Time for a Change

Based on 2 Kings 15-16, John 3:1-18

"In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room." 2 Kings 15:23‭-‬25

There are many different people listed in the above Scripture...a king, a captain & fifty other men...no matter the background or position, there was evil being done in the sight of The Lord. There was bloodshed. There was evil intent. Not many of the kings listed in these chapters, whether they were of Israel or Judah, did right in the sight of The Lord. Not many other people rose up to defend God...and if they did, they did it half-heartedly, because they only removed some areas of sin, but let some other sins slide...it is clear in these passages that a change had to be born out of this chaos!

"So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria." 2 Kings 16:7‭-‬8

Ahaz king of Judah even turned to his enemies for help instead of turning to God! It says earlier in the chapter that he walked in the ways of the kings instead of the ways of The Lord. What started out as a kingly position designated by God became a kingly position designed to impress the world. They lost their purpose. They began to live by the world's standards and not stand out as an example, living by God's Word! Again, a new change had to be born!

...And that's why we all have to be born again! We all have the potential to be like these kings, captains & men of the Bible...we all have the ability to follow our hearts in the wrong direction & forget our God-given purpose...and maybe we haven't even found it yet? Either way, we need to go through the new birth to signify a purposeful new life living for Christ!

"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? 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." John 3:3‭-‬6

Plain & simple! The flesh is a blinder upon our eyes. Nicodemus came from a high priestly status, and even that was a blinder to him. He was so nearly convinced of what Jesus was saying, but in the end he was more secretive about believing in Jesus instead of standing out. He feared what the other priests & Jews would think of him. We need to be born of the water & Spirit! Jesus was born, although He was already God & already alive! He humbled Himself in that position instead of His position in glory, although He never stopped being God!

We need to re-think our lives, and the paths we are following. We need to consciously ask, are we following God's plan? Because God's plan is the only one with eternal life as the end result!

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38