In yesterday’s devotional, the book, “Roots” was the centerpiece for a discussion about how God quite often allows Christians to suffer afflictions.
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And the concept about “suffering with Jesus” was brought out in a manner that is not very well accepted in today’s gospels which often focus on earthly prosperity.
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But perhaps, this (possible) historical figure, Kunta Kinte, can also be used for today’s subject of “sitting still”.
Now author, Alex Haley, wrote that his ancestor, an American slave named Kunta Kinte, had the front-half of his foot amputated, so as to keep him from running away from his master.
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And of course, this was a very cruel and heartless way of dealing with another human being!
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Nevertheless, Kunta Kinte’s loss of limb forever solved the problem of him running away from his slave-masters and from his family.
But like so many things in nature and like so many things in the world, Kunta Kinte’s amputation also has a spiritual analogy, when you really think about it.
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Listen…“The LORD lifts up the meek:
He delights not in the strength of the horse:
He takes not pleasure in the legs of a man.
The LORD takes pleasure in them that fear Him,
in those that hope in His mercy.”
Psalm 147:5, 6, 10, 11
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Notice it says here that the Lord“delights not in the strength of the horse: He takes not pleasure in the legs of a man.”
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So what in the world can this remarkable statement have to do with the Gospel!?!
Remember the story of Mary Magdalene and her sister Martha? Martha was always busy doing physical labor, while Mary devoted herself to sitting at the feet of Jesus, hearing His Word.
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But when Martha complained that Mary was being lazy and not busy like herself, Jesus very kindly and ever-so-gently scolded Martha, saying…
…”Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful:
and Mary hath chosen that good part,
which shall not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41, 42.
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Notice that Jesus said, “But one thing is needful!”
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And what is that one thing which is needful?
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Hearing the Word of Jesus! That’s the one thing which is needful! Hearing His Word!
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Well, just like Mary Magdalene, the Christian needs to sit at His feet and hear His Word!
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But like Kunta Kinte, so many of us have constantly run away from that one all-important duty, and instead, have entangled ourselves with many other less meaningful things!
So, before God has to “cut off our right foot”, so to speak, we need to divest ourselves of all unnecessary endeavors, and enter into our chambers, and burn that midnight oil, as we begin to hide God’s Word in our heart.
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Yes, there are many things that our loving Heavenly Father might employ, to keep us from straying away from our Heavenly duties, without having to actually physically harm us.
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But there is no substitute for one’s own personal study of God’s Word, to get to know Him!
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No religious duty will excuse us from hiding God’s Word in our heart!
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And this following passage is so appropriate to end this devotional…
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“Through wisdom is an house built;
and by understanding it is established:
And by knowedge shall the chambers be filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
A wise man is strong;
yea, a man of knowledge increases strength.
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war:
and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Wisdom is too high for a fool:
he opens not his mouth in the gate…
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good;
and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:
So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul:
when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward,
and thy expectation shall not be cut off.”
Proverbs 24:3-7, 12, 13
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Yes, there is no greater duty for the Christian than to armor up with God’s infallible and live-giving Word, The Bible!
“Dear Lord, Keep me from getting involved in things that are not necessary, and keep me searching Thy Word daily, seeking after wisdom and knowledge of Thee, and Thy will for me…
The Christian Martyrs Last Prayer – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN
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A CROWN OF 12 STARS UPON HER HEAD” …
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If you have access to a very dark sky out in the country; if you watch this wreath, you will eventually see 5 more very faint stars, making a total of 12 stars, plus that single star in the middle.
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This wreath now becomes a crown of 12 stars.
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This goes along with Revelation 12, which tells of a crown of 12 stars upon the head of the Virtuous Woman of Revelation 12.
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Just listen to Revelation…
…“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven;
a woman…and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:”
Revelation 12:1.
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But this crown is not yet upon the head of the Virtuous Woman of Revelation 12Constellation (also known as Ursa Major).
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It is just above her head, as if she has yet to attain it.
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Of course, the 13th star in the middle would represent Christ (Who is our true Crown of our rejoicing).
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Okay, so we have a picture of Christ and His twelve tribes of Israel.
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But also, we have a picture of Christ and His twelve apostles, which is a picture of His Church.
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So, this heavenly crown is a multi-faceted concept.
If you are old enough to remember the book, “Roots”, the author portrayed the succeeding generations of an African slave, named Kunta Kinte, who supposedly lived in the 1700-1800’s in early America.
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This story was a tale which touched the hearts of millions in this country: the hearts of both black and white Americans alike!
But one dramatic incident in the original forefather slave, Kunta Kinte, was when that captive servant was finally dealt with, for repeatedly running away from the plantation where he lived and worked.
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Yes, the owners of this rogue runaway slave finally cut off the front half of one of his feet.
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Now, in past centuries, such inhumane cruelty was sometimes used in parts of this country, as well as in many other nations during that era (many nations allowed slavery from various continents. Some nations still do)!
But also, there is a certain biblical analogy which could be made to such cruelty against runaways.
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Yes, the Lord also had to deal with one of His servants in much the same way!
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Listen… “And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,
the messenger of Satan to buffet me,
lest I should be exalted above measure.”
2nd Corinthians 12:7
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Yes, these are the words of none other than the Apostle, Paul!
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And he was telling of how his Heavenly Master had to give Paul “a messenger of Satan” to beat Paul up, so to speak, in attempt to keep Paul from getting puffed up over all his glorious revelations. (See 2nd Corinthians 12:7)
Yes, Paul was far-sighted in his outlook on life! And this was brought out by the next following passage…
Listen…For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment,
works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen…“
2nd Corinthians 4:17, 18 (Condensed)
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But while the Christian may indeed attain to that, “peace which surpasses all earthly understanding”, he or she must also expect to suffer many afflictions, as we travel up that Heavenward highway.
“Dear Lord, Give me that same spirit which the Apostle Paul possessed. Help me to rejoice in my afflictions, knowing that they are working in me for my ultimate good…
The galaxy which appears to be climbing the Mountain of Blessing is the Andromeda Galaxy.
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The above Wikipedia star-chart shows this amazing constellation group as it appears from June to fall, just prior to the winter constellation group.
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Actually, these Valley of Decision Constellations appear in early summer in the pre-dawn hours. (Editor of this website has sketched in this constellation group onto this above Wikipedia star-chart.)
The moth symbolizes “false brethren”, who join the Church, but never become true Believers.
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They are merely “Make-Believers”!
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Oh yes, when still in their caterpillar stage, it’s hard to tell them apart from the butterfly/caterpillar.
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And they too, go through a metamorphosis.
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But their change is not at all like the caterpillar-to-butterfly!
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You see, instead of flying in the day, as does the butterfly, the moth flies at night…
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…”Ye are all the children of light,
and the children of the day:
we are not of the night,
nor of darkness…”
1st Thessalonians 5:5
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Instead of having wings which are lifted up toward Heaven, the moth’s wings are horizontally directed down at earth!
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…”Set your affection on things above,
not on things on the earth.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;”
Colossians 3:4, 5
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Instead of sipping the sweet nectar from flowers, it often eats the wool from clothing!
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Of course, wool symbolizes the covering of lambs, and lambs symbolize Christians…
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…”though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow…
they shall be as WOOL.”
Isaiah 1:18. (Condensed)
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“I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
Revelation 3:16
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And so, that particular breed of moths, eating wool, symbolizes the false brethren in the Church, who bring the Church into deterioration and ultimately into apostasy…
Listen…“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,
But there is an exception to all this. Yes, the Bible speaks of silk. Listen… “She (the virtuous woman) maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.” Proverbs 31:22.
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This verse is speaking of the virtuous woman.
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And of course, this virtuous woman symbolizes God’s people.
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And the silk spoken of here, symbolizes Christ’s covering over His people.
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Now silk comes from a little caterpillar worm, which when domesticated, spins a cocoon, which is harvested for silk.
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And when this cocoon is boiled for strength, the caterpillar inside the cocoon dies.
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Then the cocoon is made into silky thread, then made into beautiful and soft silk clothing!
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN
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Then Job answered and said…but how should man be just with God?…
Which alone spreads out the heavens…
Which makes Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
Which does great things past finding out;
yea, and wonders without number…
Can you bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades?
Or loose the bands of Orion?”
Job 9:2-10 & 38:31
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The photo to the right is the Pleiades Cluster. Does it appear to you like an angel?
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Well, if it does, then you are encouraged to keep reading.
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The above two verses concerning the Pleiades are all the Bible has to say about the Pleiades, directly.
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But if you will read this article, you will discover that the Pleiades represents concepts which span much of the Bible.
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This is partly because Pleiades is a constellation within a constellation.
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And this double-entendre constellation presents perhaps, a picture of the greatest truth regarding the Church, found in the Bible.
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And The Heavens Declare.net will attempt to unravel this mysterious phenomenon in the night-sky, and will, hopefully, also interpret these two verses to show just what all this means, and how it might apply to our lives.
But after God allowed Jacob to suffer by the hand of Uncle Laban for all those years, God finally brought Jacob to that place where Jacob would wrestle with God through his night of trouble.
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But Jacob persevered! He did not become discouraged, nor did he give up!
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And because Jacob continued to wrestle, at the dawning of the day, God pronounced His blessing upon Jacob…
…”And he said,
Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
but Israel:
for as a prince hast thou power with God
and with men, and hast prevailed.”
Genesis 32:28.
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Yes, Jacob no longer was named “Jacob the Liar”.
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But now he was given the name, “Israel, the Prince who prevailed with God”.
But God is now calling us to come out of all this Babylonish confusion, and God is calling us to flee. No, it’s no longer a time to congregate.
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Listen… “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as the manner of some is;
but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:25
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Notice that it says to have fellowship together as we “see the Day approaching”.
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And the question that we have to ask ourselves is, “as we see WHAT day approaching?”
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Well, the day approaching is the day when we are to flee!
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Moses spoke of it as a time to flee to the mountain from the destruction of Sodom.Genesis 19:14
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David spoke of it as a time to flee as a bird from our enemies (Psalm 11:1 & Psalm 143:9).
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Solomon spoke of it as a time to get to the“Mountain of Myrrh and to the Hill of Frankincense” (Song of Solomon 4:6).
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Isaiah spoke of it as… “…his (Moab’s) fugitives shall flee unto Zoar” Isaiah 15:5.
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Jeremiah spoke of it as a time to…“Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; He will render unto her a recompense.” Jeremiah 51:6.
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Habakkuk spoke of it as an hour at the end, when God’s people are to run from the Chaldeans. Habakkuk 2:1-3
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Matthew also spoke of it as an hour at the end, when God’s people are to, “flee to the mountains”! Matthew 24:15, 16
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Paul spoke of it as a time to “Come out from among them (unbelievers) and be ye separate” 2nd Corinthians 6:17
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Jesus spoke of it as the time to,“Come out of her My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4
“And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:” Psalm 40:3
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Well, this devotional has engaged in a lot of metaphor-mixing.
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But to put it in plain and concise language, God is separating us from the apostate churches, so thatHe might teach us His special song, the song of Christ’s infinite love and goodness.
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Because it would be impossible to teach us that glorious Song of Salvation, if we were still mixing and mingling with the world and with the worldly congregations.
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And once we learn that song, we will forever be able to sing that song of love throughout all eternity, as we wing our flight to worlds unknown!
“Dear Lord, Give me further understanding into this concept of “fleeing”. Open my eyes that I might see clearly, as to the true condition of the church-world…
Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – Public Domain
Well, of course, this passage (Jeremiah 30:6, 7) must be understood allegorically!
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To say it concisely, this passage is speaking of God’s people during the time of great affliction just before us.
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At this time, God is going to bring His people through a fiery trial, in which His Elect Church will finally give birth to Christ.
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Listen to the words of the Apostle, Paul… “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,” Galatians 4:19
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And so, Paul is comparing, not only his own experience as travailing in birth, but also to the Church of Galatia as Paul was waiting for that church to form Christ within them!
But the sad fact is, the Church of God, instead of giving birth to Christ, has had a spiritual “miscarriage”!
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Listen to this passage from Isaiah…
“Like as a woman with child…
so have we been in Thy sight, O LORD…
we have as it were brought forth wind;
we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth;
neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.”
Isaiah 26:17, 18
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So, Isaiah is telling us that we have failed to have “wrought any deliverance in the earth, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen”.
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In other words, we have failed to show Christ to the world, which would have caused the world to fall down and confess that Christ was indeed a powerful God!
Fortunately, God is a God of happy endings! And while the Church has been preoccupied with many worldly endeavors, God is going to have victory yet!
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Listen to Isaiah, as he continues on…
“…We have been with child, we have been in pain,
we have as it were brought forth wind…
Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers,
and shut thy doors about thee:
hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
For, behold, the LORD cometh out of His place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:
the earth also shall disclose her blood,
and shall no more cover her slain.”
Isaiah 26:18, 20, 21
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This passage from Isaiah, Chapter 26, reveals the answer to our great dilemma!
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You see, just after condemning us for not fulfilling our great commission, God continues in this above passage, to command us to go hide for a moment, until God finishes punishing the world during the Day of Judgment.
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And so, what in the world is God prophesying to us to hide for?
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Well, listen again…
…”Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth,
which have wrought His judgment;
seek righteousness, seek meekness:
it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.”
Zephaniah 2:3.
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So, this last verse from Zephaniah explains how we are to be hidden: by seeking meekness and righteousness.
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Yes, only those who are willing to receive the fullness of Christ’s death & resurrection will be hidden in that Day!
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN
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LOCATING THIS CROWN…
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This constellation begins to appear in late December (just before dawn), but is best seen, mid-sky when this group of constellations can be seen when facing west.
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In March-April, very late in the pre-dawn hours, this Summer Constellation group begins to be seen when facing west, and continues to be seen in the west until fall.
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The Crown follows almost directly behind that great star, Arcturus, as you can see in the sketch to the left. Repeat: it is somewhat easier to study the 12 stars of this constellation when it is in western half of night-sky (when you have to see it as you face westward).
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So when these Summer Constellations are in the western half of the sky, simply follow the handle of the Big Dipper till you locate Arcturus.
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Then the Crown is following Arcturus.
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You will only see the wreath-like 7 stars plus 1 star (in middle) until you get away from all city lights.
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Then you can make out the other 5 stars, which makes it appear like a full crown.
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COMBINATION OF BOTH
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CORONA BOREALIS & BOOTES
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This constellation is a combination of both Corona Borealis plus several stars from the Bootes Constellation.
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The stars, Alkalyroos-Bootis and the Delta-Bootis Star are both combined with the other stars from the Corona Borealis community, to make this 12-star (plus 13th star in middle).
The prophet, Jeremiah, is commonly referred to as, the “Weeping Prophet”.
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Well, of course, the Bible doesn’t call him that.
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But the fact is, Jeremiah actually did do a lot of weeping and mourning for God’s people.
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And that is because Jerusalem, the chosen city of God, had given herself over to idolatry, to the point that God was going to allow them to go into Babylonian captivity.
“Mine eye runs down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of My people.”
Lamentations 3:48
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This above verse from Lamentations refers to Old Testament House of Israel as“the daughter of My people”.
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And the Lord, through Jeremiah, reveals His (God’s) sorrow over His apostate congregation, who valued the things of this life more than the eternal things of Heaven…
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine”
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But today’s church-world is by no means impervious to this same condemnation which the Old Testament people of God were guilty of!
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No, just listen to Paul’s forecast of the end-time church-world…
“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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This above passage speaks of a church-world steeped in worldly pleasures, pursuits, earthly riches, and filled many unbiblical additions to the purity of the Gospel.
“Now all these things…are written for our admonition”
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But the focus of today’s devotional is to stress the sorrow which God has over this apostate condition.
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Yes, God established the local congregations to be His faithful army, throughout the New Testament era.
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The era of the churches was no small matter. It was a very important part of God’s Salvation plan!
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Listen to how we, the New Testament Church, are to relate to the Old Testament…
“Now all these things happened unto them (the Old Testament people of God) for ensamples:
and they are written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
1st Corinthians 10:11
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Yes, many or perhaps most Bible teachers today are unable to relate all those Old Testament stories and prophecies to today’s church-world, even though this above passage commands us to do so!
And so, when reading such prophecies as Lamentations, the New Testament Bible student needs to understand that God is not only weeping for His apostate Old Testament assembly…
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…but also weeps for His apostate New Testament assembly, equally as much.
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Even the true worshipers of God have been so corrupted by all the antichrist deceivers within the walls of Sion, that we too have fallen from God’s approval.
And though the days ahead may be difficult, we can rejoice along with the Psalmist…
“He that goes forth and weeps,
bearing precious seed,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.”
Psalm 126:6
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Yes, we may weep many tears in the coming days.
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And even though we will be… “As sorrowful, yet (we will be) alway rejoicing”…
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…knowing that our Lord will, “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”
2nd Corinthians 6:10 & Romans 12:15 (parenthetical comment by this website editor)
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Yes, every tear that we shed through the coming purifying trials will be met with manifold more sympathetic tears by our Lord, who will be with us all the way up that Narrow Pathway…
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN
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THE HOLY-GHOST-RIDER CONSTELLATION
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“Gavest thou…wings and feathers unto the ostrich?….
What time she lifteth up herself on high,
she scorneth the horse and his rider.”
Job 39:17, 18
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Here in the above condensed passage is revealed a tremendous Bible prophecy!
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Here the ostrich (being a symbol of the Church-Apostate) is going to lift up herself and scorn the horse and his rider.
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Well, if we look in the winter-night skies, we might possibly have our eyes opened to see a most incredible constellation group, known as the “Horse and His Rider” Constellation Group.
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And so, this above passage speaks of the time of the end (which we are just now in).
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And sadly to say, there will be many in the Church who will scorn this last message!
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And these apostates, just as the wisdom-deprived ostrich scorns the Horse and His Rider, do the same!
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And these two heavenly figures symbolize God’s Church in battle, being ridden by the Spirit of Christ!
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Such a sad ending for the Church-Apostate, to scorn the Holy Spirit: the same Spirit that they so often exulted in praise, with their lips!
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This constellation group is made up of a number of smaller constellations: the horse’s head, made from the Perseus Constellation.
However pressing his duties STM2-c James Lee Frazer always finds time to read a few chapters from his Bible each day. I – NARA – 520675 – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Today’s Devotional – July 12th (Jeremiah & The Two Jerusalems, Part 2: “Jesus Wept”)
Certainly not like the old days, when Christians were thrown into arenas, only to be torn apart by wild beasts, or burned at the stake!
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No, today is not like those bad old days!
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So, what’s going on? Why are Christians having such peace and safety?
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Why are we not getting thrown into those Roman arenas, or being burned at the stake?
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Well, as our opening statement to today’s devotional says…“If Satan isn’t coming against you, then perhaps you’re both traveling in the same direction!”
But under the surface of all this peace and prosperity, the Evil One is still lurking in the shadows…
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…just waiting to trounce on any Christian who might decide to fully lay down his or her life on the altar of devotion and heart-purification for Christ.
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Yes, Satan keeps up his façade of this kinder and gentler society, and yet will set up a barrage of fiery missiles against anyone who dares to stand alone for Christ!
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And so, while world-loving churchgoers seem to have things nice and prosperous, the true worshippers are being attacked by that invisible “Prince of the Power of the Air”.
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And while the world-loving ones may be living “a charmed life”, God’s true followers are suffering in many hidden ways.
But the long oval-shaped body has relatively few stars, but can been seen, howbeit with a dark starry night.
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The four stars of the front fins are made partially of Taurus.
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This Dragon constellation appears in the eastern horizon about mid-summer in the pre-dawn hours, spewing his flood-waters northward toward the Woman of Revelation 12 (Woman in Travail).
But we have to keep in mind that this very short life is a training and testing ground for the Christian.
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God didn’t put us here merely to have a nice peaceful life.
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But God has put us in this selfish world, as an arena in which He can mold and hew us into the image of Christ.
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And so, while God loves to give us times of peace and rest, He also must give us trials and temptations.
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Listen…“And I will bring the third part through the fire,
and will refine them as silver is refined,
and will try them as gold is tried:
they shall call on My name, and I will hear them:
I will say, It is My people:
and they shall say, The LORD is my God.”
Zechariah 13:9.
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Yes, God has chosen a remnant from among His professed people, with whom He will refine as gold is refined in the fire, for the ultimate purpose of purifying them into His likeness.
After all, the Bible reveals that…“What is man…that Thou (God) should visit him every morning, and try him every moment?” Job 7:17, 18.
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Yes, the more that a Christian matures in the faith, the more he or she realizes that every moment of the day is an opportunity to learn and progress in the Christian faith.
