₦airaland Forum

italo:
What is "gay?"

true2god:
Just as the Europeans and the Americans use their multinational companies to control the third and developing world, the Saudis use Islam to promote Arab culture and exploit most part of the third and developing world, in africa and southeast Asia, via hajj and some other cultural destruction means. The Saudis shamelessly blamed Africans for the hajj death while Iran blamed the Saudis for the death. Can you imagine the Saudis telling lies to the entire global media in order to paint Africans bad? Africans, most of who sold all what they have in order to serve Arabian idol in mecca still have to be humiliated by their Saudi masters.

The Europeans and the Americans might be very greedy in that they exploit the resources if the poor countries for the gains of their multinational companies, but the European still built our bridges, railway lines, telecommunications system, avionics, modern health systems etc. Meanwhile the only Arabian multinational company, the mosques and Arabian cultural centres, produce more misery, violence and poverty. The expulsion of Arabs from our daily life is long over due. The rejection of mohammed and his sharia is good for the wellbeing of humanity, and africans in particular.

keVeeeN:
let's so I ask you if you want to eat and you say no....I will ask why?..what will be your response

An2elect2:
Thank you for that beautiful distinction we can all see that Catholicism and Christianity are two parallel beliefs.

Jesus accepted sinners to save them from their sins first before adding them to his church.

This is the biblical pattern : We go out to preach to sinners in love> God grants them repentance from their sins and salvation through Christ Jesus > Next, they are added to the church.

Today we have turned everything around! We bring sinners in their state of unrepentance into the church, declare them as new members! and we assume they will turn to God properly afterwards! Red flag!

Today we see the consequences of our wicked actions and disobedience to the word of God. The church...the modern church is a mess.

italo:
Sorry ma, if you feel offended.

"Misrepresentation" is not an insult.

It simply means that another meaning was given to what the Pope said...other than the true meaning.

italo:
I remember Jesus ordained Judas...Jesus ate with him and lived with him. Jesus shared secrets with him. Jesus took him as a friend, servant, disciple, brother.

Yet Jesus always knew that Judas was a thief and a betrayer.

If it was Pope Francis that kept Judas as a friend, haters would castigate him.

kokoA:
I'm not defending anybody, I'm telling what the law of priesthood says. The fact that some people break the law does not men the law is not there. Even among the twelve disciples, there was judas. Of course they are human and some go against their vow just like we have good and bad pastors, imans, prophets etc. Woe unto you if you use the sin of a few to judge everyone.

You are right, I am a catholic, but I am not a fanatic. I've not spoken to you as a catholic, rather I spoke to you as a christian. If your christianity is such that you judge others based on their sexuality, way of life, etc then you may as well be a pagan. Jesus came and ate with tax collectors, made friends with prostitutes and associated with the ungodly, yet he was the son of God.

Peteru82:
Twisting The Word Of God Can Not Help Us Grow Spiritualy, Whenever His Message Comes To Us Let's Obey!

MuttleyLaff:
What was Nicodemus opening remark?
What does the remark suggest or mean?

Yes I am.
We see things other people are not seeing though we are looking at a thing at the same time

My understanding of it will be:
You hear the power or movement of the Spirit of God working. You cant tell where it comes from or where it is going
but if born of the Spirit just like Nicodemus you're able to see and admit the evidences of the Kingdom operating at any moment through the power or movement of the Spirit of God.

Apart from the doves present in the audience, there were also snakes and vultures there too
This part was for the brood of vipers and vultures in the audience
- the Pharisees were couldnt admit or acknowledge seeing the evidences of the Kingdom operating at that moment and they even were anticipating seeing the 2nd returning of Jesus

The kingdom of God is within your midst. Meaning the Kingdom is on earth
Yes, the former part sounds like a paradox, doesnt it?
- the Kingdom is on earth but it isnt necessarily within alls midst or everyone's heart

DebbyChris:
Christian women shouldn't wear trousers, deuteronomy22:5. But 21st century christians like twisting the scriptures to what they want.

Vince77:
Who made trousers men's wears?

MuttleyLaff:
This is why I suggested to not hastily respond back without reading and studying John 3:1-3 first

After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.
"Rabbi," he said,
"we all know that God has sent you to teach us.
Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you."
- John 3:2

Going back to John 3:2,
Nicodemus in John 3:2 managed to have seen somethings, admitted and confirmed the origin of what hes being seeing
but Jesus switched gear on Nicodemus, changed from ''see the Kingdom'' to ''enter the Kingdom'' only when Nicodemus was wrestling with the Born Again enter mother's womb
- it is a fact, we can see things of thing without entering the thing

These are aftermaths, said in the context of entering the Kingdom and not in relation to seeing the Kingdom

