April 14, 2016: The Son Rises in God’s Word

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 105

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of an anonymous group of kids singing in worship This Is The Day,… declaring what the author of Psalm 118 sang … and THEN TO THIS LINK to hear the blind singer, Gordon Mote, singing Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory, expressing my joyous desire this day to worship my Lord and see His glory in the day He has given me.

Highlight Passage:  Psalm 118: 24 [NKJV] … 
24 This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  
… The oft quoted song of our daily worship of God.
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Highlight Context – Psalms 118:19-29 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The Psalmist sings of our everyday experience of worship for our God.
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Reference Passage #1 - Romans 12: 1 [NKJV] …
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 
… Jesus gives his fool proof method for avoiding the trap our sin nature.

Reference Passage #2 - Ephesians 4: 1 [NKJV] …
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, … 
… Paul saw himself as a slave/prisoner of Christ’s … and therefore, EVERY DAY was an opportunity to serve his LORD.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, David C McCasland, uses as his highlight Scripture, Psalm 118, where the unknown Psalmist declares his desire to worship His Lord … every day of his life, … which I’m assuming is the desire of anyone reading here with me today.

And tho the truth-filled expressions of the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1 and Ephesians 4:1 are pertinent to today’s ODB entry, … really, all I needed this morning, in solitude with God’s word, were the expressions of Psalm 118, the two songs linked above, and the glorious sunrise which I can imagine as I have opened God’s word this morning, … to fully empathize with the Psalmist who wrote, "This is the day that the Lord has made, … let us (me) rejoice and be glad in it!" 

Do I sense an “Amen” from anyone with me here today? … Or maybe even a resounding ”Hallelujah,” which of course is Hebrew for “PRAISE THE LORD!”

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … and yes, LORD, … I say HALLELUJAH!!! … You have made this day for me; and I sing along with Gordon Mote, don’t let me miss 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.

April 13, 2016: Our Desires = Our Choices

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 104  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group, Hillsong, leading in worship and singing Lord, I Give You My Heart,… declaring that our desires to worship our Lord are wrapped up in our choices.

Highlight Passage:  Luke 12:34 [NKJV] … 
6 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.   … As we make choices, we reveal our desires. 
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Highlight Context – Luke 12:22-34 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus … on how our choices reflect our heart.
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Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 6:33 [NKJV] …  
33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [our worldly needs] shall be added to you. 
 … Jesus gives his fool proof method for avoiding the trap our sin nature.

Reference Passage #2 - 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.” 
 … What, or whom, do we love? Well our choices will reveal our desires.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Joe Stowell, uses a personalized word picture to make here devotional point. He wrote: A When commuting into Chicago on the train, I always followed the “unwritten codes of conduct”—such as, no conversations with people sitting next to you if you don’t know them. That was tough on a guy like me who has never met a stranger. I love talking to new people! Although I kept the code of silence, I realized that you can still learn something about people based on the section of the newspaper they read. So I’d watch to see what they turned to first: The business section? Sports? Politics? Current events? Their choices revealed their interests. 

And there’s a lot of truth and reality there, isn’t there? I heard someone say once, “Just show me your calendar and your checkbook, and I’ll show you where your heart lies.” And that really, in essence, was what Jesus was saying to his followers (and disciples) in today’s ODB highlight Scriptures, as well as in Matthew 6:33 and John 14:21.

And I don’t really think we need a stronger or more clear exhortation than from Jesus, do we, to show that our choices do, in truth, reflect our heart-felt desires. And all too often we find ourselves making selfish choices, showing our very human nature, rather than choosing, as Jesus also said, “to deny our selves … and follow Him.” (Yes, as I site so often from Luke 9:23!)

So, what will I choose today? Will it be for my self or my Savior?

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … As Hillsong sings, “I give You my heart Lord; … have Your way in 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.

April 12, 2016: Beware, the Trap of Self!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 103  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Nichole Nordeman singing her poignant song, Finally Free,… declaring the reality that we, as Christians, need not fall prey to our human default of sin … that we can finally walk free in Christ.

 
Highlight Passage:  Genesis 4:6-7 [NKJV] … 
6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”   
… Cain falls prey to the trap of his own sinful anger.
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Highlight Context – Genesis 4:1-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
 … Cain was not able to resist the call to obedience; and it resulted in death.
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Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 6:33 [NKJV] …  
33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 
 … Jesus gives his fool proof method for avoiding the trap our sin nature.

Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Corinthians 12:9 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus tells Paul of the grace the Apostle has available to overcome his trials.

Reference Passage #3 - 2nd Timothy 2:22 [NKJV] …  
22 Flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
 … God, thru Paul, shows Christians how we can flee the trap of human sin … by choosing righteousness.

Reference Passage #4 - 1st Peter 2:11 [NKJV] …  
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, … 
… Peter, this time, exhorting Christians to avoid the trap of fleshly lusts …

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, uses an interesting word picture to make here devotional point. She wrote: A Venus flytrap can digest an insect in about 10 days. The process begins when an unsuspecting bug smells nectar on the leaves that form the trap. When the insect investigates, it crawls into the jaws of the plant. The leaves clamp shut within half a second and digestive juices dissolve the bug. 
This meat-eating plant reminds me of the way sin can devour us if we are lured into it. Sin is hungry for us. Genesis 4:7 says, “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you.” God spoke these words to Cain just before he killed his brother Abel. 

Schuldt nailed the truth, didn’t she? Life these days operates much like the venus fly trap … with its alluring multifaceted sin traps, using the siren call of sex, money, power and the like to tempt us into its deadly clutches. And when we bite on the trap, … SLAM, … we find ourselves being devoured by our own sin nature. It was that way for Cain when he fell pray to his own deceitful heart (see also Jer. 17:9) and let his disobedience take him into death’s trap [see the highlight passage above].

But as Paul and Peter, and no less than Jesus, Himself, tell us in today’s reference passages above, we don’t need to fall pray to the trap of our sin nature and the ploys of this world and Satan. No, … in Christ we can (and should) CHOOSE to flee our youthful/sinful passions, as Paul advised a young missionary, Timothy. And we need to do as Jesus exhorted us … to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Because when we do, as Nichole Nordeman sings, we’ll be able to walk free from our selves and follow the Savior out of the valley of the shadow of death and into God’s garden of glory (see Psalm 23).

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Lead me away from my self, 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.

April 11, 2016: God’s Ways, Not Mine!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 102  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group 4Him singing their poignant song, The Basics of Life,… declaring the reality that we, Christians, need to do all we can to return to the basics of our faith, balancing the challenges of work, play, family, etc.

Highlight Passage:  Proverbs 16:24 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … 
5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. 6 Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.  
 … In other works, as the song, linked above, sings … “we need to get back to the basics of life!” 
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Highlight Context – Ecclesiastes 4:4-16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… After blowing a good portion of his adult life on excesses, Solomon (under God’s inspiration and conviction) writes of how we must balance the essentials of life.
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Reference Passage #1 - John 14:21 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
 … Jesus, Himself, gives us His formula for living a balanced, successful Christians life. Could it be any clearer?

Reference Passage #2 - Ephesians 4:1-2, 5:15-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God, thru Paul, gives Christians great advice on how walk carefully and wisely, following the will of God for our lives, … and seeking to follow God’s ways of balancing life … not our own.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Poh Fang Chila, tells a story illustrating his teaching. He wrote: Henry worked 70 hours a week. He loved his job and brought home a sizeable paycheck to provide good things for his family. He always had plans to slow down but he never did. One evening he came home with great news—he had been promoted to the highest position in his company. But no one was home. Over the years, his children had grown up and moved out, his wife had found a career of her own, and now the house was empty. There was no one to share the good news with. 

The author’s point is pretty clear, isn’t it? In our human condition we have a prideful tendency to work for self gratification or for some worldly image of success rather than living for what the song above sings … for the basics of life, which conform to God’s will and His ways.

Jesus clearly told His Disciples (and you and me by extension) that when we live to express His commandments in our lives, we will manifest Himself to others [see John 14:21]. But therein lies the rub, doesn’t it? As with Solomon, we so often default in life to selfish motives and worldly ideas of success, rather than seeking God’s will and His ways. Hence, as did Solomon, we live, as he wrote in his journal in Ecclesiastes [see highlight passage above], for vanity rather than for God’s glory.

The Apostle Paul also chided Christians (see Ephesians 4:1-2 and 5:15-17) to do all we can to our lives wisely and circumspectly, seeking God’s ways and acting on them.

And the question I deal with EVERYDAY is … “AM I ?!”

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Help me, Lord, to discern Your will and walk in Your ways. 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.

April 10, 2016: Sweet Words

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 101  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group Unspoken singing their poignant song, Call It Grace,… declaring the reality that we, who have received God’s saving grace in Christ, have to share with others … God’s love in the form of the grace we speak into the lives of others.

Highlight Passage:  Proverbs 16:24 [NKJV] … 
24  Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, … sweetness to the should and health of the bones.   
… Our words should be God’s love and grace to others.
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Highlight Context – Proverbs 12:18, 13:3, 16:24 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God gives us His sweet words on how our sweet words should give His grace to others. 
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Reference Passage #1 - Ephesians 4:29 [NKJV] …  
29 Leet no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, … that it may impart grace to the hearers. 
… If our words aren’t sweet enough to provide God’s grace to the hearer or to build him/her up in some way, … God says, thru Paul, to keep them to ourselves.

Reference Passage #2 - James 3:8-12 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus’ brother challenges Christians to beware of what is spoken from our lips which can shape or tear down the lives of others.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Julie Ackerman Link used a rather challenging word picture to illustrate Our need use our words to share sweetness and healing with others. She wrote: When the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamen was discovered in 1922, it was filled with things ancient Egyptians thought were needed in the afterlife. Among items such as golden shrines, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and weapons was a pot filled with honey—still edible after 3,200 years! 
Today we think of honey primarily as a sweetener [see attached photo], but in the ancient world it had many other uses. Honey is one of the only foods known to have all the nutrients needed to sustain life, so it was eaten for nutrition. In addition, honey has medicinal value. It is one of the oldest known wound dressings because it has properties that prevent infection. 

God’s word has some very pointed exclamations on how we should use our words in our interactions and encounters with others. If you’ll take the time to read, study, and meditate on the pointed exhortations from God’s word above on how we use our words, perhaps you’ll be challenged, as was I, to watch what we say more vigilantly today or tomorrow than we normally do. … And, of all those directives from God above, the Apostle Paul’s words to the Church (and to us) probably ring the clearest to me (see Ephesians 4:29). He said, … in essence, … if our word choices aren’t designed to either give another the grace of God’s love or to build them up in some way, … we should just KEEP OUR MOUTHS SHUT.

I think that’s clear enough, … don’t you?

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Help me, Lord, to speak Your sweetness and grace into someone’s life 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.

April 9, 2016: Trouble Free? … NOT!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 100  

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing their poignant song, He’ll Do Whatever It Takes,… declaring the reality that we, who have received God’s saving grace in Christ, will have to face in life to be sanctified and to give God the glory for how we’ve suffered.

 
Highlight Passage:  2nd Corinthians 4:8-9; 17-18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul lays out the theology of suffering … the WHY behind the WHAT!!
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Highlight Context – 2nd Corinthians 4:8-18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… What we go thru in this life is merely preparation for eternity with Christ.
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Reference Passage #1 - John 16:33 [NKJV] …  
33 “… These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 
 … In Christ we become overcomers of the the trials in our lives.

