It is Wonderful to Have Two Birthdays a Year! In 1970 I asked Jesus into my heart. That was 52 years ago! on April 14, 1970
It
is Wonderful to Have Two Birthdays a Year
We all have a day of the year we were born and that is
our birthday. For me that is August 4th. When I was 26 years old I had another
birthday which I call my “spiritual birthday.”
When I was in my late 20’s I was concerned I would not
be able to conceive and have children. One night I prayed and asked God that if He
gave me children I promised to raise them in a Christian home. It wasn’t long
after that prayer that I became pregnant. A month before our first child was
born I had the opportunity to keep my prayer promise.
I had grown up going to church but not hearing the good
news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. My concept of spiritual things was from a
very “self-righteous” mindset. I saw God as “Father Time” with a balancing
scale in heaven weighing my good deeds versus my bad deeds. If my good outweighed
my bad I thought I would go to heaven. Basically, I was on a ladder of good
works.
We visited a church that had a ministry called, “Evangelism
Explosion.” This ministry trained church members on how to share the good news of
the gospel with others and help them become born again. On Tuesday night our doorbell
rang as the pastor of the church and his trainee were making home visits.
I served them coffee and refreshments and we small talked
for a while and then they asked us two questions that changed my life!
The first question was “Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you know for certain if you were to die tonight that you would go to heaven?” I was only able to answer maybe and I hope so.
The second question was, “Suppose you were to die tonight and stand before God and He were to ask you, “Why should I let you into my heaven, what would you say?” I said because I am a good person, sing in the choir, attend church regularly, etc, etc.
Before they left that night I heard the plan of salvation for the first time! John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The first question was “Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you know for certain if you were to die tonight that you would go to heaven?” I was only able to answer maybe and I hope so.
The second question was, “Suppose you were to die tonight and stand before God and He were to ask you, “Why should I let you into my heaven, what would you say?” I said because I am a good person, sing in the choir, attend church regularly, etc, etc.
Before they left that night I heard the plan of salvation for the first time! John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The pastor led me in a prayer of salvation and I knew
that I had Jesus in my heart and He has been with me all these years.
So on
August 4th I celebrate my natural birthday and on April 14th I celebrate my spiritual birthday!!
Here are the subjects and scriptures that lead to my salvation.
Here are the subjects and scriptures that lead to my salvation.
GRACE
- Heaven is a free gift (Romans 6:23)
- It is not earned or deserved (Ephesians 2:8-9)
- Is a sinner (Romans 3:23)
- Cannot save himself (Matthew 5:48)
- Is merciful - therefore doesn't want to punish us (1John 4:8 and Jer 31:3)
- is just - therefore must punish sin (Exodus 34:7 and Ezekal 18:4)
- Who He is - the infinite God-Man (John 1:1 &14)
- What He did - He died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and to purchase a place in heaven for us (Isaiah 53:6)
- What it is not - Mere intellectual assent Mere temporal faith (James 2:19)
- What it is - trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life (Acts 16:31)
(Rev 3:20, Acts 10:10 & 13, John 6:47, John 1:12-13)
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