February 18, 2018 … Persecuted And Blessed

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 49 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics of the group Mercy Me singing their song … Even If … poignantly singing of the strength we get from God’s grace and our faith to face times of trial and even persecution.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Peter 3:14 [NKJV] … 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” [Isaiah 8:12]
 … Even quoting the Bible to give us courage is easier said than done sometimes when we’re being persecuted for our faith.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Peter 3:13-18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Peter tries to lift up Christians who were being persecuted severely.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 41:10 [NKJV] … 10  Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ 
… God’s promise of His strength to carry us thru hard times.

Reference Passage : …Acts 1:8 [NKJV] … 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 
… Jesus promises His power to help us be His witnesses to the world, … yes, even a hostile world.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NKJV] … 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
… Jesus helps Paul (and us) realize that God’s grace is sufficient to help us deal with our weaknesses in life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Keila Ochoa, uses a fictional character from a novel to illustrate Christian courage in the face of persecution. The ODB author wrote: Fear is Hadassah’s constant companion. Hadassah, a young Jewish girl living in the first century, is a fictional character in Francine Rivers’ book A Voice in the Wind. After Hadassah becomes a slave in a Roman household, she fears persecution for her faith in Christ. She knows that Christians are despised, and many are sent to their execution or thrown to the lions in the arena. Will she have the courage to stand for the truth when she is tested? 

Peter, in today’s highlight passage, was writing to Christians in his day in Asia Minor who were being severely persecuted, even tortured and killed, for their faith. And he was writing to them from first hand experience, knowing their fear, having run and denied Christ when Jesus was being persecuted (Luke 22:54:62). But later, having personally experiencing Christ’s forgiveness and grace (see John 21:15-19), Peter could encourage these persecuted Christians, knowing the blessing they would receive for their persecution in Christ’s Name.

Perhaps some readers here are in times of trial or even persecution; and your faith is being tried or tested severely. Well, … EVEN IF … that is the case (as the linked song sings), if we believe in the truths Paul exhorts in 2Cor. 12:9, knowing all the persecution he endured, we can be lifted up, as Isaiah encouraged in Is. 41:10 and be Christ’s witness of faith and courage (see Acts 1:8). 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for your empowering grace when my faith is tested.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help any reading here to hold on to Your promises and receive Your grace … to stand in the face of persecution. … 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.

February 17, 2018 … Fleeing To The King

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 48 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Natalie Grant singing … Clean … poignantly singing of the thankfulness we have that there is no sin that God can’t make clean.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Corinthians 6:18-19 [NKJV] … 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 
… Running away from self/Satan to the strength Christ gives us from His Spirit to be cleansed.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, instructs Christians on how to live with a pure heart in Christ.
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Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NKJV] … 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
… Jesus helps Paul (and us) realize that God’s grace is sufficient to help us deal with our weaknesses in life.

Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 2:22 [NKJV] … 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 
 … Paul helping Timothy (and us) to move away from lust and toward purity in Christ.

Reference Passage : …1 John 1:9 [NKJV] … 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
… If we’re willing, as Christians, to surrender and humbly confess our sins, God will cleanse us completely.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, tells of our interracial church body, showing how mankind needs to come together and share the love of God. The ODB author wrote: “Parry four!” 
When I began fencing in high school, my coach would shout the correct defensive position (“parry”) against the move he was making. [See photo] When he extended his weapon and lunged, to repel the attack I had to listen and respond immediately. 
That active listening brings to mind the prompt obedience Scripture calls for in the area of sexual temptation. 

Sexual impurity (i.e., sin) is one of the most prevalent forms of sin against God and His “temple,” the body, in our culture today. The world has become “pornified,” and temptations abound in this hyper-sexual world. Hence, the instruction from the Apostle Paul in God’s word becomes every more pertinent than ever.

But if we realize that we can have victory over such impurity and temptation by surrendering to God’s grace, fleeing from this type of temptation, and relying on God’s empowering grace to be victorious, … that our Lord will cleanse us and keep us on the trek to purity in His name [see today’s linked song].

The key is the power we receive and can use from God’s grace; and the ONLY way we receive it and use it is to be in a constant state of surrender to follow Christ (hopefully you know the truth of Luke 9:23). When we deny ourselves and flee to Him, He will give us the grace to walk in purity and His power.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your ever empowering grace. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help keep me on the victorious cleansing walk of surrender to You … EVERY DAY. … 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.

