OUR DAILY BREAD : THE SPOTLIGHT

[cimi]

April 19
saturday


THE SPOTLIGHT

READ:
Romans 5:1-11
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We also rejoice in
God through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
__Romans 5:11
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I'll never forget the Easter Sunday in 1993 when Bernhard Langer won the Masters gold tournament. As he stepped off the 18th green to receive the green jacket__one of golf's most coveted prizes__a reporter said, "This must be the greatest day of your life!" Without missing a beat, Langer replied: "It's wonderful to win the greatest tournament in the world, but it means more to win on Easter Sunday__to celebrate the resurrection of my Lord and Savior."

Langer had an opportunity to boast about himself, but instead he turned the spotlight on Jesus Christ. It's exactly what paul was talking about when he said, "We also rejoice [boast] in God through our Lord jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation" (Rom. 5:11).

It's easy to look for ways to draw attention to our own accomplishments, making mental lists of things that are "cool" about ourselves. Even Paul admitted that he had a lot to brag about__but he considered all of it "rubbish" for the sake of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8). We would do well to follow his example.

So, if you really want something to boast about, boast about Jesus and what He's done for you. Look for opportunities to turn the spotlight on Him. __Joe Stowell

````````````````````````Naught have I gotten but what I received,```````````````````````
``````````````````````Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;`````````````````````
````````````````````````````Boasting excluded, pride I abase__`````````````````````````
`````````````````````````I'm only a sinner saved by grace! __Gray```````````````````````
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You can't boast in Jesus
while you're preoccupied with yourself.

****************************Today's Bible Reading __ Romans 5:1-11**********************
1 Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through
whom also we have access
by faith into this grace in
which we stand, and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only that, but we
also glory in tribulations,
knowing that tribulation
produces perseverance; 4 and
perseverance, character; and
character, hope. 5 Now hope
does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been
poured out in our hearts by
the Holy Spirit who was
given to us.

6 For when we were still
without strength, in due time
Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die; yet
perhaps for a good man
someone would even dare to
die. 8 But God demonstrates
His own love toward us, in
that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, having
now been justified by His
blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through Him.

10 For if when we were
enemies we were reconciled
to God through the death of
His Son, much more, having
been reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life.

11 And not only that, but we
also rejoice in god through
our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now
received the reconciliation.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In Romans 5, the apostle Paul reminds us of our great blessing
and privileges as followers of Christ. In verses 1-2, he says that in
Christ we have "peace with God" and "access" to God through our
faith relationship with Christ. This is part of what he would later
call our "reconciliation" to God (vv.10-11). We've been restored to
relationship with Him through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.