Celebrating 38 Years of Living Life (2014-07-06)<\/b>
\nToday I celebrate my 38th birthday! No, I am older than 38, but it was 38 years ago, on July 6, 1976, Jesus Christ gave me life \u2013 I was born again (John 3:3). What a wonderful day that was!
\nAs the Bible describes it, I was “translated from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of His Dear Son” (Col 1:13)…”out of darkness into His marvelous light” (2 Peter 2:10). Although raised by parents who held strictly to Christian moral standards (for which I am extremely grateful), I was, nonetheless, completely “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), and I realized that day that all of what I assumed were my “Christian” works to get me to heaven were totally “dead works” (Heb 6:1; 9:14) and “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) \u2013 works that were just as “dead” as me!
\nA person doesn’t know they are dead until they come alive; and when the “Zoe*” life of God was birthed within me, how different everything became! (My full testimony can be viewed here: www.slentz.org\/testimony). The Bible was not just my religion’s textbook! It was my Father’s love letter delivered directly to me! Prayer was not a duty to be checked off on a chore list, but a precious privilege of intimate conversation with the Lover of my soul! Christianity was no longer a religion, but a relationship! Life now had so much more meaning and an eternal purpose for me! It was as when “…the day breaks, and the shadows flee away…” (Song of Solomon 2:17; 4:6). Being birthed miraculously by a God into His family, I could feel that I had become a “new creature” (2 Cor 5:17) or a “new species” as C.S. Lewis wrote about in “Mere Christianity”.
\nWhat a wonderful life! Today is my birthday! Today is my celebration of that wonderful day that began a wonderful journey which includes wonderful companions to encourage me along this Way of Life \u2013 my loving wife and children, and so many others that put joy in the journey! The Life for which Jesus died and rose again to make it available for me! Hallelujah!
\n*”Zoe” is the New Testament Greek Word for “Eternal Life” which is extremely different than “bios” the Greek Word for biological life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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