February 28, 2017 ... Defeating Death

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 59 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Babbie Mason at a Gaither gathering singing … All Rise … declaring in song the reality of how Christians will one day live forever worshipping the Messiah.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 11:43-44 [NLT] … 
43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” 
… Defeating death is simply a matter of believing on Jesus being the resurrection and the life. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 11:1-44 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus showed that He even had power over death by raising His friend, Lazarus, from the dead. 
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Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … John 3:16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 
… Death has no power over our Lord!

Reference Passage #2 [NLT] : … 1st Cor. 15: 56:57 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
… Paul knew, believed, and taught that death has no power over life because of the finished work of King Jesus.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David Roper, used the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the death to illustrate the truth that we Christians need NEVER fear death. The ODB author wrote: To be clear, our bodies will die—and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. But the thinking, reasoning, remembering, loving, adventuring part of us that we call “me, myself, and I” will never, ever die. 
And here’s the best part: It’s a gift! All you have to do is receive the salvation Jesus offers. C. S. Lewis, musing on this notion, describes it as something like “a chuckle in the darkness”—the sense that something that simple is the answer. 

Death is one of the great fears for mankind, … especially for the non-believer; because, in their mindset, death is so final. It’s the end. Nothing … NO THING … comes after death.

But for the Christian, believing on the finished work of Christ, Who, in the highlight passage above declared Himself to the “resurrection and the life,” and showed His power over death by raising Lazarus (see photo), death is, as C.W. Lewis declared, … “a chuckle in the darkness.”

Death is defeated by/in Christ (see 1st Cor. 15 passage). When Jesus died on the Cross and rose again, no one need fear death any longer; because our Messiah has called all who believe on Him to eternal life. And our faith in Jesus is what frees us from the sting of death.

Do we believe in Christ as the resurrection and the life? … If our answer is “YES,” then let’s come out from the grave of sin, like Lazarus, throw off our grave clothes, wearing Christ’s robes of righteousness, … and live!!l And for all who so believe, I challenge you to see/hear Babbie Mason sing the linked song above and then … to join me to declare joyfully, … “HALLELUJAH!!” 

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, I will live forever with You!! … HALLELUJAH!! … Amen

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

February 27, 2017 ... Glowing in the Dark

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 58 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jason Gray singing … Glow In The Dark … declaring in song the reality of how Christians should be able to glow Christlikeness in this very dark world.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 3:20 [NLT] … 
20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 
… Those who are in Christ glow with His light in the darkness of this world.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 3:16-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus makes it clear why He came to save those who come to Him in faith … to bring us from the darkness of sin into the light of truth.
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Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … Acts 1:8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...  
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 
… Jesus promises us that we will shine forth in this world as His witnesses.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mart DeHaan, tells a story about Plato to illustrate how a Christian’s character will be very visible and never invisible. The ODB author wrote: The Greek philosopher Plato (c. 427–c. 348 bc) found an imaginative way of shining light on the dark side of the human heart. He told the story of a shepherd who innocently discovered a golden ring that had been hidden deep in the earth. One day a great earthquake opened up an ancient mountainside tomb and revealed the ring to the shepherd. By accident he also discovered that the ring had the magical ability to enable the wearer to become invisible at will. Thinking about invisibility, Plato raised this question: If people didn’t have to worry about being caught and punished, would they resist doing wrong? 

This ancient philosophical illustration was much like that of Jesus relating to Nicodemus one dark night how man must be born again to come out of the darkness of sin into the light Christ offers to all who believe on His Name [see highlight passage]. And that’s what happens for those of us in Christ in this world. Living in Christ and being His witnesses, we become very visible - even repugnant - to the world.

As Jason Gray sings in the linked song, when we openly witness for Christ (see Acts 1:8), we begin to glow Christlikeness in a sin-darkened world. And as the images in the You Tube of today’s song illustrate, the world will not like the light which emanates from us as Christians. And they will do all they can to shut down our Light, … even trying to snuff out that glow.

Let me pray that as we go about in this ever-darkening world, … even today, … that we glow like Jesus in the dark (see photo).

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, shine Your light thru me. … Amen

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

February 26, 2017 ... He’s My Friend ALWAYS!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 57 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … I Am A Friend of God … powerfully declaring what Christ’s sacrifice has brought into the lives of those now in faith can call God a friend and not an enemy. Hey friends, God is my friend!!! Hallelujah!!!

Professional Golf Hospitality Tent

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 3:12 [NLT] … 
12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 
… Christ’s finished work on the cross gives me (you too!) direct access to His presence. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 2:11-13, 3:7-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul teaches Christians on our ability to come boldly and directly to God as a child to his/her Father.
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Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … Matthew 28: 20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...  
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
… Jesus promises to be with His disciples … ALWAYS.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, used a sports analogy to show that we ALWAYS have access to our God. The ODB author wrote: A few years ago, a friend invited me to join him as a spectator at a pro golf tournament. Being a first-timer, I had no idea what to expect. When we arrived, I was surprised to receive gifts, information, and maps of the golf course. But what topped it all was that we gained access to a VIP tent behind the 18th green [see photo], where we had free food and a place to sit. I couldn’t have gained entry to the hospitality tent on my own though. The key was my friend; it was only through him that I had complete access. 
Left to ourselves, we would all be hopelessly separated from God. But Jesus, who took our penalty, offers us His life and access to God. 

The Apostle Paul, who had once been an arch enemy of Jesus, The Christ, had intimately come to know His Lord; and he wanted all Christians to know that any/all who were born-again by faith in Christ could, as the linked song above declares, now come to the Lord as a friend. Yes, even the Gentiles, whom Paul once hated, were called by God to be His family members and friends [see highlight passages above].

