Something to Celebrate

A recent birthday celebration for me consisted of our kids and grandkids and some family members all meeting together at the zoo to see the animals and then going to Chuck E Cheese. I think it wore everybody out, but it was a good time. One daughter, who had kids to attend to, smilingly remarked that she had such a “good time” it would probably last for 5, 10, or 15 years. I think the grandkids had a slightly different perspective, and it will be a long-lasting totally positive memory for them.

Celebrating a birthday is to be a joyous occasion. You made it another year, another day, another hour, and another minute. I have a saying, “Make the most with what you’ve got.” Life is a journey, and Jesus came to give us abundant life. We have the privilege to choose to live each day rejoicing in what we do have and make the most of it, or we can choose to send out invitations to all those around us to come to our pity party. It is our choice. Jesus taught us there is a spiritual birthday available to every person. It is the way into the kingdom of God. He said to “marvel not”- don’t just sit around hearing about it and thinking about it, but to do something about it – “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…you must be born again” (John 3:1-8). The apostle Paul made reference to “babes in Christ”, and the apostle Peter made reference to being “born again…of seed…incorruptible…by the word of God” (1 Corinthians 3:1; 1 Peter 1:22, 23). The apostle John referred to “everyone that loveth is born of God…whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world…and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 4:7; 5:4). They all taught the same thing: There is a spiritual birth into a spiritual kingdom, experienced by faith in Jesus Christ – by hearing the word of God that Jesus died for us taking our sins away, he took our sicknesses upon himself, he conquered Satan, and he and rose again in victory and power over all. Jesus is alive today to impart eternal spiritual life into us the moment we choose to not just think about it, but to embrace him for our life now and for eternity. When we make that choice, we have a new birthday to celebrate.

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