So now, having clarified that, we can go on to our signature Bible passage for today…
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins,
even to give every man according to his ways,
and according to the fruit of his doings.”
Jeremiah 17:9, 10
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This is one of the most incredible passages in the Bible because it reveals the condition of the heart of each and every human on the face of this planet…“desperately wicked and deceitful above all things!”
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What a pronouncement! What an indictment! What a terrible revelation of the human condition! “Desperately wicked and deceitful above all things!”
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ANOTHER SPIRIT!
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And so, dear soul, if I think that my desperation for the things of this world is just a minor issue, I had better do some serious re-examination of the Bible!
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Because if I possess the spirit of desperate lust and envy for earthly possessions and attractions and proud pursuits, then I might just be filled with the Spirit of Antichrist!
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Or at the very least, being tempted in my heart by Satan!
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A LIFE OF REPENTANCE & CONTRITION!
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So, let’s continue on in hearing James’ remedy…
“Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:
let your laughter be turned to mourning,
and your joy to heaviness.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
and He shall lift you up.”
James 4:8-10
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Yes, God gives grace to those who are willing to humble themselves before Him!
Now, the Good News is that God is just now leaving the door of mercy ajar, for any thirsty soul who wishes to drink in the soul-refreshing draughts of the purifying water of life.
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Yes, the Bible makes many similar invitations, such as this…
“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
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WOW! What a promise! To find, “rest unto your souls”!
Internet addiction prisoner – Wikipedia – Creative Commons lic.
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to take inventory of my life, to see if I am truly walking in the Spirit of holiness, or if I have unwittingly entered onto a path that leads to destruction…
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).
Many years ago, a young man walked into a little corner grocery store, in which the old man behind the counter was a bit of a philosopher.
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Well somehow the conversation turned into somewhat of a lecture on life, from a philosophical vantage point…
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“You know, son, you really never own anything!
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“Uh, well, I own my car and my house.”, answered the young man.
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“No son, you don’t really own those things.”
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“Well, what do you mean? I have the title of ownership on both my car and house.”
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“Oh yes, you have those two pieces of paper, which say you are the owner. But you really don’t own them! You’re just the temporary custodian of them. Eventually, you will part with them both. As a matter of fact, everything you have will eventually go back to the earth, or will be taken away from you, one way or another.”
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So the young man began to comprehend what the old man was saying.
As we look around at the world, we see many people who possess very little of this world’s goods. But there are also many who have great possessions: houses, lands, cars, boats, recreational vehicles, and many other things.
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Now each and every one of these possessions needs care and maintenance. And the more possessions one owns, the more caretaking is required. And some caretakers have a whole lot of caretaking to do!
Now even our body is on loan, and eventually will return to the dust. Our looks will deteriorate. Our strength will weaken. And slowly but surely, nature will pull our bodies back to the earth.
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And even our very soul has been given on loan from God! And someday, God will bring us before His Judgment Throne to give account of how we spent our time on earth: did we care and nurture our soul as good caretakers, or did we mostly live for the pleasures and cares of this life?
Here are two pictures of the famous Hearst Castle. Beautiful, isn’t it?
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A very rich man had it built over 100 years ago. Oh yes, the man had a clear title of ownership of this magnificent estate. But he wasn’t really the owner! No, he was merely the custodian of this amazing piece of palatial real estate. Because the owner is now long gone, and the State of California is now the present caretaker of this property.
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But California doesn’t really own it either. They’re just taking care of it, while it still stands. But one day soon, this castle will crumble or burn or disintegrate. And so, nobody truly owns it! They’re all just the renters and caretakers for a while!
When Jesus came to earth, He lived a life of poverty. He had no possessions. And yet He worked each day to contribute to His own earthly family, especially after His earthly father, Joseph, died.
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And once Jesus began His ministry, He called to His Disciples to forsake all and “Follow Me”. And as it says in Luke 5:11, “And when they left their ship they forsook all, and followed Him.”
Now today, there are many Christians who have a home, and a car, and furniture. And this is quite all right.
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The problem comes in when Christians living in this decadent-cornucopian-super-society, decide to put their Salvation ‘on the back burner’, as the saying goes, and pursue with great gusto, the many goods and possessions of this selfish world.
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One problem with this is that the more possessions one accumulates, the more caretaking is required. And the more caretaking one must labor at, the less time is spent on the furtherance of the Gospel. Less Bible-study time. Less prayer time. Less share-time, etc….
Listen to the Wise Man… “…the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” Proverbs 5:12
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Well, the Bible is filled with warnings against seeking earthly riches, and this above verse is just one of many!
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The point to all this is that God is offering us true ownership. Not only does He tell us that we will “inherit all things”, but we will finally get a brand-new spiritual body, which we will never lose. We will finally become owners…forever! And forever young!
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WHY CARRY A HEAVY BURDEN ON MY BACK?
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And so, dear darling soul, why in the world would I want to over-burden myself with a whole lot of caretaking of things that don’t really belong to me, and will someday all be taken away, when I could instead be using my time pursuing things that will never perish?! This is just basic logic!
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God is offering us eternal riches! He wants to give us heavenly riches that will be ours forever! Even for ever and ever!
We live in a faithless world! From early childhood, most of us 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 indeed there is a God, He just sits out there in some far-away nebula, looking down at this world through some gigantic telescope.
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We think that we must scratch and claw our way through this life, by our own strength and with our own intellect!
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From cradle to grave we are taught to trust in Man, instead of God!
In the Book of Acts, Chapter, the Apostle Paul, while on the island of Malta, was bitten by a deadly viper.
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But even though the “Beloved Physician”, Doctor Luke, was right there witnessing Paul’s encounter with that serpent, Paul just went on, building the fire as if nothing had happened.
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And even though Luke knew how to extract poisonous venom from a man’s arm, Paul knew that he had a divinely appointed commission to fulfill and didn’t require Dr. Luke’s services.
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And so, the native islanders continued to watch Paul, to see if he would die.
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But when Paul didn’t die, those natives changed their minds about Paul being a cursed murderer and decided that he was, indeed, Heaven-blessed!
“And Asa…was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.”
2nd Chronicles 16:12
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On the other hand, King Asa, one of the early kings of Judah, did not seek the Lord, but placed more trust in men than in God, to heal him…and died as a result. Something to think about.
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No, there is nothing in the Bible that encourages us to use an earthly physician.
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But there is nothing which forbids us from using one, either!
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And so, it is a judgment call that each Christian must prayerfully decide for his or her own self.
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And let’s face it, family concerns will be great for us to seek after medical help!
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But there are some who may decide to not try to extend their life when some terminal illness befalls them.
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They have full assurance that God can heal them if He wishes to.
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But they also realize that there is a wonderful Promised Land which awaits them, if God chooses not to heal them.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away.
And He that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new.
And He said unto me, Write:
for these words are true and faithful.”
Revelation 21:4, 5
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Well, it sounds as if this Promised Land is a pretty nice place, to say the least!
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Yes, it is a beautiful country in which the joyful songs of the redeemed multitudes will ring through the plush, flower-strewn meadows, and the innocent laughter of little children will echo against evergreen and everlasting hills and through the mist of the ever-winding valleys.
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It kind-of makes you want to be there, doesn’t it?
“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…
Prayer for USA – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
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.
Maybe a squirrel.
Perhaps a chipmunk.
Probably a mouse…all such creatures are “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 above 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.)
For instance, if the average evangelical churchgoer wishes to discover what locusts represent in Chapter 9, they could simply do a word-search about locusts.
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If they did, they would soon discover that locusts represent God’s judgment on worldly-minded Christians as their earthly as well as spiritual riches get “eaten up” in various ways.
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But because they are locked out, they vainly search newspapers, trying to interpret Scripture by the daily news!
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And so, they may decide that those prophetic locusts will actually be something like black helicopters.