February 16, 2018 … Love Sweet Love

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 47 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Jackie DeShannon singing her hit song … What the World Need Now Is Love … poignantly declaring perennial need of mankind … always needing more of the Love of God to overcome the evil of our human nature.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Leviticus 19:34 [NKJV] … 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. 
… But do we?
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Highlight Passage [context]: Leviticus 19:33-34 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God commands His people - and that’s us too! - to love others as He loves us. =============

Reference Passage : … Mark 12:30-31 [NKJV] … 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no other commandment greater than these.” 
… Jesus, quoting from the Old Testament, restates the commands, from HIs lips as our Lord and King, to love others as we would love God first and then ourselves as well.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, tells of our interracial church body, showing how mankind needs to come together and share the love of God. The ODB author wrote: I worship in a church located in a large, open field—a rare commodity on the island of Singapore (we’re just twenty-five miles long and fifteen miles wide). Some time back, people from abroad who work in my country started gathering on the church property for a picnic every Sunday. 
This evoked a range of responses from fellow churchgoers. Some fretted about the mess the visitors would leave behind. But others saw this as a divine opportunity to extend hospitality to a wonderful group of strangers—without even leaving the church grounds!

Back in the years I was in college in the middle 1960s, Hal David and Burt Bacharach wrote a song which certainly expressed a desperate need for those of us going thru the throws of the racial and Viet Nam war division of that day. And the song, linked above and performed by Jackie DeShannon, poignantly expresses a deep need of our times as well, … that the world desperately needs more of what the Old … AND … New Testament commanded for all of God’s people (see highlight and reference Scriptures) … that the world needs more … MUCH MORE … of God’s love.

So, … really, … everyday - actually even every moment - we need to ask ourselves how we can show some of what God has given to us in His Son … His infinite and unending love.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your love.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to share Your love with someone today who needs it. … 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.

February 15, 2018 … Our Calling

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 46 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Clay Crosse, Bebe Winans, and Bob Carlisle singing … I Will Follow Christ … poignantly declaring their commitment to be fully surrendered disciples of Christ, just as we should be, following Him no matter where He would lead.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Kings 19:21b [NKJV] … Then he [Elisha] arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant. 
 … When we’re called by God, … we go!
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Kings 19:19-21 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Elisha’s calling was being anointed to follow Elijah as God’s leader, Prophet, and mentor. 
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:19-20 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Christ’s “Great Commission” calls us all to go into the world and make disciples.

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.  ..."
 … Jesus’ calling for ALL those who would follow Him.

Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [NKJV] … 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 
… All Christians are called to be witnesses for Christ, wherever we are to go.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Alyson Kieda, used a personal story to illustrate how all Christians are called to follow Christ and serve Him, wherever they (we) may be. The ODB author wrote: As a child, I looked forward to our church’s Sunday evening services. They were exciting. Sunday night often meant we got to hear from missionaries and other guest speakers. Their messages inspired me because of their willingness to leave family and friends—and at times, homes, possessions, and careers—to go off to strange, unfamiliar, and sometimes dangerous places to serve God. … 
 Though not many of us are called to leave family and friends behind to serve God as fulltime missionaries, God wants all of us to follow Him and to “live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to [us], just as God has called [us]” (1 Corinthians 7:17). As I’ve often experienced, serving God can be thrilling and challenging no matter where we are—even if we never leave home. 

Fellow Christian, may I ask, “What is your calling?” The ODB entry today led me to answer that question this morning. And when I awoke, my iPhone alarm caused me to hit the wrong button on my phone and it took a screenshot, which I have of my wife (see photo). And I chuckled as I realized that she was a big part of my personal calling as a Christian, … to be a Godly husband, a father to our two girls, and leader of what we call “The Berry Patch,” our family.

But even that high calling is subservient to my highest calling, which is expressed powerfully in today’s linked song above … that “I Will Follow Christ.” And as you meditate on the highlight passage of Elisha choosing to follow Elijah into God’s service as well as the other scriptures above, … with Jesus calling us all to follow Him as witnesses and servants, … we must all ask ourselves what our PRIME calling is as disciples of Christ.

So, I will leave it to you and God’s Spirit, as I’ve been challenged this morning, … to decide if we are walking strongly in our calling as followers of Christ. And if not, what should we do to turn ourselves around and do what He calls us to do in Luke 9:23?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for calling me and giving me Your grace to be Your disciple.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … You call, I follow! … 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.

February 14, 2018 … Our Home And Hiding Place

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 45 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Don Moen singing … Thank You Lord … poignantly singing of our thanks to our Lord for all He has blessed us with … including the love of others who have blessed our lives with His love.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 14:2-3 [NKJV] … 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 
 … Jesus’ promise that He will go ahead an prepare a place in heaven for us to join Him there. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 14:1-14 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus promises that He has gone ahead to prepare a place in heaven for ALL who believe in His Lordship.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our trust in our God to lead us in His path.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 4:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus is our hiding place in the storms of life.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:20 [NKJV] … 20 … and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
… As we serve our Lord, no matter what we encounter, He is with us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Kirsten Holmberg, used a personal story to illustrate how our trust should always be in Jesus who has gone ahead to prepare a place for us in glory. The ODB author wrote: A friend recently prepared to relocate to a city more than 1,000 miles from her current hometown. She and her husband divided the labor of moving to accommodate a short timeline. He secured new living arrangements, while she packed their belongings. 
I was astounded by her ability to move without previewing the area or participating in the house hunt, and asked how she could do so. She acknowledged the challenge but said she knew she could trust her husband because of his attention to her preferences and needs over their years together. 

