May 31, 2016: Possible Only From Him!!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 152  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Brian Littrell singing I Surrender All, declaring the reality of what it takes to be a disciple of Christ.

Highlight Passage:  Mark 10:27 [NKJV] …
  26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” … 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” 
… In other words … on our own, it is IMPOSSIBLE, to be saved! … OUCH!!!
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Highlight Context – Mark 10:17-27 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus teaching his Disciples and followers a lesson in how difficult it is to be His disciple. 
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Reference Passage #1 - Luke 9:23 [NKJV] …  
5 Then He said to them all (His followers), … “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. … “ 
… Jesus on true discipleship.

Reference Passage #2 - Romans 10:8-13 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, teaches very clearly what it takes to be saved.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Poh Fang Chia, quoted Chinese philosopher, Han Fiezi, with an observation about life. He wrote, … “ Knowing the facts is easy. Knowing how to act based on the facts is difficult.“ 

And in a nutshell, this truth is what Jesus was communicating to His inner disciples and those who were following Him around the countryside as the Lord was teaching about life and especially about being saved. In Mark, Chapter 10 [see link above - and also found in Matthew 19 & Luke 18], we read of Jesus being confronted by a rich young ruler who asked Jesus about what it would take to be saved. The young man related that he had lived his life doing all he could to obey God’s law; but he wanted to know if there was anything more to salvation than obedience to the Law of God. And when Jesus answered, the young man couldn’t take the answer; and he went away saddened [and might I add, likely broken!].

What Jesus told the young man was that he (or we) must be willing to surrender all, as Brian Littrell sings in the song linked above, to be Jesus’ disciple [see also Luke 9:23]. Really God lays out very clearly what it takes to be saved (see Romans 10:81-3); and yes, it’s an impossible task … on our own. But as Jesus related to His disciples/followers, (see Mark 10:27) … “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” 

 And I pray that all who read here with me know that we must depend on God to give us the faith to surrender to Him and receive His free gift of salvation; … and my friend, HE WILL … for ANYONE willing to repent and receive His saving grace! …

 I have; … have you?

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … O Lord, I pray that all who read here have repented to receive Your impossible, but wonderful, free gift of salvation. Amen  

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

May 30, 2016: All Clean!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 151  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing This Is How It Feels To Be Free, declaring the reality that all who are in Christ can feel free and be cleansed of our sin.

Highlight Passage:  Psalm 51:17 [NKJV] …  
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise. 
… David experiencing the freedom which comes from a cleansed and contrite heart.
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Highlight Context – Psalm 51 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… With this prayer/song, David was cleansed of his sin with Bathsheba, … the feeling of freedom that all Saints can experience in Christ.
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Reference Passage #1 - Psalm 32:5 [NKJV] …  
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” … and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. 
… King David’s witness of the benefits of having confessed and extolling the forgiveness of God.

Reference Passage #2 - 1st John 1:8-9 [NKJV] …  
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
 … Confession brings cleansing from our sin.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer Schuldt, told of a friend visiting a church while on vacation, She wrote, … During my friend Myrna’s travels to another country, she visited a church for worship. She noticed that as people entered the sanctuary they immediately knelt and prayed, facing away from the front of the church. My friend learned that people in that church confessed their sin to God before they began the worship service. 

In this writer’s estimation, that true story seems like a good religious practice. It’s hard - if not impossible - to praise God and/or worship our Lord when there is unresolved/unconfessed sin in our hearts. Certainly King David discovered that during the year he covered up his sin with Bathsheba; and it was not until he came clean - COMPLETELY, as we read in Psalm 51 and then witnessed to others openly about his sin (see Psalm 32) that David was cleansed by God and allowed to walk in freedom from his forgiven sin.

I’m hoping that all who read here with me are in a place where we all can praise our Lord with cleansed and contrite hearts. So, let’s just stop right here and walk into God’s shower of confession and get clean. And then, dear one, … let’s all fly free in the promise of 1st John 1:9 and praise or Lord with clean hearts.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … I come to this place with a clean heart to praise Your Holy Name, dear Lord! Amen  

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

May 29, 2016: Free At Last

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 150  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Nichole Nordeman singing her song Finally Free, declaring the reality that all who are in Christ are free from the chains of our sin - FOREVER … and THEN ON TO THIS LINK  to hear Steve Green singing People Need the Lord, expressing the need of all to be freed from the chains of their sin by allowing Christ’s blood to free them … TODAY!

Highlight Passage:  Matthew 10:27-28 [NKJV] …  
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 
 … Jesus on fearing only God.
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Highlight Context – Matthew 10:26-32 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …    … Jesus exhorts believers to fear only God; because man can only kill the body - not the soul.
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Reference Passage #1 - Galatians 5:1 [NKJV] …  
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 
… God’s truth that we can stand fast in the freedom we have in Christ, not being shackled by our sin nature.

Reference Passage #2 - Hebrews 9:27 [NKJV] …  
27 And it is appointed for me to die once; but after this the judgment. 
… We can only die once … so, we need only fear the One Who will judge us.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson, wrote of the historical picture of Harriet Tubman, who, during the Civil War, and according to today’s ODB, … found freedom when she slipped over the Maryland state line and out of slavery. She couldn’t remain content, however, knowing so many were still trapped in captivity. So she led more than a dozen rescue missions to free those still in slavery, dismissing the personal danger. “I can’t die but once,” she said. 

Tubman, according to Gustafson, was a human and historical picture of Christ, … Who came to set us free from the bondage of our sin, … humbly and faithfully following His Heavenly Father and fearing no man, … knowing that man could only kill His body, … not His soul.