Jesus certainly declared that truth in His Great Commission, didn’t He (see Matt. 28:20]?! … The question is, … do we believe it; and then, do we live out the reality that we can come to the God of the Universe and tell or ask Him anything as our friend?

How about you joining me today and let’s go to our Friend, Jesus, and USE THIS LINK ... listening to Andrew Gold and thanking Jesus for being our friend.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, thank You for being my friend and being with me ALWAYS! … Amen

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

February 25, 2017 ... Wholeheartedly His

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 56 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Steve Green singing … Find Us Faithful … powerfully declaring what should be the goal of every Christian … to be WHOLEHEARTEDLY faithful in following our Lord.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Numbers 14:25 [NLT] … 
24 But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. 
… God’s reward for Caleb’s wholehearted faithfulness - even thru the 40 years in the wilderness. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Numbers 13:26-32, 14:20-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Caleb … a great picture of steadfast faithfulness and surrender to God’s will.
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Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
...  God’s promise of His faithful leading, … and that’s what Caleb experienced and we can too, if we remain faithful to follow our Lord.

Reference Passage #2 [NLT] : … Matthew 22:35-38 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... Jesus declares that God’s greatest commandment is to follow His will with all our heart, soul, and mind. Caleb did; … do we?

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David McCasland, used this OT character of Caleb to illustrate steadfast, wholehearted, faithfulness in following God. The ODB author wrote: Caleb was a “wholehearted” person. He and Joshua were part of a twelve-man reconnaissance team that explored the Promised Land and gave a report to Moses and the people. Caleb said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Num. 13:30). 
But ten members of the team said they couldn’t possibly succeed. In spite of God’s promises, they saw only obstacles (vv. 31–33). Ten men caused the people to lose heart and grumble against God, which led to forty years of wandering in the desert. But Caleb never quit. The Lord said, “Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it” (14:24). 

Do I really need to go on to clarify the message of today’s ODB entry? I think not!

So, … after anyone reading with me here today hears the song I often repeat as the highlight message in music; and then you take in the story of Caleb in the highlight passages above, along with Jesus’ explanation of God’s greatest commandment (see Matt. 22:35-38), I think you will agree that we are under conviction to go deeper into wholehearted following of Christ; … and to also do what Jesus commanded in Luke 9:23. [I hope you have that one memorized. If not, look it up; and see if you’re His faithful follower.]

I’m certainly under conviction; … how about you?

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, help me to go deeper in my wholehearted surrender to be Your disciple. … Amen

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

February 24, 2017 ... “What is!” vs “What if?”

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 55 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Sara Groves singing her song … All Right Here … poignantly declaring who we are in our relationship with our Lord.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 46:1 [NLT] …  
1 God is our refuge and strength, and always read to help in times of trouble. 
… God’s there for us no matter the “What if?” we feel or when we in the deepest pif of our life. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 46: 1-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David declares God's strength for us … NO MATTER WHAT !!!
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Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … Psalms 23:4a [NLT] … 
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. … 
… No matter where we are, our Lord walks with us.

Reference Passage #2 [NLT] : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… God’s promise of His faithful leading, … yes, even when we’re in the darkest places.

Reference Passage #3 [NLT] : … Hebrews 13:5 [NLT] … 
5 “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you?” 
… The Author of Hebrews quoting God’s promise to Moses and His people (Deut. 31:6)

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David Branon, used a dark personal remembrance to illustrate living in the “WHAT IS” rather than the “WHAT IF?” The ODB author wrote: Even all these years after losing our seventeen-year-old daughter Melissa in a car accident in 2002, I sometimes find myself entering the world of “What If.” It’s easy, in grief, to reimagine the events of that tragic June evening and think of factors that—if rearranged—would have had Mell arriving safely home. 
In reality, though, the land of “What If” is not a good place to be for any of us. It is a place of regret, second-guessing, and hopelessness. While the grief is real and the sadness endures, life is better and God is honored if we dwell in the world of “What Is.” 

I think many - if not all - of us have been in that “If I’d only” place in life, where we take ourselves into a dark place of “WHAT IF” … where self doubt causes us to live in anguish as with our ODB author today. But God wants us to live in His gracious land of “WHAT IS,” which He has gifted all who would trust Him rather than questioning our selves.

What is? … Well, it’s God ALWAYS being there for us when we’re waking through the valley of the shadow of death [Ps. 23:4]. It’s our Lord being our rock and our strength, when the earth is shaking beneath our feet [Ps. 46:1]. It’s Jesus’ blood covering all our “what ifs” when we come to Him in faith and surrender to His finished work.

Hence, today I sing with Sara Groves, even though things look very dark and I’m pondering a lot of “what ifs” in my life right now, … singing her song, I am All Right Here.

And I AM, … because I do trust in my Lord to be my rock, my strength, and my light through the darkness. I pray we are all living in the WHAT IS rather than in the WHAT IF.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, I anchor my faith to You, … my Rock! … Amen

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

February 23, 2017 ... Focusing Forward

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 54 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from the group Selah singing … Press On … powerfully declaring the reality and truth of God’s wondrous saving grace.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Philippians 3:14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. 
… God’s prize for us is way up ahead, … not in the past.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Philippians 3:12-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul showed fellow Christians that our focus for God’s kingdom must be forward and not on the past.
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Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … 1st Corinthians 9:24-25 [NLT] … 
24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 
… All Christians are in the race of life to win God’s eternal prize.