And so, because of this devilish hermeneutic which prevents them from spiritualizing away all the types and symbols found in Revelation…
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…the vast majority of churchgoers cannot discover that Revelation is merely the Gospel of Jesus Christ, howbeit veiled in Old Testament types and symbols.
saying, ‘My father (King Solomon) made your yoke heavy,
and I will add to your yoke:
my father also chastised you with whips,
but I will chastise you with scorpions.'”
1st Kings 2:14
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Okay, so Rehoboam, the King of Judah made this threat against the Northern Tribes of Israel that he was going to lay upon them a much heavier yoke than His father, Solomon did!
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And as if Solomon’s yoke wasn’t heavy enough, Rehoboam’s yoke would be even heavier, chastising them with “scorpions”!
And our association with the apostate portion of the Church will be a chastisement with scorpions…
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…as we suffer the slander and gossip and judging and world-loving ways of the apostates which have ruled over the Church throughout the New Testament history.
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Yes, even back in the Dark Ages, God’s people were banished, tortured, imprisoned, burned, beheaded and deprived of the Bible and lived under her (the Mystery Harlot’s) false doctrines for many centuries!
(And of course, our true enemy is Satan, as he works through unsaved humans to persecute God’s people. See Ephesians 6:10-17).
And so, these scorpions and locusts begin to give us a picture of the nature of this composite beast of Revelation 9…
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…it represents the chastisements and tribulations which God brings upon His people, the Commonwealth of Israel, which is made up of both Jews and Gentiles.
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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 must send His people through the fiery trials and tribulation required to burn away our earthly dross…
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…so that we eventually come forth as pure gold, just as Job proclaimed… “when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold!”
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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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.
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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.
Since Mankind’s fall from grace, selfishness has taken over, and rules over the hearts of this earth’s inhabitants. And we became a world of lost sinners.
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But in His great mercy, God desires to redeem the human race back to Himself.
Unfortunately, we are so hopelessly caught in the web of sin, that not one of us is willing to fully return to God. We still love this world of selfishness too much!
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But God reveals the Exodus of His people out of this world of sin and bondage in the very 1st Commandment…
“I am the LORD thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”
Exodus 20:2, 3
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THE 10 PLAGUES UPON EGYPT
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Now of course, it was no easy task to remove His people from Egypt. Pharaoh was not willing to let them go.
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And so, God began to bring a series of plagues upon the Egyptians as a means of loosening up their tight grip on God’s people.
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And eventually, with the last severe plague, Pharaoh finally did let them go, but was later destroyed in the Red Sea in hot pursuit after them. He still couldn’t just let them go!
Moses and Israel’s Escape From Egypt Through Red Sea – Wikimedia – US Public Domain
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THE 7 PLAGUES OF REVELATION
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Now, in the 16th Chapter of Revelation is foretold another series of plagues. But instead of 10 plagues, there are only 7 plagues.
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Nevertheless, these plagues are extremely similar in nature to the plagues poured out upon Egypt as recorded in Exodus.
But what was the purpose of pouring out those plagues?
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Listen to God as He speaks to Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron…“Else, if thou refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:” Exodus 10:4
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These plagues were to cause Pharaoh to finally allow God’s people to leave Egypt to serve God alone, no longer held in Bondage to slavery.
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Likewise, the plagues prophesied in Revelation are to drive Satan (the true King of Egypt, “the house of bondage”) out of the hearts of God’s people, allowing His people to fully serve God and God alone!
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And so, this whole nonsense that all the torment and plagues mentioned in Revelation are for the mere sake of causing fallen Mankind to suffer, is a product of unsanctified theologians.
Yes, this entire world is still “the land of Egypt…the house of bondage”.
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And God must deliver the 7 last plagues in attempt to pry His people loose from the tight grip which Pharaoh (Satan), and from the death-grip which this antichrist world has upon God’s people.
Now several times in the New Testament, Satan is referred to as “the Old Man” which still exists within the hearts of God’s people. (see Ephesians 2:2)
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But God must destroy that Old Man, so that “the New Man, created in righteousness and true holiness” can finally flourish and reign over the hearts of God’s people. (see Ephesians 4:24)
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THE OLD MAN MUST BE CRUCIFIED
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And it is only by suffering the torment of these 7 last plagues that God’s people will be freed from that Old Man of sin: that “Old Man” must be crucified out of the human heart!