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Oh yes, quite often it is Satan who lays some sort of trap for us.
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But God only allows those trials which will ultimately be for our further benefit. Listen…
…”And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28
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And the more we improve on these little opportunities, the faster we will rise to new heights in our spiritual walk.
“Dear Lord, Help me to understand that this world is a battlefield, and let me not become complacent and spiritually drowsy! But let me be ever watchful and alert to his devices…
Pray for Our Nation sign – Wikimedia – Share-alike-lic.
Actually, God created it to appear like a soldier.
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This is because all nature presents aspects of the Gospel.
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Listen…“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1.
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And so now we are amazed to discover that beyond the awesome grandeur of the starry night-heavens, God has actually written the Love of God in the heavenly scroll.
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Orion Logo – Signs Of Heaven
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7 MAJOR STARS OF ORION…
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Orion Constellation can best be seen all winter (but even in August in the pre-dawn hours of morning in eastern skies) traveling east to west through the night, in mid-sky.
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To find the seven major stars of Orion (one star on each shoulder and one star on each foot, plus the three stars which make his belt), you can locate on just about any clear night regardless of the blackness of the night.
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To find Orion’s other stars, you need more star-visibility…a darker, moonless night, and possibly away from city lights.
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ABOVE PICTURE – winter constellations – Orion & Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades, Pleiades, etc…) seen at Eagle Ridge – Signs Of Heaven.org – Not for profit use!
There are many false doctrines blowing in the wind these days, in and out of the Christian community.
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And one such false teaching is the popular idea that it is a denial of faith to ever question one’s own Salvation.
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But this is complete and utter avoidance of Bible truth!
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“EXAMINE YOURSELVES…”
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As a matter of fact, even if you are the most highly respected leader in the Church, you are not exempt from the admonition to…
…”Examine yourselves,
whether ye be in the faith;
prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves,
how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates?”
2nd Corinthians 13:5.
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That’s right. It is the very leaders of God’s house who are the prime targets for satanic deceptions and even devilish delusions!
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“THE HEART IS DECEITFUL”
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The Bible warns us that…“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9.
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And so, it is a very healthy practice to take regular inventory of one’s spiritual health, since it is so easy to be deceived by the “deceitfulness of sin”. Hebrews 3:13.
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“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23, 24
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David was not one bit presumptuous about his salvation.
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Quite the contrary, he repeatedly prayed for God to protect him from falling into condemnation…
“Dear Lord, Help me to take inventory of my life! Let me not be deceived by my own deceitful heart, or by those around me. Give me grace to live wholly for Thee…
Praying Hands – Otto Greiner – Wikimedia – .bassenge.com – Cropped image – Public Domain
There are many enthusiastic Christians who really have a heart for evangelism…
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…and yet, will come up to that Great Day of Judgment only to sadly and tragically hear the words…“I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22, 23
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“GO YE…”
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So, let’s take a moment to explore just why such zealous evangelists could ever be excluded from Heaven, even though they did many seemingly wonderful works!
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After all, the Bible clearly tells us…“And He (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
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Here is seen a very plain command from God to go and preach the Gospel.
And yet, we see many television ministries dedicated to evangelism in which the evangelists clearly have salvational issues in their own lives.
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And as one beholds some of the crazy stuff presently going on in the name of the Lord, it should give the Christian pause…“How is my own Christianity? Do people see Jesus in me? Or must I tell them about Jesus?”
Oh yes, we might be able to fool people that don’t personally know us, because they don’t actually witness our day-to-day folly as our immediate family members may.
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But the fact is, there is a much greater way to evangelize the world, and to save other souls!
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Yes, the very first person I need to evangelize is my own self!
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And the very first soul I must save is my own soul!
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“STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED”
2nd Timothy 2:15
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If the Christian would only devote his or her own self to copious Bible study and meditation…
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…that Christian might just discover that he or she doesn’t even need to verbally preach to others.
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Yes, as they “grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord”, their ever-increasing Christlikeness would eventually begin to speak eloquently on behalf of the Savior, much more so than mere audible rhetoric does! (2nd Peter 3:18)
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The very fragrance of Christ would emanate out…to all!
But there is some really wonderful Good News for all of us who have been somewhat very vocal about our religion, yet denying Christ in our behavior.
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You see, God is still allowing us some time to purify our hearts and conform our lives, so that we might,“walk, even as He walked!” 1st John 2:6
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And let’s not discount the power of unceasing prayer, not only for our own self, but also for family, friends, and every soul we come in contact with through our each and every day!
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare,
and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition.”
1st Timothy 6:8, 9
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Now, it seems that Sodom and Gomorrah are now springing up all around us! Even in our children’s public schools!
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And isn’t it also true that today’s high-tech devices are quite often grooming our children better than the proverbial “dirty-old-man down the street” of yesteryear, ever could!
Yes, there is one particular heavenly sign which speaks directly to this question regarding just where we can flee to.
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And this sign is spoken of in Revelation 12…
…”And there appeared a great wonder in heaven;
a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet,
and upon (over) her head a crown of twelve stars:
And she being with child cried,
travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”
Revelation 12:1, 2
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And this great sign in Heaven is now revealed to those who are just beginning to see it (which the pagan cultures misnamed, “The Great Bear or Ursa Major.”)
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But truly, God has created it long ago to be called…“The Revelation 12 Woman Constellation”!
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And in summer this woman appears as a headless woman in labor pains.
Because, as summer turns to fall, and fall turns to winter, this constellation of a laboring woman gradually flips upside down, and by Winter appears as a fleeing woman.
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And this fulfills the following continuation of Revelation 12…
…”And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle,
that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place,
where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time,
from the face of the serpent.”
Revelation 12:14.
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And now, this fleeing woman has a head made from that single star which represented the Christ-child.
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In other words, she gave birth to Christ. And Christ is now become the head of the Church, and the Church is the body of Christ.
Now if this weren’t amazing enough, God is not finished with this scenario.
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No, if you find the stars, Castor and Pollux, you will discover that they represent the Narrow Gate, spoken of in the Gospel according to Matthew…
…”Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate,
and broad is the way,
that leads to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate,
and narrow is the way,
which leads unto life,
and few there be that find it.”
Matthew 7:13, 14.
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So, as we see this fleeing woman and realize that she is veering away from the Broad Gate stars, and heading into the Narrow Gate stars, we are confronted with a tremendous concept which solves our great dilemma.
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You see, just as this Revelation 12 Fleeing Woman Constellation is fleeing into the Narrow Gate…
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…this is actually where we too must flee, if we ever expect to escape Sodom and Gomorrah, which is just now springing up all around us!
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And what is this Narrow Gate all about?
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Well, to put it in the most concise language, it represents a total forsaking of this selfish world, and a total devotion to becoming like Jesus, in every way!
Yes, if we ever expect our children to not become consumed and swallowed up by this Sodom & Gomorrah, we are going to have to flee into the Narrow Gate!
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We must make that total sacrificial surrender! There’s no other way!
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Because there’s no place on earth to flee to.
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There’s no earthly mountain-refuge high enough to protect our family from the Wicked One!
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Listen… “In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver,
and his idols of gold,
which they made each one for himself to worship,
to the moles and to the bats;
To go into the clefts of the ragged rocks,
for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty,
when He arises to shake terribly the earth!”
Isaiah 2:20, 21
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The clefts of these ragged rocks can only be entered through the pages of the Bible! Because these clefts are the very words of God.
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And we must so wholly immerse ourselves in His Word, which cuts so deeply into our heart…
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…that all the glory of the tinsel-like treasures of the world will begin to fade away like a dying flower!
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We have a promise from God, concerning our families…
…”Blessed is every one that fears the LORD;
that walks in His ways….
Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house:
thy children like olive plants round about thy table.”
Psalm 128:1, 3
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ABOVE PICTURE – The Narrow Gate & Wide Gate – Late winter – Ursa Major – www.signsofheaven.org- you may use with credit
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to fully understand these things. Give me a love for studying Thy Word. Help me to enter the Narrow gate, which leads to life everlasting…
The Christian Martyrs Last Prayer – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
ABOVE PICTURE: Most Holy Place within the heart – Signs Of Heaven
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Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Today’s Devotional – July 7th (Power of Positive Thinking Gospels, Part 6: Conservative Gospels (continued from yesterday))
Several nights ago, a very popular evangelist gave a very high-energy presentation, with a very positive message.
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This extravaganza was filled with short, but uplifting testimonies, a high-energy rock band, attractive women, well-timed jokes, and smoother-than-butter preaching!
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The vast audience seemed mesmerized, yet ecstatic about this uplifting and upbeat message! The night was a huge success!
Yes, those gospels out there which we call, “Name It and Claim It gospels”, or “Prosperity gospels”, are the extreme version of false gospels which seek for earthly prosperity.
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And they are relatively easy to spot by those who are familiar with what the Bible says about earthly Mammon.
So, this and other similar passages make perfectly clear that the Christian is to shun much of the opulence and excesses which the people of the world seek after!
Now, it wouldn’t be so bad to point out the gross avarice of these so-called liberal gospels which believe that“gain is godliness”, if we weren’t every bit as guilty!
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Yes, that’s right, while we are busy looking down our noses at those crazy “gain is godliness gospels”, the accusing finger from Heaven is likewise pointing down at us!
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PEACE AND PROSPERITY!
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For instance, most Christians bring up their children to believe that they must grow up to have a career which pays as much as possible!
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And they pray that God will protect them and provide an abundant life for them and even for their children!
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So how does this mind-set compare to the Bible’s admonition… “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”? 1st Timothy 6:8
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After all, we are not content for our children to merely have food and covering, are we?
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Of course not! We want our children to have a nice blissful and abundant lifestyle!
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Lots of things, nice vacations, entertainment, and all the same accouterments which this secular society enjoys!
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And such erroneous thinking as this comes from listening to what this decadent/opulent/hedonistic society tells us!
“Dear Lord, Teach me the correct way to live in this very affluent society. Give me the grace which lays down one’s life on the altar of Christ-like service. Hide me in this apparent day of wrath…
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN
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HOW THE GATES RELATE TO ORION & DRAGON
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This sketch below is when these constellations are in the eastern sky in early winter (However, this constellation group can even be seen as early as July, in the pre-dawn hours).
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In the eastern sky, it’s not so easily seen which gate the Revelation 12 Woman will enter.
