Saturday, March 31, 2018

March 31, 2018 … Crowned for Glory

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 90 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Danielle Rose’s acapella singing … Crown of Thorns … poignantly singing of how we place that crown of thorns on our Lord’s head just as did the Roman soldiers on Golgotha when we mock Him with our sin.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 27:29 [NLT] … 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 
… Little did the soldiers know that mocking Jesus with the crown of thorns, they had gotten it right … He was (and is) King Jesus!!!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 27:27-31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… The Roman soldiers trying to mock our Lord on Golgotha, even putting a crown of thorns on His head with a sign above His head which read “Hail! King of the Jews!”
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… King David writes a song to prophesy Messiah's ignominious death on the cross.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah, Chapter 53 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Over 700 years before Christ’s passion at Passover, the Messiah’s agony and death was prophesied. My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, wrote of a personal exercise where she encountered feelings of remorse at the suffering Jesus had endured on the Cross. … The ODB author wrote: We sat around the table, each person adding a toothpick to the foam disc before us. At our evening meal in the weeks leading up to Easter, we created a crown of thorns—with each toothpick signifying something we had done that day for which we were sorry and for which Christ had paid the penalty. [See Photo] 
The exercise brought home to us, night after night, how through our wrongdoing we were guilty and how we needed a Savior. And how Jesus freed us through His death on the cross. 

This little Easter dinner exercise the ODB author related does capture something very poignant and pertinent; … that we need to recognize that we were the ones who put that crown of thorns on our Lord’s head; and we ARE the ones who put those nails into His hands and feet. We did it - and we do it - with our sins.

But incredibly fortunately for those of us who know and believe what King Jesus did on that Passover Passion, when Jesus said “It is finished [!]” from the cross, … IT WAS; and our sins were covered with His blood and paid for in full.

So, now you can join me in a heartfelt HALLELUJAH!!! as we celebrate what our King Jesus did for us on that cross and by rising again to life to show all mankind of His victory over sin and death. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your pronouncement of forgiveness for my sins on that Cross.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … You died and now live so that I am forgiven and await eternity 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.

Friday, March 30, 2018

March 30, 2018 … The Way of the Cross

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 89 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Sandi Patty singing … Via Dolorosa … poignantly singing of how our Lord carried His own cross up to Golgotha where He shed His perfect blood, as God’s sacrificial Lamb, so that our sin debt could be paid by His sacrifice.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Hebrews 10:10 [NLT] … 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
… We are made “holy” in God’s sight by the blood sacrifice of God’s perfect Lamb, … His Son Jesus, The Christ.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Hebrews 10:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… God shows us that it took the perfect blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God to set us free from our sin debt and to be able to carry our crosses daily (see Luke 9:23).
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 53:5 [NLT] … 5  But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 
… The prophesy came true when Jesus trudged up to Golgotha and was hung on the cross so that mankind could be healed and set free from our sins

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… And I can follow Him, even up the Via Dolorsa, and carry my cross daily because of His trek up that road to shed His blood on Golgotha to pay for my sins.

Reference Passage : … John 19:16-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Jesus, the Son of God, and The Father’s perfect Lamb, is sacrificed on the cross so that we can become sons and daughters of God.

Reference Passage : … Romans 3:9-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… We’re all sinners and deserve God’s wrath (i.e., death); but God, thru His Son, made a way on the cross, by paying our sin debt, for us to be justified and to walk free with Him into eternity.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Peterson, on this “Good Friday,” makes reference to what was accomplished by Jesus carrying His own cross up the Via Dolorosa to shed His blood for the remission of our sin debt. … The ODB author wrote: During Holy Week, we remember the final days before Jesus’s crucifixion. The road Jesus traveled to the cross through the streets of Jerusalem is known today as the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrows. 
But the writer of Hebrews viewed the path Jesus took as more than just a path of sorrows. The way of suffering that Jesus willingly walked to Golgotha made a “new and living way” into the presence of God for us (see Hebrews 10:20). 

Today’s ODB entry, certainly pertinent on this “Good” Friday, reminded me of when I walked up the Via Dolorosa several years ago and stood on the stones in Jerusalem where Jesus was nailed to the cross. And I wept, thinking of how it was my sins which nailed my King Jesus to the cross. It was my sins He hung on that cross and bled unto death to pay my sin debt and save me from myself.

And that same day I walked the Via Dolorosa, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my Lord’s trek up to Golgotha, carrying His cross, to shed His perfect blood, as God’s sacrificial Lamb, so that I could walk that same road and be free from my sins.

My tears this morning are tears of joy because I can carry my cross today with His grace and His strength by following Him (again see, Luke 9:23)

PS: Please take the time to take in the entire video linked above with images from Sandi Patty singing of our Lord’s trek up the “path of sorrows” (the Via Dolorosa) to Calvary where on His “Good Friday” He bled and died for our sins.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, as the ODB author prayed today, “Jesus, thank You for walking the way of sorrow and making a way for us to be reconciled to God.”
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … My heart is so filled with gratitude for Your walk up to Golgotha and Your sacrifice to pay for my sins. … 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.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

March 29, 2018 … Grace for Any and All

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 88 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Laura Story singing her song … Grace … poignantly singing of how anyone can partake of God’s saving or sanctifying grace by humbling seeking and receiving it from the Savior as our Lord.


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Highlight Verse[s]: John 13:11 [NLT] … 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when He said, “Not all of you are clean.” 
… In His divinity, Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him; but He washed the betraying one’s feet anyway.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 13:1-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Jesus, demonstrating the servant leadership of a loving master washes the feet of His inner 12 Disciples in the upper the night of His betrayal.
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Reference Passage : … Ephesians 2:8-9 [NLT] … 8 God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 
… God’s gift his His gift to us - anytime/everyday - but we must be willing to receive it humbly in surrender to His Lordship.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, uses a personal story to illustrate how we can miss significant details in God’s word if we’re not careful and complete. … The ODB author wrote: One day in physics class many years ago, our teacher asked us to tell him—without turning around—what color the back wall of the classroom was. None of us could answer, for we hadn’t noticed. 
Sometimes we miss or overlook the “stuff” of life simply because we can’t take it all in. And sometimes we don’t see what’s been there all along. 

The story of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples in the upper room [see highlight passage] is often related during Holy Week; but like missing the color on the wall for these students in the ODB devotional [see photo], we can often miss one small detail in this story; … and that is the fact that Jesus, knowing full well that Judas was going to betray Him, washed His feet along with all the other disciples [see John 13:11].

Well, the importance of this is significant, for sure. Jesus’ divinity and His gift of saving grace is open to ANYONE [Eph. 2:8-9], even one who has (or will) betray or reject Him. By washing Judas’ feet, Jesus was giving His betrayer one last opportunity to repent and be saved; but Judas went out and turned The Lord over to the mob anyway.

This beautiful story illustrates that Jesus’ saving grace is available to anyone who recognizes Him as Lord and Savior; and it shows us how we must be willing to share His grace with anyone who needs Christ’s saving or sanctifying grace.

Personally, I, for one, can use any/all of the sanctifying grace that my Lord is willing to dole out to me today. How about you?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your enriching, enlightening, enabling, empowering grace.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Humbly I come to receive all the grace You can give me today to serve You for Your glory. … Amen

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

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

March 28, 2018 … The Wondrous Cross

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 87 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman singing a new version of the old hymn … The Wonderful Cross … poignantly singing of how we should continually be in awe of the suffering and sacrifice our Lord took on Golgotha for our sins.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 23:47  [NLT] … 47 When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent."
… Even the Roman soldier, when he saw and heard Jesus on the cross realized WHO He was.  Do we?   
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 23:44-49 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Those who were present at Jesus’ death pondered in awe at His sacrifice of love. 
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 27:54 [NLT] … 
54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” 
… Even the Roman soldier, when he saw and heard Jesus on the cross realized WHO He was. Do we?

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 12:1b-2a [NLT] … 1 …And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. 
… Do we really grasp the shame/suffering our Lord endured on the cross.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Keila Ochoa, asks here OBD readers to take time this Holy Week to contemplate the suffering Jesus incurred to be Lamb of God, Whose blood sacrifice paid for our sins.… The ODB author wrote: All of us are passing by the road of the cross. Will we look and see His love? This Easter, when words and poems are not enough to express our gratitude and describe God’s love, let us take a moment to ponder Jesus’s death; and in the quietness of our hearts, may we whisper to Him our deepest devotion.

Do I really need to add to the song, the photo, the Scriptures above, and the ODB author? It’s Holy Week; and many will be contemplating Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice on the cross this week. However, even more won’t.

But when we Christians do … perhaps we can come away with a deeper realization of what Jesus did on that “wondrous cross” to pay the sternal price for our sins. And if that Roman Soldier, who supervised His death on the cross, can see His eternal glory, I would hope we, who call Him “Savior and Lord” can do so as well, especially in this special time of year.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, You suffered so much for my sternal life. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … I need to take more times to stop and see You on the cross. … 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.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

March 27, 2018 … Thriving In Him

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 86 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Casting Crowns singing… Thrive … poignantly singing of how God plants the seeds of His glory in our hearts and we live to thrive in Him.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Mark 4:29 [NLT] … 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.” 
… Jesus tells of the harvest of His field. 
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  Highlight Passage [context]: Mark 4:26-29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Jesus’ parable of the planting, growing, and harvesting of God’s kingdom.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:19-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… When we plant the seeds of the Gospel, and help them to sprout and grow, we do so for God’s glory.

Reference Passage : … 1st Corinthians 3:7 [NLT] … 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 
… Someone plants the seeds in those who receive His nutrients, possibly from many others, so that we can grow in Him and for His glory.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, uses a botanical picture to illustrate how we may not know who has planted the seeds of salvation in our souls, nor do we understand how it works; but when we receive His living waters, we will thrive in and for His glory. … The ODB author wrote: One day, I noticed an unexpected splash of yellow to the right of our driveway. Six stalks of daffodils, sandwiched between two large stones, bloomed bright and tall. Because I hadn’t planted, fertilized, or intentionally watered the bulbs, I couldn’t figure out how or why the flowers had sprouted in our yard. 

