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Daily Devotional, Year 4 – November 30

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O Taste and See That The Lord Is Good!

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Part 6:

“The Joy of Nature”

To read Part 1, click here….February 28 (O Taste and See That The Lord Is Good! Part 1: “The Wedding At Cana”)

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“O taste and see that the LORD is good…

He left not Himself without witness,

in that He did good,

and gave us rain from heaven,

and fruitful seasons,

filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

Psalm 34:8 & Acts 14:17

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There is no excuse for anyone who disbelieves in God!

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Nature has its own witnesses, who stand up and speak very eloquently on the Creator’s behalf!

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South American Butterfly – cropped – Wikipedia – Share-Alike License

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“AND GOD SAW EVERY THING THAT HE MADE, AND BEHOLD, IT WAS VERY GOOD!”

Genesis 1:31

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Just look at the beauty of nature!

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Behold nature’s awesome grandeur!

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And seek after its wisdom! Its poetry! Its law & order! Its love!

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Look up, and behold the signs written in the sun, moon and stars! (see Luke 21:25)

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These are the faithful witnesses found in all of nature, which proclaim the praises of their Divine Maker!

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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped  and altered imaage –  – Wikimedia – Share-Alike license

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“MY HEART SHALL REJOICE, EVEN MINE!”

Proverbs 23:15

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But today’s devotional has discovered one more faithful witness found in nature!

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And just what could that witness be?

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Joy!

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Yes, nature is filled with joy!

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Nature is literally teeming with happiness and innocent pleasures!

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Two adult Emperor Penguins with a juvenile on Snow Hill Island, Antarctica. – cropped – wikipedia – creative commons license

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“O LORD, HOW MANIFOLD ARE THY WORKS!”

Psalm 104:24 .

Feel the joy every morning when the warm sun arises in the east!

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Listen to the happy song-birds as they rejoice in the brand new day!

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Behold the joy when a baby giggles with its parents!

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Or when friends and family enjoy a meal together!

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BIRD – Erithacus rubecula Norway – singing – cropped – Wikipedia – share-alike-license

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“THEIR YOUNG ONES SHALL LIE DOWN TOGETHER…”

Isaiah 11:7

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Or take notice of the beasts of the earth as they tenderly care for their young ones!

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Or when the young ones play together!

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Or when they lie down together to sleep!

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Or when they awaken refreshed to begin a brand new day!

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Three elephant’s curly kisses – cropped – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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“FILLING OUR HEARTS WITH…GLADNESS”

Acts 14:17

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Or how about the joyful exhilaration of skiing down through the fresh powdery snow!

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Or the freedom of sailing on a boat!

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Or soaring through the skies in a plane!

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Or fishing in a beautiful stream!

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Or riding a bike under the warm sun!

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Or taking a walk just before sundown!

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Or enjoying fun time with one’s family!

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Or finding somebody to love!

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Or the joy of opening a present on a birthday or holiday!

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Or playing with a pet dog!

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Or laughing at a silly, playful kitten!

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Or camping out in nature!

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Or walking through a beautiful golf course!

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Or making a nice meal for the family!

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Or looking up at the vast and awesome expanse of the heavens!

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Or seeing some farm animals engaging in some innocent silliness.

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Or riding a horse!

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Or feeling the accomplishment of a good day’s work!

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Or being glad to get back home!

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Or relaxing in one’s favorite chair!

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Or watching the dancing flames of a bonfire!

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Or telling stories or singing songs around the campfire!

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Freestyle skiing jump – cropped – Wikipedia – share-alike license

Fly fishing on the South Santiam – cropped – Wikipedia – Creative Commons – CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Sunlight on King Street – cropped – Wikipedia –  share-alike license stefan powell

Women Walking at Sunset – cropped – Wikimedia – Creative Commons License

Family – Children’s Playground – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

Mother Child face-to-face – cropped – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

Mother & Baby Ducklings – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Making smores and dancing by the fire – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Palmer – Carpenter – Wikipedia – Public Domain

month old kitten – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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There are perhaps a million or more joyful things to experience here on God’s earth!

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Exclamation Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“AN ENEMY HATH DONE THIS!”

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Oh yes, sin has brought much sadness and sickness and loneliness, and pain into the world!

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But God explains that…“An enemy hath done this!” Matthew 13:28

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Even though this world was created perfect and joyful, the Enemy of Souls has brought his misery and woe into the world!

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Orphan on Mother’s Grave – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“HE HATH NOT REWARDED US ACCORDING TO OUR INIQUITIES”

Psalm 103:10

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And yet, in spite of all such sadness and woe, God has graciously allowed mankind to enjoy many things in His supreme desire to bring them back from their rebellion against Heaven!

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And every wise man and every wise woman will properly ascribe the world’s evil to its rightful progenitor: Satan, the fallen rebel angel!

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Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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“THEY SHALL BEHOLD THE LAND THAT IS VERY FAR OFF!”

Isaiah 33:17

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But one day soon, those who are wise will cross that dark river, only to enter into the Promised Land in which everlasting joy and peace and brotherly kindness will never again be marred by sin and sorrow!

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And there we will truly be, forever young!

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River of Water of Life – H. Melville – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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“WHOSO IS WISE…SHALL OBSERVE THESE THINGS”

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And right now, those who have been given true wisdom will take time out of their busy day to, “taste and see that the Lord is good”, as they consider all the many pleasant and happy things which mankind enjoys each day! (Psalm 34:8)

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ABOVE PICTURE – Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and altered image –  – Wikimedia – Share-Alike license

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As it is written…

“Whoso is wise, and will observe these things,

even they shall understand

the lovingkindness of the LORD.”

Psalm 107:43

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TO READ PART 7, CLICK HERE…

June 21 (O Taste and See That The Lord Is Good! Part 7: Our Badness & The Lord’s Goodness!)

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Give me the joy of knowing more about the wonders of nature. Help me to see, not only the beauty and poetry of nature, and the wisdom and law of nature, but also the many pictures of Love: God’s love in nature…and the joy of nature…

Beagle and sleeping kitty – cropped – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…January 15th (Emperor Penguins & Us!) or you may also read…February 16th (Joys of Parenthood!) or you may also read…January 25th (Nature’s Witnesses, Part 1)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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HEAVENLY OBJECT LESSON

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“Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” Isaiah 24:23

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When God created the Moon and the stars, He ordained them to “rule the night” (Gen. 1:16). The Moon, especially when it is full, can light your pathway through the night, as it reflects the light of the Sun.

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So too, the Christian is to be a light to the world: to this sin-darkened world. But as the Moon must reflect the light of the Sun, in order to be a light to the world, so also must the Christian reflect the light of Jesus, to be a spiritual light to this planet in rebellion. Listen…

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“Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

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However, during an eclipse, the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, preventing that sunlight from shining on the Moon’s face. This is an incredible object-lesson about when the child of God allows the world to come between him and his Lord. Like the eclipse, that person no longer reflects the light of Jesus, because his or her love of this dark world of sin has eclipsed the light from the “Sun of Righteousness” (see Malachi 4:2).

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And so, this is just one of the many poetic truths seen in the Moon. (For more on this subject of an eclipse, you may link to the article… “Lunar Eclipse & Spiritual Eclipse”)

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Dutch Painting: Um_moinho_dominando_a_baía_à_luz_lunar wikimedia US public domain

This is a drawing of a winter-time total lunar eclipse, first published in Bilder- (Picture Atlas of the Stemenwelt) in 1888

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 1st Face: The Night Watchman”

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TOMORROW:

June 22 (Apocalypse Now! Part 32: “Satan Now On the March”)

Antifa @ Protest Trump in Phoenix – 8-22-17 – Wikipedia – GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

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MINISTRY OF HEALING, BY ELLEN G. WHITE

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this sampler of the audio book about the practical aspects of everyday living, such as diet and child rearing…

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Chapter 32 – “The Child”

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Christ and the blind Pauper – Mironov – cropped – Wikipedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this recording #222, a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s 90 minute nightly talk shows. This particular program aired in the last few years of his 50 year radio ministry, and includes caller’s questions regarding his teachings on “the end of the church age”…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped – Wikimedia – Creative Commons 

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo. Most tall, narrow photos have been cropped or reduced by this website to make them a better fit on phone screens.

One day almost 15 years ago, my daughter, Denise called me and tearfully shared her fears about having her first child and becoming a mother…“Dad! I’m so sad!”

“Why, Denise? What’s going on?”

“I’m just so afraid of becoming a parent”, Denise tearfully confessed. “I like my life! I like doing whatever I want, whenever I want! I don’t think I want all the responsibilities and demands of motherhood! I don’t want to give up my self-focused life!”

I’m not sure just how I responded to Denise, since she was already halfway along.

But that was the first and last time she lamented her fears to me about this new chapter in her life.

But, a few months passed and Natalie Jane was born. And Denise and Matt were so happy and proud to be new parents! And they began building their life around their little family.

But once again, Denise became “with child” a second time! I heard not even one complaint or tear-filled fear! Denise and Matt seemed to be settling quite nicely into their new responsibilities!