Fellow reader and Christian, if you’ve heard the two linked songs above, then prayerfully you agree that we indeed are free in Christ and we need to do all we can - even TODAY - to share that freedom with others who desperately need the freedom offered by our Lord.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … Let others see the chains of sin which are loosed in my life because of Your blood, Lord. Amen  

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

May 28, 2016: He Truly Understands

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 149  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Wayne Watson singing his song Friend of A Wounded Heart, declaring the reality that we have a Savior Who has walked our shoes before He went to the cross to save us. He can - and will - meet us where we are. He truly is the friend of a wounded heart.

Highlight Passage:  Hebrews 2:17-18 [NKJV] …  
17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. 
… Jesus truly is the “fiend of a wounded heart.”
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Highlight Context – Hebrews 2:10-18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… King Jesus walked in our shoes as the God-man; and He understands all we’re going through; and He has taken all our cares on Himself on the cross.
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Reference Passage #1 - Isaiah 53 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… 700+ years before He came, God, thru Isaiah prophesied what The Messiah would go through for us.

Reference Passage #2 - Philippians 2:5-11 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus emptied Himself of His majesty, though none of His divinity, to take on humanity.

Reference Passage #3 - Hebrews 13:5 [NKJV] …  
5 … He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
… Jesus … always there for us !!!

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, David McCasland, used a personal analogy In today’s ODB entry to illustrate how divinely empathetic our Savior is; and it reminded me of my own days in healthcare for the elderly.

To be able to understand - and maybe even empathize - with our handicapped or aged patients, we young healthcare workers (and doctors, like myself) would - for 24 hours at time - mimic some aspect of handicap or aging. For example, we would go through a day in a wheelchair to simulate physical handicap. Or we’d wear glasses with the lenses covered with vaseline to blur our vision. Or perhaps we’d wear special earplugs to simulate being hearing impaired. And all of this was done so that when we encountered patients with such life impairments, we might understand them better. 

Well, 700 years before The Messiah came, Isaiah prophesied that God Himself would come and suffer humanity to be able to save us from our infirmities as sinners (see Isaiah, Chapter 53). And then after The Messiah had been raised from the dead, The Apostle Paul laid out for us how our Lord laid aside His glory and majesty to humble himself as a man and to ultimately go to the cross to defeat death (see Phil. 2:5-11).

 So, I hope all reading here with me have used the link above to see the video and hear Wayne Watson sing about Jesus, … “The Friend of a Wounded Heart,”. … My friend, He’s the One Who can - and will - take upon Himself our wounds and care for our needs. Perhaps you need such a “FRIEND" today.

Well, if so, … Jesus has been there, … walked in your shoes, … and wears your T-shirt!

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … Thank You for understanding and always being there when I need You. Amen  

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

May 27, 2016: Peace Like A River

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 148  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of a Gaither Homecoming group of friends, singing the old hymnWonderful Peace, declaring the reality the peace offered and given by God’s Spirit when we’re willing/able to receive it from our Lord.

Highlight Passage:  John 14:27 [NKJV] …  
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 
… We can find peace from our Lord … even in the most dyer of circumstances.
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Highlight Context – John 14:16-27 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus calming His Disciples in the light of His impending death with the promise of His Spirit.
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Reference Passage #1 - Isaiah 26:3 [NKJV] …  
3 You [LORD] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, … because he trusts in You. 
… Peace = holding onto and trusting in God.

Reference Passage #2 - Matthew 11:28-38 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus’s promise of peace when we bring our burdens to Him.

Reference Passage #3 - Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God’s rebuke of worry or anxiety … and His promise of peace.

Reference Passage #4 - 2nd Timothy 1:7 [NKJV] …  
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 
… A spirit of fear NEVER comes from God. His Spirit gives us His love and His peace!

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Amy Boucher Pye, tells a personal story to illustrate how Christians can jettison fear and in faith capture the peace of God. In today’s ODB entry, she writes: “I’m not surprised you lead retreats,” said an acquaintance in my exercise class. “You have a good aura.” I was jolted but pleased by her comment, because I realized that what she saw as an “aura” in me, I understood to be the peace of Christ. As we follow Jesus, He gives us the peace that transcends understanding (Phil. 4:7) and radiates from within—though we may not even be aware of it. 

Immediately, in reading this today, the question bubbled to my consciousness, asking if others would feel like standing beside the stream depicted in the attached photo when they were in my presence. … I hope so; … because over the years I’ve learned to believe and trust in the truth of the reference Scriptures cited above and to have my heart sing a song like the one linked above with a Gaither gathering singing, “Wonderful Peace.”

In the ODB highlight passage, the author today teaches of Jesus offering His disciples His peace in that Upper Room the night before our Lord was to go to the cross; and even these close Christ followers had trouble receiving the Lord’s peace that night. But later, after His resurrection, they grasped the truth of what Jesus had said that night and they lived their lives as fearless and peace-driven ambassadors of the Gospel.

Prayerfully that is how we are living today; … and how we can - and should - live tomorrow.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … Prayerfully, Lord, others see and sense Your peace in my life, flowing in my heart like a peaceful stream. Amen  

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

May 26, 2016: Wayward Sheep

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 147  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean, singing a song I often use to illustrate God’s love in our ODB entries, the song they wrote and performed He’ll Do Whatever It Takes, declaring the reality of a Good Shepherd Who will pursue us with His saving grace until, as wayward sheep, we’re willing to follow Him.

