June 23, 2019 … Songs of Promise

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 174 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Sara Groves singing … He’s Always Been Faithful To Me … poignantly singing of how our Lord will always be faithful to the remnant of His faithful disciples … FOREVER!!!

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Highlight Verse[s]: Zephaniah 3:17 [NLT] … 17  For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” 
… God’s promise of songs of joy when King Jesus returns for His Bride and the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Zephaniah 3:14-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru His Prophet, promises to come in the last days and sing songs of joy and forgiveness over His remaining faithful remnant of believers.
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies, in spite of our sin nature, are new for us every moment, let alone every morning; and God’s faithfulness if promised for all generations of believers.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:20 [NLT] … 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. 
… Jesus’ promise, in commissioning us as His disciples, to be with His faithful and obedient remnant of believers … ALWAYS!!

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5 [NLT] … 5 … For God has said, … “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” 
… God, thru the Author of Hebrews, repeating the promise of Deut. 31:6, that our Lord will never leave, nor forsake, His faithful disciples.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Peterson, uses a family remembrance to illustrate our God’s promise to save and bring His faithful remnant of believers home to be with Him forever. And the ODB author wrote: My grandmother recently sent me a folder full of old photographs, [see photo] and as I thumbed through them, one caught my eye. In it, I’m two years old, and I’m sitting on one end of a hearth in front of a fireplace. On the other end, my dad has his arm around my mom’s shoulders. Both are gazing at me with expressions of love and delight. 
I pinned this photo to my dresser, where I see it every morning. It’s a wonderful reminder of their love for me. The truth is, though, that even the love of good parents is imperfect. I saved this photo because it reminds me that although human love may fail sometimes, God’s love never fails—and according to Scripture, God looks at me the way my parents are looking at me in this picture. 

Zephaniah was a Prophet to the people of Judah at the time of Jeremiah just before their fall to the Babylonians. He and Jeremiah prophesied of the judgment of God upon God’s disobedient children; but they both also prophesied of the coming of The Messiah to save the remnant of obedient and faithful believers and to gather them back in the promised land for the forever reign of King Jesus. 

And I’m struck by the promise (see highlight passage) that when Jesus comes for His Bride and the remaining faithful Jews, He will be singing joyful songs to them [us], … perhaps like the one linked today, which the faithful would be singing about our Lord. And I pray that is the sentiment of all who read with me today.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your forever love which You will sing to us when Your return to bring us into Your glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to sing, as does Sara Groves in the linked song about the love and forever faithfulness of our LORD.

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.

June 22, 2019 … Hiding? … Really!!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 173 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of hymn and lyrics from and anonymous chorus singing … I Surrender All … poignantly singing of how we must resist our tendency to hide our sin from God, … surrounding all to our ever-seeing … ever-knowing God.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 3:8-9 [NLT] … 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 
… We all have a tendency, in our Adamic nature, to hide our sin from God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 3:1-10[NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… After their sin, Adam and Eve, hid from God … and knowing all, the Lord still pursued them. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 33:13-15 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... God doesn’t miss ANYTHING!!

Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies, in spite of our sin nature, are new for us every moment, let alone every morning.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 4:13 [NLT] … 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable. 
… Repeating … GOD MISSES NOTHING!!

Reference Passage : … 1John 1:9 [NLT] … 9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 
… God’s mercy/grace is there anytime/anywhere to cleanse us of our sin.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jeff Olson, uses a child’s game of hide-n-seek to illustrate our very human tendency to cover-up our sin nature. And the ODB author wrote: “He’s going to find me,” I thought. I felt my little heart pound faster as I heard my five-year-old cousin’s footsteps around the corner. He was coming closer. Five steps away. Three. Two. “Found you!” 
Hide-and-seek. Most have fond memories of playing the game as children. [see photo] Yet sometimes in life the fear of being found isn’t fun but is rooted in a deep instinct to flee. People may dislike what they see. 
As children of a fallen world, we’re prone to play what a friend of mine labels, “a mixed-up game of hide-and-seek” between God and us. It’s more like a game of pretending to hide—because either way, He sees all the way through to our messy thoughts and wrong choices. We know it, though we like to pretend He can’t really see.

Whom reading here has not tried to play “hide-n-seek” with God? I sure have; and yet, the more intimately we know God, we come to the realization of the truth of the reference scriptures above … that our God sees/knows all … and that His faithful/forgiving mercies are there for us anytime we’re willing to confess and be cleansed of our sin.

My friend, God sees us; … and as with Adam and Eve, He knows our sin! And He’s pursuing us … ALWAYS … and waiting for us to surrender and receive His saving and/or sanctifying grace today. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your love and mercies and grace which are there for any of us today who’ll come out from our hiding and receive them today. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to, as the hymn sings today, surrender our all to our ever-pursuing and ever-forgiving King Jesus.

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.

June 21, 2019 … Eliminating Envy

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 172 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Laura Story singing her song … Grace Abounds … poignantly singing of how God, thru Christ’s shed blood, has given His chosen ones - i.e., born-again Christians - the empowering grace to resist and choose to avoid our sin nature.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 6:13 [NLT] … 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. 
… As Christians, we can now choose to rid ourselves of sin choices thru God’s empowering grace. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 6:11-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, exhorts Christians to live as Jesus intended for us to live, … i.e., by His Spirit giving us His saving/sanctifying grace to be able to resist our sinful/selfish nature. 
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Reference Passage : … John 15:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... If we CHOOSE to abide in Christ and surrender to His Spirit, we will live fruitful, Christlike, lives.