But Denise was so happy with her new life, she desperately wanted a third child. But it just didn’t seem to be God’s will for another child. And yet, after some sad disappointments, she was once again going to have one more child!

And before long, Gabe was born! Rambunctious and energetic, little Gabe came happily crashing into the world!

And now Matt and Denise have three fine children, Natalie, Connor, and Gabe! And Matt and Denise have become so focused on their children, dedicating themselves fully to rearing up their kids to be happy, healthy and fulfilled!

And it has been a great joy of mine to watch them all grow and thrive.

And it is a joy to see little Gabe growing up so nicely, receiving so much love from his parents.

And one of my regrets is that Denise’s loving Mother, Becky, is not here to experience these joys with us!

But my daily prayer is that one day, Becky and I will be able to walk along the highways and byways of eternity with our kids and grandkids!

LOVE, GRANDPA CHUCK!

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names/details/tags/etc.. Most images cropped/reduced in size

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May, 1980

(Roughly about 200 days or so, from becoming an Ex-Atheist)

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“LOOKIN’ FOR A POT OF GOLD!”

(Lyric from the 1969 Creedence Clearwater hit, “Stuck In Lodi Again”)

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Have you ever wished that God was like a genie in a bottle? And maybe you could get just three wishes: perhaps a long, healthy life, marital bliss, and a financial fortune to enjoy? 

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Well this little excursion promised to be just that! 

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Yes, maybe, just maybe God is perhaps a “genie in a bottle”, or some kind of a, “heavenly goose that lays golden eggs”!

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As the songster once sang…“Seekin’ my fame and fortune, lookin’ for a pot of gold!”

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

Genie – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

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FACT OR FANTASY?

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Well, I couldn’t make up such a far-fetched and even crazy story; or maybe I should rather call it, “A true account”, which this chapter is.

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But I’ll simply report it like it happened and you can decide if you’re going to believe it or just decide that, “The writer of this chapter is out of his ever-lovin’ gourd (like this poor deluded individual in an insane asylum, depicted in this very old picture to the right”).

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Nevertheless, if you do decide that this is merely the work of a crazy man, never fear, you have plenty of established medical and psychiatric professionals who will backup your assertion 100%!

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Anyway, I’ll mostly recount this true little story, trying not to make too much analysis, and let you decide for yourselves…

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Insane Asylum – Wikipedia – Public-Domain

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CHAPTER 22

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“FANTASY ISLAND”

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“DE PLANE! DE PLANE!”

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We arrived at a little resort on the Pacific ocean. We parked our car, and went over to the little ferry, which would take us to this little island resort (not the island photo here, of course! Just a very tiny island).

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But just as soon as we boarded the ferry, the spirit began talking in a sort of mocking way, “Oh yeah, this is your fantasy! This is your fantasy!” And actually, it did somewhat remind a person of Fantasy Island. Very beautiful and jungle-like.

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So we boarded the ferry, and in a very short time, we arrived on the island. But the spirit kept telling me, “Yes Chuck, this is going to be your Fantasy Island!” And so I was somewhat anticipating a sort of exotic mystery (which would be a welcomed respite from the torment which I had been abundantly experiencing!).

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Maybe I was to find riches here! Or maybe some promise of future glory!

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Well whatever lay in store for me had great promise of being that proverbial, “pot of gold!”

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Photo Hawaii, courtesy Wikipedia under share-alike license. Link here to photographer, Julius Silver.

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FANTASY ISLAND TV SHOW

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By the way, for your information, Fantasy Island was a hit TV series, in which various people went to a certain resort on an unnamed island, to have some semi-magical or semi-mystical dream-come-true experience. And there was often a life-lesson which would be learned by the participants, by the end of the show.

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Carlos Montalban played Mr. Roarke, who orchestrated these semi-magical experiences each week. Well-cultured and always dressed in white, Mr. Roarke guided his guests into a fantasy which would often change the life of his guest…always for the better. Here’s what Wikipedia says about that show…

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WIKIPEDIA, CONCERNING FANTASY ISLAND TV SERIES…

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FANTASY ISLAND… Airing from 1978 to 1984, the original series starred Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke, the enigmatic overseer of a mysterious island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, where people from all walks of life could come and live out their fantasies, albeit for a price.

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Roarke was known for his white suit and cultured demeanor, and was initially accompanied by an energetic sidekick, Tattoo, played by Hervé Villechaize. Tattoo would run up the main bell tower to ring the bell and shout “De plane! De plane!” to announce the arrival of a new set of guests at the beginning of each episode – Information courtesy Wikipedia.

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Ricardo Montalban – Herve Villechaize – Fantasy Island – 1977 – wikipedia – public-domain

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“WHERE’S ROARKE?”…

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So we arrived on the island, and immediately rented a little bungalow. It was only $15 American dollars per day, which even back then, was a bargain for an ocean-front resort, not to mention, this was an island resort!

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And of course, I was totally focused on what the spirit had in store for me, especially with his suggestions that this was gonna be some sort of Fantasy Island experience. I wondered about what might happen, to make this experience like that TV show. I honestly was looking around to see if there was some sort of Mr. Roarke, or at least a “Tattoo”. But there was no Mr. Roarke here to conduct anyone’s fantasy, and not even a little “Tattoo” riding around in a golf cart! As a matter of fact, there was hardly even another living soul on this tropical island, as I recall! (Oh, maybe I was just not paying much attention to anybody but myself, and my own set of issues.)

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Ricardo Montalban – Herve Villechaize – Fantasy Island – 1977 – wikipedia – public-domain.jpg

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“WHERE’S MY FANTASY!?”

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It was obvious that the spirit had something else in mind. But what? I was hoping for something magical or even a mystical fantasy. After all, I knew I was dealing with spirits possessing powers beyond anything I’d ever imagined! And so, I knew these spirits were well capable of bringing about whatever was in-store for me!

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As I said, there weren’t very many people at this resort, as I recall. At least not on the week days. It was almost like we had the place to ourselves! But it was a nice place. Not a five-star resort, mind you. It was a very nice little island though (aside from the restaurant help, needless to say! I’ll explain a little further down this page)

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Ricardo Montalban – Herve Villechaize – Fantasy Island – 1977 – wikipedia – public-domain.jpg

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ALONE WITH THE SPIRIT

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Not long after we arrived, Becky decided that some other family members needed to be here. So she went back to Guatemala City. I stayed on the island.

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And so, with the spirit having such a gift of gab, and always willing to TALK MY EAR OFF, there was not a moment of boredom here, (nor of silence). And so I merely roamed the little island, sometimes sitting in a hammock, under the shade of a palm tree, and talked with the spirit. And mostly, I remember that he went over and over on this burning question, as to just who I was in a former life….Jesus….or Hitler. But I must say, most of the time on this so-called, “Fantasy Island”, he inundated me with the possibilities of me being Jesus (in a former life), and of all the glorious things awaiting me.

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“YOU’RE HAVING MY BABY”…NOT!

(Title from the 1974 Paul Anka/Odia Coates hit, “You’re Having My Baby”)

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But as I was sitting under a palm tree, he then began to present to me a big story of how, not only I, as Jesus, was reincarnated, but also other Bible people, namely Mother Mary. “Yes Chuck, Mother Mary has also been brought back many times over the centuries. As a matter of fact, remember when you talked your girlfriend into getting an abortion, she didn’t want to have?”

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

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“WHAT A LOVELY WAY OF NOT SAYING HOW MUCH YOU LOVE ME”

(lyrics from the 1974 Paul Anka/Odia Coates hit, “You’re Having My Baby” with the word, “NOT” added)

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This inconvenient event happened a number of years earlier. I was an atheist. But I tried to convince myself that abortion wasn’t murder. In spite of that, the thought kept coming back to haunt me, that having an abortion would be preventing a life from coming into the world. So it was an undeniable fact that this abortion too, would be preventing a life: a human life from coming into the world!

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So upon deciding to have one anyway, I tried and tried to shake this thought, “Outta My Head!” But I couldn’t! I just couldn’t shake it! This inescapable and inconvenient truth kept coming back again and again to torment me, even though I was pretty much an atheist, back in those years! I would be preventing a life from coming into the world. Dirty rotten MURDER!

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In my heart of hearts, I knew it was!

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But on the day of the scheduled abortion, my girlfriend had a miscarriage (at least that’s what I was told at the time.) “That little girl you had, or should I say, almost had, was the soul of Mother Mary. You killed Mother Mary, Chuck! God was going to bring Mother Mary back into the world! And you killed her! You murdered Mother Mary!” The spirit was now telling me, that my insistence on her having an abortion put a stress on her, ultimately causing my girlfriend to have the miscarriage.

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And so began the spirit to bombard me with guilt about this sad chapter in my past. “Do you know what that little girl’s name was going to be that you killed? I had never really thought about this. “You were going to name her “Heather”.

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At this point I felt horrible! Not only was I responsible for that miscarriage, but that child had the soul of Mother Mary! And now the spirit was personalizing this by telling me the name that would’ve been given her: Heather!

(NOTE: As I look back on this episode, it seems that this horrible scenario presented to me by the spirit, was possibly a somewhat bizarre twist on that old anti-abortion argument…”What if Joseph had convinced the Virgin Mary into having an abortion of the Savior of the World?”)

