Tuesday, December 28, 2021

December 28, 2021 … Sharing Christ’s Love …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 362 


Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in a song and lyrics from Jackie DeShannon singing … What the World Needs Now … poignantly singing of how our world is in desperate need of God’s love



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Highlight Passage: …  Jude 1:22-23 [NLT] …   

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives  

… Jude proclaims God’s call for us Christians to do all we can to reach out and share the love of Christ with others as He shared it with us.   

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Highlight Passage [Context]: … Jude 1:17-23 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God thru Jesus’ brother, Jude, shows Christians how we must reach out and share the love of Christ with others who are oppressed or waning in faith.                                

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Reference Passage: … John 13:34-35 [NLT] …  

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  

… Jesus charges His disciples (and us too!) in the New Covenant to love others just as He has loved us.   


Reference Passage: … Philippians 2:3-5 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul strongly exhorts fellow Christians to have the attitude of Christ and to show His love by helping others along with helping ourselves. 


Reference Passage: … 1Peter 4:8 [NLT] …  

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.   

… Peter reminds oppressed Christians not to ignore sharing Christ’s love with others, especially sin times of trial and tribulation.  

          

My Devotional JournalToday's Our Daily Bread author, Monica La Rose, AT THIS LINK  uses the life picture of the wisdom of a shepherd, watching over his flocks, as what is needed in a world like ours,…  quoting an early church father, John Chrysostom, who wrote, … “The shepherd needs great wisdom and a thousand eyes to examine the soul’s condition from every angle.”


And then the ODB author cites Jude (see highlight passage), the half-brother of Jesus, who was trying to show oppressed and misguided Christians that they (and we) must reach out. … even in the midst of trying and confusing times, … to share the love Christ shared with us , trying to help others as much as we can. And I pray we’re all asking ourselves what we can do - maybe even today - to extend Christ’s love and grace with someone; because, as Jackie DeShannon sings in the old 60s hit song, … truly what the world needs now is not just superficial love … but the real love, extended by our Savior, which He calls His disciples to share with the world (see references passages above).                            


My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me the grace to share Your love with someone who might need it from You thru me.    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to extend Your love with someone who needs it, …. maybe even today!   … 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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