Best Birthday Ever!!

So I had a blog started...and yet again God inspired me ...in a whole different direction.
I was going with April Fool....but something happened yesterday,  my birthday, that put a whole train of thought in motion.
First of all in my morning "knee time" giving thanks to God for 53 years....blessed years...rough times scattered through out, but learning, growing, drawing closer to Him through the trials.  But really a very blessed life!

At church we sang "Are You Washed in the Blood"

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

After church we gathered back at my house for a PARTY!   With 5 grandchildren it HAS to be a party!  My mother insists!  Balloons, birthday banner, candles on a dessert! (though little lips were blowing them out faster than we could light them!😊)
See what I mean...Blessed!😍

But then my daughter shared a conversation she had with my oldest grandchild...her son....at church;
"We were singing Washed in the Blood and he looked at me and said 'I'm washed in the blood'.  So I asked if he knew what it meant and he said 'if you aren't washed in the blood you aren't a Christian and if you are washed in the blood you are a christian'"
WOW!
 I looked at him..."you got it Bud! Are you washed in the blood?!  "Yes" he said and we gave a "high 5"!!
Best present ever!  My grandson knows he is washed in the "soul cleansing blood of the lamb!"
And here is where I started thinking...
The Best Birthday ...even though one celebrated with 5 grandkids plus the conversation with my oldest is pretty hard to beat...would be the one in which I realized I too was washed.

1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
   Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
   Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
   Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
   • Refrain:
     Are you washed in the blood,
     In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
     Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
     Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
2. Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
   Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
   Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
   Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
   Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
   Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
   And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
   And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
   There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
   Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!  (Elisha A. Hoffman, pub.1878)

When I realized a perfect Lamb willingly shed His blood for me, so that my sins would be forgiven, that I would not have to spend eternity separated from my Heavenly Father.  My "birth" into the family of God!
You have to agree...Best Birthday Ever!
I hope you have one of those birthdays!  You may remember the exact date and time....you may not.  I remember the place I was and how old I was (9 or 10)..not the exact date. But God knows and there is rejoicing
📖  "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

Having that Birthday and walking daily by His side allows for rejoicing for all the rest...for every day!

📖  Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:13-1

Christ shed His blood on the cross, died and rose again so that our sin...ALL who have sinned...

📖  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  Romans 3:23

 can be "washed" clean 

📖  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. Romans 3:25

📖  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:7-8a.

and stand before the Father holy
📖  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical bodythrough death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-  Colossians 1:22

Are you washed in the blood? YES I'M WASHED
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb!!
YES MY  garments ARE spotless! they ARE white as snow!
I AM washed in the blood of the Lamb!!

To stand before the Father, washed clean, blameless, without blemish....
Best Birthday EVER!!!!