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Today is my birthday! 39 years ago today, the Lord decided to put me on this earth. The Lord blessed my parents by giving them me! For the past 39 years I'm pretty sure I was at times a pretty good child to them. Then, I'm sure there were many times and still are many times, I come across as a headache to them as well. Sorry Mom and Dad.
In the summer of 1995, I had another birthday. AkA. I was born again! Now you probably all are thinking how can I once again go back in my mother's womb?! " That's crazy talk Samantha! Is she smoking something? " Lol. And, to that, I say no I assure you I am not smoking anyting.
Let me explain what I mean about the whole Born again thing. Friends, I used to be living in a body that was oh so damaged, not physically, but spiritually and truly flawed. I am human as we all are with a sinful human nature as we all have.
That one beautiful day
in the summer of 1995, my loving family member introduced me to Jesus! I thought I already knew him. So I was all good. I didn't need to be reintroduced. So, I said thanks anyway Auntie! But, no I didn't know him. I just knew of him. And, I thought I really needed to work hard at being a good person and doing good things. But, I didn't have to. I mean don't get me wrong. I believe of course God wants us all to be good people and do good things.
Friends, when we are born again it says in the Bible the Old has gone the new has come! Friends, because of what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross, he took our sins with him on the cross and he wiped our slates clean, white as snow!
God just wants us to believe in his son Jesus Christ and what he did for us. He didn't have to do it, but he did it because he loves us. And, that thing about being a good person and doing good things? Take it from me, it will automatically be something you will want
to be and do. Because once you become a child of God, you will want to become obedient to our father. That's what I tried to do. I know I fail everyday. But, God knows my heart and he knows I do what I can. I know he understands when I can't. And when I ask him for forgiveness he forgives me all the time.
And, you know the best part is? Having that relationship with Jesus assures us of our salvation. We are guaranteed heaven after we die!
Let me leave you guys with this challenge. Do you guys know Jesus? Or, do you just know of him? Are you assured of your salvation? Or, are you working so hard to try to get into heaven?
Do you have two birthdays like I do?
1 John 5 11-12
And this is the testimony. God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son. He was a Son of God has life. He who does not have the son does not have life
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old is gone the new has come.
Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life
John 3:3
Jimmy Needham: Forgiven and Loved
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