Jesus answered Nicodemus saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

To many this is a puzzle, but why? 

First of all a symbolical sprinkling with water called baptism does not qualify. The original baptism comes from Noah's flood in which evil and evildoers perished; hence the old man is buried in. 

Secondly, Jewish Mikveh is a form of baptism. One goes into the water (like Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch did, "they both went down into the water" Acts 8:38) and then one goes out of the water and never stands on a bank getting sprinkled. Baptism is an act of obedience. Being washed with God's Word is also an act of obedience. Faith without works (or doing anything) is dead. 

Since Christianity emerged from Judaism some original traditions were kept until the moment the majority of Christians were no longer Jewish but gentile. So things were being changed just to satisfy the gentile pride I suppose... and the desire to distance themselves from the Jews drove many to alter many original traditions. Yet, God never meant for gentiles to dwell in their own tent, for if they do then they drift away from the truth.

TWO EYE-OPENING SCRIPTURES   

[Genesis 9:27]  “May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem. 

Japheth - Javan, Greece, Europe - Christianity. 

Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Israel, Judah - Jews.

[John 4:22] You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. - Jesus.

When you lose the anchor your boat will drift without an aim.

[Romans 11:18] Do not be arrogant toward the branches (The Jew and Israel); but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 

Read the Letter of Paul to the Roman Christians (Romans 11) about the Jews, and you will found your anchor. For it is greatly pleasing to God when one humbles the pride of this life. 

[Romans 11:32] For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

Why? To affect the humbling of pride.

I must add that the birth of water and Spirit is not only of the Word and Spirit, but also a baptism in water and baptism in the Spirit. Apostle Paul associates water washing with God's Word.

[Ephesians 5:26] so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.

John the Baptist speaks of baptism with water and with the Holy Spirit.

[Matthew 3:11] As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Just as the Jewish Mikveh is (complete immersion in flowing water) so it is in Christianity. It passed on to Christianity, but with alterations of course; nonetheless water is involved.

So we have four aspects to consider.(1) Water as the Word. (2)Physical water of baptism. (3) Immersion ( in God's word and in His Spirit), like an infant is immersed in its mother's. (4) Birth after one has matured and outgrew the womb dwelling.

There are three births, which is a mystery to most Christians.

1. Be born again starts with seeing - to SEE the Kingdom (John 3:3) (Greek SEE, εἴδω eidō, to know and be aware, perceive, understand, to be sure of and to tell about what one comprehends.) 

2. To be born of the water and the Spirit, the WORD and the Holy Spirit, in other words Holy Spirit empowered word. (Isaiah 61:1-3 speaks of the anointing that attract the Holy Spirit). That birth ushers us into God's Kingdom, hence we ENTER. (John 3:5)

3. Then one is born of the Spirit (and sins no more - 1 John 5:18 the evil one was Cain for 1 John 3:4-9 explains it. It is one Letter of John to us, not many, one message). We become like wind, born out of this world, no one knows whence we come and where we are going (John 3:8).

The start is being born again to see and understand. Most people I deal with, German speaking do not sound like they had the experience. They love Jesus and come to God in prayer but can't comprehend, and grasp spiritual things. After 25 years of preaching to the German speaking people I want to give up. Either they are so much in the flesh or they become dogmatic and very much pretentious.

Some of us have entered and some of us have been already born of the Spirit and sin no more.

Many of my friends eat and drink His Word and that's great, but in most of the churches I have ministered, Holland and Germany, people know very little about the new birth. In America there are millions who call themselves born-again Christians and each can pinpoint the new birth experience in the timeline of their lives. Then people can SEE comprehend and grasp spiritual things, just as Jesus told Nicodemus. 

I am the youngest from among 3 children. I remember clearly when in the middle of the night my sister got born again, she ran with tears to my parents bedroom shouting that she is born again. The Lord Jesus visited her in the middle of the night and she gave her life to Him.

