April 30, 2019 … Transformed By Grace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 120

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … Your Grace Still Amazes Me … poignantly singing of we must be overwhelmed by the wonder of God’s transforming grace.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 22:61-62 [NLT] … 61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly. 
… Three times Peter denies Jesus … even after declaring Jesus to be the Son of God. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 22:54-62 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Peter fulfills Jesus’ prophesy of denying Him thrice.
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … 22  The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23  Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.
… God’s mercy and grace are new every morning … yes, even every moment … to allow us the availability to His amazing grace.

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.” 
…Jesus promises any/all true disciples that He will be manifest in the life of anyone who is willing to obey and follow His commands.

Reference Passage : … John 21:7-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus returns to the Disciples after the resurrection and allow Peter to be restored by giving him the opportunity to declare Peter’s love for Jesus three times.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Remi Oyedele, uses a historical reference to the life of Mary of Magdalene, to illustrate one who was transformed from sinner to saint by the wondrous grace of Jesus. . The ODB author wrote … Before she followed in the footsteps of John the Baptist by living in the desert, Mary of Egypt (c. ad 344–421) spent her youth pursuing illicit pleasures and seducing men. At the height of her sordid career, she journeyed to Jerusalem in an attempt to corrupt pilgrims. Instead, she experienced deep conviction of her sins and thereafter lived a life of repentance and solitude in the wilderness. Mary’s radical transformation illustrates the magnitude of God’s grace and the restoring power of the cross. 

And one of the most powerful stories about the transforming grace of God is also that of the Apostle Peter, who denied Jesus three times just before His crucifixion [see highlight passage]; and then was restored to service of the Lord, by Jesus, in John 21. And very personally, I think of how Jesus’ grace pursued yours truly for the first 40 years of my life, where I denied Him as an avowed atheist, only to be saved, and allowed to serve our Lord, in ministry, as I have for over two decades now.

GO FIGURE!! … It’s no wonder that Phillips, Craig, and Dean sing, in the linked song, that God’s saving and restoring grace is truly amazing. But perhaps you, too, have experienced His restoring grace. And if so, would you join me in a resounding … HALLELUJAH!! 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your ever available mercy and grace, which transforms sinners to saints.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to praise our Lord for His wondrous, transforming 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.

April 29, 2019 … All Wisdom and Power

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 119

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with live song and lyrics from the group Hillsong United singing … Christ Is Enought … poignantly singing of how we must trust and believe that our Lord is in control and He’s willing - AND ABLE - to handle ALL of life’s challenges.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Job 12:13 [NLT] … 13  “But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are His.
… True insights, thru Job, into the omniscience/omnipotence of God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Job 12:13-25 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Job states truth to his friends about where all power and authority come ... from God alone!
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … 5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. 
… No matter our circumstances, we must depend on God and follow His ways. He ALWAYS knows best.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 55:8-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s wisdom and His ways are ALWAYS higher than ours; and therefor, are often misunderstood.

Reference Passage : … 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 the called according to His purpose for them. 
 … Almost impossible to understand … but TRUE!

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 5:7 [NLT] … 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 
 … When we don’t understand the challenges of life, we simply must give them over to God, Whom we know always cares for us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Julie Schwab, used a personal reflection to teach about times when we just can’t explain our trials and circumstances. The ODB author wrote … My friend’s father received the dreaded diagnosis: … cancer. Yet, during the chemo treatment process, he became a believer in Jesus and his disease eventually went into remission. He was cancer free for a wonderful eighteen months, but it returned—worse than before. He and his wife faced the reality of the returned cancer with concern and questions but also with a faithful trust in God because of how He saw them through the first time. 

I’m not a betting man; but if I were, I would wager that all reading here with me can recall a time in our lives when we simply couldn’t understand what was going on. Perhaps, some are even in the midst of such a time right now. And those who know the Bible, probably the best character to illustrate this dilemma was Job, … a righteous man who had done nothing to experience all the trials God allowed Satan to bring into this man’s life. And he had “friends” who tried to explain why God may’ve allowed all this trouble. But these so-called “friends” didn’t have a clue, did they?

No, and in today’s highlight passage Job sets them straight on the truth that there are just some life circumstances that we’ll never be able to explain with our human logic, science, or intelligence. And out of the truths shared above in the reference Scriptures, we must always remember … God is God and we are NOT! [see photo] And there are times when we just have to trust that God knows what He’s doing or allowing into our lives.

It took Job 42 chapters of quandary to fully figure that out; but he did and finally resolved to just trust God 100%. And so should we!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for ALWAYS knowing what is best for us.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to do the 1Peter 5:7 thing today and just cast our cares on God, knowing that He cares for us. … 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.

April 28, 2019 … God’s Calling = My Plans

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 118

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Brian Littrell singing … I Surrender All … poignantly singing of how we must surrender to God’s calling on our lives if we are to serve Him effectively and give Him the glory that can come from our life.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Exodus 3:10 [NLT] … 10  Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
. … God’s calling on the life of Moses late in the life of the Prophet.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Exodus 3:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God calls Moses out of “retirement” to His service.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:19-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s calling on the lives of EVERY Christians - His Great Commission.

Reference Passage : … 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’ expectation for all who are surrendered to Him as disciples.

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.” 
… Jesus calls the lives of ALL Christians to be His witnesses.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Ruth O-Reilly-Smith, used a historical story of a calling which changed the life course of a scientist. The ODB author wrote … Archaeologist Dr. Warwick Rodwell was preparing to retire when he made an extraordinary discovery at Lichfield Cathedral in England. As builders carefully excavated part of the floor of the church to make way for a retractable base, they discovered a sculpture of the archangel Gabriel, thought to be 1,200 years old. [See photo] Dr. Rodwell’s retirement plans were put on hold as his find launched him into an exciting and busy new season. 

After relating this story about Dr. Rodwell’s change in life plans, the ODB author makes reference to the drastic change in life focus Moses received (see highlight passage) when he encountered a burning bush later in his life. And tho it was difficult for him to accept, Moses surrendered his plans to God’s calling; and we know what happened thereafter as God used Moses to liberate God’s people from Egypt.

I certainly can relate to a change in “retirement” plans as God called yours truly, late in my career in healthcare, to a “commencement” rather than a “retirement.” I went from directing 50+ clinics in a hospital to becoming an ordained minister of the Gospel as well as founding and leading a ministry to help men walk free from habitual sexual sin to a fruitful walk with Christ [see this link].

Do we, as Christians, realize that we’re all called to serve the Lord as His witnesses (see Acts 1:8) and His disciples (see Matt. 28:19-20 and Luke 9:23). But the question always remains … if we sense God’s calling on our lives, are we willing to do what Brian Littrell sings and surrender all to serve the Lord?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your calling on our lives to serve You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to follow God’s leading and His calling to give our lives in service to our Lord. … Amen

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

April 27, 2019 … So Much Beauty

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 117

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Gordon Mote singing … Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory … poignantly singing of how we need to stop long enough to appreciate God’s glory in creation.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ecclesiastes 3:11 [NLT] … 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 
… So often we let the ugliness of the world and our own selfishness cloud our ability to see the beauty that God surrounds us with in His creation.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ecclesiastes 3:9:13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Solomon paints a word picture of God’s glory, given to us in His creation.
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies are often provided for us in the beauty of His creation.

Reference Passage : … 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. 
… Oh, how we need to stop and CHOOSE to see God’s glorious gifts of goodness in even the challenges of life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, used a personal remembrance to illustrate how we must stop, in life, long enough to appreciate the beauty of creation God has provided for us. The ODB author wrote … The painting caught my eye like a beacon. Displayed along a long hallway in a big city hospital, its deep pastel hues and Navajo Native American figures were so arresting I stopped to marvel and stare. “Look at that,” [see photo] I said to my husband, Dan. 
He was walking ahead but I hesitated, bypassing other paintings on the wall to gaze only at that one. “Beautiful,” I whispered. 
Many things in life are beautiful indeed. Master paintings. Scenic vistas. Inspired crafts. But so is a child’s smile. A friend’s hello. A robin’s blue egg. A seashell’s strong ridges. To relieve the burdens life can bring, “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In such beauty, Bible scholars explain, we get a glimpse of the perfection of God’s creation—including the glory of His perfect rule to come. 

Today’s ODB author has reminded me of a reality that should not be ignored; … that God, thru His creation and the creation of those He created, has surrounded us with a wondrous exhibit of His glory. But in the midst of so much ugliness, which Satan puts in our line of sight daily, we have to CHOOSE to stop long enough to take in the Glory of God.

Right now I”m looking out of my window to see our azalea bushes in our patio blooming gloriously in the morning sun; and I pray we all stop and take in at least some part of God’s glory today. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for surrounding us with the beauty of Your creation.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to stop and be thankful for the beauty You have created for us to sense 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.

April 26, 2019 … God Sees All

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 116

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group Anointed singing … God Is All Around Us … poignantly singing of how we can trust that God all around us, seeing/hearing all, and covering us with His love and grace.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 2 Chronicles 16:9 [NLT] … 9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” 
… Hanani, the Prophet, proclaims what King Asa will reap for not relying on God. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2 Chronicles 16:7-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King Asa failed to look to God for guidance, trying to do battle on his own.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … 5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. 
… No matter our circumstances, we must depend on God and follow His ways.

Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies - and His grace - are there for us … ALWAYS!!

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28, 31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… These truths show that God will always be there - for our good - no matter what we face.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Elisa Morgan, used a personal remembrance to illustrate how we can trust in God to watch over us ALWAYS. The ODB author wrote … Early in the morning, I quietly pad past a family-room window overlooking a wilderness area behind our house. Often, I notice a hawk or owl perched in a tree, keeping watch over the area. One morning I was surprised to find a bald eagle boldly balanced on a high branch, surveying the terrain as if the entire expanse belonged to him. [see photo] Likely he was watching for “breakfast.” His all-inclusive gaze seemed regal. 

That’s a good word picture illustrating how God, in His omniscience and omnipotence, watches over us ALWAYS, just as He did King Asa in the highlight passage for today’s ODB. However, King Asa lost sight of God’s watchcase and decided, in doing battle, to use his own ways, rather than following God. And the King learned from Hanani, the Prophet, that when we go it on our own, not following God’s lead, bad things can result.

And that’s whet the reference passages, linked and copied above, tell us. But the question is - ALWAYS - do we believe these truths and continually look to let God lead us, knowing that He is always going to lead true believers in His ways, … for our good. … ALWAYS!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being there ALWAYS … seeing/hearing all things … with your mercy and grace ALWAYS available to those who humbly follow You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to seek God’s ways today … and 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.

April 25, 2019 … All I Need

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 115

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group Hillsong United singing … Jesus, You’re All I Need … poignantly singing of how Christians live only for the glory of our Lord.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 4:4 [NLT] … 4 But Jesus told [Satan], “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ [Deut 8:3]”
 … As Satan temps Jesus, who is hungry, having fasted 40 days, the Lord quotes from OT truth that we are sustained by God’s truth.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 4:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus holds on to the truth, from God’s word, that man cannot live by bread alone. 
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Reference Passage : … Deuteronomy 8:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God reminds His people that they live for His truth, knowing that He, the Lord, will provide them with their needs.

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. 
… Trusting God to supply all we need.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David H Roper, used a story about his grandson to illustrate how material possessions will never satisfy our needs. The ODB author wrote … When our grandson Jay was a child his parents gave him a new T-shirt for his birthday. He put it on right away and proudly wore it all day. 
When he appeared the next morning in the shirt, his dad asked him, “Jay, does that shirt make you happy?” 
“Not as much as yesterday,” Jay replied. 
That’s the problem with material acquisition: Even the good things of life can’t give us the deep, lasting happiness we so strongly desire. Though we may have many possessions, we may still be unhappy. 

Reading this illustration of how, as Jesus taught (in Matt. 6 and God’s word in Deut. 8), we will never be completely satisfied - in our souls - with material possessions. It’s what Jesus called out to Satan when the Devil tempted our Lord in the wilderness (see Matt. 4:1-11 and also Luke 4:1-13). And it’s the lesson the ODB author’s grandson learned having been gifted with the T-shirt.

And it’s why I’m here every morning, feeding my soul on God’s truth [see photo], … knowing that I need to be sustained by God’s truth every day, which I can feed on from His word. I know, and I pray all reading here also know, that God will supply all my [our] needs (see Phil. 4:19); and, as Hillsong sings, our Lord is really all that we really need.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving all I need to feed my soul from Your word.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to feed on God’s truth daily. … 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.

April 24, 2019 … All Are Invited

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 114

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group Sidewalk Prophets singing … Come To the Table … poignantly singing of how God invites all to come to His table.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 14:23 [NLT] … 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 
 … Yes, God invites all to come to His family’s table
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 14:15-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus invites everyone to come to His banquet table.    
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … 22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends.   His mercies never cease. 23  Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.  
… God’s mercies are for ALL

Reference Passage : … John 14:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus invites ALL to come with Him to HIs Father’s house in heaven.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 1:26-29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God often chooses to invite the lowly to serve Him in His kingdom.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mike Wittmer, used a story about a fire fighter choosing to save a small rabbit to illustrate how our God’s mercy/grace reaches out to invite ALL to join Him at His table. The ODB author wrote … The video showed a man kneeling beside a busy freeway during an out-of-control brush fire. He was clapping his hands and pleading with something to come. What was it? A dog? Moments later a bunny hopped into the picture [see photo]. The man scooped up the scared rabbit and sprinted to safety. 
How did the rescue of such a small thing make national news? That’s why. There’s something endearing about compassion shown to the least of these. It takes a big heart to make room for the smallest creature. 

In the linked song today the singing group Sidewalk Prophets sings about God’s invitation to all to join Him at His table in HIs kingdom. And aren’t we glad that we don’t have to be rich, powerful, or even intelligent to join Him [see Scriptures above]?

I, for one, am so, SO grateful that he’s invited me. And I”m definitely coming to His banquet! How about you?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your invitation for me (us) to come to Your party.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to accept God’s invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb of God. 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.

April 23, 2019 … Into the Light

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 113

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Chris Tomlin singing … Light of the World … poignantly singing of Jesus becoming the light of our world.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 4:23 [NLT] … 23 Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 
… Jesus moved out to shine His light into the darkness of Galilee.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 4:12-25 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus moved out from Nazareth into Galilee, preaching the Gospel and bringing the Light of the World to those in darkness.
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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. 
… Now we have God’s light, shining on our path in life, thru His word.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 9:2 [NLT] … 2  The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. 
… The promise and prophesy of the Light of Messiah who would come to God’s people, shrouded in the darkness of sin.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:14-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus commanded His disciples to shine His light in the world for others to see the glory of God’s love/grace in the way we live our lives.

  Reference Passage : … John 8:12 [NLT] … 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 
… Jesus declares Himself to be the “Light of the World” to bring them out of their darkness.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, used a story about a musician to illustrate how we can shine the light of Christ thru the way we live. The ODB author wrote … On the streets of Los Angeles, a homeless man struggling with addictions stepped into The Midnight Mission and asked for help. Thus began Brian’s long road to recovery. 
In the process Brian rediscovered his love for music. Eventually he joined Street Symphony — a group of music professionals with a heart for the homeless. They asked Brian to perform a solo from Handel’s Messiah known as “The People That Walked in Darkness.” In words written by the prophet Isaiah during a dark period of Israel’s history, he sang, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2). A music critic for The New Yorker magazine wrote that Brian “made the text sound as though it had been taken from his own life.” 

As the ODB author writes today following this story, Jesus was the fulfillment of those prophesies from Isaiah 9 about His light coming into the world to lead His people out of the darkness of their own sin. And when Jesus moved out from his home town into the countryside in Galilee and began sharing the Gospel of His kingdom with those who flocked to see Him, He became God’s Light, … His living word, … shining the light of truth and leading those who would surrender to Him out of their darkness and into His light.

And that’s what any of us can find in following Him. It’s certainly what led me out of the darkness of my selfishness and sin over 3 decades ago; and now I can seek and share His light of truth (see Ps. 119:105) with others here everyday and praying that we all will simply follow His light and reflect it into the world (see Matt. 5:14-16) so that others will follow the Lord’s light out of their own darkness.

I pray that all reading here are seeking His light of truth daily and sharing that light with others. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for the light of truth shining from Your word.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to come out of the darkness of our selves into the light of the Savior. 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.

April 22, 2019 … Second Wind

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 112

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman singing … His Strength Is Perfect … poignantly singing of how God’s strength, when we walk in the Spirit, will give us His strength to cover our weaknesses.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 40:31 [NLT] … 31  But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. 
 … It is those whose trust holds in the strength of God’s grace who will finish the race well. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 40:27-31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Isaiah shows where we can get our strength when we grow weak or weary in life. 
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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. 
… We need not be fearful in running the marathon we run in life; because God’s mighty right hand is there to lift us up when we get weak.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:28-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus invites those who trust in Him to find rest in Him.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 9 Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 
… When Paul was weakened in the flesh, He learned to rely on God’s empowering grace to give him the strength to go on.

Reference Passage : … 2Timothy 4:7 [NLT] … 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 
… At the end of his life, the Apostle Paul, testifies to his finishing the race faithfully.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, used a personal story to illustrate how we can find strength from God’s empowering grace when we get weak in running the race of life. The ODB author wrote … At the age of fifty-four I entered the Milwaukee marathon with two goals—to finish the race and to do it under five hours. My time would have been amazing if the second 13.1 miles went as well as the first. But the race was grueling, and the second-wind strength I’d hoped for never came. By the time I made it to the finish line [see photo], my steady stride had morphed into a painful walk. 
Footraces aren’t the only things that require second-wind strength—life’s race does too.

As I write this, this old runner, like Paul, writing to Timothy in 2Tim. 4, is in the last legs of the marathon we call life. I don’t know where my readers are in your race; but I do know that there are times when we all feel like we “hit the wall,” and our endurance to run the race we call life can wane. It is then when we find out just how much we trust in God’s promises (see highlight and reference passages) to help us finish the race.

And I pray, again like Paul, that we know - and trust - that God’s promises are true [see Isaiah 41:10 and 2Cor. 12:9] … that our God will, as Steven Curtis Chapman sings, give us His strength to go on when we feel weak.

And I need some of His empowering grace today. How about you?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your uplifting strength when I get weak.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to lean on God’s grace to give us His strength when we get weak. 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.

April 21, 2019 … Stained and Cleansed Hearts

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 111

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group Selah singing that great Andre Crouch song … The Blood Never Loses Its Power … poignantly singing of how Christ’s completed work, shedding His blood on the cross, will never lose it’s power to save and cleanse us from our sins.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Jeremiah 2:22 [NLT] … 22  No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt.  I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken! … Nothing we can do can cleanse us from the stains of our sin. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Jeremiah 2:13, 20-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Jeremiah, declares the sin stains of His people [and that’s us, too!].
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… For those who need it (and that’s all of us - see Rom. 3:23), God’s mercies are new every morning … BUT … we have to be willing to surrender to its sustaining/cleansing power thru confession and repentance.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 32:5 [NLT] … 5  Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And You forgave me! All my guilt is gone. 
… When we’re willing to confess and repent of our sin, God will forgive and cleanse the stain of ALL SINS - FOREVER.

