Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s check out the requirements for Kingdom entry

Today’s scripture, John 3:3 (AMP) shares…
Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”

Consider…
When traveling to a foreign country, a traveler is required to have a VALID passport. In order to get that passport, the person is required to provide an official birth certificate, which includes a seal by the issuing state, that affirms the residential legitimacy of the individual.

According to today’s verse, Kingdom entrants are required to have a rebirth certificate, stamped with the Holy Spirit’s seal, signifying the legitimacy of their spiritual conversion.

1 Corinthians 6:9‭-‬11 (NLT)
says…
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality… or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God…Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Reading the Kingdom exclusion list from the first two verses of that scripture would eliminate the vast majority of us from Kingdom entry. However, God uses His most frequently used conjunction, ‘but’. He said that we were cleansed, made holy, and right with God when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Our transforming, renewing and sanctifying relationship with Jesus Christ is our VALID passport to travel abroad as Kingdom ambassador-citizens and return to our Kingdom home when our trip is complete.

It should be re-emphasized that based on today’s scripture, Kingdom travelers have a rebirth certificate, stamped and sealed by the Holy Spirit. It should also be emphasized that the rebirth involves three distinguishing elements…

• Transformation
• Renewal
• Sanctification

That simply means we are changed (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)…
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

We are continually changing (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT)…
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

And are set apart for completed change (1 John 3:2 NLT)…
Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Our rebirth, means that God’s will and ways are emphasized and our’s are de-emphasized. Like John the Baptist, our new modus operandi is, “He must become more and more important, and I must become less important.” – John 3:30 ERV

Indeed accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, means declaring like Him, “not my will, but Thy will be done”.

There’s a line I remember from an old song which says, “everybody talking about heaven ain’t going there.” I think of that line because I remember claiming Jesus but not living claimed by Jesus. And then I remember being convicted by His words in Matthew 7:21‭-‬23 (AMP)…
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’

Today’s exhortation is, Kingdom people should live like Kingdom people, while traveling through this foreign land here on earth. That looks like Ephesians 4:21‭-‬24 (NLT)…
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

God doesn’t want us to act new, He requires us to be new!

And for my seasoned saints, renew means to make new again, so you too are required to live new. By the way, every transformative moment with Jesus reveals something new we should do!

Kingdom citizenship requires everything new!

Today’s song is…
New
https://youtu.be/WDlTm3XiGn8?si=siDaWgR1B1EVu_PL

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)