Spiritual Birthday #19

 



Today is the 19th anniversary of the day I finally gave up depending on me and listened to Jesus to follow Him. In the show #TheChosen, there is a beautiful scene depicting the encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus (Season 1, Episode 7) which is similar in some ways to how I was before this day almost two decades ago. I thought I knew things but I really didn’t. I believed I was a Christian (all you had to do was ask me), but I was a Christian only in my own mind based on very faulty reasoning. If July 22, 2002 had not occurred, I would be one of those Jesus will tell at His second coming ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:23) I had many opportunities prior to 2002 to give my heart to Jesus, but I did not listen. It took the woman who was to become my wife actually talking to me about our Lord (or “dripping Jesus” as Diane says) to get me heading in the right direction. She was not there when I finally made my commitment to God, but she was essential in the process. The Chosen is a terrific tool to help bring people to faith in Jesus – even those who call themselves Christians – but the show CANNOT do it by itself. You have to engage with people. You have to show them the love Jesus has shown you. It is not up to you to make anyone commit to God – that’s between the Holy Spirit and the person – but we are commanded to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). It’s a team effort with God always in the lead.

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