Nov 2 2025 … Persecution Paradox …

Nov 2 2025 … Persecution Paradox … 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...    and PLEASE take the time to listen to music and lyrics, from Jeremy Camp,  singing Walk By Faith… declaring that he (and fellow Christians) will walk by faith, no matter what they (we) face on the road of life.

Highlight Passage: … Acts 8:7-8 … [NLT] … 

7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So , there was great joy in that city.  

… Luke describes how Phillip brought joy to Samaria out of much persecution and distress.  

Highlight Passage in Context:  Acts 7:59-8:8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Luke writes of Stephen’s tragic death and the trials faced by Phillip in Samaria and how the sharing of the Gospel brought joy to that city.

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Reference Passage: … Psalms 16:11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… King David, in the midst of much persecution, sings that God’s presence gives him much joy.

Reference Passage: …Matthew 5:10-12  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus, in HIs sermon on the mount, teaches that God will bless those who are persecuted for His sake.

Reference Passage:… John 16:33 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus relates to His disciples in the upper room that they would face many trials in their lives but that HE (Jesus) had overcome the world.

Reference Passage: … Romans 8:28 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul teaches truth about ALL THNGS working in the lives of born-again believers for their (our) good and His glory.

Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians 12:10 {NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul gave witness to learning that even the pain in his (our) life works to give him - and all Christians -  God’s enabling grace..

Reference Passage: …James 1:2-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus’ brother, James, exhorts fellow Christians to count it all joy when they (we) face trails for God’s glory which grow and deepen out faith.

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author,  Dave Brandon  …  USE THS LNK  -   …  writes about a European Pastor, Hristo Kulichev, who was imprisoned; but after being released, he paradoxically declared, …  “We had a more fruitful ministry there than we could have expected in church. God was better served by our presence in prison than if we had been free.”

And the ODB entry was all about the truth declared by many Biblical sources (see Scriptures shared above) that the trials and persecutions of life are brought into our lives to deepen our faith walk (see photo) and give Christians a platform to share the Gospel, which ALWAYS prevails in the face of persecution and trials.  

Whatever we face today, my fellow Christian readers, let us do so - with joy - knowing that we can face life’s trials with God’s promise that His glory will come from our facing suffering for His sake.   Personally, I’m up for it again today.   How about you?

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … Lord … for giving me Your enabling grace to face the road ahead. 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... for calling us today … and every day … to walk by faith on the road of life ahead. … 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. 

Nov 1 2025 … Worship The Lamb …

Nov 1 2025 … Worship The Lamb …

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...    and PLEASE take the time to listen to music and lyrics, from Kristyn Getty,  singing Behold The Lamb, … reflecting the desire of God to call all Christians to His table to remember and celebrate the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

WORTHY is The Lamb of God ... 

Highlight Passage: … Revelation 7:9-10 … [NLT] … 

9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar,“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”  

… God reveals to John - and all Christians - what it will be like in Heaven when all of His chosen are gathered at the Lamb’s throne to worship Him as The King of kings and Lord of lords.  

Highlight Passage in Context:  Revelation 7:9-10, 13-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… John reveals what it will be like when all born-again Christians are gathered at God’s throne to worship the Lamb of God.

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Reference Passage: … Job 38:4-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God calls Job - and all believers to realize that God creates all things for HIS GLORY, … not of he glory of man.

Reference Passage: …Psalm 23  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… King David wrote and sung about His Good Shepherd and Lord, Whom he would worship and serve all the days of his life.

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 53:7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Isaiah, prophesies of a coming Messiah Who would be quietly led to slaughter to sacrifice ITS blood for our salvation.

Reference Passage: … John 1:29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… John, The Baptizer, sees and recognizes his cousin as The Lamb of God … do we?

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:1-4 {NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Peter charges fellow Elders and Church leaders to shepherd God’s chosen flock of believers … all the way to worship the Lord in heaven.

Reference Passage: …Revelation 5:11-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle John was given a vision of the Angels and all of God’s chosen worshiping the Lamb of God and the King of kings at God’s heavenly throne. 

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author,  Kristen Holmberg  …  USE THS LNK    …  wrote about a Christian conference, held in 2010 in South Africa, where over 4000 Christians were invited to represent all races, languages, and nations … gathered to worship God TOGETHER, … much like the gathering written about in The Highlight Passage in Heaven, where the people of God were gathered to worship the Lamb of God forever. 

Oh how I pray that we all know that we are called to COME TOGETHER and worship our King of Kings, The Lamb of God, … people of all kinds, all languages, and all nations, surrendered to worship the Lamb of God Who was slain that we might come to His throne to serve and worship Him forever.   I’m gonna be there!  How about you? 

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … Lord … for being our Good Shepherd. 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... for calling us today … and always … to worship You as the Lamb of God. … 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.