There was a song written called “Starry, Starry Night”, in which the composer lauded too much praise on that most infamous artist, Vincent Van Gogh.
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Well, perhaps “too much praise” is even a bit of an understatement.
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Nevertheless, Van Gogh had a unique style, which has influenced many artists since.
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But the point of the song was that Van Gogh tried to share the beauty of life and nature with the world through his art, and the world just didn’t appreciate Van Gogh’s plea to humanity.
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Well, Van Gogh’s paintings are now selling for millions, so somebody’s appreciating him!
But God, in His great mercy, is giving us this message to “look up”, while there is still a little time to prepare to meet our God.
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Oh yes, the signs in the sun, moon, and stars are one very good reason to “look up, and lift up your heads”.
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But maybe it’s also time to look up and see the messages that God is trying to share with us in nature!
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Yes, the Bible is very closely intertwined with nature and brings out the poetic messages found in the various objects of nature, and just what they mean.
For instance, the Bible speaks of the lowly ant, and how it is wise, diligently working to store up its winter food during the summer.
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Listen…“Go to the ant…
consider her ways, and be wise:
Which hving no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provides her meat in the summer,
and gathers her food in the harvest.”
Proverbs 6:6-8
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Now this is a wonderful revelation about ants…
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…and yet, by careful observation, it has been discovered that ants also have other marvelous characteristics!
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For example, they harvest a sweet milky nectar from certain aphids, whom they have watched over all day…
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…just like little cowboys, only to bring them with them, down in their stronghold at night, to share their milky substance with one-another during the night!
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And so too, the Christian is to share the sweet nectar of God’s Word, one with another.
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Listen… “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul…sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” Psalms 19:7, 10.
Well, the point is, that if the Christian will begin to apply his or her heart to the wisdom all around us, then all of Nature might become a beautiful symphony of heavenly strains, proclaiming the wonderful Gospel story!
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Listen…“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee;
and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee:
and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
Who knows not in all these
that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?”
Job 12:7-9
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Yes, God’s Word reveals that Nature is just waiting to teach us about the wonderful gift of Heaven!
A few weeks ago (May, 2014), as I was walking, one night, along a nearby Canal, I noticed a group of stars in a slight oval position right next to the Beautiful 12-star Crown.
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And these stars were maybe even a little brighter than the Crown.
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Now because they were even distanced from each other and in such a definite oval pattern, I became somewhat bothered.
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After all, in my human thinking, I didn’t like that crown to have such tough competition, from this unrecognized group of stars.
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But a few days later, it came to me that those stars represented the Five Wise Virgins from Matthew 25.
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And that slight oval pattern represented their gathering around the Glorious Crown, giving the Crown the attention it deserved.
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In other words, it is only true worshippers of God who highly esteem the crown of victory which awaits those who persevere with Jesus to the very end!
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Then as I kept considering this new phenomenon, I began to realize that these Five Wise Virgins were gathered at the feet of the Sign of the Son of Man Constellation…
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…just as Mary Magdalene sat at Jesus feet to hear His Word!
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And so, this realization gave further credence to these stars representing the Five Wise Virgins.
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But after a few more nights of watching this, I then realized that these five stars might even be the five toes of Sign of the Son of Man Constellation!
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And so, this meant that the crown represented the heel of that Son of Man, as He hung on the Cross.
There is one day of the year when many people in the USA look up and lift up their heads.
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It’s called “The 4th of July”, or “Independence Day”, in which Americans celebrate their independence, from foreign rulership…
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…enjoying a powerful display of fireworks to symbolize “the bombs bursting in air” as they bravely fought for independence from oppressive foreign rule.
“Some people are so heavenly-minded that they are of no earthly good”
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Yes, this above put-down (“Some people are so heavenly-minded that they are of no earthly good”) only bolsters worldly-minded churchgoers, priding ourselves on how industrious we might be in our personal, worldly endeavors.
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“Other people are so earthly-minded, they are of no heavenly good!”
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And yet for every one individual who fits such a demeaning put-down…
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…there are perhaps ninety-nine others who might better be described like this…“There are many who are so earthly-minded, they are no heavenly good!”
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Yes, most of today’s professing Christians are so busy in the world, that our Christianity is usually on the backburner for about six-and-one-half-days-per-week!
Saint Francis of Assisi by Jusepe de Ribera wikipedia – public domain-
Multitask – Wikimedia – C.C. Share-alike License
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ABANDON OUR EARTHLY DUTIES?
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Now, does fixing our eyes heavenward, upon Jesus, necessitate abandoning our daily earthly duties?
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Of course not! But it does require us to no longer make the things of earth our great focus!
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It’s like that old little song…
…”Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face!
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
in the light of His glory and grace!”
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Yes, when we fix our eyes upon Jesus, all the things of this selfish world will soon lose their tight grip on us!
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And even though our great focus will be heavenward, we will still work and live and strive to provide for our family’s needs and comfort and happiness!
“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”
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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy
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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.
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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!
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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.
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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.
The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper).
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These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Church (7 Stars).
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And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).
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These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.
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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.
And Mr. Worldly Wiseman, and his worldly-wise advice to the pilgrim became the foundation for the theme of these two devotionals, “Leaving the City of Destruction”.
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And this Part #2 will offer the remedy for those who have been deceived by the many Worldly Wisemen within the Church today.
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This devotional will try to give practical tips for those have become hopelessly entangled and mired in a complicated, worldly lifestyle.
Perhaps the greatest destructive result from immersing one’s own self in the pursuit of this selfish world, is that it is all but impossible to contemplate God’s Word through the day.
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Listen… “O how love I Thy law (Thy Word)! it is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97.
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This above verse, and other similar verses, exhort us to contemplate God’s Word through our day!
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And those who find themselves incapable of dwelling on God’s Word through the day, are giving themselves clear-cut evidence that they have simply become too busy with life!
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Too immersed in other things!
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One may decide it’s time to seek a simpler lifestyle.
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And of course, married couples must decide if they can make such a transition, while still providing for the food and housing and necessary comforts and happiness for the other members of the family.
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Much prayer for wisdom is the prerequisite to making any drastic changes!
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Make no sudden changes, especially if you are prone to make hasty, unwise, or unbalanced decisions.
and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you,
and ye shall be My sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.”
2nd Corinthians 6:17, 18.
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And not only will such a separation keep us from many temptations, but will begin to clear out the rubbish from our minds, with the hope of purifying our hearts.
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Listen… “And every man that hath this hope in Him (meeting Christ), purifies himself, even as He (Christ) is pure.” 1st John 3:3
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“IT IS MY MEDITATION ALL THE DAY…”
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Now the next step we take is to begin to make room for God in our life.
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And the Christian must begin to fill his or her mind with the pure Word of Truth.
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And this is the great secret to having a victorious life in Christ!
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And even those whose life is filled with worldly obligations can still find many ways to make room for study and contemplation of the Bible.
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And we may even find that listening to a Bible on MP3 or having a small pocket-Bible to read at various moments, are the beginning ways to filling our hearts with good things.
Well, these are the beginning steps one must take in attempting to leave the city of destruction.
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But these steps are not the end.
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We must continue on, willing to receive more, as God gives us increasing grace to attain greater and greater heights, in our upward pilgrimage out of this world, on our journey to the heavenly city of God!
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, help me keep me praying and seeking, praying and seeking…
Prayer – Mother and Daughter – Wikipedia – (cropped image) the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
In John Bunyan’s earth-shaking allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, an everyman character named “Christian”, begins a journey away from the City of Destruction (this world) to the Celestial City (Heaven).
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And in spite of his warnings to his family and fellow town’s-people, Christian ultimately had to make the journey alone.
Now on this journey, the pilgrim met a character named Mr. Worldly Wiseman.
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And this world-loving fellow convinced Christian to forsake his heavenward journey, and instead, merely take up residence in the “City of Morality”.
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But when Christian saw a giant mountain tottering above the pathway to this city (representing the condemnation of the Law), he realized it was far too dangerous to stay in that town, and risk getting crushed by that heavy mountain!
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And so, Christian hurried away, and resumed his pilgrimage to the Celestial City.
Now the point of bringing this up, is that far too many called-to-be-pilgrims today, seem to have met up with this very same notorious and wily character, Mr. Worldly Wiseman!
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Yes, it seems as though most churchgoers have been taken in that same deception which almost destroyed the pilgrim!
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CALLED TO LEAVE THIS WORLD!
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But the fact is, that we have been called by God to take up a pilgrimage away from this present City of Destruction…
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…and spiritually climb that upward pathway, the “Highway…of holiness”, to the Celestial City of Heaven. Isaiah 35:8
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And we are called to set aside our carnal and worldly desires and seek to live the same spiritual life which Jesus lived.
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The same spiritual life that Paul lived! And John lived! And Peter and his family lived!
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Listen…“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” 1st Corinthians 11:1.
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Yes, Paul here calls us to follow his godly example!
“NO MAN THAT WARS ENTANGLES HIMSELF IN THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE…”
2nd Timothy 2:4
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And though we may have a house to live in, and may even meet our prospective spouse…
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…we should never think that we, as Christians, are to carve out some sort of ivy-covered haven for ourselves, here in this world.
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No, quite the contrary! We, as Christians, must never plant our roots in this world’s thorn-strewn soil!
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And even if we do plan to marry, we must make sure our potential spouse is not merely a worldly-minded “Christian”, mostly desiring a nice life in this self-seeking world!
But instead of nestling ourselves down into this world, the Christian needs to look to Jesus, and follow His example.
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Listen to the very words of Jesus, when confronted by a potential new follower…
…”And a certain scribe came, and said unto him,
Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever You go.
And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes,
and the birds of the air have nests;
but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.”
Matthew 8:19, 20.
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Yes, just like this man which Jesus spoke those words to, there are far too many of us who think that Christianity is some sort of complimentary addition to our worldly lifestyle.
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But this mistaken notion is the very essence and foundation of false religion!
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
Ephesians 3:1-3
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As this passage reveals, our lifestyle and affections are to be in the heavenly courts above.
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And though we must still work and provide for the needs and comforts and joys of our household, we must, at the same time, keep our main focus on the things of Heaven!
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN
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WIDE & NARROW GATES IN THE HEAVENS
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As the opening verse says…
...“Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate,
and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction…”
Matthew 7:13-14 (Condensed)
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So, what are these two gates all about?
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And how can I choose the right door?
