Born Again

Y'hshuwah/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.  John 3:3 

To be "born again" has sadly been handed down through the centuries to now mean little more than a "sinner's prayer" and baptism, then back to "business as usual" until we all go to heaven.  As this conversation in John 3 continued, being "born again" was literally compared to being born.  When a baby is born, they no longer live in the dark environment in which they were comfortable . . . the same when one is born again.  When one is born again, they are no longer in the darkness that once surrounded them.

Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O YHWH, in the light of thy countenance.  Psalm 89:15

No New Religion

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.  John 2:23

Jesus/Y'hshuwah did not come to start a new religion, but rather came to show us how to live in loving obedience and to fulfill the purpose of the Father' which was to be the perfect and final sacrifice for sin.  He set the example for living and his death paid the price for sin.  He observed the same Holy Days Israel was appointed to do and He lived by the Covenant given at Sinai, recorded by Moses.

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Passover of YHWH . . . And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to YHWH throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.  Exodus 12:11,14

Religious Marketing is Not a New Idea

. . . Jesus/Y'hshuwah went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.   John 2:13b-16

Of course we'd never expect to find sheep and oxen for sale at the local church, but considering those were "worship aids" at the time, there is a new perspective to glean.  How many books, tapes, CDs, and cups of coffee for that matter; are sold Sundays before and after the "contemporary" service?  There's hardly anything modern about the sale of religious products in the house of worship.  What's changed, is the marketing concept that it now, somehow pleases our Heavenly Father.  Messiah made his feelings very clearly known about this.  Since he's the same, yesterday, today, and forever; a religious building with merchandise and a focus on money is not pleasing to The Father or His Son.

 

Mary's Words

His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it . . . Jesus/Y'hshuwah saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.  And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.  When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,  And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.  This beginning of miracles did Jesus/Y'hshuwah in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.   John 2:5, 7-11

Throughout much of Christendom, Mary, the mother of Messiah gets a great deal of prominence.  The reality is, there are very few passages containing the words of Mary.  She had a brief conversation with the angel that informed her of her pregnancy with the Messiah.  There is the record of a very brief conversation with her cousin Elizabeth, as they both rejoice in their pregnancies.  Elizabeth with John the Baptist, and Mary with Messiah.

By only the second chapter of John, we come to the first miracle recorded, and one of the most famous.  Messiah was in attendance of a wedding feast just before Passover, when the wine supply was depleted before the celebration had properly ended.

In one simple statement, Mary established the foundation for living by faith and getting results.  "Whatever he says, DO IT!"