Reference Passage : … Romans 1:29-32 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Those who CHOOSE to relent to their sin nature, God will allow them to do so and become captive to their own desires.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:4 [NLT] … 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 
… As Christians, we don’t need to compare ourselves with others … only to Christ; and when we do, following Him, He gives us His power to resist envy and selfish strife.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:8 [NLT] … 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 
… Since we become what we think [see Prov. 23:7 - NKJV], as Christians, we must choose to think as God would desire for us to think.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, uses a reference to two famous artists to illustrate how envious thinking can distort the way we look at life. And the ODB author wrote: The famous French artist Edgar Degas is remembered worldwide for his paintings of ballerinas. Less known is the envy he expressed of his friend and artistic rival Édouard Manet, another master painter. Said Degas of Manet, “Everything he does he always hits off straightaway, while I take endless pains and never get it right.” 

The sin of envy has always been pictured as the “green-eyed monster” (see photo). And that sin, along with yielding to pride, is what led the eye of Eve first, then Adam, to eat of the fruit of the flesh and be expelled from the Garden. However, as we read above, from God’s word, we, who’ve chosen to believe in the saving grace of Christ, need not relent to envy, … utilizing the abounding power of God’s sanctifying grace to think and act as Christ would lead us to act.

And I’m praying below that, meditating on the Scriptures above, all reading here will choose to think as Christ is leading us to think and make Christlike choices today, all of which give our God glory … as we move away from the fruit of the flesh and flourish in the fruit of the Spirit [on your own, meditate on Galatians 5:19-23).

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your empowering grace, allowing us to choose to live as Christ calls us to live.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in CHOOSING to set aside envy and live as Christ leads us to live.

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.

June 20, 2019 … Q/A With God Today

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 171 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … The Answer … poignantly singing of how Jesus becomes the faith answer to all our fear questions.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 46:7 [NLT] … 7  The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. 
 … When we cringe with our “WHY” questions, … God is alway there to be our fortress. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 46 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… No matter what our doubts, trials, or storms … God is always there with the answers; and they’re found in knowing Him more intimately.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … 5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. 
… We’re always going to have WHY or WHERE questions; and we need to avoid trying to answer them on our own, going to a God who ALWAYS knows and cares.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 9 Each time He [Jesus] 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. 
… Anytime we’re tempted to ask “WHY” questions, … as Jeremy Camp sings … “Jesus, … He is the answer!”

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... No matter what our circumstances or trials, God will NEVER leave us or forsake us.

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 5:7 [NLT] … 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 
… We must always take our WHY questions to a God Who SO cares for us!!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, uses a personal reflection to ask an age-old question. And the ODB author wrote: Fire swept through the home of a family of six from our church. Although the father and son survived, the father was still hospitalized while his wife, mother, and two small children were laid to rest. Unfortunately, heartbreaking events like this continue to happen again and again. When they’re replayed, so is the age-old question: Why do bad things happen to good people? [see photo] And it doesn’t surprise us that this old question doesn’t have new answers.

Really, … it is my belief that when we’re in a quandary and either tempted to ask … or actually asking …“WHY” questions, it is FEAR that motivates those questions. Whereas, when we have questions, as Jeremy Camp sings in the linked song, and they are asked in our faith in a caring God (see 1Pet 5:7, trusting that God is always there as our answer (see Prov 3:5-6 and Heb. 13:5-6), we will likely be asking, “Lord, WHAT can I glean from these circumstances which helps me know You more? The former WHY question is generated by FEAR… and the latter WHAT question is generated by FAITH.

I’m praying that we turn our WHY questions into WHAT questions today.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for the answers we have about life in our relationship with You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in seeking to ask WHAT questions of faith to replace our WHY questions of fear.

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.

June 19, 2019 …Strength In Weakness

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 170 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman singing … His Strength Is Perfect … poignantly singing how our Lord can - and will - give us His empowering grace in our times of weakness.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 8:26a [NLT] … 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. …
 … Even Nebuchadnezzar sees the power of God to redeem the lost.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 8:1-2, 10-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, shows all Christians that in Christ and His Spirit within us, we have the strength to overcome our human weaknesses.
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Reference Passage : … John 16:33 [NLT] … 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 
… Jesus assures His Disciples (and us) that He has overcome the powers of the world and we can find strength and peace in our relationship with Him.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 9 Each time He [Jesus] 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. 
… Paul shares what Jesus related to him … that God’s power works best thru our weaknesses.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:11-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... No matter what our circumstances or trials, God’s strength is always available to the born-again Christian to cover our very human weaknesses.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Ruth O’Reilly-Smith, uses a true story of how penicillin saved the life of a young girl to illustrate that we often need God’s strength to cover our weaknesses. And the ODB author wrote: Although Anne Sheafe Miller died in 1999 at the age of 90, she nearly passed away in 1942 after developing septicemia following a miscarriage and all treatments proved to be unsuccessful. When a patient at the same hospital mentioned his connection to a scientist who’d been working on a new wonder drug, Anne’s doctor pressed the government to release a tiny amount for Anne. Within a day, her temperature was back to normal! Penicillin [see photo] had saved Anne’s life.

