This was written about a friend of mine. I watched his life spiral downward and his struggle to gain a foothold to survive. I asked prayer for him here when his family was suffering and again when he was in rehab. All of this is true. I am so proud of my friend and the man he has become because he surrendered his life fully to Jesus. He is an inspiration! Whenever you think a situation is impossible, remind yourself that "God CAN!!"
Christianity always talks about being "Born Again", yet the world just rolls its eyes.... and I understand why. Where are these "born again" folks? Most "born again" folks act the same, talk the same and do the same things they have always done. Where are these new creations? So many people think being born again just means adopting a new worldview or believing some facts about Jesus. So many people think being born again is having an emotional response at a church service or getting a sensational sign from the heavens. So many people think being born again just means you acknowledge your mistakes and try to do better. So many people think being born again means adding Jesus and church to your already busy life. But the reality is none of these things make you "born again". While all these things can happen to someone as they are born again or leading up to their new birth, they are not proof that someone is. A "born again" person is truly a new creation. Let me give you an example of someone who is born again. A year ago a man joined my church smelling of alcohol. He was a self-professed Christian and he knew all the right facts about Jesus. Yet in reality he was one of the most broken men that I have ever seen. He knew he was a wreck and he knew he needed to change but he couldn't. He tried rehab, he tried AA, he tried to "man up" and be strong, he even tried church but none of it could fix him. In God's eyes, he was diseased, he was wicked, he was a sinner. Yet the world said he was a good husband, father, and Christian. In his eyes he was broken but could be fixed. Well somewhere along the way God revealed to this man that he needed to "die" so that he could be reborn. He needed to give up his life so that God could give him true life. I don't know when it exactly happened but the world can now see the difference. This weak shell of a man who lived off of alcohol became a new creation. I just got finished doing a funeral where another pastor and myself buried this man's father. But do you know what I thought throughout the service? Who is this new man? Where is the weak man who would have shown up to the funeral drunk just a year ago? Where is the weak man who couldn't handle life and would have been destroyed by the death of his father? Instead what I saw was a new man! What I saw was one of the strongest men I have ever seen! I saw a man that looked like Jesus! I saw a man that was full of love, hope, grace, and peace! I have a hard time explaining what it means to be "born again" but if you want to see what it looks like then I can show you a man! This man is strong, powerful, and loving. This man is born again! This man died to self and now lives for Christ! This man was saved by the blood of Christ! This man is a child of God! This man is my brother, K. B.! God is proud, your dad is proud, your family is proud, your church is proud, and I am proud of the new man you have become!"
Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Jeremiah 32:17