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To explore deeper into this subject, please read…“The 6th Head of the Antichrist Beast: Cruel Compassion Regarding Abortion” or you can also read this…“Hands That Shed Innocent Blood: “God’s Providence in the Womb”

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The Madonna in Sorrow – wikipedia – public domain

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DIS-FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING…

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Anyway, I was wearing a ring my former girlfriend had once given me. It was a gold band with my birth-stone.

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The spirit began coming down on me hard, about how I treated her. “And she gave you that ring with all her love, you schmuck! And all you gave her was that tiny diamond ring! You no good piece of…” s#!@&t !”

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All I could do was just to take this verbal whipping! And oh man, was I feeling really low! A real creep was I!

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The Madonna in Sorrow – wikipedia – public domain

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GHOST FROM PAST…

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Then the spirit reminded me of an incident which I went through a few years earlier, when an old public-school friend from back in Salem came by to visit me while I was working at the restaurant. He just showed up one day at our family restaurant. (This incident was in about 1976 or so, 3 or 4 years prior to this Island experience.)

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This old friend was dressed all in white: peasant shirt and pants. Clothes you might expect to see on a person living in the tropics. And now that I think of it, he did say he was currently living somewhere in the Hawaiian Islands.

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RING OF FIRE… My old friend was saying some strange things! And at one point, he saw this very same ring now being discussed. He told me it was a very special ring, and that it glowed with an aura emanating from it. He asked if I would take it off. So I did, and gave it to him. He started dancing around the back banquet room (which was closed off to the public at that moment), holding up this ring above his head, saying weird things about the ring: saying that the ring glowed with some supernatural light! He talked about the ring as if it was of great importance. He then climbed on one of the banquet room chairs, and held the ring as high as he could. He was saying something about the ring being “very high” or something like that. Making such a big deal about a ring!

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“Poor guy”, I thought, “He’s really flipped out!” My old school buddy and his white suit was totally “off his rocker”!

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Now, years later, on this so-called Fantasy Island, the spirit was reminding me of this incident from the 70’s, with my old friend and this ring. “He was prophesying to you Chuck. I was controlling him. He was telling you how precious was the love given you by that girl!” I had little trouble accepting what the spirit was telling me. As a matter of fact, I still believe that my old friend in white was being led by spirits. His behavior was so bizarre that day, I can’t attribute it to anything else!

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”THIS “GOLDEN” RING DOESN’T SHINE FOR ME ANYMORE”…

(play on lyrics from 1965 hit song by Gary Lewis & The Playboys, “This Diamond Ring”)

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“I want you to take that ring and toss it into the ocean! Toss it, you no good p#$&%S%$T” I began to walk down to the black-sand beach which was only a hundred yards away, looking at this “special ring”, overwhelmed with guilt of how I rejected her love… “God really hates you because of how you treated her! And she only gave you love! Toss that ring you no good SOB!! TOSS IT!!”

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And so I took this nice ring and tossed it as far as I could…into the ocean.

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I really felt bad about the way I treated almost all my girlfriends. And I really never realized how heartless I could be at times.

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Belize – wikipedia – share-alike license

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CHANGED

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Well, these flashbacks of the past ended, perhaps as quickly as they began.

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And I must admit, because of this experience (and others), I became a changed person. In the future, I would try to be more honorable. Not that I was perfect, because I wasn’t.

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Just better.

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

Belize – wikipedia – share-alike license

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”LUNCH IS SERVED”…

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Now Becky arrived the next day with her family. So things became much more lively.

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And this little island had several large swimming pools, and an open-air restaurant. Becky’s parents also came there. We all had lunch on this nice restaurant patio overlooking the ocean, just a few hundred feet away, or less.

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Belize wikipedia share-alike license. By Eseiglihp. (Sunset on Caye Caulker). Click here for link.

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“CHICKEN-SALAD SANDWICH, PLEASE…AND…UH…HOLD THE FLIES!”

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The waitress took our order. They ordered Spanish food. I, being from the good ol’ U.S. of A., ordered a chicken salad sandwich. The waitress soon brought our food. I opened my chicken salad sandwich to inspect it. Upon opening it, I saw a big fat oversized black fly still in mint condition, laying there in the chicken salad, hidden under the bread. I lodged my complaint in English, and it was interpreted to the waitress And after a little discussion, Becky interpreted to me that the waitress replied, “Just take it out”. I objected. And my objection was interpreted back to the waitress, saying that I wanted another sandwich (Which, of course, would be standard procedure back in the states!)

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In a few minutes she came back with “another sandwich”. I opened it, and thankfully, there was no large fly in it. But upon closer examination, I noticed an indent, very suspiciously in the exact same spot where the fly was located in the “other” sandwich! And after thinking about it for a few moments, I gave up and decided to make no further objections… and just shut up and eat the stupid sandwich!

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Now why am I telling this little story? I don’t know. I just think it’s a funny story, even though it wasn’t so funny at the time.

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But anyway, in a few days I would be eating something far worse than flies!

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Chicken Salad Sandwich – Wikipedia – Share-Alike License

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WHERE’S DE FANTASY, MR. ROARKE?

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After a few more days, Becky and I got back on that same ferry which brought us to this island. And in a few minutes we were back on the mainland.

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But I guess it was kind of anticlimactic at that time, considering how I was led to believe this was going to be some sort of fantasy. But that’s what happened. I was somewhat disappointed that nothing semi-magical happened, like it often did on that TV show.

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And there was no little fella named Tattoo running around the island either.

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And no Roarke!

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And no “pot of gold”!

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And no promise of future glory!

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Ricardo Montalban – Herve Villechaize – Fantasy Island – 1977 – wikipedia – public-domain

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“WHERE’S DE ISLAND!?”

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And if that isn’t enough of a wash-out story, I just found out (as I’m writing this) another disappointing fact. WE WEREN’T EVEN ON AN ISLAND! We merely took a ferry across an OUTLET OF WATER ALONG THE COASTLINE BECAUSE IT HAD NO BRIDGE! We were actually still on the mainland of Guatemala.

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What a disappointment!… NOT ONLY WAS THERE NO FANTASY… THERE WASN’T EVEN AN ISLAND!!! 

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Ricardo Montalban – Herve Villechaize – Fantasy Island – 1977 – wikipedia – public-domain

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“WHERE’S DE RESORT!?!”

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Now if that’s still not enough of a wash-out, I was also later informed that some time after we left there, a big Pacific storm came along and completely destroyed the entire resort!

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Well, it serves them right for sticking that fly in my chicken salad sandwich! Not really! Just kidding! Just kidding! Actually, I would eagerly and enthusiastically go back there, flies or no flies! It was a really nice and inexpensive resort! (Well, of course, I did lose that beautiful and expensive gold ring. And oh yeah, I also went to sleep with a lit Marlboro in my hand on the last day, and caught my mattress on fire, which I paid for.)

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Ricardo Montalban – Herve Villechaize – Fantasy Island – 1977 – wikipedia – public-domain

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”DON’T GO ‘ROUND TONIGHT…

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IT’S BOUND TO TAKE YOUR LIFE!”

(Lyric from the 1969 Creedence Clearwater hit, “Bad Moon On The Rise”)

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When we arrived back home at Becky’s parents, the weather became cloudy. During a dark night, there was a thunderstorm. I went up on the roof, because I learned by experience, that the spirit would answer questions using the lightning.

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And up there. all alone on that roof, it seemed like I could see across all the houses and townhouses for blocks. The night looked like one of Van Gogh’s more dreary paintings! And the lightning put on a show for free!

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In the distance, the electric air and the kaboom of the lightning caused the dogs around the city to bark and howl, which only made things that much more eerie! And as I said, the spirit would answer simultaneous to the lightning flashing. So I would ask something concerning whether I was Hitler or Jesus, and other such things. I could perceive no time delay between the lightning flash and his answer in my mind. His answers would be either “yes”, or “no”. If he didn’t want to answer, he didn’t say anything.

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I’m not sure how many nights this went on. Maybe just that one night. But I was bombarded with guilt over the miscarriage I caused, which resulted in the death of “Mother Mary’s” reincarnated soul. Of course by now, I didn’t know what to believe at this point. This spirit was as changeable as a fickle teenager.

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

Cloud-to-ground_lightning2_-_NOAA-wikimedia-public-domain.jpg

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”I SEE EARTHQUAKES AND LIGHTNING”…

(Lyric from the 1969 Creedence Clearwater hit, “Bad Moon On The Rise”)

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One night, Becky and I were going to her Father’s church service. He had a very active church, which met seven nights a week, plus twice on Sunday! And as usual, there were many people gathered together on this weeknight service. Of course I couldn’t understand anything they said. It was all in Spanish. But there was lots of music, lots of singing, and an abundance of hand-clapping!