Highlight Passage:  Isaiah 53:6 [NKJV] …  
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; … we have turned everyone to his own way; … and the Lord Has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 
… Our Messiah will give all wayward sheep the opportunity to come back to Him as the Good Shepherd.
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Highlight Context – Isaiah 53:1-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The prophesy of a Messiah who will save wayward sheep from themselves.
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Reference Passage #1 - Luke 9:23 [NKJV] …  
23  Then He (Jesus) said to the me all [His followers], … “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. … “ 
… Jesus - on the essence of discipleship.

Reference Passage #2 - Luke 15:1-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
 … Jesus - the parable of the lost sheep, … which was me!

Reference Passage #3 - John 10:1-30 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus - on being the Good Shepherd … MY Good Shepherd!

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Lawrence Darmani, tells a personal story to illustrate how God’s Children are like wayward sheep, … desperately in need of a Good Shepherd to save them. In today’s ODB entry, he writes: One of my daily chores when I lived with my grandfather in northern Ghana was taking care of sheep. Each morning I took them out to pasture and returned by evening. That was when I first noticed how stubborn sheep can be. Whenever they saw a farm, for instance, their instinct drove them right into it, getting me in trouble with the farmers on a number of occasions. Sometimes when I was tired from the heat and resting under a tree, I observed the sheep dispersing into the bushes and heading for the hills, causing me to chase after them and scratching my skinny legs in the shrubs. I had a hard time directing the animals away from danger and trouble, especially when robbers sometimes raided the field and stole stray sheep. 

Anyone who’s ever been in the role of Pastor, teacher, or even small group or committee chair knows the truth of the highlight passage today from Isaiah 53, especially verse 6, where God’s word, thru the Prophet, likened mankind to sheep, … who are wayward and selfish wanderers. … Common, admit it! … We’re all like that, aren’t we, … at least sometimes?

Well, for 22 years of my younger life, I was a VERY WAYWARD lamb, wandering about as far from the Good Shepherd (see the reference passages above); as one could get, … actually pushing Christianity away as an atheist, rebellious sinner. But as the song relates [linked above], God, our Savior, … our Good Shepherd, … The Messiah, … came after me; and was willing, as the attached photo depicts, to bring me back to His fold.

I pray today, that all who read here are safely in the fold of God’s watch-care; because if you’re not, it’s time to come back home to the Good Shepherd and to follow Him for the rest of your life [see Luke 9:23].

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … O Lord, ... You are my Good Shepherd; and when I hear the lion roar (see 1st Peter 5:8), I follow You to safety.    Amen  

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

May 25, 2016: New Life … New Love

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 146

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of blind Christian singer, Gordon Mote, singing the song he wrote for his wife, If They Could See You Through My Eyes, declaring the love he has in seeing his beloved wife through very special “eyes,” … much like God’s love sees all of His children through His omniscient eyes of love.

Highlight Passage:  John 11:25 [NKJV] …
25 Jesus said to her [Martha, concerning her brother, Lazarus], “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. …” 
… Jesus brings life … even to the dead.
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Highlight Context – John 11:14-27 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus on what remains when He raises a dear one from death.
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Reference Passage #1 - John 12:23-26 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus to His disciples [esp. verse 24] on how one must die to self in order to be raised by His love into eternal life with Him.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Julie Ackerman Link, used a personal observation about nature to teach on the renewal power of God’s love. In today’s ODB entry, she writes: Through cold, snowy winters, the hope of spring sustains those of us who live in Michigan. May is the month when that hope is rewarded. The transformation is remarkable. Limbs that look lifeless on May 1 turn into branches that wave green leafy greetings by month’s end. Although the change each day is imperceptible, by the end of the month the woods in my yard have changed from gray to green [see attached photo]. 
God has built into creation a cycle of rest and renewal. What looks like death to us is rest to God. And just as rest is preparation for renewal, death is preparation for resurrection. I love watching the woods awaken every spring, for it reminds me that death is a temporary condition and that its purpose is to prepare for new life, a new beginning, for something even better. 

Last year on a summer cruise to Alaska with a group of Christians, my dear wife and I had the opportunity to see/hear Gordon Mote, the very talented, but blind, contemporary Christian artist/song writer as he performed for our group. One of the songs he performed is one which is linked above for your YouTube viewing/hearing; and I pray that you’ll take it in, because he sings about his love for his wife and what he “SEES” in her love for him.

And that song so reminds me of the love God has for His beloved Bride; and how He brings life out of death and beauty out of ugliness, … just as He did with Lazarus [see highlight passage] so that He can spend eternity with His dear ones; - and that’s you and me, beloved!!

So, today, let’s make it a spring day, … alive with God’s love; and let’s do all we can to see the beauty in others and share some of God’s love with them.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … Help me today to see others through Your eyes of love. Amen

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

May 24, 2016: Calming My Storm

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 145

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing their song, All Is Well, declaring the reality and result of our faith in the God-man, our Messiah, King Jesus … that no matter the storms of life, our Lord is in control.

Highlight Passage:  Mark 4:39 [NKJV] …
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 
… If Jesus is in our boat, why should we be afraid of anything?
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Highlight Context – Mark 4:35-5:1 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The wind and waves obey Jesus in the boat.
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Reference Passage #1 - Romans 8:28 [NKJV] …
28 And we know that ALL THINGS work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purposes. 
… Yes, ALL THINGS!!!

Reference Passage #2 - 1st Corinthians 10:13 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul’s exhortation of our power, thru God’s grace in Christ, to overcome the trials and temptations of this life.

