Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … I Want To Be Just Like You … poignantly singing of the desire for all of us to become just like Jesus.
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Highlight Verse[s]: 2 Corinthians 3:18 [NKJV] … 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
… When others see us, do they see God’s glory - from His Spirit - shining from us?
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2nd Corinthians 3:17-4:2 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul teaches on how we must let the light of Christ shine from our lives so that others can see our Lord in the way we live.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Galatians 5:22-23 [NKJV] …
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
… When others see me, do they see these characteristics of Christlikeness?
Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Philippians 2:5-7 [NKJV] …
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
… Others should see the mind of Christ in what we, as Christians, think, say, and do.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, uses an interesting word picture to show us how we should be showing forth the transformation being made in us by God’s Spirit, presenting Christlikeness to the world. The ODB author wrote: They say we all have one: Doppelgangers some call them. Lookalikes. People unrelated to us who look very much like us. Mine happens to be a star in the music field. When I attended one of his concerts, I got a lot of double takes from fellow fans during intermission. But alas, I am no James Taylor when it comes to singing and strumming a guitar. We just happen to look alike [see photo of James Taylor lookalike above].
I really don’t know if there’s anyone out there who looks like me. For their sake, I certainly hope not? … {;>) … But I do know that I strongly desire, as a Christian, that others see me as a Doppelganger, a lookalike, for Jesus. As the linked song poignantly sings, I want others to see Jesus in me, … especially in the eyes of my family and dear ones, like you (i.e, fellow Christians). And most certainly, when non-believers see me, I do so pray that they somehow can see me wearing Christ’s robes of righteousness as the Holy Spirit transform me, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, into the image of my Savior, … flying free from my past life of sin.
And today I was led, by Paul’s teaching in the Scriptures above, to do a self inventory, asking myself if the image of CHRISTLIKENESS, can be seen in the way I live … i.e., in what I think, say, and do. And I do so pray that today I can bear sweeter fruit (see Gal. 5:22-23) for others to see and feel Christ in me.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, … Again I pray that You help me to be more like You today than yesterday … and even more tomorrow than today. … 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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