July 14, 2018 … Wearing Masks

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 194 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the Queen Latifah singing… Fix Me, Jesus … poignantly singing of the humility of coming to Jesus openly/honestly to receive His healing and empowering grace.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Hebrews 4:12 [NKJV] … 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 
… Opening ourselves to the truth of God’s word is like allowing a skilled surgeon to cut away a life threatening cancer; but we must be open to to God’s truth to allow it work in us.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Hebrews 4:12-13 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Being real and following God’s word opens our lives to the healing power of God’s grace thru His Holy Spirit.
=============

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
…We must be vulnerable/humble to trust God with all our heart, leaning on His truth - not our own understanding - to lead us thru life.

Reference Passage : … John 1:1, 8:32 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus is the living word; and it is thru our surrender to His truth that we are set free from ourselves by His Spirit.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Only when will humbly open ourselves to God’s Spirit can we receive the Lord’s healing and empowering grace.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:2-5 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, shows us that we’ve got to humbly be willing to share our burdens and pains with others (especially discerning Christians) to all God’s Spirit to work to heal our hurts.

Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 3:16-17 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Be open to the truth of God’s word is the ONLY WAY we’ll ever be able to be free to follow Christ thru this life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Elisa Morgan, uses a personal experience to illustrate how God’s Spirit and His truth can only work to free us from our hurts when we’re willing to be open, honest, and real with others. The ODB author wrote: I was guest-speaking in a local church and my topic was an honest story about presenting our brokenness before God and receiving the healing He wants to give. Before closing in prayer, the pastor stood in the center aisle, looked deeply into the eyes of his gathered congregants, and said, “As your pastor I have the privilege of seeing you midweek and hearing your heart-breaking stories of brokenness. Then in our weekend worship services, I have the pain of watching you hide your hurt away.” 

Aw, common, admit it; we all have a natural tendency to cover up the real self with masks of worldly acceptance, don’t we? But it’s only when we’re willing to let down the masks (see photo) and reveal our real selves to others - and to God, of course, being humble before God’s Spirit that our Lord can use His truth to heal our longstanding hurts.

That’s the attitude Queen Latifah comes to Jesus with in the linked song; and it’s the only attitude - that of realness and vulnerability - that can allow God, thru His healing word, and the grace provided by His Spirit, to excise the spiritual cancers from our lives and provide real healing for our soul.

So, I pray that all readers have taken in the song and meditated deeply on God’s truth above, and then prayed for God’s empowering grace so that we can take off our masks, … those hiding our pain, … and come, humbly and with vulnerability to God’s throne of grace to receive the healing provided by His truth.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You providing us with Your healing grace when we’re willing to share our pain with You and others.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to be honest and open with my real self today and always … first to You … and then to others whom You might use to help me be strong for 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.

July 13, 2018 …All Knowing God

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 193 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the group Anointed singing… God Is All Around … poignantly singing of the reality that God is aways there … yes, even when we feel lost or alone.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 139:1-3 [NKJV] … 1  O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2  You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3  You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 
… He knows all … ALWAYS!!
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 139:1-14 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… King David sings of God’s omniscience … that He knows all about us … ALWAYS!! 
=============

Reference Passage : … Psalm 23:4 [NKJV]… 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
 … No matter what dark valley where we find ourselves, He will lead us and give us comfort.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3, 41:10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… In all situations in life, God is with us and His watch-care follows us, giving us His peace.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:37-39 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… No matter where we are in life, … NOTHING … can separate us from God’s love and caring hand.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Paul experienced God’s enabling grace in a time of deep pain and infirmity … and we have the same grace available to us as Christ’s disciples.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5-6 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God’s promise that we are never alone; … that He is always with us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lawrence Darmani, uses a personal story to illustrate God’s watch-care over us in dark situations. The ODB author wrote: Did God know about me as I drove at night on a 100-mile journey to my village [see photo]? Given the condition I was in, the answer was not simple. My temperature ran high and my head ached. I prayed, “Lord, I know you are with me, but I’m in pain!” 
Tired and weak, I parked by the road near a small village. Ten minutes later, I heard a voice. “Hello! Do you need any help?” It was a man with his companions from the community. Their presence felt good. When they told me the name of their village, Naa mi n’yala (meaning, “The King knows about me!”), I was amazed. I had passed this community dozens of times without stopping. This time, the Lord used its name to remind me that, indeed, He, the King, was with me while I was alone on that road in my ailing condition. Encouraged, I pressed on toward the nearest clinic. 

Perhaps some who read here find themselves in a dark place and in a weakened state of life. But if we believe what the group “Anointed” sings in the linked song and God’s word above, we know that He is with us ALWAYS and nothing can separate us from His love and grace. And it’s His grace which will guide us and carry us thru those dark times, where He leads us thru the valley of the shadow of death to His place of light.

Keep on, keeping on, dear one!! He is with us today and all days!

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for knowing all about me and always being with me.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … You lift me up in my times of weakness and lead me in my times of darkness … ALWAYS!! … 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.

July 12, 2018 …Fear or Faith?

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 192 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jach Williams singing… Fear Is A Liar … poignantly singing of God’s truth that fear only comes from the author of lies, … Satan. We must choose to ignore the liar and listen only to the Author of Truth … King Jesus!!