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Now this devotional presents a very complex truth which the Reader has probably never heard before.
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But in the “READ MORE” section (just below “TODAY’S PRAYER”) are several similar articles which may further explain this difficult concept.
Tragically, Satan, “the god of this world” (2nd Corinthians 4:4) has introduced into many churches, a false, unbiblical hermeneutic, which demands a literal interpretation of the Bible, as far as possible.
One very tragic example of this is the sealing up of the Book of Revelation.
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Yes, the general consensus today is that the last 19 chapters of Revelation is not for the Church, but for literal Jews.
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In other words, Satan has successfully locked out a great portion of Christians from understanding that book.
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And so, when we read the following verse, “I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches”, it needs to register with us that the Book of Revelation is actually for and about the churches. (Revelation 22:16)
.Judgment Day – by sweet media – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Hide me from the fiery tempest which is now coming upon the earth. Help me to put away any worldly traits and affections and lusts which I may still be clinging to. Let me take refuge under the shadow of Thy wings…
Prayer – Mother and Daughter – Wikipedia – (cropped image) the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
Now, we might not know every reason why we are to run. But we do know a good many reasons.
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For instance, as Habakkuk says…
…”Therefore the law is slacked,
and judgment doth never go forth:
for the wicked doth compass about the righteous;
therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.”
Habakkuk 1:4
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Yes, with such close contact with unbelievers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid being corrupted by such things as the high-tech devices which young and old alike are now addicted to.
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And by just a little bit of improper judgment, the Believer can now drum up ungodly images on the Internet which could never before seen, so very easily!
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A MOST DANGEROUS SITUATION
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And, on another front, as a result of so-called “Women’s Liberation”, the workforce is now filled with both women and men, working together, side-by-side, five days a week!
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Now isn’t this a great temptation for both women and men?!
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Yes, both the married and the unmarried are forced to mingle each and every day with the opposite gender, who by the way, are all dressed up and on their best behavior!
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So here is just one more example of how Satan has made today’s living conditions even more dangerous!
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The divorce rate for both Believers and unbelievers is incredibly high!
Now just what can God’s people do about this sad and dangerous situation? It is very difficult, because Christians must earn a living.
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So, just what are Christians to do?
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Well, one thing for Christians to do, is to perhaps forget about trying to live the same opulent lifestyle which the unbelievers are living.
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In other words, in order to not place yourself in harm’s way, you might think about learning a trade in which you are not rubbing elbows with the opposite gender all day long.
The Bible says… “Flee fornication!”1st Corinthians 6:18.
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This is the same message as Habakkuk, when God tells us to, “RUN!”
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Parents should likewise encourage their children to seek for future employment which is not going to be a snare for their souls.
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Far too many Christian parents encourage their children to seek after time-consuming, energy-sapping, high-paying careers which lead to the same opulence which led Sodom down into decadence and into its ultimate destruction!
The prophet, Isaiah gives us the direction in which to go…
…”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 26:20, 21
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The very first step in hiding ourselves is to shut out as much of this ungodly society as possible, and begin to surround ourselves with a heavenly atmosphere.
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Sacred music, Bible readings, meditation on the Bible, unceasing prayer.
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These are among the godly influences which replace such things as the TV, secular radio, sports, amusements and other worldly influences.
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No, the Christian cannot come completely out of the world. But we can come a good way out, if we so-choose!
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And then, if our work-place environment is unwholesome, we can pray for wisdom and help to correct the situation.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Hide Thyself in thy Chambers – inspired by Tornado Over Kansas by Curry
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 flee fornication. Give me wisdom to know what to do about my workplace situation…
Prayer for USA – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
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.
So now, having clarified that, we can go on to our signature Bible passage for today…
repentance! 
thirsty soul who wishes to drink in the soul-refreshing draughts of the purifying water of life.
TO READ PART 4, CLICK HERE…
The Dragon Constellation can be located by finding Orion in winter months. 
