February 18, 2016: Renewal In Christ

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 49  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Chris Rice singing Come To Jesus… declaring truth of God’s eternal promise to be there for His beloved in times of need … for us to come to our Savior for His strength when we are weak.

Highlight Passage:   Luke 9: 11 [NKJV] …  
11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 
… Jesus was a “rock star” of His day; and the people flocked to see Him perform miracles of healing … to be fed by His charisma.
============
Highlight Context – Luke 9:10-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… The multitudes followed Jesus to be fed by His miracles.
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 11: 28-30 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus invites any and all to come to Him when our burdens are too heavy.

Reference Passage #2 - Mark 6: 44-46 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… After Jesus feeds the multitudes …goes to a quiet, high place to be alone with His Father, Knowing that His disciples would need Him in the storm they were about to face.

Reference Passage #3 - John 6:1-14, 15 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus feeds the multitudes … then needs to be alone with His Father before going out to meet the needs of His Disciples in the impending storm - see John 6:15

Reference Passage #4 - 2nd Corinthians 12: 9-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… We all need God’s enabling/empowering grace to help lift us up in our moments of weakness.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, David McCasland, teaches about the need for solitude and renewal. He wrote: Comedian Fred Allen said, “A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.” Fame often brings loss of privacy along with a relentless frenzy of attention. … When Jesus began His public ministry of teaching and healing, He was catapulted into the public eye and thronged by people seeking help. Crowds followed Him wherever He went. But Jesus knew that having regular time alone with God was essential to maintaining strength and perspective. 

The scriptures, highlighted and referenced above, show one such instance (see also the attached photo) where literally thousands had flocked to a hillside near Capernaum during Jesus’ ministry, to see this Spirit-led “rock-star” of His day, THE ONE some were saying was “The Messiah.” And in this one scenario, we know from these Gospel accounts above that Jesus fed almost 10,000 people one day with just a few loaves and fishes. And then He sent His inner disciples out on the waters of the Sea of Galilee to face a storm. But in-between these events, we see that the celebrity Messiah needed some alone time with His Heavenly Father; and He went up to a high-place to find solitude from the multitudes … to be alone and to receive regeneration from God, The Holy Spirit.

 If even Jesus needed some solitude … some times during His ministry to be refreshed and fed by God’s Spirit, … don’t you think we also need to get away from the madding times of our day to be alone and receive God’s empowering grace [see also Paul’s teaching in 2nd Cor.: 12:9-10 when he had a time of weakness]?

 Why do you think I’m here today, … as I was yesterday, … and as I will be tomorrow? It’s so that I can be alone with my Lord and receive His refreshing, renewing, and regenerating grace. Like Chris Rice sings in the linked song today, I come here to to be with my Jesus; and He is here for me every day.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Fill my spiritual tank again for the walk ahead today. … 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.

February 17, 2016: “Whosoever” Is Me

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 48  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Steve Green singing People Need The Lord… declaring truth of God’s great commission … that we need to GO and share the Gospel with all the “whosoevers” of the world.

 
Highlight Passage:   Matthew 28: 19a [NKJV] …  
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, … 
… To share the good news with EVERYONE
============
Highlight Context – Matthew 28:16-20 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Christ’s great commission for His disciples (all of us) is to “GO” and “make disciples” of all the “whosoevers” in the world
============      

Reference Passage #1 - John 3: 16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
…That “WHOSOEVER” believes in Him will have everlasting life … WHOSOEVER!!!

Reference Passage #2 - Acts 1: 8 [NKJV] …  
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 
 … God gives Joshua the success formal in following His will.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Bill Crowder, used an interesting story to illustrate his teaching on the “Great Commission.” He wrote: Charlie Sifford is an important name in American sports. He became the first African-American playing member of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour, joining a sport that, until 1961, had a “whites only” clause in its by-laws. Enduring racial injustice and harassment, Sifford earned his place at the game’s highest level, won two tournaments, and in 2004 was the first African-American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Charlie Sifford opened the doors of professional golf for players of all ethnicities. 

When I was a young golfer in High School and College, I was angered and inspired, as with many stories of personal sacrifice in the 60s, as the truth about racism became known and the doors began to open to the “whosoevers” of the world, like Charlie Sifford. Doors of opportunity began to be opened to men like Sifford as the walls of racism were torn down. And the beat of that drum still goes on today.

 And really that’s the essence of what Jesus declared to His disciples when our Lord left this earth to return to heaven. In His charge to be His witnesses, in Acts 1:8 and in the Great Commission (see the highlight passage above), Jesus said we, who call ourselves by His Name, were to carry the good news of the GOSPEL to all the “whoseovers” of the world.

 And we read who the “whosoevers” were intended to be in John 3: 16, don’t we? And when it comes to sharing Christ’s message of redemption and salvation, NO ONE is to be excluded!! … And therefore, that included - PRAISE THE LORD - me! Yes, as the name card photo attached indicates, … My name is “WHOSOEVER!” … And so is yours! Yes, … our Lord came to save all the “whosoevers” of this world; and then He charges all the “whosoevers” He has saved to go out and share His good news with all the other “whosoevers” of the world.

 And maybe we’ll have an opportunity, or a divine appointment, to meet a “whosoever” today and share our Lord’s message with them.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Let me share You with a “whosoever” today. … 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.

February 16, 2016: God’s Guiding Light

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 47  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Amy Grant leading worship and singing Thy Word Is a Lamp Unto My Feet… declaring the power of God’s word to guide our footsteps in life.

 
Highlight Passage:   Deuteronomy [NKJV] …
  6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 
…Yes, on our hearts!
============
Highlight Context – Deuteronomy 6:1-12 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… God desires that we write His word into the depths of our heart and teach them to our children … and then live by the light provided by His truth.
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Joshua 1: 8 [NKJV] …  
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 
 … God gives Joshua the success formal in following His will.