Reference Passage #2 [NLT] : … 2nd Timothy 4:6-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … At the end of his life, Paul could say to fellow Christians that he had run a good race and God’s prize awaited him in Heaven.

Reference Passage #3 [NLT] : … Hebrews 12:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … The Author of Hebrews shows how Christ ran his race for His Father, showing how we must run ours.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Marvin Williams, used the word picture of a TV show to illustrate our running a strong race for God in life. The ODB author wrote: One of my favorite television programs is The Amazing Race. In this reality show, ten couples are sent to a foreign country where they must race, via trains, buses, cabs, bikes, and feet, from one point to another to get their instructions for the next challenge. The goal is for one couple to get to a designated finishing point before everyone else, and the prize is a million dollars. 

I love to watch that reality show with my wife. It’s one of her favorites on TV these days; and we both love to watch the paired contestants struggling forward through the struggles contrived by the show as they attempt to move all over the world to win the big monetary prize. It’s a good word picture of life, … as the Apostle Paul pictured himself (and fellow Christians), running the race of life, struggling to win the wonderful prize set before us by God.

So, … after any reader here with me takes in the glorious song linked above by Selah; and we’ve meditated on the highlight and reference scriptures, perhaps we all can answer the questions posed by ODB author, Marvin Williams, in today’s devotional, as he wrote: How are we able to press on toward our future hope? … Read Hebrews 12:1–2 … What are some practical things we must do to continue to press on and persevere?  

Challenging, huh?! … Well, years ago I was given a word picture by a mentor which has helped me when I get side-tracked by the world or circumstances in life. He told me, “You can’t drive your car down the road by using only the rear-view mirror.” And I think that admonition is clear enough for any of us as we Christians move on down the road of life, don’t you?

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, give me Your enlightening grace to stay focused on Your prize ahead. … Amen

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

February 22, 2017 ... Amazing, Saving Grace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 53 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Judy Collins singing the most popular Christian song ever … Amazing Grace … powerfully declaring the reality and truth of God’s wondrous saving grace.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matt. 5:48, John 8:10-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The extent of God’s amazing grace on display even to an adulteress.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 5:43-48, John 8:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus on the extent of God’s grace.
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Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … Acts 9:20-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… God’s amazing grace even saved a sinner like Saul to become the Apostle Paul.

Reference Passage #2 [NLT] : … Romans 5:8, 10:9-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… And God’s amazing grace will save ANYONE who humbly repents and declares that Jesus is LORD … yes, even a broken sinner like me!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Phillip Yancey, went to scriptural examples of Jesus teaching and demonstrating God’s amazing/saving grace, … not the least of which was the miraculous conversion of Saul of Tarsus to become the Apostle Paul. The ODB author wrote: Jesus’ teaching about absolute ideals and absolute grace seem contradictory. … Jesus never lowered God’s perfect ideal. In His response to the rich young ruler, He said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). 
Yet the same Jesus tenderly offered absolute grace. He forgave an adulteress [Matt. 8], a thief on the cross, a disciple who had denied ever knowing Him, and a man named Saul [Acts 9], who had made his mark persecuting Christians. 
Grace is absolute and all-encompassing, extending even to those who nailed Jesus to the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” were among the last words He spoke on earth (Luke 23:34). 

And any time the subject of God’s “AMAZING GRACE” is raised in my quiet times with God, I can’t help but reflect on the first verse of the poem by John Newton, a slave master turned Pastor, who wrote the lyrics to the most popular song in the history of God’s Church [linked above], … ”Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, Who saved a wretch like me.”

Why? … Because I was that wretch; and like the adulteress (from John 8) or the Jewish hit-man, Saul if Tarsus [see Acts 9], … I once was saved by surrendering to God’s amazing … saving … grace (see Romans 5:8 and 10:13). Perhaps you know personally of God’s AMAZING GRACE. … I pray so.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, I pray all, who read here with me, have - like me - been saved by Your amazing grace. … Amen

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

February 21, 2017 ... Good News Going Viral

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 52 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from an old song … It Is No Secret What God Can Do … poignantly declaring the message of the Good News of God’s saving and sanctifying grace, … a message that needs to “go viral” to the world.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1st Thessalonians 1:8 [NLT] … 
8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. 
… Paul had heard of how the Thessalonians had spread the good news of Christ throughout their area of God’s Kingdom and beyond.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul expressed His shared joy with fellow Christians at the word of their sharing the good news of Christ throughout Asia Minor in those days.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Matthew 4:18-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... Jesus called His new disciples to follow Him and become “fishers of Men.” They did, shared God’s news with others and changed the world.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David McCasland, used the modern techno-term “going viral” to illustrate how God’s truth was shared in the past. The ODB author wrote: The Viral Texts project at Northeastern University in Boston is studying how printed content in the 1800s spread through newspapers—the social media network of that day. [See attached photo] If an article was reprinted 50 times or more, they considered that “viral” for the Industrial Age. Writing in Smithsonian magazine, Britt Peterson noted that a nineteenth-century news article describing which followers of Jesus were executed for their faith appeared in at least 110 different publications. 

In today’s techno-world, a message can, thru social-media on the internet, reach thousands of people - even millions - in a matter of hours. In the 19th century, newspapers were the media which shared a story of interest to the masses. And in biblical times, a message might go “viral” in a matter of weeks or months because the only media available was “word-of-mouth” communication.

Hence, when we read of the Apostle Paul congratulating the Thessalonians for taking The Gospel “viral” in their day [see highlight scriptures], we see that God could even use the messaging system in the 1st Century to spread His Good News to much of the world in that day.  

