Friday, January 27, 2012
Can you go back and be born a second time?
John 3 (Complete Jewish Bible)
1There was a man among the P'rushim, named Nakdimon, who was a ruler of the Judeans.2This man came to Yeshua by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know it is from God that you have come as a teacher; for no one can do these miracles you perform unless God is with him."3"Yes, indeed," Yeshua answered him, "I tell you that unless a person is born again from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."4Nakdimon said to him, "How can a grown man be `born'? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born a second time?"5Yeshua answered, "Yes, indeed, I tell you that unless a person is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.6What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit. Stop being amazed at my telling you that you must be born again7from above!8The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it's going. That's how it is with everyone who has been born from the Spirit."9Nakdimon replied, "How can this happen?"10Yeshua answered him, "You hold the office of teacher in Isra'el, and you don't know this?11Yes, indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give evidence of, we have seen; but you people don't accept our evidence!12If you people don't believe me when I tell you about the things of the world, how will you believe me when I tell you about the things of heaven?13No one has gone up into heaven; there is only the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.14Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;15so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.16"For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved.18Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God's only and unique Son.19"Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked.20For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won't be exposed.21But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God."22After this, Yeshua and his talmidim went out into the countryside of Y'hudah, where he stayed awhile with them and immersed people.23Yochanan too was immersing at Einayim, near Shalem, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to be immersed.24(This was before Yochanan's imprisonment.)25A discussion arose between some of Yochanan's talmidim and a Judean about ceremonial washing;26and they came to Yochanan and said to him, "Rabbi, you know the man who was with you on the other side of the Yarden, the one you spoke about? Well, here he is, immersing; and everyone is going to him!"27Yochanan answered, "No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from Heaven.28You yourselves can confirm that I did not say I was the Messiah, but that I have been sent ahead of him.29The bridegroom is the one who has the bride; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands and listens to him, is overjoyed at the sound of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine is now complete.30He must become more important, while I become less important.31"He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth is from the earth and talks from an earthly point of view; he who comes from heaven is above all.32He testifies about what he has actually seen and heard, yet no one accepts what he says!33Whoever does accept what he says puts his seal on the fact that God is true,34because the one whom God sent speaks God's words. For God does not give him the Spirit in limited degree --35the Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands.36Whoever trusts in the Son has eternal life. But whoever disobeys the Son will not see that life but remains subject to God's wrath."
Yahweh
Deuteronomy 7:9 (Complete Jewish Bible)
9 From this you can know that ADONAI your God is indeed God, the faithful God, who keeps his covenant and extends grace to those who love him and observe his mitzvot, to a thousand generations.
Hebrew Bible
The feminine noun mitzvah (מִצְוָה) occurs over 180 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible. The first use is in Genesis 26:5 where God says that Abraham has "obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments (מִצְוֹתַי mitzoti ), my statutes, and my laws." In the Septuagint the word is usually translated with entole (ἐντολὴ).[1] In Second Temple period funeral inscriptions the epithet phil-entolos, "lover of the commandments," was sometimes inscribed on Jewish tombs.[2] Other words are also used in Hebrew for commands and statutes, for example the Ten Commandments (עשרת הדיברות) are the "Ten Words".[3]
Psalm 143 (with text - press on more info.)
Psalm 143 (New International Version)
Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
1 O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.
5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.
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