Reference Passage #2 - Psalm 119: 9-11 and 105 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… He will show us the way … by having His word imprinted on our hearts …

Reference Passage #3 - John 14:21 [NKJV] …  
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
 … Jesus provides the essence of His presence ... by knowing and living by His commands.    

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Lawrence Darmani, taught a truth that all Christians should take to heart; and it is God’s prescription for being successful in finding and following His will.

 Years ago, a mentor of mine, realized what a biblical illiterate I was; and he asked me if I desired to know and follow God’s will for my life. Of course, I replied affirmatively; and He showed me what Lawrence Darmani taught in today’s ODB entry … that God’s word, if imbedded deeply into our hearts, will allow us to see and follow God’s will for our lives.

 So, my mentor took me on an 18 month quest to memorize God’s word topically; and when I went through that process, using the Topical Memory System, available from NavPress (SEE THIS LINK), my life changed for the Godly good like no other discipline I had ever undertaken. But when you take in the Scriptures from God through Moses and Joshua and Jesus above, this should not be surprising.

 God promises that when we fill our hearts with His truth (i.e., the Bible), He will use it as a light to guide our path (see Ps. 119: 105); and beyond that, when we keep His word ever before us (see Joshua 1:8), God will use it to help us be successful in carrying out His will for our lives. And Jesus, Himself, promised to reveal Himself to anyone who knew and followed His commands [see John 14:21].

 So, it’s up to us, isn’t it. If we want to know His will and follow it, the prescription was laid out to His people (you and me) by Moses (see the Deuteronomy 6 passage above); and all we need to do is imbed His word so deeply in our hearts that we will be compelled to follow it all our lives.

 That’s why I’m here today; … and why I will be here tomorrow.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Shine a light brightly on my path, O Lord, from Your word. … 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.

February 15, 2016: Always Our Friend

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 46  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Wayne Watson, singing his song, Friend of a Wounded Heart… declaring the promise of God’s closeness when we’re in the deepest places of loneliness in our lives.

Highlight Passage:   Psalm 34: 18 [NKJV] …  
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and delivers them out of their troubles. … And let us never forget!!! 
============
Highlight Context – Psalm 34:15-22 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
 … God is always near and will reach out to those afflicted with loneliness
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 11:28-30 [NKJV] …  
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
… He is always there to lift up the dispirited and lonely.

Reference Passage #2 - Hebrews 13: 5 [NKJV] …  
5 … He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
… Always with us … ALWAYS!!!

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Dave Branon, reflected on a friend who was widowed suddenly and how God met her in her loneliness. He wrote: When a good friend suddenly lost her husband to a heart attack, we grieved with her. As a counselor, she had comforted many others. Now, after 40 years of marriage, she faced the unwelcome prospect of returning to an empty house at the end of each day. … In the midst of her grief, our friend leaned on the One who “is close to the brokenhearted.” As God walked with her through her pain, she told us she would choose to “wear the label widow proudly,” because she felt it was the label God had given her. 

I have several friends in our church who have lost spouses in the last couple of years; and in each case, the widows or widowers who have dealt with the grief more successfully are those, in my estimation, who have deeper and more abiding relationships with Christ. And they also respond more readily to the caring friendships of other Christians who are trying to come along side them in their time of grief or loss.

 For those of us who’re happily married, the prospect of being left alone with the sudden loss of a spouse is always there; and those with close, loving relationships with their loved ones are especially vulnerable to the grief following such a loss. But for them, or for a single person who loses a parent or close sibling or, God-forbid, a child, I believe seeking, finding, and holding on to a close and abiding friendship with Christ is the best proactive prescription to deal with the loss of a loved one should it happen.

 And Jesus has promised to be our friend, hasn’t He? He has promised ALWAYS to be there to help us carry the burdens of loneliness and loss [see Scriptures above]. And when we have a deep and abiding closeness to our Savior, we can know that He’ll always be there to be the Friend of a Wounded Heart … as Wayne Watson sings in the linked song above.

 So, if you need Him, my friend, go to Him. Let Him lift you up with His love. He’s there for you and will ALWAYS be there for you.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Thank You, Lord, for being my friend, especially when I’m feeling alone. … 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.

February 14, 2016: So Easily Forgetful

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 45  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group 3rd Day, singing the old hymn, Blessed Assurance… declaring what should be the story of all who declare Jesus to be Savior and Lord … blessed assurance … but oh how easy it is to forget in midst of trials.

 
Highlight Passage:   Hebrews 12: 28 [NLT] …  
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 
 … And let us never forget!!!
============
Highlight Context – Hebrews 12: 18-29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… God through this author helps believers remember our everlastingly merciful and protecting God. 
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Romans 8: 32 [NKJV] …  
32  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 
… And don’t forget it!!!

Reference Passage #2 - Hebrews 13: 5 [NKJV] …  
5 … be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
… How quickly we forget His promise.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Randy Kilgore, fearful that a new used car would not be as safe as his previous car, was awakened to remember God as his windshield wipers gave him vision in a storm [see photo].

Kilgore wrote: The windshield wipers slamming back and forth trying to keep up with the pelting rain only added to my irritation as I adjusted to driving the used car I had just purchased—an old station wagon with 80,000+ miles and no side-impact airbag protection for the kids. … “Okay, God,” I actually said out loud, “now I can’t even protect my kids from side-impact crashes. If anything happens to them, let me tell You what I’m going to do . . .” … Thwip, thwap. Thwip, thwap. (Gulp.) . . . I was instantly ashamed. In the previous 2 years God had spared both my wife and my son from almost certain death, and yet here I was whining about “things” I had lost. Just like that I’d learned how quickly I could grow ungrateful to God. 