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KA-BOO-O-O-M…

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After much music and singing, it came time for Papa to begin preaching. During the service, the lightning began to flash outside. They had left the entry double-doors open, so I thought I would use this opportunity to ask the spirit more questions, and wait for the lightning and the spirit’s response. I figured that such a holy place as church might be the perfect place to get the answer I needed. And so I would look back at the open doors and ask a question, and wait for the lightning to flash. Now I can’t remember exactly what was happening right at the moment, as far as the church service. But I distinctly remember asking the question “Did I really kill the Mother Mary?” The lightning would flash, and a simultaneous answer would come, “Yes!”, or “No!”.

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“SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM, ‘LET IT BE'”

(Lyrics from Paul McCartney song “Let It Be”)

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And as I recall, I repeated this question several times. “Did I kill Mother Mary?…..Did I kill Mother Mary?” And about the second or third time…as soon as I asked the question, The spirit shouted, “NO-O-O-O-O-O!!”… and simultaneous to his answer, both the lightning and thunder cracked so loud, it was both blinding and deafening!

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But at the very same moment as that answer, the lightning completely turned the neighborhood white with the loudest crack you might have ever heard, resulting in the lights going out in the church and throughout the entire neighborhood!

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The lightning had caused the lights in the church and all through the neighborhood to go completely out! Now I was convinced that somehow the spirit had control over the lightning, in some way.

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Needless to say, the power outage brought the church service to a screeching halt! The noise of the service was quickly replaced by questioning voices throughout this darkened sanctuary. At least for 20 or 30 minutes, the service had ended until the power came back on throughout the neighborhood. Until it did come back on, everyone went outside the church in order to wait.

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As I said, the spirit shouted “NO-O-O!!”, totally in-sync with the lightning flash/thunder and the neighborhood power-outage. This was a loud answer from Heaven, as far as I was concerned. “NO” came the answer I was hoping for! “NO” I didn’t kill Mother Mary, after all!

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But then the spirit began to somewhat confuse the issue by saying, “Did God say “NO!”, or did He say, “KNOW!”???

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Well, what could I do with such an ominous and confusing answer as this? And so, I decided to just, “Let it be”.

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

The Madonna in Sorrow – wikipedia – public domain

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GOD NOT A MAGIC GENIE!

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Nevertheless, that lightning storm put the “final lid down tight” on all this “Me killing Mother Mary” nonsense!

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But also, this excursion to “Fantasy Island” put the final “cork in the bottle” on all this idea about God being some sort of, Ponzi-scheme”, in which you stroke some brass lamp, and “VOILA!”, a magic genie appears and offers you three wishes!

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No, as we left, I was disappointed there was no mystical experience!

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No earthly riches!

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No promise of future glory!

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Only the knowledge of what a miserable wretch and scoundrel I really had been through much of my “adult” life! 

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Genie – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

Ricardo Montalban – Herve Villechaize – Fantasy Island – 1977 – wikipedia – public-domain

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To go to next Chapter, just click here…

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Ch. 23  CHAPTER 23… . “ON A TRAIN BOUND FOR NO-WHERE”…  

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This was more than just a bumpy ride! This was an excursion to No-Where’s-Ville!

1Co_1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Mat_5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Luk_12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
1Co_15:36  Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

‘Cause we’re living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – January 2 

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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO POLLYANNA

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“For the time will come

when they will not endure sound doctrine;

but after their own lusts

shall they heap to themselves teachers,

having itching ears;

And they shall turn away

their ears from the truth,

and shall be turned unto fables.”

2nd Timothy 4:3, 4

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In this above passage, the Lord is foretelling of a day when the churches will no longer tolerate the true Gospel of Jesus and Jesus alone.

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And there are many today who believe that we have come to that very time in which the attendees of most, or perhaps, ALL churches demand an “itching ears” gospel.

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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain

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MOON INTO BLOOD TRILOGY: 3rd FACE

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This next little section below is an excerpt from “Moon Into Blood Trilogy, Part 3, ‘The Sadducee Seeker'”.

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This article describes this 3rd Moon-face, who is steeped in unbelief and as a result, seeks after the things of the world. Yes, this rabbit, or rodent-like earth-hugger thinks that worldly Mammon will somehow supply the lack caused by God’s supposed inability to provide for all our spiritual, physical and social needs.

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So let’s listen for a moment as this Sadducee-Seeker is being described…

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Moon – by James Bowe – 3rd Face – cropped & highlighted photo – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

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“PROPHESY DECEITS”

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“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:” Isaiah 30:9, 10

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This above passage describes this Moon-Beast to a tee! “Smooth things” are what his “itching ears” long to hear! And because this furry and adorable little forest creature (the Sadducee-Seeker) loves to have his ears tickled, the Devil has conveniently provided him with a congregation which accommodates his desires.

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“HAVING ITCHING EARS”

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Again, the Apostle, Paul, spoke of this condition, in the following words… “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2nd Timothy 4:3, 4

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Yes, this adorable little creature of the field, loves his pastor, who, by the way, is very much like him. He loves to hear a light and playful sermon, filled with little quips and jests and world-friendly anecdotes: a gospel which tells of a god who mostly smiles down upon this, “pretty nice world, after all!“

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And this Moon-Beast loves to hear sermons about “grace-alone”, because he is often told that grace-alone excuses him from dying-to-self. And to this poor Sadducee, that’s very good news!

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After all, the last thing this Moon-Beast wants is to give up his life of foraging in the field. Yes, this friendly little Seeker wants a gospel which allows him to continue seeking after the cares & pleasures of this world, but with the promise of Heaven too!

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Cat scratching its itching ear – cropped image – Wikipedia – Creative Commons Attribution

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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO POLLYANNA

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Oh yes, this Sadducee-Seeker’s church is under a gospel similar to that delightful movie character, Pollyanna!

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You see, this congregation too, like Pollyanna, has found those 800 totally non-offensive Bible verses! That’s right, this charismatic and precocious little girl in that movie had developed a gospel of her own making (which eliminated the thousands of harder verses found in the Bible).

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Yes, Pollyanna’s gospel was in stark contrast to the fire-and-brimstone gospel which her harsh and judgmental aunt liked to hear.

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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license

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HOLLYWOOD STRIKES FEAR IN HEARTS OF PREACHERS

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And such movies as Pollyanna (and there are many similar ones) have been a strong deterrent over the past years, against any Hell-Fire preaching in today’s pulpits.

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And this itching-ears gospel according to Pollyanna, is mostly what this Moon-Beast’s pastor preaches, either by sermon, or by personal example.

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Yes, his words are “smoother than butter” (Psalms 55;21), and the example of his own life speaks of “smooth things”; of fun and frolic, of amusements and hobbies. Of dreams about ambitious careers and promises of better and more affluent tomorrows. Of long life in this world, and retirement packages, affording a life-of-leisure in some little haven here on earth!

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Sunday preaching – wikipedia – US public domain

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ETERNAL TORMENT

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Now in defense of many of today’s pastors, it must be noted that there has been a lot of unnecessary and annoying shouting from many pulpits, in the past decades. And there have likewise been unbiblical doctrines over the centuries past, such as that heretical doctrine of carnal men, which teaches that all sinners will continually roast in literal flames of fire for all the ions of time.

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But just because there has been such unbiblical preaching, based on misunderstanding of certain parables, doesn’t necessitate getting rid of all preaching on sin and righteousness. For more on this subject, you may wish to read… “Planet of Rest: Doctrine of Eternal Torment”

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Hell’s Torment and Tormentor – Wikipedia – public domain

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THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF GOD

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“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

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If only this Moon-Beast Sadducee-Seeker would begin to seek God with all his heart, he would be surprised to discover that the life of Jesus is a life of peace and contentment that surpasses all human logic and understanding. With such a knowledge, this Sadducee-Seeker would realize that he doesn’t need a world-loving gospel. Yes, all this Moon-Beast really needs is Jesus. And even though Psalm 23 is his very favorite psalm, he doesn’t even believe its very first words… “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (that is, “I lack nothing”)” Psalm 23:1

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PEOPLE NOT THE PROBLEM!

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The real enemy here is not, “flesh and blood”. No, but our true battle is “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

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Yes, Satan is the master chess-player, and has hedged us in on every side, by his lies and deceptions in attempt to corrupt the current condition of the church-world to the point that there is no more Salvation there.

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Martin, John – Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – 1824 – Wikipedia – public domain

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“COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE”

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But the Good News is that God is calling His people to come out of the Babylonish confusion which is the current condition of today’s churches…

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Listen… “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (Babylon), My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4

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God has indeed furnished a table in the wilderness. (Psalm 78:19) And for those who are escaped from spiritual Babylon will be delighted to discover that, “bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure!” Isaiah 33:16.

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Yes, our daily heavenly manna will be provided, and the waters of grace will freely flow in the spiritual mountains where we must flee!

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James Tissot – The Flight of the Prisoners – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TO READ PART 2, click here…

Daily Devotional, Year 3 – January 4 (The Gospel According To Pollyanna, Part 2)

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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, help me today, to begin to read the Bible for my own self, instead of allowing others to tell me what the Bible says…

USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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“THE GLORY OF MAN,

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AS THE FLOWER…

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FALLS AWAY”…

1st Peter 1:25

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Wilted Rose  – Wikimedia – public domain

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FLOWER OF THE FIELD IN HEAVEN

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This is perhaps one of the most amazing constellations that God has created. It truly looks like a flower, and appears to be blowing in the direction of westward. But as autumn draws near, this constellation appears to bow itself down, just like the flowers of Earth bow down, at the summer’s end.