And there are times in all of our lives when we know that we need strength way beyond our own power to deal with times of weakness or oppression in our lives. The Apostle Paul experienced this often and wrote (in the scriptures above) about how his faith in Christ had come to give him God’s empowering grace in times where his human weakness was almost overwhelming [especially note Rom 8:26, 2Cor 12 9, and Phil 4:13].

And I hope all reading here have taken the time to hear the wonderful song, performed by Steven Curtis Chapman, linked above; because it really says all God wants us to believe and trust in Him that we will always have God’s strength to cover our weakness.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your enabling … empowering … grace.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in using God’s strength today to cover our weaknesses. … 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.

June 18, 2019 … SuperHero for the Ages

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 169 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Big Daddy Weave singing … Redeemed … powerfully singing how our Lord is willing and able to save/redeem anyone who’s willing to make Him the Lord of our lives.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Daniel 3:28 [NLT] … 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. .
 … Even Nebuchadnezzar sees the power of God to redeem the lost.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Daniel 3:26-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus shows up in a hot furnace to save three Hebrew boys and to allow Nebuchadnezzar the power of God to save … even one who had rejected the God of Israel.
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Reference Passage : … Daniel, Chapter 4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... The story of how Nebuchadnezzar comes to be redeemed by God (see especially versus 34-37).

Reference Passage : … John 3:16 [NLT] … “16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that EVERYONE who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 
… God sent His Son to perish so that any/all who believe on Him would be redeemed and saved.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, points out the popularity of big superhero movies and how they illustrate our desire for a hero to rescue us as we see all thru the Bible. And the ODB author wrote: The comic book hero is as popular as ever. In 2017 alone, six superhero movies accounted for more than $4 billion (US) in box office sales. But why are people so drawn to big action flicks? Maybe it’s because, in part, such stories resemble God’s Big Story. There’s a hero, a villain, a people in need of rescue, and plenty of riveting action. 

And then the ODB author makes a parallel to Bible stories like that in Daniel, where the biggest action hero of all, … Jesus, … even goes into a furnace [see photo] to rescue, not only three Hebrew boys but to give the villain in the true story, King Nebuchadnezzar, a way to be redeemed as well. 

And that’s the way our God is willing to redeem even the worst of us, doing all He can to show us that He will give His saving and sanctifying grace to any/all who are willing to see and follow Jesus, the Christ, as our Superhero Redeemer. And I pray that all reading here see our Lord in that way, and can sing along with Big Daddy Weave … “I’m Redeemed!” 

My friends, if a villain like Nebuchadnezzar [see Danuel 4], or even a former angry atheist like I once was, can be redeemed, … so can any of us !!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for redeeming us to share in Your holiness and glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in surrender to the One Superhero for all ages, our Lord and Savior, Jesus! … 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.

June 17, 2019 … Living Like Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 168 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and song from Joy Williams singing … Do They Jesus In Me … poignantly singing of how, in our pursuit of Christlikeness, we do all we can to have others see Christ in the way we live.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 2 Corinthians 10:7, 11 [NLT] … 7 Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do.. … 
 11 Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. 
 … We will only shine the light of God’s truth when we are the same in public as we are in private.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2 Corinthians 10:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul defends his ministry as led by God’s Spirit and following Christ’s Lordship. 
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:16 [NLT] … 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 
… We shine the light of Christ into the darkened world only when our Godly deeds display Christlikeness.

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. 
… We can only display Christlikeness when we deny ourselves and follow Him.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 11:1 [NLT] …  1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 
… Paul was confident of others following His example because He knew that He was following Christ.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Elisa Morgan, with vulnerability, shares some insights from her own counselor to help us all follow Christ and live like Him with Christlike integrity. And the ODB author wrote: A friend of mine—okay, it was my counselor—drew a stick figure on a sheet of paper. [see photo] She labeled this the “private” self. Then she drew an outline around the figure, about a half-inch larger, and named it the “public” self. The difference between the two figures, between the private and public selves, represents the degree to which we have integrity. 
I paused at her lesson and wondered, Am I the same person in public that I am in private? Do I have integrity? 

When the Apostle Paul witnessed in Corinth and preached the Gospel, the people saw his public persona; and then later he wrote them - as we can read in his letters to the Corinthians. And some in Corinth apparently felt that what they had seen of Paul in public did not jibe with what they read in his letters . And henceforth, Paul defended his ministry as reflecting God’s Spirit and His being true to the gospel of Christ (see highlight passage). He declared openly that others could follow him [see 1Cor. 11:1] because he merely followed what Christ had commanded in Luke 9:23, … i.e., to deny himself and to follow His Lord’s will and His ways.

My fellow Christians, … we will only be able to be Christ’s light (as He commanded in Matt. 5:16) when we, like Paul, surrender to His Spirit and follow our Lord completely. And if we desire to have others see Christ in the way we live, as Joy Williams sings in the linked song, we must also follow Him with complete integrity. I pray that all reading with me seek to walk that walk … today and all days.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for showing us the way to go in following You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to walk the walk of faith in following You today … and then even more tomorrow. … 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.

