September 19, 2019 … It’s A Really Big Deal !!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 262 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Brian Doerksen singing Creation Calls ... poignantly singing of how creation calls us to realize just how vast God’s creation is and how much God loves us in the scope of what our Lord and Creator has created for us.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 6:26 [NKJV] ... 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 
... Jesus assures us of our importance to our Heavenly Father.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 6:25-32 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Jesus assures His followers of their importance to God in the vastness of the universe. 
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Reference Passage : ... Psalm 8:3-4 [NKJV] ... 3  When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 what is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 
 ... God, thru the Psalmist, shows us the vastness of His creation and our importance to Him thru it.

Reference Passage : ... Psalm 19:1 [NKJV] ... 1  The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. 
... David sings of God’s glory as we simply look up into the heavens.

Reference Passage : ... John 1:1-3 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK …
... Think of it, … when we see the universe, we see all that God has created … for we are the crowning glory of HIs creation.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, reflects on how he feels so insignificant when he looks up into the vastness of the universe (see photo). … The ODB author wrote: What makes me feel small is creation’s vastness—when I gaze at an ocean, fly over the polar ice cap, or survey a night sky sparkling with a billion stars. If the created universe is so expansive, how much greater must be the Creator who spoke it into being! 

But then the ODB author also reflects on reading and believing in the truth of what Jesus spoke to those who were following Him in the highlight passage from the Sermon on the Mount [see Matt. 6], … where He assured them (and us) of mankind’s importance to God.

And yes, we also read, in the psalms of David, just how vast the universe, which God created, appears when we look into the heavens [see the psalms copied above). And to think that all of that was created for God’s glory [YES!]; but it was also created for the crowning glory of God’s creation, which is mankind [that’s you and me!].

And then we look to the cross and see just what God was willing to do for us; … that, … in his love for mankind, He would send His Son, the glory of all glories, to die for us … to save us from our own sin [see John 3:16, which I’m sure you know by heart].

Oh, can you witness a profound and loud, ”HALLELUJAH” along with me as you read this; … for the God Who created all that we see in the heavens and under our feet, did so JUST FOR US. … Oh yes, for sure in bold red letters … ”HALLELUJAH !!!” 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for creating all that I experience just for me and for Your glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to thank and praise our God for all He has created for us; … and most especially for sending His Son, our Lord, to die and save us from ourselves. … 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.</ span>

September 18, 2019 … Stand or Run

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 261 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Mia Fieldes singing her song Fearless ... poignantly singing of how we Christians can deal with the fearful challenges of life, … by standing in the knowledge that our Lord gives us His strength in our times of fear/weakness.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1Peter 5:9 [NKJV] ... 9 Resist him [Satan], steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 
... Paul declares God’s truth that we can stand for Christ no matter what the enemy may bring against us.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1Peter 5:8-10 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
... Peter declares how we Christians can - and should - be vigilant and know how do deal with the wiles and strategies of Satan.
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Reference Passage : ... 1Corinthians 10:13 [NKJV] ... 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 
... Paul reminds us that God is ALWAYS faithful to help us deal with life’s temptations and trials.

Reference Passage : ... Ephesians 6:10-13 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK …
... Many times our battles are way beyond us; but we can put on God’s armor and stand in the gap for His glory.

Reference Passage : ... 2Timothy 2:22 [NKJV] ... Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 
... Sometimes the best battle strategy is to just turn and run … away from Satan and toward the path where God is leading us.

Reference Passage : ... 1John 4:4 [NKJV] ... 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 
... We need to learn to realize and act from the faith that the power in us is ALWAYS greater than the powers which come against us from the world.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Alyson Kieda, uses a personal remembrance to illustrate how difficult it is to stand strong against our spiritual enemies.  … The ODB author wrote: Ali was a beautiful, smart, and talented teenager with loving parents. But after high school something prompted her to try heroin. Her parents noticed changes in her and sent her to a rehabilitation facility after Ali eventually admitted the impact it was having on her. After treatment, they asked what she would tell her friends about trying drugs. Her advice: “Just turn and run.” She urged that “just saying no” wasn’t enough. 
Tragically, Ali relapsed and died at age twenty-two of an overdose. In an attempt to keep others from the same fate, her heartbroken parents appeared on a local news program encouraging listeners to “run for Ali” by staying far from situations where they could be exposed to drugs and other dangers. 

Many reading here know that God has called yours truly to lead a ministry [USE THIS LINK] that shows men who have past struggles with habitual sexual sin to learn how to walk free and stand strong against Satan in this “hypersexual" and “pornified” world. And those who’re serious to walk free learn the truth of the Scriptures above … that we need to be vigilant to identify the ploys of Satan in this world [see highlight passages], who is like a roaring lion [see photo] seeking to devour those of us who can’t learn to stand strong (see Eph. 6:10-18) or those who simply don’t know when to turn and run toward Christ (see 2Tim. 2:22).

The men who learn to be warriors are those who learn to believe and act on the faith that we, who are in Christ, have His power to do battle (see 1John 4:4) and that God is always faithful to show us how to deal with the temptations and trials of life [1Cor. 10:13], … IF … we’re simply willing to follow Him in battle each day.

I pray we do so today, … FEARLESSLY … as Mia Fieldes sings in the linked song. 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for showing us the way to do battle against our enemies.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will follow You as You gives us Your strength and leads us in battle today. … 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.</ span>

September 17, 2019 … Covered in Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 260 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Zach Williams singing his song No Longer A Slave To Fear ... poignantly singing of how we Christians can declare - thru baptism - that we have died to self and now live, being covered by Christ’s robes of righteousness.

Yours truly being baptized in the Jordan River

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Highlight Verse[s]: Galatians 3:27 [NKJV] ... 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 
... Paul declares God’s truth that our baptism in Christ allows us to put on His robes of righteousness … FOREVER!!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Galatians 3:26-29 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
... Paul declares how, in Christ, we are now are now free from being slaves of fear and sin and can now, as heirs to the King, can wear His robes of righteousness.
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Reference Passage : ... 2Corinthians 5:17 [NKJV] ... 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 
... Being covered by the blood of the Lamb, I have been baptized by His Spirit into a new life in Christ.

Reference Passage : ... Galatians 2:20 [NKJV] ... 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 
... Because Christ now lives in me - or any born-again Christian - se can declare our newness in Christ … FOREVER.

Reference Passage : ... Colossians 3:12-17 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK …
... Being baptized into the newness of Christ, I can now choose to put on His robes of righteousness and put off my old clothes of sin.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Peter Chin, uses a personal remembrance of his own baptism to illustrate his witness of the new life he now has in Christ. … The ODB author wrote: One of my earliest childhood memories of church was a pastor walking down the aisle, challenging us to “remember the waters of our baptism.” Remember the waters? I asked myself. How can you remember water? He then proceeded to splash everyone with water, which as a young child both delighted and confused me. 
Why should we think about baptism? When a person is baptized, there’s so much more to it than water. Baptism [see photo] symbolizes how through faith in Jesus, we’ve become “clothed” with Him (Galatians 3:27). Or in other words, it’s celebrating that we belong to Him and that He lives in and through us. 

Dear fellow Christian, … do you remember your baptismal witness of faith in Christ? I certainly do. And tho the one pictured above was my second baptism, it was the one I’ll never forget, … being baptized in the Jordan river. And it was saying to all in attendance what Zach Williams sings in the linked song … that “I’m no longer a slave to fear” and sin … because I am now a “child of God,” with all that entails … to be able to wear Christ’s robes of righteousness forever, … having my sins covered by the blood of the Lamb of God.

And I pray this morning that all reading here KNOW, beyond any doubt, that your baptism witness of faith has declared to the world that, being raised from the waters of baptism, you have died to self and; and as it declares in God’s truth, … that you no longer live for yourself in fear … but having been raised from the baptismal waters, you now live in/for Christ.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for allowing us to be raised from self into newness by our Savior’s blood.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here have declared thru baptism our newness in Christ. … 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.</ span>

September 16, 2019 … Beware of Trolls

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 259 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jason Gray singing his song Glow In the Dark ... poignantly singing of how we Christians need to come out of the darkness in these dangerous days and glow with Christ’s light of truth.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 26:4 [NKJV] ... 44 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. 
... In our bond of unity in Christ we are called to come TOGETHER in unity - the Body of Christ. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 26:4-12 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
... God, thru Solomon, gives us solid advice on how to avoid those fools who would try to derail our lives with their lies and selfish ploys.
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Reference Passage : ... Psalm 119:105 [NKJV] … 105  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 
... We walk in God’s wisdom when we use the light we get from His word.

Reference Passage : ... John 17:23 [NKJV] ... 12 Then Jesus spoke to them [i.e., those following Jesus] again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” 
... When we follow the will and ways of our Lord, we will walk in His light.

Reference Passage : ... Ephesians 5:8-13 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK …
... God, thru Paul, exhorting fellow Christians (like us) to walk in the light provided by following Christ and avoiding the pitfalls and darkness of this world.