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And these are not merely obscure stars. These are among the biggest and brightest stars in the night heavens.

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The Two Turtle-Doves Constellation is also known as Sagittarius .

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The Flower of the Field is also known as Scorpio .

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But there is another obvious aspect to this constellation group. Notice that the birds are flying in the same direction as the flower is bending; it is as if the east wind is blowing these heavenly messengers. “The wind blows where it desires, and you hear the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8. So here is another incredible Bible concept, written in the heavens! And God has spoken of these signs! Listen… “For ever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in (the) heaven(s).” Psalm 119:89

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THE ZODIAC CONSTELLATION NAMES

By the way, it is not the purpose of www.theheavensdeclare.net to give any validity to the Zodiac or any pagan deities. But the common names of many constellations must be given, solely for the purpose of locating them on star-charts.

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WHY IS THIS FLOWER POINTING UPWARD?

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To the right is a star-chart from Wikipedia. The editor of this site has sketched in the Flower of the Field Constellation on this constellation commonly referred to as the Scorpio Constellation (plus a few other close-by bright stars). Do you see the long blade of grass growing from the base of the Flower of the Field? This is made of the two highest stars of the Lupus Constellation, and the two lowest stars of the Libra Constellation. As this sketch shows, the flower appears to be pointing to Arcturus and the Revelation 12 Woman (shown in sketch below). Arcturus represents Jesus, as He leads His sons (and daughters) on a spiritual journey up a heavenward pathway, as is written… “Canst you bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or can you guide Arcturus with his sons?” Job 38:32.

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ABOVE STAR-CHART: Flower of the Field Constellation commonly known as Scorpio – seen in spring through summer (Flower drawn in over Wikipedia star-chart)

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Flower of the Field Constellation” or you can also read… “Flower of the Field Constellation, Part 3: “Signs of the World’s End””

ABOVE STAR-CHART: Flower of the Field Constellation commonly known as Scorpio – seen in spring through summer (Flower drawn in over Wikipedia star-chart)

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TOMORROW…

JANUARY 3  (January 3rd (World of Lies, Part 1: The Femme-Fatale Lightning Bug!)

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20+ MINUTE JEREMIAH AUDIO BIBLE STUDY

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TRUTH-SEEKERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. 

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THIS IS STUDY #367, PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

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Daily Devotional, Year 4 – November 26

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Nature’s Witnesses,

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Part 20:

“The Universe: A Very Lucky Explosion?”

To read Part 1 of this series, click here…January 25th (Nature’s Witnesses, Part 1)

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“Seek the LORD and His strength,

seek His face continually.

Remember His marvellous works

that He hath done, His wonders…”

Job 16:11, 12

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Well, you have to admit it!

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“Admit what?”, you might ask.

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You have to admit that the so-called “Big Bang” explosion went off extremely well, especially being the product of a chaotic accident in a godless…uh…whatever!

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After all, just look how it turned out! Extremely well!

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For example, the resulting universe is doing pretty well, wouldn’t you agree?

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For example, here we are in our solar system, which makes a wonderful and dependable time-piece! Yes, each orb in our solar-system stays pretty consistent in their rotation around the sun.

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And speaking of luck, how about all those atoms?! Yes, this universe is made up of a whole lot of tiny electromagnets, which somehow forms everything…including we humans! Yes, pretty amazing when you think that somehow this entire universe consists of these powerful particles of energy, each holding together.

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And isn’t it so lucky that we have our beautiful blue sky! After all, it could’ve been some horrible color. And how about those clouds?! Aren’t they great as they bring in the much-needed rain to water the earth and trees, giving drink to man and beast and all living things?

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And how about those myriad laws which govern the universe and everything within?! Yes, it could’ve been a universe of complete chaos! Just ask any scientist why science is so enjoyable to study. He’ll tell you that science is such a thrill because of all the consistency of the laws of nature.

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And just ask any poet about the wisdom found in nature! That poet will confess that nature is a wonderful and poetic teacher of truth!

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And how about those babies?! Yes, isn’t it extremely lucky that babies are so cute? And even animal babies are so joyful and fun to watch!

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And what about families?! Isn’t it so wonderful to have families who love one-another?!

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And what about a smile?! Isn’t it so wonderful when people smile a genuine smile of friendship and/or compassion? After all, the big bang could have made us like those hideous space aliens we see in the movies!

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And what about music?! We are extremely lucky to be able to enjoy music! And art! And poetry! And dramas!

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And isn’t it so lucky that lightning-striking-pond-scum produced so many interesting life-forms, and so many beautiful plants and animals?! Isn’t it so lucky that nature has so many beautiful, majestic things to enjoy?!

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And isn’t it so lucky that we humans are also the result of lightning-striking-pond-scum. And isn’t it so lucky that humans became the crowning act of the Big Bang, in that mankind has the mental capacity to explore and ponder all these wonderful accidents of nature?!

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Well, this article could go on and on about all the so-called “lucky things” which supposedly were produced by some mindless cosmic explosion…chaos into order and design.

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But the true reason why things turned the way they did is because they are the product of an infinite omnipotent super-mind…God! And this eternal Spirit-Being has placed mankind in a universe with countless evidences of His existence and love. And though this little planet also tells of evil, and is marred because of the consequences of sin, the goodness and love of God still shines through.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Dear Lord, Please open my eyes to see the joy and the beauty of God’s creations. Open my ears to hear the heavenly message which these spiritual metaphors try to teach us…

Pray for Our Nation sign – Wikimedia – Share-alike-lic.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…February 18 (Nature’s Witnesses, part 7: ‘The Beauty of Nature’”), or you can also read, “January 7th (The Chrysalis Christian!)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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HEAVENLY OBJECT LESSON

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“Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” Isaiah 24:23

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When God created the Moon and the stars, He ordained them to “rule the night” (Gen. 1:16). The Moon, especially when it is full, can light your pathway through the night, as it reflects the light of the Sun.

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So too, the Christian is to be a light to the world: to this sin-darkened world. But as the Moon must reflect the light of the Sun, in order to be a light to the world, so also must the Christian reflect the light of Jesus, to be a spiritual light to this planet in rebellion. Listen…

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“Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

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However, during an eclipse, the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, preventing that sunlight from shining on the Moon’s face. This is an incredible object-lesson about when the child of God allows the world to come between him and his Lord. Like the eclipse, that person no longer reflects the light of Jesus, because his or her love of this dark world of sin has eclipsed the light from the “Sun of Righteousness” (see Malachi 4:2).

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And so, this is just one of the many poetic truths seen in the Moon. (For more on this subject of an eclipse, you may link to the article… “Lunar Eclipse & Spiritual Eclipse”)

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Dutch Painting: Um moinho dominando a baía à luz lunar – Wikimedia – US public domain

This is a drawing of a winter-time total lunar eclipse, first published in Bilder- (Picture Atlas of the Stemenwelt) in 1888

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 1st Face: The Night Watchman”

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TOMORROW:

“November 19th (Damsels & Dragons & Happily Ever-After)”

Saint George slays dragon saves Princess Sabra ,_Unterlinden_Museum,_Colmar

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. 

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THIS IS STUDY #320 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo.

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Daily Devotional, Year 4 – November 25

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Babylon = Baby-Land!

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Part 7:

“I Know You Are, But What Am I?!”

To read Part 1, click here… ” MARCH 1 (Babylon = Baby-Land! Part 1: Music)”

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“And the Lord said,

Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation?

and to what are they like?

They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace,

and calling one to another…”

Luke 7:31, 32

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Children are such a wonderful blessing! And to experience all the joys and even the sorrows that come with parenthood help us to become more complete and well-rounded adults!

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Baby in diaper learning to walk – Wikimedia – share-alike-license

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“BABY” DERIVED FROM “BABY-LON”

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The name, “baby” is said to have been derived from the name, “Babel”. In other words, just as those Babylonians in the days of the building of the Tower of Babel, became confused in their language, so too, babies all speak an unintelligible language!

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Listen… “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one,

and they have all one language; and this they begin to do:

and now nothing will be restrained from them,

which they have imagined to do…

let us go down, and there confound their language,

that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Genesis 11:6, 7

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Yes, just as no Babylonian could understand one another, once God confused their speech, so also, nobody can understand a baby’s language! It just sounds like a whole lot of babbling!

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Babylon – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike License 4.0

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WE’RE NOT BABIES! (or are we?)

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Now of course, we grown-ups can laugh and enjoy the babbling of a baby!

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It’s cute!

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And thankfully, we are far above the baby-like behavior of those tiny tots!

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Yes, we have matured over the years!

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We are now very sophisticated, through the decades of our physical development and our wisdom gained through time and experience!

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Right?

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Well, perhaps we should look a little closer at babies, and see if we have truly risen above mere babyhood, or possibly are merely kidding ourselves!

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Innocent baby laughing – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic. 2.0

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“I know you are, but what am I?!”

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Well, let’s move up a few years and examine the behavior of older kids, say 5-to-10-year-olds.

