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Nicodemus asked Jesus to go to Heaven

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(John 3:1-21)

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

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Jesus always taught many people about heaven anywhere.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for they can go to heaven." (Matthew 5:3)

So people who wanted to hear the gospel gathered around Jesus.

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Some people openly followed Jesus as His disciples but some did not.

One of them was Nicodemus.

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If others knew that Nicodemus followed Jesus, he would be in trouble because he was one of the leaders of the Pharisees. He followed Jesus' words but he could not show himself in front of people.

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Nicodemus had many questions that he wanted to ask Jesus.

So he came to Jesus at night without anyone knowing.

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"Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God.

For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

Nicodemus confessed to believe that Jesus was sent by God.

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In reply Jesus declared,

 "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

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Nicodemus did not understand. So he asked Jesus again.

"How can a man be born when he is old?

 Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

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Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'"

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Jesus continued, "The wind blows wherever it pleases.

You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

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"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

Nicodemus studied a lot but could not understand what Jesus said.

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Jesus explained to him how to be born again with the Holy Spirit. "In Moses days, when people who blamed God were bitten by the venomous snakes and were dying, God told Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole. Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."

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"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.

Everyone who believes in me may have eternal life. I have come down to earth to save the world. People who believe in me will not be condemned."

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After hearing from Jesus about how to go to heaven, Nicodemus held a funeral when Jesus died on the cross. He poured the perfume on the dead body of Jesus with faith.

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We should be born again by the Holy Spirit in order to go to heaven.

Having new life by the Holy Spirit means that we believe in Jesus who died on the cross for us and live with Him together in our hearts.

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Even the rich cannot go to heaven with only money. The strong cannot go to heaven. The people who are intelligent or beautiful cannot go to heaven. The only way to go heaven is to believe in Jesus and accept the Holy Spirit in your heart. You should be born again as a new creation in Christ and then you can go to heaven.

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Therefore, people who have already believed in Jesus and have received salvation have to live as God's Word says truly sincerely. We should think about Jesus' grace. If some of you do not believe in Jesus, you should accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior to receive eternal life as a free gift.