Over 35 years ago, someone noted that I was dead in myself; and he loaned me a seed of the Gospel in the form of a tape, which I listened to one day and died to myself, … just as a seed dies to itself in order to grow and thrive, … just as those daffodils did.

Then, over time, others in my life watered those seeds with their discipling of this foundling in Christ; and as the song sings, … so I could “thrive” and grow for God’s glory. Others who had known me as a lost soul, were just as surprised to see me growing in Christ as the author who saw the surprising daffodils.

And so, when we share the effects of the Gospel on us with others; and they are exposed to the watering from the Commission (Matt. 28:19-20), who knows they may sprout and thrive for God’s glory. We may not be there to see the flowers bloom; but we can be there to plant the seeds of eternal life and let God do the rest. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for those who planted Your seed of salvation in my soul when I was dying to myself.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Today I thrive in Your grace because of those who nurtured me to grow and bloom for Your glory. … Amen

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

Monday, March 26, 2018

March 26, 2018 … Simply, The Best!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 85 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group 4Him singing… The Basics of Life … poignantly singing of how this world needs to get back to the basics of kingdom living taught and lived by Jesus.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 12:22-23 [NLT] … 22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 
… Jesus teaching on living simply … without worry.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 12:22-34 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Luke tells of Jesus’ teaching on how to avoid worrying about the complexities of life. 
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 6:31-34 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Again, Jesus teaching on what is really important in life.

  Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:19 [NLT] … 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 
… Why worry since God will provide all our needs?

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Monica Brands, makes reference to the advice given by today’s financial gurus to illustrate what is really important in life. … The ODB author wrote: Lately, as I’ve been skimming financial advice books, I’ve noticed an interesting trend. While almost all such books have good advice, many imply that the primary reason to cut costs is to live like millionaires later. But one book offered a refreshingly different perspective, arguing that living simply is essential for a rich life. If you need more or fancier stuff to feel joy, the book suggested, “You’re missing the point of being alive.”

If my fellow readers here take in the YouTube song, the attached photo, and the Scriptures above, I would hope that I need not expound further on the message of today’s ODB entry.

Do you sense from all of this that God wants us live more simply and not worry about how the world is pushing us to live? If so, I don’t need to write any more here.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for being our Provider.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Today, Lord, help me to realize what is important to live for 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.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

March 25, 2018 … Hosanna - Really?!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 84 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Paul Baloche singing… Hosanna - Praise Is Raising … poignantly singing of the joy we should feel for our King, Jesus, worthy of all our praise!


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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 19:38 [NLT] … 38  “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” 
… The people quote from the Psalms 118:26, singing … “Hosanna, our King comes in the Name of the Lord!”
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 19:28-40 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Luke describes Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem just days before His crucifixion.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 21:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… Matthew’s account of Jesus’ triumphant entrance to Jerusalem to the tumult and praise of the people, many declaring Him as their Messiah.

Reference Passage : … Romans 10:9-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… Who is this Jesus?

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, make reference to the story of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem just days before these same people would cry, “Crucify Him!!!” . … The ODB author wrote: Imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with onlookers by a dirt road. The woman behind you is on her tiptoes, trying to see who is coming. In the distance, you glimpse a man riding a donkey. As He approaches, people toss their coats onto the road. Suddenly, you hear a tree crack behind you. A man is cutting down palm branches, and people are spreading them out ahead of the donkey. Jesus’s followers zealously honored Him as He entered Jerusalem a few days before His crucifixion. 

And those people on that small road down from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem were crying “HOSANNA to the King [!];” [see the highlight and reference passages]. And then, … just days later, many of these same people would be crying, “Crucify Him!!”

On the day He entered the City of David, many thought Jesus to be their King, … the Messiah? … Whom do you say He is? … And that is, without a doubt, the most important question you will answer for yourself in this life? Because, … if you believe in your heart-of-hearts and declare that He is Your Lord, King Jesus, then you will be with Him for eternity in heaven [see Romans 10:9-13]. However, if you feel this man, who road the donkey into Jerusalem and ultimately hung on a cross, is someone else, … perhaps a liar or a lunatic, rather than your Lord; … my friend, you will spend eternity in hell. Important choice, wouldn’t you say?

So, today, as we Christians celebrate Palm Sunday, will you declare this God-Man, Jesus, to be Your Lord and say with me “Hosanna” … or will you cry with the mob, “Crucify him!!” … Your choice!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for being our Messiah and coming to save us.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Today those of us who declare and believe you to be our King, declare HOSANNA and 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.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

March 24, 2018 … Follow THE Leader

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 83 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Harley Yao singing a contemporary version of the old hymn … Trust and Obey … poignantly singing of the only way to find joy in the midst of trials … to trust our Lord and obey His will/ways.


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Highlight Verse[s]: 2 Timothy 3:14 [NLT] … 14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 
… Following those who follow God’s truth (i.e., His word) will lead us in God’s direction/way. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2 Timothy 3:10-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Paul exhorted Timothy (and us) to follow the teachings he had learned from Paul and from God’s word.
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Reference Passage : …Psalm 119:105 [NLT] … 105  Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. 
… The Psalmist knew exactly which path to take in life … i.e., to follow the light of God’s word.

