December 7, 2023… Christlike Surrender …

December 7, 2023… Christlike Surrender  …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Brandon Lake singing  … Living Sacrifice …  Poignantly singing of how Joe Christians need to make our lives a living sacrifice for what Jesus sacrificed to save those who believe in and surrender for His atoning love and grace 

============        

Highlight Passage: … Romans 12:1 [NLT] … 

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. 

…Paul pleads and exhorts fellow Christians to make their (our) lives a living sacrifice in worship and praise to our Lord, Who sacrificed everything on a cross for mankind.         

Highlight Passage (in context) … Romans 12:1-3  … USE THIS LINK … </b>. 

…God’s ultimate generosity in giving up His Son to be born as a child and to die for us as God’s gift of salvation.                  

===============                                                                 .                                                                                                                                             

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 53:4-6 (NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…God’s promise thru Isaiah for a Messiah Who would come to sacrifice His life to save mankind for their rebellion and sin.  

Reference Passage: … John 3:16-17 (NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus tells Nicodemus - and all mankind - of God’s willingness to sacrifice His Son to save them (us) from their (our) sin.     

Reference Passage: … Romans 5:8 (NLT] …  

8 But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 

… Paul teaches truth to fellow Christians about God, Who was willing to sacrifice His Son to save mankind in spite of their (our) sin.     

Reference Passage: …Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT] …USE THIS LINK …  

… Paul shows fellow Christians that though Jesus was God, He was willing set aside His glory and power to sacrifice Himself on a cross to die for die for all who would believe in Him as Lord.

Reference Passage: … 1John 2:2 (NLT] … 

2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.  

…The Apostle John teaches of Jesus, as God in the flesh, being willing to sacrifice Himself in atonement for the sins of mankind.   

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author , Patricia Raybon  AT THIS LINK -   writes of the wonderful story, The Gift of the Magi, written by American author, O. Henry, which tells of a wife who was willing to sacrifice and sell her beautiful hair to purchase a gold watch chain and her husband who sold his gold watch to buy a set of combs for his wife to comb her long, beautiful, hair.    

And the story from O.Henry and this poignant ODB entry today challenges all born-again Christians to decide what we’re willing to do to worship our Lord, Jesus, … The Christ … , Who was willing to give His life for you and for me … even tho we were (and are) sinners.  As the Scriptures above challenge us, … what are we willing to sacrifice to become living sacrifices to worship and serve our Lord?  That is the challenge to myself today … and for you  … if you join me to give all we can give - thru our lives - to serve our Lord. 

   

My THANKFULNESS:.. Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, …AGAIN … for giving Your all for my all.       

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, …to be willing to give our lives as worship for giving Your life, Lord, to save all who believe in You.  … 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.