Also the wind there was about a different thing, talking about the present wave or the another ''wave''
and it was said for the specific attention of a different audience who present in that gathering (i.e. to the Pharisees or Far-to-Sees)

Think and reflect on verses like, and hopefully the Spirit of Truth will help out:

Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17
and then compare with Luke 17:21

"The time promised by God has come at last!" he announced.
"The Kingdom of God is near!
Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!"
- Mark 1:15

From then on, Jesus began to tell people,
"Turn to God and change the way you think and act, because the kingdom of heaven is near!"
- Matthew 4:17

They can't say, 'Here it is!' or 'There it is!'
You see, the kingdom of God is within you."
- Luke 17:21

Lets pause here a bit and allow time for soaking in, this thing about separately seeing and entering

Jesus is the firstborn of the dead with a glorified body which allows Him to enter the Kingdom
Believers are expected to have similar bodies for entry into the Kingdom too

He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own,
using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
- Philippians 3:21

paxonel:
i live in Nigeria, africa. we use the word born again to boast a lot.
infact we use it more than the name christian, because we feel that the name Christian is not righteous enough

OLAADEGBU:
Can a Muslim be the president of the United States?

MuttleyLaff:
Do you believe it is possible to see the Kingdom though without entering the Kingdom

Please study John 3:1-3 first before answering the question, by slowing reading but reading it out loud
Hope you notice how Nicodemus instigated Jesus switching the gear on Nicodemus
Jesus in responding to Nicodemus' admitted observances,
decided to up the ante from ''see'' to ''enter'' after Nicodemus brought in the issue of re-entering a mother's womb

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

''born again'' is used worldwide
It is used in the Americas, West and Eastern Europe, Australia, Francophone countries in Africa etcetera

Other appendages used with the Christian tag for legitimacy and validity sake are:
spirit-filled, Bible-believing, tongue speaking, washed in the blood

paxonel:
Bros, God bless you for this
right now, no christian in countries of the real world uses the term "born again" again.
when you travel out you will notice this.
except for some primitive christians who never went to school

paxonel:
we are christians we are not born again.
It is far better to be called a Christianity than to be called born again.
It's like you are in Christianity and you are bearing a name in another religion, Judaism.
And moreover, people who call themselves born again knows their fantasy of living a sinless life is not feasible

MuttleyLaff:
You have to be very careful and be mindful of the bones in the food some of these men of questionable character or doctrine dish out

I agree all written in the ''interesting article'' is 85% correct,
however disagree with where it is being suggested that, without ''entering the kingdom'', its impossible to ''see the kingdom''

I must confess I used to hold Herbert W. Armstrong in high esteem
and also used to request for his organisation's free book and Plain Truth magazine
even made requests for his book and the magazine for friends and family
but all the book requests and the respect I once had for him stopped the moment, around in 2005 or thereabouts
when I began reading and learning about some of his misleading and misguiding viewpoints
- some where books and articles with racist thoughts

David C. Pack, is the author of the above article and was a protégé of Herbert W. Armstrong
- as such, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

When Is a Christian “Born Again”?
http://realtruth.org/articles/140311-001.html

What Does “Born Again” Mean?
http://rcg.org/books/wdbam.html

resty4:
Roman Catholic is senior brother 2 islam.

JumpingChicken:
Are you a nun?

People are destined to be born again as spirit, like Christ was, just as surely as they are born physically of a human mother, like Christ was. This will become plain.
Because Christ wanted no room for misunderstanding, He likened spirit to wind. Wind, like spirit, is invisible. It cannot be seen. Christ told Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it lists [does], and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell from where it comes, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (vs. . Those who are born of spirit will be like wind—they will be invisible! But human beings are flesh and blood, and can be seen.
Another comparison is important. Wind often demonstrates enormous POWER. While invisible, its effects are easily seen. The force of hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes and straight-line winds can be tremendous. But people possess relatively little power. The power of wind vastly exceeds that of the strongest human being—or a million put together!
So, there is a limitation on who can actually see and enter the kingdom. Anyone can see physical things. Therefore, the kingdom cannot be something physical, or everyone could see it. Understand these critical points that Christ made. You must be spirit to see the invisible kingdom of God!

