January 31, 2024 … Completely Surrendered!! … Really?

January 31, 2024 … Completely Surrendered!! … Really?    

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Carrie Underwood singing … I Surrender All …  poignantly singing of how we Christians must surrender our ALL to follow Jesus. 

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Highlight Passage: … Mark 8:36 [NLT] … 

36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?            

… Jesus challenges His disciples to surrender their souls to believe in Him as Lord. 

Highlight Passage (in context): … Mark 8:31-38 … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus tells His disciples about His upcoming surrender to die on the cross for mankind and calling on them to surrender to that truth and believe in Him.                                                          

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Reference Passage: … Proverbs 3:5-6  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Solomon, calls in believers to trust in God with ALL their (our) hearts.

Reference Passage: … Matthew 16:25  [NLT] … 

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. . 

… Jesus teaches His disciples that it takes complete surrender to follow Him as Lord as the only way to salvation.      

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 declares to His followers that it takes complete surrender in faith to be His disciple.   

Reference Passage: … Hebrews 11:6 [NLT] …   

6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.. 

… God’s call, thru the Author of Hebrews, for believes to surrender in faith and sincerely seek to follow the Lord.    

Reference Passage: … James 4:7  [NLT] …   

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,   

… James, calls on fellow Christians to battle with Satan by submitting completely to follow God’s will and His ways.  

        

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread  Author , Jasmine Got  -  AT THIS LINK -   tells of a young Chinese son of a Christian Pastor who was awarded a scholarship to study in America and ultimately received a PhD.  But on the ship home cast all his awards into the sea except for his PhD certificate to give to his parents, … surrendering his life to preach the Gospel, which he did for the rest of his life        

And the ODB author today used this story to challenge her readers - and that’s us today - to follow God’s call - in the Scriptures above - for all born-again Christians to be willing to surrender their (our) lives to believe in Christ and follow Him to glory.  So, we must ask ourselves … are we really in COMPLETE surrender to die to self and live for our Savior?  Personally, I need to do so, … SO …  much more!   How about you?      

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for honoring me with Your call to surrender and follow You.           

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to surrender to Your will, Lord, and ?to follow You.      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.

January 30, 2024 … Jesus Brings Living Waters

January 30, 2024 … Jesus Brings Living Waters  

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Kristyn Getty singing …  LIVING WATERS …  poignantly singing of how we Christians need to come a partake of God’s living waters.  

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Highlight Passage: … Isaiah 32:1-2 [NLT] … 

1 Look, a righteous King is coming! And honest princes will rule under Him.  2   Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.           

… Isaiah promises from God a King Who will bring living waters into the desert of this sinful world.  

Highlight Passage (in context)  … Isaiah 32:1-8 … USE THIS LINK … 

… Isaiah prophesies of a coming King Who will bring steams of living water into a world parched by sin.                                                                  

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Reference Passage: … Psalms 63:1  [NLT] … 

1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 

… King David sings of thirsting for God in a dry and thirsty land.  

Reference Passage:… Isaiah 41:17-18  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … </b>

… Isaiah prophesies of God bringing fountains of living water to those parched by the thirst of sin.   

Reference Passage: … Jeremiah 2:13 [NLT] …   

13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me — the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!   

… Jeremiah shows God’s people that they have abandoned God as the source of living water for His chosen people.    

Reference Passage: … Zechariah 14:8 [NLT] …   

8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.   

… Zechariah shows God’s people that there will be a day when life-giving and saving waters will flow out from God’s people in Jerusalem.     

Reference Passage: … John 4:10  [NLT] …   

10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”   

… Jesus promises the Samaritan woman at the well (and to us) of giving her, and all of God’s faithful, eternal and living waters to quench her (our) thirsty souls.  

        

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread  Author , Karen Pimpo  -  AT THIS LINK -   tells of an oil drilling project in the parched deserts which mistakenly, but wonderfully found a river of subterranean water, which provided much needed LIVING waters for that parched region.       

And that is what God’s Old Testament prophets predicted would come when God’s people, who were parched by sin would believe on Messiah (i.e., King Jesus) would come and bring His living waters of eternal life to any/all who believe in Him as our Lord and Savior.  So, if any of my readers are thirsting for Jesus’ living waters, … come today and be satisfied.     