That story shows a lot of love, trust, and faith in a spouse’s ability to go ahead and prepare a home for his family, doesn’t it? And isn’t that what Jesus was promising to His disciples in that upper room (see photo) the night before He went to the cross, telling them (and us) that He would prepare a place for them in glory? But when He went to the cross, did His men remember and trust in His promise? … No, … they bolted and ran in fear, did’t they?

So, our question looms heavily here today. Do we believe Jesus and His promises … to not only prepare a place in glory for us as His disciples; but to also be our “hiding place” in the storms of life here in our time on earth (hear the linked song)?

I pray we do.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for going ahead to prepare a home in glory so that those of us who believe in You can be with You forever.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … You are my hiding place and my eternal hope. … 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.

February 13, 2018 … Such A Blessing

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 44 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Don Moen singing … Thank You Lord … poignantly singing of our thanks to our Lord for all He has blessed us with … including the love of others who have blessed our lives with His love.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 1:7 [NKJV] … 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. … Paul had such love for the blessings the Roman Christians had provided for them; and he wanted to be a blessing for them by writing this letter to them.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 1:1-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul writing to beloved fellow Christians in Rome.
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Reference Passage : … John 17:6-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus prays for the blessing of His disciples - the 12 and for you and me too.

Reference Passage : … Romans 16:1-16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Notice how personal Paul was in his “thank-you” references to the Roman Christians, calling them out by name to affirm his love - and God’s love - for them.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:3-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … … Paul expresses his love and prayers of blessing for his fellow Christians who had - and were - so helpful and supportive of his ministry.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Elisa Morgan, used a personal remembrance to illustrate the importance of giving personal affirmation (i.e., thanks) to those who have blessed us in life. The ODB author wrote: The familiar bing of an arriving email caught my attention while I wrote at my computer. Usually I try to resist the temptation to check every email but the subject line was too enticing: “You are a blessing.” 
Eagerly, I opened it to discover a faraway friend telling me she was praying for my family. Each week, she displays one Christmas card photo in her kitchen table “Blessing Bowl” and prays for that family. She wrote, “I thank my God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3) and then highlighted our efforts to share God’s love with others—our “partnership” in the gospel. 

As I read this ODB entry today, which made reference to all the love letters the Apostle Paul wrote to fellow Christians who had blessed him with support and prayers, I thought back to many fellow Christians who have blessed me with their love, support, and affirmation. In fact if you’re reading this, you’re likely one of those who have blessed me, … maybe even prayed for me.

Wow! So many wonderful brothers/sisters in Christ whom God has blessed me with. I hope (and pray) in some way that any such blessed ones have “heard” from me of my thankfulness, having been so blessed by others. The Apostle Paul, in fact, in the last chapter of his theologically laden love letter to the Romans, names his beloved supporters (see Romans, Chapt. 16). He just wanted them to know how much God had blessed him with their friendship.

Perhaps, we all “be a blessing” (see photo) to at least one such person today … to let them know of how much they have blessed us with their love and/or support. But - above all - we need to let God know of our thankfulness for His blessings [just as Don Moen sings in the linked song above]. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for so many in my life who have lifted me up in times of trial.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me recognize someone today for what they mean to me. … 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.

February 12, 2018 … One Day At A Time

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 43 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Don Moen singing … God Will Make A Way … poignantly singing of God’s way of providing for our needs … even when the way seems so unclear.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Kings 17:15-16 [NKJV] … 15 So she [the widow] went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah. 
… Elijah trust God completely in the face of famine; and God showed His worthiness and faithfulness thru the widow to provide their needs.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Kings 17:1-16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God shows Elijah that He, our Lord, is worthy of our trust.
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Reference Passage : … Psalms 18:1-3 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God will deliver us from our enemies, … if not in this life … the next!l

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God will show is the way - HIS WAY - even when there seems not way.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 6:31-34 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus makes it clear that we’'re not to worry about our needs … that our God will provide them all if we but trust in Him.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:19 [NKJV] … 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 
 … God, thru Paul, promises to provide our needs from His riches is glory. BUT … do we believe Him?

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Poh Fang Chia, used a personal remembrance to illustrate how trustworthy God is to provide our needs. The ODB author wrote: After graduation from college, I had a low-paying job. Money was tight, and sometimes I didn’t even have enough for my next meal. I learned to trust God for my daily provision. 
It reminded me of the prophet Elijah’s experience. During his prophetic ministry, he learned to trust God to meet his daily needs [see highlight passages]. 

Sometimes when things seem tight or we’re in a state of want, our faith in God as our provider can wane, can’t it? But the story of how God provided for Elijah, first having a bunch of birds feed him and then a needy widow, showed the Prophet - and hopefully us - that God will ALWAYS be there to provide our NEEDS; … yes, even when things seem desperate.