Reference Passage : …Isaiah 55:11 [NLT] … 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 
… Isaiah prophesied as to the power of God’s word to accomplish His purposes.

Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” 
 … If we follow His commands, we can lead others in His ways of love.

Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 [NLT] … 1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 2 I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. 
… Paul was confident that others could follow Him in the ways of the Lord because Paul was simply following the Lord.

Reference Passage : … 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… Having faith that God’s grace is strong enough to carry us thru any pain or weakness. My 

Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David C McCasland, uses a personal illustration to teach on following leaders who really know what to do or where to go in life. … The ODB author wrote: My attempts at fixing things around the house usually lead to paying someone else to undo the damage I caused while trying to fix the original problem. But recently I successfully repaired a home appliance by watching a YouTube video where a person demonstrated step by step how to do it. 

This is a nice little example on the importance of having a reliable example (or mentor) to follow who really knows what to do or exactly where to go in life (see photo). The young Pastor, Timothy, had learned that following his Godly mentor, the Apostle Paul, was the way he could learn to lead others to follow Christ. And Paul even strongly and confidently exhorted Christians (see 1 Cor. 11:1-2) that they could follow his lead because he was closely following the lead of Christ.

I was blessed early in my new Christian walk to have a Godly mentor, who charged me to check EVERYTHING he said to me against God’s word and to follow him ONLY when he was following God’s truth (a very Berean way to live - see Acts 17:10-12).

So, anytime we are to follow a leader, or when we’re called to lead others, we must follow or lead as God’s truth leads us (see Reference Scriptures above). And when we do, … God will be leading us and we’ll know He is leading us back to Him (hear the linked song).

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for the light of your word to lead us. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Today as all days, I let the light of Your truth lead 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.

Friday, March 23, 2018

March 23, 2018 … Rainbow Promises

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 82 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Harley Yao singing a contemporary version of the old hymn … Trust and Obey … poignantly singing of the only way to find joy in the midst of trials … to trust our Lord and obey His will/ways.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 25:1, 9 [NLT] … 1 O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. 
 … 9 In that day the people will proclaim,“This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted.  Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!” 
… Trusting in God’s promises is the only way to joy in the midst of trials and tribulation. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 25:1-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Isaiah’s trust and praise of God and gratefulness for God’s promises in spite of the threatening circumstances of the day.
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Reference Passage : …Isaiah 2:1-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… Isaiah prophesied in a day when God’s people were threatened by the Asserian advance and times of severe trial; but he had faith and found joy in the promises of God for Israel’s future.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… Trusting God, especially when feeling down/out, is the only way to find any joy.

Reference Passage : … 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… Having faith that God’s grace is strong enough to carry us thru any pain or weakness.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, told of the witness of friend suffering with cancer, … yet showing joy, trusting in God’s promise of ultimate healing in this life or the next.… The ODB author wrote: Since she suffered with cancer several years ago, Ruth has been unable to eat, drink, or even swallow properly. She has also lost a lot of her physical strength, and numerous operations and treatments have left her a shadow of what she used to be. 
Yet Ruth is still able to praise God; her faith remains strong, and her joy is infectious. She relies on God daily, and holds on to the hope that she will recover fully one day. She prays for healing and is confident that God will answer—sooner or later. What an awesome faith! 
Ruth explained that what keeps her faith strong is the secure knowledge that God will not only fulfill His promises in His time, but will also sustain her until that happens. 

Oh to have that kind of faith, … trusting in the Lord no matter what trials we might be going through. And that’s the kind of faith Isaiah had when God’s people were being threatened by the advancing Assyrian enemies. He also remembered God’s rainbow promises to Noah [see photo] and all the great things God had done for His people in the past. So, … Isaiah believed God’s covenant promises to God’s people (see highlight passages). Like Ruth in today’s OBD entry, being threatened by cancer, Isaiah knew his Father God would deliver His children and watch over any remnant of those who trusted and obeyed our Lord (hear the linked song).

And that’s what we’re called to do; … to trust in the truth of the Scriptures above and know that God’s grace will deliver (including healing) those who trust Him in this life … or the next.

So, today, I will trust and obey my Lord. How about you?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for your promises of deliverance. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to be the trusting son You have called me to be. … 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.

Thursday, March 22, 2018

March 22, 2018 … A Legacy of Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 81 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the Maranatha Singers singing … The Family Prayer Song … poignantly singing of the legacy of Christ must be passed from generation-to-generation as is the Legacy of Christ’s church.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 14:26-27 [NLT] … 13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation. 
… God’s desire for HIS family is that His legacy of love will be passed from generation to generation.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalms 79:8-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… God, thru the Psalmist, projects our legacy of faith thru the generations. 
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Reference Passage : … Joshua 24:14-15 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… Joshua exhorted his fellow believers to choose - with their families - Whom they would follow; but Joshua asserts that he and his family would follow THE LORD!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa Samra, uses a life picture of the only way we humans generally think we can walk on water, i.e., walking on ice. The ODB author wrote: My phone beeped, indicating an incoming text. My daughter wanted my grandmother’s recipe for Peppermint Ice Cream Pie. As I thumbed through the yellowed cards in my aged recipe box, my eyes spotted the unique handwriting of my grandmother—and several jotted notes in the small cursive of my mother. It occurred to me that with my daughter’s request, Peppermint Ice Cream Pie would make its entrance into a fourth generation within my family. … 
I eagerly shared the recipe, knowing my grandmother’s dessert legacy would enjoy a new layer in our family. And I prayed sincerely for the most lasting hand-me-down of all: the influence of our family’s faith on one generation to the next. 

A dessert legacy is one sweet thing to be passing though generations in a family [see photo]. But what of the sweetest legacy there is being passed downward as it is in my family, … and that is the legacy of Christ as Lord.

Currently writing this, I am a grandfather; and I have great confidence that my family is into at least the fifth generation of surrendered Christians. And as with Joshua’s prayer (see Joshua 24:15), I pray that my family will continue onward thru future generations (as written of in the highlight passage), because this is the most important legacy we can leave for our progeny.

Hear today’s song and ask yourself, dear Christian, if the legacy of Christ and His eternal love is being passed onward and downward in your family.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for helping me and my family to share Your love for eternity.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … May we, our family, share the love we share from You with others; and that it will be passed onward thru generations. … 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.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

March 21, 2018 … Stepping Out of The Boat

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 80 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Gordon Mote singing his song … Hold Me Up … poignantly singing of our prayer for our God to lift us up in times of trial/pain.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 14:26-27 [NLT] … 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” … 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here” 
… In the midst of the terrible storm, Jesus’ Disciples saw walking to them on the water; and He called to them to realize Who He was; … but they didn’t really understand that He was God and in control of nature itself.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 14:22-33 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Jesus shows His divinity by walking on water and helping Peter out of the boat to do the same as long as his faith held strong.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... No matter what storm we find ourselves, we can trust that God will can trust that He is with us and hold us in His control.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … {I hope readers have this one memorized - if not, … please do so!} 
… Jesus’ command for His followers to deny themselves and follow Him - no matter what!

Reference Passage : … James 4::5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... God, thru Paul, shows us that He will give His enabling/empowering grace to show who’re willing to humble themselves before Him as our Lord.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa Samra, uses a life picture of the only way we humans generally think we can walk on water, i.e., walking on ice. The ODB author wrote: During an especially cold winter, I ventured out to Lake Michigan, the fifth largest lake in the world, to see it frozen over [see photo]. Bundled up on the beach where I usually enjoy soaking up the sun, the view was breathtaking. The water was actually frozen in waves creating an icy masterpiece. 
Because the water was frozen solid next to the shore, I had the opportunity to “walk on water.” Even with the knowledge that the ice was thick enough to support me, I took the first few steps tentatively. I was fearful the ice wouldn’t continue to hold me. As I cautiously explored this unfamiliar terrain, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus calling Peter out of the boat onto the Sea of Galilee. 

It’s no wonder that Jesus’ 12 disciples, who were caught in that terrible storm, described in the highlight passage, thought they saw a “ghost” walking on water toward them, because we just assume that no human being can walk on unfrozen water. But that’s what Jesus was trying to show them, … i.e., that He was (and is) no normal human, … than He had control of the elements, the wind and the water.

And we need to know that when we’re in the storms of our lives, He is calling us, like He did to Peter, to step out of our life-boat and come to Him, just like He commanded in Luke 9:23 or as God charge’s us in Prov. 3:5-6. All Jesus wants us to know and believe is that we are safe when we let Him in the boat of life with us … no matter how bad the storms may rage. And if He calls us to step out of the boat in faith, we can do so just like Peter did because He’s there, as Gordon Mote sings, … to HOLD US UP with His grace [James 4:5-6].

So, I’m praying that He calls me today to step out of my boat; and if He does, that I’ll have the courage, like Peter did, to step out and follow Him.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You being there ALWAYS in our storms. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Call me out, Lord, and give me the grace to step out of my boat. … 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.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

March 20, 2018 … Seasons of Life

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 79 

Devotional Song:GO TO THIS LINK …  … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Kristyn Getty, written by her husband … By Faith … poignantly singing of what look forward to in faith.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Ecclesiastes 3:1 [NLT] … 1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 
… God has given us a time for everything in this life and the next.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… God, thru Solomon, shows us how there is a time for all things in our life … now and into eternity.
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Reference Passage : … Deuteronomy 31:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… Moses could not go with the people into the promised land, but he spoke of promise for God’s people who would cross over and see God’s promised land, … a picture of what we look forward to in heaven.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… No matter what season we find ourselves, we can trust that God will lead us into the next one. My 

Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, makes reference to our view of the seasons to illustrate how we hope for the seasons ahead of us in this and the next life. The ODB author wrote: Today is the first day of spring in the northern half of the world. If you live in Australia, it’s the first day of autumn—the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere and the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere. Today, the sun shines directly on the equator, and the hours of daylight and nighttime are nearly equal around the world. New seasons are important for many people. Some count down the day because of what they hope the new season will bring. … We also go through seasons of life that don’t have to do with the weather. 

Fellow Christian, … do you have a favorite season of life? My wife’s is the Spring … as we come out of the cold of winter and the flowers bloom, giving us a promise of the warmth ahead in the summer. But, … no matter what season we’re in, isn’t it wonderful that God gives us His hope for a season ahead where we’ll be closer to that eternal season where we’ll be with our Lord in glory?

Solomon wrote of there being a time for everything in our lives (see the highlight passage). Yes, even in the harsh, cold times of winter, he showed us that our God gives us hope of the blooming in spring and the warmth of summer ahead.

Where are you now? … But an even more hopeful question is, where are you headed? Because no matter what season holds our present, there is a season of promise which lies ahead for us to move forward in faith (hear the linked song).

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for giving us the seasons to mark our lives. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … I look ahead, coming out of winter and into the Spring, looking ahead to the eternal warmth of eternal summer.… 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.

Monday, March 19, 2018

March 19, 2018 … Is Is Well … ALWAYS!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 78 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from worshippers singing Horatio Spafford’s great hymn … It Is Well With My Soul … powerfully singing of how we as Christians can gratefully worship the Lord even in the worst of life’s circumstances.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 118:1 [NLT] … 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 
… Grateful for God’s eternal love.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 118:1-14, 26-29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… A grateful son of God expresses his gratitude in song.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 46:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… Believers recognizing that God will be our refuge no matter what we encounter in life.

Reference Passage : … 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’s promise to be there for us … even in your weakest moments.

Reference Passage : … 1 Thessalonians 5:18 [NLT] … 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 
… God’s challenge, thru Paul, that we ALWAYS be thankful to our Lord.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… God thru the Author quotes from OT assurance that our LORD will ALWAYS be there for us … no matter what we face in life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, used the gratefulness of a married couple making their vows, before God, to stand with one another for life no matter what life might bring. The ODB author wrote: On our wedding day, [my wife] and I gladly vowed to be faithful “in good times as well as in bad, in sickness as well as in health, for richer or for poorer.” In a way it may seem strange to include vows about the bleak reality of bad times, sickness, and poverty on a cheerful wedding day. But it underscores the fact that life often has “bad” times. 

And even in the worst of times, our God promises never to leave us [Heb. 13:5-6], and to lift us up when we’re weak (Isaiah 41:10). And if a fellow reader has ever heard the story of why and how Horatio Spafford wrote the linked song, It Is Well With My Soul, it illustrates powerfully how we can be grateful for God’s enabling/empowering grace, … yes, even in life’s most horrible times. {Readers can hear of Spafford’s story AT THIS LINK

Certainly it is hard to hold on, with a grateful heart/mind, to faith in the midst of terrible life circumstances. However, if we truly believe God’s word and His promises, we can … and we must. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your vows to me of Your presence and power to lift me up when I’m down.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Give me the grace to hold on to Your promises when life is at its worst. … 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.

Sunday, March 18, 2018

March 18, 2018 … God’s Love Letter and Light

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 77 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from The Getty’s singing their song … Speak O Lord … poignantly singing of how God’s truth showers us with His love and His light.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Nehemiah 8:8 [NLT] … 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.
… When the people heard God’s word, they were taken with joy and God’s love for them.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Nehemiah 8:5-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… God’s word was read to the people rebuilding His temple and they were brought to tears in joy from God’s message to them.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:73-74 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… Reading and meditating and following God’s word gives us joy and direction.

Reference Passage : … Isiah 55:11 [NLT] … 11  It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 
… God’s word always produces His fruit when we follow it.

Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 3:16-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … God’s word is God Breathed and everything we need for life. My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, used a story about soldiers writing home to illustrate the personality and character revealed in letters. The ODB author wrote: Far from home and training for World War II, American recruits in basic training turned to humor and correspondence to cope with the challenges they faced. In one letter home a young man described the vaccination process with wonderful exaggeration: “Two medical officers chased us with harpoons. They grabbed us and pinned us to the floor and stuck one in each arm.” Yet one soldier began to realize that humor could only take him so far. 
Then he received a Bible. “I enjoy it very much and I read it every night,” he wrote. “I never realized you could learn so much from a Bible.” 

This soldier likely realized that when he read the Bible he was reading God actually writing a letter to him and giving him direction in life. Certainly, we see the character and personality of the letter writer coming out when we read letters from friends or loved ones, especially those we haven’t seen or heard from in a long time.

Well, … when God’s people returned to Jerusalem from their Babylon captivity, as we read in the Bible in Nehemiah’s journal, Ezra and the Priests read God’s word from the Book of the Law to them; and they were overwhelmed with God’s love pouring forth from His word (see highlight passage).

And that’s why you find me here, every morning, letting God reveal Himself thru His love letter TO ME, … as God does for anyone who’ll read His word with an open and believing heart. God’s word is His love letter to His family; and as Isaiah said, when we meditate on God’s word, it will always produce fruit for His purposes (see Is. 55:11).

So, … will you join me to let God shower you with His love and His light thru His love letter to us? 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your word which lights my path everyday.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Shine Your light on my path, Lord, thru Your word. … 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.

