it from outside the window. But it is still limited knowledge.
Once he enters the house, he discovers there are things he can know that he didn’t know outside the house. He can bask in the warmth of the fire in the fireplace and smell the fragrance of the beautiful roses on the table. Now he can talk to the pretty young maiden sitting on the sofa. Perhaps if he carefully approaches her, he might get a kiss from her which would never happen with him outside and her inside. In fact, now he can smell the banquet that is prepared in the next room. While he was outside, he had no clue about the fabulous feast about to happen.
Wisdom is still needed to turn on the power inside the house. There are mysteries as to how the electricity in the house works. When we walk with as Yahshua walked, one with Him in thought and purpose, power is released.
John 3:6-8 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Yahshua points out that His Holy Spirit causes you to be born again. You didn't find Yahshua, He found you! Flesh cannot make spiritual things happen.
When you get baptized, immersed in water, your head comes off! All your hopes and dreams and plans die and you get a new head, Yahshua! You get His hopes and dreams and plans. You become the hands and feet of Yahshua on this earth. More about this intimacy journey later. Godspeed!
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