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Are you old enough to remember that come-back-line often used after being called some derogatory name: “I know you are, but what am I?!”

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Yes, this childhood retort was adequate enough back in the 1950’s (but probably is not so much in today’s increasingly violent-prone society).

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Kids fighting – Sibling Conflict – Wikipedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

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NAME-CALLING STILL IN VOGUE

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And yet, while “I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I?” may have become outdated, name-calling is still very much in vogue!

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As a matter of fact, just look at the world of politics, for example. Anyone who follows the daily political soap-opera is well aware of the name-calling which flies back-and-forth between opposing political parties!

Such derogatory tags as “They’re all a bunch of Nazis!”,

or “He’s a modern-day Hitler!”,

or “You’re a real ‘such-and-such-phobe’!”

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Well, these are just a few of the most common derogatory names (along with some really choice four-letter-smears!)

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YELLOW JOURNALISM ALIVE & WELL!

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Well, just like children in a sandbox, is today’s political arena!

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One political party attempts to smear the opposition, using the worst-of-the-worst smear-tactics.

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And of course, major-media-yellow-journalists all jump on board, and echo the daily smears, all in hopes of prejudicing the listening public against the media’s political foes.

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SATAN, A TIRELESS ENEMY

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But how can we blame them? After all, the “god of this world” has worked 24/7/365 to create a society which encourages such immaturity! And so much of television, radio, and Internet caters to that immaturity.

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Yes, a great deal of television, Internet, and the recording industry attempts to appeal to the younger generation on a very low level which often hinders them from growing up properly (this web-editor also being also a victim, once-upon-a-time).

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“but whosoever shall say, ‘Thou fool’, shall be in danger of hellfire!”

Matthew 5:22

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Now, just what does God have to say about all this name-calling? Listen to the very words of Jesus…

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“But I (Jesus) say unto you,

That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause

shall be in danger of the judgment:

and whosoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca’ (Chaldee for “worthless” or “empty”)

shall be in danger of the council:

but whosoever shall say, ‘Thou fool’,

shall be in danger of hellfire!”

Matthew 5:22

Anger during a protest – by David Shankbone – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike-License

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“THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR(WAVES)”

Ephesians 2:2

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It is not uncommon to hear so-called Christian Internet-commentators using some derogatory tag against people they don’t like. And sadly, most of us Christians have been guilty of the same!

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But those of us who have committed this sin, need to wake up and beg and plead for mercy, grace, and deliverance from our heavenly Father!

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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public-Domain

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“They (the men of this generation) are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another…”

Luke 7:31, 32

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On the other hand, the world will, no doubt, continue to engage in such childish behavior.

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After all, that’s pretty much what sin is…childishness. But woe to all of us who should know better!

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Making friends – Wikimedia – Cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

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“GOOD NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY”

Proverbs 25:25

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The Good News is that today is still the day of salvation! And as Christians, we can go into our quiet place of prayer, and ask for that mercy, grace, and deliverance from all such Spirit-quenching sins!

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And though “weeping may endure for a night”, yet when we finally do get the victory over this pernicious sin, we can be assured that…“joy cometh in the morning!” Psalm 30:5

Pray for Our Nation sign – Wikimedia – Share-alike-lic.

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END-TIME EXODUS

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And so, it is imperative that we make our exodus out of this Babylonish society and its churches, if we will escape the judgments promised for those who refuse to come out!

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Oh no, we cannot come completely out of society. But we can come out as far as possible from its unchristlike ways.

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James Tissot – The Flight of the Prisoners – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, …

Prayer – Mother and Daughter – Wikipedia – (cropped image) the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…March 29 (A 3-Finger Judgment-Day, Part 9: “Will The Real Nazi/Fascist/Racist/Etc., Please Shout the Loudest!”), or you can also read…October 4 (And The Nations Were Angry! Part 2: “Summer of Love, Winter of Hate”)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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“there shall come a Star out of Jacob”…

Numbers 24:17

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“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1, 2

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There exists a lot of intrigue regarding just what star did the Magi from the East follow, which led them to the First Advent of our Savior.

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The Bible speaks of Arcturus as a possibility…“canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?” Job 38:33.There’s nothing that is impossible for God! Arcturus may very well have been that star. 

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FULFILLMENT OF WISE-MEN OF OLD

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But there is a much greater question that confronts Mankind today. Because, just as a single star guided those wise men to the coming Savior, so also, God is just now giving us many stars, to guide us safely to the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior! And so these starry signs seem to be the fulfillment of those wise men following the star, 2,000 years ago!

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GUIDE US TO HEAVEN’S GATE…

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And Arcturus is that brilliant star (3rd brightest in our heavens) which leads these Gospel constellations, Summer, Fall, and Winter Constellations, to present a picture story, a heavenly allegory of sorts; these constellations, which together, tell of the incredible love of God. And Arcturus, our Host Star, will lead to an understanding of God’s Word, which will, in turn, guide God’s people up a narrow pathway; onward and upward through Heaven’s Gate itself, and ultimately into the very heavenly City of God.

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Oh don’t doubt for a moment that God cannot or will not do this! For with God, all things are possible! Listen… “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Mark 9:23

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And Signs Of Heaven Website will direct the Reader to God’s Word in such a way as to bring out certain Bible truths not currently recognized or emphasized in most of the current Christian theological circles.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Arcturus (the star that wise-men follow!)”

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TOMORROW…

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY

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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. 

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THIS IS STUDY #650 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…

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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on the provided image credit link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing names, details, and tags, and all other necessary info on any particular photo. 

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Today’s Devotional – March 26th

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Mercury, the 2nd Commandment & Images

The following devotion is an excerpt from this website’s article, “Mercury & The Image Of The Beast”

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The number ‘two’ seems to be the number that speaks of “reflection”. (Just like this giant globe photo to the right.)

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As this mirror globe reflects the images of the people around it, so too, we each reflect an image to the world around us (whether we like it or not).

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When you look in the mirror, there becomes two images; 1. You, and 2. The reflection of you… in the mirror…

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Mercury in color – Prockter – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

Mirror globe picture – courtesy of Wikipedia & Arpingstone – public domain

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REFLECTING 

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“Can two walk together except they be in agreement?” Amos 3:3.

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To “be in agreement”, as this verse says, with another person, seems to speak of one person reflecting the opinions of another.

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They are an “image”, one of another, as far as their viewpoints.

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As the Moon reflects the light of the Sun, the Moon shines just like the Sun (not as brightly though).

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And as Mercury (the second solar-system body) reflects the light of the Sun, it too becomes a light as well.

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Full moon over 96th St – by ed yourdon – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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WE ARE A MIRROR…

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But as this mirror globe in the photo presents an image of these people, we humans reflect an image to the world.

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And our image is a product of our life-experiences; we are a ‘mirror’ of the people and things which have influenced us.

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(Mirror globe picture courtesy of Wikipedia & Arpingstone – Public Domain

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INFLUENCE OF ASSOCIATIONS

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LITTLE COMPANION… Mercury is the Sun’s ‘little companion’, so to speak. Oh yes, it’s a “little” companion. (Mercury is just a little larger than Pluto; Pluto being the 10th and smallest member of the major planets. There is a current debate about Pluto, however). But small as Mercury is, it’s the closest planet to the Sun. This presents an object lesson. As Mercury is a constant companion to the Sun, so we need to be a constant companion to the “Sun of Righteousness”. Malachi 4:1

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Mercury in color – Prockter – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

Solar system – cropped photo – NASA – Public Domain

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COMPANIONSHIP BRINGS CHANGE…

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But Scripture makes it clear that we can’t “hang around” with someone without being influenced by that person; especially if we admire that person whom we’re associating with.

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The Bible says that “companionship” says a lot about who we are. Have you ever heard the expression, “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are”?

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The Bible asks the very same question, but in a somewhat different way… “Can two walk together, except they are in agreement?” Amos 3:3.

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God asks us this question. And the obvious answer is, “yes”. They must be in agreement. 

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But this next verse seems to be an answer to the previous verse. Just listen… “…we…beholding…the Lord…are changed into the same image.” 2nd Corinthians 3:18.

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This verse confirms that associating with Jesus has a positive influence on a person. Thus, by walking with Jesus, we become in agreement with Jesus.

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EVIL ASSOCIATIONS AFFECT US

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But this principal of “who we walk with”, also works in the negative sense… “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1st Corinthians 15:33.

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By associating with bad influences, we imperceptibly begin to take on those evil attributes.

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“Be not deceived”, this last verse states. Every time Scripture issues this warning, we need to realize that Satan will try to deceive us on that very point.

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So don’t let anyone deceive you into thinking that you can associate with evil behavior and not be affected by that behavior.

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HEAVENLY ROLE-MODELS or HELLISH ROLE MODELS?

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As most everyone in the Christian community understands, the Bible uses, not only Jesus, but mere mortals, such as Paul, to be role-models for Christians to admire and emulate.

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But Lucifer, now called Satan, fully understands this, and has given us his own role-models for us to conform to. And now, with the advent of television, radio, the printed page, and high-tech devices, like never before this Master-Destroyer has perfected his mind-control machinery in which to conform the world into his own selfish image!