It’s true, isn’t it? How quickly we can become self indulgent in the midst of the storms of life and forget the very nature of our God! Circumstances change; and sometimes they can be almost unbearable; but God never changes, does He?

Today I needed that reminder. No matter where I’m traveling down the road of life, … even through storms where I have trouble seeing ahead (see attached photo), as the group Third Day sings (linked above), I ALWAYS have the blessed assurance that “Jesus is mine!” And He will never leave me, nor forsake me (see Hebrews 12:28 and 13:5).

 NO … NEVER! 

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Thank You, Lord for always being there for me. … 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.

February 13, 2016: Glowing for Him

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 44  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Jason Gray, singing his song, Glow In The Dark… Joyously singing how we can break through the darkness of this world by shining the light God’s Spirit is building into our hearts as Christians.

Highlight Passage:   1st Corinthians 12:4 [NLT] …  
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 
 … Each Christian has something special, imparted into our new nature to shine forth Christ in/for His Kingdom.
============
Highlight Context – 1st Corinthians 12:4-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK  …    … All of God’s chosen are special in His Kingdom, with special gifts, molded into the character of each Christian to allow that one to function in a unique way for God’s glory.
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Ephesians 1:3-4 [NLT] …  
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 
… We are his chosen ones, endowed with spirit-imparted blessings so has to be united in Spirit with our Lord.

Reference Passage #2 - Ephesians 4: 7 [NLT] …
 7 However, He has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 
… At least one gift, maybe more, … to be used for His glory.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Dennis Fishers, illustrated his teaching with a story of a young man who discovered the special beauty in snowflakes. He wrote: Fifteen-year-old Wilson Bentley was captivated by the intricate beauty of snowflakes. He looked with fascination through an old microscope his mother had given him and made hundreds of sketches of their remarkable designs, but they melted too quickly to adequately capture their detail. Several years later, in 1885, he had an idea. He attached a bellows camera to the microscope and, after much trial and error, took his first picture of a snowflake. During his lifetime Bentley would capture 5,000 snowflake images and each one was a unique design. He described them as … “ice flowers.” 

Like snowflakes, each of God’s chosen ones, like you and me, as born-again in Christ, have been made special to do what Jason Gray sings about in his song, linked above, … to Glow In The Dark. Each of us is unique in God’s kingdom, … and we’ve been given special gifts so as to function as special lights in this very dark world, … shining Christ’s light for all to see Him … for His glory [see the Scriptures referenced above].

The question I had to ask myself from today’s ODB was/is … Am I living today as a glowing light for Christ in this ever darkening world? … Because my God has given me what I need to glow in the dark for His glory. So, … I pray …

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … I pray that I shine Your light, even as I write here today … and tomorrow … for Your glory. … 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.

February 12, 2016: Heart Knowledge

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 43  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group Hillsong leading in worship, singing their song, I Surrender… singing of the attitude every Christian should have when we come to our Lord or serve Him … the attitude of total surrender.

 
Highlight Passage:   John 8: 31-32 [NKJV] …
  31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 
… We become His disciples when we move our knowledge of Him from our head to our hearts in surrender to Him. And when we do, we walk free from the shackles of sin.
============
Highlight Context – John 8: 31-47 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Jesus teaching religious leaders the difference between their head knowledge and what it took to be His disciple.
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Genesis 15:6 [NKJV] …  
6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. 
… Jesus, in the John 8 passage above was trying to show the Pharisees that their head knowledge of the law was not enough for them to live as believers. They had do believe as did their father, Abraham.

Reference Passage #2 - Luke 9: 23 [NLT] …  
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. …”
… Once again, my oft quoted passage of Jesus showing His followers what it takes to be His disciple.

Reference Passage #3 - 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 teaches that it takes living heart knowledge of His commandments to show our love for Him by living out His teachings. Knowing them is one thing … living them is where the rubber meets the road.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson, quoted two reputable sources in his teaching head knowledge versus heart knowledge. He wrote: In his book on language, British diplomat Lancelot Oliphant (1881–1965) observed that many students give correct answers on tests but fail to put those lessons into practice. “Such undigested knowledge is of little use,” declared Oliphant. … Author Barnabas Piper noticed a parallel in his own life: “I thought I was close to God because I knew all the answers,” he said, “but I had fooled myself into thinking that was the same as relationship with Jesus.” 

And these two quotes reminded me of a personal incident when my discipleship mentor once asked me what my #1 goal was as a Christian. Well, remembering an answer to that question in the Presbyterian catechism I had once learned as a boy, I responded, from memory, “To glorify God.” But my mentor told me I was close; … but the life-applying answer to the question was “to know God.” He reasoned with me that until I could/would really know my Lord, I could never really serve Him and glorify His Name.

 And that’s when I learned that there was a difference between HEAD KNOWLEDGE and HEART KNOWLEDGE, where the former is knowing OF God and the latter is really knowing the essence of the One Who had saved me and was sanctifying me. And my mentor wanted to teach me … that … To KNOW God is to LOVE God; … to LOVE God is to OBEY God; … to OBEY God is to SERVE God; … and to SERVE God is to GLORIFY God. So, since then, it has been my #1 goal as a Christian to get to know my God more today than yesterday … and even more tomorrow than today. 

My friend, I hope you know that is why I’m here today, blogging about what my Lord has given to me from His word so that I can know Him more intimately. And because of it, I do know Him just a bit more today than yesterday. How about you? What can we do tomorrow which will show the attitude of surrender (see the song linked above) we all need to get to know our God more deeply than ever.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Thank you for showing up today to reveal more of Yourself to my surrendered heart. … 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.

February 11, 2016: No Keeping Score

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 42  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the blind Christian singer, Gordon Mote, singing his song, If They Could See You Thru My Eyes… singing of the love he holds for his wife, even though he can’t physically see her face. And this is the type of love we should have for our Lord ALWAYS, the One Who sees everything in the love He holds for us.

Highlight Passage:   Ephesians 4:32 [NKJV] …  
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. 
… Seeing the best in the beauty of the love God holds for us and holding that love out to others. 
============
Highlight Context – Ephesians 4:25-32 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
 … Jesus is THE MAN!!! … He’s everything!! … Before anything!
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Psalm 103:12 [NKJV] …  
12 He has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. 
… And this is how much God loves us … showing us how much we should love others, especially those close to us.

Reference Passage #2 - 1st Corinthians 13:4-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Especially note verse 5 … “[Love] keeps no record of being wronged.” … Loving others the way God loves us.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Joe Stowell used a personal story to illustrate how all married Christians should never keep score in their relationships. Stowed wrote: At his son’s wedding reception, my friend Bob offered advice and encouragement to the newlyweds. In his speech he told of a football coach in a nearby town who, when his team lost a game, kept the losing score on the scoreboard all week to remind the team of their failure [see attached photo]. While that may be a good football strategy, Bob wisely advised, it’s a terrible strategy in marriage. When your spouse upsets you or fails you in some way, don’t keep drawing attention to the failure. Turn off the scoreboard. 

Okay, … followers here with me. It’s coming up on the day of love, … Valentine’s Day. And on this day we think about those close to us whom we love the most, … perhaps a spouse, a child, a sibling, or a dear friend. … And I’m one of those “lucky” ones (tho I don’t believe “luck” exists). I have someone whom God has given me to love that really fits the mold of that love chapter (see 1st Cor. 13 linked above) where God spells out the character of His love for us [i.e., “agape” love] and how we should choose to give that type of love to others.

 It’s the type of love God shows for all of HIS DEAR ONES, separating us from our sinfulness as far as the east is from the west (see Psalm 103:12). And I pray that everyone reading here has someone to love like that … like one of my favorite singer/song writers, Gordon Mote, has in the love he wrote about for his wife. Please take the time to use the link above and hear Gordon singing his love song to his wife.

 That’s the kind of love I have for the little Dutch treat God brought into my life well over 50 years ago now; and I pray that I can always see her the way Gordon Mote, though blind, sees his wife. It’s the way my God, with His all-seeing, all-knowing sight, sees me.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Thank You for seeing me, knowing me, and still loving me. … 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.

February 10, 2016: You Da Man, Jesus!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 41  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group, Hillsong, leading in worship singing, ...  Jesus, You’re All I Need … praising God with the reality that He is our everything … all we need for life and eternity.

Highlight Passage:   Colossians 1: 17 [NKJV] …  
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. … Before anything in our lives … JESUS!!
============
Highlight Context – Colossians 1: 15-20 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Jesus is THE MAN!!! … He’s everything!! … Before anything!
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Luke 9: 23 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… I hope you all know this one BY HEART … and putting Christ first … to follow HIM!

Reference Passage #2 - Romans 12:1-2 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Our lives should be a “living sacrifice” to/for Him, avoiding worldly and fleshly influences.

Reference Passage #3 - 2 Peter 1:2-4 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… He’s given us everything; so, why shouldn’t we give him our everything.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt used a personal story to illustrate how all Christians should be putting Christ #1 in our lives. She wrote: My friend’s son decided to wear a sports jersey over his school clothing one day. He wanted to show support for his favorite team that would be playing an important game later that night. Before leaving home, he put something on over his sports jersey—it was a chain with a pendant that read, “Jesus.” His simple action illustrated a deeper truth: Jesus deserves first place over everything in our lives. 

The attached image and linked song ring true with Schuldt’s ODB teaching today. So often we let our desire to please the world, … to achieve pleasure over pain, … or to bask in worldly power or prestige assume places in the priorities of life which supplant the position Christ should hold for us all.

 I watch professional golf on TV. I love to see these skilled pros do what I’d love to be able to do, … hit a golfball long and straight … in the direction that ball should go. And when one of those dudes hits a long, long drive off the tee on television, you often hear some fan, trying to be heard on TV, yell, “You da man!!!” And really that’s what we should be saying about our #1 HERO in life as Christians, shouldn’t we? Because Jesus is … DA MAN. He’s the God-Man; and He’s everything we need, as Hillsong sings in worship [linked above].

 We all need to do a personal inventory, as I am as I write this, asking … Is JESUS really #1 in our life, as He should be? And if not, why not? Because if we are not following our Lord in FIRST PLACE, something else has become an idol and is getting in the way of our true discipleship [see Luke 9:23]. So, let’s find out what it is; … and let’s all make King Jesus # 1 … today and all days!!!

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … O how I desire to put You #1 and keep You there as I do all I can to follow You. … 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.

February 9, 2016: Special Menu

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 40  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing, Your Grace Still Amazes Me… radiating the wonder of God’s grace to all Who come and receive it in faith, … the Bread of Life!

Highlight Passage:   Galatians 5:22-23 [NLT] …  
32 But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” 
 … God’s life giving and sustaining grace is His bread of life.
 ============
Highlight Context – John 4: 27-34 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Jesus offers all true believers His bread of life … the grace that provides life.
============      

Reference Passage #1 - John 6: 1-59 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
 … Jesus tells of His “bread of life,” and some, but few, understand.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Mart Dehaan, uses an interesting analogy to illustrate the life-giving and sustaining power of God’s grace. He tells of a growing restaurant marketing strategy where restaurants reveal special “hidden” menu items to their frequent, loyal customers and encourage them to share their favorites with other friends by “word-of-mouth” and social media.

EXAMPLE: My wife and I have a favorite dining spot, Panera Bread, here in our home town; and they serve a “killer” grilled-cheese sandwich … which is not listed on the menu. It’s called the “Big-boy Grilled Cheese Sandwich;” and it’s made with three cheeses and flakes of real bacon, grilled between two slices of wonderful asiago cheese bread. IT”S GREAT; and I’ve told many of my friends who love grilled-cheese sandwiches about it; and here I am, sharing this special off-menu item with you.

 You know, … Jesus used a similar sharing approach to allow His followers to see and experience His saving and sustaining grace. In John’s gospel account, we read of Him sharing His “living waters” with the forbidden Samaritan woman (see the John 4 passage above). And the woman was overwhelmed by the amazing grace she found in Jesus and went off to share news of Him with others. … In John, Chapter 6, Jesus shares His intriguing and compelling grace by feeding the multitudes on a hillside, amazing His disciples. But then to really blow their minds, he shows them how He can walk on water in a storm; and then tells them of His being their “bread of life,” so that they will realize that they must feed on His grace to sustain them, especially in the storms of life.

 The Phillips, Craig, and Dean song, linked above, sings of how amazing God’s grace is to sustain us in life; but we can’t say that this “bread of life” is a hidden menu item, can we? No, … it’s clearly revealed in God’s word and available to any an all who believe in it and will receive it in faith. I pray that all who are reading here have partaken of this “bread of life,” and feed on it every day … as I do when I come here to share some it with you with my blogging.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … I feed on Your bread of Life from Your word daily; and it gives me life-sustaining energy. … 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.

February 8, 2016: Fruitful Choices

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 39  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing, I Want To Be Just Like You… expressing the struggle, as a Christian, to be more like my Lord so that I can be more of an example of Christlikeness to others, … especially family.

 
Highlight Passage:   Galatians 5:22-23 [NLT] …  
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 
… Becoming fruitful is becoming like Christ.
============
Highlight Context – Galatians 5:13-26 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… God, thru Paul, teaches Christians about the fruit of God’s Spirit
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs: 12:16, 20:3, 29:11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Ouch, I think Solomon was writing about me!

Reference Passage #2 - Luke 9: 23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
 … Jesus commands His disciples to deny themselves and follow His lead.

Reference Passage #3 - Philippians 2:3-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
 … When confronted with the needs of other, … we, His disciples, are to be like Him.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, the Anne Cetas, uses a personal story to illustrate her teaching. Ceta writes: I couldn't take my actions back. A woman had parked her car and blocked my way of getting to the gas pump. She hopped out to drop off some recycling items, and I didn't feel like waiting, so I honked my horn at her. Irritated, I put my car in reverse and drove around another way. I immediately felt bad about being impatient and unwilling to wait 30 seconds (at the most) for her to move. I apologized to God. Yes, she should have parked in the designated area, but I could have spread kindness and patience instead of harshness. Unfortunately it was too late to apologize to her—she was gone. 

Most Christians know, as Paul taught in Galatians, Chapter 5 that all converted Christians are given ALL of the fruit of the Spirit so that we can be transformed by God’s Spirit into Christlikeness over our time on earch. In fact the list of those fruit in Galatians 5:22-23 are quite simply a list of characteristics which help to define the character of Christ for believers. And when we are converted Christians, we are given the free-will choice to make decisions and live in the fruit of the flesh (see the list in Gal. 5:19-21) or to act in the fruitfulness of the Spirit (see verses 22-23).

 The question becomes, when we’re confronted with life-challenging moments. like the one spun above by ODB author, Cetas, do we act in the flesh or in the Spirit? And I would bet that many here with me today, can recall times, as Christians, when we’d like to have made more Spirit-led, fruitful choices, perhaps to have been more patient or gentle or self-controlled in traffic (see attached foto). And yes, I’m here, holding up my hand in confession!

 Solomon wrote quite a few proverbs about how believers should respond when tried and tested [see the Proverbs linked above]. And Jesus, of course, wanted His disciples (yeah, that’s me, … probably you, too!) to follow His example and be like Him [see Luke 9:23], with Paul echoing that teaching as well [see Phil. 2:3-5].

 But enough conviction! What are we going to do today when we’re confronted, in our flesh, with choices … to honor or dishonor His image? Will we choose to act in the fruit of the flesh or in the Spirit? I’m praying for the latter for me. What about you?

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … When I’m tried and tested today, give me the grace to act with Spirit-led fruitfulness and to honor Your Name and shine Your Light, dear Lord. … 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.

February 7, 2016: Searching for Peace

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 38  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of a Vineyard Fellowship worship service singing, It Is Well With My Soul… a contemporary arrangement of the classic 19th century hymn by Horatio Spafford, written when the author was in the midst of horrible personal loss but still found peace in His relationship with Christ.

Highlight Passage:   John 16:33 [NLT] …  
33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 
… Jesus’ promise that He has overcome all the world’s troubles
============
Highlight Context – John 16: 18-33 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Jesus calms the disquieted hearts/minds of His disciples the night before the worst night of their life. ============      

Reference Passage #1 - Isaiah 26:3 [NLT] …  
3  You will keep in perfect peace all who trust You, and all whose thoughts are fixed on You. 
… A God promise of peace for those whose thoughts pursue Him.

Reference Passage #2 - Matthew 11: 28-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus invites us to bring our troubles to Him and He will help us carry them.

Reference Passage #3 - Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Worry? … NO! … Pray? … YES

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, the Bill Crowder, on this Super Bowl Sunday here in the USA, tells of being a Cleveland Browns fan. Crowder writes: As a lifelong Cleveland Browns football fan, I grew up knowing my share of disappointment. Despite being one of only four teams to have never appeared in a Super Bowl championship game, the Browns have a loyal fan base that sticks with the team year in and year out. But because the fans usually end up disappointed, many of them now refer to the home stadium as the “Factory of Sadness.” 

