Daily Devotional, Year 4 – April 7 (The Revelation 12 Crown Constellation, Part 2: “Hold Fast To What Thou Hast!” CONTINUED)
By admin On April 7th, 2021.
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Daily Devotional, Year 4 – April 7
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The Revelation 12 Crown Constellation,
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Part 2:
“Hold Fast To What Thou Hast!” CONTINUED
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“Behold, I come quickly:
hold that fast which thou hast,
that no man take thy crown.”
Revelation 3:11
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This above verse is perhaps the hardest saying in the entire Bible…“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Revelation 3:11
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And just why could this possibly be the hardest saying in the Bible?
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Simple! Because it’s so easy to let good things slip away!
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Transfiguration – Bloch – Wikimedia Commons – US-public-domain
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“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:”
Proverbs 24:16
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For example, if a Believer decides to adopt the regimen of setting aside three special times a day for prayer, it’s so easy to eventually let these special times slip away.
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Maybe some crisis occurs, or some lifestyle interruption, or just too many cares and pleasures pile up, causing the Believer to fall off this schedule of thrice-daily prayer-time.
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Multitask – Wikimedia – C.C. Share-alike License
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CREEPING COMPROMISE
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Quite often, the Believer will be tempted into a certain bad habit or nagging sin. And he or she decides to compromise by allowing some seemingly lesser substitute instead.
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Maybe that Believer tries to overcome the temptation to drink by only allowing himself to drink “Near-Beer”.
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Or a former cigarette addict decides to overcome the temptation to go back to smoking, by substituting with e-cigarettes.
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Or he decides to once-again go back to watching “just a little television”.
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In each case, such tempted ones will eventually fall back into the real thing! The “Near-Beer” drinker will most likely find himself back to drinking the real thing. And the e-cigarette smoker, in a moment of weakness, will light up a real cigarette. And the television watcher will find himself watching more and more programs.
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Offering a toast with sparkling wine flutes – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike license
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“The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways:”
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The Bible clearly teaches…“The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways:” Proverbs 14:14
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Yes, God sees right through our hearts. He knows that we may still be secretly, even unconsciously harboring lust for this-or-that pleasurable sin. And so, in His mercy, He will sometimes allow the Devil to sift us as wheat, just as he did to Peter on the night he denied His Lord.
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And God may just decide to allow our sins to fester out like Job’s sore boils, causing us to completely fall back into our old sins.
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And so, we must decide to never allow ourselves to capitulate with temptation!
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Tissot – The Sorrow of Peter – Joyful Heart.com
Job – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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“…They hid for me their net in a pit”
Psalm 35:7
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But here is where it becomes really difficult!
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Because, just when we make vows, the Devil often will come along, and patiently draw us back into that old besetting sin, so that all those noble resolutions become like worthless ropes of sand!
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Gluttony – cropped and colored image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
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“That ye put off concerning the former conversation (lifestyle) the Old Man”
Ephesians 4:22
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So, what’s the answer? How can we overcome our “Old Man” who desires to regain control of our life and soul?
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Listen to James 4:6-10…
“Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace unto the humble.
Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
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.”
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This above prescription for spiritual victory is not just for a night, or a week, but is for a lifetime. Yes, until we fully overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil, we must take on this type of repentance and seeking after God’s mercy and grace.
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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain
Girl Praying – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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“As sorrowful yet alway rejoicing!”
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But do not despair, O tried and tempted one! For as we allow God to purify us and deliver us from that “Old Man” within, we will find joy, even in the midst of our tears…“behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing…” 2nd Corinthians 6:9, 10
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And so, this seeming paradox of being “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” will be ours, just as Paul rejoiced in the midst of his trials, if indeed, we allow God’s chastening Hand to continue to do its work in our hearts.
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Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain
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‘They that sow in tears…shall doubtless come again rejoicing!”
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And one day soon, this next prophecy will find its fulfillment in our lives…
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.”
Psalm 126:5, 6
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And once this promise is fulfilled for us, we will never ever compromise with sin again; but we will instead hold fast to, and walk continually by every single “great and precious promise” which the Bible declares!
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Mall witnessing, Panama City, Panama
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TO READ PART 3, CLICK HERE…
May 28 (The Revelation 12 Crown Constellation, Part 3: “Hold Fast To What Thou Hast!” CONTINUED)
ABOVE PICTURE – Revelation 12 Woman (Ursa Major) reaches for Crown (Corona Borealis + other stars) – signsofheaven.org – Not for profit uses! summer constellations
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to hold fast to any good thing that I have…
USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
(FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION, READ THE ARTICLE… April 4 (Eternal Torment? Part 18: “Stuck In The Miry Pit!”), or you can also read…July 13th (Time of Jacob’s Trouble, Part 1: Alone With God) (please read this entire series)
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
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FIVE WISE VIRGINS STARS
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This constellation was identified on May 22nd, 2014. It is simply five stars, two from the Serpens Constellation, and three from the Hercules Constellation.
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What gives this constellation impetus and significance is that it appears as five evenly positioned stars, in a slight oval pattern, as if they were sitting in a meeting, listening, or perhaps watching someone.
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Second, they appear to be gathered in front of The Crown of Revelation 12 Constellation. (just below Corona Borealis in this Wikipedia star-chart, in which the editor of this site sketched in these two constellations)
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GATHERED AROUND GLORIOUS CROWN!
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The position of these stars is significant in a number of ways. The first, being that these Five Wise Virgins are gathered around the 12-star Crown of Revelation 12. And the obvious message here is, that these wise virgins represent the faithful portion of God’s Church. And as wise virgins, they understand the importance of winning the glorious crown of victory, which Jesus promised.
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Listen… “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” 1st Corinthians 9:24, 25.
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And so, God is showing us the difference between the wise and the foolish in His Church. While the wise are gathered around this crown of victory, the foolish are nowhere to be found.
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Corona Borealis/Bootes & Five Wise Virgins – Wikimedia
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Five Wise Virgins Stars” or you can also read… “The Five Foolish Virgins Stars”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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TOMORROW:
April 8 (“And Just Who is My Neighbor?” Part 2: Good Samaritan)
Good Samaritan – (Watts) – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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THE DESIRE OF AGES, BY ELLEN G. WHITE
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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this chapter of the audio book about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in His life and ministry.
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Chapter 53 – The Last Journey From Galilee
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ABOVE STAR-CHART – Sign of the Son of Man – www.theheavensdeclare.net – Not for commercial uses
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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…
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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this recording #147, a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s 90 minute nightly talk shows. This particular program aired in the last few years of his 50 year radio ministry, and includes caller’s questions regarding his teachings on “the end of the church age”…
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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons