Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 359
Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Burl Ives singing the old Christmas carol … I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day … poignantly singing of how Christmas announces the coming peace of God.
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Highlight Passage: Luke 2:13-14 [ESV] ...
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, … 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”
… A host of angels sang of God’s peace which had come in the person of the Christ … the long awaited Messiah.
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Highlight Passage [Context]: … Luke 2:8-20 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Angels sang of God’s Prince of Peace to the Shepherds on that first Christmas.
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Reference Passage: … Isaiah 9:6, 26:3 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… 700+ years before the first Christmas, Isaiah prophesied of the coming “Prince of Peace” and how we can find our peace with God by focusing our minds and hearts on Him.
Reference Passage: … John 14:27, 16:33 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… In the midst of confusion for Jesus’ disciples in the upper room the night before the cross, Jesus promises His everlasting peace to those who would surrender and follow HIm.
Reference Passage: … Romans 5:1 [ESV] ...
1 … Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
… For those who’ve been born again in Christ, Paul shows that we can have eternal peace with God.
Reference Passage: … Philippians 4:6-7 [ESV] ...
6 … do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
… Paul shows fellow Christians God’s prescription for God’s promised peace.
My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, James Banks, AT THIS LINK relates the story of the famous Christmas truce in WW1 (1914) when the Allied and German troops were heard singing “Silent Night” together on Christmas Eve and came out of their warfare trenches for one day of peace on Christmas day, … even playing soccer together (see photo) for that one day to honor God’s coming as the Christ child to be our Prince of Peace.
And oh how I pray that all reading with me could come out of our trenches of spiritual warfare against Satan, His world, and our own flesh, to experience the peace sung about in the linked song above as well as the Scriptures … where God has promised to give us His peace.
If you believe, as I do, in the truth of God’s promises above, then let’s come out of our personal trenches … at least on Christmas … and experience a truce with our God; … yes, for Christmas … but then into the New Year and on to glory with Christ.
Merry Christmas, dear one; … and as Burl Ives sings, … “peace on earth, good will to men.”
My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for the peace You came to bring us at that first Christmas.
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray that all reading here will join me today, to break free from our warfare with God to receive and experience His promised peace. … Amen
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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.
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