Notice the phrase “who is the beginning.” This alone proves that Christ’s Resurrection from the dead refers to the order in time sequence that this occurs. He is the “beginning” of all those others who will receive eternal life at His Return—when the resurrection of the dead occurs. “Beginning” has to be a reference to who is first. The next passage builds on and helps explain this one.
Paul wrote to the Romans, “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (8:29). God intends on having “many” sons—Christ’s “brethren,” born later in His plan. If anyone is designated to be first, others must follow, or first has no meaning. It must be related to something else later. In the case of salvation, many will follow. This is further proof that “firstborn” has nothing to do with any supposed title!
Christ is not the only Son to be part of God’s Plan. There will be more sons who follow Him in the resurrection. He is firstborn of “every creature”—the other sons. The many other brethren are those converted over the last 2,000 years (and a few in the Old Testament). They are called to become younger brothers and sisters with Christ. If Christ is firstborn from the dead, then all other brethren would be “secondborn,” “thirdborn,” “onehundrethborn,” etc.
Let’s note one additional verse confirming when Christ was born again. The apostle John, recording Christ’s Revelation, wrote, “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth” (1:5, NKJV).
Though the Authorized Version (KJV) translates this as “first begotten,” virtually every other translation renders this verse as “firstborn from the dead.”
These verses make absolutely plain that one is born from the dead at the RESURRECTION. Only then will—or can—anyone “see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus Questions Christ
Now for the verse that causes so much unnecessary controversy and confusion for so many. This should never be. Let’s examine why.
A series of verses in John 3 is commonly misunderstood by people who believe that they can be “born again” in this life, as physical human beings, and, therefore, “see the kingdom of God.”
In this account, Nicodemus questioned Christ, who answered, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (vs. 3). Confused, Nicodemus replied, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered…Except a man be born of water [the first physical, human birth] and of the Spirit [again later, at the resurrection], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (vs. 4-5). To see and enter into God’s kingdom, you must become SPIRIT. But people are physical. Entering the kingdom is impossible for them, because Paul wrote that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 15:50)!
While Nicodemus knew exactly what being born meant, he was confused about how it could happen again—a second time. This is why he asked about re-entering his mother’s womb. However, ministers and religious leaders today are deceived and confused in a different way. They claim that being born again has nothing to do with an actual birth—but that it is a feeling, an experience, a “conversion” and the like.
In verse 5, Christ explains what it means to be “born of water and of the Spirit,” and why, if this does not happen, one “cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Yes, the kingdom is something that can be “entered into.” But Christ explains His “born of water and of the Spirit” phrase when He states, “That which is BORN of the flesh IS flesh” and then “that which is born of the Spirit IS spirit” (vs. 6).
Of course it is. Flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God—but spirit can! Human beings are made of dust (Gen. 2:7; 3:19), not spirit. Those born again are composed of spirit.
When born as humans, we are delivered from a PHYSICAL mother. When born of spirit, we are delivered from a SPIRITUAL mother, the Church.

First, notice a most startling scripture written by the apostle Paul to the Colossians. Remember that the Bible always interprets itself, and to always accept what it says after it does.
Speaking of Christ, Paul wrote, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the FIRSTBORN OF EVERY CREATURE…And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD; that in all things He might have the preeminence” (1:15, 18).
Christ is the firstborn “from the dead.” This is a big key to understanding when one is born again. Believe God, and fix this phrase in your mind. This verse states that one’s new birth occurs after death—and involves returning from the dead. Once again, accept what the Bible says, without adding to or subtracting from it. Verse 15 uses the phrase “firstborn of every creature,” thereby adding double emphasis to Paul’s statement—and meaning.
Despite the plainness of this verse, some try to dismiss it by saying it has nothing to do with being born from the dead. They explain it away as merely a title given to Christ—that He holds the title of “FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD.”
This is silly—even foolish—and easy to disprove.

So few understand Jesus’ words: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Reread and consider them carefully. Take note of what Christ says is at stake in just this single scripture. One’s ability to “see the kingdom of God” hinges solely on whether he is “born again.” Obviously, one had better understand the enormous importance of how and when people are born again!
When Christ said “Except a man,” He left no room for misunderstanding. Do not be confused. Remaining deceived about being born again makes salvation impossible. Certainly, when this occurs is inseparable from properly understanding how it happens or what it means. Also, if one believes that conversion allows a person to “see the kingdom,” then he must believe that the kingdom is here now. Yet the Bible plainly teaches otherwise!
While Christ’s words require explanation, you can understand what so many do not. And it will be made most PLAIN!
First Things First—Basic Scriptures!
Of the 12 rules of Bible study, the most basic for proper doctrinal understanding is to start with the clearest scriptures on any subject. This is especially critical in removing misconceptions about how and when one is born again.
In fact, there are several plain verses about this subject. They introduce everything else that follows. Understanding them is the only proper way to approach the subject. The entire doctrine becomes quite easy to understand when you keep these few basic verses straight. We shall examine three before examining Christ’s statement in John 3:3.

Most professing Christians believe that being “born again” occurs in this life upon “receiving Jesus.” But this is not what the Bible teaches. Being “born again” has nothing whatsoever to do with “professing Jesus,” “just believing in your heart,” “giving your heart to the Lord” or any other kind of religious experience. It does not happen at conversion. The Bible teaches that it happens long after this initial step in a new Christian’s life