Tho some of my readers here may not be fans of American football, especially my international readers, who are fans of “futbol” (i.e., soccer), … all who read with me here have likely been in a tunnel of sadness, remorse, or loss [see attached photo], seeking for the light of peace to overcome the darkness of the moment.

 Horatio Spafford was in such a place of darkness, having lost all of his children to illness and shipwreck in the 19th century. Perhaps you know the story; but not having the space here to share it, LET ME LINK YOU to the story here. In the midst of his grief and pain, Spafford wrote one of the most hope-filled poems, later put to a hymn, Christians have to sing to help them find the peace of Christ in the midst of their personal darkness. You can hear a more modern version of that hymn linked above.

 But I think I can say that we all - in times of darkness in our lives - seek the light of peace and solace, don’t we? I have a dear friend, and co-Elder in my church, who just wrote a book on how to solve the formula for peace for Christians. He called the book, The Peace Equation; and like Spafford’s song, Steve Gibbs’ book uses testimony to show believers how to come out of the darkness of that tunnel of anguish into the light of peace. God actually told us that formula thru Isaiah 700+ years before Christ came to overcome the world (see Isaiah 26:3). And the New Testament also gives us guidance in the Scriptures above so that we can find the light of peace in the times of our darkness by focusing on and deeply seeking our Lord in such times.

 So, … I invite any who might need some more peace in your lives, to take in the song, the photo, and the Scriptures above; and if you’d like to get my friend’s book, … HERE IS THE LINK to pre-order the book at a discount …  . It’s a worthwhile read!!

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … When Your peace like a river restores my soul, ... Lord, ... It is well with my soul.  … 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.

February 6, 2016: Glory Awaits

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 37  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing, Revelation Song… expressing the reality of what awaits those who repent of the here-and-now and look forward to what is to come … to be with the King of kings forever in glory!!! … HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is HE !!!

Highlight Passage:   Revelation 22: 3 [NLT] …  
3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. 
… The Revelation to John of our future in glory.
============
Highlight Context – Revelation 22:1-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… God’s revelation of what is to come in glory!!!
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Genesis, Chapters 2-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Mankind had a perfect place (see Genesis 2); but then they polluted it with pride; and now we live with the remains (see Genesis 3).

Reference Passage #2 - John 3:16-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …    … But even in the midst of our sin-ridden, man-polutted world, God made a way for us to look forward to glory with Him forever.

Reference Passage #3 - Romans 10:9-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God gives mankind the key to unlock His perfect world for believers in glory.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, the Jennifer Benson Schuldt, tries to help her readers to look past the current plague of humanity’s failures to what lies ahead in glory. Schuldt writes: The world we have inherited resembles God’s perfect garden only slightly. To quote C. S. Lewis, “This is a good world gone wrong, but [it] still retains the memory of what ought to have been.” Fortunately, the cloudy memory of what the earth should have been is also a prophetic glimpse into eternity. There, just as Adam and Eve walked and talked with God, believers will see His face and serve Him directly. There will be nothing between God and us. “No longer will there be any curse” (Rev. 22:3 -see above). There will be no sin, no fear, and no shame. 

It’s so easy to look around, in our present state of humanity and worldliness and be downcast. Even here this morning, I sit, wracked in minor-league anguish, coughing and sneezing with a bad cold, realizing that my illness is a reflection of God’s curse on Adam and Eve (see Genesis 3). And it sucks!!! … God created a perfect place for those first two humans, … a garden of perfection; but Adam let pride overwhelm him and Eve, her curiosity; and now we live with the results, don’t we? 

But in the midst of my sniffles and sneezing; and also looking around to see all that has gone haywire with this post-curse world, I’m lifted up by the realization of what Phillips, Craig, and Dean sing about in the linked song above. Yes, I may feel downcast today; but God has made a way to a forever of tomorrows for me to be with Him (see John 3:16-17).

 And for sure, knowing the truth of Romans 10:9-13, I will be serving the Lamb of God forever in the place He has waiting for me - for us - in glory. I pray that you too will be there.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … My mind and heart look forward to glory with You. 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.

February 5, 2016: Servant Leadership

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 36  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Sara Groves singing, Open My Hands… expressing the depth of God’s love for His saved ones especially when we live with open hands and hearts to others.

 
Highlight Passage:   1st Kings 12: 6-7 [NKJV] …  
6 Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. “What is your advice?” he asked. “How should I answer these people?” 7 The older counselors replied, “If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects.” for God’s truth as if searching for treasure. 
... Wise advice which went unheeded by King Rehoboam.
============
Highlight Context – 1st Kings 12:1-19 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Rehoboam would not take advise of his elders and be a servant leader; and God’s people rebelled against his hard leadership, causing the Northern Kingdom to fall.
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 20: 25-28 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus teaches His disciples (and us too) about servant leadership.

Reference Passage #2 - John 13: 12-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus gives an example of servant leadership to His disciples.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, the Lawrence Darmani, told a story of African tribal succession to illustrate his teaching on Christian leadership. Darmani writes: In traditional African societies, leadership succession is a serious decision. After a king’s demise, great care is taken selecting the next ruler. Besides being from a royal family, the successor must be strong, fearless, and sensible. Candidates are questioned to determine if they will serve the people or rule with a heavy hand. The king’s successor needs to be someone who leads but also serves. 

And Darmani, to illustrate this teaching biblically, went back to the time when Rehoboam had taken the mantle of leadership from his father, the King of the North in Israel; and he wanted to be a successful king [see the passage in 1st Kings 12 linked above]. So Rehoboam went to the Elders of the kingdom for advice; and these wise men advised him to serve the people as king and they would follow him [see verses 6-7]. But after also getting advice from the younger men in the tribe, who advised Rehoboam to be even harder on the people than his tough father had been, Rehoboam became a hard task-master; and the people rebelled against him, causing the Northern kingdom to fall.

