Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Clay Crosse, Bebe Winans, and Bob Carlisle singing … I Will Follow Christ … poignantly singing of the commitment that it takes to surrender self to the Savior and make Him the Lord of our lives.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 6:1 [NKJV] …
1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ..."
… Do we do our good for self or for the Savior?
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 6:1-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus demands total surrender and commitment to worship Him … and Him alone!
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … 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 demands denial of self to follow Him as a disciple.
Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Romans 12:1-2 [NKJV] … 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
… Paul’s exhortation to commitment and surrender of self as a living sacrifice for our Lord.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Randy Kilgore, uses the example of the commitment of the Guards of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery to teach on the commitment necessary to be a disciple of Christ. The ODB author wrote: I’ve always been impressed by the solemn, magnificent simplicity of the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. The carefully choreographed event is a moving tribute to soldiers whose names—and sacrifice—are “known but to God.” Equally moving are the private moments of steady pacing when the crowds are gone: back and forth, hour after hour, day by day, in even the worst weather.
In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel was bearing down on Washington, DC, and the guards were told they could seek shelter during the worst of the storm. Surprising almost no one, the guards refused! They unselfishly stood their post to honor their fallen comrades even in the face of a hurricane.
Perhaps you’ve been to Arlington National Cemetery and have seen the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. It’s impressive, … especially when you realize that these committed soldiers wouldn’t let a driving rain storm (see photo), or even a hurricane, deter them from their duties to guard this national monument.
And after hearing the linked song and taking in the scriptures above, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that Jesus demands the same kind of commitment to follow Him as do these soldiers to guard that tomb; … TOTAL SURRENDER AND SELF-SACRIFICE, … just like the Apostle Paul exhorted fellow Christians in Romans 12:1-2.
So, I don’t know about my fellow readers here, but I need to surrender more of myself to my Lord today … and as I’m called on to follow Him in the future.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, … today I’m more committed than ever to follow You and prayerfully every day even more hence forth. … 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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