Reference Passage #3 - 1st John 4:4 [NKJV] …
4 … He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 
 … The power we have in Christ to overcome the powers that be in the world.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, C.P. Hia, used the highlight story of Jesus rebuking the winds of a storm in a fishing boat with His disciples to illustrate why we need not fear rough storms in this life. In today’s ODB entry, Hia writes: Though Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen, they were terrified the day a storm threatened to swamp their boat. They were following Jesus instructions. Why was this happening? (Mark 4:35-38). He was with them but He was asleep at the stern of the craft. They learned that day that it is not true that when we do as our Lord says there will be no storms in our lives. Yet because He was with them, they also learned that storms don’t stop us from getting to where our Lord wants us to go (5:1). 

Once again I use a photo of a painting which hangs in our living room, … a depiction of Jesus calming the storm in the Mark 4 story. If you look closely in the attached photo, you can see my reflection taking the picture of this powerful Dave McGraw painting, which depicts an even more powerful story of Jesus showing His inner disciples how He was God, … even having control of the wind/waves in that little boat.

 And my friend, that’s the power that we have in our boat of life, isn’t it? But aren’t we, so often, like the disciples, having little faith, and not recognizing that we actually have the power of God in our life boat to deal with the waves of fear resulting from life’s storms (see the reference passages above).

How about it, my friend? … Let’s just give Jesus the reign of our boat today; and let Him calm the waves which rage in our life.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … I beg You, Lord. … Forgive my unbelief; … calm my storm of fear.     Amen

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

May 23, 2016: My Redeemer Lives!!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 144  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Nicole C Mullen singing her song My Redeemer Lives, declaring her deep gratitude and love for The Redeemer of her sinful life.

Highlight Passage:  Ruth 2: 10 [NKJV] …  
10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him [Boaz], “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 
 … Ruth knew her status was not worthy of the grace shared by Boaz; and her attitude of gratitude was shared openly and honestly with her benefactor.
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Highlight Context – Ruth 2:1-13 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Ruth was so grateful for the gracious treatment of Boaz.
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Reference Passage #1 - Psalms 91:3-4 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … 
… The Psalmist’s attitude of gratitude for The Lord, our Redeemer and Deliverer

Reference Passage #2 - Romans 5: 8 [NKJV] …  
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
… We are so undeserving of His love … yet He has granted to us His redeeming love - FOREVER.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Keila Ochoa, used the highlight story of Ruth’s grateful attitude to her “kinsman redeemer,” Boaz to illustrate what should be our gratefulness to our God. In today’s ODB entry, Ochoa writes: Ruth was a foreigner. She was a widow. She was poor. In many parts of the world today she would be considered a nobody—someone whose future doesn’t hold any hope. However, Ruth found favor in the eyes of a relative of her deceased husband, a rich man and the owner of the fields where she chose to ask for permission to glean grain. In response to his kindness, Ruth asked, “What have I done to deserve such kindness? . . . I am only a foreigner” (Ruth 2:10). 

And given our evil hearts (see Jer. 17:9) and sinful nature (see Rom. 3:23), should not Ruth’s attitude toward her kinsman redeemer be mirrored in ours toward our Redeemer and Lord, … the One Who was willing to (and did) die as the Lamb of God for the atonement of our sin.

 If you’ve taken in the song, linked above, and today’s ODB story, … as well as my added reference passages above, … I pray that we all share Ruth’s attitude of gratitude for what our Redeemer, Jesus, did - though we didn’t deserve His favor - to take away our sins. Can I get a witness of gratitude here as you read this, joining me in a hardy PRAISE THE LORD?!!!

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for Your redeeming love. Amen  

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

May 22, 2016: Staying the Course

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 143  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of the Sara Groves singing her song Eyes On The Prize, declaring the desire which all Christians share, to stay on the course of our service to Christ.

Highlight Passage:  Philippians 3: 13-14 [NKJV] …  
3 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 
… Reveals Paul’s focus to stay the course of His calling for Christ.
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Highlight Context – Philippians 3:12-16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul declares his desire to keep his eye on the prize of his quest to serve His Lord. 
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Reference Passage #1 - 2nd Corinthians 11:22-33 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … 
… What Paul went through to stay the course of His calling in Christ.

Reference Passage #2 - Ephesians 4:1 [NKJV] …  
1, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, … 
… Paul’s exhortation for ALL born-again Christians to walk worthy of their calling in Christ.

Reference Passage #3 - 2nd Timothy 4:6-7 [NKJV] …  
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 
… Paul declares his resolve in staying the course for Christ.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Dave Roper, uses an entertainment analogy to illustrate his teaching. In today’s ODB entry, Roper writes: I like Reepicheep, C. S. Lewis’ tough little talking mouse in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Determined to reach the “utter East” and join the great lion Aslan [symbolic of Christ], Reepicheep declares his resolve [see attached photo]: “While I may, I sail East in Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I row East in my coracle [small boat]. When that sinks, I shall paddle East with my four paws. Then, when I can swim no longer, if I have not yet reached Aslan’s Country, there shall I sink with my nose to the sunrise.” 

The Apostle Paul was a “Reepicheep” figure, wasn’t he? Called by Jesus Himself to serve Christ by evangelizing the Gentiles of his day, Paul, traveled the known world and went through almost unimaginable trials (see 2Cor. 11:22-33), always keeping His eyes on the prize of his hope in Christ (see Phil. 3:13-14), calling other Christians to walk the worthy walk of faith (see Eph. 4:1), and staying the course to the end (see 2Tim. 4:6-7).

And after meditating on the imagery and reality of today’s ODB entry, I don’t know about any other reader here with me today, but I’m convicted that I need to do more to serve my Lord … today and most certainly, … tomorrow!