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 51:12 [NKJV] … 12  “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of a man who will be made like grass?
… These commands to God’s enslaved Jews carries over as to how we (i) treat others whom God brings into my life where I can show His love/grace to them.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 51:12-16 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God’s promises to His people, thru Isaiah, that no matter what they encounter, He will be there to save them - IF - they have faith in Him.
=============

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3, 41:10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… More truth from God, thru Isaiah, about overcoming fear with our trust in God.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9 [NKJV]… 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. 
… Jesus’ promise to us, thru Paul, that He grace will always cover our weakness by our faith in His finished work on the cross.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God’s anti-anxiety prescription from the Apostle Paul.

Reference Passage : … 2Timothy 1:7 [NKJV]… 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 
… Faith in God gives us His Spirit of love and power, always defeating the spirit of fear which is from Satan.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5-6 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God’s promise that we can always go to Him as our “HELPER” when we’re fearful.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, teaches a truth that we all need to live as Christians. The ODB author wrote: Are you a worrier? I am. I wrestle with anxiety almost daily. I worry about big things. I worry about small things. Sometimes, it seems like I worry about everything. Once in my teens, I called the police when my parents were four hours late getting home. 
Scripture repeatedly tells us not to be afraid. Because of God’s goodness and power, and because He sent Jesus to die for us and His Holy Spirit to guide us, our fears don’t have to rule our lives. We may well face hard things, but God has promised to be with us through it all. 

The interesting thing to realize is that, as Christians, we get to choose whether we exercise a spirit of fear or faith, don’t we? We either choose to live by the truths espoused above in God’s word or we believe the author of fear, … Satan, … and his lies.

Because, as Zach Williams sings in the linked song, “Fear … He is a liar!!”

So, let me pray that we cast aside any fears we have today, especially given any trials we encounter, and jump over any chasm of fear (see photo), landing on the strong ground provided for us in our faith in Christ. Let’s all believe the TRUTH of God’s word above, and then let’s live by it today. 

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for giving us Your grace to overcome our fears.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … I will walk by faith today and refuse to believe the lies of the enemy. … 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.

July 11, 2018 …Open To All

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 191 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Sidewalk Prophets singing their song … Come To The Table … poignantly singing of God’s invitation to all to come to His Table, open to anyone/everyone who are willing to accept His invitation of love/grace.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Leviticus 19:33-34 [NKJV] … 33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. 
… These commands to God’s enslaved Jews carries over as to how we (I) treat others whom God brings into my life where I can show His love/grace to them.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Leviticus 19:1-9, 33-34 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God’s people, when they were slaves in Egypt, were reminded and admonished to treat sojourners with God’s hospitality, challenging us, of course, to do the same for others with needs who sojourn into our lives.
=============

Reference Passage : … Matthew 25:31-46 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… One day God will sit on His throne and judge us based on how we treated others when the opportunity arose.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:3-5 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, exhorts Christians to be like Jesus and be willing to reach out and help others when we have the opportunity/resources.

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 2:11-12 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… We’re all just travelers in a foreign land, going home to be with Jesus. Therefore, we should treat all fellow travelers with God’s love/grace.

Reference Passage : … Revelation 3:20 [NKJV] … 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
… Jesus wants in to share at His table; but we’ve got to answer His knock and open the door on His offer of fellowship.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Peterson, uses a personal story to illustrate how Christians must respond with Christlike love/grace when we have the opportunity to share God’s love and providence with others. The ODB author wrote: When my husband and I moved to Seattle to be near his sister, we didn’t know where we would live or work. A local church helped us find a place: a rental house with many bedrooms. We could live in one bedroom, and rent the others to international students. For the next three years, we were strangers welcoming strangers: sharing our home and meals with people from all over the world. We and our housemates also welcomed dozens of international students into our home every Friday night for Bible study. 

Well, … fellow Christians, … that story and where God led me today thru the ODB highlight scriptures and into the other reference passages above, really has me convicted this morning.

And then I remembered a new song I heard recently, to which I’ve linked readers above, which has convicted me even more. And my conviction has me in quandary as to whether I open my life to other fellow sojourners in this life to help them by sharing God’s love/grace when they have needs which I might be able to meet.

And Jesus’ words in Matt. 25 and Rev. 3:20 above have pinned me against the wall here today, asking me if I really do enough to help others when I see need with where I might be help, but instead, I balk at the opportunity. Perhaps God is enlisting me to invite others to come to His table to share more of the providence of love/grace He has given me.

I’m dealing with those questions here in my time with God this morning; but I’ll leave it to you to see where you are today as we share God’s table of love in this quiet/safe place.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for bring me to Your table, Lord! 
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … May I invite someone to dine at Your table 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.

