Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a video of Brian Littrell singing … I Surrender All, declaring what should be the attitude of all disciples of Christ … the attitude of surrender and love, offered to all in Christ’s Name.
Highlight Passage: Galatians 4:4-5 [NKJV] …
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
… His greatest gift of love for all mankind …
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Highlight Context – Galatians 4:1-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus sacrificed all for us so that we could have all in Him.
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Reference Passage #1 - John 13: 1-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus demonstrated His sacrificial love for His disciples on the night before the cross by washing their feet and charging them to have that type of love for all.
Reference Passage #2 - Philippians 2:3-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… As Christians we are to take on the mind of Christ … that of a love which is willing to give His love for all …
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Bill Crowder, used a classic story by O. Henry to illustrate his teaching. He wrote, O. Henry’s classic tale “The Gift of the Magi” tells of Jim and Della, a young married couple who are struggling financially. As Christmas approaches they want to give special gifts to each other, but their lack of money drives them to drastic measures. Jim’s prized possession is a gold watch, while Della’s is her long, beautiful hair. So Jim sells his watch in order to buy combs for Della’s hair, while Della sells her hair to buy a chain for Jim’s watch.
Yesterday we celebrated Christmas day; and many reading here may have been comfortably sitting next to a tree, as our family was, exchanging lovely gift and prayerfully giving sacrificially for loved ones as in the O. Henry story. But it all signified - or should have - Christ’s amazing surrender and sacrifice on a cross … His gift of all times … for all mankind.
And I pray this morning that all who come here take on the attitude of surrender expressed in Brian Littrell’s song, linked above. And maybe it caused you - as it did me - to remember the true story of Jesus taking the time to wash the feet of His Disciples in that upper room just hours before he would shed His blood as His ultimate Christmas gift to them [see John, Chapter 13]. And Jesus charged His followers (and that’s you and me too] to have that same kind of grace and love for others in our lives. But do we?
Oh, how I pray all of us will be as Paul charged his beloved readers in Phil. 2:3-5 … i.e., to show the willingness to humble ourselves, as Christ did … and to share the burdens of others. That would be a pretty good resolution for 2016, wouldn’t it?
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Help me to get my mind off of me and to share Your love with others today … and all days. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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