Happy Saturday

From Daily Living Devotionals:

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. … How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! --John 1:12-13; 1 John 3:1

You've probably heard about the Battle of the Alamo that took place between the Republic of Mexico and the rebel Texan forces at the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas in 1836.

Today, the slogan used to honor this event is "Remember the Alamo." And the soldiers who fought and died are commemorated throughout the Alamo Mission in San Antonio.

On one wall near the main entrance, there is one portrait with the following inscription:

"James Butler Bonham-no picture of him exists. This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom."

I tell you this story because it reminds me there is no existing picture of Jesus either. But, as children of God, people look at us to see the likeness of the One who makes us free.

I've said it before and I'll say it again-your life is the only Bible some people will ever read. And let me add to that by saying that your life is also the only picture of Jesus that some people will ever see.

So let me ask you, when others look at you, do they see that you resemble your Father in heaven?

It's my prayer that each of us, as followers of Christ, will come to resemble Christ more and more with each passing day as we seek Him!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Jesus, thank you for dying for me so that I may be free. I pray that I would be a picture of who You are to the world and of the freedom from sin that You offer all people.

Daily Smile:

A skydiver is enjoying his free-fall, when he realizes that he has reached the altitude where he must open his parachute, he pulls the ripcord, but nothing happens. “No problem,” he says to himself, “I still have my emergency chute.” So he pulls the ripcord on his emergency parachute, and once again, nothing happens. Now the man begins to panic. “What am I going to do?” He thinks. “I’m a goner.”

Just then, he sees a man flying up from the earth toward him. He can’t figure out where this man is coming from or what he’s doing, but he says to himself, “I hope he can help me. If he can’t, then I’m in real trouble.” When the man gets close enough to him, the skydiver cups his hands and shouts, “Hey, do you know anything about parachutes?”

The man coming up cups his hands and yells back, “No! Do you know anything about gas stoves?”