Our Wish—To Be BORN Again—Our “BIRTHDAY WISH”
“He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).
He brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
The next day He decided to go to Galilee, and He found Philip. [Jesus did]
And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.”
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote:
Jesus the son of Joseph, from Narareth!”. . .
“Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Nathaniel answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”
(John 1: 41-45 & 48-49 NASB 2020)
Yesterday, my husband asked me a question while we were walking along the streets through a very old city: “What do you want for your birthday, for your 56th birthday? It’s only three weeks away.”
I replied, “Three weeks! That gives me plenty of time to think.”
To which he then responded, “I am only asking because I might be gone on your birthday. I might be in Bowling Green. You could go with me.”
Immediately, I knew he meant “THE TRACTOR PULL,” as in “THE” ultimate tractor pull, “THE” tractor pull that was the epitome of all tractor pulls, & “THE” tractor pull where one can watch one tractor pull and then the next tractor on a second track quickly hook to the sled to pull the increased load.
Now, if you are like me and have attended your fair share of tractor pulls, then you know the slowness of a night as first one tractor backs up just right to the sled, hooks their tractor to the sled, increases the horsepower available so that “the sweet spot” is reached, one revealed by the smokestack of the tractor hissing out the sound of the turbo.
How many times have I listened to “the sweet sound of the turbo” only to see the tractor pause at a spot on the track, the driver encouraging his tractor to give it all that was possible but probably not reaching the ultimate FULL PULL.
Time and Again.
Tractor after Tractor.
Hour after Hour.
Minute after Minute.
Driver after Driver.
Sunshine high above until the fall of darkness until the coolness of the wee hours of the night.
My husband was in an earthly kind of “heaven” as he enjoyed tractor-after-tractor—PULL.
Clearly & Quickly, I immediately knew what I did NOT want to receive for my 56th birthday—a ticket to the ultimate tractor pull!
Have we ever paused before our next “birth” day and asked ourselves the question: What Is Our Wish for this upcoming birthday?
Do we wish:
—To Be BORN Again? & If so, do we know what that really even means?
—To Be FREE of Pain? & If so, do we really even understand what that feels like?
—To Be in a NEW Life-Place? & If so, do we even know how to reach that place or if it even really exists?
Our “BIRTHDAY WISH.”
- What do we HOPE to receive this year, as a gift, for our birthday?
- Who do we HOPE receives the gift of salvation this year?
- Who do we HOPE comes to know Christ, to be “born again”?
- Finally, WHO do we hope gifts us with this birthday wish?
JESUS said,
“You shall be called.” & “Follow Me.” & “When you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
I am in the place this day where I wonder:
What does it “really feel” like to be saved? To be “born” again?
- Do we take our first real breath & BREATHE for the very first time?
- Do we finally feel as if we BELONG to what is “real & everlasting”?
- Do we suddenly feel ALIVE?
- Is the weight of heaviness GONE?
- Can we now sense the PRESENCE of GOD—miraculously inside us?
- Do we sense PEACE like never before—A DEEP, SWEET PEACE of ALMIGHTY GOD?
- Are we immediately without FEAR raging deep within our heart?
- Are we immediately CALM?
- Are we (within the span of a moment) ANXIETY & WORRY & DESPAIR-FREE?
What does it “really feel” like to be saved? To be “born” again?
I wonder: Are we living there?
If so, if we are there, then who do we know who is NOT living there—as a BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER?
Can we think of someone? Then what are we ACTIVELY DOING—to help that person BELIEVE?
“So, what do you want for your birthday, for your 56th birthday? It’s only three weeks away,” my husband asked. Three weeks gives me plenty of time—to THINK of someone I know, & that gives me plenty of time to Move & Speak as the Holy Spirit leads, to Live Out-Loud for my SAVIOR, & to Walk as JESUS would have me walk. What I really want for my 56th birthday is to lead someone else to come to know Jesus.
- May we NOT live just for today.
- May we BE ALIVE for our eternity of tomorrows.
- May we BE ENCOURAGING OTHERS we know to COME & SEE for themselves that OUR JESUS is REAL.
- May we BRING them to SEE JESUS.
- May we HELP them SEE the TRUTH of the MESSIAH.
- May we STAND beside them as JESUS CALLS THEM BY A NEW NAME—CHRISTIAN.
- May we HEAR JESUS say, “Follow Me.”
- May we HELP them see Jesus, the God-Man, the son of Joseph from Nazareth & the Son of God?
- May we SEE them respond when JESUS calls.
- Finally, may we EXPERIENCE A DEPTH of JOY inside our being when they loudly exclaim, “Rabbi. You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.” (John 1:49 NASB 2020)
The claims of Jesus Christ are valid!
Could it be that we don’t really need to attend another event, to receive another earthly gift for our birthday?
BUT—
Could it be that our next birthday wish—Our Wish—Is for someone who is LOST to God—To Be BORN Again?
Could this “BE OUR BIRTHDAY WISH” this year?
Is there a person we know who remains lost?
Are we enjoying the Word of God?
What are we doing to share the Word of God with those who are starving spiritually?
Are we busy—doing—living—breathing—proclaiming how TODAY is the day of the LORD?
- We can speak.
- We can lead.
- We can teach.
- We can sing.
We have so much we can DO to LEAD another to SEE JESUS!
- God expects us to use the spiritual gift(s) HE has given to us!
- God expects us to use the talents HE has given to us.
- God expects this of us!
- God expects us to live intentionally—out loud—and on-mission for HIM!
- God expects us to walk within HIS will, every single day, even on our “earthly birthday” as we celebrate another year—GIFTED to us—to LIVE for JESUS our REDEEMER & SAVIOR!
In the Apostle Paul’s last letter, the final words he wrote before his execution, he wrote a letter to Timothy, another man of God. Today, I would like to encourage us to do these things: listen to the lyrics by Third Day as they sing their melody “Born Again” and read Paul’s last letter to Timothy, where we will find these words:
“I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort [encourage] with great patience and instruction.
For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,
and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
But as for you,
use self-restraint in all things,
endure hardship,
do the work of an evangelist,
fulfill your ministry.”
(2 Timothy 4: 1-5 NASB 2020)