A year later my brother also got up in the middle of the night 2 - 3 O'clock PM, crying and waking up the whole house telling us that 'he is born again.' Then one day came my time also, in 1967 in July in a Baptist Church I was born again and then was called to serve the Lord. In 1975 I was Baptized in the Holy Spirit, received the gift of tongues and prophecy. Forms a music band and evangelized. The first place was Catholic church. I gave the first ever altar call and the entire congregation stood up and with tears of repentance, actually sobbing, came to the front giving their lives to Jesus. That was the first revival explosion in my ministry. I was only 22 years old then. 

In 1979 I ministered in USA - Oakland by San Francisco, California - in a large church over 2000 people and all of them were born again. Oh what a fellowship. When I shared the word they grasped everything and wanted more. I taught there, in the Bible college; the whole class fell on the ground under the power of God. We had a revival. There were no body catchers, they just went down. The power of New Birth continues on to the middle birth as explained earlier, then comes the final birth of the Spirit and being like wind. But how can anyone believe in the third birth when the first birth is not even known? 

In Seattle, Washington, several Jewish Hassidim decided to go with me to the ends of the earth as my disciples, about 10 of them. They did not have enough of the Living Water that was flowing through me into them. We were all on fire. Although we were dressed Jewish, with kippas/yarmulke, tzitziot, praying with talits, (the prayer shoals), etc. The religious outlook did not matter, Yeshua, Jesus mattered for only He can give you the new birth, not religion or the sweat of your brain trying to understand spiritual things.

Then I came to Germany into the Lutheran churches and some Catholic. I found not one being born again and burning, but very much religious and proud of being religious. All sit dumbfounded with speculative looks on their faces. It's been a tedious and slow work of explaining and teaching something, which a born again person grasps in a split second for it is given by the Spirit.

How to get born again?

Jesus said you MUST be born again. He really used this word MUST. (Greek: δει,
die, it is necessary, must, need, ought to, you should) in order to see or comprehend God's Kingdom.

It is the heart that matters to God. If you are used to confessing things in church (Catholic or Lutheran) and think that this is it, then I must tell you that you only carry dead religion and not the living Spirit.

1. You must be desperate.

2. Cry to out to God from your heart.

3. Desire the new birth with all the intensity of your heart.

4. Fall on your knees and break your heart confessing the accumulated filth in your life, your sins, hurts, burdens, keep on confessing asking for forgiveness and grace.

5. Say, I want to be born again now. I want to be reborn and enter Your Kingdom Lord Jesus. Come into My mind, My soul, My heart, My spirit and My body. Invite Him in.

The New Birth experience then follows.

Why Mind, soul, spirit and body?

Mind - To see the Kingdom to understand it. It's His gift.

Soul - To feel Him, His love and experience His touch in our daily lives, every single day, no matter what the circumstance. The soul that sins shall die the Bible says. Soul must be saved and reborn. Its complexities, like a bundle of threats and wires, must be untied and loosened up.

Heart - The center of your entire being. Cardo (Latin, as Cardiovascular) God is after the core of your being not outward ceremonies.

Spirit - God bypasses our sinful souls and bodies using only the spirit of life in ministry. (Gifts of the Spirit like tongues, prophecy, knowledge, wisdom and understanding, faith, healing, miracles, power, etc.) Your spirit becomes His property, you surrender it all to Him.

Body - Your body executes God's will. His Spirit moves your body in service. At the new birth experience also our bodies get healed as they align themselves with the laws of God's Kingdom. The body is then vivified and experiences cleansing from time to time, it is being flushed (toxins go out) and gets renewed. Philips body was the Lord's so that He could transport it as He wanted to. Philip experience the third birth, the birth of the Spirit and beam just like wind. No one knew where he came from or where he was going.

Pray today and get BORN AGAIN. Be born again so that you might SEE the Kingdom of God. Be born of Water and the Spirit. Be born of the Spirit and be like wind. I pray for you today.




Watch THREE BIRTHS - Part 2

Watch THREE BIRTHS - Part 3

Watch THREE BIRTHS - Part 4