Reference Passage : … John 19:28-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When Jesus declared “It is finished” from the cross and dies, His blood had forever become the cleansing agent for all the sins of mankind … past, present, and future.

Reference Passage : … 1John 1:7, … 9 [NLT] … 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 
… 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. 
… All we need do now is confess our sins to Him directly and be cleansed.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa M Samra, used a personal story to illustrate how we are all permanently stained by sin with only the blood of Christ to cleanse us. The ODB author wrote … I couldn’t believe it. A blue gel pen had hidden itself in the folds of my white towels and survived the washing machine, only to explode in the dryer. Ugly blue stains were everywhere. My white towels were ruined. [see photo] No amount of bleach would be able to remove the dark stains. 
As I reluctantly consigned the towels to the rag pile, I was reminded of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah’s lament describing the damaging effects of sin [see highlight passage]. 

The truth of Romans 3:23 [look it up if you don’t know it!] resounds in the hearts of all of us. We ALL have sin-stained hearts; and there’s only one way for those stains to be cleansed; and that is by receiving the sin-cleansing power of God’s Spirit when we confess and repent of our sins, … receiving the cleansing blood of Christ, which, as the linked song powerfully sings, … will never lose its power … to cleanse us completely (see 1John 1:7,9).

 I pray all who’re reading here, on this Easter day, have experienced that complete cleansing and move on in life knowing that God’s cleansing mercy is ALWAYS there for us

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your blood which cleanses me (and all of us) of the stains of sin.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to celebrate, in this special day, the cleansing blood of Jesus. Amen

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

April 20, 2019 … Clean

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 110

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Natalie Grant singing … Clean … poignantly singing of how God sees all and is willing and able to cleanse us from all confessed sin.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 2 Samuel 12:13 [NLT] … 13 Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. 14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.” 
… David cleansed of the sin, but not absolved of the consequences of the sin.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2 Samuel 12:1-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David’s sin revealed and confessed; and God’s mercy/grace to cleanse David.
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … SEE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies are new every morning … IF … we’re willing to let them work in our lives by humble and honest confession and repentance.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 32:5 [NLT] … 5  Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And You forgave me! All my guilt is gone. 
… When we’re willing to confess and repent of our sin, God will forgive and cleanse - FOREVER.

Reference Passage : … John 19:28-30 [NLT] … SEE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares “It is finished” from the cross and dies, doing all that was necessary to cleanse any repentant sinner of his/her sin.

Reference Passage : … 1John 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. 
  … All we need do now is confess our sins to Him directly and be cleansed.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, used a story of some modern technology that helps us reveal what is going on in our lives. The ODB author wrote … When a man installed a security camera outside his house [see photo], he checked the video feature to ensure that the system was working. He was alarmed to see a broad-shouldered figure in dark clothing wandering around his yard. He watched intently to see what the man would do. The interloper seemed familiar, however. Finally he realized he wasn’t watching a stranger roam his property, but a recording of himself in his own backyard! 
What might we see if we could step out of our skin and observe ourselves in certain situations?

As with King David, hiding in the darkness of his unconfessed sin (see highlight passage), sometimes it takes the eyes of someone else, to help us see, confess, and repent of our sin.

But also as with David, when we do, God, thru Jesus’ completed work on the cross (see John 19:28-30), is willing and able to cleanse us of that sin (see Psalm 32:5 and 1John 1:9) … COMPLETELY!

So, knowing that God is our ultimate security camera and sees all, … is there anything we need to confess and let our Lord cleanse us today?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your mercies which are new to me every day.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to repent of any unconfessed sin; and be cleansed 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.

April 19, 2019 … A New Way

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 109 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group Selah singing that great Andre Crouch song … The Blood Never Loses Its Power … poignantly singing of how Christ’s completed work, shedding His blood on the cross, will never lose it’s power to save us from our sins.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Hebrews 10:19-20 [NLT] … 19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place 
… Jesus’ completed work on the cross now allows us to come directly to Him to be cleansed of our sins.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Hebrews 10:10-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When Jesus dies on the cross, a new way to come to Him was opened.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 29:50-52 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus cries out one last time from the cross and dies; and at that moment the veil over the Holy of Holies in the Temple was torn, opening the way for us to come directly to Him for atonement of our sins.

Reference Passage : … John 19:28-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares “It is finished” from the cross and dies.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 6:19-20 [NLT] … 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price.
… Because of Jesus paying the price on the cross, WE are now the Temple of His Spirit.

Reference Passage : … 1John 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. 
… All we need do now is confess our sins to Him directly and we are cleansed.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, used the Good Friday story to help us remember how the blood of Jesus now allows us to come directly to Him, rather than to bring sacrifices to the Temple. The ODB author wrote … It was a dark and somber day in the outskirts of Jerusalem. On a hill just outside the city walls, a Man who’d been attracting crowds of eager followers for the past three years hung in disgrace and pain on a rough wooden cross. Mourners wept and wailed in sorrow. The light of the sun no longer brightened the afternoon sky. And the intense suffering of the Man on the cross ended when He cried out in a loud voice, “It is finished” (John 19:30). 
At that very moment, another sound came from the great temple across town—the sound of ripping fabric [see photo]. Miraculously, without human intervention, the huge, thick veil that separated the outer temple from the holy of holies tore in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50-51). 