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for Your living waters, which I come thirsting for today and drinking from Your wells of truth.           

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to drink from Your wells of lining water again today, 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.

January 29, 2024 … Sharing God’s Caring

January 29, 2024 … Sharing God’s Caring  

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from The Maranatha Singers singing … I Cast All My Cares …  poignantly singing of how we Christians need to turn our cares and concerns onto God by caring for the concerns of others. 

Sharing God's love with others ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Galatians 5:14 [NLT] … 

14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command:  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”           

… Paul quotes from Moses in Leviticus 19:18 God’s command to love others as we would love ourselves. 

Highlight Passage (in context): … Galatians 5:14-15, 22-26 … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul shows fellow Christians that they (we) are to let God’s Spirit lead them (us) in all we can do for others.                                                                 

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Reference Passage: … John 13:34-35  [NLT] … 

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

… Jesus teaches His disciples (and us) that they (we) are to share the love of God by sharing and caring for others.  

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 commissions all Christians to be God’s witness of love throughout our world.    

Reference Passage: … Philippians 2:3-5  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul exhorts fellow Christians to be like Jesus in sharing God’s caring love with others.  

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:15  [NLT] …   

15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.    

… Peter exhorts fellow persecuted Christians to always be reading to answer the questions of those who’re seeking answers about our Lord. 

Reference Passage: … 1John 3:17-18  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle John exhorts fellow Christians to ALWAYS be ready to share God’s caring love with others when we see others in need.  

        

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author , Patricia Raybon  -  AT THIS LINK - - tells of a young Pastor who prayed every morning for God to give him an opportunity to share God’s love and His saving grace with others; and one day, a coworker began to ask questions about Jesus; and all the young Pastor did was quietly answer his fellow worker’s questions.  And that is a living example of what all the Scriptures above call on us Christians to do.         

And I’m praying that all my readers join me to pray for, and look for, opportunities - yes, even today - to share God’s caring concern with others, especially those who are seeking to know more about the Lord.   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for opportunities to share Your love with others today.          

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … as we reach out, Lord, again today, to share Your love and grace with others.      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.

January 28, 2024 … God’s Grace Is Mine

January 28, 2024 … God’s Grace Is Mine   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Micah Tyler singing … I See Grace …  powerfully singing of how we Christians look back and see God’s grace coving our sin and shame.  

God extends His grace to us ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Ephesians 4:7 [NLT] … 

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity [i.e., grace] of Christ           

… Paul teaches Christians of God’s grace giving them (us) gifts to allow them (us) to be unified as His church.   

Highlight Passage (in context) … Ephesians 4:3-8 … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul shows fellow Christians that God has given all born-again believers gifts so that we can be unified in Christ.                                                               

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Reference Passage: … Proverbs 3:34 [NLT] …   

34 The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble.    

… Solomon teachers that believers must be humble to receive God’s grace.  

Reference Passage: … Romans 6:14, 11:6  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul teaches fellow Christians about the freedom we receive, as believers, from God’s grace.   

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 2:8-9  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul shows Christians that is God’s grace that saves them (us) when they (we) humbly surrender to receive it. 

Reference Passage: … Titus 2:11  [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.   

… Again, the Apostle Paul affirms that it is God’s grace which saves ALL who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior.

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:10  [NLT] …   

10 In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.   

… Peter teaches Christians that God’s grace calls ALL Christians to be restored by God’s grace thru their (our) faith in Christ Jesus.       

        

My Devotional Journal</u>: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author , Dave Brandon -  AT THIS LINK -  tells of how, when he was teaching, discovered that a young lady had been cheating by using an online source to write her paper.  But the ODB author gave her an opportunity to rewrite the paper, showing the young woman the kind of grace we all receive in our faith in Christ.        

And this ODB entry is an illustration of the kind of grace we can extend to others when we live by God’s saving grace, which is extended by our Lord when we believe in Him to receive God’s saving and sanctifying grace. I pray that all reading here with me have received God’s grace so that we can extend it to others EVERY DAY. 

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for saving me thru Your grace so that I reach out today and share it with others.          

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to share Your love and grace, Lord, to others today.      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.