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … Help me to keep my eyes on the prize which will come from my calling to serve You, my Lord. Amen  

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

May 21, 2016: A Reservation in Glory

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 142  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of the Southern Gospel Group, The Hoppers, singing The New Jerusalem, declaring the desire which all Christians share, to one day go to God’s City of Love, … The New Jerusalem.

 
Highlight Passage:  Revelation 21:3-4 [NKJV] …  
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 
… What a hope in glory … and I have a reservation!!! … HALLELUJAH!!!
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Highlight Context – Revelation 21:1-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The beloved Apostle John reveals God’s vision of the New Jerusalem, reserved for all of God’s chosen Saints.
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Reference Passage #1 - John 14:1-4 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus tells His disciples where they will join Him in glory.

Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Corinthians 5:7-8 [NKJV] …  
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 
 … And one day I’ll be absent in my boy; but present with my Lord.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Bill Crowder, uses an earthly city, Savannah, GA, to illustrate the New Jerusalem, which awaits all born-again believers. Today Crowder writes: James Oglethorpe (1696–1785) was a British general and member of Parliament who had a vision for a great city. Charged with settling the state of Georgia in North America, he planned the city of Savannah according to that vision. He designed a series of squares, each having a green space and designated areas for churches and shops, with the rest reserved for housing. The visionary thinking of Oglethorpe is seen today [see attached photo] in a beautiful, well-organized city that is considered a jewel of the American South. 

Then, Crowder turned to the Apostle John’s vision and description of the “City of Love,” the New Jerusalem, described in Revelation 21 [see above]. And I don’t know about others who read here; but reading that glorious narrative as well as Jesus’ promise to any/all of His disciples in John 14:1-4, almost gives me chill bumps of anticipation; … because I have a reservation in that City of Glory either when Jesus comes back … or I join Him after my death [see 2 Cor. 5:8].

What about you? Do you have your reservation to spend eternity with our Lord in the New Jerusalem? I pray so.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, …  I pray that all reading here have a faith reservation to join You when you bring down the New Jerusalem.  Come soon, Lord Jesus!!     Amen

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

May 20, 2016: Living God’s Love

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 141  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Glen Campbell singing Try A Little Kindness, from an old popular song of the 60s, which relates how we, as Christians, should live our everyday lives.

 
Highlight Passage:  James 1:27 [NKJV] …  
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. 
… As Glen Campbell sings (linked above) … “Just try a little kindness!”
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Highlight Context – James 1:22-27 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Thru Jesus’ brother, James, God teaches about the essence or true religion.
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Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 5:14-16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK ...   
… Jesus on how to share His love with the world … shining our light of kindness for all to see Him in us.

Reference Passage #2 - John 14:21 [NKJV] …  
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 
 … Jesus tells His disciples how - and only how - others will see His love manifest in us.

Reference Passage #3 - Ephesians 4:32 [NKJV] …  
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. 
 … Paul, trying to share God’s message of shared love and kindness [see the attached photo].

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson, relates a rather complex story involving - would you believe - chili peppers, which is a bit too long to copy here. But you can read the story USING THIS LINK .  Gustafson’s point was that in order to have true “religion,” we must do what Jesus’ half-brother, James, taught in the highlight scripture passage, from James 1:22-27, and share Christlike kindness with others.

And as you can read in today’s ODB, a simple act of kindness from the congregation of an African church to a single mother and a doubting son ultimately led to the son coming to Christ and building over 20 churches in his adult years in Africa. And it raises the question for us … are we sharing Christ’s love - on a daily basis - with others, … shining the light of Christ for others to see Him thru us (see Matthew 5:14-16)?

Question?!! … Are we doing what Glen Campbell sings in his popular song from the 60s. And, after we take in the attached photo, the linked song above, and the truth from God’s word in the reference passages provided, … why don’t we do what Glen sings and “just try a little kindness,” by sharing a little of God’s love with others today?

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … Help me go out and share some kindness with someone today, … shining a bit of Your light into a very dark world. Amen  

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

May 19, 2016: Great[est] Literature

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 140  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Barbara Streisand singing Lessons To Be Learned, poignantly singing about how our lives grow though the lessons we learn thru living. … She’s right; … but what she misses is the greatest lessons are learned from God teaching us life through His word.

 
Highlight Passage:  Psalm 119:97-104 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God’s Torah changed the life of this author - FOREVER!!
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Highlight Context – Psalm 119 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God, thru an unknown Psalmist shows the impact of His word on one life.
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Reference Passage #1 - Joshua 1: 8 [NKJV] …  
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 
 … God, for Joshua, showed him the importance of His word to the success of carrying out God’s will.

Reference Passage #2 - Isaiah 55:11 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK ...   
… God, thru the Prophet Isaiah, demonstrates the impact of His word on any true believer.

Reference Passage #3 - 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 [NKJV] …  
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 
 … God’s word, Authored by His Spirit, is “God breathed” and equips the believer with life-changing power.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Joe Stowell, briefly declares the definition of “great literature” in his teaching today. . He wrote: Recently I came across an article describing what constitutes great literature. The author suggested that great literature “changes you. When you are done reading, you’re a different person.” 
In that light, the Word of God will always be classified as great literature. Reading the Bible challenges us to be better. Stories of biblical heroes inspire us to be courageous and persevering. The wisdom and prophetic books warn of the danger of living by our fallen instincts. God spoke through various writers to pen life-changing psalms for our benefit. 

