Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of images from Kathryn Scott leading in worship and singing … I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, powerfully declaring the goal of every born-again Christian … to imitate the open arms of Jesus and to follow His lead … wherever He might lead.
Highlight Passage: 1st Thessalonians 1:6-7 [NKJV] …
6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
… Following Christ becomes an example for others.
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Highlight Context … 1st Thessalonians 1:1-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul’s encouragement of Christians who followed Christ faithfully and led others to Him.
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Reference Passage #1 … Luke 9:23 [NKJV] …
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. …”
… Jesus’ clear call for all His “disciples” to follow Him.
Reference Passage #2 … 1st Corinthians 11:1 [NKJV] …
1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
… Paul knew that he was following Christ … so, anyone who would follow Paul would follow the Lord too.
Reference Passage #3 …Philippians 2: 1-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our goal as Christians should always be CHRISTLIKENESS.
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, David McCasland, used a cute, personal story to illustrate how we, as Christ’s disciples, should do all we can to imitate our Lord. He wrote: “Today we’re going to play a game called Imitation,” our children’s minister told the kids gathered around him for the children’s sermon. “I’ll name something and you act out what it does. Ready? Chicken!” The kids flapped their arms, cackled, and crowed. Next it was elephant, then football player, and then ballerina. The last one was Jesus. While many of the children hesitated, one six-year-old with a big smile on his face immediately threw his arms wide open in welcome. The congregation applauded.
It’s a quaint little illustration; but it speaks a powerful truth for all who claim to follow Christ as His disciples. And that’s why the Apostle Paul was lauding the Christians at Thessalonica in His day [see the highlight passage above] … that they were willing to follow and imitate Jesus and had become an example for all in their region. And that’s also what Paul was boldly teaching the Corinthian Christians when he declared (see 1st Cor. 11:1) that they could follow Him, … because Paul knew that he was following Christ. And finally, … Paul told his beloved Philippian friends (and us) … (see Phil. 2:1-7 above) that all Christians should do all we can to imitate Christ.
Well, I don’t know about any reading here with me; but I need to tune up my Spirit-led “GPS” to be a more diligent follower of my Lord. … How about you?
My Prayer Today: O, Heavenly Father, … As the song above declares, “No turning back, Lord … no turning back!” 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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