July 10, 2018 … How Deep God's Love

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 190 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Selah singing a contemporary version of the old hymn … How Deep The Father’s Love For Us … poignantly singing of God’s amazing love which is deeper than we can ever fathom.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 41:33-34 [NKJV] … 33 On earth there is nothing like him [the Leviathan of the deep], which is made without fear.34  He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.” 
 … God’s picture of the vast greatness of our God’s creation, which we’ll never be able to tame or even understand.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Job 41-42 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God shows Job that the power and depth of His love, like the depth of the oceans and the creatures therein, is so deep and so vast it will never be grasped by our finite minds. Therefore, as did Job, we must simply surrender and trust our God.
=============

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Since we can never fully grasp the depth of our God, we must simply trust Him.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 104:15-16 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… The Psalmist sings of God’s greatness and the depth of His love with the picture of the mysterious Leviathan.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, quotes a marine biologist about the vast oceans and how man will never fully grasp God’s creations in the deep. The ODB author wrote: “When you go to the deep sea, [see photo] every time you take a sample, you’ll find a new species,” says marine biologist Ward Appeltans. In one recent year, scientists identified 1,451 new types of undersea life. We simply don’t know the half of what’s down there. 

When Job was trying to understand the “WHY” of all that had happened to him, God gave him just an inkling of His greatness and how Job - and any of us - will never fully grasp the Lord’s greatness, … His power, … nor His love. … yes, even if we were to encounter the likes of what Job had encountered.

In Chapter 41 of Job’s poetic journal (use link above), God used the picture of a great and mysterious creature of the deep, the Leviathan, to picture His power and His greatness. And then if you read on into Chapter 42 (please do so!), you see that Job finally just trusted God was God and that His love for Job would never fully be grasp. And with Job’s complete surrender and trust in God, the Lord restored all that Job had lost.

I pray today that we understand that we’ll never fully understand or grasp the greatness, the power, nor the depth of God’s love … just as Job couldn’t understand why God would allow what had happened to him. It’s as the group Selah sings in the linked song; and I pray that we simply surrender … and yield … and follow our God today, … yes, even when we don’t fully understand our Lord’s greatness or what we see unfolding in our midst.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You Your creation, so vast and so deep that I must simply trust You for what is to come.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Your greatness, Lord, is too great for me to grasp; … therefore, I will trust You with all I cannot understand. … 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.

July 9, 2018 … “Shhhh”

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 189 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Crowder, along with Tauren Wells, singing … All My Hope … poignantly singing of the hope we have in Jesus … no matter what we go thru in life.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 131:2 [NKJV] … 2  Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 
 … David found peace, like that of a child with his mother, when his faith rested on God. 
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 131 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… King David sings of the contentment and hope He has in his God.
=============

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God will lead us thru the dark valleys of life if we but trust Him and avoid leaning on self for direction.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3 [NKJV] … 3  You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 
… God’s prescription for His peace.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7, 11-13 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle Paul had learned to find contentment in all circumstance with his strength coming from His relationship with Christ [just as Crowder sings in the linked song]

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, uses a word picture of a mother quieting the heart of her child to illustrate how God can quiet our hearts when we have all our hope in Jesus. The ODB author wrote: Picture a parent poised lovingly over a child, finger gently placed in front of nose and lips softly speaking the words—“hush,” “shhhh.” [see photo] The demeanor and simple words are meant to comfort and quiet anxious little ones in the midst of disappointment, discomfort, or pain. Scenes like this are universal and timeless and most of us have been on the giving or receiving end of such loving expressions. When I ponder Psalm 131:2, this is the picture that comes to mind. 

Ever been in a place of disappointment, discomfort, or pain? Sure, … we all have, haven’t we? Well, knowing this for us all, what do we do? Well, several great stalwarts of the faith in the Bible, … Kind David, Solomon, Isaiah, and the Apostle Paul, … wrote (in the Scriptures above) what they did? They took their challenges and troubles to the Lord, trusting that He could and would, like a parent, quiet their souls and give them peace.

So, if any of us is disquieted or troubled reading this today, take in and meditate on the linked linked song, and, as Crowder and his young friend, Tauren sing, let’s all just put our hope in King Jesus. 

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for inviting me to put all my hope in You, knowing that You will give me the strength to deal with my trials.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … All my hope is in 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.

July 8, 2018 … One Body

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 188 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Casting Crowns singing … If We Are The Body … powerfully singing challenging us all, as Cristians to be the Body, the entire Body, of Christ in this world.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Corinthians 12:12 [NKJV] … 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 
… Many diverse gifts … but ONE BODY.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Corinthians 12:4-14 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, explains how the diversity of Christ’s Body, the Church, must use the diversity of our individual gifts to work TOGETHER for God’s glory.
=============

Reference Passage : … Romans 12:3-8 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Paul, explaining to Christians (you and me) how we must pool our individual gifting to work TOGETHER for Christ is His Body.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:11-16 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… As Christians are using our gifts powerful, in unison as one Body to serve Christ in this world?

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Keila Ochoa, uses a botanical word picture to illustrate how the diversity of Christ’s Body, the Church, must all come together, in unity, to serve Him in this world. The ODB author wrote: Corn, also called maize, is the staple food in my home country of Mexico. There are so many different types. You can find yellow, brown, red, and black cobs, even ones with a wonderful spotted pattern. [see photo] But people in the cities usually won’t eat the spotted cobs. Restaurateur and researcher Amado Ramírez explains that they believe uniformity is a synonym of quality. Yet the spotted cobs taste good, and they make excellent tortillas. 
The church of Christ is much more similar to a spotted ear of corn than to a cob of just one color. 

Once any reader has taken in the ODB word picture and the linked song by Casting Crowns, I think the challenge of this devotional loudly asks if each of us, as individual members of Christ’s Body (i.e., the Church) are coming TOGETHER, in unity of power and purpose, to serve our Lord.

