Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

August 16
Saturday


CHIP OFF THE
OL' BLOCK

READ:
Ephesians 5:1-5
__________________________________________

Be imitators of God as
dear children.
__Ephesians 5:1
__________________________________________

I'll never forget the time I was asked to bring my family to a banquet where I was to be the speaker. After dinner, my son Matt came up to me and asked to sit on my lap. "Sure," I said and picked him up.

Over the course of his young life, Matt had watched me strike up conversations with lots of strangers. As an unrepentant people-person, in restaurants I would often look at the server's name tag and start my order with, "Hey, Barbara, how are you today?" To which my kids would inevitably say, "Dad, you embarrass us!"

But now, sitting on my lap, Matt turned to the "big-shot" organizer of the banquet next to me, read his name tag, and stuck out his little hand, saying, "Hey, John, how are you?:" A proud moment for me! He was acting just like his dad__a chip off the ol' block!

This is exactly what Paul had in mind when he exhorted us to "be imitators of God" (Eph. 5:1). But life has a way of making us anything but like God. We are often uncaring, short-tempered, grumpy, and unforgiving__flat-out too much like ourselves and not enough like Him!

Remember, we are saved to bear the Family resemblance, to become increasingly more like Jesus and less like ourselves. __Joe Stowell
_____________________________________________________________

````````````````O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,``````````````
```````````````This is my constant longing and prayer;`````````````
```````````````Gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures,`````````````
````````````Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear. __Chisholm`````````
_____________________________________________________________

Every child of God should have a growing likeness
to the Father

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 5:1-5**********

1 Therefore be imitators of
God as dear children. 2 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.

3 But fornication and all
uncleanness or
covetousness, let it not even
be named among you, as is
fitting for saints; 4 neither
filthiness, nor foolish
talking, nor course jesting,
which are not fitting, but
rather giving of thanks.

5 For this you know, that no
fornicator, unclean person,
nor covetous man, who is
an idolater, has any
inheritance in the kingdom
of Christ and God.

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

Like children, we should seek to imitate our heavenly Father (Eph.
5:1). But how do we do this? Peter indicates that becoming like
Christ requires intentional study and submission. "For to this you
were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an
example, that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:21). The word
example was originally used of a writing copy that included all
the letters of the alphabet. It was given to beginners as an aid in
learning how to write. The word translated step means "footprint
or track." By studying our Lord's response to life situations, we can
learn to emulate Him in our own lives. __Dennis Fisher

__Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance