Friday, June 12, 2020

June 12, 2020 … Building Life TOGETHER

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 164 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  … Please take the time to take in images, song and lyrics from Nichole Nordeman singing … We Build … poignantly singing of how Christians must build our lives TOGETHER as with our marriage to/with Christ … and THEN TO THIS LINK  to hear the group Casting Crowns sing Broken Together with much the same message.


Aaron and Hur helping Moses ... 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ecclesiastes 4:12 [NLT] ... 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. 
… Two is always better than one doing battle in life; … but with God, THREE, is the best way to build in life … TOGETHER.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Solomon teaches God’s people of the value of working with other believers for God’s glory. 
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 27:17 [NLT] ... 17  As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. 
… Lone Ranger Christianity is just not the way to go.

Reference Passage : … John 15:13 [NLT] ... 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 
 … Jesus shares His truth about disciples working together … even unto death.

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.  
… The Apostle resized and taught that going it alone will never cut it in life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, after relating a story of how a Pastor and a father worked TOGETHER to save the life of a child, the author turns to the Bible story of how Aaron and Hur worked TOGETHER to help Moses raise his hands to bring victory for the Israelites in battle. … The ODB author wrote: In Exodus 17:8–13 the Lord orchestrated a great victory that included the efforts of Joshua, who led fighting men on the battlefield; and Moses, who kept his hands raised while holding the staff of God. [see photo] When Moses’ hands grew weary, Aaron and Hur assisted by each holding up one of his hands until the setting of the sun and the defeat of the enemy.  

May I get personal? If we make in one more day, … tomorrow my wife and I will have been married 55 years. And long ago, in our individual brokenness, and with God’s empowering grace, we discovered what the two linked songs sing about. And that is the truth conveyed in the Scriptures above as well, … that “Lone Ranger” Christianity just doesn’t cut it in life.

That’s why Jesus called 12 others to walk this earth with Him. It’s why Aaron and Hur (see the attached photo) helped raise the arms of Moses to help God’s people win in battle. It’s why Solomon wrote (in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) that believers, working together, especially in harmony with God, will always be stronger than going it alone.

 So, the question, from today’s ODB, arises: Are we building life TOGETHER, with other Christians, or are we trying to be “Lone Ranger” Christians? 

Be assured, fellow Christian, …  that tomorrow my wife and I will look into each others eyes, knowing that our life has been so much stronger, WORKING TOGETHER, especially - as three cords - bound together with God’s Spirit.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for helping the Berry Patch to build life TOGETHER … WITH YOU.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me, … to reach out - even today - to work together with other fellow Christians to build our lives TOGETHER. 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.</ span>

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