It is “GOOD” Friday … when we celebrate the worst - and best - moment in human history, … that time when Jesus cried out … ”It is finished!” … from the cross and gave up His life so that we, who believe in Him as Messiah and Lord, can now come directly to Him rather than having to bring our sacrifices to the Temple for remission of our sins.

At the moment Jesus died for our sins on the cross, the veil, covering the entry to the Holy of Holies in God’s Temple, was torn [see Matt. 27:50-52], … and dead men came out of the grave. Now, … all of us can now come directly to Jesus, … no longer having to bring our sacrifices to the Temple for atonement of our sins. We, who are saved by His blood, are now the Temple of God’s Spirit (see 1Cor. 6:19). Now, by the shedding of Christ’s blood, in that completed act on the cross, He has made a way for us to confess our sins and be cleansed completely and forever [see 1John 1:9].

Do I sense my readers joining me in a resounding … HALLELUJAH! … And I pray we all have a glorious Good Friday!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your completed work on the cross.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to celebrate Jesus’ finished work on the cross, where our Lord shed His blood in complete remission of our 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.

April 18, 2019 … Famous Last Words

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 108 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing their song … Let My Words Be Few … poignantly singing of how our words should reflect our love of our Lord, especially in critical moments of our lives.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 23:34a [NLT] … 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words He breathed His last. 
… Jesus, dying on the cross, speaks last words.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 23:32-46 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus’ famous last words.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 19:14 [NLT] … 14  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. 
 … The prayer of my heart ever morning and my prayer anytime I’m teaching or speaking about my Lord in public.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:29 [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. 
 … Our words are so important and powerful to those who hear them.

Reference Passage : … James 3:1-12 [NLT] … SEE THIS LINK …
… What we say is SO important! My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, used a remembrance of a critical moment in his life to illustrate the power/importance of our words, especially in critical moments. The ODB author wrote … The ambulance door was about to close—with me on the inside. [see photo] Outside, my son was on the phone to my wife. From my concussed fog, I called his name. As he recalls the moment, I slowly said, “Tell your mom I love her very much.” 
Apparently I thought this might be goodbye, and I wanted those to be my parting words. In the moment, that’s what mattered most to me.  

As expressed in this ODB story, words can be so very powerful and important, especially when they are spoken in critical moments. The words of Jesus from the cross, those famous, final, “red letter” words He spoke as His life ebbed (see highlight passage), are so very few; but Jesus knew, being the Living Word, that these words, as He was dying, were to be some of His most powerful and oft quoted in Scripture.

And our words, especially in critical moments, like the ones the ODB author spoke from the ambulance, should always try to reflect who we are in Christ (see Eph. 4:29 and James 3:1-12).

And that’s why every morning I start each day by praying … ALOUD, … the words of Psalm 19:14. And I especially do so just before I speak or teach in public, desiring to do what is sung in the linked song … to let my words be few but reflect who I am in Christ.

If today were to be your “famous last words,” what would they be?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your famous last words. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to speak Your love and grace into the lives of those I might speak to 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.

April 17, 2019 … God’s Love Never Ceases

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 107 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from the group Hillsong singing … The Steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases … poignantly singing of how God’s love and merry are never ending.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 1:12 [NLT] … 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 
… God created the flowers for His glory and saw that they were good.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 103:13-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Life is fleeting; but God’s love is never ceasing.
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Reference Passage : … Deuteronomy 31:6 [NLT] … 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
… We need not fear because, as Moses promised Joshua, God’s love and mercy will ALWAYS be there for us.

Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … 22  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 
… God’s mercy and love never fail us. They are new every morning.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:8 [NLT] … 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 
… Since Jesus [i.e., God] never changes, … neither does His love for us.

Reference Passage : … 1John 4:15-16 [NLT] … SEE THIS LINK …
… Since God is love and never changes, we can always rely on His love.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, used a natural word picture of the greatness of God’s glory seen in His creation. The ODB author wrote … My youngest grandson is only two months old, yet every time I see him I notice little changes. Recently, as I cooed to him, he looked up at me and smiled! And suddenly I began crying. Perhaps it was joy mixed with remembering my own children’s first smiles, which I witnessed so long ago, and yet it feels like just yesterday. Some moments are like that—inexplicable.  

Anyone, like yours truly, who’s been so blessed, as in the attached photo, to hold an infant grandchild, or a parent holding their first child, has actually seen the love of God in the eyes of that loving child. And tho life’s moments are fleeting, as David sung about in the highlight Psalm 103, God’s love and mercy are new every morning (see Lam. 3:22-23). And, since our Lord never changes (see Heb. 13:8), neither will his love ever cease [see 1John 4:15-16].

