God wants you to imitate Christ!

5/2/2019

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV

You do not have to be a Pastor Priest or Theologian to serve Jesus. God does not expect you to be a spiritual superhero or a superstar halo head. You can serve God by imitating Jesus. You can offer up your sacrifice to Jesus without wearing expensive perfume or cologne!

The instructions and exhortations given to us in the bible are for everyone. The great commission to make disciples of all nations is for all of us. The promises found in the Word of God are for all people who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

If we submit to God’s will the Lord will do great and mighty things in us and through us for His glory and for the good of the people all around us.

When God tells us to be imitators of Christ He is not speaking just to your Pastor. He is not just talking to the people who greet you at the entrance of the Church on Sunday. God is not only speaking to the missionary family you send a check to once a month.

God is calling you to imitate Christ!

God wants us to imitate Christ so we will not grieve the Holy Spirit. Jesus wants us to imitate Him so we can please God. He tells us how to imitate Christ. The way to imitate Christ is to walk in love. God is love. Loving people is how we introduce them to Jesus.

Jesus sacrificed Himself as an offering to God. He is calling us to sacrifice ourselves as a sweet smelling aroma to Him. God is not calling us to sacrifice ourselves the way Jesus did. Jesus wants us to sacrifice our selfish desires by allowing Him to live His life through us.

God does not want us to miss out on participating in His ministry as He transforms creation one heart and soul at a time.

Temptation is not sin. Giving in to temptation is sinful. Everyone is tempted to sin. Temptation is part of the human condition. Our sinful flesh wars against our desire to serve God. Jesus was tempted. He did not sin. Jesus defeated sin and death at the cross!

The Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome our sinful flesh by giving us the freedom to imitate Christ!

Imitate Jesus by walking in love!

Offer up a sweet smelling aroma to God through faith in Jesus Christ today!

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Louie Garcia

Joyfor2day daily devotional goes out over the internet to thousands of people all over the world five days a week

Jesus can use you to shake the foundations of the prison and set people free!

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour. Acts 16:16-18 NKJV

The slave girl was speaking the truth. She was possessed by an evil spirit. The evil spirit was drawing people away from Christ!

This attack came as God’s servants went to prayer. The enemy of our souls attacks when we step out in faith. Satan seeks to distract us. He wants us to focus our attention on things other than Jesus.

The devil perverts the truth. He uses it against us. No one can serve two masters. This girl was speaking the truth about Paul and his companions while practicing witchcraft. When people claim to speak for God we must consider how they live.

The girl followed the disciples for several days before they cast the demon out of her. It is important for us to wait on the Lord before stepping out in faith. The bible tells us Paul was greatly annoyed by this girl. Paul was not fearful. The Lord was with Him!

Paul and Silas were put in jail. The owners of the slave girl were angry at the loss of income when the demon was cast out of her. While Paul and Silas were in jail they shared the gospel with the jailer. His entire household was saved.

God uses Satan’s attacks for His glory and our salvation!

Satan is a real being. He takes people captive to do his will. There really are demons who seek to destroy God’s people and bring destruction to our world.

We have nothing to fear from the devil or his demons when we live according to God’s will. We have nothing to fear from anyone or anything when we step out in faith to serve Jesus!

Jesus wants us to fear Him and Him alone. He wants us to know His power and authority are unequaled in all of creation.

God wants you share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people in your life. Jesus wants you to walk in great boldness because He is with you everywhere you go!

Jesus can use you to shake the foundations of the prison and set people free!

God wants you to imitate Christ!

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Louie Garcia

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