I certainly don’t know where any reader with me is today as I write this. Maybe you’re in a place of stability and comfort; … maybe in a place of instability or need. But I pray we all know that our God will ALWAYS be there to provide us with what we need, … not necessarily what we want. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for providing for what I need. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to trust You … no matter what! . … 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.

February 11, 2018 … Unity From Diversity

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 42 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Steve Green singing … Find Us Faithful … poignantly singing the way we Christians must live for Christ, TOGETHER, faithfully using our individual gifts for His glory.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Acts 6:6-7 [NKJV] … [Seven Greeks were chosen in Jerusalem to help feed the Greek widows] … 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. 
… The result of unity among believers is kingdom fruitfulness.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Acts 6:1-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… There was disunity among Christians in Jerusalem after the resurrection; but the Apostle and Elders developed a way to unify the believers and it resulted in growth in the Church. 
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Reference Passage : … John 15:1-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus shows His disciples how they can be fruitful - by connecting with Him, individually and collectively (as the Church), to be fruitful for Christ in His kingdom.

Reference Passage : … Romans 12:3-5 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul shows believers how we must come together and use our individual gifts to serve our Lord in the unity of the body.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:1-3 [NKJV] … 1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 
… Paul exhorts fellow Christians, as prisoners of King Jesus, to be unified in the faith.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, paints a very common word picture of human division which can hurt the fruitfulness of the church. The ODB author wrote: An influx of refugees to our community has led to new growth in area churches. That growth brings challenges. Church members must learn how to welcome these newcomers as they adjust to a strange culture, new language, and different worship styles. All this change can create some awkward situations. 
Misunderstandings and disagreements occur everywhere we find people. Church is no exception. If we don’t handle our differences in a healthy way, they can harden into divisions. 

Do we get it? … Unity and fruitfulness comes from Christians using our individual gifting and talents TOGETHER as one body in Christ (i.e., the Church) so that our surrender to abide in God’s Spirit will yield Spirit-led power and fruitfulness.

So, we must ask ourselves are we using our spiritual gifts TOGETHER with our fellow Christians to further Christ’s kingdom. Unity from diversity is the key!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for leading Your Church to become fruitful when we work together in unity.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to be an agent of unity in Your Church, dear Lord. . … 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.

February 10, 2018 … Always There!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 41 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Twila Paris singing … God Is All Around Us … poignantly singing of the reality that there is nowhere we can go to be separated, as Christians, from the love of our God.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 139:7-8 [NKJV] … 7  Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8  If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 
… Nowhere to go to be away from our God!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 139:7-12 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… David knew there was nowhere he could go to get away from the presence/power of the Lord. 
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Reference Passage : … Romans 8:38-39 [NKJV] … 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 
 … God’s assurance is that those in Christ will be with Him in glory.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 5:8 [NKJV] … 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
 … NOTHING can separate a born-again believer from the love of God … not even death!

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
… God will always be with us … even when we cannot sense His presence

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, used a very personal reference to a lost loved one to illustrate God’s omnipresence and the presence of his loved one with God. The ODB author wrote: A family friend who, like us, lost a teenager in a car accident wrote a tribute to her daughter, Lindsay, in the local paper. One of the most powerful images in her essay was this: After mentioning the many pictures and remembrances of Lindsay she had put around their house, she wrote, “She is everywhere, but nowhere.” 
Although our daughters still smile back at us from their photos, the spirited personalities that lit up those smiles are nowhere to be found. They are everywhere—in our hearts, in our thoughts, in all those photos—but nowhere. 

When we, who are in Christ, lose a loved one, perhaps a child as with the ODB author, we certainly sense deep loss. However, our faith in the reality of the truth of God’s omnipresence and HIs promises to take all who are in Christ to be with Him in glory, softens the loss with the realization that we have not really LOST our loved ones.

I pray that any reading here hold on the reality that there is nowhere we can go to be separate from the love of God (see Ps. 139 and Rom. 8 passages; and that when we or any Christian loved one is lost to us in the living, that one is forever in the presence of King Jesus, where we will join them in glory.

Do I sense a resounding HALLELUJAH!! 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your constant presence. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … I’m so thankful for the knowledge and faith that you are ALWAYS with me. . … 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.

February 9, 2018 … What Will It Be Like?!!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 40 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with the group Mercy Me singing their song … I Can Only Imagine … poignantly looking forward to that day when we will stand in the very presence of our Lord, … the King of kings and Lord of lords!!

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 11:6a [NLT] … 6  In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. ... 
… Under Christ’s eternal reign there will be no more enemies or foes. He will rule over all. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 11:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Prophet sees what it will be like under the rule of Jesus when He comes again as Messiah, King, and Judge.
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Reference Passage : … Genesis 1:26-31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… And God created mankind as the pinnacle of His creation; and He gave them all that He had created for their (our) pleasure and His glory. ... But then we blew it all in pride and selfishness, leading to what we have today. ...  BUT it will one day return the glory of the garden when Jesus comes back.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:6 [NLT] … 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 
… God’s promise to complete us in His image during what we endure in this life … for His glory and His return to rule as our King Jesus!