What are your Spirit-imparted gifts? Are you using them, in unity with other Christians, to serve Christ? If not, why not?! And if so, PTL!!!

Let’s go do it - TOGETHER - today!!!

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You giving me gifts which I’m using here today, in this very blog, to serve You.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Use my gifts, along with Your Body, 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.

July 7, 2018 … Surrendered

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 187 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Brian Littrell singing a contemporary rendition of the old hymn … I Surrender All … poignantly singing of the dependence on our Savior we should all declare by living as our Lord demands.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: John 5:23b [NKJV] … 23b  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 
… The way we honor God, the Father, is by our surrender to God, the Son
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: John 5:16-23 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Honoring Jesus as the Son of God honors God, the Father.
=============

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Total trust = total surrender!

Reference Passage : … John 14:21, 15:5 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… We must guard our hearts … for as we think, so we become!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, uses a personal remembrance to illustrate how we must declare our total surrender to our Lord. The ODB author wrote: Laura’s mom was battling cancer. One morning Laura prayed for her with a friend. Her friend, who had been disabled for years by cerebral palsy, prayed: “Lord, you do everything for me. Please do everything for Laura’s mother.” 
Laura was deeply moved by her friend’s “declaration of dependence” on God. Reflecting on the moment, she said, “How often do I acknowledge my need for God in everything? It’s something I should do every day!” 

Tough question for us all, wouldn’t you say? And can we declare what Brian Littrell sings in the linked song … that … we surrender our all? And as we answer that question today, we need to recognize that the ONLY way we honor our God with the way we live our lives is to declare and live out our love for our God by being in TOTAL surrender to God’s Son as our LORD.

Well isn’t He?!! … Because John 15:5, is truth!

My friends, … we must abide in Christ because without Him we can do NOTHING! So, I for one am stopping here this morning and making sure that my declaration of dependence to my Lord is signed [see photo] and sealed with my love and the way I live for Him today [see John 14:21].

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You giving me Your empowering grace when I surrender to You.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … I surrender all !!! … 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.

July 6, 2018 … From the Heart

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 186 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Micah Tyler giving testimony and singing his song … Different … poignantly testifying in song how he desires for God to change his heart in order that he can handle the challenges of life.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Samuel 16:7 [NLT] … 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 
 … Creation gives the birds a place to nest and raise their young as we can in this great creation God has provided for us all.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Samuel 16:1-7 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… Samuel searches the hearts of Jesse’s family to find the heart of a king.
=============

Reference Passage : … Psalm 15:1-3, 19:11-13 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… The Psalmists sing of the key to worship of God is the purity of our hearts.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 4:23, 23:7 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… We must guard our hearts … for as we think, so we become!

Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:8, 6:21 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus preaches truth about the condition of our hearts being the key to our relationship with God.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa Samra, uses a family story to illustrate how what is beneath the surface is so often so much more important than what we see on the outside. The ODB author wrote: Our children needed a little coaxing to believe that it was worth putting on snorkeling gear to peer beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea off the shore of the island of Tobago. But after they dove in, they resurfaced ecstatic, “There are thousands of fish of all different kinds! It’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen such colorful fish!” Because the surface of the water looked similar to freshwater lakes near our home, our children could have missed the beauty hidden just below the surface. 

If you’ve taken the time to hear Micah Tyler’s song, the Bible story of God choosing David as king, and the reference Scriptures from the Old/New Testaments above, I think any reader of discernment will see the message here … that God looks at our hearts much more so than what we show on the surface.

If there is beauty in our hearts, God sees it, even if our lives are in turmoil on the outside. And if there is darkness in our hearts, it will find its way to the surface; … but God sees it before it ever does. And we can be sure that God will do whatever it takes to help us change our hearts if we need to do so to worship Him with our choices and pursuits.

I pray that all who read here are on in serious pursuit of a purified heart which will yield a fruitful life for God’s glory.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You staying with me to help purify my heart. 
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Purify my heart, Lord, that I may be able to worship You with my choices 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.

July 5, 2018 … God’s Glorious Creation

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 185 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Gordon Mote singing his song … Don’t Let Miss the Glory … poignantly and powerfully singing of how we, as God’s created glory, should pray to see and appreciate every day all our Lord has created for our good and His glory.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 104:12 [NLT] … 12  The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. 
 … Creation gives the birds a place to nest and raise their young as we can in this great creation God has provided for us all.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Psalms 104:106, 10-23 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK … … The Psalmist sings of God’s wondrous creation.
=============

Reference Passage : … Genesis 1:26:31 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… We must realize that God created all we read of in Genesis 1 for our good and His glory!!

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:19 [NLT]… 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 
… For our good and His glory, God has provided, on this earth and in this life, all we need.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, uses a wonder of nature to illustrate how we should see God’s wondrous creation. The ODB author wrote: On a recent visit with some of our grandchildren, we enjoyed watching a web cam that focused on an eagle family in Florida. Every day we would check in on the mom, the dad, and the baby as they went about their daily routine in their nest high off the ground [see photo]. Each day the parent birds would keep a constant, protective vigil over the eaglet, bringing it fish from a nearby river for nourishment. 

