2007-03-07 - National Crown Roast Of Pork Day

Zechariah 9:16, "They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown."

In case you did not know it, and have not taken the day off from work today in honor of National Crown Roast of Pork Day; today, March 7, is it. They do have a day for everything. I have a friend whose birthday is on March 7, but I am not sure that having a birthday on National Crown Roast of Pork Day really says anything about her. I actually hope it doesn't.

As Christians we do recognize days to some extent. and some do so more than others. The higher church traditions tend to have a greater focus on "Christian days," and the church calendar than the lower traditions do. Most evangelicals do something special for Christmas and Easter at least, but some do not. Some evangelical churches feel that God has given 52 days (Lord's day) to worship Him and that the recognition of "other" days is inconsistent with faithfully following the "one in seven" principle that they feel is given in Scripture. I don't intend to say any view of tradition is correct; we probably all have it wrong, and even for those who don't have a tradition…that not having a tradition becomes a tradition in itself.

But I am more interested today in birthdays. It is good to have one; we all should. Even if your birthday does not fall on National Crown Roast of Pork Day, it hopefully is at least one day of the year where you are able to feel special. and others seek to make you feel special. Everyone is special in the eyes of the Lord. Many often don't feel that way, but their value and worth, being created in the image of God, is beyond dispute, no matter what they might feel. However, while I have in mind birthdays, that is not the birthday I actually have in mind for this devotional.

The birthday I have in mind is our other birthday. Everyone should have two birthdays, whether you know your second birthday or not. We should all have a second birthday.wherein coming to faith in the salvation secured for us, in Christ, for our sins, we are re-born in Him. Before you have another earthly birthday, labor hard, if necessary, to be sure you have this all-important Heavenly birthday of turning from death to life.

Some people know the day they came to faith in Christ. Some people even know the hour. Some people can say that at 3:47:55pm on July 17, 19xx, I personally received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Others don't have a day or a time, but know they rest in Christ alone, know they are seeking to live in holiness, and have all their hope and trust in Christ. Others can't remember the day, but know the circumstances of the transformation from a child of wrath to a child of promise. My point is that one is not better than the other. One is not more spiritual than the other. Tell me that you are living for Christ, seeking His will in your life, striving unto holiness, and I will respond that you show all the evidences of a child of God - no matter if you know the hour you first believed or not. Tell me you are living in sin, have no prayer life, are forsaking the means of grace, and yet give me the hour, minute, and second you came to faith - and I will say that while you may have the appointment marked, it was not kept.

It is grace, all grace, and only grace that gives us this second birthday, and I encourage you this day to seek to know that you have two days to celebrate, because then, really, every day is a day of joy.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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