The Thessalonians simply shared how their lives had been changed by Christ as often and to as many as they could; and God’s Spirit allowed the “Good News” to go forth as viral as possible in those days. What this ODB message did for me was challenge me to ask myself if I was doing all I can to help God’s Good News, of how Christ changed ME, … praying that the message “go viral” with whom I communicate today.

We have amazing tools today to share God’s love and His message of salvation and sanctification. Are we using them as we could for God’s glory? Certainly that is greatly the motivation which brings me here everyday to share God’s truth with others thru my blogging online.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, I pray You use my meager messaging daily for Your glory. Take Your Good News viral to the world! … Amen

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

February 20, 2017 ... Fed By Living Waters

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 51 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Keith & Kristyn Getty singing their song … Living Waters … poignantly singing of the refreshing and sustaining waters of life provided by a deep/abiding relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

 Scriptures Depicted - Jeremiah 17: 5-8 [see below] 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Jeremiah 17:7-9 [NLT] … 
7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leave stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. 
… God’s living waters of grace pour into the lives of those who trust in the Lord always.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Jeremiah 17:5-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Jeremiah, blesses those who trust in the Lord, who are like trees planted close to the waters, thriving on God’s living waters of truth.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Psalm 1:2-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... David, the Psalmist, also wrote of those who trust and live in God’s word, being like trees which flourish near God’s streams of living waters.

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … John 4:13-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares that He - and only He - is the source of God’s living waters

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mart DeHaan, used an image provided by God through the Prophet Jeremiah comparing those who are sustained by God’s living waters and those who aren’t. The ODB author wrote: This was a tree to be envied. Growing on riverfront property, it didn’t have to worry about weather reports, withering temperatures, or an uncertain future. Nourished and cooled by the river, it spent its days lifting its branches to the sun, holding the earth with its roots, cleaning the air with its leaves, and offering shade to all who needed refuge from the sun (Jer. 17:8).  
By contrast, the prophet Jeremiah pointed to a shrub (Jer. 17:6). When the rains stopped and the summer sun turned the ground to dust, the bush shriveled into itself, offering no shade or fruit to anyone. 

King David used the same word picture in Psalm 1:2-4 where God, thru David’s song, depicted any who are sustained by Gods truth (i.e., His word) to be like a tree planted near a flourishing river. And Jesus declared to the woman at the well (see the John 4 passage) that she could be sustained forever on the waters only He could provide, … His “living waters.”

If you’ve taken in today’s song and scriptures, I don’t need to write more to explain these images, do I? No, the only question from this devotional today … IS … ”Are we being sustained by God’s living waters through His word?” … Because if we are, Jesus declares we will thrive spiritually; but if not, as Jeremiah depicted, we will shrivel and die.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, I come here everyday to drink from your Living Waters of truth. … Amen

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

February 19, 2017 ... God’s Amazing Grace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 50 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … Your Grace Still Amazes Me … poignantly singing of the wonders of God’s free gift of grace which saves and sustains all who come to Christ in faith to receive His gift[s].

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 2:4-5 [NLT] … 
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 
… God’s amazing grace!!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 2:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, teaches on the amazing results of blessing afforded by God’s grace to those who truly believe in Christ and humbly receive His saving grace.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Romans 10:9-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… What it takes to receive God’s wondrous gift of saving grace.

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … 1st Corinthians 1:4-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul thanks God for giving us, thru His grace, all we need to reflect that grace to the world as His Church.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Keila Ochoa, used a familiar image from Mexican lore to teach about God’s amazing grace. The ODB author wrote: There cannot be a Mexican party without a piñata—a carton or clay container filled with candies and treats. Children strike it with a stick and try to break it, hoping to enjoy its contents. 
Monks used the piñatas in the sixteenth century to teach lessons to the indigenous people of Mexico. Piñatas were stars with seven points [see photo] that represented the seven deadly sins. Beating the piñata showed the struggle against evil, and once the treats inside fell to the ground, people could take them home in remembrance of the rewards of keeping the faith. 

Wow! … Almost 35 years ago, when, in my brokenness, I humbly opened up to receive God’s amazing, saving grace, I really broke open God’s piñata of love. And from that day forward He has never quit pouring out the sweetness and glorious riches of His sanctifying grace into my life. And that’s the way it is - or should be - for any/all who humbly come to receive the free gift of God’s amazing grace [see Rom. 10:9-13].

And when any reading and meditating here have taken in the wonderful song, linked above by Phillips, Craig, and Dean, and then mediated on the truth provided by God’s word today, I’m sure you’ll be feeling the gratitude I feel today for all the grace which poured forth from God’s heart when we, in faith, broke open the piñata of God’s mercy to allow the sweetness of His grace to shower our lives with His love.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, truly it is Your amazing grace which has saved me and now sustains me. … Amen

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

February 18, 2017 ... Beauty for Ashes

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 49 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Chris McClarney singing … Beauty For Ashes … poignantly singing of the truth that our God can/does redeem the ash heap of our lives and brings us beauty for ashes.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 61:3a [NLT] … 
3 To all who mourn in Israel, He (the Messiah) will give a crown of beauty for ashes, … 
… Messiah will bring beauty for ashes.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 61:1-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s promise to His people that He would bring a Messiah to bring them beauty from the ashes of their sin-ridden lives.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Joel 2:25a [NLT] … 
25 So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, … 
… Another prophesy of God’s redemption for His people …