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.” 
… Trials reshape us to be His witness.

Reference Passage #3 - 2nd Corinthians 11:22-33 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … 
… Paul was a role model in his suffering for Christ and for the Kingdom Gospel.

Reference Passage #4 - James 1:2-4 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jesus’ brother challenges Christians to let trials have their way in our lives … that we can develop the patience we need to be witnesses for Christ

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Dave Roper used a rather challenging word picture to illustrate the trials we will encounter in life for God’s glory. He wrote: I like to watch birds at play, so years ago I built a small sanctuary in our backyard to attract them. For several months I enjoyed the sight of my feathered friends feeding and flitting about—until a Cooper’s Hawk made my bird refuge his private hunting reserve [see attached photo]. Such is life: Just about the time we settle down to take our ease, something or someone comes along to unsettle our nests. Why, we ask, must so much of life be a vale of tears? 

As the ODB author today points out, we are going to encounter various trials in life. Jesus even promised that to His Disciples (see John 16:33); and the Apostle Paul was certainly a role model of suffering for Christ’s sake (see 2nd Cor. 11:22-33). But as Jesus’ brother pointed out (see James 1:2-4), there is a reason for the trials of life. They are to shape or reshape us for Glory; and as the linked song declares above, God will do whatever it takes, sometimes the tough trials of life, to allow us to become a semblance of His own image. And that can be tough at times.

But today, I plan on facing up to whatever comes my way so that I become the witness my Lord challenged me to become for His glory [see Acts 1:8]. … How about you?

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Bring it on, Lord; … and I pray I’ll be up for whatever You have for me 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.

April 8, 2016: Absent Here - Present There!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 99 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Fernando Ortega singing, Beyond the Sky,… declaring the reality that we, who have received God’s saving grace in Christ, will be with Him in glory … FOREVER.

Highlight Passage: John 11: 25-27 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Martha shows her absolute faith in Jesus as Lord
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Highlight Context – John 11:1-44 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus comforts Martha and others with the reality of His ultimate victory over death. 
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Reference Passage #1 - 2nd Corinthians 5: 8 [NKJV] … 
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 
… Paul declares to/for Christians that we can KNOW … that when we die, we will be with our Lord … forever!!

Reference Passage #2 - 1st Thessalonians 4: 17-18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… We can be comforted in grief by the reality that, as born-again believers, we will ALL be with Jesus forever.

My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Lawrence Darmani, used picture of African cultural practices at the death of a loved one. He wrote: People post obituary notices on billboards and concrete block walls in Ghana regularly. [see attached photo] Headlines such as “Gone Too Soon, … Celebration of Life, and … What a Shock!” announce the passing away of loved ones and the approaching funerals. One I read—“In Transition”—[which] points to life beyond the grave. 

As the ODB author today points out, it’s tough emotionally when a dear loved one dies, … especially if that death is unexpected or out of the ordinary, perhaps to a very young relative or friend. And if we didn’t have the hope we have in Christ, such a loss could be almost unbearable. But, as Christians, when other beloved Christians might pass on, we do have that hope, don’t we … that to be absent from the body will be presence with the Lord.

And Darmani today refers to the wonderful story of the passing of Jesus’ very close friend, Lazarus; and how grieved were her family, … with Martha’s faith in Christ, as her Messiah, showing up clearly in her brother’s passing and Jesus’ presence. Martha has always gotten a bit of a bad faith rap from the story [in Luke 10:38-42) of her impatience with her sister Mary, who was so devoted to Jesus when He visited the family. But in this story we see how the hope Martha had in Jesus, as Lord, came bubbling to the fore; and we can have comfort from her faith as well as the Apostle Paul’s teaching in 2nd Cor. 5:8 and 1st Thes. 4:17-18 … that any beloved one who dies in Christ will spend eternity with our Lord and will be with our Lord immediately after death.

 So, if anyone reading here misses a dearly departed one today, … take heart … and believe with Martha that you will be with your beloved forever.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Yes, Lord, You are the “resurrection and the life” … and I will be with You forever. 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.

April 7, 2016: Which Way Is Best?

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 98

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group Hillsong singing, There Is None Like You,… declaring the greatness of Our Lord and USING THIS LINK  to hear Don Moen singing, God Will Make A Way declaring that God’s way, His roadway in the wilderness, is always the best way for His chosen to follow Him.

Highlight Passage:  1st Chronicles 17:16, 20 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK ... 
    … David yields to God’s ways in humility and gratefulness.
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Highlight Context – 1st Chronicles 17:1-22 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… David had plans; but God had other plans; and so, David yielded to God’s way.
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Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… He shows us His way when we trust Him.

Reference Passage #2 - Habakkuk 3:17-19 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God’s Prophet declares that The Lord’s ways are always the best ways.

Reference Passage #3 - Romans 8:28 [NKJV] …   28 ALL THINGS work together for god for those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purposes. 
 … Paul declares that, God’s ways will always be the good way for all Christians. 

Reference Passage #4 - Philippians 4: 11-13 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …    
… Paul declares that, no matter where he is or what his circumstances, his contentment comes from his Lord, … King Jesus. 

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, used a personal story to illustrate her teaching. She wrote: When my husband was 18 years old, he started a car-cleaning business. He rented a garage, hired helpers, and created advertising brochures. The business prospered. His intention was to sell it and use the proceeds to pay for college, so he was thrilled when a buyer expressed interest. After some negotiations, it seemed that the transaction would happen. But at the last minute, the deal collapsed. It wouldn’t be until several months later that his plan to sell the business would succeed. … It’s normal to be disappointed when God’s timing and design for our lives do not match our expectations. 