Saturday, March 17, 2018

March 17, 2018 … Not Natural

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 76 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Glen Campbell singing his hit song … Try A Little Kindness … poignantly singing of how we all should do all we can to do the supernatural and offer God’s love and compassion to others before satisfying our natural selfishness.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 4:29b [NLT] … 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 
… Paul’s charge to us to avoid negative, discouraging words and to do all we can to use our words to build up and encourage others.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 4:20-31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Paul trying to exhort (and encourage) Christians to live like Christ.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 7:12 [NLT] … 12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. 
… Christ’s GOLDEN RULE of kindness and love to others.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:3-4 [NLT] … 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 
… God, thru Paul, exhorting Christians to reach out and help others before self.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… Paul charges us to never grow weary of doing good for others.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Anne Cetas, used a story about an observation of human interaction to teach on becoming more like Christ. The ODB author wrote: The young man fidgeted as he sat down for his flight. His eyes darted back and forth to the aircraft windows. Then he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm himself—but it didn’t work. As the plane took off, he slowly rocked back and forth. An older woman across the aisle from him put her hand on his arm and gently engaged him in conversation to divert his attention from his stress. “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “We’re going to be okay,” and “You’re doing well” were a few things she whispered. She could have been irritated with him or ignored him. But she chose a touch and a few words. Little things. When they landed three hours later, he said, “Thank you so much for helping me.” 

Would you, fellow Christians, agree that it’s not natural to be kind to others? But since reaching out in kindness is the Christlike way of living … driven by His Spirit, which now abides in us, … we certainly have God’s grace in us to live as Jesus taught and Paul exhorted in the Scriptures above.

But it’s still not our natural M.O., is it?! We have to intentionally CHOOSE to be kind to others, reaching out beyond our natural selfish instincts to help others or to encourage them with our words. 

How we doin, my fellow Christian?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for giving us the grace to be kind to others. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Give me the opportunity to be like You today, Lord, and to encourage or hep someone. … 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.

Friday, March 16, 2018

March 16, 2018 … His Wonders Never Cease!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 75 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from the song written and performed by Gordon Mote… Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory … poignantly singing of how God gives us only a glimpse of His glory in the wonder/beauty of His creation all around us.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Job 38:18 [NLT] … 18 Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know!. 
… Job became blinded by his troubles to see God for Whom He really is.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Job 38:1-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Thru his pain, Job had trouble seeing God’s glory and His majesty.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 19:1  [NLT] … 1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. 
… God’s glory is all around us. All we must do is take it in and revel in the majesty of our God.

Reference Passage : … Romans 11:36 [NLT] … 36 For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. 
… Paul expresses the reality of our finite minds trying to fully comprehend God’s glory which He shows us in/thru His creation. … WE CAN’T!!

Reference Passage : … Colossians 1:15-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… God, thru Paul shows the extent of God’s glory in His Son, our Lord and King, Who created all we see and experience for the glory of His Father.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mart DeHaan, used the work of a talented photographer who attempts to capture the glory of God in his photo art. The ODB author wrote: Some of us are inclined to look at the world and see only what’s wrong. DeWitt Jones is a National Geographic photographer who has used his profession to celebrate what’s right about the world. He waits and watches until a shaft of light or turn of perspective suddenly reveals a wonder that had been there all along. He uses his camera to find beauty in the most common faces of people and nature. 

If readers here take the time to view the YouTube video of the linked song and take the time to google the photography of DeWitt Jones [see one example in the attached photo], you’ll see a bit of the realty that Job (see highlight passage) had trouble seeing thru the agony of his pain.

And so often that’s the case with us. isn’t it?  We get so wrapped up in our own circumstances, which may be very challenging, and we lose sight of the wonder and glory of God, which truly can be seen in His creation … if we’d but look around and see it [see reference Scriptures].

So, … today, … as the old saying goes, … let’s take time to smell the roses, … and maybe go out and see a sunrise, … or watch closely as the sun shines or the rain falls on the spring flowers; … or just take in His love thru the eyes of a spouse, a child, or a friend.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for showing us glimpses of Your glory, … radiating all around us.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … As Gordon Mote sings, … today … “Don’t Let Me Miss Your Gory!” … 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.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

March 15, 2018 … Revealing the Rocks

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 74 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of Philliips, Craig, and Dean singing their song… He’ll Do Whatever It Takes … poignantly singing of how God’s grace will do whatever it takes to bring us into fellowship with our God.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 25;4 [NLT] … 4 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. 
… David, as we all should, so desires to follow God’s righteous path.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 25:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… David reveals a deep desire to be free from sin and following the right path of God. 
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK
… God, thru Solomon, shows us that we can have the right path in life if we trust Him to show the way.

Reference Passage : … 1John 1:9, 2:1 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … Paul shows fellow Christians (and you/me) the cleansing power of Jesus as our advocate before God’s throne of grace.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David Roper, used a personal reflection of his life on a farm to illustrate how God wants to reveal the rocks which get in the way of a righteous life. The ODB author wrote: As a boy, I watched my father plow fields that had never been cultivated. [See photo] On the first pass the plowshare would turn up large rocks that he hauled away. Then, he would plow the field again, and then again, to further break up the soil. With each pass the plow turned up other, smaller rocks that he cast aside. The process continued, requiring many passes through the field. 

The ODB author’s story is a good personal picture of how we must plow thru life [see photo] and let God reveal the rocks [of sin] which impede our righteous walk with Christ. Over time, as the linked song reveals, God will do whatever it takes to allow us to find the rocks in His field so that we, as His disciples, can become more fruitful and follow Him more easy.