June 16, 2019 … Following The Shepherd

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 167 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group, The McCraes, singing … He Knows My Name … poignantly singing of how, in God’s omniscience, He knows EVERYTHING about each of us.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 1:48-49[NLT] … 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. … Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; You are the king of Israel.” 
… Jesus shows Nathaniel Whom He really is … i.e., the Son of God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 1:43-51 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus calls Phillip and Nathaniel to be His Disciples.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 43:1 [NLT] … 1  But now, this is what the Lord says —  He who created you, Jacob, … He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;  I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 
… God, showing Israel that He had claimed them to be His own.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 53:6 [NLT] … 6  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 
… God, as our Good Shepherd, knows and loves us all enough to take our waywardness on Himself.

Reference Passage : … John 10:14-15 [NLT] … 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 
… Jesus declares that as a shepherd knows his sheep, so He, our Good Shepherd, knows us, and was willing to die for His flock.

Reference Passage : … John 15:14-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus calls those His FRIENDS who obey Him and follow Him as He commanded in Luke 9:23.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, uses a personal reflection to illustrate how how God knows us intimately and perfectly, … yes, even so much better than a loving parent knows his/her child. And the ODB author wrote: “Dad, what time is it?” my son asked from the back seat. “It’s 5:30.” I knew exactly what he’d say next. “No, it’s 5:28!” I watched his face light up. Gotcha! his beaming smile said. I felt delight too—the kind that comes from knowing your child the way only a parent can. 
Like any attentive parent, I know my children. I know how they’ll respond when I wake them up. I know what they’ll want in their lunches. I know countless interests, desires, and preferences. But for all that, I’ll never know them perfectly, inside and out, the way our Lord knows us. 

Isaiah, in Is. 43:1 and 53:6, prophesied that God knew Israel before time began and God claimed that they were His own, … even like a shepherd would die for His flock. And when Jesus came to call His disciples (passages from John above), He showed them that He knew them … like a shepherd knows his own flock … perfectly … intimately … completely.

And if we know Him as Lord and Savior, even tho we are wayward lambs, we will know Him, trust Him, and follow Him as our Good Shepherd. As Christians, we are His sheep. Do we know Him as our Good Shepherd; and are we following Him?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for knowing me (us) by name. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to follow You as our Good Shepherd. … 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.

June 15, 2019 … Wounding Words

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 166 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jason Gray singing … Glow In the Dark … powerfully singing of how God wants us to share His words of love/grace with others rather than hurting them with what we say or write.

"Sticks and stones ... "

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 Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Samuel 1:6-7 [NLT] … 6 So Peninnah [one of Elkanah’s two wives] would taunt Hannah [the second wife] and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. 
 … Words can - and often do hurt us.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Samuel 1:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The story of how Hannah was deeply hurt by another who taunted her about her childlessness. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 27:12-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David sings and prays that he be led away from enemies who falsely accuse him of wrong doing.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 12:18 [NLT] … 18  Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. 
… Words can hurt deeply. Hence we need to be around people who speak wisdom and healing into our lives.

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. 
… God, thru Paul, exhorts Christians to use only words that give encouragement or grace to the hearers.

Reference Passage : … James 3:7-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru James, teaches on the power of the tongue to do good or evil.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Alyson Kieda, uses a personal reflection to illustrate how powerful our words can be to either help or hurt others. And the ODB author wrote: “Skinny bones, skinny bones,” the boy taunted. “Stick,” another chimed. In return, I could have chanted “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But even as a little girl, I knew the popular rhyme wasn’t true. Unkind, thoughtless words did hurt—sometimes badly, leaving wounds that went deeper and lasted much longer than a welt from a stone or stick. 

In today’s highlight Scripture, we read of Hannah being hurt deeply when her fellow wife taunted her about her childlessness. And as the photo depicts, we know the old saying about “sticks and stones” is TOTALLY FALSE. Our words, especially in this day of social media, can be deeply hurtful to others. BUT, … on the other hand, what we say can also lift others up with edification or encouragement.

God, thru the reference Scriptures above, calls on us, in His family, to avoid any words that would hurt others (see Eph. 4:29 or James 3:7-12), rather choosing to use only words which provide encouragement or grace to the hearers. As Jason Gray sings, in the linked song, we are to use our words to “glow in the dark.”

So, as we go thru this day, let’s see if we can purposely edify others with spoken encouragement. I know God will smile if we do.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us the ability to speak encouragement and grace into the lives of others.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to purposefully speak joy and love into the lives of others today with words of encouragement. … 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.

June 14, 2019 … He Is the Answer

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 165 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … The Answer … poignantly singing of how Jesus is the answer to all the confusion and chaos of this world.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 8:26 [NLT] … 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 
 … God’s Spirit is our advocate and interpreter when we don’t seem to be getting thru to God. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 8:16-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, shows us that His Spirit is our advocate and interpreter when we feel distant from or ignored by our Lord.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 116:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru the Psalmist, promises that He’s always listening, … in fact bending down to hear our prayers.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7, 19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we’re seeking God’s peace, we need to know that He hears and will provide us with our needs.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… No matter our needs or our desperation, God will always be there for us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, uses a personal story to illustrate how communication problems often get in the way of solving the worrisome problems of life. And the ODB author wrote: While traveling in Asia, my iPad (containing my reading material and many work documents) suddenly died, a condition described as “the black screen of death.” [see photo] … Seeking help, I found a computer shop and encountered another problem—I don’t speak Chinese and the shop’s technician didn’t speak English. The solution? He pulled up a software program in which he typed in Chinese, but I could read it in English. The process reversed as I responded in English and he read in Chinese. The software allowed us to communicate clearly, even in different languages. 
At times, I feel like I’m unable to communicate and express my heart when I pray to my heavenly Father—and I’m not alone. Many of us struggle sometimes with prayer. 

