Of course, most of us understand that being spiritually born again is fundamental to being a Christian but thinking that this simply means a sincere invitation to Jesus to come into our heart and be our Lord is missing the bigger and more beautiful message here.

Likewise, we as Christians need walls – NOT walls between one another but walls of defense against the spiritual enemies we face. Without them, we too are easy prey – the ‘world’ and/or our own sin nature then has too much freedom to bother, bully and oppress.

You see, as awed and overjoyed as these ragamuffins were with their risen Savior, they were surely discouraged and down on themselves for their own behavior – Peter, as you recall, not many days earlier dished out some satanic advice to Jesus concerning the cross and then denied vigorously ever knowing Him at His trial. After the resurrection, Thomas was filled with an almost defiant doubt that Jesus was alive again. James and John certainly remembered disputing with the others when they desired thrones on the left and right of Christ’s. Nathanael and the others deserted Jesus, leaving Him in the garden like a bunch of scared cats. Surely, it was on their minds and they must have pondered just how do you face such glorious majesty when your life includes such a travesty of failures?

But they look to America and their own wits, their own power to preserve them. They’re not yet ready for their true Messiah, they’re ready for a false one. And Christ will remain in heaven until it’s time

Will you turn, or will you be taught? Will you truly accept what He has to say about you, about this world, about love and grace, about righteousness and judgment, about heaven and hell? Everything the world, so to speak, throws at us is intended to cause us to turn, to turn away from the truth.

A sincere desire for the truth is fundamental to growing in faith. So many Christians never progress in their spiritual walk because they stop desiring the truth – that’s because it’s humbling, very humbling.

So, where does this ‘guts’, this trust in God, come from? From keeping in mind, in sight, the goodness of God. It is in these times of trial that we need most to recall ‘God is good’. As with Moses, to see His glory is to see His goodness.

Jesus knew immediately the source of Nic’s dilemma. And John presented it in his gospel because the poor Pharisee is not alone. We can all wear his sandals so to speak. Most of us at some time or another get caught in the same mess.

So how do you hear? What is the condition of your heart soil? Recall, Jesus said, “Take heed how you hear.” And the prophet proclaimed, “Break up your fallow ground.” In other words, it’s how we participate – the receptivity of our heart or how we hear.

You see, it is God’s plan both to save you from sin and death AND to conform you unto the image of His Dear Son. Did you suppose that to be a painless intellectual process? Did you want to roar with the Lion and not first bleat with the Lamb?