When I was born again back in 1989 the spiritual light went on inside my heart, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ was real. I knew that Jesus Christ was sent down from Heaven above, was persecuted, and slain upon the cross, but most importantly that he did that for me. I also knew that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and went back to Heaven. How did these things become so real to me so suddenly? It was simply the work of the Holy Spirit within my heart. Things that were simply “head knowledge” to me before, suddenly became an incredible reality inside me. That was the work of the Holy Spirit, and it was something that only HE could do. Prior to that point in time, I was in a lost spiritual condition and certainly on my way to Hell. I was raised as a Roman Catholic, and I know that I was part of the UNSAVED “world” along with billions of others, because I was void of any spiritual connection with Almighty God. Here is a conversation that a Jewish Rabbi had with Jesus Christ (Messiah) concerning the topic of being born again.
“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John 3:1-4)
The Jewish Rabbi Nicodemus addressed Jesus as Rabbi because he already knew that Jesus was a great teacher, and he probably heard about or even witnessed, many of the great miracles which were done by Christ (Messiah.) Jesus did not stop to thank Nicodemus for the kind things that he said, but he cut right to the chase and spoke to Nicodemus about the necessity of being born again. Why? Because a person cannot “see” the kingdom of God without the illumination provided by the Spirit of God, and Jesus was very concerned about the man’s soul and his eternal destiny. Nicodemus had no idea what Jesus was talking about, and he likened being “born again” to returning to his mother’s womb.
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. “(John 3:5-8)
Once again Jesus Christ (Messiah) cut right to the chase and spoke to Nicodemus about being born again. Jesus made it clear that there was a birth of the FLESH, which is our PHYSICAL birth into this world, and there is a birth in the SPIRIT, which is the SPIRITUAL birth into the kingdom of God. Nicodemus was an unsaved man at that point in time because he had only experienced his physical birth into this world, but he had never been “born again “of the Spirit. Now let me cut right to the chase here and save you a heap of trouble. Whoever you are that is reading this article, I would like to say to you that YOU must be born again if you ever want to go to Heaven after you die. It does not matter whether you are Jewish or Gentile either, because God is not a respecter of persons. Not only that but I will cut right to the chase here once again and tell you that Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to Heaven.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. “(John 14:6)
The Jewish apostle Peter taught the SAME THING, so you must understand that Jesus Christ is the ONLY NAME and the ONLY WAY to be SAVED!
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12)
Save yourself years of trouble and understand that YOUR OWN righteousness is nothing but “filthy rags” in the sight of Almighty God!
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
The Jewish apostle Paul was a former persecutor and murderer of Christians until he got saved for real.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The Jewish apostle Paul was spiritually DEAD in his sins and on his way to Hell until he met Jesus Christ one day. (Acts 9:1-24) That same man Paul wrote the following words:
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3-7)
That same man Paul referred to himself as the “chief of sinners” because he understood that he was nothing more than a deceived and lost sinner without Jesus Christ! I can so relate to the apostle Paul because I was as deceived as he was before I got saved. For many years I went through all the religious rituals and traditions that any Roman Catholic would go through. I received my “first Communion” and I made my “Confirmation,” and I attended Catholic Mass countless times, but I was as lost and on my way to Hell as this man Paul was. I purchased “Mass Cards” although they were called “suggested donations,” so that the Catholic priests would pray for my deceased friends and relatives who were supposedly in Purgatory. I was also an altar boy as a young man, and I participated in many Roman Catholic Masses and Weddings and Funerals, but I was as lost as could be. But then something wonderful happened in 1989 at the age of 36. I was born again of the Spirit, and I came out of darkness into the marvelous light of Jesus Christ!
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
I understood very clearly that every true believer was a “priest” in the sight of Almighty God, and I knew that I belonged to a kingdom that had millions of other “priests” both Jewish and Gentile, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. I did not need to go to a Roman Catholic Mass to have a Catholic priest offer up a Mass for me because I was already in the kingdom of God, and my sins were already washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ!
“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED US, and WASHED US from OUR SINS in HIS OWN BLOOD, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6)
That is why I continue to speak out against that horrific religious system. Jesus Christ paid it ALL for us on the cross, and “Mother Mary” had absolutely nothing to do with it. The Roman Catholic Pope Francis continues to travel the world while modern-day ministers remain silent, and even entertain the Roman Catholic hierarchy in their own churches. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Pope is an unsaved man, in charge of a system that has deceived billions over the centuries, but most ministers refuse to utter even a peep against them. One of the first books that I read after I got saved was “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” and it opened my eyes to the true wickedness of the Roman Catholic system. The most amazing thing in the world is that the Roman Catholic system is still preaching the same false doctrines, with their man-made traditions, and the same false gospel as they did back then, but few resist them. Not only that but the Roman Catholic church still has over 100 curses against people who disagree with their teachings. Those curses were established at the Council of Trent and upheld by the council of Vatican II in the early 1960s. Rome continues to bowl over the modern-day “Protestant” churches and ministries like easy strikes in a bowling alley, and they do it with a smile on their face, and a “counterfeit love” which is not scripturally sound.
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” (1 Timothy 1:12-16)
So, save yourself years of trouble and understand that reconciliation with God is only possible through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Have you ever been born again? Do you understand that you are still dead in your sins in the sight of Almighty God and that it is Impossible to enter Heaven without the Spirit of the living God inside you? Are you really searching for the truth, or are you just one of the many billions in the world playing religious games?