I love what Barbara Streisand sings in the linked song above; but feeling that she is not a true believer in Christ (I’m pretty sure of that!), I think her song, though holding much truth, misses the true source of lessons that we can learn to change our lives; … and those come, as Joe Stowell teaches in today’s ODB, through God’s word, … the Bible.

So, fellow Christian, after you’ve listened to Streisand sing, and you’ve meditated on the truth of the Scriptures above, see if you don’t agree that the more we can take in God’s word into our hearts, the more we’ll be equipped to handle life’s lessons. And when you do that, you’ll know why I’m here EVERY DAY, digging into my Bible, with the help of the daily ODB entry, and gleaning as much of God’s “GPS” as I can.

Come back here tomorrow; and God willing, I’ll be here, journaling some more of God’s life changing “literature,” … the most powerful writings in the world.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … Your truth is growing me daily with its power and purpose. Amen  

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

May 18, 2016: The Bread of Life

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 139  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of John Michael Talbot singing I Am The Bread of Life, poignantly declaring the reality of following Christ and partaking of Him as the bread of life.

 
Highlight Passage:  Luke 11:3 [NKJV] …  
3 And give us day by day our daily bread, … 
… Every day … our daily bread is God’s living word …
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Highlight Context – Luke 10:38-11:4 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus teaches on how to pray in surrender to the Father.
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Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 6:11 [NKJV] …  
11 … Give us today our daily bread.” 
… Jesus' prayer for daily sustenance from His Father.

Reference Passage #2 - John 6:32-37 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK ...   
… Jesus teaching on Him being the “bread of life” to those who believe in Him [especially note John 6:35, where Jesus declares … “I am the bread of life.”]

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Lawrence Darmani, tells a personal story to illustrate his teaching today. . He wrote: I learned to recite the Lord's Prayer as a boy in primary school. Every time I said the line, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11), I couldn't help but think about the bread that we got only occasionally at home. Only when my father returned from his trip into town did we have a loaf of bread. So asking God to give us our daily bread was a relevant prayer to me. 
How curious I was when years later I discovered the booklet Our Daily Bread. I knew the title came from the Lord’s Prayer, but I also knew it couldn’t be talking about the loaf of bread from the baker’s shop. I discovered as I read the booklet regularly that this "bread," full of Scripture portions and helpful notes, was spiritual food for the soul. 

Like the ODB author today, I’m also a bread lover. To me it’s a little glimpse of glory to have a soft yeast bun, warmed a bit with melted butter and a little bit of honey dripping over the bread. It’s easy for me to see that being to what Jesus was referring when He taught His disciples to pray (in Matt. 6:11 and Luke 11:3). However, I know, as He also taught in John 6:35 [see above] that Jesus, Himself, is “the bread of life.”

And today, as you take in the song linked above and the Scriptures, I pray that we all realize that when we partake of God’s truth from His word - EVERY DAY - we are taking in the “bread of life.” And that, …dear one, … is why you find me coming here daily, imagining that I’m able to take in a succulent yeast roll with melted honey-butter as I take in God’s truth with my Our Daily Bread devotions.

So, if you’ve joined me here today, I pray that you can take in a taste of God’s glory through His word today. And come back for some more bread tomorrow; … I’ll be here.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … Your truth is sweet, Lord; and I can taste Your love in its sweetness. Amen  

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

May 17, 2016: Blossoming for His Glory

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 138  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Josh Groban singing You Raise Me Up, powerfully declaring the reality of following Christ and allowing Him to raise all who surrender to Him into His image.

Highlight Passage:  Galatians 6: 9-10 [NKJV] …  
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. 
… Every day … in every way … growing in Christlikeness.
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Highlight Context – Galatians 6:1-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul outlines how we can grow in Christlikeness
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Reference Passage #1 - Acts 1: 8 [NKJV] …  
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 
… Growing in our witness by the power of God’s Spirit.

Reference Passage #2 - Galatians 5:22-23 [NKJV] …  
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 
… Our character growing to copy the character of Christ.

Reference Passage #3 - Philippians 1:6 [NKJV] …  
6 … being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; …” 
… Jesus will complete the project of our growing into His image … IF WE LET HIM!!

Reference Passage #4 - 2 Peter 1:2-4 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God give us all we need to grow … but we must partake of it to grow.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Marion Stroud, related a word picture of his teaching today. . He wrote: In Debbie’s new home, she discovered an abandoned plant in a dark corner of the kitchen. The dusty and ragged leaves looked like those of a moth orchid, and she imagined how pretty the plant would look once it had sent up new bloom-bearing stems. She moved the pot into a spot by the window, cut off the dead leaves, and watered it thoroughly. She bought plant food and applied it to the roots. Week after week she inspected the plant, but no new shoots appeared. “I’ll give it another month,” she told her husband, “and if nothing has happened by then, out it goes.” … When decision day came, she could hardly believe her eyes. Two small stems were poking out from among the leaves! The plant she’d almost given up on was still alive. 

And I think Stroud’s illustration amply relates the reality of how Jesus brings life out of death in the re-awakening of the soul of a sin-dead sinner. And when we partake of what He implants into our quickened hearts, and we partake of His power (see Acts 1: 8), we grow and become increasingly more effective witnesses of His glory and more fruitful for His glory.

And God promises to complete the project of reshaping and growing us into the image of our Savior (see Phil. 1:6); but for us to grow in Christlikeness, we have to surrender to His Spirit so that He can give us all we need to grow in His likeness. As Peter wrote in 2nd Peter 1:2-4, God is willing to give us all we need to grow. But we have to let Him do His reshaping work of grace through our faith.