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Luke 4:14-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 700+ years after Isaiah’s Messianic prophesy, Jesus read from Is. 61 and declared to God’s people that He was their Redeemer, … their Messiah.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, used an allegory spoken by pilots to illustrate how we must, as Christians, live by faith and not by sight. The ODB author wrote: By its very existence, a ministry center in Rwanda called the “Lighthouse” symbolizes redemption [see photo above]. It sits on land where during the genocide in 1994 the country’s president owned a grand home. This new structure, however, has been erected by Christians as a beacon of light and hope. Housed there is a Bible institute to raise up a new generation of Christian leaders, along with a hotel, restaurant, and other services for the community. Out of the ashes has come new life. 
Those who built the Lighthouse look to Jesus as their source of hope and redemption. … 
     We find the atrocities of the Rwandan genocide, when intertribal fighting cost more than a half-million lives, mind-boggling and harrowing, and we hardly know what to say about them. And yet we know that the Lord can redeem the atrocities—either here on earth or in heaven. He who bestows the oil of joy instead of mourning gives us hope even in the midst of the darkest of situations. 

The Prophets Isaiah and Joel prophesied [see Scriptures above] the coming of a Messiah who would deliver God’s people from their sin-ridden misery to bring beauty into the ash heap of their lives. And now, we, who know Jesus as Lord, have been forever saved and redeemed by this same Messiah. He is King Jesus, … and the One Who shed His blood on the cross to accomplish all Isaiah and Joel prophesied. And the Ministry God’s people have constructed in Rwanda is a living picture today of how God can bring beauty from the ash heap of a sin-ridden world.

Perhaps, Yeshua Hamaschia, has redeemed your life and brought you beauty for ashes as Chris McClarney sings in today’s linked song. He certainly has in my life; and today I praise His Holy Name for that redemption and look forward to the ultimate beauty of His glorious heaven.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, …  HALLELUJAH! ... And Lord, ... thank You for leading me out of the ashes and giving me Your beauty. … Amen

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

February 17, 2017 ... God Sees The Way !!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 48 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … Walk by Faith … poignantly declaring how we, in Christ, must often by faith, especially when our temporal vision is so limited.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 2nd Corinthians 5: 7 [NLT] … 
7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 
… We move forward more by faith than by sight.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2nd Corinthians 5:1-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul was helping his fellow Christians see what’s ahead rather than focusing on the difficulties here and now.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Trusting God allows us to move forward in faith and avoid letting our sight get in the way.

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Romans 8:28 [NLT] … 
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 
… It can be SO HARD to walk by faith when we have trouble seeing what God have for us … up ahead.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, used an allegory spoken by pilots to illustrate how we must, as Christians, live by faith and not by sight. The ODB author wrote: I enjoy gazing up at a cloudless blue sky. The sky is a beautiful part of our great Creator’s masterpiece, given for us to enjoy. Imagine how much pilots must love the view. They use several aeronautical terms to describe a perfect sky for flying, but my favorite is, “You can see to tomorrow.” 
“Seeing to tomorrow” is beyond our view. Sometimes we even struggle to see or understand what life is throwing at us today. The Bible tells us, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

I’ve often said that Romans 8:28 many be one of the most difficult truths from God, thru the Apostle Paul, for Christians to live out, … especially in a murky, confusing world where it’s difficult - if not impossible - to see what’s up ahead and what God is leading us toward. It can be so hard, can’t it, to live by Solomon’s exhortation in Proverbs 3:5-6?

Sure, I know that one can’t drive a car down the road by looking ONLY in the rear-view mirror. But sometimes it’s even difficult to drive down that road by viewing life through the windshield. And I can just sense some - if not many - here saying, “AMEN!” But that’s what God - again thru Paul - is charging Christians to do, … to drive on, … trusting that God is going to show us the way … HIS WAY.

And so, that’s just what I’ll be praying for myself - and for you - today.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, show us the way to go, because we’re having a lot of trouble seeing Your path. Please shine Your light brightly so we can 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.

February 16, 2017 ... From Garbage to Glory

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 47 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Josh Groban singing his song … You Raise Me Up … poignantly depicting the One who raises all who’ve fallen and are being cast on the junkyard of life, … being raised from garbage to glory by our Messiah, … the King Who came to transform all who believe in Him into the glorious remake of His image.

Assemblage (or Junkyard) Art

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 9:11, 25 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The formerly blind man gives testimony to the healing power of Jesus.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus heals a blind man.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Luke 4:18-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… Jesus declares from the Prophet Isaiah that He had come to give sight to the blind; … and He did [see John 9].

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … John 20:31 [NLT] … 
31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. 
… The Apostle John led by the Spirit to write the Gospel message helping believers to have assurance that Jesus was/is The Messiah and Lord of all.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David McCasland, used a modern-day word picture of junkyard art to illustrate how Jesus could - and can - turn garbage into glory. The ODB author wrote: Noah Purifoy began his work as an “assemblage” artist with three tons of rubble salvaged from the 1965 riots in the Watts area of Los Angeles. From broken bicycle wheels and bowling balls to discarded tires and damaged TV sets—things no longer usable—he and a colleague created sculptures that conveyed a powerful message about people being treated as “throw-aways” in modern society. [See attached photo] … One journalist referred to Mr. Purifoy as “the junkyard genius.” 

Well, the word picture in this ODB entry is an apt analogy of what Jesus came to do, did in His time on earth, and is still doing today. Seven-hundred years before Jesus, the Son of God, came to mankind, Isaiah prophesied that a Messiah would come to set captives free and give sight to the blind [see Isaiah 61:1-2 ]; and In the writings of Luke and John (see scriptures above), we see that Jesus proclaimed that He was that Messiah; and He showed that he could - and did - give sight to the blind. 