The ODB author today went on to use the story of King David, being disappointed when he was not allowed to build a Temple for His Lord even though He had all the right motives and skills. Yet even in his disappointment, he yielded to God’s ways as the best for him and God’s chosen (see the highlight passage linked above).

Habakkuk, God’s Prophet in times of turmoil in 7th century Judah, had to learn that God’s ways are always the best ways; and he wrote a song to honor the ways of God (see Habakkuk 3:17-19). And the Apostle Paul wrote to his fellow Christians that we must learn to be content with God’s ways, no matter what they might be (see Romans 8:28 and Philippians 4:11-13).

So … QUESTION: … Are we going to do our best to seek and follow God’s way today or try to go it on our own? ... No brainer, … right?

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Your way, Lord … is my way. … Shine Your light brightly on my path; and I’ll be right behind 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.

April 6, 2016: At the Cross

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 97

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Chris Tomlin singing his song, At The Cross,… declaring that eternal place where all Christians find the love of God forever.

Highlight Passage:  1st Corinthians 1: 18 [NKJV] …    
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 
… Paul declares the reality of the cross to those who choose to reject Christ’s finished work. 
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Highlight Context – 1st Corinthians 1:18-31 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul expounds on the eternal power of THE CROSS.
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Reference Passage #1 - Galatians 6:11-15 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul very personally declares what the cross means to him - and to all who surrender to what Christ did there for our eternal glory.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Dennis Fisher, presents an interesting comparison to illustrate his teaching about the power of THE CROSS. He wrote: One of the most recognizable images in the US is the “HOLLYWOOD” sign in Southern California. People from all over the globe come to “Tinseltown” to gaze at cement footprints of stars and perhaps catch a glimpse of celebrities who might pass by. It’s hard for these visitors to miss the sign anchored in the foothills nearby. … Less well known in the Hollywood hills is another easily recognized symbol—one with eternal significance. Known as the Hollywood Pilgrimage Memorial Monument, this 32-foot cross looks out over the city. The site served as the venue for The Pilgrimage Play, a drama about Christ. The two icons showcase an interesting contrast. Movies good and bad will come and go. Their entertainment value, artistic contributions, and relevance are temporary at best. The cross, however, reminds us of a drama eternal in scope. 

The Apostle Paul, when writing to a very cosmopolitan and confused Greek culture in Corinth used the symbol of THE CROSS to illustrate how Greeks saw what Christ did on Calvary in a very different light than did those who had come to believe in Christ’s atoning work on the cross [see the highlight passage linked above from 1st Corinthians 1]. And to this day the symbol of THE CROSS causes great controversy - and even consternation - in our world; … some even wanting to have it eliminated from the public arena where it serves as a stark sign they simply don’t want to see.

But all who see it … in Hollywood or hanging around someone’s neck, … are going to have to deal with its reality and either accept it, believing in the One Who finished His atoning work there, or rejecting that truth. But the cross will always stand as the eternal symbol of CHRIST in our world. So today, … and always, … we must go there, as Chris Tomlin, sings; and receive it or reject it. I’m praying all who’re with me here have done the former.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Your finished work on the cross has saved me forever. … HALLELUJAH!!! 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.

April 5, 2016: No Matter What!!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 96

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of three friends, Clay Crosse, Bebe Wynans, and Bob Carlisle, singing, I Will Follow Christ,… declaring their desire to stand strong and follow Christ … NO MATTER WHAT!!!

Highlight Passage:  Jeremiah 1:5 [NKJV] …    
5 [From God’s call] … “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; [and] before you were born I sanctified you; … I ordained you [to be] a Prophet to the nations.” 
… Jeremiah’s calling was set by God even before his birth.
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Highlight Context – Jeremiah 1:4-9 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Jeremiah called so young to do so much!
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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. 
… When we trust in God’s calling and direction, He will forge our ways.

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.” 
…Our calling is clear … to be His witnesses …

Reference Passage #3 - Romans 8:28 [NKJV] …
28 All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purposes. 
…Yes … ALL things we face teach us to face ALL things we will face.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson, used an illustrative story of the popular Bible teacher, John Piper. He wrote: In 1986, John Piper nearly quit as minister of a large church. At that time he admitted in his journal: “I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand.” But Piper didn’t walk away, and God used him to lead a thriving ministry that would eventually reach far beyond his church. 

Certainly by all current standards of Christian ministry, John Piper would be called a “successful” Pastor, Bible teacher, Christian apologist and author. But our ODB author, Tim G, asks, … what if Piper’s calling to ministry had not flourished when he decided not to walk away from the road God had paved for this dynamic Christian servant?

And that was the challenge faced by the Prophet Jeremiah, wasn’t it? As we read in the journal of the “weeping Prophet,” [see Jeremiah 1:4-9 linked above] the road was paved for Jeremiah to be a Prophet to Judah when the Babylonians were besieging God’s people and carrying them off to Babylon. Jeremiah stepped into that calling; but by worldly standards, Jeremiah’s ministry would have probably been seen as a bust. However, as we read in Jeremiah’s book and his follow up in Lamentations, the Prophet didn’t walk out on God; and even though he was chided by God’s people, beaten, imprisoned and ultimately stoned, he never walked away from God.

Perhaps those who read here are, like me, in the midst of some challenging time in our life. So, … are we going to turn around and walk away from God or will we walk on in faith and, no matter what happens, will we follow the road God has paved for us?

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, …Thank You, Lord, for You calling on my life unto salvation and sanctification into the ministry of discipleship. Help me to stay the course. 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.

April 4, 2016: Grace From Wisdom

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 95

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group Unspoken singing their song, Call It Grace,… singing of God’s imparted wisdom to help us deal of life, and it’s nothing more or less than God’s grace!!!