I think all of us can identify with communication problems, especially in the confusion and chaos of this world which so often gets in the way of our being able solve the problems of life. But as Jeremy Camp sings, there is ONE Who can answer our questions, … IF … we can just get thru to Him. And, of course we should be doing that thru prayer and following His word. But even when we do, it can seem like He’s not hearing us or … maybe, … not answering.

But if believe His word, and I pray we do, He does listen (see Ps. 116:1-2) and He never will leave us or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6). And as God, thru Paul, promises us [see highlight passage], His Spirit is in us, ALWAYS being our advocate and interpreter when we don’t even know what to pray. 

So, I’m stopping to pray right now … that we heed Paul’s advice in Phil. 4:6-7 and stop worrying and start praying, … KNOWING that God, the Holy Spirit, will be our perfect soft-ware to let God, the Father, know EXACLY what we’re feeling and what we need.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for always being there, always, listening, … ALWAYS knowing what we need.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to stop worrying and start praying. … 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.

June 13, 2019 … God’s Royal Priesthood

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 164 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the group Avalon singing … Orphans of God … poignantly singing of how there are no orphans in the family of God.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Peter 2:9 [NLT] … 9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. 
… All those called by Christ into His “Royal Priesthood,” are called to show other the goodness of Christlikeness.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Peter 2:4-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Peter, shows Christians that all born-again believers are invited to the table of God, all of whom make up His ROYAL priesthood.
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Reference Passage : … Hosea 2:23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Peter in his sermon at Pentecost quotes [see 1Peter 2:10] from this passage and the prophesy of Hosea … that God had come to claim “His chosen people” in all those who come to know The Messiah as “The Christ” … and their Lord and Savior.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:1 [NLT] …  1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 
 … Paul exhorts fellow Christians (i.e., prisoners of God’s grace) to live lives worthy of His calling into His Royal Priesthood.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Estera Escobar, uses a true story of a gypsy boy who became a famous evangelist to illustrate that anyone can fit into God’s calling on them as part of His Royal Priesthood in His family. And the ODB author wrote: “Oh, it’s only a gypsy boy,” someone whispered with disgust when Rodney Smith walked to the front of the chapel to receive Christ during a service in 1877. Nobody thought much of this teenager, the son of uneducated gypsy parents. Yet, Rodney didn’t listen to those voices. He was certain that God had a purpose for his life so he bought himself a Bible and an English dictionary and taught himself how to read and write. He once said, “The way to Jesus is not by Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, or the poets. It is . . . an old-fashioned hill called Calvary.” Against all odds, Rodney became an evangelist who God used to bring many to Jesus in the UK and US [see photo]. 

The evangelist, Gypsy Smith, realized that his identity was not in his earthly ethnic heritage, … but rather in His identity in Christ and His calling to God’s Royal Priesthood, … i.e., into God’s family of born-again believers. And I pray that all reading here recognize that all who believe in Christ as King Jesus, our Lord and Savior, are called to be part of that Royal Priesthood. And we, as Peter preached on Pentecost [see highlight passage] and Paul declared in Eph. 4:1, need to live up to our calling into the priesthood of God’s family.

We are His Royal Priesthood and as the group Avalon sings, there are NO ORPHANS in Christ’s priesthood of believers. So, … let’s go out and share God’s desire that all come to know Him as Lord, sharing His Priestly calling with others.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for calling all in Your Family to be part of Your Royal Priesthood.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to live as worthy Priests in God’s family.… 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.

June 12, 2019 … Seeing More Clearly

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 163 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the Jimmy Cliff singing his hit song … I Can See Clearly Now … poignantly singing of how we can see life so much clearer when we take off the blinders of our selfishness and the world’s demands which get in the way of our vision.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 25:7 [NLT] … 7  There He will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. 
… In heaven God will remove everything from our eyes and we’ll as we seem Him face to face. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 25:1-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God promises that one day the shroud of our sin nature which so often distorts or diminishes our vision will be disked away in glory and we, as Christians, will see life perfectly clearly for the first time.
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Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 5:17 [NLT] …  17 This means that ANYONE who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 
… Yes, we are new in Christ; but even tho we are made new in our faith in the finished work of our Lord, we can still see life thru sin-shrouded eyes.

Reference Passage : … James 1:23-24 [NLT] …  23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 
… Our disobedience to God’s known truth so often clouds our vision of reality.

Reference Passage : … Revelation 22:20 [NLT] …  20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” 
… Our disobedience to God’s known truth so often clouds our vision of reality.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Will Collier, uses a true story of sight restored miraculously to illustrate how God will give us new sight in heaven. And the ODB author wrote: A brutal car wreck devastated Mary Ann Franco. Though she survived, the injuries left her completely blind. “All I could see was blackness,” Franco explained. Twenty-one years later, she injured her back in a fall. After waking from surgery (which had nothing to do with her eyes), miraculously, her sight had returned! For the first time in more than two decades, Franco saw her daughter’s face [see photo]. The neurosurgeon insisted there was no scientific explanation for her restored vision. The darkness that seemed so final gave way to beauty and light. 

I can so let my own ego and selfishness blind me from seeing what God wants me to see, … especially the world as He would desire I see it. But one day, as Isaiah prophesied [see highlight passage], our Lord will - when we see Him face-to-face in Heaven - remove the blinders of our sin nature from our eyes and we will see everything clearly.

Oh, … praying this morning, Lord … how I echo the intense desire of the Apostle John from his revelation (see Rev. 22:20 as I declare loudly … “Come soon, Lord, Jesus!” … Do you join me to desire to see His face in glory with the shroud of sin taken from our eyes?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving me (us) what sight we can have now to see life more clearly.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to wait patiently for new, Heavenly, eyes to see the New Jerusalem and our Lord clearly. … 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.

June 11, 2019 … YES, … He reigns!!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 162 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the the group Newsboys United sining … He Reigns … poignantly singing of how our God reigns over all peoples and He does so to show His mercy, love, and grace to us all.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Acts 2:4 [NLT] … 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 
 … At Pentecost the presence/power of the Holy Spirit fell on all, true, born-again believers. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Acts 2:1-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… At Pentecost, the power of the Holy Spirit fell on any/all who believed in Christ’s coming, dying, and living again.
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] …  22  The faithful love of the Lord never ends!. His mercies never cease. 23  Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.
… God’s faithfulness and His mercies are available to any/all who believe in Him and surrender to His Lordship.

Reference Passage : … Romans 10:9-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul shows shares the Gospel news that any/all who openly share their repentance of sin and belief and the Lordship of Jesus, having saved them with His death and resurrection, will be (and are) saved.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 5:17 [NLT] …  17 This means that ANYONE who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 
… If we truly believe in and surrender to the Lordship of Christ, we will be and becoming a new person under the reigning influence of His Spirit.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 5:22-23 [NLT] …  22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. … 
… For those who surrender to the Spirit’s reign in our lives, we will experience the fruitfulness of Christlikeness as the Spirit sanctifies and completes us (see also Phil. 1:6).

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Remi Oyedele, uses a reference to a modern singing group experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit to show that our God reigns over all. And the ODB author wrote: Former Newsboys lead vocalist Peter Furler describes the performance of the band’s praise song “He Reigns.” The song paints a vivid picture of believers from every tribe and nation coming together to worship God in unity. Furler observed that whenever the Newsboys sang it he could sense the moving of the Holy Spirit in the gathering of believers. 
Furler’s description of his experiences with “He Reigns” would likely have resonated with the crowds who converged on Jerusalem at Pentecost. When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4), things began to happen beyond anyone’s experience. 

As we celebrate Pentecost in the Christian calendar, we look back at the miraculous time when the Lordship and Reign of Jesus, the Christ, came down and was experienced by peoples of all nations and races gathered in Jerusalem after the resurrection of our Lord. And the lives of all those who truly believed in the Gospel message preached by Peter on that day were changed forever as the Holy Spirit came to reside in their hearts and lives and they were changed forever.

But GLORY BE … that any who read here can [AND WILL] experience that same changed life (see the reference passages above), as those of us who’ve repented of our sins and surrendered to the reigning power of the Holy Spirit, have received the inhabiting influence of God’s Spirit in our lives. And I do pray that all reading here are walking in that Gospel truth.

But, … if you doubt that, … email me at billb13@bellsouth.net and I’ll help you find the reality of Romans 10:9-13 and the changed life promised in 2 Cor. 5:17.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving those of us who really believe in Your kingdom gospel, the reality of Your Holy Spirit to give us the fruit of Your Spirit.
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 My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to believe and receive the reigning power of God’s Spirit to bring us into Christlikeness today and tomorrow. … 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.

June 10, 2019 … Sharing Our Blessings

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 162 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the a celebration choir singing the old hymn … Count Your Blessings … poignantly singing of how all of God’s children need to realize our many blessings as we share them with others

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 11:25 [NLT] …  25  The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. 
… Ultimately, from God’s law of reciprocity (i.e., “we reap what we sow”), those who are generous, as is God, will prosper.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 11:23-31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, shares His principles of sharing the blessings He bestows on those who are unselfishly generous.
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Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:9-10[NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul shows Christians how God’s law of reciprocity works for those who unselfishly and joyfully share His blessings with others.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:3-4 [NLT] …  3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 
… Paul exhorts fellow Christians (that’s us, too!) to avoid selfishness and help others!

Reference Passage : … 1 John 3:17 [NLT] …  17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 
… If we’ve been blessed by God, we should share to bless others with His live.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Kirsten Homberg, uses an uplifting story of how sharing our blessings spreads the love of God to others, perhaps to those more needy than we are. And the ODB author wrote: Steve, a sixty-two-year-old homeless military veteran, made his way to a warm climate where sleeping outdoors was tolerable year-round. One evening, as he displayed his hand-drawn art—his attempt to earn some money—a young woman approached and offered him several slices of pizza. [see photo] 
Steve gratefully accepted. Moments later, Steve shared his bounty with another hungry, homeless person. Almost immediately, the same young woman resurfaced with another plate of food, acknowledging that he had been generous with what he’d been given. 

That celebration choir, in the linked song, shares the truth that we do need to count the blessings God brings into our lives … EVERY DAY! … However, as today’s ODB entry points out, we should do all we can, as exhorted in the Scriptures above, to share our blessings with others, especially those more needy than we are.

Have all you reading here with me learned, as have I, that we can’t out give God?! … But it’s certainly a joyful task trying, isn’t it?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for sharing with us so that we can share with others.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to do all we can to share Your blessings with others, … especially the joy of Your Gospel. … 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.

June 9, 2019 … Lifting Others Up

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 160 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Jaci Velasquez singing … On My Knees … poignantly singing of how we often need to be on our knees, … praying … for our own needs as well as the needs of others.

Austin & Abby

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 6:18 [NLT] …  18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 
… We are challenged by God, as Paul did fellow believers, to pray for others continually. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 6:18-20 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, exhorting Christians to be in prayer for other fellow believers continually. 
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Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6 [NLT] …  6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 
… Rather than worry about others, we are to pray for them!!

Reference Passage : … 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 [NLT] …  16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 
… We’re to never stop praying for others with a thankful heart.

Reference Passage : … 1 Timothy 2:1-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul urges Timothy (and us) to pray for all people and especially leaders in authority.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, uses a delightful story of how prayer produced a love relationship for a lifetime. And the ODB author wrote: When Abby was a sophomore in high school, she and her mom heard a news story about a young man who’d been critically injured in a plane accident—an accident that took the lives of his father and stepmother. Although they didn’t know this person, Abby’s mom said, “We just need to pray for him and his family.” 
And they did. ... Fast forward a few years, and one day Abby walked into a class at her university. A student offered her the seat next to him. That student was Austin Hatch, the plane crash victim Abby had prayed for. Soon they were dating, and in 2018 they were married. [see photo] 

That’s certainly a heart-tugging story about how prayer - for even an unknown person - was Spirit-led to bring about a life-time love relationship. But I’m sure that all reading here know of fellow Christians in our sphere of influence or friendships who need our prayer … TODAY … maybe even right now!!

Well, the Apostle Paul, on several occasions, to several different Christian audiences (see Scriptures above), was compelled to exhort his fellow believers to pray for other fellow Christians and also for others, … even non-believers, … who were in need of God’s Spirit to lift them up.

So, … we all need to be in prayer, … continually, … as Paul exhorts us in 1Thess.5:17, … lifting up fellow Christians, … or really anyone, … whom the Holy Spirit puts on our hearts who might need prayer.

And who knows, … as with Austin and Abby Hatch, our prayers may lead to something wonderful; because God is certainly capable of doing wonderful things!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being our intercessor on Your throne and for leading us and calling us to prayer for others.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to pray, pray, pray for others … maybe right now!! … 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.

June 8, 2019 … Set Up Those Pins AGAIN !!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 159 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and song from Sara Groves singing … Setting Up The Pins … poignantly singing of how we living our lives as Solomon described in Ecclesiastes 1, handling the repetitive, often boring, tasks of life. .

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ecclesiastes 1:9 [NLT] …  9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 
… Most certainly Solomon was (is) right in his observation about life being redundant; but it’s how we handle the redundancies of life which honors or dishonors our Lord.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Solomon, as God’s “Teacher,” paints a picture that life can be boringly repetitive; and we must choose to honor God with how we deal with the repetition [see Eccles. 12 below]. 
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Reference Passage : … Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 [NLT] …  13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. 
 … Solomon’s final conclusions about how we deal with life’s redundant challenges.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [NLT] …  28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
… If we believe this we’ll do EVERYTHING for God’s glory and our own good, no matter how repetitive or seemingly worthless.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2: 14 [NLT] …  14 Do EVERYTHING without complaining and arguing, 
… God, thru Paul, exhorts us to do EVERYTHING without complaint.

Reference Passage : … 1 Timothy 4:4 [NLT] …  4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. 
… Anything and everything which comes our way, no matter how seemingly insignificant, should be received with an attitude of gratitude.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa Samra, uses an example of seemingly repetitive tasks to help us see that we must handle them for God’s glory. And the ODB author wrote: I was intrigued when I noticed a tattoo of a bowling ball knocking down pins on my friend Erin’s ankle. Erin was inspired to get this unique tattoo after listening to Sara Groves’s song, “Setting Up the Pins.” The clever lyrics encourage listeners to find joy in the repetitive, routine tasks that sometimes feel as pointless as manually setting up bowling pins over and over again [see photo], only to have someone knock them down. 
Laundry. Cooking. Mowing the lawn. Life seems full of tasks that, once completed, have to be done again—and again. 

I’m almost 100% sure that all reading here have repetitive tasks in our lives which we do because somehow we know they are necessary for our good. The ODB entry enumerates some, … such as doing the laundry or mowing the lawn. I might add such disciplines as brushing our teeth daily or taking certain medicines/vitamins; … necessary, and often seemingly boring, tasks which are done as disciplines in life.

But what about such things as prayer or as you find me here DAILY digging into God’s word? Why do I do these things … EVERY DAY, … and journaling about them as I am right now? Well, if you’ve taken in the YouTube song by Sara Groves and meditated on the Scriptures provided by ODB and from my own study, God answers my inquiry, doesn’t He?

And I pray that we all see that life’s “bowling pins” (i.e., those necessary redundancies of life) as tasks we can - AND WILL - carry out for God’s glory and our own sanctification.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us the boring, redundant, tasks of life to help us grow in Christlikeness and give You glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to see those boring, repetitive, tasks in life as opportunities to serve our 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.

June 7, 2019 … God’s Moonlit Glory

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 158 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and song from Gordon Mote singing … Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory … poignantly singing of how we can partake of God’s glory everyday, anytime we take in His creation with an attitude of gratitude.

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{Blogger Note: Because of an online error in the publication and posting of Our Daily Bread, there is a repetition of song and Scripture from June 6}
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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 19:1 [NLT] …  1  The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 
 … But as David wrote in song, we must stop and take in the glory of God seen in the moon and stars at night.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 19:1-4 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK …
… The psalmist sings of God’s glory being on display in His creation. We need to look around and see His glory in creation now.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 35:1-2 [NLT] …  1 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.  The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. 2  Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God. 
 … When Jesus comes again He will really show off His glory; but we can see enough of it even today to grasp the wonder of our Creator God.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, John Blase, calls the heart of all believers to take the time and attention to take in the glory of God by looking up to grasp what the Lord created for us. And the ODB author wrote: “Don’t ever miss the chance to show your babies the moon!” she said. Before our mid-week prayer service began, a group of us talked about the previous night’s harvest moon. The full moon was striking, [see photo] as it seemed to sit on the horizon. Mrs. Webb was the eldest voice in our conversation, a gray-haired lover of God’s grand creation. She knew my wife and I had two children in our home at the time, and she wanted to help me train them in a way worth going. Don’t ever miss the chance to show your babies the moon! 

Oh how I pray that we stop to take the time - perhaps this evening if the weather permits - to look up and take in the vast wonder of what God has created for us.

Young David, when he was a shepherd boy, must’ve done just that when he penned the poem and song in Psalm 19. And we need to slow down, in the rush of this world and the demands of our life, to appreciate the glory of God, just as Gordon Mote sings about seeing God’s glory in all what we see in nature. And it’s pertinent to note that Gordon Mote is blind; … but even in his blindness, he’s able to “see” and take in God’s glory thru His creation.

Again, … praying today that we do too!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us all the evidence we need to see Your glory when we look up into the heavens at night.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to look up and see the glory of God in the moon/stars above. … 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.

June 6, 2019 … Creation Shows His Glory

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 157

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and song from Gordon Mote singing … Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory … poignantly singing of how we can partake of God’s glory everyday, anytime we take in His creation with an attitude of gratitude … And then ON TO THIS LINK to hear tBrian Doerksen sing of God’s creation, which calls us to see His.glory all around us.

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{Blogger Note: Because of an online error in the publication and posting of Our Daily Bread, there is a repetition of photo and Scripture from June 5} 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 35:1-2 [NLT] …  1 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.  The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. 2  Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God. 
 … In the 2nd coming of Jesus we will see the deserts bloom. So, when we see them bloom now [see photo], we get a glimpse of His glory to come.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 35:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s promise to His people that the parched earth that they were experiencing from Babylon would bloom with eternal beauty and glory when the Messiah returns in His glory to reclaim His Bride.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 19:1-4 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Psalmist sings of God’s glory being on display in His creation. We need to look around and see His glory in creation now.

Reference Passage : … Revelation 22:20 [NIV] … 20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” ...   Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 
… I pray all reading here join heartily in the wish of the Apostle John that our Lord would come soon to bring His Bride to glory.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, repeated from the publication duplication error of June 5, shows how God paints a picture of what is to come when we see the deserts bloom. And the ODB author wrote: The Mojave Desert includes the expected sand dunes, dry canyons, mesas, and mountains of most deserts. But American biologist Edmund Jaeger observed that every few years an abundance of rain results in “such a wealth of blossoms that almost every foot of sand or gravelly soil is hidden beneath a blanket of flowers.” [see photo repeated from June 5] The Mojave wildflower show isn’t a yearly phenomenon, though. Researchers confirm the dry earth needs to be soaked by storms and warmed by the sun, at just the right times, before blooms will cover the desert with vibrant colors. 
This image of God bringing forth life despite the arid terrain reminds me of the prophet Isaiah. He shared an encouraging vision of hope after delivering God’s message of judgment on all nations (Isaiah 35). 

I’m sorry for the duplication of photo and scripture from June 5 in today’s journaling. However, it is a good lesson for me and any reader. The online publishers of ODB may have made an error which led me to have to repeat the photo and the Scriptures from yesterday’s blog. But there are no accidents when it comes to God showing us His glory in His creation.

Therefore, I’m seeing that God wants me - and maybe you readers - to take the time, as sung by Gordon Mote and Brian Doerksen in the linked songs, to take in God’s glorious creation and appreciate His handiwork, … as well as to see the gory we have waiting for us when He comes again to reign in the New Jerusalem [see highlight passage].

And in that regard, I repeat from the Apostle John from yesterday’s blog [Rev. 22:20] … “Amen, … Come, Lord, Jesus!!”

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for showing us Your glory all around us in what You’ve created.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to slow down and take in what God has created to show us His 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.