And above you see a selfie of yours truly, … one of those who once was blind (spiritually) and now sees. I was once a pile of broken pieces; and now Jesus is reassembling me into His image. Perhaps you’re one of those the Lord has taken from the junkyard of this world, like me, and God's Spirit is making you over for His glory, ... in essence from GARBAGE TO GLORY!! … That’s my prayer for any reading here today.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, I pray all here have come to You to be made over into Your image. I sure have!! … Amen

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

February 15, 2017 ... Born That Way

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 46 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Big Daddy Weave singing his song … Redeemed … poignantly and powerfully declaring the reality of him (or anyone) being redeemed from their (our) sin by the blood of Christ.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 5:20-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 
20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
… Yes, … we all sin! … But any and all who come to Christ in our sin can be made right with God through faith in the saving grace of King Jesus.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 5:12-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle declares the truth with regard to the sin nature of mankind, … yet the redemption for Adams’s sin found in the atoning death of Christ in propitiation for our sin.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Psalm 51:5, 7, 12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… King David’s prayer/song of his desire to be cleansed for his sin.

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Romans 3:23, 5:8, 8:1, 10:13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … … Paul exclaims the wondrous mystery of God’s plan to save His lost people through the redemption of His Son, Jesus, The Christ.

Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … 1st John 1:9 [NLT] … 
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 
… Our sin nature can be cleansed by confession, repentance, and faith in Christ’s cleansing blood.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, uses a cute, but pertinent, story to illustrate our sin nature. The ODB author wrote: Mom noticed four-year-old Elias as he scurried away from the newborn kittens. She had told him not to touch them. “Did you touch the kitties, Elias?” she asked. “No!” he said earnestly. So Mom had another question: “Were they soft?” “Yes,” he volunteered, “and the black one mewed.” 
With a toddler, we smile at such duplicity. But Elias’s disobedience underscores our human condition. No one has to teach a four-year-old to lie. 

And yes, we almost expect to see our little ones lie at some point in their toddler stage as they are born little heathens. However, what about a mature believer like King David? And we know from the episode with Bathsheba and then David’s year-long coverup, followed by his confrontation with Nathan, the Prophet, where he confessed, repented (see also Psalm 32 written after Ps. 51), and was cleansed of his sin by His merciful and loving Lord.

It’s true. Kids and even Kings are all sinners. And that’s the story of you and me, isn’t it? As Paul writes in the sequence provided above from his letter to the Romans, we’re all born sinners (3:23). Yet God provided a way for us to be redeemed (5:8); and when we believe in Christ’s redeeming blood, shed for us on the cross, we find freedom from the condemnation of our sin (9:13 and 8:1). 

And PTL, when I come and confess and repent of my sin, … yes, even now that I’m saved, … my Lord is faithful to cleanse me of my sin and redeem me before my Heavenly Father. Listen to Big Daddy Weave sing of our being REDEEMED by Christ in the song linked above. And then join me in a robust ”HALLELUJAH!” for King Jesus coming to save us from our sin nature.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, I am redeemed from myself by my faith in Your blood. … HALLELUJAH!! … Amen

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

February 14, 2017 ... His Love Shared Today

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 45 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jackie DeShannon singing Bert Bacharach’s 60s classic … What the World Needs Now Is Love … poignantly declaring what the world needs desperately … NOW!

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1st John 4:9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 
… As the song today declares … “What the world needs now is love sweet love!” … Yes, God’s love shared with others.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1st John 4:9-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… John declares the truth about God’s love to a love-starved people (And … that’s US!!!) 
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … John 3:16 [NLT] … 
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. …” 
… Jesus’ declaration of the extent of God’s love.
 

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Romans 5: 8 [NLT] … 
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
… God’s ultimate Valentine to sinful mankind was His sacrificial blood on the cross (see photo).

Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … 1st Corinthians 13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Oh how we need to share more of this love (AGAPE) with the world. My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jennifer Schuldt, told a story of a young man’s extravagant proposal to his girl friend on Valentine’s Day. The ODB author wrote: [The young man’s] expression of love toward his fiancée may seem a bit over-the-top, but God’s expression of love for us is nothing short of extravagant! “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). 

And really on this special day, celebrating love, all we really need to do is take enough time to use the link above to hear Jackie DeShannon singing a popular love song from the 1960s; … from back in my college days when violent protesting was going on concerning the Viet Nam war. And Bert Bacharach’s song, declares what is desperately needed NOW in these turbulent times … the need for us all to recognize God’s love extends - thru us - to any and all who will receive that love - offered by His blood on the cross.

So after you take in the song; and meditate on the truth about God’s love from His word, let’s ask ourselves what we can do today to show His love to someone who needs it?

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, let me be a conduit of Your love to someone special today. … Amen

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

February 13, 2017 ... Confusion or Conviction

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 44 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Stephen Curtis Chapman singing his song … His Strength Is Perfect … poignantly declaring the promise that God’s strength is always ours to overcome the weight of our doubt, discouragement, and despair.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 11:14-16, 20:24-29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Thomas believing and Thomas doubting. Which would we rather be?
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Habakkuk 1:2, 3:17-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s Prophet … from confusion to certainty … from death to life.

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Romans 7:24-25, 8:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul discovers the victory over doubt and death is found in a deep/abiding relationship with Christ.

Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … Philippians 4:11-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, shows us how to capture His strength and be content, no matter what comes our way.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, compared Thomas when he was strong in his trust of Christ with a time when he was weakened and doubted. The ODB author wrote: Despite having witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:38–44), Thomas still could not bring himself to believe that the crucified Lord had conquered death. Not until Thomas the doubter—the human—saw the risen Lord, could he exclaim, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus’s response gave assurance to the doubter and immeasurable comfort to us: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29). 

