Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 359
Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Bing Crosby singing … I’ll Be Him For Christmas< … poignantly singing of a perfect homecoming for Christmas.
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Highlight Passage: … John 7:5 [NLT] …
5 For even his brothers did not believe in Him. </i>
… In Jesus’ family, even his brothers mocked His miracles.
Highlight Passage (Context): … John 7:1-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
…John reveals the imperfections in the family of God’s perfect Son.
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Reference Passage: … Matthew 2:13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus and His family had to flee to Egypt in His infancy because Herod was trying to kill all the first born in Israel.
Reference Passage: … John 7:7 [NLT] …
7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.
… Jesus declares to His brothers that the world hates Him because He calls out evil in our world
Reference Passage: … John 15:19 [NLT] …
19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
… Jesus declares to His disciples[and to us] to expect the world to hate them [or us] because they [we] love and follow Jesus as His disciples.
Reference Passage: … Luke 2:41-50 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Luke’s account of Jesus’ parents misunderstanding their 12 year old boy.
My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson… AT THIS LINK … tells a family creating a family Christmas video, trying to show the “perfect” family Christmas scenario but, like the attached family Christmas card scene, tour family is likely a reality of imperfection due to our human nature behind the scenes of a lovely family gathering at Christmas.
Today many of us may try to “come home” for Christmas, as Frank Sinatra sings in the linked video. But in reality, … our lives are imperfect, aren’t they? And even Jesus, who lived a a kufe if perfection, experienced much human imperfection in His life and ministry on earth. My readers can read about many of those challenging times in Jesus’ life in the Scriptures above.
And Jesus even warned His family and His disciples (including those of us who follow Him now) that they/we would experience trials, and even hatred, in life because of our declared love for Jesus as Lord/Savior. And that will come out even during the this time of the year when we gather with family/friends to celebrate the birth of our Lord. But prayerfully we will do all we can to lift our love of the Lord in this Advent Season to declare His birth to be the birth of our Lord and Savior.
My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for Your coming to be our Savior as we celebrate Your birth today, Lord.
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to remember, as we celebrate Your birth today, King Jesus, that You came to save us from ourselves, Lord. 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.
1 comment:
Amen..merry Christmas!-
Kjetil
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