All I ask of my fellow Christians (readers) today is that you take the time to take in the YouTube piece of Gordon Mote singing the song He wrote and sings to honor God’s wondrous creation; and then realize that Gordon Mote is blind (as you’ll see in the video).

This remarkable Christian artist (songwriter, pianist, and singer) played and sang that song on a cruise my wife and I took to Alaska a couple of years ago; and on this trip, along with about 1400 other Christians, we took in some of God’s wondrous glories in the nature of the great Northwest.

I pray that we all look around, no matter where we are today, with the appreciation that God’s grace deserves with all He has provided for us in and from this earth that He has created for us and for His glory.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You all You have created for our well being and Your glory.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to take in all that is around me with the praise You deserve for its 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.

July 4, 2018 … New Life

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 184 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Laura Story singing her song … Death Was Arrested … poignantly singing of how we are brought from death to life and experience new life from the saving and sanctifying grace of God.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Revelation 21:5a [NKJV] … 5 Then He [the Lamb of God] Who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” 
 … Jesus completed work on the cross comes to fruition when He returns to bring His Bride to Himself in glory.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Revelation 21:1-5 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… John’s vision of heaven reveals Jesus on His throne, coming back to make all things new. 
=============

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 5:17 [NKJV]… 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 
… All things become new in all who receive His saving grace.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:6 [NKJV]… 6 … being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; … 
… God has begun his transformation of us and will complete it in glory.

Reference Passage : … Colossians 1:12-13, 2:13-15 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Having been dead in sin, we are raised to newness of life in Christ.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Poh Fang Chia, uses the insights of a little girl about what she desires of a “perfect world” to illustrate the reality of what we have in Christ. The ODB author wrote: Katie was given a school assignment to write an essay entitled “My Perfect World.” She wrote: “In my perfect world . . . ice cream is free, lollipops are everywhere, and the sky is blue all the time, with only a few clouds that have interesting shapes.” Then her essay took a more serious turn. In that world, she continued, “No one will come home to bad news. 
And no one will have to be the one to deliver it.” No one will come home to bad news. Isn’t that wonderful? Those words point powerfully to the confident hope we have in Jesus. He is “making everything new”—healing and transforming our world (Revelation 21:5). 

What little Katie wished for has become reality in the hearts and lives of anyone who has surrendered the old life of sin and has received the saving grace made available to all truly repentant sinners who believe in Christ as Lord. In Christ all things become new (see 2Cor. 5:17) as we live out the Kingdom promises envisioned by the Apostle John in the Revelation [see Rev. 21:5].

One day we will see the Lamb of God on His throne in glory; but for born-again Christians, the Kingdom of God is now; and it is found in the hearts of all who’ve surrendered our selves to the Savior and received His saving and sanctifying grace.

And I’m certainly a poster boy for that reality, just as Peter was, going from an impulsive and cowardly sinner to the leader of the early Church; … just as the Apostle Paul was, being transformed from Saul, the Christian killer, to Paul, the dynamic proclaimer of the gospel; … and once again, just as I was, going from an angry atheist to an Ordained Minister, who now proclaims the power of Christ to change lives and make all things new.

And I pray any/all who read with me here have come to know and experience that newness as we grow toward the completion promised by God’s word (see Phil. 1:6). So, take a few moments and hear Laura Story sing of that new life in Christ; and then join me in a loud ”HALLELUJAH!!!” praising God for the new life we have in Christ.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your transforming grace.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Make me even newer today than yesterday … and even more so tomorrow. … 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.

July 3, 2018 … He Always Sees - He Always Cares

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 182 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing from Psalm 121 … My Help … poignantly singing of God’s promise of His watchcase for His chosen and obedient followers to never leave us nor forsake us.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 121:8 [NKJV] … 8  The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. 
… God’s watch-care over His beloved and chosen ones is eternal.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 121 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… On of several Songs of Ascent, which believing Jews sang as they ascended to Jerusalem three times a year for God’s anointed festivals, proclaiming God’s eternal watch-care over His beloved children.
=============

Reference Passage : … Psalm 23:4 [NKJV] … 4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; … Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
… God will deliver us from the valley of the shadow of death.

Reference Passage : … 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.” 
… Jesus’ promise to His disciples (you and me, too) that He’s our overcomer when we face trials.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 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, thru Paul, promising His faithfulness to give us His strength when we are weak to deal with the trials and temptations of life.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5 [NKJV]… 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
… God’s watch-care promise to never forsake us when we’re willing to rely on His watch-care (see also Joshua 1:5 for the same promise).

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 5:6-7 [NKJV]… 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 
… God, thru Paul, promises that He will lift us up when we’re willing to humble ourselves and surrender to His Spirit.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, uses a personal story to illustrate God’s eternal watch-care over His children. The ODB author wrote: When Xavier was two, he darted into one aisle after another in a … store. Hiding ... [as the little boy in the photo], he giggled when my husband, Alan, said, “I see you.” 
Moments later, I saw Alan dash frantically from aisle to aisle, calling Xavier’s name. We raced to the front of the store. Our child, still laughing, ran toward the open door leading to the busy street outside. 
Within seconds, Alan scooped him up. We embraced as I thanked God, sobbed, and kissed our toddler’s chubby cheeks. 
A year before I became pregnant with Xavier, I’d lost our first child during the pregnancy. When God blessed us with our son, I became a fearful parent. Our shoe store experience proved I wouldn’t always be able to see or protect our child. But I discovered peace as I learned to turn to my only sure source of help—God—when I struggled with worry and fear. 