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But before we explore these questions, let’s take a look at why these two sets of stars represent these two biblical gates.
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HOW THE GATES RELATE TO ORION & DRAGON
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This sketch below is when these constellations are in the eastern sky in early winter (However, this constellation group can even be seen as early as July, in the pre-dawn hours).
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In the eastern sky, it’s not so easily seen which gate the Revelation 12 Woman will enter.
One of the most revered holidays is the Christmas holiday (or, “holy-day”).
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It is celebrated in many nations of the world, by Catholics, Christians, and non-Christians alike!
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But where did Christmas come from?
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Just where and when did Christmas come into being?
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Well, Hislop’s book, “The Two Babylons”presents the history of Christmas, and how it originally came from ancient Rome, as a day celebrating their pagan deity.
But during the rise of the Church of Rome in early centuries, that apostate organization, in collaboration with pagan Rome…
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…began to mingle various Roman and pagan traditions into Christianity.
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Their intent was to gain a wider appeal to its vast pagan citizenry, thus enticing them into that apostate church.
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Thus, both Easter and Christmas are rooted in paganism.
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(The Bible even speaks of Easter as a day to celebrate the resurrection of the god, “Tammuz”, in which the apostate Hebrew women gathered at sunrise to weep for that pagan deity, just prior to his (supposed) rising from the dead. [See Ezekiel 8:13-15])
CHRISTMAS ROOTED IN CHURCH of ROME AND POSSIBLY BABYLON
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And Christmas was a day in which another pagan god was celebrated, called “The Seven Days of Saturnalia”, which took place in late December.
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But of course, in previous centuries Satan designed these pagan “holy-days” to have enough similarity to the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to make such a forbidden union of paganism-to-Christianity very easy!
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And Hislop’s book makes very distinct, the connection with the Church of Rome to ancient pagan Babylon…thus his title, “The Babylons”.
(Alexander Hislop has many detractors today, as one might well imagine, who attempt to criticize and malign him and his book in their defense of Christmas and its originator, the Church of Rome)
And the point to be made today, is that by celebrating these Roman Catholic holy-days, the Christian community is actually praising, howbeit unwittingly, the Church of Rome.
The Good News is that instead of imitating & praising the World, God is just now giving us opportunity to come out of this Babylonish world, and begin praising our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Yes, instead of imitating this pagan world, we still have the privilege of imitating our Lord (which, of course, such an imitation is truly, truly, the very highest form of praise!)
Starry Night at La Silla – Wikimedia – Share-Alike license
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Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Daily Devotional, Year 2 – JULY 31 (The 7 Stars, Part 3: ‘7 Stars’ Imitate ‘The Cross of Orion’ CONTINUED “Christmas…the Highest Form of Praise!”)
To have an over-all understanding of Babylon, it must be reduced to its primary purpose.
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PARADISE LOST
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When God created this world, it was to be a wonderful garden in which Humanity could enjoy the beauty of nature, and rich and joyful communion with their Creator.
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But God, for His own eternal purpose, allowed “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan”, to tempt Mankind into sin and rebellion. (Revelation 12:9 & 20:2)
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At that point, Mankind traded God away for a new Master…“the god of this world“, Lucifer. (2nd Corinthians 4:4)
And through his own “Workers of Iniquity”, Lucifer endeavored tirelessly to create his kingdom, the mighty Babylon. The kingdom of sin and selfishness and confusion of thoughts and ideas.
And so it is, that Lucifer, now holding the official title of “The Devil” and “Satan” has created a world of confusion for the primary purpose of keeping the inhabitants of this world, prisoners, spiritually shackled in his prison-house of sin and selfishness!
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Listen… “But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost:
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.”
2nd Corinthians 4:4
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As it says here, Satan, the god of this world has blinded the minds of all unsaved humans, so that they cannot find their way back to the true God!
But Satan is not content to have 99% of the world in his prison-house. No, he wants it all! He even wants to ensnare true worshipers of God, as well!
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Listen… “the King of Babylon…
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!…
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 14:4, 12-14
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And so, not only does this passage reveal “The King of Babylon” as actually being, “Lucifer”, but also reveals his primary purpose, to ensnare 100% of the earth’s inhabitants.
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Yes, Satan, working through his counterfeit“ministers of righteousness” will, “if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (2nd Corinthians 11:15 & Matthew 24:24)
Yes, God is calling His people to “Come out of her (Babylon) My people” Revelation 4:4.
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And now, it is the command from Isaiah and Habakkuk to, “flee from the wrath to come!” (Matthew 3:7 & Luke 3:7)
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We are to “hide thyself (into thy chambers) as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast!”
(see Isaiah 26:20, 21) .
And in those spiritual chambers, it is our privilege to draw closer to God than ever before, as we surround ourselves with the most holy and pure environments as we possibly can!
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Constant Bible study and meditation (contemplation). Unceasing prayer! “Songs, hymns, and spiritual songs”.
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We are to “come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing(s)” of Babylon, as far as possible! (2nd Corinthians 6:17)
And having accomplished this soul cleansing, then will be fulfilled the following promise of God…
“Let the people praise thee, O God;
let all the people praise Thee!
Then shall the earth yield her increase;
and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him!”
Psalm 67:5-7
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Yes, when God’s people finally “shine forth as the Sun”, then the inhabitants of the earth shall finally fall and fear God, and “every knee shall bow” inreverence to the Almighty Judge and Savior of the world! (Matthew 13:43 & Philippians 2:10)
ABOVE ENGRAVING: Whore – Babylon – Burgkmair – 1523 AD – this old engraving shows that the Church once realized that the Babylon Mother of Harlots was actually the apostate churches – Wikimedia – US Public Domain
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to come out of this Babylon of confusion, and worship Thee 100%…
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN
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GOD’S PEOPLE TAKEN CAPTIVE
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God has a people in Babylon. Yes, Mystery Babylon is the Mother of Harlots. This sketch shows her riding this beast with 7 heads and 10 horns.
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But in that spiritual city, there are those who still love God to a certain degree.
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And before the final plagues are poured out upon her, God has been and will continue to call His people out of her…
“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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And so in addition to The Pleiades appearing as the Harlot Mother, we also see this second depiction of The Pleiades as an angel, which symbolizes God’s people, walking the downward pathway to destruction. They must be called out of Babylon before it’s too late!
We live in a faithless world! From infancy, we have been taught and conditioned to believe that we must, “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps”, as the saying goes.
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Yes, this ol’ world is under the false notion, that if there is a God, He just sits out there in some far-away nebula, looking at this world through some gigantic telescope.
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We are deists! We are faithless! We think that we must scratch and claw our way through this life, by our own strength, relying on our own faulty intellect!
Of course, this stark spiritual poverty is nothing new! The Bible refers to the Sadducees during Jesus’ time on earth.
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They were a class of secularized “believers”, who doubted any supernatural intervention in the affairs of Man, by God!
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And when Jesus began His earthly ministry, this faithless group of Sadducees had absolutely not one shred of belief that He was the promised Messiah that was to come!
Oh yes, some types of insurance are required, such as driver’s liability insurance, and now, maybe even health insurance.
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And we are counseled by God, in 1st Peter 2:13, to, “Submit yourselves toevery ordinance of Man”, unless of course, it causes us to sin.
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For instance, paying our taxes (even unfair taxes) is NOT a sin!
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Or getting all the necessary permits and inspections for a building project!
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Oh yes, there are some things, such as computers which are so fragile, it is almost guaranteed to break, and may (or may not) require getting some insurance.
Now, are there those who are “fanatics” (a non-biblical name), who make a mockery of faith?
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Of course there are, and Satan has always supplied such false brethren, who pretend to have great faith, but eventually end up in some disastrous catastrophe.
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Their faith was merely presumptuous folly.
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They were raised up by Satan to cast aspersions on those true worshipers of God who truly desire to live by faith.
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And if the Reader of this article is given to such extremes, it would be best to not allow Satan to compel you into doing things which will eventually cause you to fall into some catastrophe.
But true faith comes from daily Bible study and contemplation, combined with trials and afflictions which are given to strengthen the faith of God’s child.
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Little-by-little, the true Believer learns to live by greater and greater faith, ever progressing toward his or her goal: to become totally Christ-like!
Acts 28 – 5 and Paul shook off the beast into the fire
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to grow in faith and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Give me wisdom as to how I should live and how I am to provide for my family during the coming crisis…
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN
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THE SEEKER (THE SADDUCEE)
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LOCATING THIS 3RD FACE
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The 3rd face of the Moon is a bit more difficult to locate, because it is mostly upside down.
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But this photo and this sketch are how this face would appear if it was turned right side up. (In the southern hemisphere, however, this is how the Moon would appear.)
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The third face is the most difficult to see in the northern hemisphere, but once you do, it then becomes easy.
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This face is like a furry creature of the field.
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Maybe a rabbit.
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Maybe a squirrel. Perhaps a chipmunk.
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Probably a mouse. All “seekers”; all foragers or scavengers.
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And while this picture shows this little “beast of the field” right side up, this 3rd face is always pretty much in an upside-down position.
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The other two faces appear right-side-up, and are easier to locate.
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This photo and this sketch are both turned around to help you see this 3rd face easily.
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This enhanced sketch to the above right is merely to help you to see this face more easily. (As already stated, this 3rd face is right side up in the southern hemisphere.)
Robert Salmon – Moonlight Coastal Scene – Wikimedia – US Public Domain
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A certain nice lady who was speaking of the Ten Commandments made the following observation about the Christian life… “Well, it’s only just ten little rules that we have to obey! Just a list of ten little rules!”
When Christians begin to focus on the Ten Commandments, instead of Jesus as the main centerpiece of the Bible, there quite often begins to be a disconnect between the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Bible.
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In other words, very many of those who hold the Ten Commandments up as the supreme Law of God, tend to forget that the Ten Commandments are merely a synopsis of the whole Bible, in its entirety!
Yes, the Ten Commandments were greatly the centerpiece of the Old Testament. And yes, they were given the supreme position, being placed within the sacred Ark of the Testament of God.
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And yet, the Ten Commandments are definitely not some little laundry-list of rules we must obey. And far too many Christians erroneously think that they need not read the entire Bible to fully understand those, “ten little rules”.
but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the Word
which ye have heard from the beginning.
Again, a new commandment I write unto you,
which thing is true in Him and in you:
because the darkness is past,
and the true light now shineth.”
