Monthly Archives: January 2011

Today my oldest child is 17 years old today. I can’t believe how time flies! It seems like yesterday we were parents for the first time. It seemed so unreal. I’ll never forget Annie’s eyes getting big and her saying, “Is it ours?” (It’s in the clip and it’s only a minute and half long.)

Nobody remembers when they were physically born into this world, but the good news is that it is possible to remember being spiritually BORN AGAIN. Jesus said, “Unless you become born again you can not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (John 3:3)

Martin Luther once said, “Born Once – Die Twice… Born Twice – Die Once.” You say, “What in the world does that mean?” If your only born ONCE… that is physically, you’ll die not just once, but twice. Once PHYSICALLY and once SPIRITUALLY. That’s what theologians call the “second death,” in which a person becomes eternally separated from God. But here’s the good news… if your BORN TWICE… not just physically, but SPIRITUALLY, you’ll only have to die at most once, PHYSICALLY and you might not even have to die physically if Jesus comes back in our lifetime.

I think it’s important to celebrate our physical birth, but what about CELEBRATING YOUR SPIRITUAL BIRTH. I remember the night I became born again. I was attending Texas Tech University and I was walking across that huge campus late one night. The Lord had been working on me all that year. I had heard the gospel and to a certain extent I believed the it… but I had never really given myself over to the it. Till that night…

I remember kneeling at a bench where I gave what I understood about myself to what I understood about Christ and I’ve never been the same! I was what Paul called, “A NEW CREATION.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) I saw things completely different. It wasn’t that I was perfect. I still had my moments where I would stumble and fall into sin, but since I had a relationship with the Lord… I quickly wanted to ask for forgiveness and make things right with Him. My whole perspective on life changed as well. I no longer did the “right thing” because I “had to,” but now I genuinely wanted to do the right thing. My life became filled with meaning and purpose as well as direction.

“… there I gave what I understood about MYSELF to what I understood about Christ and I’ve never been the same.”

So yes…I’ll continue to celebrate physical birthdays (Happy Birthday, Christi!) but it’s far more significant to celebrate and remember your SECOND BIRTH.