Oct 31 2025 … Redemption Thru His Blood …

Oct 31 2025 … Redemption Thru His Blood  … 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...    and PLEASE take the time to listen to music and lyrics, from Big Daddy Weave,  singing I’m Redeemed: … showing that God’s blood redeems the heart of any sinner who believes in the shed blood of Jesus to redeem sinners FOREVER.

Redeemed by His blood!!! 

Highlight Passage: … Ephesians 1:6-7 … [NLT] … 

6 So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son.  7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.  

… The Apostle Paul teaches truth about God giving up His Son on the cross for the redemption of the sin of mankind.  

Highlight Passage in Context:  Ephesians 1:5-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul teaches of Jesus’ shedding His blood on the cross for the redemption of mankind’s sin.

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Reference Passage: … Leviticus 17:10-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Moses reveals that only the shedding of blood can make purification from sin possible.

Reference Passage: …Matthew 26:26-28  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…In the Upper Room, Jesus initiates the “last supper,” for the remembrance of what He was about to do on the cross.

Reference Passage: … John 14:6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus declares to Thomas and His disciples in the Upper Room that HE is the only way to a relationship with the (our) Heavenly Father.

Reference Passage: … Acts 4:12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Peter declares to a council of religious Elders in Jerusalem that there is no way to salvation except thru faith in the shed blood of Jesus as The Messiah.

Reference Passage: … Romans 3:23-25 {NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… The Apostle Paul preaches truth to fellow Christians that Jesus, thru His death on the cross provided the way for sinners to be redeemed for their sin.

Reference Passage: …Revelation 1:4-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle John writes to seven churches in Asia… teaching of the blood of Jesus being shed for the redemption of man’s sin.  

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author,  Karen Huang …  USE THS LNK        …  told of Andres, the owner of a successful electronics company who gave a special vacation for employees who had high sales rates for the company.   And Andres brought his young son along on the vacation; and one of the sales reps asked the son, jokingly, how much sales he had done to be on the vacation, … to which the son replied, … “None; … (pointing to his dad) … He’s letting me join!” 

Hey!  My fellow Christian readers.  Can you, like me, identify with the reply of the son in the ODB story?   I definitely can.  I have done NOTHING to warrant the redemption I have received from my Savior.  But, my faith in the shed blood of my Messiah on His cross has given me freedom from my sin ... FOREVER.   How about you?  Will you share a glorious HALLELUJAH with me, … just as Big Daddy Weave sings in the linked song?!  

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … Lord … for dying to redeem me from my sin.

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... for the grace of Your shed blood to redeem us from our sin.    … 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.

Oct 30 2025 … Made Over By God …

Oct 30 2025 … Made Over By God  … 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...    and PLEASE take the time to listen to music and lyrics, from Don Moen,  singing God Will Make A Way … showing God can - and will - make Christians over into God’s image.

Refashioned ... Remade ... Remarketed ... into "Play-Doh" 

Highlight Passage: … Genesis 45:15 … [NLT] … 

15 Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him. 

… Joseph’s brothers see that Joseph is a new person, reflecting God’s grace upon them.  

Highlight Passage in Context:  Genesis  45:12-15. 21-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Joseph shows grace to His brothers instead of revenge. 

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Reference Passage: … Genesis 1:26-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God originally created mankind in His image.

Reference Passage: … Psalms 139:14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… King David thanks God in song for making him into a reflection of the image of God. 

Reference Passage:…1Corinthians 15:49  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…Paul teaches truth about Christians being “made over” into the image of God.

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 2:10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul shows fellow Christians that they (we) are made over to carry out HIs good works for which we were created.

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 4:24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul also exhorts fellow Christians to put on the nature of Christ, made over into his images.

Reference Passage: …  Philippians 1:6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

…   Finally, Paul also shows that God’s Spirit is remaking Christians into the image of Christ.  

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author,  Kenneth Petersen …  USE THS LNK  …  wrote about a young inventor, Cleo McVicker, in the 1930s, who came up with a new product, … a clay compound which could help home owners remove the soot from their walls as most homes then were heated by coal which produced the soot.  The product was not very successful; but decades later the same compound was refashioned and remarked as a children’s toy …  that we now know of as “Play-Doh.” (see photo)

The story of something being remade and repurposed apparently reminded the ODB author today of the story of Joseph, who was sold into slavery as a young boy by his brothers.  However, years later Joseph was remade into the operational leader of Egypt and was reunited by God’s design to give God’s grace to His brothers (see Highlight passage).

And that story reminded this old Christian how God took me from an atheist sex addict to become a refashioned/ordained minister of the Gospel, called to lesd a ministry, for over 25 years, to help many men refashion their lives by God’s grace.  God has remade  me for His glory.  How about you?

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … Lord … for making me over, … more every day, … into Your image.

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... for those who love and follow You, we are made over into Your image.    … 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.