Born Again! Now What?
by
Janalee DiGian
Front Cover
Back Cover
Table of Contents
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Chapter 1 Born Again‑‑What’s That? Chapter 2 Dented Halos Chapter 3 Jesus is Our E-ticket To Heaven Chapter 4 Jesus and the Sprouts Chapter 5 The Rose-Colored Glasses Doctrine Chapter 6 Will I Go To Hell If I Sin After I’m Saved? Chapter 7 More Than A Pew‑Sitter! Chapter 8 God’s Tool Kit
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Jesus replied, “What I am telling you so earnestly is this: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven; so don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again!” (John 3:5-6 TLB)
Satan is the master trash man. He throws lives in the dumpster and tells us we have no value or worth. But Jesus is the recycler. He reaches into the muck and rubble of the dumpster and scoops out treasure. We are that treasure.
Jesus is so considerate that He will never go where He isn’t welcome, not even into a trash bin. If we want to be rescued from the rubbish pile, we must issue Jesus an invitation to come into our hearts. That invitation is as simple as saying, Jesus, I’m a sinner and I need You to be my Savior!
Being born again is not a lightning-bolt experience. It is an act of faith. At the moment of salvation, not everyone is knocked to the floor while fireworks fill the room with a choir of angels singing, “Hallelujah!”
Salvation is the confidence of knowing there is nothing we can do that is so bad God will send us to hell, and there is nothing we can do that is so good we can climb by ourselves to heaven, crawl up on God’s lap, and say, “I made it!” It is only by accepting or rejecting what Jesus Christ did on the cross that determines whether we are welcomed into heaven or condemned to hell.
One morning my friend Denise phoned me, “Janalee,” she sobbed, “I am heartsick with worry. My friend, Al, has been missing for two weeks and no one has seen or heard from him, not even his boss. Will you pray for him? God listens when you pray.”
I immediately went to her house and realized that it was a golden opportunity to share Christ’s love with my young Jewish friend.
“Denise, you tell everyone that I have a hotline to heaven--”
“You do, Janalee!” Denise interrupted me as she reached for a box of tissues. “I’m telling you, things happen when you pray. God listens to you. That’s why I want you to pray and ask God to find Al.”
“Denise,” I said as our eyes met and locked, “I do have a hotline, and you have always had access to the same hotline, but you have never plugged into it.” Jesus said, ‘If two of you agree down there on earth concerning anything you ask for, My Father in heaven will do it for you. Where two or three gather together because they are mine, I will be right there among them.‘ (Matthew 18:19-20)
“Jesus Christ is the power source that allows you to plug into God’s hotline. He has been calling you for a long time. The hotline works both ways, but it begins when you answer. Jesus is patiently waiting to hear from you. He’s ready when you are. Isn’t it time you answered?”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to accept Jesus,” Denise said, “and I’m not sure He’s ready for me. My life is such a mess. I hate my job. I hate my dad. I hate my life. I have bill collectors breathing down my neck and I don’t have two beans to pay them with. I’m a good person, but I do bad things...” her voice trailed off.
“Denise,” I gently prodded my friend, “may I ask you a few questions?”
“Of course,” she managed between sobs.
“I know you believe in God, but do you believe Jesus Christ is His sinless Son?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“Do you believe you are a sinner and are you sorry for your sins?” At that, the sobbing stopped, but the tears continued their course down her cheek. She looked at me through watery eyes and simply nodded her head. No words were needed.
“Repeat these words after me,” I said. Together we bowed our heads and Denise prayed the words I gave her: “Jesus, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. Please forgive my sins and help me turn from my sinful way of life. I love You, Lord. Please come into my heart and my life and live with me forever.”
She then continued on her own. “And Jesus, could You please help me find my friend, Al? The whole family is worried about him. I’m not sure if it is proper to ask You for a favor--I’m new at this, but would You prompt Al to call? We need to know he’s all right. Thank You. Amen.”
Two hours later Al phoned home.
Denise did not experience fireworks when she made her heart Christ’s home. Instead she stepped into God’s arms and received tremendous peace. We are saved by the grace of God. Grace is a free gift of love and forgiveness from our heavenly Father. We can’t buy it, we can’t earn it, and we don’t deserve it. Jesus paid the price for us. Our responsibility is to be sorry for our sins and embrace Jesus as our Savior.
My husband Ralph and I are chaplains in a local jail facility. God has used the jail and prison ministry to offer us a glimpse of His unconditional love. We are constantly amazed at the great lengths He will go to in order to enfold his lost and unloved children in the safety of His arms. When we turn to Him and admit we are weak, we give Him permission to be our strength.
Like the prisoners, we can be locked in a prison of sin, but the good news is God refuses to be locked out.
Ralph affectionately calls our weekly Christian service at the jail, “Happy Hour.” He is fond of saying, “After all, if society offers a time-out in the form of a happy hour, why can’t we set an hour a week aside and celebrate our love for God?” The hour is filled with inmate’s testimonies, praises, music, Scripture, and our messages.
One evening a young man named Larry got up in front of 168 of his peers and said with tears running down his face, “I am twenty-two years old and this is the twenty-fourth time I’ve been arrested. I have been a gang-banger and a doper since my early teens.
“Last night while lying on my bunk I read a book titled, Bringing Heaven Into Hell by Merlin Carruthers. After reading the book, I asked God to forgive my sins and to help me on a new course of life. I want Jesus to run my life.”
“I confessed every sin I could think of. I asked God to forgive me for all the people I have hurt over the years. Then I thought, if I am to be forgiven I must also be forgiving.
“That brought back memories of my mother’s last birthday. On that morning my younger brother and I had a little party for her. After the party we attended the funeral of a fellow gang member who had been murdered. As we left the funeral, my little brother, Shawny, was killed in a drive-by shooting.
“My brother loved me so much. Any time we were at a party together he would run up, kiss me right on the lips and say, ‘I loves’ ya, bro.’ I would act like it annoyed me, but it really didn’t. The only time I ever kissed him on the mouth was when I tried to blow life into his body as he died in my arms. Shawny was more than my brother. He was my best friend.”
“Last night as I prayed, I was able to forgive the man who murdered my brother. I realized that if he had been a Christian, he wouldn’t have killed Shawny. Forgiving his murderer set me free from the bitterness that was eating me up.”
“I’m African American,” he continued, “I’m a tenth grade high school dropout and a convicted felon. By all standards I am a failure. Considering my past I don’t know how to reach this goal, but last night I decided I want to counsel kids who are headed for trouble. I have faith that God will help me achieve this dream.”
Three days after Larry’s release from jail, he was hired by two doctors who run a juvenile halfway center. Among his duties he was assigned the task of supervising several teens, and he was allowed to participate in group counseling sessions.
Faith was the catalyst to launch Larry on the road to a successful life.
The dictionary offers these words to define faith: expectation, hope, surety, trust, reliance, and confidence. My definition of faith is: Trust in God and confidently expect Him to keep His promises, especially when we are uncertain of the outcome.
The act of being born again is: 1) believing by faith that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins, 2) admitting we are sinners, and 3) asking Him to forgive our sins. Then we must continue to seek His help to turn away from our old ways of life.
Some people have an extraordinary emotional experience when they receive Christ as their Savior. ........................................
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