February 8, 2013 … Do WHAT??!!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 39

Passage of the Day: John 21: 6a [in the context verses 4-6] [NKJV] … 4 At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?” … “No,” they replied. 6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!”  So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it. 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: John 21 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Revelation 3: 20 : [NLT] … {Jesus calls!} … “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends. 

My Journal for Today: John 21, the last chapter in the Gospel of John, is a fascinating study about God’s love, His mercy, and the Lord’s willingness to set His imperfect disciples on His perfect course. If you’re reading here with me, I hope you’ll use the link above and go back and read and meditate on all of John, Chapter 21 and see if God isn’t calling - or recalling you - as He also did in Rev. 3: 20, also quoted above.

The scene in John 21 was a depressed bunch of disciples after Jesus’ death, gathered on the same beach near Capernaum where Jesus had first called them a little over three years earlier [I’ve been on that beach – see photo above]. And while there, Peter decides to take a boat out to do some fishing; and while a handful of the disciples were out there on the water unsuccessfully fishing, Jesus appears on the beach and calls out to them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. And “VOILA,” they catch fish … a lot of them!

I’ve always found that interaction fascination. As a fisherman, Peter had no real reason to cast those nets that one last time. They’d been fishing for some time without catching anything. Yet, he did so obediently to this stranger calling from the beach. Have you ever wondered why Peter might do so … other than the fact that God could have softened his heart to cast the net? In my mind, I imagine Peter, after being so down about his thrice denial of Jesus, hearing Jesus call, reflected on that time out on the waters in that horrible storm (related in Matt. 14, Mark 6, and John 6) when Jesus came to the disciples, walking on the waters, appearing as a ghost. I can just imagine that Peter had a flashback to that time; and when he heard the “stranger” calling from the beach, he just responded obediently – and almost reflexively – to the command; and when he did, Jesus filled his nets with fish.

This story shows us that following Jesus can often be illogical and even counter-intuitive. But when we know it is the Lord’s calling, we need to do what Jesus also called His disciples to do in Luke 9: 23, … to deny our self, take up our cross, and follow Him. And when we do – obediently - Jesus has promised (again see Rev. 3: 20) that He’ll come to us and dine with us … just as He did with His disciples on that beach near Capernaum after the resurrection.

And another part of the story in John 21 is that of Jesus gently and compassionately re-commissioning Peter there on the beach, three times asking Peter if he loved Jesus; and three times, giving Peter the opportunity to re-commit himself to Christ after Peter had denied him those three times before the crucifixion. What a beautiful story of God’s love and patience in the face of our failure. And the more you look into the wording of Peter being restored by Christ, the more amazing becomes that story of God’s unconditional love.

But though God’s love is unconditional, God’s working grace is not unconditional; and in the story of Peter casting those fishing nets in Chapter 21 of John, we see that God will only be able to fill our nets when we’re willing to cast them obediently at Jesus’ calling. And even when it seems illogical to do so or when we even doubt the outcomes, … when we sense God calling us to follow Him, we need to cast our nets on the other side anyway; and as the old Nike commercial touts, “Just do it!” Because, as I’ve written often in my devotionals, … “God’s calling is His enablement.”

My Prayer for Today Lord, You called me to be here today, seeking after Your truth from Your word. And I cast my nets; and You faithfully filled them with Your love. Thank You, Lord!! … Amen

February 7, 2013 … Lone Ranger Christianity – NOT!!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 38

Passage of the Day: Proverbs 3: 5 [in the context verses 5-6] [NKJV] … Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In ALL your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. 

Passage of the Day: Proverbs 3: 5 [in the context verses 5-6] [NLT] … Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths. 

Passage of the Day: Proverbs 3: 5 [in the context verses 5-6] [MSG] … Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Proverbs 3 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Jeremiah 17: 9 : [NLT] … {Why don’t we trust our own judgment – alone?} … The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 

Reference Passage #2: Ecclesiastes 4: 12 : [NKJV] … {Lone Ranger Christianity doesn’t cut it!} … Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 

My Journal for Today: Today’s working-place man’s devotional by Os Hillman rang a very personal bell with me today. He used the primary reference to one of the most quoted verses in all of the Old Testament, Proverbs 3: 5-6 as well as Jeremiah 17: 9 to point out to his readers that we’re in danger as Christians trying to rely on our own minds/hearts when it comes to decision-making.

I know this principle all too well because I lead a ministry to help Christian men who’ve been spiritually weakened by patterns of habitual sexual sin. They have learned just how vulnerable they are to Satan, the world, and their own flesh when they try to go it alone and traverse this hyper-sexualized world, trying to remain pure in their pursuit of Christlikeness. They have discovered that “Lone Ranger” Christianity just doesn’t cut it; and they need the counsel and accountability of others, especially other strong, biblically secure Christians, to help keep them stay on track in their walk toward freedom in Christ. They’ve learned the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 4: 12 … that a single cord can be ripped apart easily; but a threefold-cord is not easily broken.

Our human hearts are so wickedly deceitful [again, Jer. 17: 9l; and leaning on our own understanding, as is pointed out in Prov. 3: 6 is flat-out stupid! My wife often says, “You just can’t deal with dumb!” And when we try to traverse this life … this world which Satan has designed to trip us up … we’re just forging our way through the minefield of life, blindly going it alone and expecting that we won’t get our toes blown off. Some would call it “insanity;” my wife would call it …

DUMB! … Double-DUMB!! … no, … Triple-DUMB!!!

If we’re going to try to make it through that minefield we call life, wouldn’t it be advisable to find someone who’s already gone through the field, or even better to follow someone who’s a minefield expert and knows where all the mines are. That’s what Jesus was trying to get His followers to do in Luke 9: 23 when He said [NKJV], “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

My friend, do you agree with what I’m saying here; … i.e., do we agree with the Bible that it’s not wise to go through life as a “Lone Ranger” Christian?

So, … are we trying to go it alone? If so, what is all of this saying to us? I think my wife’s logic is correct. It’s just D .. U .. M .. B to try to make decisions alone in this world!! And God’s Spirit is going to let us try to walk through the minefield of life … all by ourselves … if that’s our choice. But as my wife says, “You can’t deal with dumb!” And personally, I’ve learned the hard way; and I don’t plan to go back and do the minefield the dumb way anymore.

I’m really into surrounding myself with as many biblically wise people I can, especially when I need to traverse the minefields of life and make important decisions which can affect my own well being … and even more so when the lives of others are impacted by my choices. I’m going to do life held together by a many-stranded cord. How about you?

My Prayer for Today … Lord, help me be surrounded by others who follow You and know the way through the minefields of my life. … Amen

February 6, 2013 … The Black Hole of Faith

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 37

Passage of the Day: 2ND Corinthians 12: 9 [in the context verses 9-10] [NLT] …  
“My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” 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. 

Passage of the Day: 2ND Corinthians 12: 9-10 [AMP] …  
9 But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! 10 So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength). 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: 2nd Corinthians 12: 1-10 [NLT] … Go to this link …
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Reference Passage #1: 1st Kings 19: 19-21 : [NLT] … {Elisha’s black hole experience.} …  
19 So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. 20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”… Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” … 21 So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant. 

My Journal for Today: This morning for my journaling I’ve stolen Os Hillman’s title for this entry, … “The Black Hole.” I think we all are somewhat familiar with the concept of a “black hole” astronomically these days. [See photo above]  According to Wikipedia, a black hole in space “… is a region of space time from which gravity prevents anything, including light, from escaping. … It is called "black" because it absorbs all the light that hits the horizon, reflecting nothing. …” But Os Hillman uses a slightly different, historical picture to explain what he calls a spiritual black hole.

He refers his readers to that time when John Glen, our first astronaut, was returning earth on his first space flight and there was that period of a few moments of audio “blackness” when mission control lost audio contact with Glen as he re-entered our atmosphere. It seemed like an eternity; but Glen made it through that “black hole” of silence with the heat shields on the space capsule; and he was delivered to come back to earth safely.

 And Hillman used that illustration to remind us that we all likely have experienced “black holes” spiritually in our lives, … i.e., times when we seemed to lose contact with God, … when the Holy Spirit seemed incommunicado, … and when The Lord seemed to have disappeared into some “black hole” of silence. And can I sense some of you reading here saying, “Yeah, … been there; got that T-shirt!” I sure have been there.

And so was the Apostle Paul in today’s highlight passage. And if you go back and remember or take in the passage in 2nd Cor. 12: 1-10, linked for you above, you’ll read how Paul had come down from a Spiritual mountain-top experience, having been given a vision of heaven, to find himself wallowing in a “black-hole” of physical and/or emotional pain, experiencing some kind of “thorn,” from which he prayed and prayed for deliverance; but God seemed to disappear for Paul into some “back hole” of deliverance. And then Paul remembered the words Jesus had told him at some time in his past (i.e, verse 9) … that God’s grace was sufficient for all situations/circumstances. And Paul came to realize that the “black hole” of silence He was encountering with God was to let Paul realize that he (Paul) needed that silence to show him the humility needed to receive God’s enabling/empowering grace.

Elisha also was shown a related lesson when he was called by Elijah to come and be a disciple of Elijah’s in witness of obedience to God’s call on Elisha’s life. In the reference passage, copied above, 1st Kings 19: 19-21, Elisha realized that when God calls, the Lord may have us – in faith – enter a “black hole” of commitment and surrender to God’s will, following His way, … not necessarily the clear lighted path we might have looked for in following our God. It’s God’s “black hole” of faith and trust.

Perhaps you are in one of those black holes of faith-testing right now; and you may feel that God is testing your “heat shield” of protection.  Perhaps like Paul the heat shield of your faith is being burned by some physical malady from which you don’t know how long you will have to humbly trust in God’s grace. Perhaps you’ve had some calling into a “black hole” of obedience; and like Elisha, you just don’t know where you’ll see the light of clear guidance in the future. But, whatever “black hole” of challenge you are in, we must trust and cling to the truth that God’s grace is [ALWAYS] sufficient for our weakness; and He (according to 1st Cor. 10: 13 and Hebrews 13: 5) will never allow us to enter any black hole of life challenge where He will not be there and where He not will bring us through to the other side safely – even if that side is on the other side of glory.

My Prayer for Today … Lord, I do trust that Your grace is sufficient to bring me through any “black hole” of weakness or challenge in my life. … Amen

February 5, 2013 … Using God's Gifts

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 36

Passage of the Day: 1st Corinthians 12: 1 [NLT] … And now, dear brothers and sisters, I will write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of us, for I must correct your misunderstandings about them.  
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: 1st Corinthians, Chapter 12: 1-11 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Romans, Chapter 12 : [NLT] … {More on Spirit-given gifts as Paul instructed the Romans. … Use this link } … 

Reference Passage #1: Ephesians, Chapter 4; Verses 1-16 : [NLT] … {Even more on Spiritual gifts as Paul instructed the Church at Ephesus. …. Use this link } … 

My Journal for Today: In today’s highlight verse (1st Cor. 12: 1) and in the contextual readings cited above (i.e., 1st Corinthians - Chapter 12, Romans - Chapter 12, and Ephesians - Chapter 4), Paul was concerned that the churches he had helped establish really understood the dynamics of the individual Spirit-imparted gifts being used collectively and effectively in a unified church for God’s glory. I heartily suggest that you use the links I’ve provided above to go back and study a bit – probably in review – about the gifts used by God’s Spirit for us in His body to shine the light of Christ as a unified Church in this world.

Do you know what you’re Spiritual gift might be? Perhaps you’ve been given more than one gift. How does your gift or your gifts merge with others in the Body of Christ to be able – as a Body of believers – to effectively carry out Christ’s charge for us to witness of His kingdom glory in this world [see Acts 1: 8]? Because if we, as Christians, don’t have a clue about our Spirit-laden gifts, we are going to be very vulnerable to our Spiritual enemies in this life as well as weakened of God’s enabling grace in being His witnesses in the world.

For example, if you have the gift of mercy, do you know that you can have a spiritual blind-spot in being able to say “NO” to some people who might call on you to help them? With the Spirit-given gift of mercy you’re going to want to help EVERYBODY you see who has a need. But you can’t help everybody, can you? It will drain you of your Spiritual energy to try; and so, you need the help of those with the gift of Spiritual discernment to help you prioritize and choose which ones to help first, second, and so forth.

I have been blessed with a Spirit-given gift of teaching. Perhaps you can sense that as I journal here. But there are times when I need help from someone in the body of Christ with God’s gift of prophesy to help me interpret God’s word clearly, helping me to see more clearly the interpretation as I formulate how to teach God’s truth to others. Because when I fully understand God’s word, usually with the help of other discerning Christians like Os Hillman, the editor of the devotional I’m using here each morning, I can be used more effectively to impart that meaning to others, using my gifts of teaching and encouragement more powerfully.

Every Spiritual gift has an inherent strength and a potential point of weakness. When we know – really know – what our Spiritual gift is and how it works, we need to learn where that gift might be vulnerable to our own deceit-ridden hearts (again see Jeremiah 17: 9) as well as the ploys of Satan and the world, which work to dilute the power of our gifts in witnessing of Christ in the world.

When you know what your Spiritual gift is; and you know how to blend your gift into the body of Christ to use the gifts of others to cover your potential weaknesses; and when you’re using your gift blended with others in the unified Church, Spiritual sparks fly and God’s light begins to shine for God’s glory as we witness in His Name (see Matt. 5: 16). And when we’re exercising within our gift set; and we’re using \what God has given us to glorify Him, especially in accord with other Christians using their gifts, we’ll feel the power of God’s love and grace flowing through our works in His Name. It happens as it says in Ephesians 2: 10 [The Message]: ”He [God] creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” 

 I pray we all learn and know what our Spirit-given gifts are so that we can join with others in Christ’s body to be more effective as Christ-like light bearers, witnessing more effectively in His Name.

My Prayer for Today Lord, may I use the gifts of teaching and encouragement which You’ve imparted to me to be Your witness, using them in accord with Your body to be as effective as we can by for Your glory. … Amen

A Blogger’s PS: If you read from my teaching above, how do you think I did using God’s gifts of teaching and encouragement, … my two primary Spirit-imparted gifts? ... Did I use them for God’s glory this AM? Did you clearly understand what God led me to write here … enough so that you’re motivated to learn what your Spirit-given gift or gifts are and to use them for God’s glory? Let me know how I did here to teach you about Spiritual gifts. Send me an email (at willieb13@rocketmail.com) or a message on Facebook and let me know how I did.

February 4, 2013 … God’s Lesson in Tough Love

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 35

Passage of the Day: Exodus 5: 22-23 [NLT] …  
22 So Moses went back to the LORD and protested, “Why have you mistreated your own people like this, Lord? Why did you send me? 23Since I gave Pharaoh your message, he has been even more brutal to your people. You have not even begun to rescue them!” 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Exodus, Chapter 5 [NLT] … Go to this link …
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Reference Passage #1: John 14: 21 : [NLT] … {True … but tough!!} …  
21 “… Those who obey My commandments are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them.” 

Reference Passage #2: Hebrews 5: 7-8 : [NLT] … {Imagine! Jesus also learned God’s tough love from obedience. } …  
7 While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could deliver Him out of death. And God heard His prayers because of His reverence for God. 8 So, even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. 

My Journal for Today: Have you ever done the “God thing,” … dutifully following what you believed to be God’s will as you felt called to do so; and the result seemed way different from what you imagined or felt would be God’s outcome in the matter at hand? Well, that was Moses in today’s highlight passage of Scripture, … obediently carrying God’s message to Pharaoh; and getting slapped in the face with nothing that seemed like God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt.

Yes, Moses was obedient in going out-on-a-limb for God by taking God’s message to the Pharaoh; but God didn’t promise WHEN He would deliver His people. He only promised that He would deliver them. And this, quite often, is God’s M.O. when He calls us to task. He calls us to be obedient; but the Lord quite often doesn’t give us HIS timeline on HIS results.

When God called me to reach out to other men who had fallen prey to habitual sexual sin and to help them with my testimony of deliverance from this scourge, His call was for me to share the story that Jesus’ truth and love delivers men, like me, from habitual sexual sin into the freedom of walking in purity. And I’ve seem scores of men do just that. But all of them, like me, had to learn the lesson of John 14: 21, copied above. Yes, God’s tough love of obedience will ALWAYS result in God showing His love to the obedient; but it very often – in fact, I’d say most often – comes in a timeline that the obedient find very difficult, sometimes almost impossible, to follow.

 Heck! Even Jesus found the obedience gig to His Heavenly Father hard to follow (in His humanity). Reading Hebrews 5: 7-8 above, reminds us that even Jesus, the God-Man, had to learn to follow the very tough time-line of His Heavenly Father in order to become the Heavenly High Priest Who would deliver God’s children from their sin. And if Jesus had to follow God’s tough-love time line, would we expect it would be any different from us?

Simple truth: ... Obedience to God will produce Godly results; but it will happen in God’s timing, … not ours! Oh, so often I say it here in my morning blogs; but I just have to keep learning it over and over and over again - God is God; and I am not! And we all need to believe and internalize the truth of John 14: 21. God wants us to feel His love; and more often than we want, … it takes time – HIS TIME – to follow His will and carry out His way in this world of hurt in which we live.

 So, my friend, as we are called to do HIS will in HIS way from HIS word, let us KEEP ON KEEPING ON IN CHRIST; and remember His promises in 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9. And if you haven’t memorized those truths, in the Nike way, … JUST DO IT!!

And if you need encouragement to keep on keeping on, GO TO THIS LINK ; and listen the wonderful song written and performed by Sara Groves, … It’s Going To Be Alright; … and read the powerful quotes on the You Tube piece accompanied by Groves’ song. Take 6 minutes to do this and you’ll be alright when you keep on believing God’s way and following His will … no matter how long it takes.

My Prayer for Today … Yes, Lord, I believe it’s going to be alright … in YOU. … Amen

February 3, 2013 … Meaning from the Mess!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 34

 Passage of the Day: Proverbs 14: 4 [NLT] …  
4 An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable.

My Journal for Today: Os Hillman in today’s devotional study has selected and explained a very interesting paradox from God’s truth. Proverbs 14: 4 highlights a most interesting pattern in the way God often does His business in life. Have you ever noticed how God so often get His greatest glory by doing His ministry or mission work in the presence of messiness? Hence my journal title for today, “Meaning from the Mess!”

And Hillman, in his devotional this morning, used a very modern word picture to illustrate this truth. … Oh, how we hate all the mess on our highways, especially around busy cities, when the highway engineers decide to construct some wider thruways or to reroute interstate highways around our crowded cities. For a period of time – usually much longer than we’d like – things are a mess. There is slowing and backups and a whole lot of messy traffic. But then, when the project is complete we see why the engineers did what they did. The roads are widened and the routing is SO MUCH better than it was before; and we end up saying, “Wow, this was really worth all the messiness!”

And think about it. Wasn’t that how God got His greatest glory, … when He brought His Son into the messiness of the manger? And look what resulted – from the meaning out of our keynote passage today – where the greatest glory of all came right out of that stinky, messy manger. And so often in our lives, we fight against messiness; don’t we? We want order and things to be clean; but it’s been my experience that God always brings about His most powerful and effective ministry in the midst of our messiest times and events.

Can you think back to some time in your life when God did His ministry in the midst of your mess? I sure can. God took the messiest of all times in my life, when I was broken to the core in the mess of my own self-created addictive sin; and He recreated me and cleaned me up to become the man whom He has used to shine His light and help scores of men walk from the darkness and messiness of their own sexual sin into the light of Spirit-led purity. And that, my friends, is the meaning of today’s proverbial truth.

It is God making a miracle of meaning out of our messiness. And please join me this morning in a resounding “HALLELUJAH!” 

My Prayer for Today … Yes, Lord, HALLELUJAH for making meaning out of the messiness of my life. … Amen

February 2, 2013 … Open the Door! Give Him the Keys!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 33

Passage of the Day: Revelation 3: 20 [NLT] …  
20 “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends …”.
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Revelation, Chapter 3, Verses 14-22 [NLT] … Go to this link …
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Reference Passage #1: Matthew 7: 7-8 : [NLT] … {Just as in Rev. 3, Jesus speaking!!} …  
7 “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. …” 

Reference Passage #2: John 15: 1-15 … Just use this link! : [NLT] … {We connect to the vine by our obedience in Christ. } … 

My Journal for Today: Revelation 3: 20, the keynote verse for my devotional entry today, is often misused and misinterpreted in theological discussions. Obviously it has to do with Jesus, in the context of His letter to His church in Laodicea, being available to those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior. However, many people think that Jesus is knocking on the door of the hearts of non-believers in this passage; and they apply the verse in terms of salvation.

However, this passage, i.e., the letter to the Laodicean church, was Jesus speaking to already saved believers, … saved Christians who had become lukewarm in their faith; and Jesus is pleading with them to let Him in their hearts to become the LORD of their lives. As Os Hillman puts it in his devotional entry for this date: ” So often many of us enter a relationship with God that brings us salvation. This is the gospel of salvation. But what God really desires for us is to experience the gospel of the Kingdom. He wants us to experience His power and presence every day of our lives and to see His hand at work in us. This only happens when we give Him the key to our life; He must be more than an honored guest.”

In other words, we’re not talking about the “gospel of salvation” here; we’re speaking of the “gospel of sanctification.” And that is what Jesus wanted believers to recognize in His Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 7: 7-8 above) as well as what John quoted Jesus to teach in John 15: 1-15, also linked above for your study reference above.

 Once we’re saved and we’ve invited God’s Spirit to reside in our hearts, Jesus so wants us to understand that we must invite Him to be more than just a guest in our lives, i.e., in our hearts. He wants us to give Him ALL THE KEYS to every room in our hearts; and He desires for us to let Him be the LORD of the mansion … not just a guest. Yes, once He’s in, He’s in forever; and He could take over. He is God; and He is sovereign. But that’s not Jesus’ M.O.! If, once invited into our hearts, Jesus just took control, the reality of “FAITH” would have no meaning; and even after we’re saved, Jesus wants us – IN FAITH – to give Him all the keys to our personal kingdom. That’s kingdom faith in the gospel of sanctification.

And so, the invitation of Rev. 3: 20 applies to every decision in our lives as we grow into His image. It applies to every choice we make, … and to every action in our lives. And when we open the door to His knocking, He will gladly, lovingly, and gracefully come in and dine with us as we give Him the keys to the mansion He is building for us.

Have you heard Him knocking? Have you opened the door to let Him come in? Have you given over ALL the keys to the life He is building for you? Today? He’s there, knocking. Why don’t you just let Him in; and give Him the keys?

My Prayer for Today ... LORD, come in … take it all; … it’s Yours anyway! … Amen

February 1, 2013 … Are You Kidding Me? A Talking Donkey!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 32

Passage of the Day: Numbers 22: 30 {in the context of Verses 28-31} [NLT] …  
28 Then the LORD caused the donkey to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me these three times?” it asked Balaam. 29 “Because you have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!” 30 “But I am the same donkey you always ride on,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” he admitted. 31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam fell face down on the ground before him. 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Numbers, Chapter 22 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Proverbs 3: 5b – in the context of verses 5-6 : [NLT] … { Yes, again!! } … 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 direct your paths. 

My Journal for Today: Have you ever been in a place where you just knew you were on the right path; but things just didn’t come together and YOUR way of doing things was blocked? That was the incredible case which happened to Balaam in the Old Testament. You probably remember the almost unbelievable story in Numbers, Chapter 22 where Balaam, a misguided Prophet of God, traveling to see King Balak of Moab, needed a lesson in surrender; and God used Balaam’s donkey to wake the prophet to follow the path of life – GOD’S WAY – rather than the way of Balaam.

Sometimes, we can move ahead of God’s way of doing business in our own self-directed selfishness; and we run into a “brick wall,” wondering … “What gives, God?” And when things just don’t go our way and the results we expect are not forthcoming, perhaps it becomes time to realize that the “brick wall” of failure is God’s way of saying either, “NO!” or “WAIT!” Perhaps the failure is God’s talking donkey; and the Lord is really trying to help us to see GOD”S WAY of doing business rather than letting us do the project of living our own way.

How many times in my quiet times here with God do I end up being reminded of the truth of Proverbs 3: 5-6, a verse I’ve long had memorized?  But it comes to the forefront of my consciousness in my daily devotionals quite often, speaking to me … like my own talking donkey, telling me to get off my own high-horse and look and listen to do life God’s way. It’s so easy for me to become like Balaam, a man of God who’s become self-directed rather than Savior directed.

Jesus’ commands in Luke 9: 23 are so easy to “forget” at times, aren’t they? That part about “deny yourself” was the bugaboo for Balaam; and even when I know that I should be following my Lord first, at times I sell out to self and try to get ahead of God. Fortunately for this old forgetful warrior, God’s Spirit is always there, like the donkey for Balaam, to slow me down or to redirect my focus and to get me back on track … God’s track!

So, let me pray that we’ll all be sensitive to God’s donkeys, which yell out to us in the circumstances of life and help us to see God’s way of doing life rather than our own. Again, I stop to remember the comparison of two great songs, which remind me to seek to do life God’s way and not MY WAY. The first is Old Blue Eyes, singing MY WAY – see this link  – and the other is Michael W Smith singing “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” - linked for your meditation here.  

My Prayer for Today ... Lord, if I go life my way; please send anything – even a donkey – to show me to do life YOUR way. … Amen

January 31, 2013 … “How Can I Help You?”

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 31

Passage of the Day: 2nd Samuel 24: 24-25 [NLT] …  
24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I cannot present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen. 25 David built an altar there to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD answered his prayer, and the plague was stopped.  
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: 2nd Samuel, Chapter 24 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: 2nd Corinthians 9: 6-7 : [NLT] … {Do we give with a rightly-tuned heart?} …  6 Remember this — a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
Reference Passage #2: Proverbs 3: 9-10 : [NLT] … {When we’re willing to give JOYFULLY with no expectation of return; God will provide in return for such a heart of giving.} …  
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. 

My Journal for Today: The offering plate at church just was passed and you dropped your tithe into the plate; but what were you thinking when you gave that check? Isn’t it true that often we give; but we don’t give with the right attitude? God only wants our gift to Him in return for His providence when our heart is filled with joy in the giving [see the reference passages above].

David understood that principle, which is called “God’s Law of Reciprocity,” when he was offered a freebie way of honoring God by building an altar to God during a plague on God’s people. But David knew that God would only honor his gift if it was offered out of a heart of sacrifice – and with a heart of cheerful sacrifice at that. And when we read this story in 2nd Samuel 24, we see that God honored David’s gift at his altar of sacrifice with the generosity of the Lord’s providence.

That’s the principle behind the Scriptures I’ve lain out this AM in this, my journal entry. And Os Hillman, my devotional editor, related a story for me (and his readers) of a man who lived by this “reap what you sow” principle. When this man met Hillman, his genuine first words to Hillman were, “How can I help you?”. And that’s what I’ve titled this devotional entry for today.

My friends and any readers here, … If we have hearts to help others before helping ourselves, God is going to pour out His providence for that heart of sacrifice. But I’m afraid that we now live in a time plagued by an entitlement mentality. Wouldn’t you agree that most today think “I deserve better for myself” … rather than “how can I give more of myself for others.” And because of that, I believe God cannot pour His providence of love and generosity into a people who first think “what’s in it for me!”

And I firmly believe that God will withhold His providence from any nation which does not understand and live by what David knew and exercised in today’s highlight passage of scripture. I’m afraid this nation is going to feel the stinging plague of its own selfishness until we – as a country and a people – can develop a heart which honors God’s love by a heart of “How Can I Help You?”

My Prayer for Today … Lord, help me to have and model a giving heart of Your love. … Amen

January 30, 2013 … Life Is God’s Call To Worship

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 30

Passage of the Day: Exodus 6: 9 [NLT] … So Moses told the people what the LORD had said, but they wouldn’t listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the increasing burden of their slavery. 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Exodus, Chapter 6 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Proverbs 13: 12 : [NLT] … {Life in bondage to self often blunts or blocks our hope of deliverance.} … Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy. 

Reference Passage #2: 1st Corinthians 10: 13 : [NLT] … {God never brings or allows circumstances into our lives which we cannot handle.} …  But remember that the temptations [Greek “peirasmos” ... also translated “tests or trials or tribulations or troubles”] that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it..

My Journal for Today: … Today in my devotional study, Os Hillman referred to the truth of Proverbs 13: 12; … because it is so true that we find it so difficult to hold on to our worship of God and choose to find joy in life when hope is deferred or delayed or we find ourselves in excruciatingly binding circumstances. That’s where the Israelites were when God sent Moses to be their deliverer. They had been down and out, in the doldrums of slavery, for hundreds of years; and then along came Moses with God’s promise to set them free. And we know from the history of Exodus, it took plague after plague for God to soften Pharaoh’s heart to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. Really tough for God’s people to be called to worship the Lord in the midst of all of that.

It is not uncommon for God to lead us or allow us to enter into tough times – sometimes even seemingly unbearable circumstances – for His plan to work itself out and for Him to be worshipped and get the glory He seeks for Himself and for His children. Sometimes, it is almost impossible to hold onto our faith in the truth of 1st Corinthians 10: 13, copied above because life has gotten so rough. But the reality is, as the title of my blog entry today indicates, “life is our call to worship;” and quite often life is tough. And the truth is that God is never going to allow His children to enter into any portion of life, no matter how tough it is, without faithfully being there to lead us through to the other side.

Really, … that’s what Psalm 23 is all about, isn’t it? So, if you’re in a tough place as you read this, please go back and meditate on that old and very popular Psalm; and see that even though we traverse the valley of the shadow of death, we should never fear … for the Lord, our Good Shepherd, will lead us to His green pastures so that we will be able to worship with Him always. It is also the promise of Revelation 3: 20, which I hope you know by heart this morning; so, … as The Lord, knocks on the door to your heart today, … let Him in … so that you can worship with Him and find His joy and love today.

My Prayer for Today … Lord, I hear You knocking; and I open the door to dine with You today. … Amen

January 29, 2013 … Being “IN THE ZONE!”

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 29

Passage of the Day: Joshua 1: 7-8 [in the context of verses 6-9] [NLT] …  
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the land I swore to give their ancestors. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. 9 I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Joshua 1: 1-9 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Proverbs 3: 5-6 : [NLT] … {Yes, … AGAIN! … I repeat this bit of truth and wisdom from God’s word } …  
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.. 

My Journal for Today: As my devotional editor, Os Hillman, pointed out this morning, any high level athlete knows what it’s like to be “IN THE ZONE,” which is an area of performance – for a period of time - where everything seems to slow down, … where performance, no matter what the sport, is maximized, … and where observers are amazed at one’s abilities.

Well, if you’re reading along with me, perhaps you’re not a high-performance athlete; and maybe you’ve never been IN THE ZONE in tennis, basketball, or some other sport. But if you’re a Christian, you can move IN THE ZONE with God. And that degree of Godly performance was what God was pointing Joshua towards in the Bible passage my devotional used to illustrate God’s truth today.

Joshua, of course, was in a downer place in the context of Joshua, Chapter 1, verses 1-9. Moses had just died; and God was charging Joshua to take His people across the Jordan River into the promised-land; and it was a scary prospect for Joshua. But God, in this passage, not only gives Joshua a Spirit-level pep talk. He also gives him the way for Joshua (or any believer) to be IN THE ZONE from God’s perspective.  

OBEDIENCE (i.e., seeking God’s way and His will from His word) is being IN THE ZONE with/for God. As God laid it out for Joshua in today’s passage; and Solomon did for God’s people in Proverbs 3: 5-6, if we want to experience God’s performance ZONE, we will only get there and perform there when we’re in the “sweet spot” of God’s truth, trusting Him completely from His word. And God’s prescription for us to be there – IN HIS ZONE – is found in today’s highlight passage of Scripture.

Only when we choose to go in, be in, and stay in God’s zone of truth – i.e., His word – can we ever expect to be successful and prosperous – i.e., IN THE ZONE – with regard to God’s will. But when we do, and we live out our lives in the center of God’s will, found clearly in His word, we will find ourselves moving and working IN THE ZONE, i.e., … God’s zone of maximal, Spirit-driven, performance.

That’s why, BTW, I’m right here where I am right now, my follower! That’s why EVERY MORNING, you can find me delving into God’s word and doing all I can to drive God’s truth into my mind/heart. I want to be IN GOD’S ZONE; and He’s clear on how I’m to get there and stay there … and that is to be in His word daily and to follow it … i.e., just as Christ commanded His followers (yes, again I lead you to Luke 9: 23). For only when we diligently pursue our Lord, in obedience from His word, can we expect to be IN THE ZONE for God’s glory.

My Prayer for Today Lord, take me from Your word to Your will and allow me to work IN THE ZONE for You this day. … Amen

January 28, 2013 … Just Do It – God’s Way!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 28

Passage of the Day: 1st Chronicles 21: 14 [NLT] …
14 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand people died as a result. 

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Contextual Study of today’s passage: 1st Chronicles 21 [NLT] … Go to this link …
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Reference Passage #1: Romans 1: 24-25 : [NLT] … {When we choose to seek selfish ways, rather than the Savior’s, God will often let us to show us the brokenness our pride will produce. } … 
24 So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.  

My Journal for Today: Wow! In today’s lead devotional Bible passage, we’re reminded, in 1st Chronicles 21 of David letting pride get in his way and doing battle his way rather than following the Lord’s will; and it cost him, and especially the Israelites, dearly, as it brought a plague upon the army, costing them 70,000 lives. Seems like David, when he made a prideful mistake, really needed a big chastisement lesson from God to get it right, didn’t he?

 But the principle is truth. God wants us to do life HIS way, because when we try to do things our way, … it can be disastrous. And sometimes God uses some pretty wild scenarios in Scripture to show us the way of faith. Remember how Moses led the people out of Egypt through the Red Sea; … and how Gideon defeated a whole army with just a few men; … and Jehoshaphat led his army into battle with a few singers; … and Joshua defeated Jericho by having his army, following God’s lead, march around the city playing trumpets and shouting. Each scenario showed that God’s way is the right way … the only way to do battle; and when we do life’s battles God’s way, He not only gets the victories, … He is glorified in the process.

 But woe to the believer, i.e., God’s soldier, who decides to battle the forces of life, doing life his own way. And certainly this is illustrated by today’s Bible passage/story. And it reminded me of the passage the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 1 [please read verses 18-32 besides the section copied above for reference].

 We humans, primarily because of a spiritually defective heart (see Jeremiah 17: 9) so often want to do life – or the battles of life – OUR OWN WAY in the default of denial or defensiveness; and so God, quite often, just has to let us go it on our own for a time – sometimes a long time in our estimation – for us to learn our lesson. Certainly we would hope that our prideful foolishness would not cost the lives of so many others as it did for David. However, our pride, when followed instead of obedience to God’s ways, can be costly … even to those we love, … can’t it? Maybe, like me, you’ve been there and you have a t-shirt on that one.

I grieve these days, seeing America going the way of prideful foolishness, rather than following the ways of God as laid out in His word; and I ache to see God allowing us to go down that wide road of selfishness rather than following His narrow road of truth. America cast her vote of confidence collectively in this last election; and I’m afraid we’re going to reap the whirlwind of our national whims. And … what will be the outcome of our national foolishness? Well, if it is anything like that of what happened to God’s people for David’s mistake, it’s not going to be pretty.

My Prayer for Today … Oh, Lord, have mercy on us! … Amen

January 27, 2013 … Finding God In Rough Waters

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 27

Passage of the Day: Psalm 107: 23-24 [NLT] …  
23 Some went off in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. 24 They, too, observed the LORD’s power in action, His impressive works on the deepest seas.  
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Psalm 107 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Matthew 14: 22 : [NLT] … {Jesus sends His disciples out on the open seas to let them see God’s mighty works. } …  
22 Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home. 
Reference Passage #2: Mark 6: 47-48 : [NLT] … {God sometimes has to send us out into tough times for us to see Him for Whom He really is – GOD!} …  
47 During the night, the disciples were in their boat out in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning He came to them, walking on the water. 
Reference Passage #3: John 6: 18-21 : [NLT] … {Sometimes, only in the midst of rough seas can our Lord show Himself. } … 
  18 Soon a gale swept down upon them as they rowed, and the sea grew very rough. 19 They were three or four miles£ out when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, 20 but He called out to them, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were eager to let him in, and immediately the boat arrived at their destination! 

My Journal for Today: I find it fascinating to read Psalm 107 from this morning’s devotional leading, … a Psalm written by an anonymous psalmist, celebrating God’s deliverance of His people from the captivity in Babylon. And my fascination lies in how well Psalm 107, especially Verses 23-32 almost tells the story of when, centuries later, Jesus sends His disciples out on the waters of the Sea of Galilee into a deadly storm and then He comes out to them walking on water and rescues them from the storm, show them exactly Whom they were following – i.e., God Himself in the flesh. [see the reference passages above from Matt. 14, Mark 6, and John 6 relating some of that story].

Os Hillman, in today’s workplace devotional, is trying to help his readers see that sometimes God has to send those who seek to know Him out into the storms of life so that we can really appreciate and know our Lord through faith. Really the concept of “faith” is somewhat meaningless to us when all is warm and fuzzy and there are no rough seas to negotiate in life. That was the WHY behind Jesus sending His men out onto the lake that night just after they had seen him feed thousands with just a few loaves and fishes. Jesus knew that His disciples really didn’t have enough of a faith picture of Who they were following; so, He sent them out into that storm; and they were able to see Jesus fully as the God-Man He really was.

Have you ever been cast into the storms of life; and when you came out of the other end of the storm, you were able to know God more clearly or through the eyes of faith than ever before? I sure have; and I would have never wanted to go into the storm God led me through; but now I’m so glad I went through it because it really showed me so much more of my God than I would’ve ever seen in drifting on the calm waters of life.

Yes, God does say, “Be still and know that I am God.” [see Ps. 46: 10a] … But at times He has to really show off Whom He is in the storms of life; and I pray that we all seek Him to know Him more deeply than ever from those storms.

My Prayer for Today … Lord, I am still in this place this morning; and I do know that You are God; but I’m also grateful for those storms in my life which really showed You to me more clearly than ever. … Amen

January 26, 2013 … First the Anointing … Then the Testing

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 26

Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 28: 17b [NLT] …  
17 The LORD has done just as he said he would. He has taken the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: 1st Samuel 28 [NLT] … Go to this link … 

My Journal for Today: When God calls and one is called for a task of God’s choosing, the Lord pours out His grace (i.e., His anointing) upon the one He calls to follow His will. If you’ve followed me in my journaling here, you’ve read a truth I learned from my mentor years ago … that God’s calling comes with His enablement. Perhaps you’ve experienced a definite calling in your life to carry out some Spirit-led task or ministry or mission; and along with it, you witnessed or felt the anointing come along with the task, drawing you to be able to use your talents and gifts at “God levels” to fulfill the calling.

Os Hillman, in my devotional today, writes that such an anointing usually comes along with some testing which takes place after God’s calling so that God’s Spirit can determine whether the anointing will remain on the called one. Hillman posits that these tests can come in several forms testing four areas of character or resolve; and these areas are in the form of CONTROL, POWER, GREED, AND BITTERNESS.

In today’s highlight passage and contextual reading we read 1st Samuel, Chapter 28, we read of King Saul being run through this gauntlet of testing after the anointing of God had fallen upon him to become the first king of the Israelites. And as we know Saul failed the test miserably; and then historically, we read how God had to move on to anoint young David as the later king. But in the process of his anointing, Saul went through the testing of God’s Spirit.

When we’re called to a task of God’s willing and leading, He will often test how we handle CONTROL. Will we simply follow what Jesus taught in Luke 9: 23, denying self and following the Lord; or will we, like Saul do all we can, in our own flesh, to arrest and hold on to the control vested in us?

Then there’s the POWER test. As Hillman points out, self-driven power-mongering is the opposite of what God is looking for in His calling; and that is the character of humble servanthood. Jesus, of course, was our New Testament model of that servanthood in meekness and humility serving His Father; but Saul was just the opposite, doing all he could to take any power away from anyone surrounding him, especially young David.

Then there’s the test of GREED because, along with God’s calling, as I said above, comes His providence and often His empowerment; and it’s very easy, given the nature of our inner being (see Jeremiah 17: 9), to let our own deceit-ridden hearts drive us to be greedy with God’s anointed grace and try to use it for our own aggrandizement, rather than humbly using God’s Grace for HIS GLORY as He would intend.

And finally, over the long haul of God’s calling, we will be tested as to BITTERNESS. In other words, how do we avoid becoming angry and bitter when we face those who challenge us? As Hillman points out, … every anointed leader will have someone come along to challenge him. Saul certainly did – many of them, including the prophet Samuel and his perception of young David. Jesus had his challenge in the handling of Judas. But we know that these two handled their challenges 180 degrees in opposition to one another. Saul tried to kill his challenger, David; and Jesus anointed the feet of Judas.

 So, as a fellow Christian today, how do you think you’d do with the test of anointing and leadership? Personally, having been called into leadership in my church and God’s kingdom, I’m a bit sobered by the test today; and I need to take these factors into account with more vigilance so that I can be used maximally for God’s glory rather than to squander God’s anointing as did Saul.

So, my testing goes on; … what about yours? 

My Prayer for Today ... Lord, help me to pass Your tests and to use Your grace for Your glory from Your anointing. … Amen

January 25, 2013 … Vertical Motive – Horizontal Actions … Never Good

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 25

Passage of the Day: Exodus 2: 12 in the context with verse 11 [NLT] …
11  Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his people, the Israelites, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrew slaves. 12 After looking around to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Exodus, Chapter 2 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: John 13: 37-28 : [NLT] … {Jesus knew Peter would go horizontal rather than vertical. … And he did! } … 
37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” 38 Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times. 
Reference Passage #2: John 18: 25-27 [Going horizontal before going vertical – always a bad choice!] : [NLT] …  
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” … He denied it and said, “I am not!” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed. 

My Journal for Today: If you’ve read the Bible, I’m sure you know these two stories, one from the Old Testament and one from the New, both describing great men of the Word, both of whom failed miserably at one stage in their lives. But God knew their potential and mercifully, and patiently, dealt with these men until they could be restored and renewed in faith to learn God’s strategy for His seekers and servers; and that it is to CHOOSE to go VERTICAL before one goes HORIZONTAL.

In Moses’ situation, being a young Jew, adopted to become an Egyptian ruler, and trying to learn about the people of his ancestry, … Moses saw great injustice being perpetrated on the Israelites; and in one heated moment, he murdered an Egyptian guard whom he witnessed beating an Israelite slave. Moses hadn’t yet learned to take his fleshly desires to God vertically before taking action personally and horizontally. And it led to Moses having to be seasoned to learn this lesson by God leading him to spend 40 years in the wilderness as a shepherd.

Peter in the New Testament was another impulsive believer, learning to serve God; and we know that story of Peter declaring that he’d die for God; but when push-came-to-shove in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus was being taken away, Peter took the horizontal route in fleshly fear, rather than taking his fears to His Lord. And Jesus, Peter’s Messiah, dying on the cross for his sin and being resurrection, taught Peter this lesson and allowed him to be restored and renewed to serve God mightily after the resurrection.

Os Hillman, in his workplace devotional for today, uses these biblical examples of great men of faith, showing that we all have the potential to make ill-begotten horizontal choices if we don’t learn to take our fleshly choices to God in prayer vertically first, before taking horizontally-based action. Think about it; and I’d bet that you can think of some decision that you’ve made in the past as a born-again Christian in which you ramped into horizontal, fleshly-led action before patiently took the decision to God to provide you with His peace and His vertical guidance. And what was the result? It very likely was disaster or at least a setback, right?!

We all have to learn and apply the truths of two passages of Scripture, which I’m going to assign any reader here to seek out, read (that is, if you don’t’ know them by heart), and then apply the truths in them. They are Proverbs 3: 5-6 in the Old Testament and Philippians 4: 6-7 in the New; and if we internalize these guiding truths, learning to trust God and take our flesh-driven desires and decisions to The Lord, VERTICALLY FIRST, rather than taking quick and ill-begotten HORIZONTAL ACTIONS, we will avoid much potential or real disaster in our lives as servers of God.

And as Lily Tomlin used to say as little Edith Ann from her pontificating high-chair in her signature lisp on Laugh-In … go to this You Tube link  … “And thath the twuth!”

My Prayer for Today ,,, Lord, help me to avoid my horizontal tendencies, learning to take all things – ALL THINGS – to You vertically to make my choices in life. … Amen

January 24, 2013 … Our Get Out of Jail Card!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 24

Passage of the Day: Acts 16: 28 in the context with verse 27 [NLT] …  
27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Don’t do it! We are all here!”
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Acts, Chapter 16 [NLT] … Go to this link …
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Reference Passage #1: Romans 8: 28 : [NLT] … {I make reference to this verse so often … I hope you have it memorized by now; but if not, here it is for your contemplation. } …  
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

My Journal for Today: It’s a fascinating story in Acts, Chapter 16. You may know it well; but if not, I hope you’ll take the time and use the link above to go back and read of Paul and Silas being beaten and slapped into a Philippian jail, … taken to the lowest dungeon cell and shackled there for security by the jailer. … And then it happened, God loosed an earthquake, which caused the doors of the prison to be opened, giving Paul and his ministry partner, Silas, along with the other prisoners the opportunity to escape. But the men didn’t bolt; and when the Roman jailer was about to commit suicide, knowing that any prison escape would mean his death, Paul shouted – in today’s highlight passage in Acts 16: 28 - for the jailer to desist from falling on his sword; and they took this Roman to his home and led the entire family to salvation. Oh what a story that jailer would have had after he was saved!

 Just recently I gave a talk to a group of college students; and I used another story (from Matt. 14, Mark 6, and John 6), the story of Jesus sending his disciples out into a storm; and from that encounter with nature and God’s control over all things in our lives, we learn that God brings or allows tough circumstances into our lives – not necessarily to punish us; but rather, more often, to test or build our faith. God wants us to recognize, realize, and internalize the magnificent truth I’ve copied above from Paul’s great victory chapter in Romans 8, in this case verse 28.

 Paul and Silas, in that jail in Philippi, had that truth down pat, didn’t they? Given their circumstances, and having been just beaten by the powers that be, it was totally UNNATURAL that they launched into praise songs after they were shackled in their cell. It was totally UNNATURAL that they did not bolt and run when the doors of their cell were opened by God’s providence. And it was totally UNNATURAL that they took a helping attitude in leading the jailer and his family to salvation.

No, there are tough times and very challenging circumstances which call for SUPER-NATURAL actions in faith rather than human logic. That was the case when Peter in the midst of that life-threatening storm, out on the waters of the Sea of Galilee, stepped out of the boat in faith when Jesus called him. And that was certainly the case when Paul and Silas stayed in their cells, showing the Philippian jailer that they cared for him enough to help him find God’s love and salvation by their willingness to do something totally selfless to save the jailer.

 So, the next time we are “thrown” into perilous-tough times or tribulations, we need to call up the truth of Romans 8: 28 and the memory of these two New Testament stories, remembering that God has us into the midst of the trial, the storm, or shackled us in the jails of life to build our faith and to give us the opportunity to witness for Him and show others His glory. And I charge us to remember two other scriptures, Acts 1: 8 and Matt. 5: 16, both words directly from Jesus, which charge us to be His witnesses, using His power, and shining His light .. NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE in life.

My friends, Jesus is always our “get out of jail card.”

My Prayer for Today Lord, let me be Your witness – for Your glory – in the prisons of life. … Amen

January 23, 2013 … In ALL Your Ways!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 23

Passage of the Day: Joshua 5: 9a [NLT] … Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” …
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Joshua, Chapter 5 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Proverbs 3: 5-6 : [NKJV] … {Trust in God in ALL YOUR WAYS – that’s not SOME OF YOUR WAYS !! } …  
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct [or “make smooth” or “straighten”] your paths. 

My Journal for Today: My friend, I’m humbled if you’re reading along with me here; but if you are, may I exhort you to use the ink above and read ALL of Chapter 5 of Joshua’s Bible Journal.

Historically, Joshua had taken God’s chosen people across the Jordan, under God’s care and provision, and into the Promised Land. They had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, feeding off God’s provision of manna and watched over by His protection. Now their faith was to be tested as Joshua led them into harms way; and in Chapter 5 of Joshua, we read of God instructing Joshua to insure that all of the men were circumcised.

Ouch! …For orthodox Jews, male circumcision is a physical act of surrender to God. Concerning God’s chosen being led out of Egypt into the promised land, Os Hillman, in my devotional for today, personalizes this image for us as he writes … “Circumcision is bloody, personal, and it exposes all that you are. God was saying that before you can become His army, you must roll away the reproach of the Egyptian way of life. You are no longer a slave to the ways of Egypt. It is a time to put aside the old way of life. … Many are walking around as goats in sheep's clothes, practicing a form of religion without the true source of truth and power.” 

In other words, God wants HIS army … i.e., His chose/adopted ones … to set aside the ways of Egypt and to march into the promised land of His provision and protection by giving ALL of ourselves to Him … TOTAL surrender … voluntarily being circumcised of the heart to follow our Lord. Hillman points out that in that one act of circumcised surrender, following Joshua, God’s leader, God’s army of caterpillars became transformed into butterflies with their wings taking on the colors of God and given the power to fly, as long as they flew their course following God’s protection and provision in surrendered, circumcised obedience.

Have we – i.e., you and me - crossed over the Jordan from Egypt into the promised land; and are we circumcised with hearts which are TOTALLY and UTTERLY surrendered to our Lord? Proverbs 3: 5-6, copied above, is truth; and it charges us to surrender our ways to God’s way. It commands us to trust God (i.e., with a clinging, abiding trust), surrendering ALL of whom we are to ALL of WHOM HE IS. So, … are we circumcised to leave Egypt behind and knowing His way from His word, to follow His will?

Answering “YES” to this challenged today likely means that we are experiencing all the fruitfulness God’s Spirit can pour into our lives (see Galatians 5: 22-23 linked here). However, answering “NO” likely means that our hearts may not be fully circumcised in surrender to our God; and we’re likely experiencing too much of Galatians 5: 19-21.

I’ll leave it to you to take that POP QUIZ from God today ... 

My Prayer for Today ... Lord, I stand circumcised and ready to enter Your promised land. … Amen

January 22, 2013 … Build It Right!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 22

Passage of the Day: Psalm 127: 1a [NLT] …
Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 
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Reference Passage #1: 1st Chronicles 28: 9 [from the context of verses 8-10] : [NLT] … { It’s the motive behind the plans and the work which God judges. David had to learn this with life experiences. We need to learn it through God’s truth. } …  
8 So now, with God as our witness, I give you this charge for all Israel, the LORD’s assembly: Be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, so that you may possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance. 9 “And Solomon, my son, get to know the God of your ancestors. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and with a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and understands and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 So take this seriously. The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.” 

Reference Passage #2: 1st Corinthians 3: 11-13; 16-17 : [NLT] … {Why are we doing what we are doing? Are we building our lives with the wrong materials, … the wrong motives? } …  
11 For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone’s work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. … 
16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple. 

My Journal for Today: “If you’re going to build it, … BUILD IT RIGHT! Sounds like a truth, doesn’t it?

Today in his devotional, Os Hillman, being in a “workplace ministry,” created a word picture with which many can identify. If we were to have an architect and a builder build our dream home; and the architect designed an incredible edifice; but the builder, though building the home to the design specs, creating what looked like a gorgeous house, but used shoddy materials. Certainly, when the structure was completed, when the inspector came to examine the house, if he was doing his job, he would be expected to reject the whole project because it didn’t meet the established, specs and codes. So the house may have looked good on the outside; but it was inferior workmanship on the inside.

And this is what King David was trying to impart to his son, Solomon, in the passage copied above from 1st Chronicles 3, where David had discovered how he had built a lot of his personal temple [i.e, his life] with shoddy workmanship; and David, the father, didn’t want Solomon to make the same mistakes, especially as Solomon was being charged with building the Lord’s Temple.

Fellow Christian, I hope we all realize that we are building God’s temple everyday with the choices we make and the materials we choose (especially the ideas of life) to build our lives. And as Paul wrote, copied above in 1st Corinthians 3, we’re building on the cornerstone of Christ; and we will all one day stand before the ultimate “Building Inspector,” and He will judge the structure of our lives on the motives and materials we’ve used to build our Temple (please also remember the charge of 1st Cor. 3: 16-17, also referenced above).

It’s such a tragedy that Solomon would build an architectural wonder as he built God’s Temple to the specs given to him by His father; but like his father, Solomon could not build his own personal/spiritual temple any more effectively than his daddy, David; and the entire book of Ecclesiastes, written in repentance by Solomon, is about how this man failed in building his own life on the specs given to him by God through His Heavenly Father’s word.

My friend, how are we building our own personal temple? Is it being built by our own personal designs and with our own selfish materials? Are we trying to build our lives on our desires to control things our way; or are we following the exacting specs and the designated methods outlined and specified in God’s word? And are we, for sure, building the Temple of our lives with Jesus Christ as our cornerstone? Because if we are not building our life-Temple as God designed it and as God provides the materials, it will one day be rejected by the Master Designer and Master Builder.

My Prayer for Today Oh, Lord, I’m building my Temple – as much as I can – Your way and with Your materials. Help me stay true with Your plans and always building with You as my Cornerstone. … Amen

January 21, 2013 … Do it right!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 21

Passage of the Day: Proverbs 22: 29 [NLT] …  
29 Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than ordinary people. 
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Reference Passage #1: Exodus 31: 1-5 : [NLT] … {When God sets forth a task – from His will – He provides the workers with the skills they need to complete the task. } …  
1 The LORD also said to Moses, 2 “Look, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts. 4 He is able to create beautiful objects from gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He is skilled in cutting and setting gemstones and in carving wood. Yes, he is a master at every craft! 

Reference Passage #2: Colossians 3: 22-25 : [NLT] … { If we do it, do it for The Lord; and do right! } … 
 23 Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites who can get away with evil. 

Reference Passage #3: 2nd Peter 1: 3-4 : [NLT] … { He gives us all we need to do His will. } … 3 3 As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!  4 And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature. 

My Journal for Today: Os Hillman, in today’s workplace ministry devotional, brings out a principle unto which Christians all too often fall short; and that is doing what we’re called to do – for The Lord – with excellence. And today’s key verse, from Proverbs 22: 29, points to a truth which will take in every Christian. We are workers, working for THE KING; and being called to work for HIM and in His Name, we will be given whatever skill we need and all that we need to accomplish His will or purpose for our lives. Perhaps you recall, as I did this morning, the truth espoused by Peter in 2nd Peter 1: 3-4, which is copied for your review above.

And just recently [see my blog at this link – for Jan. 16] I entered a blog about how “God’s calling is His enablement,” where I reviewed the truth that God would never call us to do something within His will without providing the enabling/empowering grace to accomplish that task or purpose. So, whatever I’m doing – as I am studying His word to know Him more deeply at this moment, which I believe is God’s will for me in this personal pursuit – I should be doing all I can to complete the task with excellence and for His glory. Oh, how I pray that this is the case this morning!

Really … I don’t need to say any more, do I? And I will pray that what I’m studying in these few moments this morning is … #1 following His will and … #2 being accomplished with all the excellence I can muster to … #3 give my Lord all the glory I can in completing this task. And I pray for you to go to work today, joining me, to pursue our Lord’s will, doing all we can to let others see Christ shining His light through our work in His Name (see Matt. 5: 16).

My Prayer for Today Lord, as I do what You call me to do, may I do it all for Your glory! … Amen

January 20, 2013 … You Gotta Want It !!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 20

Passage of the Day: 2nd Kings 2: 9-20 [NLT] …
 9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you before I am taken away?” And Elisha replied, “Please let me become your rightful successor.” 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” 

Passage of the Day: 2nd Kings 2: 9-10 [NKJV] …
9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: 2nd Kings, Chapter 2 [NLT] … Go to this link …  ============

Reference Passage #1: Psalm 42: 1 : [NLT] … {Do we thirst after God as if we were dying for Him?} … As the deer pants for the water brooks, … so pants my soul for You, O God. 

Reference Passage #2: Jeremiah 29: 13 : [NLT] … {When we seek the Lord He will be found. That’s His promise, now mine!} … If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. 

My Journal for Today: If you’ve been following my journal entries for any time, you will know that I often quote Jesus’ definition of discipleship from Luke 9: 23. It was our Lord’s three requirements for anyone who would come after Him; … that they would #1 deny themselves, # 2 to take up whatever circumstances come their way daily, and # 3 follow Him. And when you analyze these discipleship requirements, being a disciple of The Christ (i.e., a totally surrendered follower of Jesus) was [and now IS] really, REALLY tough business. And if we say that we’re “DISCIPLES” of Christ, we’ve got to really want Him to be able to deny self, take up His cross daily, and follow Him.

When you read the target passage for today’s devotional above from 2nd Kings, Chapter 2, it’s obvious that Elisha really wanted to be a disciple of Elijah. In fact, he not only sought the same anointing which he had seen Elijah had received from God, but Elisha wanted a double portion of the same [see the highlighted portion copied above in two versions of Scripture]. But Elijah, who was becoming Elisha’s mentor, warned the younger disciple, who was seeking this anointing and this charge from God, to beware of that trek being a very challenging pursuit. But Elisha was like the deer, panting for the water, in Psalm 42: 1; and he was willing to do whatever God charged through the Prophet in Jeremiah 29: 13, seeking WHOLEHEARTEDLY after God’s anointing.

I often hear those who would call themselves “Christian,” reporting that they would call themselves “disciples” of Christ; but are they just wanting to be identified as “Christian” … or possibly to be members of that cultural group … or maybe a member of a certain “church?” Are they really DISCIPLES as Jesus defined His followers? AND, … are they really wanting the anointing which comes from pursuing Christ and all He is; … or do they just want to be labeled with the moniker, “CHRISTIAN?”

That’s a good self-inventory for the day, isn’t it? As “Christians,” i.e., as “DISCIPLES” of the Living Lord, do we really seek after His anointing as the deer pants for the water? How badly do we really want what God has for us as seekers after Him? My friend, as CHRISTIANS, we gotta really want it!

My Prayer for Today ,,, Lord, You know my heart; and You know how badly I want to Know You … to love You … to obey You … to serve You … and to be blessed by You! Lord, help me to overcome my unbelief. … Amen