We’re no different than that parent in today’s ODB as we go thru life, are we? No, … we’re going to face many situations in life which cause us to realize our weakness and our need for God’s watch-care and His enabling/empowering grace. We are his occasionally, if not often, recalcitrant children; and we encounter situations which we cannot handle on our own. However, for those of us who truly believe in all of today’s truth from God’s word (above), we can know that our God will NEVER leave us, nor forsake us. He’s always watching and will always lift us up when we’re lost or weak.

And that’s why the Jews, during and after the times of Moses, sang the songs of ascent, like the highlight passage from Psalm 121, as they went up to Jerusalem three times a year for God’s anointed festivals. They were singing of God’s promises to watch over the obedient followers of Yahweh! And we, as the followers of that promised One, Jesus, The Christ, have discovered likewise - and believe - that our Lord would (and does) watch over us, promising His grace and watch-care from His Spirit.

So, today, … I charge any reader to use the above YouTube link and hear the Brooklyn Tab sing Psalm 121. And I know you will be uplifted - maybe even to tears of joy - as I was, … knowing that our God will always lead us thru the valleys of the shadow of death to His table of plenty as we surrender humbly to His Spirit.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for ALWAYS being there, watch over my life, and leading me out of the darkened valleys.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … As I so often pray, … Lord, shine Your light brightly - as you have today - on my path that even when I’m covered by the darkness, I can see Your way 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.

July 2, 2018 … Christlikeness

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 182 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Joy Williams singing … Do They See Jesus In Me … poignantly singing of the way we, as disciples of Christ, should live our lives - everyday doing all we can to follow and emulate His life.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Peter 3:15 [NKJV] … 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; … 
… Living a Christlike life, we must be ready, … no matter what, … to give an answer to those who see us living out our lives in witness to the Lord.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Peter 3:8-16 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Peter exhorting fellow Christians, even in the face of persecution, to live out Christlikeness in their life.
=============

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NKJV] … 23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross [a]daily, and follow Me. … “ 
… Jesus’ commands to followers to deny self and follow Him in confronting the crosses of life.

Reference Passage : … 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.” 
… Jesus’ charge for all of His disciples to become witnesses got Him in the way we live our lives.

Reference Passage : … Romans 12:1-2 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Paul exhorts Christians to live out their faith in Christ by avoiding walking the ways of the world, … but becoming living sacrifices to walk as Christ would walk.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:1-3 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Paul exhorts Christians to walk in life in a manner worthy of their calling in Christ.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David C McCasland, uses an observation about a Christian-based business to illustrate how we should live so that others see Christlikeness in the way we live. The ODB author wrote: While staying at a hotel in Austin, Texas, I noticed a card lying on the desk in my room [see photo]. It said: 
”Welcome … Our prayer is that your stay here will be restful and that your travels will be fruitful. … May the Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face shine upon you.” 
This card from the company that manages the hotel made me want to know more, so I accessed their website and read about their culture, strength, and values. In a winsome way, they seek to pursue excellence and live out their faith in the workplace. 

That is a great example of living out our faith in the workplace to follow Jesus’ commands and charge to His disciples (see Luke 9:23 and Acts 1:8). And that’s everyday, isn’t it? Everyday, … everywhere, … 24/7 … we, as disciples of Christ, are to be witnesses to Christlikeness. We are to live so that others can see Christ in the way we live. And that’s what Joy Williams sings in the linked song.

But do we?

 I have to charge myself today, [really everyday!] asking if I will live as Peter charged Christians, being persecuted severely in the 1st century, to become a living witness to Christ (see highlight passages); and the Apostle Paul, who had been transformed himself from a Christ hater to a Gospel witness, charged fellow Christians [that’s me too!] to beware the ways of the world and to become living sacrifices and worthy witnesses to Christlikeness (see Romans 12:1-2 and Ephesians 4:1-2). 

And so, AGAIN, I ask myself: “Will others see Christ in the way I live today?”

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for being the Model for my witness.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to walk as You would walk 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.

July 1, 2018 … Jesus = God

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 181 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … Great I AM … poignantly singing of desire as Christians to declare forever that Jesus was - AND IS - the Great I AM!!

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Hebrews 1:[2]-3 [NKJV] … 2 [God’s Son] … 3 Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, … 
… Jesus is God!!
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Hebrews 1:1-10 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru the author if Hebrews, express clearly that Jesus was the Son of God and the clear image of God in the flesh.
=============

Reference Passage : … John 10:22-39 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus expresses as clearly as one could that He and God are one in the same; … see especially verse 30, which states in red letters … “I and My Father are one.” 

Reference Passage : … John 20:30-31 [NKJV] … 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. 
… The Apostle John believed that Jesus was God!

Reference Passage : … Colossians 1:16-17 [NKJV] … 16 For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or [a]principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 
 … AND, … the Apostle Paul certainly believed that Jesus was God!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, uses a painting of a stream as a word picture to illustrate that sometimes we see reality as a reflection of what we perceive. The ODB author wrote: To celebrate a special occasion, my husband took me to a local art gallery and said I could choose a painting as a gift. I picked out a small picture of a brook flowing through a forest. [see photo] The stream-bed took up most of the canvas, and because of this much of the sky was excluded from the picture. However, the stream’s reflection revealed the location of the sun, the treetops, and the hazy atmosphere. The only way to “see” the sky was to look at the surface of the water. 

