Evidence of the Two

Jesus had a conversation with Nicodemus who came to Him in secret one night.  From that conversation, perhaps the most famous quote from the Bible comes. Chapter 3 verse 16.

But read before this very powerful verse. Jesus had some very important things to say to Nicodemus.

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;  this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and 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. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." Chapter 3 vs 1 through 15.
Think about what Jesus was saying.  There's two worlds.  A physical and the Spiritual.

He opens the Spiritual eyes of Nicodemus.  We know because after the Crucifixion he was there to help with His burial.

But look. In your world Satan tries with everything he can to distract you. Pain and pleasure.  Joy and sorrow.  Anything to keep you from seeing the truth about Jesus.

Successes to keep you from depending on God.  Success? Yes. If you had everything you needed all the time, how much would you need God?  If you spend your time only on you, and what makes you feel good, where would God be in your world?

The Spirit world is God's too. He created them both.  Life is two parts. We are born into sin.

Left to ourselves we are selfish. Self-centered.

We can bring forth levels of evil unlike anything in creation.

Look at the headlines.  Men and women doing things for YouTube videos that a decade ago would have been considered reprehensible and repulsive.  All for a thumbs up and a subscribe acknowledgement.

People doing more evil things today to unborn children and babies than ever. Now it's legal in New York to murder your own child right up to the point of delivery!

The Scriptures are very clear!

Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Open your Spiritual eyes.  Are you being manipulated by Satan?

Are your thoughts were they should be?

Are thinking only about yourself?

Are you only looking inward at your failures?

Are you spending money only on you but give God nothing?

When you are at rest, where does your mind go?

Are you listening to that still small voice that is the Spirit of God or do you listen to the countless temptations around you?

Daniel prayed and prayed.  When an answer came from God, in it came the explanation for the delay. Spiritual warfare.

The war is already won for those who are in Christ. It just has to play itself out.

Christ will come when the last person who is to be saved says yes.  That's the deciding factor.

Is it you?

Jesus told of a harvest, that was ripe for picking. He was looking at all the lives of people around Him.  The Spiritual harvest of people.  People.

What are your goals and ambitions?  Are they centered only on you? 

Consider where you are, where you thinking of going.  Are you at all concerned of what God thinks of it all or has that not even crossed your mind?

Workers in the Harvest.  If you are working for someone, what you personally would like is set aside.
Oh that hurts to pick that up.  Sorry, get over it, you said you were there to work, then work, pick it up.
Oh that would be embarrassing. Sorry, get over it, you said you were there to work, then work.

You think that it was uncomfortable for Jesus before He was on the cross?
You think that it was uncomfortable for Jesus to be nailed to a cross?
You think that at some point He could have thrown in the towel?

He denied everything to give you and I a chance at life.
He denied the help of Angels.
He denied Himself the right to call out to His Father.
He denied Himself the right to call down judgement on those inflicting the torture they did to Him.

Why?

Because

He

Loves

YOU.

So if we are to take up our cross daily and follow Him...then yes it means we deny things that we want in order to please Him.

The rewards of it will be found in Heaven. There will be a new Heaven and New Earth for those who are in Christ Jesus. All that we go through in the years in which we do are for but a moment.

Realize that your Spiritual life matters to Him.  It mattered enough to go to a Cross.
It mattered enough that the Father send His only Son to go through all that for you.

Open your Spiritual eyes and ask God what does He want from you.