Reference Passage : ... Colossians 4:5-6 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK …
... God, thru Paul, calling the body of Christ to walk in the wisdom found from God’s truth.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Monica Brands, uses an old saying to warn us in today’s dangerous digital age to beware of “trolls” which desire to derail our lives on the internet. … The ODB author wrote: Ever heard the expression, “Don’t feed the trolls”? “Trolls” refers to a new problem in today’s digital world - [see photo] - online users who repeatedly post intentionally inflammatory and hurtful comments on news or social media discussion boards. But ignoring such comments—not “feeding” the trolls—makes it harder for them to derail a conversation. 
Of course, it’s nothing new to encounter people who aren’t genuinely interested in productive conversation. “Don’t feed the trolls” could almost be a modern equivalent of Proverbs 26:4.

Good advice - yes, for sure, Godly advice! - for those, especially today’s youth - who become prey for dangerous internet “trolls,” who seek to devour those who are emotionally vulnerable. And thru Jesus himself [see John 17:23] and the biblically wise, like the Psalmist, Solomon, or the Apostle Paul, in the scriptures above, who, inspired by God’s Spirit, have given us God’s own truth to warn us to seek the wisdom and light which comes from God’s word. In that way we will not be “feeding the trolls’ of evil on the internet [again, see photo] in this digitalized, “pornified,” world.

And as Jason Gray sings in the linked song, we are to become God’s light of truth to shine brightly in this ever-darkening world. So, dear ones, let’s go out and shine His light today as we follow His light of truth into this world.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for giving us the light of Your truth to follow in the darkness of this world.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will seek to use the light of God’s word today to lead us out of the darkness of this digital world into Your light of wisdom and truth. … 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.</ span>

September 15, 2019 … Together In Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 258 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the The Sidewalk Prophets singing Come To The Table ... poignantly singing of how Christians must come TOGETHER to Christ’s table as the body of Christ.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 4:4 [NKJV] ... 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; … 
... In our bond of unity in Christ we are called to come TOGETHER in unity - the Body of Christ. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 4:1-6 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
... God, thru Paul, calls all Christians to come together in the Spirit of their calling as disciples of Christ.
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Reference Passage : ... Psalm 133:1 [NKJV] … 1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 
... God, thru David’s song, calls His beloved to come together in their pursuit of The Messiah.

Reference Passage : ... John 17:23 [NKJV] ... 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 
... Jesus. calling all of His disciples to come together in following Him.

Reference Passage : ... Colossians 3:13-14 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK …
... God, thru Paul, calling the body of Christ to come together in unity.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Estera Escobar, uses a historical example of a group of 18th century Christians finding that they only way they could live together in community was to come together in their Christian faith. … The ODB author wrote: In 1722 a small group of Moravian Christians, who lived in what is now the Czech Republic, found refuge from persecution on the estate of a generous German count. Within four years, more than 300 people came. But instead of an ideal community for persecuted refugees, the settlement became filled with discord. Different perspectives on Christianity brought division. What they did next may seem like a small choice, but it launched an incredible revival: They began to focus on what they agreed on rather than on what they disagreed on. The result was unity. 

Who wins when Christians bicker and divide in disunity? … Satan, of course? … But when we, as declared disciples of Christ, come together at the cross (see photo) or at at the Lord’s table of grace (see linked song), … Who wins? … DUH!!!

So, my fellow Christians, let’s all pray that we - as Christians - can do what David sung about in Psalm 133:1, … or what Jesus called for in John 17:23, … or what the former persecutor of Christians, the Apostle Paul, called Christians to do in Eph. 4 and Col. 3 … i.e., … to come TOGETHER in our calling as followers of the The Messiah, … King Jesus.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for calling us, thru Your word, to come together in unity at Your table where love, and mercy, and grace are served in abundance. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me  in the body of Christ to come TOGETHER as pictured in the attached photo. … 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.</ span>

September 14, 2019 … Standing For Jesus

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 257 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the Maranatha Promise Band singing a modern version of the old hymn Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus ... powerfully singing of our call to stand up for Jesus in today’s hostile world.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 12:42-43 [NKJV] ... 42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. 
... The cost to stand for Jesus in His day was just too much for a number of the Pharisees, perhaps like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who later helped bury Jesus after His death. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 12:37-43 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
... Some of the Pharisees had come to believe in Jesus as The Christ, but wouldn’t stand up for him for fear of rejection, or even death, by their fellow Jewish leaders.
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Reference Passage : ... Luke 9:23 [NKJV] … 23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. …” 
... What Jesus demands of anyone who would be His DISCIPLE.

Reference Passage : ... Ephesians 6:10-13 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK …
... The Apostle helps fellow Christians realize that we have what it takes to stand up for Jesus, even under great persecution.