There was a time when Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, would’ve followed His trusted Teacher unto death (see John 11:14-16); but later, even after seeing Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and perform many other miracles, the Apostle doubted his Master (see John 20:24-29). And we, as disciples of Christ, also likely have moments of strong belief and then others where clouds of doubt almost paralyze us.

The Prophet Habakkuk in the OT journaled how he went from confusion to conviction (see the Habakkuk 1 & 3 passages above). The Apostle Paul went from a victim of self doubt to being victorious in Christ (see Romans 7 versus 8 passages). And God, thru many other character studies and promises (see Phil. 4:11-13 above, as well as Prov. 3:5-6 … Isaiah 26:3 … 1Peter 5:7), gives us ample promise of His strength to draw upon when we feel doubtful or discouraged.

The question is … in our trust and faith in King Jesus, will we draw upon the empowering grace of God to cover our doubts and weaknesses?

My friend, if we’re in a dumper of doubt right now, let us hear and be lifted up by today’s song and move away from being a “doubting Thomas,” [see photo] allowing God to give us the strength we need to overcome the doubt in our minds/hearts. Let us move from the darkness of doubt into the Light of Christ today.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, help me to avoid being a doubting Thomas and use Your strength to cover my weakness. … Amen

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

February 12, 2017 ... Giving Back

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 43 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Brian Littrell sining a contemporary arrangement of the old hymn … I Surrender All … poignantly declaring what should be the desire of all in Christ … to surrender our all to Him in return for Him surrendering His all for us.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 8:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus’ closest followers were His 12 and a few women who were giving their all to follow Him. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 8:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus tells His closest disciples about what it takes to be in surrender to Him.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 
23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. …” 
… Jesus on what it takes to be His disciple.

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … 2nd Corinthians 8:7, 9:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul teaches Christians about giving back to our Lord what He has given to us … EVERYTHING!!

Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … Ephesians 4:1 [NLT] … 
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 
 … What should we be giving back to Jesus to be His worthy disciples?

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Anne Cetas, taught on what it takes to truly be a DISCIPLE of Christ. The ODB author wrote: Jesus and His disciples needed financial support as they traveled from one town and village to another, telling the good news of His kingdom (Luke 8:1–3). A group of women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases helped to support them “out of their own means” (v. 3). One was Mary Magdalene, who had been freed from the presence of seven demons. Another was Joanna, the wife of an official in Herod’s court. Nothing is known about Susanna and “many others” (v. 3), but we know that Jesus had met their spiritual needs. Now they were helping Him and His disciples through giving their financial resources. 

My friends, how much did Jesus give so that we might have eternal life? … His ALL, right?! … And so, what should we be willing to give Him back in service to our Lord? If any of us took in today’s photo, the song, and the Scriptures above and we can’t figure out the answer to that last question, I’m afraid there’s not much hope for us in God’s eternal kingdom.

And in that regard the ODB author today closed by challenging her readers with this exhortation … How might you be a part of getting the good news of salvation to people in your neighborhood and around the world? Tell someone the story of what Jesus has done for you. Write a note of encouragement to someone. Share a gift with a missionary. … [Maybe] Pray? 
 … Jesus gave His all; He deserves our all. 

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, You deserve so much more from me! … Amen

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

February 11, 2017 ... To Know Him …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 42 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the group Hillsong singing their song … You’re Here With Me … powerfully and poignantly declaring our desire as Christians to know our Lord more and more intimately so that we more readily follow Him and become more like Him.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 139:3 [NLT] … 
3 You [GOD] see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 
… Our God is omnipresent and omniscient and omnipotent.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 139:1-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David sings about the attributes of His glorious God as He gets to know Him more intimately.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Ephesians 4:1 [NLT] … 
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 
… As Paul got to know God, he became more and more enslaved to His King; and he desperately desired for his fellow Christians to be worthy of God’s calling on their lives as “Christians.”

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Colossians 1:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul teaches Christians that our lives are transformed into Christlikeness the more we get to know our Lord.

Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … 1st John 4:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… John teaches Christians how they can know other Christians truly know God - by the love they show to others.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, wrote about God being all seeing and all knowing from Psalm 139. The ODB author wrote: Psalm 139:1 and 3 speak of our all-knowing God’s all-encompassing, intimate understanding of us. David says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. . . . You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” How comforting to know God loves us perfectly, is fully aware of what we will face today, and He knows how best to help us in every circumstance of life. 

When I read and meditated on the ODB entry this day, my mind took me back to reality that a dear mentor helped me realize years ago which has become a guiding goal for me as a Christian now … and till I’m with Jesus in Heaven. My mentor once asked me if, as a disciple of Christ, I desired to be blessed by my God. Of course, I responded “YES!” What true Christian wouldn’t?

Well, then he asked me what my primary goal in life was as a Christian; and I thought I know the right answer, responding from the old Presbyterian catechism … “To glorify God and to enjoy fellowship with Him.” I was so proud of my knowing that; … but my mentor told me that if I desired to be blessed by God, my primary goal in this life should be to KNOW GOD more intimately … day-by-day.

And here’s the chain of truths he spoke into my life, … truths which I remember to this day and try to affirm them by the way I live. He told me - To know God is to love God ->  To love God is to obey God -> To obey God is to serve God -> And to serve God is to be blessed by God. 