Reference Passage : … Revelation 21:1-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… And God revealed, thru John, what it would be like when the Lamb of God sat on His eternal throne in the New Jerusalem, … where there would be no more sin, no more pain, no more death.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Alyson Kieda, uses a social media illustration to show where we’ve come from and where we are going in Christ. The ODB author wrote: My Facebook friends often post endearing videos of unlikely animal friendships, such as a recent video I watched of an inseparable pup and pig, another of a deer and cat, and yet another of an orangutan mothering several tiger cubs. 
When I view such heartwarmingly unusual friendships, it reminds me of the description of the garden of Eden. In this setting, Adam and Eve lived in harmony with God and each other. And because God gave them plants for food, I imagine even the animals lived peacefully together (Genesis 1:30). 

And, as Mercy Me sings in the linked song above, which I pray you’ve heard, “I can only imagine” what it will be like when all of those who’ve become the Bride of Christ will be with Him at the wedding feast of the Lamb in glory, … when, as in the photo, the lion will live in peace with the lamb, … when we dance in the glory of His throne in the New Jerusalem.

But knowing that it will be infinitely more wonderful than I can imagine lifts me up above all that I see and know here in the darkness and misery all around us in this life. So, I will live out the life He has given me toward the completion He promises (see Phil. 1:6) with hope, knowing that we will one day reign with our King Jesus in glory.

Yes, … I can only imagine!!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for coming again to rise again in glory!! We await Your coming.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Come soon, Lord Jesus, to rule with us in 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.

February 8, 2018 … Looking Clearly Ahead

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 39 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group Mercy Me singing their song … Dear Younger Me … poignantly looking back on life and realizing that the more important look is ahead … especially when we’ve been set apart from our selves … freed and redeemed for God’s glory.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 16:18-19 [NLT] … 18  Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. 19  Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud. 
… But will we heed the truth when we look into the rear-view mirror … or better yet, ahead on the road of life. Which road will we choose … the road of humility or pride?
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 16:16-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, helps us to see ourselves for who we are and who we will become. 
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:28-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We can choose to let our humility allow Jesus to help us carry the burdens of life, rather than pridefully taking all the burdens of life on our own shoulders where pride will aways cause us to fall.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:28-30 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. …”
… Jesus clearly showed us were we should go as His disciples.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:5-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus modeled how we should see ourselves and the road we should take in life … and that is His road of humility.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David C McCasland, uses a well-known proverb to have us look in the mirror of truth and see who we are and who we will become. The ODB author wrote: People who achieve an extraordinary level of fame or reputation while they are still alive are often called “a legend in their own time.” 
A friend who played professional baseball says he met many people in the world of sports who were only “a legend in their own mind.” Pride has a way of distorting how we see ourselves while humility offers a realistic perspective. 
The writer of Proverbs said, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18). Viewing ourselves in the mirror of self-importance reflects a distorted image. Self-elevation positions us for a fall. 

The ODB entry caused me to remember a poignant song (linked above) with Mercy Me singing about looking back on life. Please listen to the song carefully!

I’m sure many, like me, will reflect on ill-begotten choices and misdirections we took earlier in life. But, as I’ve often said about our road in life as Christian disciples, … we cannot effectively drive ahead in life and follow Christ’s way by exclusively using the rear-view mirror. No, as Christians, we have to look ahead and use our biblically-cleared perspective; and then choose the road God is leading us toward [see the reference verses above].

And it’s clear, from God’s true and clear biblical windshield, we will see that we need to take the Savior’s road, not the prideful ways of self, which will ALWAYS lead to destruction. As the photo declares … “Pride destroys - Humility builds!” …

So, which road will we choose; and will we look ahead and follow Jesus, or crash and burn trying to drive onward using only the prideful rear-view mirror? … Our choice, isn’t it?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You giving us Your perfect GPS in Your word. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Shine Your light of truth brightly on my path that I can’t help but see Your way to travel. … 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.

February 7, 2018 … Our Security Blanket

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 38 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Alan Jackson singing the old hymn Gospel song … Love Lifted Me … poignantly singing of how God’s grace is our security blanket in this life allowing God’s love to lift us up when we’re down.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1st Peter 4:7-8 [NLT] … 7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 
… Even in light of the end of this world, we are to lift others up with Christ’s love just as Peter was charged to do.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 18:15-27, 21:15-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus lifts up Peter from the despair of his denial to the charge of discipleship by showing Peter just how much He loved Peter despite his failing.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:14-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We are to be God’s light of love in this very darkened world.

Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [NLT] … 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 
… Jesus charges all disciples to be His witnesses of love and light, with the power provided by God’s Spirit.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Linda Washington, use a personal pain to illustrate how we can rely on God - no matter what!! The ODB author wrote: Linus Van Pelt, better known as simply “Linus,” was a mainstay in the Peanuts comic strip. Witty and wise, yet insecure, Linus constantly carried a security blanket. We can identify. We have our fears and insecurities too. … 
Have you ever needed that kind of “blanket”? I have! After saying or doing something I later regretted, I have felt the chilly draft of guilt and shame. I have needed to be “covered” in the manner that Jesus covered disgraced, shame-filled people in the Gospels. 
To followers of Jesus, love is a blanket to be graciously and courageously given away for the comfort and reclamation of others. As recipients of such great love, let us be givers of the same. 