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And so, the many ‘superstars’ seen and adored by the lost multitudes on a daily basis, become firmly etched upon the tables of the human hearts of all those adoring fans of these so-called, ‘ministers of righteousness’, which are seen and heard all over today’s mass-media!

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And as a result, they eventually begin to emulate them in their own personal daily lives!

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James Bond – by SteveBancroft – Wikimedia – Creative Commons 4.0 – cropped photo

Poster – Gone With the Wind – US Public Dom – Wikipedia

Super Bowl XLIII Thunderbirds Flyover Feb 1 2009 – Wikipedia – Public Domain

Elvis Presley – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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AM I THE MIRROR IMAGE OF JESUS?…

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“(Jesus) Who being the brightness of His (the Majesty on high’s) glory, and the express image of His person…” Hebrews 1:3

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And speaking of images, the above verse states that Jesus, being the eternal Son of God, was the express image of the Godhead.

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But these things concerning the Godhead are far higher than any human can understand. And yet, one thing is for sure: Jesus was, and is in constant communion with the Godhead, of whom He is an integral part. Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit are One.

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Now this concept brings home to each and every Believer the very same concept: “whose companion am I? Who do I admire? Who do I look up to?”

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Here is the first object lesson.

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Just as Jesus is at oneness with the Godhead, so must we be at oneness with Jesus, and He with us!

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Mercury in color – Prockter – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

mirror – Wikimedia – public domain

Mabel Normand with round mirror – Wikimedia – US public domain

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STICKING CLOSE TO JESUS

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And back to Planet Mercury, and the Sun: just like the Sun is closest to planet Mercury, so too, the Christian must stick close to Jesus, the ‘Sun of Righteousness’.

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And so how does this relate to the Second Commandment?

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Just listen to this next passage… “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2nd Corinthians 3:18

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Like the 2nd Commandment, this incredible verse likewise speaks of image-making. But this verse speaks of the wonderful image that God has in mind for His children to attain to: to be changed into the image of Jesus! Isn’t this what it’s all about?

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Cross of Jesus Christ – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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THE SECRET TO SUCCESS!

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And this most amazing passage about being changed into Jesus’ image, lays it all out as to the secret to success, in being a “Christ-like” Christian.

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Listen to this passage once again… “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2nd Corinthians 3:18. This is one of the most powerful verses in all of Scripture!

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Transfiguration – Bloch – cropped photo – Wikimedia Commons – US Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to be careful about my daily associations. Help me to surround myself with godly influences…

USMC prayer before study Wikimedia Public-Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Mercury & The Image Of The Beast” or you can also read… “Mark of the Beast & Seal of God”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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MERCURY & THE 2nd COMMANDMENT 

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#2 HEAVENLY SPHERE & #2 COMMANDMENT… As discussed elsewhere in this website, the Sun seems to correspond to the First Commandment. Likewise, Mercury, which is the second heavenly sphere in our solar system, seems to correspond very nicely to the Second Commandment. Both the second heavenly sphere (Mercury) and the Second Commandment (no images) are closest to the ‘Sun’. That is to say, just as planet Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, so is the Second Commandment right next to the First Commandment (God compares himself to the Sun many times in Scripture). Jesus says to us today…

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“I am the light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12

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For a more in-depth look at this argument about the Sun comparing to God, just click this link… “Discovering Bible Signs In Our Solar System”, or this link… Signs in the Sun .

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Mercury in color – Prockter – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

Mercury orbit solar system -wikipedia – share-alike license

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Mercury & The Image Of The Beast”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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TOMORROW:

“March 27th (All Comfy-Cozy in Hell!)”

ABOVE PICTURE: Unfunny Judgment Day Cartoon – a party tonight – signsofheaven.org

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 

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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

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THIS STUDY #85 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…

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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo.

1st Head King of Babylon (Satan’s Spirit of Pride)

2nd Head Medo Persia (Greed & Violence)

3rd Head: Grecia (Self-Focused False Wisdom)

4th Head: Civil Rome (Totalitarian Justice)

5th Head: Religious Rome (Popish Totalitarianism)

6th Head: Atheism/Socialism (Man, the Supreme Being)

7th Head: False Christianity/Capitalism (Prosperity Gospels)

Bear’s feet: To stomp-out Christianity

Leopard’s body: For Satan’s leopard-like speed (Habakkuk 1:8) Can’t change character (unchangeable spots – Jeremiah 13:23)

7 HEADS OF THE BEAST

MYSTERY HARLOT BABYLON

Apostate portion of the Church  Wine cup of her fornication (False Doctrines)

⁶ Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

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Daily Devotional, Year 4 – April 21 

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How Shall the Moon Be Turned Into Blood?

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Part 8:

“Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees”

To read Part 1, click here…October 15th (How Shall The Moon Be Turned Into Blood?)

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This above passage from Mark 7 was spoken by Jesus to the Pharisees and scribes. And in this list of evils which proceed from the hearts of men, Jesus mentions “an evil eye”.

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And God has inscribed this sign upon the face of the Moon! Yes, this 2nd face is that of a wolf-like character with an upraised eyebrow as he appears to be looking down upon this world in judgment!

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You see, this wolf-like character represents proud Pharisees, because the Pharisees were the “Moral Majority” of their day. They were very outwardly correct and very judgmental of all those whom they thought to be less moral than they, themselves!

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Moon – 2nd face Scorner – highlighted & rotated photo – Blue moon of 31.08.2012 – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Creative-Commons – CC0-1.0-Universal-Public-Domain-Dedication

ABOVE PICTURE ON LEFT – Moon – 2nd Face (exaggerated for ease of identifying) – Pharisee Scorner 

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THE PHARISEE WITHIN

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And this beast lives within each of us.

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Oh well, he may not manifest himself so much. But he is the iconic symbol of foolish human pride! And each and every human being has pride dwelling within. In some, pride is very apparent and noticeable! In others, it lies just beneath the surface. But it’s there, working together with the other two sins, the lusts of the flesh, and the lusts of the eyes (covetousness).

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James Tissot – The Pharisee and Publican – Brooklyn Museum & Wikimedia – US Public Domain

Moon – 2nd face Scorner – highlighted & rotated photo – Blue moon of 31.08.2012 – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Creative-Commons – CC0-1.0-Universal-Public-Domain-Dedication

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PRIDE OFTEN PRAISED!

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Now pride is considered in the Bible to be one of the higher sins of the mind, whereas the lusts of the flesh, the lower passions of the flesh.

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And while the lusts of the flesh are often scorned even by the world, the Pride of Life is more likely to be seen as a virtue.

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And yet, pride is especially reprehensible to God. God hates selfish human pride!

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Perhaps God created the beautiful and regal peacocks to give us a symbol of pride, as if all eyes are on us.

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Yes, we humans, nevertheless, often love to be the center of attention and the object of admiration! 

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Moon – 2nd face Scorner – highlighted & rotated photo – Blue moon of 31.08.2012 – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Creative-Commons – CC0-1.0-Universal-Public-Domain-Dedication

Peacock – by Nihal Jabin – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.

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PRIDE MENTIONED FIRST

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Listen… “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19

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Here we have a short list of human qualities which the Lord hates! And “a proud look” holds the #1 spot on that list!

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Academy Awards Ceremony – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share Alike Lic.

Moon – 2nd face Scorner – highlighted & rotated photo – Blue moon of 31.08.2012 – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Creative-Commons – CC0-1.0-Universal-Public-Domain-Dedication

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LUCIFER’S PRIDE

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You see, Pride was the original sin, manifesting itself back in the days of the great rebellion in Heaven, when Lucifer’s heart was lifted up…

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Listen… “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14:12

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Here we see that Lucifer wanted to exalt his heavenly throne above the stars of Heaven! He was ambitious! He wanted it all!

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Moon – 2nd face Scorner – highlighted & rotated photo – Blue moon of 31.08.2012 – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Creative-Commons – CC0-1.0-Universal-Public-Domain-Dedication

Lucifer – Mihály Zichy – 1887 – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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PHARISEES LOVED SELF-EXALTATION

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And so too, the Pharisees back in Jesus’ earthly ministry, loved to exalt themselves above other humans!

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Thus, they strove to become more moral and correct. They sought for excellence in outward appearance. They loved the exaltation of social status which earthly riches afforded! They coveted their extravagant and showy homes and gardens, and cattle, and lands.

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The Pharisee and The Publican – Basilika Ottobeuren Fresko07Author Johannes Böckh & Thomas Mirtsch – wikipedia – GNU re-use license

Moon – 2nd face Scorner – highlighted & rotated photo – Blue moon of 31.08.2012 – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Creative-Commons – CC0-1.0-Universal-Public-Domain-Dedication

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JESUS, THE DIVINE ICON OF HUMBLENESS

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Now contrast this with meek and humble Jesus. Here came the King of Heaven, riding on a lowly donkey.

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Laying aside His heavenly crown, so that He might come and bring back His lost sheep. Living a life of poverty, he condescended to those of low esteem. And instead of receiving praise and honor, He was spit upon and rejected by those of us who followed after Lucifer’s rebellion!

