On this day 23 years ago, at 6:46 PM CST, I bent my knee to Jesus as Lord and Savior. (If you do a search on this site for “birthday”, you will see the various explanations.)
I like to call it my Re-Birthday, as we call faith in Christ being born again. This comes from John 3 and 1 Peter 1.
I am super involved with the spreading of the faith and growing others in their faith, whether as one of the pastors at church, leading Bible studies, or teaching Christian Worldview to college students (and others in many other ways).
Care to join me? 😉
Also, it is my mother-in-law’s birthday, so join me in wishing her a happy and blessed day! If not for her, I would not have my wife!
God bless you, and remember that Jesus Christ is the reason we live and move and breathe and have meaning!
Quite a bit of this, I admit, I just copied and pasted! I changed and added what was needed.
Did you know more stuff happened this year? (*sarcasm)
On some positive notes, my Youth Group grew much bigger, and the Instructional Assistant (one step below professor, but I still teach … but mostly grade work and keep students on task) for Christian Worldview at Grand Canyon University job is proving fruitful n many ways. A big one is that I personally have gotten to lead several people to faith in Christ and help others grow deeper in their faith, as well as helping some who had been antagonistic to religion in general and Christianity in particular be more open-minded. That is pretty cool.
Overall, we had a good year. We also did a lot of upgrades around the house, and otherwise have done many things we wanted/needed to do.
I am making a palletable bench for the Mrs.
And God is still good and in control.
This next year will definitely be … 2023.
In any event, may you receive an abundance of bunches of blessings this year. And though life may take some effort to trudge through, fall on the promises of God, this year and always.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26 ESV
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Revelation 1:8, 22:12-13 ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus is the Eternal Son of God who was with the Father “before” Creation, through whom all things were created.
We rebelled against our Creator, thinking we could be like Him or had no need for Him.
Yet, God came to us, paying for our sins while reserving wrath for those who refuse to believe.
And Jesus is coming again.
He came as a baby, becoming like us to grow up and save us, and we remember this.
But we also remember that this Man is also our God – truly man and truly God at once and completely.
He died on a cross for us, but He arose again from the dead proving that this Jesus is our God of wrath and grace.
And He is returning soon in His wrath and grace to finally and completely fully redeem this world to Himself.
May we seek the Lord who has defeated sin and death, has saved us, and is coming back again in glory.
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 3:35-36, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came to live amongst us, and His true followers look to Him.
God the Father sent God the Son because of His love for Him and for us.
We are the inheritance of Christ from the Father, but only if we belive in the Son.
Though many still doubt and remain under God’s wrath.
Yet, God came to us, giving His life to bring life to those who believe because of His great love.
It is hard for us to comprehend how deep the Father’s love is, yet He gives all things to His Son whom He sent to die for us.
We are no longer under God’s wrath when we believe in the work of Christ on the cross, yet we have a greater hope knowing He arose from the grave.
All of Creation is placed in His hands, and we know He is coming again for us, as He promised before and at His ascension to the right hand of the Father.
May we seek the Lord who saves us and is coming again to take us as His own.
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31, ESV
We await the second advent of our Lord, and when He comes we shall meet Him on the clouds. This hope carries us ever forward, bringing as many along in faith as we are able by Hos power.
“You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.“
John 3:28-29, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came to live amongst us, and His true followers look to Him.
True followers of Jesus rejoice to hear Him and to point others toward Him.
People may scoff, and they may even claim we think of ourselves as high and mighty and christs ourselves.
Yet, God came to us, showing us He is the source of all goodness and power, saving His Bride – the Church – from her sin.
Jesus has saved His people, and we will want to show the world who He is.
The world may think we want to be their saviors, but we know He is the rightful King and Savior.
Our refutation is not done the same way as the world.
Yes, we deny ourselves and point to Christ, but we do it by pointing to the Scriptures that reveal His deity and works.
We remember and proclaim the prophecies of Jesus’ first coming, His death and resurrection, and that He is coming again for His Bride.
May we seek the Lord who saves us and is coming again to claim His Bride.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.“
John 3:16-18, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came to live amongst us, teaching the truths of God and proving them with miracles, signs, and wonders.
Whether we grow up surrounded by religious teachings or nothing spiritual, it can be difficult to comprehend salvation.
Jesus explained to Nicodemus, and thus to us, that it is pretty simple how to be saved, but we make it oh so difficult.
Yet, God came to us, showing us we saved only by believing in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
If we don’t choose to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and fully man, who is the God we have all sinned against, that He died for our forgiveness and restoration to Himself, and that He bodily rose back to life, we remain condemned to the wrath of God for our sin.
If we don’t believe all of that, we are in danger of not being saved.
Jesus is full of grace, and He is our only source of hope and forgiveness.
God came to us as a man to save us by taking our punishment on Himself, and we must believe this to be saved.
It is not difficult to understand, but we don’t want to admit our faults or that it can be so easy to be saved yet difficult to live by God’s standard.
May we seek the Lord who has saved us from wrath and given us the path to eternal life.
No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
John 3:13-15, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came to live amongst us, teaching the truths of God and proving them with miracles, signs, and wonders.
Even the religious elite could see it, but they could not understand without help.
And Jesus was that help to Nicodemus and others willing to listen, but we tend to be an obstinate lot.
Yet, God came to us, showing us how we are to be saved.
What does Jesus tell us about salvation?
He tells us that only Jesus has made the trip from heaven and back, that only those who believe in Him can ascend.
He tells us we must believe He is the only source of salvation, and it is in His death on the cross we find forgiveness and are saved.
God came to us as a man to save us by taking our punishment on Himself, and we must believe this to be saved.
Maybe people who lived in Old Testament times did not understand this in detail, but they knew where salvation was found: in God alone.
Christ has come and given us the Holy Spirit who leads us to Christ’s cross and forgiveness of sins and hope for eternal life.
May we seek the Lord who has saved us and shown us the path to eternal life.
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!
a simple man of God 