March

 

On this day in 1979,

I got saved.

It WAS a dark and stormy night.

 

Happy Birthday to you,

everybody needs two,

how many have you?

Happy Birthday to you.

 



 

If you are reading this,

it means you have HAD

a physical birthday.

Now you need a

spiritual birthday.

 

 

John 3  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi,

 we know that thou art a teacher come from God:

 for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

 Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?

 can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,

 he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh;

 and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

 



¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;

 but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned:

 but he that believeth not is condemned already,

 because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,

 and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

 





Becoming a Christian is not a journey.

You're either born again, or you are not.

 



I've been saved, born again, on my way to heaven,

for 36 years.

For all those years,

I've had my story.

My testimony:

A public recounting of a religious experience.

 



I haven't always been able to turn right to Exodus in my Bible.

I haven't always known and loved Romans 12.

I haven't always known the story of Joseph, and what a great man he was.

I haven't always known how long it took Noah to build the ark,

or what Hannah prayed for,

what Job lost, but regained.

I haven't always known why Stephen got stoned,

or who Abigail was.

I haven't always loved hymns.

I still don't have Elijah and Elisha straight in my head.

I still probably shouldn't try to teach Revelation or the book of Daniel.

 



But I have always been able to tell my story.

What happened to ME.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17

 Therefore if any man be in Christ,

 he is a new creature:

 old things are passed away;

 behold, all things are become new.

 

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed.

 



 

I gave My life for thee,
My precious blood I shed,
That thou might'st ransomed be
And quickened from the dead.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All my life long I had panted
For a draught from some cool spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.

Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings;
Through His life I now am saved.

Feeding on the husks around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.

Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul's sad cry.

Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life, so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me.

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
  All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
  Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
  O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
  Everything to God in prayer!

 



 

 I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me
A sinner, condemned, unclean

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. 

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.