Does anybody besides myself identify with Charles Schultz’s character, Linus, … always carrying around his security blanket because of so many fears of what might happen in the world? I do. … There’s a part of me, even tho I’m sort of a care-free type, that always needs the security blanket I have from my relationship with my Lord

The Apostle Peter was a brash, many times over confident, disciple of Christ. Yet, we know he failed His Lord many times while following Him prior to the resurrection. And when he had his “over-the-top” failure, denying the Lord thrice in the Garden [see the John 18 passage], … Jesus came back after the resurrection, giving Peter His security blanket - three times - by committing his love back to His Lord [see the John 21 passage].

And that’s what we all should get from this ODB entry and meditation on the life of Peter. Jesus is our “Linus Blanket” … always there with us, … always giving us the security of His love; … but at the same time, charging us, as He did with Peter, to witness His love and shine His light into this very insecure and darkened world (see also Matt. 5:14-16 and Acts 1:8). Yes, we can always know that our Lord provides us with the power of His Spirit to do just that. So, I will pray that we carry our Spirit-blanket into the world and go be His witness of love … even today.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for the security of Your eternal love.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Let me take Your Spirit and shine Your love to help lift others up as You have me. … 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.

February 6, 2018 … God’s Empowering Grace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 37

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing their song … Your Grace Still Amazes Me … poignantly singing of God’s grace which covers all our weakness and pain with His strength.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Job 2:10b [NLT] … 10 “…  Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. 
… Job remained steadfast in his faith no matter the pain he incurred.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Job 1:13-22, 2:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … … Job, inspire of losing all except his life and wife, maintained his praise for God.
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Reference Passage : … Deuteronomy 31:6 [NLT] … 6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” 
… God’s promise to ALL His people … that He would never abandon us - NO MATTER WHAT!

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 
 … Paul learned, as we should, that God’s grace will empower us to deal with all trials.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Linda Washington, use a personal pain to illustrate how we can rely on God - no matter what!! The ODB author wrote: “It’s cancer.” I wanted to be strong when Mom said those words to me. But I burst into tears. You never want to hear those words even one time. But this was Mom’s third bout with cancer. After a routine mammogram and biopsy, Mom learned that she had a malignant tumor under her arm. Though Mom was the one with bad news, she had to comfort me. Her response was eye-opening for me: “I know God is always good to me. He’s always faithful.” Even as she faced a difficult surgery, followed up by radiation treatments, Mom was assured of God’s presence and faithfulness. 

Sorta reminds one of Job’s attitude immediately after he incurred all his terrible loss and pain, doesn’t it (see highlight passages)? And it also reminds me of Paul’s faith in the face of his immense and permanent pain from that “thorn” (see 2 Cor. 12:9-10). Paul realized that no less than His Lord and Messiah had promised His grace to cover us in Paul’s (and our) weakness.

Some time in our lives, we’re all going to incur some setback or pain, … maybe even one like the mother in today’s ODB entry. But this mother was able to hold on to her strength and smile (see photo) because of her faith and the reality of God’s grace.

Right now I’m dealing with a neurologic problem; and I’m uplifted by the knowledges that my God will never abandon me (see Deut. 31:6); and His amazing grace will give me the strength to deal with a problem that is WAY SMALLER than was Job’s. … Hearing today’s linked song, … I’ll be okay!!! 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for doling out Your grace to give me the strength when I’m weakened right now.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Gird me up with Your empowering grace, Lord. … 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.

February 5, 2018 … Following His Voice

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 36 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Kristyn and Keith Getty singing their song … Speak O Lord … poignantly singing of our desire to hear God’s voice ringing true in our lives to lead us in His purpose and ways.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 10:27 [NLT] … 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 
… As one of His flock, I follow His voice.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 10:25-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … … Jesus declares that, as the Good Shepherd, His sheep (i.e., His disciples) hear His voice and follow Him. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 23 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK …
… David was a shepherd follow THE SHEPHERD.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. … “ 
… Those who saw Jesus in the flesh witnessed first-hand the glory of God.

Reference Passage : … 1 Thessalonians 2:13 [NLT] … 13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. 
… We primarily hear the voice of our Good Shepherd thru His word.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David H Ropers, teaches on hearing and following God’s word in spite of the noisiness of this world. The ODB author wrote: I’m hard of hearing—“deaf in one ear and can’t hear out of the other,” as my father used to say. So I wear a set of hearing aids. Most of the time the devices work well, except in environments where there’s a lot of surrounding noise. In those settings, my hearing aids pick up every voice in the room and I cannot hear the person in front of me. 
So it is with our culture: a cacophony of sounds can drown out God’s quiet voice. … 
Fortunately, my hearing aids have a setting that cuts out the surrounding sounds and enables me to hear only the voices I want to hear. 