So, … I pray today that all who read here KNOW, … beyond a shadow of doubt, … that God’s love, mercy, and grace, will ALWAYS be there for us; and that, even as God, thru Moses, promised Joshua (see Deut. 31:6), God’s love will FOREVER be there for us since He will never leave us, nor forsake us.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your love, which is ever lasting, … for Your mercy, which is new every morning.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to receive God’s everlasting, never ceasing, love, mercy and 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.

April 16, 2019 … “Stop and Smell the Roses”

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 106 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and song from Gordon Mote singing … Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory … poignantly singing of how we must take the time and take in what God has created for His glory and our pleasure … i.e., His creation.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 1:12 [NLT] … 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 
… God created the flowers for His glory and saw that they were good.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 1:1- 21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God creates EVERYTHING for our good and His glory.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 19:1 [NLT] … 1  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 
… All we have to do is look around us to see the glory of God and take in His glory.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:13-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David sings of the glory of God’s creation in the magnificence of our own bodies.

Reference Passage : … Romans 1:19-20 [NLT] … SEE THIS LINK …
… All we need to do is look around us to see God’s glory in Creation.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, used a natural word picture of the greatness of God’s glory seen in His creation. The ODB author wrote … A rarely seen jellyfish waltzed with the currents, four thousand feet deep in the ocean near Baja, California. Its body shone with fluorescent shades of blue, purple, and pink, bright against the backdrop of black water [see photo #1 above]. Elegant tentacles waved gracefully with each pulsing of its bell-shaped hood. As I watched the amazing footage of the Halitrephes maasi jellyfish on the National Geographic video, I reflected on how God chose the specific design of this beautiful, gelatinous creature. He also fashioned the other 2,000 types of jellyfish that scientists have identified as of October 2017. 

It’s a good reminder for us, isn’t it; as the old adage speaks, to “stop and smell the roses.” And that leads us to do what Gordon Mote sings in today’s linked video/song … i.e, to look around us and see God’s glory on display in His creation. It’s springtime here where I live and the azalea bushes are in full bloom (see photo #2 below).

And in the sunlight here in the Midsouth of the USA, they are so, so beautiful; … but only for a few weeks.

So, I’m reminding myself today to take in this beauty and thank God for what He has created for us. And my fellow Christians, … YOUR ASSIGNMENT [should you so choose] … is to stop today and look around you, … wherever you are, … and, as Gordon Mote sings, don’t miss God’s glory!! 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for creating all I see and smell and touch so that we can see Your glory all around us.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to stop and look around us to see God’s glory 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.

April 15, 2019 … My Friend, Jesus

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 105 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … Friend of God … poignantly singing of how we, as disciples of Christ and born-again from His grace, can call God our “FRIEND.”

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 15:14 [NLT] … 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
… The simple (but difficult) formula for an abiding friendship with King Jesus.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 15:1-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares His abiding/loving friendship with those who abide in His Lordship; and thereby walk with Him by obeying His commands.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:20b [NLT] … 20  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
 … Jesus assures His disciples that He will always be their friend and walk with them ALWAYS.

Reference Passage : …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. …” 
… We can - and will - only be His disciples - and friends - if we’re willing to deny ourselves and follow Him.

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.” 
… Obedience to the Lord’s commands is the way we show our friendship with Jesus so that He can express His friendship with others thru us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lawrence Darmani, used a personal remembrance to teach about the friendship we have with our Lord as His disciples. The ODB author wrote … As a little boy growing up in Ghana, I enjoyed holding my father’s hand and walking with him in crowded places. He was both my father and my friend, for holding hands in my culture is a mark of true friendship. Walking along, we would talk about a variety of subjects. Whenever I felt lonely, I found consolation with my father. How I valued our companionship! 

Loyal, … honest … friends are valuable - and rare - aren’t they? And when we have such a friend, we’d do anything to honor them with our loyalty and abide in that friendship, wouldn’t we?

And that was what Jesus was teaching His disciples in the upper room the very night He would be betrayed by one of them; and He would see the rest of them deny the friendship of their Lord by bolting and running in fear. Jesus called these men “FRIEND,” but they were to abandon that friendship that very night with their disobedience.

And that illustrates the classic mark of a true discipleship and friendship with our declared Lord and Savior, … our Friend, Jesus; … and that mark of friendship is obedience to Him (see Scriptures above).  So, today, as we attempt to walk in friendship with Jesus, we must ask ourselves, … “Am I willing to abide in my friendship with my Lord by obeying His word and His commands?” 

Personally, I need to attend to my friendship with my Friend, Jesus, more intimately today (see photo).

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for desiring to be our Friend. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to abide more intimately with our Friend 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.