 
Highlight Passage:  James 1:5 [NKJV] …    
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 
… If we lack God’s wisdom, we are to pursue it with determination and faith.
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Highlight Context – James 1:1-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… James expounds on our grace coming from God and flowing from the wisdom He imparts to those who seek it.
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Reference Passage #1 - Romans 8:28 [NKJV] …
28 All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purposes. 
…Yes ALL things we face teach us to face ALL things we will face.

Reference Passage #2 - 1st Corinthians 10:13 [NKJV] …
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 
… God brings us through the trials (i.e., temptations ) of life to provide us with the grace to handle our future growth in Christlikeness.

Reference Passage #3 - 2nd Corinthians 11: 22-33 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul going through many, many trials was given the wisdom to shepherd the persecuted Christians of his day.

Reference Passage #4 - 2nd Corinthians 12: 9 [NKJV] …
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
… God’s grace is imparted most generously into those who seek it in times of weakness and trials.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Bill Crowder, used a date-marked historical illustration for his teaching. He wrote: On April 4, 1968, American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated, leaving millions angry and disillusioned. In Indianapolis, a largely African-American crowd had gathered to hear Robert F. Kennedy speak. Many had not yet heard of Dr. King’s death, so Kennedy had to share the tragic news. He appealed for calm by acknowledging not only their pain but his own abiding grief over the murder of his brother, President John F. Kennedy. … Kennedy then quoted a variation of an ancient poem by Aeschylus (526–456 bc): “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”

Crowder was trying to illustrate how God’s enabling grace comes from the wisdom imparted to us by our history and life experiences. Certainly that is what the half-brother of Jesus, James, teaching about such life-growing experience, writes in today’s highlight passage (see James 1:1-8). And who would not agree with me, that our wisdom in dealing with life is enhanced most sharply from God shepherding us through the watch care of tough circumstances.

That’s how Paul gleaned the wisdom to teach and help the persecuted Christians of his day. God put him though the ringer of really tough experiences (see 2nd Cor. 11:22-33) to give him the grace from wisdom to help other Christians deal with the persecution and temptations they were facing [see also 1st Cor. 10:13].

 And we need to take God’s grace, from the circumstance we face. and use those experiences to deal with life and help others along the way as well. What Paul taught in Romans 8:28 was true; but do we believe it and do we live it out in our lives, … especially during the tough times.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, …Thank You, Lord, for imparting Your grace and giving me Your wisdom through the circumstances of my life. Help me to grow from these times and to help other grow to serve 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.

April 3, 2016: Hands To Give Our All

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 94 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group Hillsong leading in worship and singing Lord I Offer My Life To You, declaring the purpose of any Christian to open our hearts and our hands to serve the Lord Who gave His all for us.

Highlight Passage:  Exodus 31:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God’s picks exactly the right hands for the right job - His Tabernacle.
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Highlight Context – Exodus 31:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God chooses the right hands to do His Good works ============      

Reference Passage #1 - Ephesians 2:8-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
 … We become the workmanship of God’s grace when we reach out to help others with our hands of faith.

Reference Passage #2 - Ephesians 4:11-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… God imparts His gifts to be used by His church for His glory.

Reference Passage #3 - Colossians 3:22-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… When we’re serving others in this life, we are to see it as serving the One Who gave His all to serve us. See especially VERSE 23 - where we are to work willingly in whatever we do, as unto the Lord.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Randy Kilgore, used a story picture of the hands of a missionary going to work, using his hands for God’s glory and a vehicle to serve a king. The ODB author wrote: In 1878, when Scotsman Alexander Mackay arrived in what is now Uganda to serve as a missionary, he first set up a blacksmith forge [see attached photo] among a tribe ruled by King Mutesa. Villagers gathered around this stranger who worked with his hands, puzzled because everyone “knew” that work was for women. At that time, men in Uganda never worked with their hands. They raided other villages to capture slaves, selling them to outsiders. Yet here was this foreign man at work forging farming tools. Mackay’s work ethic and life resulted in relationships with the villagers and gained him an audience with the king. Mackay challenged King Mutesa to end the slave trade, and he did. 

It’s a good word picture, … showing how God’s uses the gifts and talents which He gives us so that we can turn around and open our hands and use them for Him. When the Lord showed Moses how to build His Tabernacle [see the Exodus 31 passage above], God chose exactly the right hands to serve THE King, … just as He chose and used Alexander MacKay in Uganda; … and just as He will use any Christian who has been given special - Spirit-imparted - gifts to be used, with open hands, for His glory [see the Eph. 2 & 4 and Col. 3 passages linked above].

The question this ODB poses for any reading with me today is … AM I USING MY GOD-GIVEN GIFT{S} FOR MY GOD’S GLORY? … And if not, why not?

God gave me His gifts of teaching and encouragement [or exhortation]; and I’ll leave it to you to determine whether I’ve used them here with this blog to serve Him. He certainly deserves me being here each day to use my blacksmith’s hands to shape these words to lovingly instruct and encourage others.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Lord, Jesus, … may I use all that You’ve given me to serve others and 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.

April 2, 2016: Way Too Close!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 93 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Chris Tomlin singing his popular song, How Great Is Our God, declaring the reality of see God showing Himself in His creation and our lives; … and THEN ON TO THIS LINK  to hear blind singer, Gordon Mote, singing Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory, with his plea for Christians to do all we can to get some glimpses of God’s glory.

Highlight Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … 
5 Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart; [and] do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. 
… Easier said than done at times, isn’t it? … But doing life our own way is just plain dumb! 
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Highlight Context – Proverbs 3:1-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Solomon writes to his son - and all believers - about trusting in God
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Reference Passage #1 - Psalm 119:9-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru His psalmist, tells us to dwell in God’s truth to stay away from the storms of sin.