My friend, take a look at the list of God’s fruit in Gal. 5:22-23; and let’s see if we’re growing in fruitfulness. If not, we need to be more in surrender to God’s Spirit and let Him grow us to blossom into His own image.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … My Lord, … Thankfully, I am growing in Your likeness; but I could do more to yield to You … to help me grow more readily. Whatever it takes, Lord, … help me to be more fruitful as a witness in Your Name. Amen  

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

May 16, 2016: Good God! … Really?!!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 137

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing I Choose to Believe, powerfully declaring the faith and hope in an ALWAYS good God.

Highlight Passage:  Genesis 3: 1 [NKJV] …
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 
 … Do we trust Him … ALL THE TIME?!
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Highlight Context – Genesis 3:1-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Satan’s ploy to have God’s beloved doubt Him.
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Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] …
5 Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding; … 6 in ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. 
… But do we REALLY trust Him?

Reference Passage #2 - Romans 8: 28 [NKJV] …
28 And we know that ALL THINGS work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to HIS purpose. 
… ALL THINGS? … Really?!!

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Anne Cetas, told a personal story to illustrate her teaching today. . She wrote: “I don’t think God is good,” my friend told me. She had been praying for years about some difficult issues, but nothing had improved. Her anger and bitterness over God’s silence grew. Knowing her well, I sensed that deep down she believed God is good, but the continual pain in her heart and God’s seeming lack of interest caused her to doubt. It was easier for her to get angry than to bear the sadness. 

And certainly, according to the ODB Author, Cetas, such a dilemma is not new for Christians, is it? It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, where (as one reads above in Genesis 3) Satan confronted Eve with the ploy to get her to doubt God’s goodness and veracity just enough for her to partake of the forbidden fruit.

I think everyone reading here has probably had some set of life circumstances which has caused us to doubt God or be angry with our God. Can I get an “Amen” witness? … But prayerfully we can come to a place in our discipleship where - no matter the circumstances or confrontation with life - we can believe in the truth of the Scriptures above in order to trust God and follow His will, giving Him the glory as we believe and are obedient in our walk with our God.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … My Lord, … Just like I wrote yesterday, … Even if I walk through a minefield today, I fear not, because You are a good God; and I follow You.  Amen

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

May 15, 2016: Our Personal Locator

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 136  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of tMia Fieldes singing Fearless, powerfully declaring the reality of our God Who ALWAYS goes with the believer; … and that is ME!! I’m surrounded by my God’s presence.

Highlight Passage:  Psalm 139:7 [NKJV] …  
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? … or where can I flee from Your presence? 
… NOWHERE!!!
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Highlight Context – Psalm 139:1-18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The reality of God’s presence
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Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] …  
5 Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding; … 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. 
… But do we REALLY trust Him?

Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Timothy 1:7 [NKJV] …  
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 
… We can be fearless … as Mia Fieldes sings above.

Reference Passage #3 - Hebrews 13:5-6 [NKJV] …  
5 For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” [From Joshua 1:5] … 6 So we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” [From Ps. 118:6] 
… The question is … does this true blunt our fears?

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, David C McCasland, reflected in today’s entry on an illustrative story about a CBS Anchor. . He writes: Veteran news reporter Scott Pelley never goes on assignment without his travel essentials—a shortwave radio, camera, indestructible suitcase, laptop computer, phone, and an emergency locator beacon [see attached photo] that works anywhere. “You extend the antenna, push two buttons, and it sends a signal to a satellite connected to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration," Pelley says. “It tells them who and where I am. Depending on what country you’re in, they’ll either send a rescue team—or not” (AARP The Magazine). Pelley has never needed to use the beacon, but he never travels without it. 

Well, I’m not here to question Scott Pelley’s belief system; but personally, I don’t need to be afraid of where I am or what might happen to me. I’ve got something far more powerful watching over me; and if you’ve take in the linked song above and the Scriptures, I can sense true believers giving me a strong “AMEN” witness already.

 But the question for us Christians is … Do we really believe those truths above? Because if we do, … today, … no matter where we go or what we do, we KNOW, that we know that we know … that our God is with us; and as it quotes from the OT in Hebrews 13:5, our Lord will NEVER leave us, nor forsake us. Hence, … we never need be fearful in our life … today or tomorrow.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … My Lord, … Even if I walk through a minefield today, I fear not, because I follow You. Amen  

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

May 14, 2016: Doing The Lord’s Business

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 135  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of the group Hillsong leading in worship singing Jesus, You’re All I Need, powerfully declaring reality of following Jesus as His disciple … He’s all we need … AND FROM THIS LINK we hear Steve Green singing, People Need the Lord.

 
Highlight Passage:  John 4:34 [NKJV] …  
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 
… Jesus was set on a path to do His Father’s will; … and if it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good for me too.
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Highlight Context – John 4:1-42 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus, encountering the Samaritan woman at the well shows his method of ministry, … living life and follow the ways of His Heavenly Father.
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Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] …  
5 Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding; … 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. 
… But do we REALLY trust Him?

Reference Passage #2 - Luke 9: 23 [NKJV] …  
23 Then He said to them all [His followers], “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. … “ 
… The question is … do we REALLY desire to follow our Lord … as our LORD?

Reference Passage #3 - John 14:21 [NKJV] …  
21 “ … He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself in Him. 
… But do we really love Him?

