Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 365
Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in a song and lyrics from David Crowder and Tauren Wells singing … All My Hope Is In Jesus … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, must put all our hope in Christ coming again to bring us with Him to our heavenly home.
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Highlight Passage: … Philippians 3:17 [NLT] …
17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example..
… Paul charged fellow Christians in Phillippi [and all Christians] to follow him or others who were (are) surrendered to obey and follow Jesus’ call to follow Him.
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Highlight Passage [Context]: … Philippians 3:15-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul exhorts fellow Christians (us too!) to pattern our lives after those who closely obey and follow Jesus.
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Reference Passage: … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] …
5 Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. 6 In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
… God, thru the Psalmist, proclaims where we find Godly wisdom.
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’ clear command to disciples (that us too!) to follow Him - no matter when, … no matter what.
Reference Passage: … Romans 12:2 [NLT] …
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
… Paul warns fellow Christians to avoid following the ways of the world and surrender to do all we can to follow others love and who’re following Christ [see John 14:21 on your own].
Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 4:16, … 11:1 [NLT] …
4:16 So I urge you to imitate me. … 11:1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
… Paul was confident in the hope He had in Jesus’ return so that he could exhort other disciples of Christ to follow him (Paul) because he was follow the ways of Christ.
My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Adam Holz, AT THIS LINK … wrote of the somewhat lost feelings that many have after the Christmas season is over. It’s like the question in the attached photo, asking ourselves “What now!”
But as the ODB author points out, that need not be the outlook for any Christian who, as the linked song proclaims, puts all his or her hope in the ultimate “Christmas,” … i.e., when Jesus comes again for all who’ve chosen to do what the Apostle Paul was exhorting fellow Christians; and that is to follow those, like Paul himself, who are committed humbly to follow the ways of Christ rather than then ways of the world (see the Scriptures above).
So, I pray on this last day of the year, that all reading here are joining me to do all we can to follow Christ and to be lights to lead others ether to Him or closer to Him.
Remember!! … Each day into 2022 is one day closer to His return !!
My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for the hope we have into 2022 of Your return to take us home to be with You FOREVER.
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to seek Your will and to follow Your ways, primarily thru Your word into the New Year. … Amen
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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.