1st John 2:7, 8
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The Apostle, John here was speaking of the True Light that is now shining, being the Lord Jesus Christ.
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In other words, John was revealing that the revelation of Jesus Christ in the four Gospels, now gives clarity to the Old Testament Law.
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And now, the Ten Commandments, plus the rest of the Old Testament laws, only now begin to be truly understood, as we look at them in the light of the Lord Jesus as He walked through this world.
And so, anyone who attempts to separate the Ten Commandments from the rest of the Bible reveals that he or she does not truly understand the Ten Commandments, nor the Bible!
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When Jesus entered upon the world stage, God was making the shift from the Ten Commandments to Jesus as the true centerpiece of the Bible.
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And even more than that, both the Ten Commandments, plus every other law and precept in Scripture can only be truly understood as we attempt to see them in that, “true light that now shineth”, that is, in the life and example which Jesus Christ lived and displayed before the onlooking world!
Now the Good News is this: God is holding back the four winds for a little longer that His people might correct such erroneous ideas as today’s devotional has presented.
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The Bible says… “I have seen an end of all perfection: but Thy commandment is exceeding broad.” Psalm 119:96
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As this above verse reveals, Jesus Christ is “the end of all perfection”.\
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It is He who gives true breadth and depth to the Old Testament!
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And during our remaining time here, we really need to read and contemplate both the New and Old Testaments against the backdrop of that perfect light, Jesus Christ!
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN
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EARTH: PLANET OF REST
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Counting the Sun as the 1st heavenly sphere, the Earth is the 4th heavenly sphere.
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If we extend our theory (and it’s just a theory) that God created our solar system to correspond to the commandments, the Sun corresponding to the 1st Commandment, then Planet Earth would correspond to the 4th Commandment: the Seventh-day Sabbath.
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And so, on the very planet that corresponds to the commandment that exalts the idea of “peace” and “rest”, there exists very little peace. And very little rest. Ironic, isn’t it?
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And so the 4th member of our solar system, being Planet Earth, will be the host for this article.
Today, a nice lady was sitting with her daughter in an Internet café (the daughter being about 50-years-old).
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And they were having a nice conversation. And yet, the mother could often be heard taking the Lord’s name in vain in various ways.
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Well, the urge came to turn around and gently scold this otherwise nice lady about her language. But after thinking about it, it was decided not to interfere with her bad habit.
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Actually, she was inadvertently doing God a service.
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She was letting all those around her know just where she stands, as far as her relationship (or rather, lack thereof) with God.
But the real puzzling question is, why did she curse the Lord so often?
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Why did she use the name, “Jesus Christ!” as a curse word, maybe a dozen times or even two dozen times in this rather brief conversation?
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Well, the answer is probably found in the following passage…
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
Ephesians 2:2.
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Yes, there is a spirit within all humans. Either a person is filled with the “Spirit of Truth”, or with the “spirit of error”. (see 1st John 4:6)
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The spirit of error of course is “the prince of the power of the air”, spoken of in the above verse from Ephesians 2:2.
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ABOVE PICTURE: The Devil Owns The Fence – www.theheavensdeclare.net – May use for non-profit use only
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SATAN WITHIN
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And so, 1st John 4:6 and Ephesians 2:2 are both speaking of the very same spirit.
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Therefore, this seemingly moral lady is merely speaking the very sentiments of the “spirit of Antichrist” which, “now worketh in the children of disobedience”! Ephesians 2:2
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And so, because Satan hates God, this “nice” woman likewise has the spirit of hatred for God within!
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Therefore, she has little problem using the Lord’s name in vain! Her blasphemy just rolled off her tongue like water!
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But it was most likely the antichrist spirit within, who was truly doing the cursing!
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SHOULD BE NO SPECULATION
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Now whether the “spirit of error” dwelling in a person is referring to one of Satan’s fellow evil angels, or whether Satan himself has some sort of limited version of omni-presence among the children of men, the Bible does not make it clear.
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We just are not told.
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And so, it does no good to speculate one way or the other.
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Nevertheless, we just need to accept that Satan’s spirit of error does indeed work in “thechildren of disobedience”. Ephesians 2:2
Now, of course, not every unsaved person swears like the proverbial “sailor”. Nevertheless, Satan’s antichrist spirit will undoubtedly manifest itself in some way or another.
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The bottom line to all this is, either you have the Holy Spirit working within you, or you have “the spirit of the world” working in you! (1st Corinthians 2:12)
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There is no third alternative! One or the other!
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AN ANGEL OF LIGHT
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Yes, the people of the world have a form of godliness. But that form of godliness is given by the “spirit of error” within them. It is not borne of the Holy Spirit.
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Listen again…
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;
whose end shall be according to their works.”
2nd Corinthians 11:14, 15.
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Now this above passage is not merely speaking of Antichrists WITHIN the Church.
ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who now in these last days destroys the churches via a world-loving prosperity-driven false gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Give me understanding of my true spiritual condition! Let me not attempt to lie to myself or be deceived by Satan’s armies, to think that I am on neutral ground, when in fact, there is no neutral ground in this world…
The galaxy which appears to be climbing the Mountain of Blessing is the Andromeda Galaxy.
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The above Wikipedia star-chart shows this amazing constellation group as it appears from June to fall, just prior to the winter constellation group.
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Actually, these Valley of Decision Constellations appear in early summer in the pre-dawn hours. (Editor of this website has sketched in this constellation group onto this above Wikipedia star-chart.)
There is a much simpler way of resolving this issue.
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There doesn’t even need to be a debate!
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Not even a word spoken!
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You see, if a person really wants to prove his or her beliefs about Election or Free-will, one should remember the old saying… “The proof of the pudding is in the eating thereof!”
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In other words, just how does your Salvation by Free-will compare to my Salvation by Election as far as yours and my exemplary life in Christ?
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Does my life show that my theology is a winning formula?
After all, just listen to this admonition by Paul…
“And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Romans 12:2
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As this above verse exhorts, it is by the transforming of our lives into Christ’s glorious image, that we “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”: not only to our own self, but also to all those around us!
And so, if those who insist that we are saved apart from any good work (Calvinists), truly have the correct position on Salvation, then that theological position would and should manifest itself by a life of Christ-like godliness!
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And conversely, those who hold to the Free-will doctrine (Arminians) should live a victorious life of Christ-like godliness.
And let’s face it! Those who get into heated debates over this, or any other issue, only show that their theology isn’t working correctly.
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Losing one’s temper is a clear sign that something’s really wrong!
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Listen… “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” Ephesians 4:13
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This above verse condemns those of us who insist that we are correct on this or that issue, so much so, that we aggressively go after anyone who disagrees with our stance!
“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth”
James 3:14
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And so, for those of us who are still struggling to show, that of a truth, Christ is in us, let us put away all debate and strife.
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And then, let’s simply plead with God to do a work in our hearts, to purify us from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord!
And then, once that day arrives, when we have truly overcome the flesh, and someone should ask about our position on Free-will or Election-Predestination, we can give them whatever answer we deem is best, or no answer at all!
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Because it really only matters just what theology has given me victory over the world and over the flesh!
ABOVE PICTURE: The Devil Owns The Fence – www.theheavensdeclare.net – May use for non-profit use only
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Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Daily Devotional, Year 2 – JULY 26 (Free-will? What Free-will? Part 4: How To Prove “Free-will” or “Predestination”!)
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Romans 12:2
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And yet, before we can completely come of Babylon, “the city of confusion”, we must come out of her in our minds.
(“City of Confusion” Isaiah 24:10)
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In other words, we still have great confusion about what is truth and what is merely the wine of her false doctrines, which deadly wine we have been drinking for so many years.
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And the reader is encouraged to click on and begin reading this series of devotionals called “Come Out of Her, My People”, to gain a fuller understanding of just why God considers today’s churches to be spiritual Babylon.
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However pressing his duties STM2-c James Lee Frazer always finds time to read a few chapters from his Bible each day. I – NARA – 520675 – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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BABYLONIANS BY BIRTH
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We have grown up in this Babylonian world. Our customs and our fashions and our tastes have all been formed by the selfish wares and faithless ways of this world.
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But when it pleased the Lord to bring us into His marvelous light, we did not fully understand the veritable ways of Heaven.
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And that is why God gave us His Word. So that by reading about Christ, we could become renewed in the knowledge of Heaven’s ways.
Yes, God has desired to purify for Himself a people, zealous of good works. God desires to have His people reflect His glorious light to a world in bondage to sin; a world in spiritual darkness.
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But God’s people have not fully understood the importance of shining with the glorious light of Heaven.
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And to a great degree, we have not fully put off the darkness of this Babylonian world. We still largely behave as Babylonians.
and if thou take forth the precious from the vile,
thou shalt be as My mouth:
let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”
Jeremiah 15:19
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This exhortation from God to Jeremiah reveals that God desires, not only Jeremiah, but every Christian to, “purify himself, even as He (Christ) is pure.” 1st John 3:3
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Unfortunately, today’s Christian community refuses to embrace the fullness of Christ.
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We enjoy our worldly ways! We would prefer to have SOME, but not ALL of Christ!
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We love the commonness, frivolity, and selfishness of this world!
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And so, our music, our language, our lifestyle, and our behavior and even our fashions all reflect the ways of the world, to a great degree.
Perhaps in the past, God had winked at our highly compromised ways. But now that we are at the end, God desires His people to finally shine “as the Sun”.
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But as long as we continue to cling to the godless ways of this Babylonish world, we cannot fully shine out to the world.
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Our music, our speech, our irreverence all must be radically changed, if we will become purified, “even as Christ is pure!”
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We just cannot mingle the light of Heaven with this world’s darkness, if we will ever hope to shine as the Sun!
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ABOVE PICTURE: Unfunny Judgment Day Cartoon – companys-coming – revised
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“THE GOOD NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY”
Proverbs 15:25
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The Good News is that God is a very forgiving and tender-hearted God.
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And He is just now giving us opportunity to cast off our Babylonian garments and show Christ-and-Christ-alone to the onlooking world!
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…”The night is far spent, the day is at hand:
let us therefore cast off the works of darkness,
and let us put on the armour of light.”
Romans 13:12
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The time is come for God’s Church to shine as the Sun in all its brightness to this unbelieving Babylonian world.
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And all those who profess to love Christ, will now have opportunity to “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2)!