My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, David C. McCaslandd, told a personal story to illustrate his teaching. The ODB author wrote: I grew up in Oklahoma where severe weather is common from early spring through the end of summer. I recall one evening when the sky boiled with dark clouds, the TV weather forecaster warned of an approaching tornado, and the electricity went out. Very quickly, my parents, my sister, and I climbed down the wooden ladder into the storm cellar behind our house where we stayed until the storm passed by [see attached photo]. Today “storm chasing” has become a hobby for many people and a profitable business for others. The goal is to get as close as possible to a tornado without being harmed. Many storm chasers are skilled forecasters with accurate information, but I won’t sign up for a tornado tour anytime soon.

To me, chasing storms, especially tornadoes, is like trying to see how close we can get to the edge of sinfulness without going over the edge into a chasm of death. … DUMB!!! … Yesterday was “April Fool’s Day,” … and being a sin chaser to me is the penultimate form of foolishness. And yet, in the ministry God has led me to lead in our church, I see it happen all too often [see “Battle Plan Ministry” described @ THIS LINK].

In this ministry I see husbands, fathers, business leaders, … or even Christian pastors who try to satisfy their curiosity by seeing what the enticement is with p0rnography; … and WHAMMO!!! The storm chaser becomes addicted to this evil XXX plague; and it ruins his marriage, his career, his family, or his ministry. We’ve seen it too often in the media, haven’t we; and yet, there are still storm chasers out there - or should I call them “sin chasers,” … playing with the dangers of this sinful world, thinking they can beat the storm by getting as close as they can and yet avoiding it’s deadly winds. … Again, I say … DUMB!!!!!!!

Solomon gave wise advise to his kid (see Proverbs, Chapter 3) and to us, by trying to get believers to stay as far away from the storms of sin as we can in life and yet stay as close to our God as we can. And God’s psalmist, in Psalm 119, even gave God’s prescription to avoid the storms of sinful living; … by telling immature believers to bury God’s word deeply into our hearts that we might avoid the sin tornadoes of life.

So, today, let’s not be storm chasers; … let’s build good storm sellers; and when the storm shows up, let’s get in and avoid the deadly winds of sin.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … I keep building my storm cellar by being here day after day in your word. Please protect me from the winds of sin. … 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.

April 1, 2016: No Fooling Around!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 92 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Chris Tomlin singing his popular song, How Great Is Our God, declaring the reality of see God showing Himself in His creation and our lives; … and THEN ON TO THIS LINK  to hear blind singer, Gordon Mote, singing Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory, with his plea for Christians to do all we can to get some glimpses of God’s glory.

Highlight Passage:  Psalm 100: 5 [NLT] …  
5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues FOREVER; and His faithfulness continues to each generation. 
… NO FOOLING on this April fool's day; ... look around and see the glory of God.                
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Highlight Context – Psalm 100 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
 … God shows up and shows off every day in His creation and in our lives … we pray not to miss Him as He shows up.
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Reference Passage #1 - Psalms 93-99 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The series of songs displaying the glory of God and honoring the wonder of Whom we serve.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Dave Branon, reminded his ODB readers (me) of our God showing up everyday and showing off in His creation in the wonder of the circumstances of our lives. Branon wrote: Psalm 100 is like a work of art that helps us celebrate our unseen God. While the focus of our worship is beyond view, His people make Him known. … What a picture, inspired by our God … our good, loving, and faithful God. No wonder it will take forever to enjoy His greatness! … Nothing is more awesome than to know God. 

And do I sense a witness of a resounding “AMEN” from anyone reading with me here? Can we not look around and see the glory of God’s creation [see attached photo]? And if you’ve seen your child come into this world, were you not in awe of the wonder of our God? Or, … when you hear a grand symphony by Beethoven or Bach, do we not revel in the creative genius perpetrated by God to allow for music like that to be created for His glory.

Chris Tomlin and Gordon Mote sing of that glory [see links above]; and I love especially when a blind singer, like Gordon, sings a plea for God not to let him miss the glory of God’s Name. So, please take the the time to read and meditate on all of the Psalms (see numbers 93-100 linked above), which were written by God’s psalmists, to give honor to the glory of our God. And then join me in praying that, as GM sings above, we will look around to see God’s glory unfold in our lives today.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … O LORD, show off for me today that I may see and revel in 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.

March 31, 2016: Following Him

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 91 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …   Please take the time to take in a video of Daniel O’Donnell’s lovely tenor voice singing, Here I Am, Lord, declaring the intent of any Christian to follow Christ anyway, anytime, anywhere.

Highlight Passage:  Mark 2: 17 [NLT] …  
17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
 … Jesus came to served the sick, not the well, and that even included sinners like Levi. 
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Highlight Context – Mark 2:13-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Levi, the tax collector, was called by Jesus and he followed Christ, renamed by Jesus to become “Matthew,” the Apostle whose name means “gift from God”
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Reference Passage #1 - Luke 5:27-32; 9:23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Luke’s version of Jesus calling Levi to follow Him; and Jesus’ command to all who would follow Him.

Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Corinthians 5:17 [NKJV] …  
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 
…The degree to which we surrender to Christ’s pursuit of our spirit is the degree to which he can reshape us into His image.

Reference Passage #3 - Acts, Chapter 9 [NLT] …USE THIS LINK …  
… Read and meditate on how Jesus came after the ultimate sinner, … Saul of Tarsus

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Marvin Williams, used the story of Jesus calling out the tax collector, Levi [see attached photo], to become Matthew, a beloved Disciple of our Lord. Williams wrote: Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to call the spiritually unfit to follow Him. Levi was one such person. Jesus saw him sitting in his tax collector’s booth and said, “Follow me” (Mark 2:14). His words captured Levi’s heart, and he followed Jesus. Tax collectors were often greedy and dishonest in their dealings and were considered religiously unclean. When the religious leaders saw Jesus having dinner at Levi’s house with other tax collectors, they asked, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (2:16). Jesus replied, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (2:17). 

And as I meditated on the ODB entry today, I vividly recalled how my Lord came after me, … a reprobate, recalcitrant sinner … calling myself an “agnostic,” though I was really an atheist, doing all I could to tear down the faith of Christians around me. And I was a sinner, deeply addicted to sex, wallowing in the pursuit of impurity and infidelity. And yet Jesus became my pursuer … and ultimately my healer (i.e., Jehovah Rapha), … just as he was for Levi, the tax collector (see Mark 2 and Luke 5 linked above), … as well as Saul of Tarsus, who was a persecutor and killer of Christians (see Acts, Chapter 9 above).

Perhaps you were one of those, like me, who was pursued and broken, and now is being reshaped by God’s Spirit. And you know that Jesus lives up to His reputation as “the Hound of Heaven.” On the other hand, maybe you were one of those fortunate ones who came to follow Christ as Lord and Savior at a very young age as my grandkids have/are. If so, following Christ has been a lifelong pursuit; and so I say “HALLELUJAH” … for you.

 So, my fellow Christian, … I’ve now become addicted to my pursuit of Christ, … as evidenced by my being here day-after-day-after-day, gleaning direction and joy from God’s word and blogging it for others to read, … like you today. But having been a flagrant unbeliever, like Levi and Saul of Tarsus, I truly appreciate how Jesus comes after even the worst of sinners; and He’s willing to lead a Levi or a Saul, and yes, even a Bill Berry, out of the pits of sin and heal us with His Spirit to become reflective images of our Lord and Savior.

 And if you’re one of those, like me, join me in singing along with Daniel O’Donnell in the linked song today, Here I Am Lord.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Yes, Lord, here I am … today and all days … 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.

March 30, 2016: Truly Amazing Grace!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 90 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing, Your Grace Still Amazes Me, declaring the amazing God which transforms the lives of those who come to receive God’s amazing gift of love.

Highlight Passage:  Acts 9:3 [NLT] …
3 As he [Saul of Tarsus] was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 
 … God’s grace can sometimes be overwhelming.
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Highlight Context – Acts 9:1-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
 … Saul of Tarsus, knocked off his horse by God’s grace.
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Reference Passage #1 - Lamentations 3: 22 [NLT] …
22a The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 
… God's promise that His mercy and grace are new every morning.

  Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Corinthians 12: 9 [NKJV] …
9 And He [Jesus] said to me [Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
… Paul learned the power of God’s grace to overwhelm his weaknesses.

Reference Passage #3 - Ephesians 2:8; 3:7 [NLT] …USE THIS LINK …  
… Paul surrendered to God’s amazing grace in service to His Lord’s merciful gift.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Anne Cetas, wrote of God’s amazing grace which saved Saul of Tarsus to become the amazing Apostle Paul. The ODB author wrote about how astonishing it must have been for the anti-Christian zealot, Saul of Tarsus, to have been knocked to the ground that day as he traveled to Damascus on a mission to persecute Christians. And Cetas asks her readers (me) if God’s grace has ever had any astounding and/or amazing effects in our lives. 

And as I meditated on the ODB entry today, I had no trouble recalling the morning in my life when I was on my way to work; and God’s grace, was brought to me that day in a testimony on tape of a young man who became quadriplegic. Yet this paralyzed young man testified that he knew God’s grace, thru his Lord, will bring him through this horrible episode. And that story took me that day from brokenness to belief; and God’s amazing grace came pouring into my life, … the grace of salvation to save me … and the grace of sanctification to reshape me. And now, every day, I see that AMAZING grace, which broke the chains of my past unbelief and sinful living, working itself out in my life.

And I see it so many days when I come here to be retouched and renewed by God’s amazing grace, being imparted through His word into my life. And I’m praying that you are seeing our Lord’s mercy and grace work itself out in your life on a daily basis as well.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Thank You, Lord, for your mercies and Your grace, … new every morning … for me and anyone who’s willing and humble enough to receive it. … 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.

March 29, 2016: My Weakness Is His Strength

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 89 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Steven Curtis Chapman singing his lyrics in, His Strength Is Perfect, declaring the reality of God’s promise to give us His strength to cover our weakness in the battles of life.

Highlight Passage:  Judges 7:2 [NKJV] …  
2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 
… God showed Gideon that the Lord was all he needed to win in battle with the Midianites. 
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Highlight Context – Judges, Chapters 6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Gideon learned that God was his strength in battle.
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Reference Passage #1 - Isaiah 41:10 [NKJV] …  
10  Fear not, for I am with you; … be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. 
… God is all we need to cover our weakness in the battles of life.

Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Corinthians 12: 9 [NKJV] …  
9 And He [Jesus] said to me [Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
… Our weaknesses can actually be our best witness to God’s strength in life.

Reference Passage #3 - Philippians 4: 13 [NKJV] …  
13 I can do all things, through Christ, Who gives me the strength. 
… No matter what the circumstances, our strength from God’s Spirit is all we need.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, wrote of Gideon being called to lead God’s people in battle against the fearsome Midianites [read Judges, Chapters 6-7]. Schuldt wrote: No one could have mistaken the ancient Babylonian soldiers for gentlemen. They were ruthless, resilient, and vicious, and they attacked other nations the way an eagle overtakes its prey. Not only were they powerful, they were prideful as well. … God did not want this kind of self-reliance to infect Israel’s forces as they prepared to battle the Midianites. So He told Gideon, Israel’s army commander, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me’ ” (Judges 7:2). 

