Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 19
Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Clay Crosse, Bob Carlisle, and Bebe Wynans singing … I Will Follow Christ … powerfully singing of standing strong in the faith to follow Christ.
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Highlight Passage: … Matthew 5:43-44 [NLT] …
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say,< love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
… Jesus quotes Lev 19:18 to show that following Jesus obediently in this world is often more difficult that following God’s Law …
Highlight Passage (Context): … Matthew 5:43-48 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus’ teaching often is counter cultural … So, He calls His own to follow Him.
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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 tells those following Him (and us now) that His true disciples are those who deny themselves (ourselves) to follow the Lord.
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, in the upper room, teaches His disciples [and us now] that those who are obedient to God’s word (i.e., His commands) are the ones who truly love Him so that He can work thru them (us).
Reference Passage: … Romans 12:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul pleads with fellow Christians in his day (and now for us) that his brothers/sisters beware of following the world and to become “living sacrifices” to follow our Lord’s way of living.
Reference Passage: … Colossians 3:2-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul also preaches to other fellow Christians that they (we) are to think - and do - the things the Lord teaches of about thinking on heavenly things, not on worldly ways.
Reference Passage: … 1John 2:15-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Besides Paul, John also writes to teach fellow Christians that they (we) are to avoid loving the things of this world in order to follow the ways of our Lord.
My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, John Blase … AT THIS LINK … tells of his mother often saying something like this to him, … “I know what they’re saying. But I’m telling you . . .”
And tho I’m not a betting man, I would guess - with confidence - that many of my readers had parents who taught much the same lesson, … trying to get us to follow their teaching and avoid following the ways of a sin-ridden world. And that’s the strong message of the linked song, sung by a friend of mine, Clay Crosse, and two of his friends, … trying to call us Christians to follow Christ and avoid letting the world lead us down a dark to disaster.
So I pray that ALL my readers are doing all we can, as led by God’s truth shared above, to follow God’s way (see photo) exclusively; … and let Him lead us to our eternal home.
My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for showing me the way to go thru Your word.
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to follow You, Lord, as You lead us homeward. … 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!
Kjetil
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