Shocking Headlines

       What excites you when you read the morning newspaper?  When there were really important things happening, the newspaper would use a very large type for the headline.   Headlines in the newspaper often include that which is sensational.  The more sensational it is the better according to most people.  It is true even in Christian circles.  The supernatural seems to take all of our attention.  At the same time, the simple truth of people becoming born again seems to make no affect on people.  It was true in the days when Jesus was instructing His disciples.  Luke 10:19-20 says, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." 
       The disciples were more excited over the supernatural ability that they had over evil spirits than they were over the fact that their names were written in the Lamb's book of Life.  It may have seemed as if the Lamb's Book of Life was far down the road for them and what they were doing in the present world for them was more important.  The same is true for us.  We can't see the affects of a person being born again as well as we can when God performs a miracle.  We look at "everyday miracles" and don't see the hand of God working in them as much as we do when God heals or causes things to take place that seemed to be impossible.  Jesus had a visitor one evening by the name of Nicodemus.  Nicodemus questioned Jesus and couldn't get the grasp of the new birth.  Jesus was explaining it to him and that it had to be "from above."  There are many people who don't have a clue, just as did Nicodemus so many years ago, about the new birth.  It has not happened to them.  To those that have been born again, the thought of the new birth often begins to fade as our attention is drawn to the more sensational things of the Christian life.  Simplicity sometimes makes things seem too easy.  But, that isone of the problems.  The greatest miracle of all has taken place in that your name has been written down in the Lamb's Book of Life.  It has been written down in heaven.  You have experienced the new birth.  The new birth itself is even more profound than the miracle of the physical birth.  As a believer, you certainly many things about which you can rejoice.  One of the most profound is that your name is written down in heaven.  Praise God for that today for the gift that He has given to you.