June 20, 2023 … W.W.J.D.?? …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 171 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Kristian Stanfill singing … More Like Jesus … Poignantly, yet powerfully, singing of how we must surrender to follow Christ and give our everything to become more like Jesus.

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Highlight Passage: … James 1:27 [NLT] … 

27  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 

… James teaches fellow Christians what true “religion” is all about, i.e., sharing the love of Christ with others who need it.                         

                         

Highlight Passage (Context): …James 1:19-27 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… James, the brother of Jesus, instructs fellow Christians on how to live to honor The Lord with Christlike behavior. .                                                    .                     

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Reference Passage: … Matthew 11:29 [NLT] … 

29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls..   

… Jesus describes Himself for Christians to become more like Him.    

Reference Passage: … Romans 12:1-2 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul teaches that we Christians are to become living lives of living sacrifice to/for our Lord, avoiding become like the world.  

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 4:1-2 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul also strongly exhorts fellow Christians to be like Christ, always being humble and gentle, and living lives worthy of the calling of being a born-again Christian.  

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

… Paul called fellow Christians to take on the attitude of Christ, being humble and reaching out in love to help others, like Christ would do for us.       

     

Reference Passage: … Colossians 3:10 [NLT] … 

10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.   

… Paul exhorts Christians to put on the new nature, being renewed to become like Christ in all we think, say, and do.   

                                                                                                                                         

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Katara Patton…  AT THIS LINK … wrote about how impressed she was, in the author’s college days, how fraternity and sorority brothers and sisters grieved deeply the loss of a fellow classmate; … and for years watched out and took care of the needs of the family of their lost classmate, … living out the definition of “true religion,” which James, called on all Christians in the highlight passage to exercise in their (our) lives.      

You know, … back in the 1960s, in my college days, there was a Jesus movement in the USA which took on the insignia - W.W.J.D. - which called on others to live out the answer to he question  “What Would Jesus Do?” [see photo]   Some Christians back then wore bracelets with the insignia on them.  And really, … when you think about it, … that’s an eternally true biblical call (see Scriptures above), isn’t it?   All of us, who call ourselves “Christians” are  to live as Christ lived and to let our lives honor our Lord by becoming more like Him … and by becoming living sacrifices to honor the way He lived and died for us.  

So, today I’m challenged by the linked song and God’s word above to do a WWJD inventory and do all I can to honor my King Jesus by living the way He lived and loving others the way He loved us.  How about you?           

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for calling me today - and tomorrow - to honor You, Lord, by the way I think and live like You. 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to become more of a living sacrifice to You, … dear Lord, … to the way You loved us and lived, … and died, … for us.  … 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.