The ODB author today asks a very revealing question, What is God like? … And how would my readers answer that one as you read this here.

Well the Author of Hebrews (in the highlight passage) answers it unequivocally. He writes that Jesus was, in truth, the Son of God; and that He was was Whom He said He was (in John 10:30) … and Who the Apostle Paul said He was (see Col. 1:16-17).

Well, let’s get down to the bottom-line question, which was brought out by Josh McDowell in 1977 in his classic little book, More Than A Carpenter , where he asked (see Chapter 2), Is Jesus LIAR, LUNATIC, or LORD? Since Jesus clearly claimed to be God, we must decide, as those who heard Him make that claim. Was He a liar? Was He a lunatic? Or … was He Who He claimed to be … LORD?

Like the Jews and others who encountered Jesus in His day, we have to decide if Jesus was Whom He claimed to be … or not? Because that decision is the most important eternal decision we’ll ever make. … Because those who truly believe that Jesus was (and is) God and the Lord of our lives, will - as Jesus promised - have everlasting life. But those who doubt His claim of divinity … WON’T!

We get to choose!

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for giving me the faith to choose to believe that You and the Father are one.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … I will follow You thru life as MY 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.

June 30, 2018 … Opening The Door

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 180 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Shelly Moore singing … Jesus, I Come … poignantly singing of how we must come out of self and open the door where Jesus knocks to come in and bring his love/grace into our lives.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Revelation 3:20 [NKJV] … 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 
 … Jesus wants to fellowship and shine His light into the life of born-again Christians; but He won’t until we open the door and let Him into our lives.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Revelation 3:14-22 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus, thru the Apostle John, sends a letter to a lukewarm church, warning them to be surrendered and fully committed to Him and the Gospel.
=============

Reference Passage : … 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 can’t come into our lives to dispel any darkness with His light until we open the door on His light with our obedience, which opens the door He invites us to open every day of our lives as Christians.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa Samra, uses a painting to illustrate Jesus’ call for believers to open the door our lives so that He can come in and grace us with His light/love. The ODB author wrote: One of my favorite pieces of art hangs in the Keble College chapel in Oxford, England. The painting, The Light of the World by English artist William Holman Hunt, shows Jesus holding a lantern in His hand and knocking on a door to a home. [SEE PHOTO] 
One of the intriguing aspects of the painting is that the door doesn’t have a handle. When questioned about the lack of a way to open the door, Hunt explained that he wanted to represent the imagery of Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.” 

Fellow Christian, do you realize that we, as surrendered, born-again, Christians, only have to be willing to show our love for Him by obediently opening the door, where He knocks at the door of our hearts, everyday, to let His love, light, and grace flow into our lives, just as He told believers in Revelation 3:20. So, perhaps, if we don’t feel His love and grace and fellowship in our lives, all we need to do is humbly open the door and let Him in.

I know that’s why I start each day, … here (or wherever I might be), … coming to open the door to let Him in by opening the door of His love from His word. And everyday, He comes in to be with me just as He promises in His word. Have you, fellow,Christians, heard Him knocking; … and have you opened the door today to let His light in?

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for always being there to come in and dine with me.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Come in, Lord, and bring Your grace with You. I need it again 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.

June 29, 2018 … Sharing God’s Love

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 179 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jackie DeShannon singing the 1960s hit … What the World Needs Now … poignantly singing of what the world desperately needs not … God’s love!!

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: 2 John 1:6 [NKJV] … 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. 
 … Being obedient and following God’s commands is our way of showing our love for Him and it will manifest itself in sharing His love with others.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: 2 John 1:1-6 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… John exhorts Christians to walk in the love of Christ, sharing that love with one another every day.
=============

Reference Passage : … Luke 10:25-28 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… God’s LAW OF LOVE being exposed by our Savior as the way we all should live.

Reference Passage : … 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 to His Disciples as to whom truly loves Him … i.e., we should be those who diligently obey His word.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Peterson, uses a personal story about how she shows her kids about God’s “Law of Love.” The ODB author wrote: My children and I have started a new daily practice. Every night at bedtime, we gather colored pencils and light a candle. Asking God to light our way, we get out our journals and draw or write answers to two questions: When did I show love today? and When did I withhold love today? … 
… Paying attention each night helps us be more aware each day, more tuned in to what the Spirit might be showing us as we walk through our lives. With the Spirit’s help, we’re learning to walk in love (2 John 1:6). 

When the Apostle John wrote his letter to the churches in Asian Minor in the 1st Century [see highlight passage], there was great turmoil and strife in that day due to the oppression of Nero; and in another turbulent time in history, the 1960s, Jackie DeShannon came out with a song [linked above] which was just as pertinent in those days as it was in the 1st century … or most certainly now!

“What the World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love” … for sure! And so I’m challenged by today’s ODB entry, … by God’s word above, … and by God’s eternal “Law of Love,” to love our neighbors (and even our enemies) as we would love ourselves [see Luke 10 passage] … to go out TODAY and share God’s love with others I encounter.