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And once this is accomplished, God’s purified remnant will, “shine forth as the Sun”. Matthew 13:43
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN
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GOD’S PEOPLE TAKEN CAPTIVE
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“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 a people in Babylon. Yes, Mystery Babylon is the Mother of Harlots.
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The sketch to the left shows her riding this beast with 7 heads and 10 horns.
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But in that spiritual city, there are those who still love God to a certain degree.
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And before the final plagues are poured out upon her, God has been and will continue to call His people out of her…
…”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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And so in addition to The Pleiades appearing as the Harlot Mother, we also see this second depiction of The Pleiades as an angel, which symbolizes God’s people, walking the downward pathway to destruction.
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They must be called out of Babylon before it’s too late!
The idea of a bucket-list became popularized by a Hollywood movie, in which two elderly gentlemen wanted to enjoy some worthwhile adventures before they died.
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And so, they wrote a list of things to do.
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Well, in the end, they finally completed the list before they died.
And so, since that popular movie, many people in real life now talk about their “bucket-list”, and what they want to accomplish before they die, giving themselves some satisfaction and closure before their life is over.
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Maybe to climb some mountain. Or to go sailing on some lake or ocean.
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Or maybe to make a snow-angel in the fresh-fallen snow.
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Or to visit some exotic foreign city.
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Or to get up and sing karaoke in front of an audience!
This is perhaps one of the most amazing constellations that God has created!
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It truly looks like a flower, and appears to be blowing in the direction of westward.
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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.
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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 commonly known as Scorpio.
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But there is another obvious aspect to this constellation group.
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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…
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“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.
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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 heaven.” Psalm 119:89
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FLOWER CONSTELLATION BOWS DOWN…
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AUGUST 28TH, 2011
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It has become apparent, on this date, that as summer draws to a close, this “Flower of the Field” “Constellation appears to bend almost completely down.
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This occurs as it travels into the western skies.
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It somehow rotates in order to produce this effect.
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This is a very wonderful phenomenon…and biblical too!
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After all, the Bible says, “the grass withers and the flower falls away”.
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And that’s exactly what this flower constellation seems to do.
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It almost seems to be bowing itself…in the direction of that bright and beautiful star, “Arcturus” (which represents Jesus).
First let’s define what the word, “cult” really means. Cult is the root word of the word, “Culture”. It is the traditions and beliefs in which a group of people live and thrive.
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And two self-appointed defenders of so-called Christian orthodoxy, Barnhouse, and Martin went about to establish just which denominations were to be considered “cults” and which could be embraced as being “OK”.
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And so, Martin wrote a book, Kingdom of the Cults, which became the accepted standard of “what true Christianity is”, and “what Christianity is not”.
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And surprisingly, while condemning Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Latter-Day-Saints, this book somehow allowed Popism to pass their criteria, which only proves that this book wasn’t truly credible.
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They decided they must pander and compromise to that incredibly large group.
But the point of this article is not to heap any further condemnation on Popism, nor on Mormonism, nor on Jehovah’s Witnesses.
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But it is the opinion of this website that mainstream Christianity is by far a more deceptive and a more dangerous “cult” than any of the previously mentioned groups.
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As already mentioned, the name “cult” is a shortened version of the word, “culture”.
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And that is exactly what mainstream Christianity has become.
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It has become a comfortable religious lifestyle for unconverted masses.
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It has become much like Popism or Mormonism, or any other so-called cult.
And by the way, the name, “Cult” is never found in the King James Bible.
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It is merely the concoction of the human mind: a product of modern theologians, and not at all from God’s Word!
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So right here is the very first error of the evangelical “cult”.
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“Another gospel”, as found in 2nd Corinthians 11:4, might be the correct choice of names which God has given and approves of.
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But since “Cult” is the name that evangelicals have chosen, let’s use their own chosen name in this article.
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“EARTHLY, SENSUAL, DEVILISH”
James 3:15
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But it’s true that evangelicalism has become a comfortable culture in which unsanctified church-attendees can thrive in spite of their unconverted hearts.
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For instance, the billion-dollar gospel music industry flourishes within evangelicalism!
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And one can easily find a “Christian” radio station which plays so-called Christian music 24-hours-per-day!
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And while today’s Christian music may have quasi-biblical lyrics, most of this music and performance is from a worldly genre.
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In other words, there is little attempt to imitate the pure music of Heaven.
“So, what’s wrong with that? Who cares if a song’s musical style has worldly roots?”, many will ask.
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For the most part, today’s evangelical music appeals to the sensual tastes of this unconverted Babylonian world!
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And this is just one reason why evangelicalism has become a comfortable culture!
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To a great degree, its music appeals to the carnal heart!
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The unconverted souls within can thrive in such a musical culture.
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It does not require, nor does it inspire the listener to transform his or her tastes to the standards of Heaven!
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Even the more conservative music heard today has often been so heavily syruped with orchestration, and musical filigree, to be palatable to the carnal senses.
There are many who say, “Well, the Bible doesn’t tell us what kind of music that Heaven approves!”
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Well of course, the answer to this charge is, “Heaven does indeed approve of its own music!”
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So then, the next question is, “Just what kind of music is heard in the courts of heaven?”
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And the answer comes back, “The Bible lays down various eternal principles which govern the entire universe! And these principles were to govern this world as well!”
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And so, that music which is heard in the courts of Heaven would never be trendy or “hip”, or “cool”! That’s for sure!
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Nor would it ever be silly or mirthful (funny)!
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It would not be trite nor common! And not shrill, neither pretentious!
Now, just what does the Bible have to say about Jesus and His music?
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Certainly, as we read the Gospels, the few times music was mentioned, it was very simple, in which the disciples merely sang sacred songs, hymns and spiritual songs together.
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Listen…“And when they (Jesus & disciples) had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.” Matthew 26:30
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Very simple and spontaneous was the music which Jesus sang. There was none of the elaborate musical filigree which we hear in today’s music!
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No, there was only the trembling, faithful voices of pilgrims and saints, joining their voices as one, lifting their hearts up to Heaven in joy and thankfulness to their Creator/Redeemer!
God’s Word says… “And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.”
Romans 12:2
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As far as possible, everything we surround ourselves with should be conducive to this transformation of our hearts into the character of Christ and the principles of Heaven!
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And so, the music we choose should likewise reflect the pure and holy qualities of Heaven!
There is an old saying… “The proof of the pudding is in the eating thereof!”
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And it only takes a quick glance to see that the more worldly the so-called “Christian” music being performed, the more worldly is the church which embraces it.
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And statistics show the sad and apostate spiritual condition of today’s church-world.
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In other words, if all the music performed today is such a wonderful and uplifting benefit, then why has the Church become so apostate?
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You’d think that the Church would be shining as the Sun! But it’s not!
And yes, God may have winked at these errors in the past.
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But His desire is for His people to now shine as the Sun, with all the uncompromised light of Heaven, shining down on this Babylonish world!
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We are commanded to “flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul”, not to stubbornly refuse to leave its pernicious and adulterous ways! (see Jeremiah 51:6)
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And so, if ever there was a time to compromise with the ways of this Babylonish world, those days are now past!
Well, sensual and earthy music is just one “cultish” aspect of today’s earthy and sensual church-world.
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And so, this topic will hopefully be continued in a future devotional. Certainly, this website has enough articles concerning the various aspects of the apostate condition of today’s churches, to convince the truth-seeking Christian that it is fully time to “Flee out of this midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul!” Jeremiah 51:6
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THE END
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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN
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GOD’S PEOPLE TAKEN CAPTIVE
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God has a people in Babylon.
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Yes, Mystery Babylon is the Mother of Harlots.
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The sketch to the left shows her riding this beast with 7 heads and 10 horns.
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But in that spiritual city, there are those who still love God to a certain degree.
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And before the final plagues are poured out upon her, God has been and will continue to call His people out of her…
…“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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And so in addition to The Pleiades appearing as the Harlot Mother, we also see this second depiction of The Pleiades as an angel, which symbolizes God’s people, walking the downward pathway to destruction. They must be called out of Babylon before it’s too late!
Well, if you go surfing through the world-wide-web for pictures of spider webs, they often do have the appearance of being a tunnel (well, the good ones do).
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And it’s not hard to imagine that this 3-dimensional, tunnel-like, optical-illusion, fools the little bug into thinking that he (or she) is going through a tunnel, when he (or she) is actually flying into a deadly dead-end trap!
In these last days of earth, there has appeared a giant web, which encircles the globe: The world-wide-web.
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And its proponents have dubbed this web to be “The Information Super-Highway”.
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And while this title of honor may have been true in the past relatively short existence of the world-wide-web, Satan is now wasting no time in pinching off the truth which will save the souls of the lost inhabitants of this, the Devil’s world!
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This “Information Super-Highway” is fast becoming a very narrow “one-lane road”, as, increasingly, only politically-correct information is allowed!
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And the Internet can even decide what information will be seen by this individual or that individual.
Oh yes, the world-wide-web appears to be a tunnel leading to various “desirable havens”.
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And the web will be there to connect searching souls to various worldly ideologies and lifestyles.
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But truth-be-told, the one genuine highway to eternal life is now being pinched off by means of censorship.
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THREE ANGEL’S MESSAGES NOT WELCOME
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Oh yes, the world-loving gospels may still be allowed to remain visible on the web.
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And that includes the prosperity-driven gospels: the “name-it-and-claim-it” gospels as well the more conservative, “entrepreneurial spirit” gospels.
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(These prosperity ideologies may be fine for the people of the world to pursue, but the Christian’s great focus and chief desire is now to be Heavenward, seeking to be transformed into the image of Christ.)
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And the Bible is still available via the Internet. But there is a growing movement to ban the Bible, calling it a Book of hate in its condemnation of various sinful behavior and lifestyles.
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But increasingly, the messages of the three angels from Revelation 14 are not very welcome on the Internet.
But the true Gospel, (which is now calling for the end-time exodus out of this giant spider web world which that great spider, Satan, has created), is now being blacklisted by the major Internet providers.
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And let’s face it, this entire world is hopelessly caught in the bands of selfishness that this Antichrist world-system has been spinning for so long.
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Yes, we have been taken captive by “the god of this world” and are being held in bondage to our selfish desires.
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THE END
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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN
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THE HOLY GHOST RIDER CONSTELLATION
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This newest Signs Of Heaven Constellation (Fall, 2013) is by far the faintest of constellations, but is a very incredible and awesome one in a number of ways (which this article will explain).
