Luke 8:13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.

There have been some posts of late about “falling away”.

The parable of the sower teaches us that one can believe the Word with the mind and take joy in it, but never took it to heart where it became rooted and grounded in love.

Ephesians 3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

To complete that thought we must include ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Our faith is tested to show us if it be by the power of God or of human intellect.

Some of what can be seen in modern churches these days is not a falling away, faith never took root in their hearts.

Psalm 49:12 But man, with all his [self] honor and pomp, will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish. (AMP)

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

No birth has meant so much to so many for so long.

Worthy are you Lord to be honored.

Why this message today?

I woke up and forgot it was my birthday today.

I was born August 15th, 1947, in my grandmother Packard’s bed, on my grandfather’s farm, in Willimantic, Maine. I was delivered by Dr. Paul Taylor. I was a blue baby with my cord wrapped around my neck. He handed me to my Aunt Jean who is the only person who ever told me about my birth because she was traumatized by the event.

One person in my sphere remembered by birth.

In truth I am not worthy of being remembered when I think about birthdays.

I didn’t even remember it myself.

This is my gift to myself, giving myself a day off from presenting the gospel as I have every day since January 1, 2014.

But I will not forget to remember the only birthday that changed the world for the better.

Born in a manger, alone with His mother and foster father, His birth was even more humble than my own. And that was the end of the similarities between our births.

I did get something He did not. I got to be born again, because His life matters.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!