April 14, 2019 … So Many Questions!!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 104 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … The Answer … poignantly singing of how we need to bring our confusions and questions in life to the One with THE answers.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Exodus 3:12a [NLT] … 6 When Jesus saw him [the crippled man] and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, “Would you like to get well?” 
… Seems so obvious; so why would Jesus asked the crippled man if he desired wellness? … It’s to hear his heart expressed openly.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 5:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus' question of the crippled man, ... asked and answered!
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Reference Passage : …Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24  Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. 
 … My humble prayer everyday.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 7:7-9 [NLT] … 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 
… Jesus’ teaching on our need to come humbly to petition the Lord.

Reference Passage : …James 4:2 [NLT] … 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 
… God, thru James, shows us that so many things don’t come to us because we’re painful and unwilling to bring them humbly to God.

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 5:6-7[NLT] … 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 
 … Peter helps believers realize what it take to open God’s treasure chest of provision … i.e., HUMILITY.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, John Blase, used a curious incident involving Jesus and a crippled beggar to illustrate His teaching that we need to humbly come to Him for the answers to our questions. The ODB author wrote … Does the sun rise in the east? Is the sky blue? Is the ocean salty? Is the atomic weight of cobalt 58.9? Okay, that last one you might only know if you’re a science geek or tend to dabble in trivia, but the other questions have an obvious answer: Yes. In fact, questions like these are usually mixed with a hint of sarcasm. 
If we’re not careful, our modern—sometimes jaded—ears can hear a bit of sarcasm in Jesus’s question to an invalid: “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). The obvious answer would seem to be, “Are you kidding me?! I’ve been wanting help for thirty-eight years!” But there’s no sarcasm present, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Jesus’s voice is always filled with compassion, and His questions are always posed for our good. 

We all have questions, … don’t we? But so often, as the reference scriptures above teach, we hold back and our pride gets in the way of bringing our questions to THE ONE with the answers. And that’s what Jeremy Camp sings in the linked song, doesn’t he?

Yes, the key to our getting GOD’S answers to our confusion and questions (see photo) is being willing to humble ourselves and bring those question to the Lord, … over and over and over again, if necessary. And in the Lord’s will and HIS timing, He will provide the answers … HIS answers. 

That’s why I come to my King Jesus … EVERYDAY … humbly asking Him what David asked the Lord in Psalm 139:23-24 … to provide me with His way, especially if my way is the wrong way. Perhaps that’s a good prayer to help you get your answers as well … today …or maybe tomorrow. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for letting me come to You, praying humbly to receive Your grace.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to come humbly with our questions to God’s throne of 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.

April 13, 2019 … Knowing He’s There

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 103 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group, Anointed, singing … God Is All Around Us … poignantly singing of the reality of our God being with us … NO MATTER WHAT.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Exodus 3:12a [NLT] … 12 God answered [Moses], “I will be with you. …” 
… A confused and unsure Moses gets God’s assurance that the Lord would always be with Moses. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Exodus 3:11-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s presence is experienced and deeply felt by Moses at the burning bush.
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Reference Passage : …Joshua 1:5 [NLT] … 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 
… At a time of great self-doubt, God assures Joshua, as He did Moses, that the Lord would ALWAYS be with him as he led God’s people into the promised land.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 29:20 [NLT] … 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 assures believers that He will always be with us … NO MATTER WHAT!! 

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 11:1-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We can only experience the presence and power of God thru faith.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5b [NLT] … For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” [from Deut. 31:8] 
… God, in Hebrews, restates His promise to NEVER leave the life of a believer, … again, NO MATTER WHAT!!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, used aa personal story to illustrate how God’s presence assures the faithful that God will NEVER abandon us. The ODB author wrote … When his wife contracted a terminal illness, Michael longed for her to experience the peace he had through his relationship with God. He had shared his faith with her, but she wasn’t interested. One day, as he walked through a local bookstore, a title caught his eye: “God, Are You There?” [see photo] Unsure how his wife would respond to the book, he walked in and out of the store several times before finally buying it. To his surprise, she accepted it. 
The book touched her, and she began to read the Bible too. Two weeks later, Michael’s wife passed away—at peace with God and resting in the assurance that He would never leave or forsake her. 

Today is a special day for me, my fellow Christians. 36 years ago today, this old warrior went from being a self-proclaimed “agnostic” (really an atheist) to a surrendered, repentant believer in Jesus Christ. It’s a long story; but from that day - April 13, 1983 - forward, I knew that God was real; and I had come to believe that His Son, King Jesus, was worthy of following. And from that day forth, my faith in Him has grown exponentially.

Today as any of you read here, I pray that you , as with many of the stalwarts of our faith, like Moses (see highlight passage), Joshua (see Joshua 1:5), and the author of Hebrews (see reference passages), KNOW, by solid faith in Jesus’ promise (see Matt. 29:20), that He, … KING JESUS, … is ALWAYS with us and will NEVER abandon us.

And because of the truth of God’s promises, we can move onward KNOWING, as the linked song sings, that “God is all around us.” 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for the promise of Your eternal presence.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to live out our lives KNOWING that God is always with us. … 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.