And we know, from the rest of the story, God paired Gideon’s forces down to 300 worthy warriors; and God led these men to victory over the tens of thousands of crack Midianite soldiers. I really love the story of Gideon in the OT because God came to him as a sniveling coward; and we see that the Lord could even use this weakling once he surrendered to the Lord’s strength to win a great victory for the Lord. And that was the lesson the Apostle Paul also learned and reported in 2nd Cor. 12: 9, where he remembered that Jesus taught him that God’s strength is always enough when we are weakened in fighting the battles of life (see also Isaiah 41:10 and Phil. 4: 13).

So, if any of my fellow Christian warriors are feeling weak in the face of our worldly circumstances today, realize that the best posture we can be in is right where the soldier is in today’s attached photo. And when we realize the truth that Steven Curtis Chapman sings about in the linked song, above, we’ll be able to let God’s strength cover our weakness and do battle in this - at times - cruel world. 

So, … today, … let’s surrender to our Lord and let Him give us the strength to do battle.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … Today, You’ve got my back, Lord. Let’s do battle in Your Name and 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.

March 28, 2016: Unlikely Encounters

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 88 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video of Gretchen Keskeys singing, Then I Met Jesus, declaring how an encounter with Jesus changes one’s life - FOREVER!!

 
Highlight Passage:  Luke 24:30-31 [NKJV] …  
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 
… Jesus reveals himself to two disciples who felt so lost without their Messiah.
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Highlight Context – Luke 24:13-35 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The men on the road to Emmaus had their eyes opened to the resurrected Jesus
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Reference Passage #1 - Luke 9: 23 [NKJV] …  
4 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. …” 
… A faith encounter with the Savior changes a life forever.

Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Corinthians 5:17 [NKJV] …  
4 Therefore, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; … old things have passed away; behold, … all things have become new. 
… A faith encounter with the Savior changes a life forever.

Reference Passage #3 - Galatians 2: 20 [NKJV] …  
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
… When one believes in Christ as Lord and Savior, he/she dies to self and is raised again to a new life in Christ.

  My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, David McCasland, wrote of an Italian artist who painted the scene of the travelers to Emmaus from Luke 24 finally seeing who Jesus really was (is). Our ODB author wrote: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610), an Italian artist, … used ordinary working people as models for his saints and was able to make viewers of his paintings feel they were a part of the scene. The “Supper at Emmaus” shows an innkeeper standing while Jesus and two of His followers are seated at a table when they recognize Him as the risen Lord (Luke 24:31). One disciple is pushing himself to a standing position while the other’s arms are outstretched and his hands open in astonishment. 

I can remember so vividly that morning in 1983 when, after many years of walking in the fog of unbelief, my eyes were finally opened and I recognized Jesus for Whom He really was (is). My astonishment was overwhelming; and my life was changed forever (see 2nd Cor. 5:17 and Gal. 2:20).

Oswald Chambers was quoted in today’s ODB writing: “Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections. The only way a worker can keep true to God is by being ready for the Lord’s surprise visits.” 

And today, … as we walk the roads of life, I think we need to be looking for an encounter where our Savior shows up in some special or unexpected way to help us become more like Him and to allow us to follow Him more closely.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … I’m going to look for You on the road 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.

March 27, 2016: When Scars Shining Brightly

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 87 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a video the group Point of Grace singing, Heal the Wounds, declaring how Christians can let our scars tell the story of God’s saving grace, shining brightly into a very darkened world for hurting souls.

Highlight Passage:  John 20:27 [NKJV] …  
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
 … Jesus’ divinity shone brightly in his scars for Thomas.
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Highlight Context – John 20:24-31 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… Thomas need to see/touch Jesus’ scars to break through His doubts.
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Reference Passage #1 - 1st Corinthians 15:50-58 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …  
… The new body we will experience in Glory … scars will shine brightly for all to see how Jesus turned those scars to stars.

Reference Passage #2 - Revelation 21:4 [NKJV] …  
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 
…The hope of our scars becoming stars in heaven.

My Journal for Today:  Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Philip Yancy, reminded his readers (me) of that time, after the resurrection, when Jesus lovingly offered His scars to Thomas so that the doubting Disciple could believe [see attached photo]. Yancey wrote: One detail in the Easter story has always intrigued me. Why did Jesus keep the scars from His crucifixion? Presumably He could have had any resurrected body He wanted, and yet He chose one identifiable mainly by scars that could be seen and touched. Why? … I believe the story of Easter would be incomplete without those scars on the hands, the feet, and the side of Jesus (John 20:27). 

And I agree that Jesus chose to retain His scars in His heavenly, post-resurrection body, the scars which all believers will one day see shining brightly in heaven to remind us of His finished work for all who’ve come to believe in Him as King Jesus. And we, as Christians, need to remember that our scars - here on earth - become shining evidence of Christ’s saving grace when we’re willing to share them - with our testimony - with others who have troubles believing.

When I’m open and vulnerable enough to share my scar-ridden story with someone who’s been through years of hidden sexual sin, my scars of recovery, redemption, and renewal brightly shine Christ’s ability to restore those who’re willing to believe in the power of Christ to redeem the hurting and the lost. My scars, therefore, become stars, … shining Christ’s light brightly into the life of a sin-ridden lost soul. And perhaps some reader here has scars which you need to open up to show others, through your testimony, so that some hurting, maybe even bleeding, soul can find the healing power of Jesus.

So, if God presents such a one to you today or tomorrow, show those scars of salvation to one who needs to believe and be healed for eternity.

My Prayer Today:  Heavenly Father, … My scars, as Point of Grace, sing above, tell my story of redemption. So, let them shine Your light brightly for all to see Your healing grace. … 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.