When is a person actually Born Again?
ANSWER:
It's all right to belong to church, we should do that, but, O brother, just don't accept that, you must be BORN AGAIN. That's what the Great Prophet-shepherd said, "You must be BORN AGAIN." He said that to a theologian, "You've got to be BORN AGAIN." And when you're BORN AGAIN, it just isn't because you believe. They say, "You're born when you believe." But the Bible said, "The Devil believes, also." Now, notice, it's not that, it's an experience. You say, "Well, I've lived a good life." So did the apostles, but they wasn't BORN AGAIN until they received the Holy Spirit. They wasn't even converted until they had received the Holy Spirit. You remember the night before the betrayal... or on the betrayal, just before the betrayal took place? Jesus said to Simon Peter, "When thou art converted, then strengthen thy brethren." And Peter had followed Him for three years and a half, and had cast out devils, and healed the sick, had preached the Gospel, and still (according to the Word) was not even converted. [Why It Had To Be Shepherds, Tucson, AZ 64-1221]
If you can just be the station to pick That up, by some control inside of you, by faith, it'll move you right into the cycle of God, to the NEW BIRTH, and be BORN AGAIN. Then you'll always be in contact, to hear that Voice that will always warn you when danger is along. When things are wrong, going wrong, It'll always be a warning to you. And then, instead of someday being like that rich young boy that we're speaking of; be a man like apostle Peter, Paul, or somebody that won souls for Jesus Christ. You do that, kids. [Come, Follow Me, Tucson, AZ 63-0601]
It isn't them real genuine BORN-AGAIN Christian colored people that's causing all this trouble. You want to condemn them for that, what about some of our renegade white kids? See? Now, what sauce for the goose is for the gander. Why, our white kids cause twice as much trouble as they have. That's exactly right. Where's it at? In our colleges and things like that. Some of our higher educated people is causing those things. [Questions And Answers, Jeffersonville, IN 64-0830E]
Day is dying in the west, Heavens bless earth--earth is blessed. How--like setting of the evening sun, going down, the birds making their last call. That's got to come to every one of us then. I think that evening time... Did you ever notice, the wind will quit blowing; the birds will hush. See? It's the world dying, the day is dying to be BORN-AGAIN tomorrow morning. [Questions And Answers, Jeffersonville, IN 64-0830E]
This one thing I want you to bear in mind, that God gave this man a protection, He gave him. He fortified him inside of His Word, because He told them what they could do, what they could not do. And that's the same basis we're set on today, what we can do, what we cannot do. No matter how good we are, how much we go to church, or do this, we got to be BORN AGAIN. See? It must be. And God told Adam what he could do and what he could not do. He placed him behind His Word. And then the enemy come in, by deceit, and crawled through the walls of God's Word, 'cause the door was open to him, and he marred that image, to sin. That's one of the saddest stories. [The Identified Masterpiece Of God, Yuma, AZ 64-1205]
So ought every Christian, today, to have that same testimony. If in this promised Word of God, if our lives don't qualify and meet exactly what the Word said, then we have no right to call ourselves Christians if we're not BORN AGAIN. Jesus said, in Mark 16, "These signs shall follow them that believe." See? Not "they may; they ought to; they probably will." They shall do it. That's the Sculptor that made us. That's the Church that's hewed out. That's the--that's the Body of Christ. [The Identified Masterpiece Of God, Yuma, AZ 64-1205]
May they be identified in Christ's Word. He said, "Except a man be BORN AGAIN..." May they receive that BORN-AGAIN experience. May they receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the renovation of all the things of the world. They don't want it any longer, Lord. Clean that world away from them, and put them out as a masterpiece before the people.
Grant it, Lord, that you might be happy in this garden-time age in the last days here, to present Your masterpiece of these men and women, boys and girls, that held their hand. Grant it, Lord. [The Identified Masterpiece Of God, Yuma, AZ 64-1205]
Forgive us, O God, we, poor, unworthy creatures of this world. We are humiliated tonight, Lord, when we read what you have done for us, and so little we have done in return. How you come in the days of great religious leaders! How you was willing to stand and reflect the Word of the Father! How you didn't compromise upon their theories! And today it seems like that there's no one that wants to stand out and call the Word still "The Word," and not compromise. We pray, God, You forgive us for these things that we have so neglected. And give to us tonight, in our hearts, as we giveth to you as a manger. And we know that every time that the Crucified Christ is accepted, there is a NEW BIRTH, there is a new born sheep, there is singing in Heaven by the Angels. Over one sinner that repents, the Angels sing again. We pray, God, that if there be some here tonight that doesn't know You as the real Gift of God, as a personal Saviour, not just by a mental conception, but by a NEW BIRTH (of being born of Your Spirit), may they receive It just now, Lord, with our heads bowed. And if there should be one, Lord, that has not done this, may their hearts receive joy now, and find like the shepherds of old, in the manger of their heart, the Word, the Messiah; that'll be a-vindicated to them as the Holy Spirit, the Great Shepherd of the day. We ask this in Jesus' Name. [Why It Had To Be Shepherd, Tucson AZ 64-1221]
Friends, don't you listen to any theological myth, you be BORN AGAIN. And when you are, the Spirit that's in you is part of God, and witnesses to every Word of God being "The Truth." If you haven't got that experience, let us now hasten to the manger, the Word. Let's hasten to the Bible, away from these decorated theological-termed churches, to a real manger, to God's Word where the Messiah is made known. [Why It Had To Be Shepherd, Tucson, AZ 64-1221]
I know terminologies of what BORN-AGAIN is, but let's just watch what happened in the Bible when they were born again. Peter was a believer, the apostles were believer, but they wasn't born again till after the Holy Ghost fell on them at Pentecost. Now, they were wondering what happened, and Peter said, with the rest of them, "Ye man of Israel, be this known unto you; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by signs and miracles and wonders, which God did by Him; He who was foreknown, by determinate council you took with wicked hands and crucified, Who God has raised up and we're His witnesses. He shed forth this that you do see and hear now, and it's according to the Scriptures." [Why It Had To Be Shepherd, Tucson, AZ 64-1221]
The Name of Jesus Christ spoke life into a dead baby. What ought It to do in a church that claims to be BORN AGAIN? [Why It Had To Be Shepherd, Tucson, AZ 64-1221]
Jesus said, "Except a man be BORN AGAIN, he will in nowise enter in." >>I know terminologies of what born-again is, but let's just watch what happened in the Bible when they were BORN AGAIN. Peter was a believer, the apostles were believer, but they wasn't BORN AGAIN till after the Holy Ghost fell on them at Pentecost. Now, they were wondering what happened, and Peter said, with the rest of them, "Ye man of Israel, be this known unto you; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by signs and miracles and wonders, which God did by Him; He who was foreknown, by determinate council you took with wicked hands and crucified, Who God has raised up and we're His witnesses. He shed forth this that you do see and hear now, and it's according to the Scriptures." [Why It Had To Be Shepherd, Tucson, AZ 64-1221]
The life that you come in, the natural life, physical life, that was by your father. And the only way you can come BORN AGAIN, is the only way, is it has to be from your Heavenly Father, His attributes. "All the Father has given Me will come to Me." [Leadership, Covina, CA 65-1207]
Bible References: John 3:3; John 3:7; 1 Peter 1:23
[Answers provided by Bro. Ken Andes, Minister/Editor, Lynden, Washington]