So, my fellow Christian I’m praying that we all know God and get to know Him more intimately today than yesterday … and even more tomorrow than today.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Help me to know You more deeply today than ever before; … and even more tomorrow! … Amen

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

February 10, 2017 ... Thanks, I Needed That!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 41 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from a Gaither gathering singing the Southern Gospel hymn … Leaning On the Everlasting Arms … powerfully and poignantly declaring our need as Christians to lean on our Lord, especially in times of trial. … AT THIS LINK -  you can have the lyrics available for you to sing or follow along with the song on a separate website.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1st John 2:1 [NLT] … 
23 The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. 
… In the Greek, the NLT phrase “sitting next to Jesus” is also translated “leaning on Jesus’ bosom” in the KJV.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 13:12-26 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Disciples had just seen Jesus wash their feet; and they recited at the table of the “last supper” with John resting his head on Jesus’ bosom.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Isaiah 41:10 [NLT] … 
10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. 
… [GOD to Isaiah] … If we lean on God in fearful times, … He promises to lift us up.

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Matthew 11:28-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… [JESUS] … Commands us, as His disciples, to rest on Him … especially when the burdens are too heavy for us.

Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… [PAUL] … Exhorts Christians to avoid the sin of WORRY by thankfully bringing all our trials to Him so that He can give us His peace.

Reference Passage #4 [NKJV] : … 1st Peter 5:7 [NLT] … 
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 
… [PETER] … The Apostle’s exhortation to bring all our cares to a God who cares and a Lord Who’s big enough to handle them.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, uses a personal image to illustrate how Jesus’ disciples (that’s you and me!) can - and should - lean on our Lord in times of trouble. The ODB author wrote: Sometimes when I put my head on my pillow at night and pray, I imagine I’m leaning on Jesus [see photo above]. 
 Whenever I do this, I remember something the Word of God tells us about the apostle John. John himself writes about how he was sitting beside Jesus at the Last Supper: “One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him” (John 13:23). 

And when I read Bank’s word picture today; and I sought an online image to illustrate it (see attached photo); … and then I found an old hymn, which I love to sing [see linked song], … my mind took me back to an old 1970s TV commercial (LINKED HERE), which states, … Thanks, I needed that!, … like a brisk slap in the face with after shave lotion.

And today, as I first went to pray in my morning quiet-time with God, I was feeling quite remorseful for all the divisiveness we are going thru in our world … as well as so many of my dear friends dealing with severe trials; … and then there’s my recent personal diagnosis of clinical depression which has led to bouts of rather severe fatigue and malaise.

Yeah, I know; … it’s the “Oh, woe is me!” attitude that Paul wrote about in Romans 7 or about which Isaiah describe in Isaiah 6. And then, after my prayer time, I read the ODB entry today; and it was like that brisk slap in the face in that commercial [see YouTube link] … where the beaten fighter was awakened by the slap of after shave.

God woke me up today to the reality of His promises from His word … to lift me up (see Isaiah 41), … to help carry my burdens (see Matthew 11), … to guard my heart with His peace (see Phil. 4), and from Peter’s admonition in 1st Peter 5 for my God to care for me ALWAYS when I bring my cares to Him. And that I did this morning! … Thanks, Lord … I needed that!!

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … I’m lifted up and strengthened by Your promises to be there for me in my times of trial. … Amen

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

February 9, 2017 ... My Advocate in Heaven

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 40 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Nichole Nordeman singing her song … Finally Free … poignantly declaring the reality of what Jesus has earned for us as our Advocate before His Father … FREEDOM from our sin debt.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1st John 2:1 [NLT] … 
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 
… We, who have received God’s saving grace in faith and freedom from our sin debt, have an eternal advocate before the Father in Heaven.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1st John 1:8-2:2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God thru the Apostle declares the reality of His advocacy on behalf of sinful believers whom He has saved by His atoning grace.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Ecclesiastes 7:20 [NKJV] … 
20 Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. 
… Solomon learned - and declares before God - his need, along with everyone’s, of a Messiah.

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Romans 3:10-13, 23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, proclaims that we are ALL sinners, deserving death and in desperate need of an advocate in Heaven Who has covered our sin with His atoning blood.

Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … Romans 10:9 [NLT] … 
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 
… God’s promise of Jesus’ propitiation for our sins and His saving grace when/if we believe in Christ’s atoning sacrifice and we sinners repent and declare openly that Jesus is LORD.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mart DeHaan, uses an historical reference to illustrate how Jesus is our advocate before the Law of God which condemns all sinners to death. The ODB author wrote: From a Florida prison cell in June 1962, Clarence Earl Gideon wrote a note asking the United States Supreme Court to review his conviction for a crime he said he didn’t commit. He added that he didn’t have the means to hire a lawyer. 
One year later, in the historic case of Gideon v. Wainright, the Supreme Court ruled that people who cannot afford the cost of their own defense must be given a public defender—an advocate—provided by the state. With this decision, and with the help of a court-appointed lawyer, Clarence Gideon was retried and acquitted. 

However, as author DeHaan, brings out, we sinners are not innocent before our Heavenly Judge (see the reference passages above). Even those of us who have believed, confessed, and repented of our sin nature are guilty before God’s Law and His throne of grace. And that is where/why our Advocate, Jesus, pleads our case in Heaven (see photo). God the Father doesn’t see my sin nature because my Advocate, King Jesus, paid my sin debt, and He has covered my sin with His blood and His Robes of Righteousness so that His Father in Heaven sees not my sin.

And for all reading here who have similarly so declared (see Rom. 10:9), do I sense a robust “HALLELUJAH?!!” 

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … I stand in awe of my Lord’s propitiation for my sin and His advocacy on my behalf of me in Heaven which will one day bring me to be His heir. … HALLELUJAH!!! … 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.