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, David Roper, reflected in today’s entry on Jesus at the well with the Samaritan Women from John, Chapter 4 [see link above]. And Roper writes: Now I ask you: What work had Jesus been doing? He’d been resting and waiting by the well. I find great encouragement in this story for I am living with physical limitations. This passage tells me that I do not have to scurry about—worrying myself about doing the will of my Father and getting His work done. In this season of life, I can rest and wait for Him to bring His work to me. … Similarly, your tiny apartment, your work cubicle, your prison cell, or your hospital bed can become a “Jacob’s well,” a place to rest and to wait for your Father to bring His work to you. I wonder who He’ll bring to you today? 

The Jesus model of doing God’s business has always been the model I rely on in personal discipleship and ministry. My wife and I have been called to reach out and help those who’re dealing with the outflow and hurt from habitual sexual sin. And to carry out this calling, we simply live our lives by following our Lord [Prov. 3:5-6 and Luke 9:23], making ourselves available (through promotion in our church, online, and personally - see John 14:21), and then we take care of those He sends us as best we can.

Today after you’ve taken in the linked songs above, and the challenge of God’s truth from His word, … God may send someone your way who needs His living waters and the food of His word. Watch for them and give them Jesus.

He’s all they will need.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … My Lord, … Today I pray that we follow You and share You with all who need You. Amen  

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

May 13, 2016: An Unseen Love

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 134 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing singing The Friend of a wounded Heart, powerfully declaring the love of Jesus for all who come to Him in faith.

Highlight Passage:  1st Peter 1:6-8 [NKJV] …
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. 
… The faith of true believers in Christ, extended through an unseen love.
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Highlight Context – 1st Peter 1:1-9 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Peter, blogging to persecuted believers in Asia Minor, about the loving Christ by faith alone. 
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Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 5:16 [NKJV] …
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 
… Jesus on sharing His love with others.

Reference Passage #2 - Hebrews 11:1 [NKJV] …
  1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
 … Real faith is extending an unseen love and shining God’s light blindly into the darkness of this world.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Mart DeHaan, reflected in today’s entry about the loss of a dear friend, BruceG, a fellow “blogger” in an online community who had impacted the lives of others with his daily unseen love of Christ. And DeHaan writes: BruceC had often opened his heart to us. He talked freely about his concern for others and what was important to him. Many of us felt like we knew him. We would miss the gentle wisdom that came from his years in law enforcement and his faith in Christ. 

And the blogging (see attached photo) of BruceG, reminded ODB author, DeHaan, of a first century “blogger,” … the Apostle Peter, who wrote (see highlight passage) to oppressed Christians, many of whom had fled to Asia Minor being oppressed by the Romans. And Peter wrote of how these faithful believers had been brought into the family of God, some of whom were Gentiles, through an unseen faith in Christ.

And Peter, “blogging” to these faithful believers, lauded their faith in becoming and remaining strong, repentant, believers in spite of never having seen the risen Christ as Peter had. And that is the faith to which the author of Hebrews speaks in the famous FAITH CHAPTER [i,e., Chapter 11]. And that my friends, along with what the Brooklyn Tab Choir sings in the linked song today, is why I’m here blogging my faith everyday, … praying that I can share some of the light and love of Christ, through His word, with others.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … My Lord, … I pray that my readers here find Your love through their faith and the words You give me, precious Spirit, to share here every day. Amen

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

May 12, 2016: Victim: No! … Victory: Yes!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 133  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Nichole Nordeman singing her song Finally Free, powerfully declaring our freedom from condemnation in Christ.

Highlight Passage:  John 3: 17 [NKJV] …  
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 
… Jesus - God’s Son - setting us free with His saving grace.
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Highlight Context – John 3:1-21 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus explains God’s love … NOT His condemnation
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Reference Passage #1 - Romans 8:1 [NKJV] …  
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 
… If true - AND IT IS! - we no longer live in self condemnation … we are FREE in Christ.

Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Corinthians 5:17 [NKJV] …  
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 
… If true - AND IT IS! - we no longer live in self condemnation … we are FREE in Christ.

Reference Passage #3 - 1st John 1: 9 [NKJV] …  
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
…Anytime, anywhere … our God is willing/able to cleanse us from ANY unrighteousness. But we so often shackle ourselves in self condemnation, don’t we?

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Randy Kilgore, reminded me today of one of the toughest lessons for new Christians or those who’re walking free of the bondage of their own self condemnation; … and that is to accept and live in the realization of their own salvation. He wrote of leading others to Christ and having them get wrapped up - even shackled - in either self condemnation or being judgmental of others.

I work with Christian men who’re often in a very broken and brittle state, having walking free from the bondage and darkness of habitual sexual sin and having broken into the light of Christ’s love. And it’s often the case that these men have trouble seeing the lesson Jesus taught to Nicodemus in that dark garden about His mission in life - i.e., to save mankind and set us free from our bondage to sin. These men, who’ve seen themselves as self-imposed VICTIMS, now have trouble seeing and accepting the truth of 1st John 1: 9, 2 Cor. 5:17, and especially Romans 8:1 [see above].

It’s really interesting to read Paul writing to the Romans, where, in Chapter 7, he writes of feeling so condemned by his own sinfulness; but then he breaks into Romans 8 with the proclamation that there is “NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus!’ And I maintain that if one can understand and live in the freedom offered in Romans 8, he (or she) can be set free of the self condemnation of Romans 7.

So, where are we today, my friend? Are we living in the bondage of Roman 7; or have we bought into the reality of our newness in Christ (see the attached photo) and living in the freedom of Romans 8? … I pray the latter for us all.

My Prayer Today:  O, Heavenly Father, … My Lord, … I pray for any here with me today ... that we see ourselves being set free in Christ (see attached photo).       Amen  

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