We’ve probably never lived in an era where the noise of information, coming from so many confusing sources, can so easily drown out God’s “still small voice.” The noisiness of the world Satan has built, therefore, becomes one of his primary tools to divert Christians from following their Good Shepherd.

Hence, we need times, like the one I’m enjoining right now [see photo], where we can get alone - out of the noise of the world - and hear the voice of our Good Shepherd, … the One Who will lead us with His word. And that’s why you find me here in my quiet place, every morning, letting my Lord lead me with the still small - but powerful - voice which come from the truth of His word.

And the more I seek His voice, the easier it is to follow Him.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for crying out for me over the din or the world’s noise from the clarion voice of Your word.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Speak, Oh Lord, as the Gettys sing, as I listen for Your truth to follow none but You. … 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.

February 4, 2018 … Glory, Glory, Glory

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 35 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images from Gordon Mote singing his song … Don’t Let Me Miss The Glory … poignantly singing of the desire we should have everyday to see as much of His glory that we can capture in the world He has left behind for His Bride.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Revelation 21:10-11 [NLT] … 10 So he [an Angel] took me [John] in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. 
… God’s glory, which emirates from Christ, will light up the New Jerusalem.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Revelation 21:10-11, 23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… John’s vision of the New Jerusalem, which was engulfed with the Light of God’s glory. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 72:18-19 [NLT] … 18  Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone does such wonderful things.19  Praise His glorious name forever.  Let the whole earth be filled with His glory. 
 … And David’s prayer was fulfilled in the Person of Jesus, The Messiah and will ultimately be completed in the New Jerusalem (see Rev. passages above).

Reference Passage : … John 1:14 [NLT] … 14 So the Word became human [“flesh”] and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness [“grace and truth”]. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. 
 … Those who saw Jesus in the flesh witnessed first-hand the glory of God.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 1:2-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus created everything so that one day He could radiate His glory thru His creation; and He does that even now as we get glimpses of glory in creation.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, teaches on the essence of the glory of God. The ODB author wrote: Throughout the Bible we are told that we can enjoy glimpses of God’s magnificent glory as we dwell on this earth He has created. God’s glory is described as the external display of His being. Because we cannot see God, He gives us clear pictures of His presence and His work in things like the majesty of the universe, the greatness of our salvation, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 
Today, look for God’s glory—for the evidence of His greatness. You’ll see it in nature’s beauty, a child’s laughter, and the love of others. God still fills the earth with His glory. 

 We may not have the advantage of seeing the glory of God in the living God-Man, Jesus, as did those who were with Him when He walked the earth, which He had created. But in His creation, and even in His bride, the Church, He has left behind enough of His glory that we can now - maybe even today - get glimpses of His glory, which points us to the ultimate hope of glory to be spent with Him in eternity.

I love the song (linked above), written and performed by a blind Christian artist, who so desires not to miss the glory of God, which even he can capture in this world. I pray that we seek out and do all we can today to catch a glimpse of what is to come when we are with Him in glory forever. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for leaving enough of Your glory behind so that we can sense the hope we have to be with You as Your glory lights Your New Jerusalem.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Let me see some of Your glory 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.

February 3, 2018 … Life Changing Words

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 34 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from the group 4Him singing their song … The Message … poignantly singing of all we say and do become our “message” of Christ imparted into the lives of those we contact in this life.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 16:24 [NLT] … 24  Kind words are like honey — sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. 
… Words can heal or kill.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 15:4, 16:24, 18:21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God shares, thru Solomon, how what we say to others can change lives.
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Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:29 [NLT] … 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 
… The Apostle Paul knew the impact our words have on others.

Reference Passage : … James 3:7-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru James, warns us of the power of “the tongue”

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Monica Brands, describes how one song changes the life of the famous song writer and singer, Bruce Springsteen. The ODB author wrote: Sometimes our lives can change in a moment through the powerful impact of others. For rock ’n’ roll legend Bruce Springsteen, it was the work of musical artists that helped him through a difficult childhood and a persistent struggle with depression. He found meaning in his own work through the truth he’d experienced firsthand, that “You can change someone’s life in three minutes with the right song.” 

I’m certainly no musician or song-writer, like The Boss or King David, but the lyrics of a powerful song put to a good melody have always had a great impact on my life. In fact, having studied the brain quite a bit, I know that meaningful words put to an emotional melody affects the entire brain, both left and right hemispheres. But even what we say, which is understood by others greatly impacts the way we think and act.

That’s why the books of Psalms and Proverbs in the Bible have always been looked upon as two of the most life altering books from God’s word. And both the Apostle Paul and James, [in the reference scriptures above] wrote about the power of “the tongue” (meaning our words) when it comes to impacting the lives of those around us.

