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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,

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as becometh saints;

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Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,

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which are not convenient:

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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?

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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:

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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…

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…”Jesus saith…I am the way, the truth, and the life:

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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…

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False teachers handle holy things rather with wit and trifling,

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rather than with fear and reverence.

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False teachers are soul-murderers.

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They are like evil surgeons, that skin over the wound—but never heal it…

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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,

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a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion,

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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…

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…”Am I ready to follow Jesus wherever He goes?

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…Am I able to give up every cherished earthly idol,

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…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…

” 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 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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ABOVE STAR-CHART (with constellation drawn in by this website)- Serpent with Wise Virgins not Attached – seen late summer into fall only – Serpent Constellation – comprised of the head of Draco, plus stars from the Bootes Constellation – www.signsofheaven.org – not for profit use

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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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