Jesus, on the other hand, the King of kings, … and Lord of lords, … the Master and Messiah, was our example of what a leader really should be. Unlike Rehoboam, Jesus showed His disciples how to lead by being a servant. Take in the passages above, and you will see that God wants his leaders to be servants in their leadership of others; … i.e., to lead by serving first. And today’s song conveys, God will open His heart to anyone who’s opening their hearts to/for others. And I think that’s especially true of leaders.

 And if any of us have roles of leadership … perhaps in our work, at church, or at home in our families, … as leaders we must first be willing to wash the feet of those we serve as leaders [see the John 13 passage above]. And I pray in my roles as Church Elder, Ministry Director, and husband/father/grandfather, I do as Jesus taught and be a servant leader.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … I want to be a leader just as You are my leader. 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.

February 4, 2016: Treasures of Truth

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 35  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean, singing How Deep the Father’s Love For Us… expressing the depth of God’s love for His saved ones; and it is in that depth, from His word, that we should seek for the treasures of His truth.

 
Highlight Passage:   Proverbs 2: 4 [NKJV] …  
4 Search for them as you would for silver; … seek them like hidden treasures. 
 … Searching for God’s truth as if searching for treasure.
============
Highlight Context – Proverbs 2: 1-5 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Solomon says we should search in God’s truth (i.e., His word) as if we’re searching for treasure. 
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Job 28:23-28 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… We can find the wealth of wisdom on in God’s treasure chest of truth, … His Word.

Reference Passage #2 - Proverbs 8: 17 [NKJV] …  
17 I love all who love me. Those who search with surely find me. 
… And the best place to search for God’s love in to go deep in His word.

Reference Passage #3 - Proverbs 9: 10 [NKJV] …  
10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement. 
… And that knowledge of God can only be gleaned from the depths of His word.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, the Cindy Hess Kasper, used a personal story to illustrate how we often miss the depth of God’s love from His word when we only do a surface skimming of His truth.

 Kasper writes: My husband and I read in different ways. … He has a tendency to read slowly, word-for-word. I often speed-read by skimming. But Tom retains more than I do. He can easily quote something he read a week ago, while my retention can evaporate seconds after I turn away from the screen or book. … Skimming is also a problem when I’m reading the Bible—and not just the genealogies. I’m tempted to skim familiar passages, stories I’ve heard since I was a child, or a psalm that is part of a familiar chorus. 

In searching for God’s wisdom … and really in searching for knowledge of God, … we often skim the surface of the treasures of truth God has about Himself in the primary source of such wisdom, … His Word, … the Bible. Job, in his quandary about how life had treated him, wrote of what God had revealed about man’s search for truth and wisdom; and in Chapter 28 of Job’s journal we read that to find the treasures of God’s truth, we must go deep, digging for those treasures … as a miner searches for precious gems in the earth.

 It’s hard work, digging for the essence of God in life, isn’t it? But God wants to reveal Himself to all who love Him (see Prov. 8: 17); and the essence of all wisdom - i.e., knowledge of God - is found only in His treasure chest of truth, … His word.

 The question is … are we willing to go deep to find it?

Solomon, in writing Proverbs, Chapters 1-9, wanted his son to find the real treasures of life, i.e., Godly wisdom; and he wrote about how any searcher after God could find His truth … and in doing so, know God’s heart. And the fear of God (i.e., reverent knowledge of Him) can really only be attained by a deep and thorough search for Him in His word.

 So, … that’s why I’m here today, digging into His word for His gems of truth. Where are you going to search for Him today?

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … I search for You … and find You, Lord … in Your word. 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.

February 3, 2016: Staying the Course!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 34  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of blind Christian singer, Gordon Mote, singing the song he wrote, Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory… expressing his desire to run the race of life to receive his crown of glory.

Highlight Passage:   2nd Chronicles 4:20 [NKJV] …  
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 
 … Following Christ requires much discipline.
============
Highlight Context – 1st Corinthians 9: 24-27 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Christian discipleship requires staying power - as a runner training for and running a marathon.
============      

Reference Passage #1 - Luke 9: 23 [NKJV] …  
23 If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 
 … Jesus maps out the course of discipleship to His followers. Our job is to run the race well … for His glory and ours as well.

Reference Passage #2 - 1st Corinthians 11: 1 [NKJV] …  
1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 
 … Paul was a good model for disciples because he knew WHOM he was following in the marathon race of life.

Reference Passage #3 - Philippians 3: 12-14 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Staying the course means a disciple of Christ keeping his/her eye on the prize.

Reference Passage #4 - 2nd Timothy 4: 6-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The Apostle Paul was a model of a disciple finishing his race well for Christ.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, the Amy Boucher Pye, a NEW ODB contributor from England, focuses her teaching on what it takes to stay the course of discipleship, referring to the word picture the Apostle Paul used often to describe what it takes to be a disciple of Christ.

 The people to whom Paul was addressing, often writing from a prison, faced many discouraging distractions, which were tempting to draw those disciples away from the course of Christian discipleship. Paul wanted those Christians to get in the race of discipleship and stay the course; and he often used himself and what it had taken for him to be a loyal follower of Christ. Really all he wanted for those Christians was to follow what the Lord, Himself had described in His one sentence sermon on discipleship in Luke 9:23 [see above].

 Paul knew, as I’m sure any converted, confirmed, and conformed Christian reading here knows, … that being a disciple of Christ is tough; … and that’s why using the word picture of a runner training for and running a marathon is an apt analogy of Christian discipleship. I’ve learned, and now often teach, that there are 3 D’s when it comes to being an effective Christian disciple: …
… 1 … The DECISION to get in the race …
… 2 … The DISCIPLINE to train for the race … and …
… 3 … The DILIGENCE to finish the race well.