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Moon – 2nd face Scorner – highlighted & rotated photo – Blue moon of 31.08.2012 – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Creative-Commons – CC0-1.0-Universal-Public-Domain-Dedication

Sign of the Son of Man Constellation – made of the various constellations on this website

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PRIDE CAN BE ELIMINATED!

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And so, the Good News here is that we can begin to purify our hearts from all foolish pride and its accompanying sins: anger, judging, self-promotion…

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Yes, God has given us the greatest of all commissions… “but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure. ” 1st John 3:2, 3

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

Moon – 2nd face Scorner – highlighted & rotated photo – Blue moon of 31.08.2012 – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Creative-Commons – CC0-1.0-Universal-Public-Domain-Dedication

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TO READ PART 5, CLICK HERE…

OCTOBER 7 (How Shall the Moon Be Turned Into Blood? Part 5: Mark of the Beast in the Moon!? 3rd Face: The Sadducee-Seeker)

ABOVE PICTURE – moon – 3rd face – Sadducee Seeker (Rabbit-like face)

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to understand this fearful prophecy, written in the sky…

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “How Shall The Moon Be Turned Into Blood?” or you can also read… “April 15th (Moon = Woman = Church)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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MOON INTO BLOOD TRILOGY…

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There are three faces in the Moon, etched by God Himself. These faces present, not only the condition of God’s house, but also, the condition of the Human Heart.

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The first face is that of a man. The other two faces are those of a scavenger and also a predator. The first face represents the True Worshipers. The other two represent the two classes of Christians that existed in Jesus’ day: the Pharisees, and the Sadducees. The Pharisees were the Proud Scorners. The Sadducees were locked in by unbelief. They didn’t believe much of the Bible. While the second face representing the Pharisees, as they professed belief in the Bible, loved the sins of pride, the 3rd face (Sadducees) continually sought after the things of the world.

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Yes, these faithless ones (represented by this 3rd face), didn’t believe that being Christ-like could bring the joy necessary to be content. So this 3rd face is a Seeker, so to speak. Just as the little furry critters are constantly seeking after food, so too, many Christians are constantly seeking after, and nibbling of the things of the world. Now, it’s not to say that Christians do not enjoy the things of the world. But Christians are not to make the things of the world of much importance. Their chief desire is to seek the things of Heaven.

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Do you get the point of these two beasts of the Earth? And while the Moon does not deal directly with all aspects of the Revelation 13 Antichrist Beast (7 heads, 10 horns, etc.). Nevertheless, the Moon exposes the Beast Within: the Beast within the human heart.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 1st Face: The Night Watchman” 

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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TOMORROW:

April 22 (The Devil Made Me Do It! Part 24: “Satan, the Great Puppet-Master!”)

The Puppetmaster of Politics – Property of www.theheavensdeclare.net – exclusive copyrighted

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THE DESIRE OF AGES, BY ELLEN G. WHITE

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this chapter of the audio book about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in His life and ministry.

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Chapter 67 – Woes on the Pharisees

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Sign of the Son of Man Constellation – made of the various constellations on this website

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this recording #162, a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s 90 minute nightly talk shows. This particular program aired in the last few years of his 50 year radio ministry, and includes caller’s questions regarding his teachings on “the end of the church age”…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons 

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Daily Devotional, Year 4: March 14

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The Devil Made Me Do It

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Part 37:

“The Dancing Plague of 1518”

To read Part 1, click here…October 13th . . . . The Devil Made Me Do It! Part 1

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Mask Mandate – Aufruf_zur_Maskenpflicht_auf_Spielplätzen_Park_Bismarckturm_Hof – Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license

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Back in the 1970’s, a certain saying was popularized…“The Devil made me do it! The Devil made me do it!”

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And this was merely mocking Christians, who were seemingly obsessed with pointing the finger at the Devil.

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Then they could all joke and mock “the silly and absurd notion” that Satan is a very active and powerful force controlling the peoples of this world, by laughingly saying…“The Devil made me do it! The Devil made me do it!“

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Flip Wilson – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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SATAN, “THE GOD OF THIS WORLD”

2nd Corinthians 4:4

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But the horrifying fact is, the Devil does indeed cause the vast percentage of the world’s inhabitants to do a great amount of things!

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After all, Ephesians, Chapter 2 reveals a truth that practically nobody realizes or accepts! It is perhaps the most egregious truth in all of the Bible!

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And this verse is, “…the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

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And let’s face it! The idea that the entire world’s inhabitants are filled with this evil, antichrist spirit is more than anybody is willing to accept, much less even admit!

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Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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There has been a great mystery as to the cause of the “Dancing Plague of 1518 in Strasbourg France”.

“The outbreak began in July 1518 when a woman called Frau Troffea began to dance fervently and uncontrollably in a street in Strasbourg. Troffea kept up the constant dancing for a week. Soon, three dozen others joined in. By August, the “dancing plague” had claimed 400 victims. Dancers were beginning to collapse. It is said some even died from a stroke or heart attack. No one knew what caused this reaction, which meant no one understood how to remedy it. By early September, the outbreak began to subside, when the dancers were sent to a mountain shrine to pray for absolution.”

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This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer.  United States public domain tag 

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Now, according to “experts”, the cause of this plague are unknown to this very day, although theories range from “Mass Psychosis” to “Demonic possession”.

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And this same Wikipedia article notes that similar phenomena occurred at various times and places in Medieval Europe.

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PENTACOSTAL SIGNS & WONDERS

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Nevertheless, such phenomena has continued on, even unto this very day. One such event occurred, taking on a religious form, which has been tagged as the Azusa Street Revival…

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Listen to Wikipedia…Another local paper reporter in September 1906 described the happenings with the following words: “…they cry and make howling noises all day and into the night. They run, jump, shake all over, shout to the top of their voice, spin around in circles, fall out on the sawdust blanketed floor jerking, kicking and rolling all over it. Some of them pass out and do not move for hours as though they were dead. These people appear to be mad, mentally deranged or under a spell. They claim to be filled with the spirit…” 

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This event has been credited as the beginning of the modern-day Pentacostal Movement. And still to this day, there are churches and evangelists which conduct large gatherings in which are Non-Biblical phenomena such as, “Falling Backwards”, “speaking in unintelligible babbling”, “Dancing in the Spirit”, “Drunkenness in the Spirit”, “Laughing in the Spirit”, etc….

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But even going outside of the churches, there are many unexplained phenomena occurring in the secular world.

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One such unexplained occurrence is growing phenomenon of “Gender Confusion” in which millions of people are no longer happy with their God-ordained gender. Thus we are seeing not only the public being overtaken by this unnatural compulsion, but the government and medical community has joined in this cultish phenomenon, even surgically removing sex-organs of people of most all ages, to somehow quell the perverted desire to become the opposite gender.

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Nevertheless, credit for all these various forms of so-called “Mass Psychosis” must be given to the dark forces which rule over this crazy world.

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Yes, the Bible reveals that Lucifer was long ago given rulership of this antichrist world-system! Listen…”2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 
2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

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Even though there has been strange and demonic phenomena through history, today’s high-tech world has become the end-times engine for a grand perview of Satanic activity. Yes, now the entire world is increasingly able to watch through the high-tech p[ortals and see the workings of that “Prince of the Power of the Air”, as he sweeps through the nations with societal tsunamis, bringing judgment on the nations, overwhelming us with the increasingly horrific depths of sinful madness! Yes, just as giant waves of the ocean come, one-by-one, so are we flooded with one form of madness after another, whether in the music world, or sports, or government, television, Internet. 

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GOOD NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY!”

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If there is any Good News in all of this world’s insanity, it is offer of Salvation in which we may aquire “Peace that surpasses all understanding!”

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Yes, by turning our eyes upon the Savior of the world, we may obtain “perfect peace” and divine rest” in a world which rages as the troubled sea which cannot rest.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Lord, Help me to fully understand this kingdom of selfishness, this present antichrist world-system…

Prayer at Day’s End – Angelus by Jean-François Millet – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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READ MORE…

January 11 (Cuttlefish & The False Prophet, Part 8: “And He Spake As A Dragon!”), and you may also read…March 18 (The Devil Made Me Do It! Part 5: “Satan’s Army of Mockers!”)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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FINALLY WALKING UPWARD INTO THE HIGHWAYS OF ETERNITY

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Day by day, you will find yourself walking, like the Disciples, spreading the precious Gospel seed wherever the Spirit leads.

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Taking the lovely name of Jesus, with every word spoken. Walking through this sin-darkened world, witnessing to those who take notice that of a truth, Jesus is present within you. Even like faithful Enoch, walking through the highways and byways of life in this world, spreading the Gospel-seed of unpretentious love.

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Day by day, you will become more and more closed in with God. Moment by moment, your heart will become intertwined with God’s heart, eventually two hearts beating as one heart.

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And just like Enoch, when the appointed time of sojourning on earth is finally done…you will walk onward…and upward…and into the highways and byways of eternity. (“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Genesis 5:24).

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ThomasCole-Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey – Wikimedia – US public domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Castor and Pollux & The Mystery Ship of Scripture”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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