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<DIV><FONT size=4>"Being born from above means entering into a relationship in
which Someone or Something else is in control."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://day1.org/898-how_can_these_things_be">http://day1.org/898-how_can_these_things_be</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Sheila Gustafson, 1996</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>We are a nation of spiritual seekers. We are hungry to learn
about the life of the spilt, although many of us hesitate to translate that
hunger into institutional allegiance. The majority of us are "unchurched."
Others are drawn to "seekers’ churches." Still others are exploring the life of
the spirit within a denomination and a tradition.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2260">http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2260</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>Patricia Farris, 2002</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I must ask you, my friend, “Are you a Christian, or are you
just religious?” If you take the words of our Lord seriously, there is a great
difference between those who are religious and those who are reborn from above.
Nicodemus was as lost as the Samaritan woman at the well (</FONT><A
class=NETBibleTagged href="javascript:{}"><FONT size=4>John 4</FONT></A><FONT
size=4>). Hell will be populated by many people who are “religious,” who have
trusted in their religion to save them, rather than trusting in Christ alone.
There will be many in hell who trusted in their works to get them to heaven,
rather than in His work—the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and the cross of
Calvary. He came down from heaven, and He was lifted up on a cross to bear the
penalty of your sins and mine. He was raised from the dead and exalted to the
right hand of God. He offers to us His righteousness and His life. If you trust
in Him, rather than in yourself, you will be reborn from above, and thus you can
be assured that you will see the kingdom of God.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-and-nicodemus-john-31-21">http://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-and-nicodemus-john-31-21</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Robert Deffinbaugh</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Nor should "born again" be reduced to a political shibboleth.
A young acquaintance of mine is trying to make it in the political bureaucracy
of Washington, D.C. He tells me with only a hint of irony that one way to begin
is by getting into an "influential prayer group." The password? "Born
again."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=606">http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=606</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Richard Lischer, 1999</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Nicodemus, patron saint of the curious, we see you in the
flickering lamplight, your face an arresting mixture of confusion and interest.
Jesus waits, the silence broken only by the sound of the wind banging the
shutter against the house. You tug at your beard and rethink your life, seeing
your past and future through the eyes of the One who loves you. You are dizzy
with the possibility of it all. And so are we. Born again? The mere <I>thought
</I>of it sweeps through us and sends us reeling. You mean to tell us that our
lives might be different?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=668">http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=668</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>Margaret B. Hess, 1997</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>During an attempted coup in Indonesia in 1965, an estimated
500,000 people were killed. What did not make the headlines was the quiet
revolution that began to move into a collapsed intellectual and moral vacuum.
The wind of the Spirit blew fresh breezes across a wounded land and people.
There was no ballyhoo or promotion by the churches. There was simply the
response of untold numbers who found in the churches a haven. Forgiveness and
love became the "wine and bread" of acceptance and redemption. Slaves of fear no
more. Thousands were able to eucharistically sing, "Abba, Father."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2713">http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2713</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Bill O'Brien, 2003</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=2
face=PalatinoLinotype><FONT size=2 face=PalatinoLinotype>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>Nicodemus is the first of what we
might</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>loosely call the official clergy with whom Jesus
has personal engagement. Yet Nicodemus</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>does not accept the testimony of Jesus (3:11).
Commendable is Nicodemus’</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>seeking out Jesus, but lamentable his response. For
the rest of the conversation,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>it is Jesus who speaks while Nicodemus just fades
away into the darkness from</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>which he came. We are left with the feeling that he
just doesn’t get it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>The fate of Nicodemus is not necessarily unhappy,
however. In chapter 7, the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>gospel portrays Nicodemus as a defender of Jesus’
right to a fair trial (7:50-51); in</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>chapter 19, Nicodemus helps to bury Jesus with
honor. Is this a hint that Nicodemus</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>has taken Jesus’ words to heart? Perhaps his
nocturnal discussion with Jesus</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>was the last hour before the dawn of
hope.</FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www2.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/18-4_Matthew/18-4_Whitters.pdf">http://www2.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/18-4_Matthew/18-4_Whitters.pdf</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV><FONT face=PalatinoLinotype><FONT
face=PalatinoLinotype>
<DIV><FONT size=4><SPAN lang=en-us>Mark F. Whitters, 1998</SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
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