Daily Devotional – JANUARY 10 (How a Joke Killed!)
By admin On January 13th, 2021.
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Daily Devotional – JANUARY 10th
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How a Joke Killed!
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“But…let it not be once named among you,
as becometh saints;
Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks…”
Ephesians 5:3, 4, 6
Jester Comedian – Laughing Fool – circa 1500 – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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A popular Christian YouTuber devoted one of his videos to criticize some viewers who complained about his constant use of humor on his podcasts.
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His response was “So, am I supposed to be like some prude in a monastery, never smiling, stone-faced, sour, smug, humorless, thinking nothing’s funny?!”.
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And truth-be-told, if those extremely frigid qualities are what his critics actually insist that he embraces, then he has a very good and valid objection!
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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public-Domain
Portrait of monk Pavel Belokrinitsky – Wikimedia – the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license
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STRAWMAN ARGUMENT?
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But are those extremely unfriendly qualities actually what his critics were desiring in him?
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Very doubtful! This announcer was merely using a “strawman” argument against those complainers.
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You can always spot a dishonest argument when they use “The Strawman Technique” by presenting their opponent’s argument in the most exaggerated and extreme manner, as if there’s no reasonable, middle ground to be achieved.
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Straw man (or lady) – Wikipedia – Share-alike or GNU Free Documentation License
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Well, let’s explore for a moment, what kind of demeanor a true Christian should strive to achieve and maintain in his or her quest to become Christlike.
magnifying glass on puzzle – Wikimedia – Share-alike license
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A GIDDY AND SILLY CHURCH
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But what’s wrong with joking and jesting?
After all, isn’t it good to laugh?
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After all, the Bible clearly says…
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:
but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”?
Proverbs 17:22
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Well, for the people of the world, maybe there’s nothing wrong with joking and jesting and hilarity!
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And there is certainly nothing wrong with laughter, as long as it is for the right reasons.
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Puck Cover- Wikipedia – Public Domain
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OUR HEAVENLY ROLE-MODEL
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Jesus came to save the world!
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But Jesus also came as a Heaven-sent Role-Model.
He said…
“Jesus saith…I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
John 14:6
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So here we see that the Way to Heaven is by following Jesus!
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And the four Gospels present our Lord as being warm, kind, merciful, gentle, etc…
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But never was Jesus a joker, jester, sarcastic, mocking, or silly.
His mission was extremely serious: the salvation of lost and suffering souls.
Paul Converted – www.thebiblerevival.com
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THOMAS BROOKS ON JOKING IN THE PULPIT
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Listen to that great Church reformer, Thomas Brooks as he speaks about false teachers in the pulpits…
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Listen…“They preach more to please the ear than to profit the heart…
False teachers handle holy things rather with wit and trifling, rather than with fear and reverence.
False teachers are soul-murderers.
They are like evil surgeons, that skin over the wound—but never heal it…
False teachers are Hell’s greatest enrichers.”
Thomas Brooks on, “The 7 Chacteristics of False Teachers”
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Here are some very scathing words concerning those who think it’s a good thing to keep the congregation laughing.
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Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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SATAN RAISES UP FANATICS
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That Master Deceiver always wants to create a “Straw Man”, in attempt to cast a dark shadow upon sincere Christians.
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In other words, it makes Christianity look really unappealing when churchgoers behave judgmental, or stern, or some other unappealing way.
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And so, the Christian must always be on his or her guard to not allow the Enemy to cause such unchristlike behavior in that Christian.
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And let’s not forget that a warm, sincere smile, a kind word, and a helpful hand is quite often the best sermon one might ever preach!
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Pilgrim’s Progress – 09, p29 – Obstinate – Wikimedia – Public Domain
Bible Study Group – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License
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A SEPARATING, TESTING-STONE
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The great testing-stone of truth in these last hours will be whether or not God’s people are willing to follow the Lamb wheresoever He goes!
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Listen… “And I looked, and, lo,
a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion,
and with Him…they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.”
Revelation 14:1 Condensed for brevity
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The question which comes to each of us, who are now standing in the Valley of Decision is this: “Am I ready to follow Jesus wherever He goes?
Am I able to give up every cherished earthly idol, so that I can fully reflect Jesus’ spotless life to a joking and giddy and vain world in rebellion against Heaven?”
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Yes, God is now beginning to test us on this and other similar issues!
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Jesus Teaching His Disciples – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Luke 4:31-32
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VERY GOOD NEWS!
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There is, however, some extremely Good News attached to this fearful message!
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Yes, the Good News is, that God’s grace abounds today, like never before!
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God is now willing to take His people to spiritual heights, as has never before been witnessed throughout this world’s history!
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Yes, we the people of God can become totally Christlike, if we are willing to allow our Lord to fully purify us in the fires of tribulation!
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And God can give us peace and joy, even in our light afflictions, which are but for a moment!
ABOVE PICTURE: soldiers of the cross – armor up! – www.signsofheaven.org
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TO READ PART 2-a, CLICK HERE…
JANUARY 11 (How a Joke Killed! Part 2-a: An Antichrist Spirit)
Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Make me like Jesus! Take away these awful polluted worldly jokes which roll off my tongue like water over a falls! Make me and mold me until I fully reflect the image of Jesus…
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Ark of the Covenant Constellation, Pt. 2: How To Enter The Most Holy Place”, or you can also read… ” April 7th (1 Preacher! 2 Sermons!)”
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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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 snake.
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Its body is comprised of stars from the Bootes Constellation.
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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, and 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!
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Five Foolish Virgins Stars”
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TOMORROW…
JANUARY 11 (How a Joke Killed! Part 2-a: “An Antichrist Spirit”)
Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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20-MINUTE+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY IN JEREMIAH
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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
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THIS STUDY #375 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain