April 22 2026 … Encourage One Another …

Apr 22 2026 …  Encourage One Another … 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...      and PLEASE take the time to listen to music and lyrics from Toby Mack singing Help Is On The Way … God’s people joining together to encourage and help one another.

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Highlight Passage: … Psalms 72:12 … [NLT] 

…  12 He will rescue the poor when they cry to Him; He will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. 

… Solomon sings of time when God will come as Messiah to save all who are oppressed and need help.   

Highlight Passage in Context:  Psalms 72:12-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Solomon sings of the Time, through the Messiah, that He will come to save mankind.

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Reference Passage: … Isaiah 41:10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru the Prophet Isaiah, shows that His people will receive the strength of God to help in times of trouble.

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 15:58 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul calls on fellow Christians to never stop helping fellow Christians in their time of need.

Reference Passage: … 1Thessalonians 5:11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Paul lauds fellow Christians for helping one another.

Reference Passage: … Hebrews 10:25  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Author of Hebrews calls all Christians to gather and encourage one another, especially in these last days until Christ returns.     

Reference Passage: … James 1:12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus’ brother, James, teaches truth about God blessing those who encourage and help one another, especially in times of trouble.

Reference Passage:… 1Peter 5:7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Peter calls on fellow Christians to take all their cares to our God, Who cares for His children.

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread from Winn Collier …  USE THIS LINK      … wrote about the Taliban ruthlessly taking over the government in Afghanistan in 2021; and how common citizens rallied together to help those who were trying to escape the country.   One young man put together an online campaign which raised over 7 million dollars to pay for flights of refugees out of the country in that crisis. 

Who do we know who needs help today?  What can we do to help?  … Well, having taken in the linked song and the ODB entry today, I’m convicted to at least look around and be aware if I see someone I can help today.   How about you?    

My Thanksgiving:… Oh, King Jesus, thank You …Lord, … for ALWAYS being our Agent of help.  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, … thank You, Lord, for being our Messiah, Who is coming back for Your faithful children. … Amen

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.

April 21 2026 … Lost and Found …

Apr 21 2026 …  Lost and Found … 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...    and PLEASE take the time to listen to music and lyrics from the group Hillsong Worship singing The Lost Are Found … praising God for seeking out the lost for He reigns over His kingdom forever.

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Highlight Passage: … Luke 15:9 … [NLT] 

…  9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 

… Jesus relates a story of a woman seeking and finding a lost coin to illustrate how God celebrates finding the lost.   

Highlight Passage in Context:  Luke 15:8-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus tells a parable of a woman seeking to find a lost coin.

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Reference Passage: … Matthew 28:19-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Before His ascension into heaven and after the resurrection, Jesus calls on His faithful disciples to go and make disciples of the lost in our world.

Reference Passage: … Luke 19:10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus declares to a crowd of people that He, as the Son of Man, had come to seek out the lost for His Kingdom.

Reference Passage:… Acts 1:8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus teaches His disciples that they (we) will receive power from God’s Spirit, as His disciples, to go and seek out the lost in our world. 

Reference Passage: … Romans 6:22-23  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul teaches truth to fellow Christians about our faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross freeing them (us) from the curse of death to find eternal life.     

Reference Passage: … Galatians 2:20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul gives witness to him finding eternal life in His faith in Christ when he died to himself.

Reference Passage: … 2Peter 3:14-15 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Peter credit’s Paul for calling Christians to use the time they (we) have been given to share the Gospel with the lost in our world.

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread from Nancy Gavilanes …  USE THIS LINK     … writes about losing an earring from jewelry her father had purchased for her from Amazon tribes on a special trip they had taken years earlier.  However, the ODB author related the joy when her sister found the missing piece of jewelry which meant so much to her.  

And that story reminded me of the joy my wife and I had when her lost engagement diamond was found shortly after we were horrified to find it being lost.  So that ODB entry and the reference to Jesus’ parable of the lost coin in Luke 15 (see Highlight passage), really rang true to me as our Lord was trying to show in that parable that our God searches long and hard to find and save those who are lost and are willing to repent and come to Him as their (our) Savior.

I sure am so-SO grateful that our Lord pursued me and gave me a chance to confess, repent, and come to Him for His saving grace.  How about you?     

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You …Lord, … for seeking me out for Your saving grace.  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, … thank You, Lord, for diligently seeking out Your lost souls and being willing to patiently allow us to repent and come to You. … Amen

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.

April 20 2026 … Humble Service…

Apr 20 2026 …  Humble Service… 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...     and PLEASE take the time to listen to music and lyrics from Chris Tomlin singing Take My Life and Let It Be … calling on ALL Christians to let our lives be a humble sacrifice in service to our Lord.

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Highlight Passage: … 1Chronicles 17:16 … [NLT] 

…  6 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, … “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?  

… David humbly asks God why The Lord has chosen him to serve God as King.   

Highlight Passage in Context:  !Chronicles 17:16-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… David prays to God, humbly asking why The Lord has chosen him and Israel to serve God for His glory.

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Reference Passage: … Psalms 51:17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… King David recognizes in song of God’s desire for his servants to have a broken spirit and repentant heart.

Reference Passage: … Proverbs 3:34 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Solomon teaches that God gives His grace to the humble.

Reference Passage: … Mark 10:45 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus teaches His disciples that He, The Son of Man, came into the world to serve others, not to be served by others. 

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

… Paul calls on all Christians to become living sacrifices, avoiding worldly desires, and humbly serving God.     

Reference Passage: … Philippians 2:5-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… The Apostle Paul instructs fellow Christians that they (we) must become like Christ, willing to sacrifice their (our) lives to serve others.  

Reference Passage: … Hebrews 13:15-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru the Author of Hebrews, calls on His faithful followers to do good and share with others, … sacrifices which are pleasing to God..

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread from Tom Felton …  USE THIS LINK     … writes about a rescue pilot, Terry Goades, sacrificing his time/talents to fly out and find a family of three, who had taken a small plane out to do some sight-seeing in Alaska and were stranded in their plane, floating on a ice-covered lake, which the rescue pilot spotted,  which led to the family being saved.   The humble pilot was quoted as saying, “I was just the guy that saw the plane first.”

And the attitude of that pilot is what is called for by God in his word, … the Christlike attitude of HUMILITY, … which is called for in the linked Song and the Scriptures shared above.  And personally that is the desire of my heart today.  How about you?      

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You …Lord, … for giving me the enabling grace to humbly serve You today. 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, … thank You, Lord, for giving us the time and skills to humbly be Your servants today, tomorrow, and forever.  … Amen

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.

April 19 2026 … Accountable To God …

Apr 19 2026 …  Accountable To God … 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...     and PLEASE take the time to listen to music and lyrics from Matt Boswell and Matt Papa singing Lord Have Mercy … calling on ALL Christians to confess their (our) sins and seek God’s mercy and His restoration.

Carwash sentence ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Numbers 5:6-7 … [NLT] 

…  6 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people—men or women—betray the Lord by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty. 7 They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged. 

… God’s plan, thru Moses, for restitution and restoration when one wrongs another   

Highlight Passage in Context:  Numbers 5:5-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Moses gives God’s plan for restitution when one person wrongs another.

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Reference Passage:… Leviticus 6:1-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Moses clearly lays out God’s plans and commands when one of His people wrongs another and much make restitution to God as well as the wronged person.

Reference Passage: … Psalms 37:21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… King David sings of comparing how the wicked and the righteous deal with one another. 

Reference Passage: … Ecclesiastes 5:5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

 … Solomon teaches from God’s wisdom that it is better not to make a vow at all rather than making one and not keeping it.

Reference Passage:… Matthew 6:14-15  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Jesus teaches that it essential for believers to forgive one another when they have wronged each other.      

Reference Passage: … Romans 13:7-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul instructs fellow Christians that they (we) must pay what they (we) owe others, including our taxes to the government. 

Reference Passage: … 1John 1:9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle John calls on fellow Christians to confess their (our) sins so that God can - and will - cleanse them of their (our) sins.

My Devotional Journa: Today’s Our Daily Bread from Marvin Williams …  USE THIS LINK     … relates a story about a judge, administering a judgement for a man who confessed his guilt in a shop-lifting incident.  The judge sentenced the man to wash cars in a public place (see photo), hoping that the sentence would humble the man who confessed of his wrongdoing.  

And clearly if my readers have taken in the linked song and meditated on the Scriptures I’ve linked/shared above, I will pray here today that we all realize our obligation to God to be accountable for our sins, confessing them and seeking restitution from God’s mercy and His sanctifying grace when we sin against others and most certainly when we sin against our God.      

My Thanksgiving:… Oh, King Jesus, thank You …Lord, … for Your mercy and forgiving grace again today.

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, … thank You, Lord, for offering us a way to be forgiven at Your throne of grace.  … Amen

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.