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It is primarily comprised of the Camelopardalis Constellation (head and upper back), plus about 5 stars from the Cassiopeia Constellation (his leg), plus some random stars.
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It appears as an outline of a rider.
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Only the back of his head is detailed.
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And his back and the back of his legs are also detailed. Both sides of his arm are visible, and his hand is gripping the horse’s mane, and that is detailed by three stars (which are also part of the horse’s mane).
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The rider is in a position vaguely similar to a race-horse jockey.
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The two brightest stars in this constellation, are from the Cassiopeia Constellation, and are part of his leg.
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All the rest of the stars are very faint, and must be viewed on a very starry night.
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Since this constellation has just been revealed, there may be more to this constellation in the coming months.
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But if you can locate the Goodly Horse in Battle Constellation, then you shouldn’t have too much trouble locating this Rider Constellation, provided you have excellent star-watching conditions.
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Daily Devotional, Year 2 – JULY 22 (Look For The Light At The End of the Tunnel! Part 4: “The World-Wide-Web”)
Gay Parade – cropped and altered image – Wikimedia – GNU Free Documentation License
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THE FINAL BATTLE
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We are now entering the final battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil.
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We do not know just how long this will last!
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But one thing is for sure! Satan is not slumbering but will make life very difficult for all those who resist him!
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It was never a good thing to allow our children to be educated in the public schools.
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In spite of some very fine teachers, yet atheistic philosophies and constant contact with secular society have always cancelled out raising our children to love the Bible and Jesus, its Author.
Yes, this present world-system is becoming so anti-Christian, that any young Christian would have to ask his or her own self…
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…“Do I really want to raise a family in this present world environment?
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…Do I really want to see my children have to endure the tyrannical forces which are beginning to show their teeth, not only in western societies, but also in the other societies around the world?”
Right now, God is calling His people to come out of Babylon.
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And our school-systems are now so pro-actively raising our children to become anti-Christ, that home-schooling them is just about the only way to raise them to love Jesus.
The sodomites are smitten with blindness – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to use this opportunity to warn my friends and family and neighbors to flee from the wrath to come, knowing that soon it will not be possible to warn others…
Prayer at Day’s End – Angelus by Jean-François Millet – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN
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FLEEING WOMAN CONSTELLATION
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FROM WHERE & TO WHERE DOES SHE FLEE? WOMAN ROTATES THROUGH THE SEASONS…
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This page is about the Big Dipper, also called the Great Bear constellation (Ursa Major).
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However, the ancient pagan cultures did not see this constellation as God intended it to be seen.
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It is actually a headless woman in childbirth.
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This is seen in springtime in the northern skies.
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But as the seasons progress, this travailing woman flips upside down, now appearing as a woman with upraised arms like eagle wings who is running (eventually flying, as shown in sketch on right) into the wilderness (westward).
The 7 Stars (Big Dipper) is easy to see with its very bright 7 stars. But the Revelation 12 Woman (Ursa Major) must be seen on a dark starry night, away from city lights.
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THE END
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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN
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THE ‘FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS’ STARS
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A new constellation has been revealed, as of about May 29th, 2014.
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This constellation appears as a serpent (snake).
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Its body is comprised of stars from the Bootes Constellation, and its jaws are made of the four stars which Babylonians saw as the head of Draco, the Dragon.
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It also has a small single star for an eye.
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Now in this constellation is a group of five stars, which will be called “The ‘Five Foolish Virgins’ Stars”.
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These are located on the opposite side of the Glorious Crown of 12 Stars (AKA Corona Borealis), from the ‘Five Wise Virgins’ Stars.
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But one big difference between the two is, that The Five Wise are curved around the Glorious Crown, while the Five Foolish are curved away from it!
But in spite of yours and my inescapable death sentence, isn’t it also true that we live in a beautiful world, in many respects!
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There’s so much of nature to enjoy and admire for its beauty, wisdom, complexity and grandeur!
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The sights and sounds and smells of nature were all given by our Heavenly Father for our enjoyment, while we live out our short 7 or 8 decades on earth!
But you know what? Solomon discovered that all those countless pleasures and priceless treasures did not bring him true happiness!
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Listen again to Solomon…
…Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought,
and on the labour that I had laboured to do:
and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit,
and there was no profit under the sun!”
Ecclesiastes 2:11
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Solomon discovered that all those many pleasures and all that exquisite beauty brought him no true fulfillment or lasting happiness. .
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No, Solomon, by experimentation, was made to realize that the pleasures and treasures of this very brief life only bring, “vanity (meaninglessness) and vexation of Spirit!”
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And he saw that there was, “no profit under the Sun!”
Yes, even though we may not have been so blessed with personal attractiveness in this life, yet there is great hope!
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You see, we can choose to follow Jesus, as He leads His sheep up the narrow pathway, which leads to eternal life!
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And that pathway begins at one’s very own front door!
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In his or her own heart!
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And that pathway leads to a land of unimaginable beauty and love and peace, and joy and contentment!
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It’s a land “where the roses never fade”, as one old song puts it!
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And it is a land in which we will be forever young, as another song puts it!
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And there we will walk firm and upright! And we will never grow full of wrinkles.
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And we will all have a full set of gleaming white teeth and a full head of hair!
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And we will, “grow up as calves of the stall.”! Malachi 4:2
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And the agape love in that land will surpass anything that this sorry old world knows!
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So the question is, with all these promises of God, what on earth is keeping us from renouncing this hopeless world?!
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And what in the earth is keep us from following Jesus up that pathway to the heavenly Promised Land of TRUE eternal beauty: Christ’s love and beauty?!!
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THE END
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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN
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FLOWER OF THE FIELD CONSTELLATION BOWS DOWN…
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AUGUST 28TH, 2011
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It has become apparent, on this date, that as summer draws to a close, this “Flower of the Field” “Constellation(AKA Scorpio) appears to bend almost completely down.
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This occurs as it travels into the western skies.
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It somehow rotates in order to produce this effect.
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This is a very wonderful phenomenon…and biblical too!
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After all, the Bible says “the grass withers and the flower falls away”.
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And that’s exactly what this flower constellation seems to do.
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It almost seems to be bowing itself…in the direction of that bright and beautiful star, “Arcturus” (which represents Jesus).
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This would make sense. After all, Scripture states…
“…unto me (the Lord), every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear…
Bel bows down, Nebo stoops… They stoop, they bow down together…
Listen to me… all you remnant of the house of Israel (God’s people)…
“Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand,
Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels:”
Matthew 25:41
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So, this above verse says the everlasting fire is,“prepared for the devil and his angels:”
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Now, most every Bible teacher concludes that lost mankind being cast into everlasting fire is an after-thought of God, since that fire was originally intended only for the Devil and his angels!
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It was only intended for the Devil and his angels.
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But now, lost mankind will be cast there too, along with the Devil and his angels!
But there is another interpretation to this verse.
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Yes, when this verse reveals that the everlasting fire is prepared for, “the Devil and his angels”, it could very well be including lost mankind in the number of the Devil’s angels.
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That’s right, it truly makes perfect sense that the lost multitudes in this world are considered by Heaven as “angels of the Devil”!
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After all, the inhabitants of this world are Antichrists in rebellion against Heaven’s authority!
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So, just why is it inconceivable that they are also considered as “angels of the Devil?”
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Saul attempts to Kill David – by Gustave Dore – Wikimedia – US Public Domain
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MANY THINGS HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD
2nd Peter 3:16
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Oh no, the Bible doesn’t come right out and say that the wicked and unsaved of the world are numbered as the Devil’s angels.
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But it must be remembered that God doesn’t always come right out and spell out every truth in the Bible.
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Many truths are veiled. Many truths have been concealed, only to be revealed at the appointed time.
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Listen… “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:2
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As this above passage reveals, God has chosen us to be kings.
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And one of the duties of kings is to search out the things which God has concealed in Scripture.
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For instance, God does not come right out and condemn gambling.
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And yet, the Bible is filled with various principles, which when applied to one’s life, leads the Believer to shun gambling altogether!
We have to remember that the name, “angel” can also be translated, “messenger”
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And truly, the people of the world are in league with Satan, whether they know it or not.
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They are his “workers of iniquity”.
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Whether they know it or not, the people of the world are being used daily by the Devil to promote his kingdom, and lead others to reject Heaven. (“Workers of iniquity” Luke 13:27, Proverbs 12:9, etc…)
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And Jesus made this following summation concerning the world’s inhabitants… “He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.” Matthew 12:30
Now here is one more passage which reveals what spirit indwells the people of the world…
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Listen… “Wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
Ephesians 2:2
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So here it is revealed that even we Christians were once filled with the spirit of “the prince of the power of the air, that spirit that now works in the the children of disobedience!”
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So, while we are now filled with God’s Spirit of truth, yet prior to our conversion, we were filled with the spirit of Satan!
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The spirit of darkness.
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The spirit of Antichrist.
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Yes, we were once indwelt by devils, the antichrist spirits which indwell humans!
Now the question must be asked… “Why then are so many people well-behaved, and seemingly very law-abiding?”
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Well, two passages come to mind…
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First, when speaking of worldlings, Paul says… “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2nd Timothy 3:5
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Yes, the people of the world (and worldly Christians) have “a form of godliness”. And yet we are commanded to turn away from all such!
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Remember how the Pharisees and Sadducees were very outwardly correct and even very clean and neat and moral. And yet Jesus called them children of Satan! (see John 8:44)
The Ark of Salvation is still waiting with open doors, for each and every person willing to forsake this world of selfishness, and come aboard this Heaven-bound ship!
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By forsaking this world and turning one’s feet toward Heaven, that person now becomes a pilgrim and stranger to this world, and becomes a messenger (Greek = “angelos”) for Heaven.
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No more is that person a loyal citizen of Satan’s government.
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No more is that person a useful pawn for Satan. And no more does that person worship the Dragon (Satan).
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Now that converted soul becomes a citizen of God’s kingdom of love and purity and righteousness and true holiness!
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Now that person becomes a child of God. And now that person has forever escaped being cast into the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Now author, Alex Haley, wrote that his ancestor, an American slave named Kunta Kinte, had the front-half of his foot amputated, so as to keep him from running away from his master. 
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TO READ PART 3, CLICK HERE…
READ MORE…
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Several nights ago, a very popular 
RAISED TO BE FAITHLESS
Now, are there those who are “fanatics” (a non-biblical name), who make a mockery of faith? 
…and Sodom and Gomorrah seem to be rising up all around us…