Maybe all that will be needed is a sparkling smile to light someone’s moment. Perhaps I can encourage someone whose a bit down. Certainly, … showing how much I love my wife would be a good way to share God’s love, wouldn’t it? So, how can we all be God’s agents of love today? 

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your eternal and ever present love for all Your children.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Put me in a place to share Your love with someone today and then give me the grace to share it openly and abundantly. … 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.

June 28, 2018 … Seeking - Finding

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 178 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Matt Maher singing … Abide With Me … poignantly singing of how we must seek a close and abiding relationship with Christ … which He promises if seek Him diligently

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 13:44 [NKJV] … 44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “ 
… The value of our place in God’s kingdom.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 13:44-46 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus’ parable about seeking to have and hold onto something of great value … such as our relationship with Christ and our place in His eternal kingdom.
=============

Reference Passage : … Deuteronomy 4:29 [NKJV] … 29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 
… God’s promise to His people that if they were willing to seek Him with ALL THEIR HEARTS, that they would find Him.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 8:17 [NKJV] … 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. 
… God’s promise to those who love Him enough to seek Him diligently.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 7:7 [NKJV] … 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 
… Jesus’ promise to those who diligently seek after an abiding relationship with Him.

Reference Passage : … 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 to His Disciples as to whom truly loves Him … i.e., those who diligently obey His word.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Julie Schwab, uses a personal story about a friend who was willing to go to great lengths, including dumpster diving (see photo) to find something valuable. The ODB author wrote: In college, I woke up one morning to find Carol, my roommate, in a panic. Her signet ring was missing. We searched everywhere. The next morning we found ourselves picking through a dumpster. I ripped open a trash bag. “You’re so dedicated to finding this!” 
“I’m not losing a two-hundred-dollar ring!” she exclaimed. 
Carol’s determination reminds me of the parable Jesus told about the kingdom of heaven, which “is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44). Certain things are worth going great lengths to find. 

If you, as I have, taken in the ODB entry (above), I think the message of conviction is quite clear, isn’t it? … That we must be willing to go to whatever lengths it takes to seek and hold on to an abiding relationship with Christ.

I guess the question to all of us is … Is it worth it?! … And I would hope that my being here and journaling my seeking to follow my Lord’s way everyday by seeking Him in His word and following His way in life would speak to my desire to go deeper and deeper in seeking God’s sanctifying grace. And all I desire is what Matt Maher sings in the linked song … for my Lord to abide with me.

What about us? Are we willing to show our love for Jesus by doing what he says (see John 14:21 and also Luke 9:23 (find that one yourself!). And in doing so, our Lord’s promises is that He will abide in us. It’s certainly enough for me to do whatever it takes to seek a more abiding relationship with my Jesus.

So, you will find me back here tomorrow … even if it takes diving daily and deeply into His word … to follow My Lord by seeking His grace from His truth. And everyday, He shines His light on my path as I seek after Him [see Ps. 119:105].

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, once again, thank You for Your promises to be there for me when I seek You.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Keep shining Your light on my path as I seek Your way 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.

June 27, 2018 … Unshackled

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 177 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Zach Williams singing … Chain Breaker … poignantly singing of how our surrender to King Jesus will set us free from past shackles of sin.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Colossians 2:21-22 [NKJV] … 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight - … 
… Once shackled in sin … now set free by our faith in Him.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Colossians 1:13-23 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Paul, teaching Christians that we have been set free from the bondage of our flesh and sin as we are reconciled with Jesus by our faith in His finished work on the cross.
=============

Reference Passage : … John 8:32-26 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus on the freedom from our sin/self we find in Christ and walking in His Spirit.

Reference Passage : … John 15:1-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… We become fruitful in Christ when we allow Him to prune away self and our faith allows us to abide in Him.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, uses a story about a young boy with CP who was non-communicative, … who was set free to communicate with others. The ODB author wrote: A boy born with cerebral palsy was unable to speak or communicate. But his mother, Chantal Bryan, never gave up, and when he was ten years old she figured out how to communicate with him through his eyes and a letter board. After this breakthrough, she said, “He was unlocked and we could ask him anything.” Now Jonathan reads and writes, including poetry, by communicating through his eyes. When asked what it’s like to “talk” with his family and friends, he said, “It is wonderful to tell them I love them.” 

If you were reading with me here yesterday, my blog focused on walking free from past bondage to sin as we surrender to an abiding relationship with Christ (SEE THIS LINK).  And if you didn’t take this post in, you may want to use that link and go back and hear the Nicole Nordeman song and read what God gave me to share.

But today I was led by the ODB entry (see link below and the story above), and I believe by God’s Spirit, … to be reinforced by another reminder that our faith relationship with Christ breaks us from past shackles of sin and selfishness and allows us to become fruitful as we abide in the Vine, Who is Christ (see John 15 passage). Because the more solid that abiding relationship we have with Christ becomes, the freer we become to serve Him as His disciples.

So, once again today I exhort any reader to take the time to hear the powerful/poignant song by Zach Williams linked above, which describes the “Chain Breaker” … the One Who has set us free from from the shackles of self with His finished work on the cross.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, once again, thank You for setting me free from the bondage of myself.
=============

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to abide more closely in You today than yesterday … and even more tomorrow than 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.