As a Christian, like me, readers here may have experienced how God reveals the big sins early in our walk with Him. Then, over time, the smaller ones are revealed and cleared from His field, allowing the soil of our lives to become clearer and clearer and more fruitful for His kingdom growth.

So, we learn from the truth of God’s word [see Scriptures above], that He promises to turn over the rocks of sin in our lives and even to help us clear them so that we can become the disciples we need to be to become fruitful for Christ.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for revealing the rocks of sin in my life, as painful as it can be at times.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to clear Your field so that Your fruit may grow in my life. … 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.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

March 14, 2018 … The Gift of Prayer

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 73 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …    Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of Red Marlow on TV singing his song… I Pray … poignantly singing of how we should pray when we don’t know what else to do.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 8:26  [NLT] … 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 
… God’s Spirit is always there to pray for us … and with us.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 8:26-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… God shows us that His Spirit ever intercedes with/for us.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 6:5-13 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK
… Jesus teaches His followers how to pray.

Reference Passage : …John 17:9-11 [NLT] … 9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those You have given me, because they belong to You. 10 All who are mine belong to You, and You have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to You. Holy Father, You have given me Your Name; now protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as We are. 
… Jesus prays for US in the garden; and He’s still praying for us now on His throne in heaven.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 1:11 [NLT] … 11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety. 
… Paul gives thanks for the prayer of fellow Christians and pleads for continued support thru prayer.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, used a personal reflection of a young friend’s experience with the gift of prayers from others. The ODB author wrote: “I didn’t realize what a gift prayer was until my brother was sick and you all prayed for him. I cannot tell you what a comfort your prayers were!” 
Laura had tears in her eyes as she thanked me for the prayers of the people in our church for her brother, who was facing a cancer diagnosis. She continued, “Your prayers have strengthened him in this difficult time and have been an encouragement to our entire family.” 

As I saw today’s ODB photo of the young girl praying and posted a song written by a singer who was inspired by prayer; … and then I took in the highlight ODB passage and remembered the reference scriptures above, I was taken by the reality of what a wonderful and powerful gift prayer is for others. That’s why Jesus taught His disciples to pray in His sermon on the mount. And it’s why He prayed to His Father for His disciples (and us) in the garden just before He died for us. And it’s why He is still praying for us on His throne today. What a wonderful gift prayer is to us from God and from us to others!

So, we need to take it seriously when we tell someone, “I’ll be praying for you,” and doing exactly that … not just saying that as a way of showing we care. In fact, in recent years, I’ve developed the habit when I tell someone I want to pray for them … to stop and do just that with them on the spot [as in the photo]. In that way my gift of prayer is given face to face; and I don’t have to worry about forgetting the gift later.

So, … today, … let’s be alert whom we can pray for and then give them our gift of prayer. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for praying for me right now. 
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to give Your gift of prayer for someone 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.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

March 13, 2018 … Teamwork in The Body

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 72 

Devotional Song:GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics with the group Casting Crowns singing … If We Are The Body … poignantly singing of how we as the body of Christ, the Church, must come together to be Christ’s witness, His light, in this world.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Hebrews 10:24 [NLT] … 24 Let us think of ways to motivate ONE ANOTHER to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting TOGETHER, as some people do, but ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
… Notice the call to God’s people coming TOGETHER to life ONE ANOTHER up and work TOGETHER to do HIs good work in the world.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Hebrews 10:19-25 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… God’s call for His church to come together and be His body in the world, working TOGETHER to be his witness in the world.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:14-16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK
… We, as His body, should be His light in the world.

Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [NLT] … 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.” 
… Christ calls us, individually and collectively (as His Church) to be His witnesses in the world; and we can do it with HIS Spirit-power.

Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 12:27 [NLT] … 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 
… God, thru Paul, calls the church to pull together for His glory.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David C McCasland, used a modern day competition trend to illustrate how the church needs to use teamwork to do God’s business in this world. The ODB author wrote: Why do more than five million people a year pay money to run several miles over an obstacle course where they must ascend vertical walls, slog through mud, and climb up inside a vertical pipe with water pouring down on them? Some see it as a personal challenge to push their limit of endurance or conquer their fears. For others, the attraction is teamwork where competitors help and support each other. [See photo]

But this cultural competition fad is a fairly good cultural picture of what Christ has called His church to be in this world. We, the Big-C “Church,” are Christ’s body in the world. And we are called to come TOGETHER (see 1Cor. 12:27 and Heb. 10:24-25), … to use His power and be His witnesses (Acts 1:8), … and to shine His light into a very dark world (Matt. 5:14-16).

As Christ’s body, we, the Church, are to be exact what the group Casting Crowns sings in the linked song; and shamefully our denominational divisions and our personal prides and biases have caused us to be weakened as our Lord’s witnesses. So, let us go forth and be His team, helping one another, as in the photo, over the barriers and trudging thru the mud holes of life.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You bringing us as Your body together to serve Your kingdom.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to be a functioning and effective part of Your body, doing all I can to shine your life and use my gift(s) to serve 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.