 Dear one, … I’m sure you know, this race we call life is a tough course, like a marathon, and running for the prize (see Phil. 3:12-14) requires all of those 3 Ds above, doesn’t it? The Apostle Paul was such a runner; and he finished well (see 2nd Tim. 4: 7). And that’s why he had the confidence to exhort his fellow Christians to follow his example (see 1st Cor. 11: 1).

 What about it, fellow Christian? … Are we decidedly in the race? … Are we training in the disciplines of the faith to be a winner for Christ? … And do we have the stamina, endurance, and diligence to finish well; … so that at the end of your race, we will hear our Lord say, … “Well, done, … My good and faithful servant!”

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … I run for You today, Lord! 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.

February 2, 2016: A Legacy of Christlikeness

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 33 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a video of three friends, Clay Crosse, Bob Carlyle, and Bebe Wynans, singing their powerful song … I Will Follow Christ, declaring what should be the legacy of all Christians … to follow in the footsteps and live after the model of our Savior.

Highlight Passage: 2nd Chronicles 4:20 [NKJV] … 20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. 
 … Note how this evil king departed the world - “to no one’s sorrow” … the legacy of evil.
 ============
Highlight Context – 2nd Chronicles 21:4-20 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… The legacy of evil is to be forgotten.
 ============
Reference Passage #1 - Mark 10:45 [NKJV] … 
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 
… Jesus told His disciples of what a legacy of service is all about. And that should be our legacy of Christlikeness.

Reference Passage #2 - John 3: 16-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… The legacy of Christ’s love unfolded as an example of what is to be our legacy.

Reference Passage #3 - Ephesians 4:1-3 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul helps Christians cement a legacy in Christ by living lives worthy of His Name.

Reference Passage #4 - Philippians 2:5-11 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Christ’s legacy was one of surrender to His Father, humility in life, and service to mankind, even unto the cross. Should that not be our legacy as Christians (see Luke 9:23)?

My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, the Tim Gustafson, tells of the legacy of fellow Christian. He wrote: When a road-construction foreman was killed in an accident, the love of this man for his family, co-workers, and community resulted in an overwhelming sense of loss. His country church couldn’t accommodate all the mourners, so planners moved the service to a much larger building. Friends and family packed the auditorium! The message was clear: Tim touched many lives in a way uniquely his. So many would miss his kindness, sense of humor, and enthusiasm for life.

 What’s our legacy as Christians? And to explore this question, the ODB author for today went back to the legacy of evil left by the Israelite King Jehoram (see the 2nd Chron. 21passage linked above). And as you read in that passage, because of his anti-God life, … when he died, no one mourned … as did those did for the road construction foreman, Tim Gustafson wrote about above.

 Again I ask, what is to be our legacy as Christians? And I think if one takes in the linked song above, and lives for a legacy of Christlikeness, as the Scriptures above point us, we will die and be welcomed into Glory with our Savior’s greeting, … “Well done, My good and faithful servant!” 

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Help my legacy be walking with You, Lord! 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.

February 1, 2016: Pray, Pray, Pray

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 32

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Twila Paris and Dennis Jernigan singing the song he wrote, … On My Knees, expressing the need all Christians have to be in prayer daily, if not momentarily.

Highlight Passage:   Luke 18:1 [NKJV] …
1 “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, … “ 
… Jesus taught about the seriousness of persistent prayer
============
Highlight Context – Luke 18: 1-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Jesus exhorts in parable for His Disciples to pray … and pray … and pray
============     

Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] …
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. 
… And prayer is the best and primary method to show our trust in a faithful God.

Reference Passage #2 - Mark 14:32-38 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK  …  
… Jesus warned His disciples that the flesh would be an enemy when they needed watch and pray …

Reference Passage #3 - Ephesians 6: 13, …18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul’s exhortation for Christians to take the high ground of prayer in spiritual warfare …

Reference Passage #4 - Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Do we worry; or just do what God said, thru Paul, and pray?

Reference Passage #5 - 1st Peter 5: 7 [NKJV] …
7 … casting all your cares on Him because He cares for you. 
… Do we not pray because we just don’t believe this?

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, David C McCaslandd, made reference in his ODB teaching to Luke’s passage, quoting Jesus’ parable about the persistent pleas of a widow, illustrating the need for God’s chosen to continually and persistently bring their supplications to God in prayer.

 And Jesus warned His disciples when He asked them to watch and pray with Him ... that the flesh would be weak when they were called to pray (see the story in Mark 14 above). And yes, how easy it is, in our continual, daily battles with our spiritual enemies to give up the high ground in warfare by not praying diligently and persistently. But Paul charged that we must stand and take that high ground, praying for ourselves and the Saints in our daily battles [see Eph. 6: 13, 18).

 And Paul and Peter preached about using prayer to overcome our anxieties and to cast ALL - not just some, but ALL - our cares on God because HE really does care for us (see Phil. 4:6-7 and 1st Pet. 5: 7 above). Sure, … there may be times when God doesn’t seem to answer or is silent; … or maybe times when He just says “NO” to our prayers.

 But if, for no other reason than Jesus’ charge for His disciples [that’s us] to pray, we should pray and pray ... and keep praying. I just can’t get over the image of Jesus coming out of the Garden in Mark 14 and saying to His disciples [paraphrased], "Couldn’t you watch and pray with me for an hour?" 

 So, I’m duly convicted that I need to do more to take the high ground of prayer in my daily battles; … and do all I can - IN PRAYER - to hold the high ground for my Lord.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Help me to pray today, Lord, … and tomorrow … and every day. 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.