Reference Passage : ... 1Peter 3:15 [NKJV] ... 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ... 
...  God, thru Peter, exhorts Christians to be ready … ALWAYS … to have an answer to those who challenge our faith …

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, uses reference to a recent movie about the Apostle Paul to illustrate how Jesus calls all disciples, like His Apostles, to stand up for our faith in the marketplace of ideas and interaction. … The ODB author wrote: The film Paul, Apostle of Christ [see photo] takes an unflinching look at persecution in the early days of the church. Even the movie’s minor characters reveal how dangerous it was to follow Jesus. Consider these roles listed in the credits: “Beaten Woman; Beaten Man; Christian Victims 1, 2, and 3.” 
Identifying with Christ often came at a high cost. And in much of the world, it’s still dangerous to follow Jesus. Many in the church today can relate to that kind of persecution. Some of us, however, may feel “persecuted” prematurely—outraged any time our faith is mocked or we suspect we were passed over for a promotion because of our beliefs. 

If readers saw the movie referenced in the ODB entry today [again, see photo], you know it depicts how the Apostle Paul was “called” to suffer greatly while standing for His faith in Jesus and carrying the Gospel message, … yes, even to the Gentiles, who were a hated people by their fellow Jews. It eventually cost Paul’s life; but prior to his martyrdom, he was beaten and imprisoned (several times) for years at a stretch.

Oh, for sure, the oppression and aggression against Christians is growing in this world today, … yes, even in this so-called “free country.” However, our challenge as Christians in America is no where near what it is for many believers around the world, … where brothers/sisters in Christ are being martyred daily. But, nonetheless, all Christians, are called out by Jesus Himself and by the scriptures above, to stand for our faith … NO MATTER WHAT we encounter!

And the oppression is going to get worse, my fellow believers. And I think we all know that, don’t we? So, I’m praying that we all will be able to stand for our faith … as did the Apostles, who almost all died for theirs.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for giving us Your grace to be able to have Your strength to stand up for You in this world.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to follow You even as You have called us … to stand up for You and and, yes, even to suffer, or die, if necessary, for Your glory. … 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.</ span>

September 13, 2019 … Today - His Day

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 256 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Steve Green singing Find Us Faithful ... poignantly singing of what should be the plan and goal of all who know Christ as Lord and Savior.

CS Lewis, Renown 20th Century Christian Apologist and Author

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 16:3 [NKJV] ... 3  Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. 
... When our plans are committed and surrendered to the Lord, He directs our lives each day. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 16:1-9 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
... God, thru Solomon shows us that we may plan our day; but God directs our steps for His plan and for His glory.
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Reference Passage : ... Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24  And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. 
... David’s song of surrender to God and my prayer EVERY DAY!

Reference Passage : ... Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] ... 5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 
... God, thru Solomon, warns us that we become (or say) what we think.

Reference Passage : ... Romans 8:28 [NKJV] ... 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 
... The Apostle helps us realize that ALL THINGS in the life of a Christian are for our good. And when our plans are surrendered to Christ they will be for our good and His glory.

Reference Passage : ... Colossians 3:23 [NKJV] ... 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, … 
... Godly direction on how to plan - and work - each day - for God’s glory, not our own.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, uses reference to C.S. Lewis, coming to Christ as a 33 year old atheist, and over time becoming one of the most renown Christian theologians and apologists of the 20th century. … The ODB author wrote: In "Surprised by Joy," C. S. Lewis [see photo] confessed he came to Christianity at the age of thirty-three, “kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape.” Despite Lewis’s own personal resistance, his shortcomings, and the obstacles he faced, the Lord transformed him into a courageous and creative defender of the faith. Lewis proclaimed God’s truth and love through writing powerful essays and novels that are still being read, studied, and shared more than fifty-five years after his death. His life reflected his belief that a person is “never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.” 

Today is Friday, the 13th, which some may see as “unlucky.” However, we Christians, wouldn’t say that, would we? … No, all days, as C.S. Lewis would attest, are the Lord’s days … and all our plans and our work is to reflect His glory [see scriptures above].

And also like C.S. Lewis, I came to know Christ in my 30s … and like Lewis, … I came kicking and screaming into God’s kingdom as a self-described “atheist” … but for me it was on April 13th, 1983. And God used the #13 in a wild and wonderful way [long story!} to get my attention on that date, leading me to the Bible verse Philippians 4:13 on that date. Yes, Phil. 4:13 on 4/13/83; and so I see any 13th of a month as a day that I can - and should - dedicate to my Lord; … yes, even a Friday, the 13th, like today. But really, … all of us who’re surrendered and committed Christians should be treating each day as the Lord’s day, shouldn’t we?

So, I’m praying that all reading here will take in the linked song and meditate on the scriptures above, which point us to plan our day - yes, even a Friday, the 13th - faithfully for God’s glory. Because, if we do, those scriptures - which are God’s truth - show us that any day given over to/for God will be a day spent for our good and for His glory.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for using today for my good, and prayerfully for Your glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to dedicate and commit all we do for God’s glory today … and … for all our tomorrows. … 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.</ span>