 So, if you’ve read with me in my daily blogs, which are certainly impacted by the very words of God, you’ll note that I use a song linked each time to give the emotional underpinning for what I write. And I always pray that each time I write something here, that it might touch the life of someone else … just as God’s word touches my heart/mind every day as I meditate on what my Lord shares with me from His word.

And I will pray that what we say to others today, trying to glorify God and His message (see today’s song), might change a life and bring someone closer than ever to Christ.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for the power and impact of Your word to change my life.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Give us the words to share with someone today so that it my impart God’s love and grace to them. … 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.

February 2, 2018 … Sharing His Love & Grace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 33 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Joy William singing her song … Do They See Jesus In Me … poignantly singing of the charge we are to be in this world … reflections of God’s love and grace to others.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Colossians 4:5 [NLT] … 5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 
… As Jesus entered the City of David, He was proclaimed to be the “Son of David” by the people. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Colossians 4:2-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, exhorts us, as His disciples, to take advantage of every opportunity to serve Him. 
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:16 [NLT] … 16 … let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 
… Jesus charged all Christians to be His witnesses as we live our lives for His glory.

Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [NLT] … 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 
… Jesus charged all Christians to be His witnesses as we live our lives for His glory.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:9 [NLT] … 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 
… We should not grow weary of serving God, taking advantage of every opportunity He presents for us to let other see Him as we serve Him.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 5:15-16 [NLT] … 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 
… We live in a very complex, with a lot of evil around us; so, we must live wisely as we serve our Lord.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, uses a modern technological word picture to see how we must use clever ways to motivate us to serve our Lord. The ODB author wrote: Like lots of people, I struggle to get enough exercise. So I recently got something to motivate myself to move: a pedometer that counts steps [see photo]. It’s a simple thing. But it’s amazing how much difference this gadget makes in my motivation. Instead of grumbling when I have to get off the couch, I see it as an opportunity to get a few more steps. Mundane tasks, like getting one of my kids a cup of water, become opportunities that help me work toward a larger goal. In that sense, my pedometer has changed my perspective and my motivation. Now I look to get extra steps in whenever possible. 

I think all readers here would agree with me that IT’S HARD to stay motivated as a Christian to “keep on keeping on” in our life surrendered to serve Christ and to let others see His love and His grace as we live in this world, surrounded by evil and complexities. I know, as Joy Williams sings in the linked song, we want to have others see Jesus in the way we live. … BUT … it’s really tough to live as the Apostle Paul was exhorting Christians to live [see Pauline exhortations above] … as an agent of our Lord in this world.

Even Jesus, when He was in the world, charged His followers to follow Him by shining HIS light of love/grace into a dark world (see Matt. 5:16) and by witnessing His love to others (see Acts 1:8). So, I don’t know about you; but I’m convicted to look for more opportunities, using whatever motivation I can, like the ODB author used a pedometer, to find ways to show off God’s love thru the way I live. 

How about you?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your example of perfect love and grace. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Give me opportunities today to shine Your light into this ever darkening world. … 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.

February 1, 2018 … Who Is This Jesus?

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 32 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Chris Rice singing the old Hymn … How Great Thou Art … poignantly singing of the greatness of our God, Who created even the birds who sing to His glory.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 21:9 [NLT] … 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” 
… As Jesus entered the City of David, He was proclaimed to be the “Son of David” by the people. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 21:1-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … … Jesus lauded as the “Son of David” … the Messiah Who had come to save them from their captivity; but the Pharisees couldn’t see Him that way.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 9:27, 20:30-31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… If two blind men could recognize Jesus as the “Son of David,” Who was their King, why couldn’t the Pharisees see Him for Whom He was (and is)? The question is … DO WE?!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mart DeHaan, uses an interesting comparison of a famous statue of David by Michelangelo to have us see Whom Jesus really is. The ODB author wrote: When an advertiser altered a photo of Michelangelo’s famous marble sculpture of the biblical hero David, Italy’s government and gallery officials objected. Picturing David with a military rifle slung over his shoulder (instead of his slingshot) would be a violation—“like taking a hammer to it or worse,” a cultural official said. 

In other words, depicting a picture of the famous statue by Michelangelo in any other way than the original (see photo) was seen by some as defacing the genuine work of art. And this is much like the Pharisees during Jesus’ walk on earth who were trying to deface the image of the Messiah, Who had come as prophesied in the Old Testament and by their Prophet, John the Baptist, but these religious leaders couldn’t, or wouldn’t, see as the “Son of David” as many of his followers were claiming they had found in this Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus was “the King” they had been looking for; but many in his day, especially the religious leaders were unwilling, or unable, to see Him as their Messiah. But the important question for us is … WHOM DO WE SAY HE IS? Fellow reader, do we see Jesus as “KING,” … KING of kings and LORD of lords … as Matthew was claiming for his fellow Jews in his Gospel account? … I pray we do! … Because if we don’t we’re going to spend eternity in hell.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for coming as our King to show Yourself as our Messiah.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Today may I show any and all that Jesus is my King! … 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.