Daily Devotional – January 11, Year 2 (How a Joke Killed! Part 2-a: “An Antichrist Spirit”)
By admin On January 13th, 2021.
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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – January 11
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How a Joke Killed!
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Part 2-a:
“An Antichrist Spirit”
To go to Part 1, click here…JANUARY 10 (How a Joke Killed! Part 1)
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“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness,
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…
Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things cometh the wrath of God
upon the children of disobedience.”
Ephesians 5:3, 4, 6
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On the morning of that fearful day, when God destroyed Sodom and its surrounding cities, the main character of that story, Lot, tried to warn his sons-in-law to flee from the wrath to come!
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But his sons-in-law didn’t believe him! They thought he was just joking!
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Listen… “And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.” Genesis 19:14
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Perhaps Lot’s sons-in-law were accustomed to hearing Lot make similar mocking jests, previous to this fateful morning!
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Yes, perhaps Lot had a reputation of being somewhat of a joker. Maybe Lot was the type who enjoyed a good gag, previous to this solemn moment!
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After all, why else would his sons-in-law conclude his was merely joking?
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Well, we’ll just have to ask Lot, when we meet up with him someday, what exactly did happen on that frightful morning.
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Nevertheless, at a moment in which these two men were faced with eternal consequences, they were disarmed by a seeming joke, or jest.
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Picture – Lot Escapes Sodom – www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart – Public Domain.
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PART 1: THE THINGS OF THE WORLD
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Back in Part 1 (click here), it was discussed how jesting and humor is fine for the world! But “Let it not be named even once, among you…neither foolish talk and jesting” (Ephesians 5:4) is very wrong for Christians who are trying to allow Christ to live out His life through them!
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In other words, we are to walk even as Christ walked, in the same reverent and holy lifestyle! And since Christ did not ever engage in foolish talk and jesting, why in the world would we think that such behavior is appropriate, much less, Christlike!?!
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PS Krøyer – Hip hip hurra! – Kunstnerfest på Skagen – 1888 – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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IMPENDING JUDGMENT WARNING!
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But also, it was li
ghtly touched on, that just as Lot’s warning was misconstrued as merely being a joke, so too, we who are trying to warn this world of the impending Judgment of God, should never mingle our straight testimony with humor and foolish talk!
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We just don’t want to give an uncertain trumpet call! Salvation is a very serious matter!
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The eternal destiny of souls is hanging in the balance! And our day-by-day behavior reveals just how serious we really are about our message, “to flee from the wrath to come!”
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People are watching us, whether we know it or not!
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Picture – Lot Escapes Sodom – www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart – Public Domain.
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“BE..SWIFT TO HEAR, SLOW TO SPEAK”
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Now before we get too far into the main point of this discussion, we must look at one aspect of joking and jesting, which often becomes sin in those who engage in such ungodly behavior.
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The Bible says… “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” James 1:19
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The very nature of jesting is to make a clever retort to something which another person has just said! And so, a jest requires a quick response, giving the jester very little time to consider what he or she is saying! And so, jesting, quite often makes light of a comment which might have been an opportunity to speak in a tender, loving, Christlike manner.
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Or by making a rapid response, the jester might say something which is offensive to one or more of the hearers, which then, would be blatant sin.
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And there are many other sinful results which can come about from jesting and sarcastic humor!
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PS Krøyer – Hip hip hurra! – Kunstnerfest på Skagen – 1888 – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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PART 2: WORLD’S TRUE POWER-SOURCE
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And so, this Part 2-a will explore an aspect to all this, which is seldom thought through.
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And that aspect is this: “Just what is the source of spontaneous jesting?” (Maybe we should use a more modern term, rather than jesting: how about joking?)
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Lucifer Fallen Gustave Dore – Wikipedia – US public domain
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WHY DO SPONTANEOUS JOKES HAPPEN?
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So how is it that some people are so gifted in this area that they can just pop off one spontaneous joke after another?
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One great truth which the Bible reveals, is a very unpopular truth, even within the society of Christians! And this unpopular truth is spoken of in Ephesians, Chapter 2…
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Listen… “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: 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: Among whom also we all had our conversation (lifestyle) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;” Ephesians 2:1-3
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Not only does this above passage reveal the indwelling spirit within unbelievers (and apostate Christians), but it also says that this “princely evil spirit” now works within us, before we are truly Born Again!
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Paradise Lost – G Dore – Wikipedia – public-domain
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SATAN WHISPERS
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There are some people who just seem to have the so-called, “gift”, of making off-the-cuff quips and jests. What these persons are not aware of, is that just like a gossiper, Satan whispers into the ear of the gossiper, but also into the ear of the jester, giving them something to say.
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A gossiper is seldom lacking in gossip to say about somebody else. And likewise, the jester is seldom lacking a joke or a jest or a quip.
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But if only the spiritual curtains could be pulled back, evil angels would be seen, supplying these foolish talkers with ammunition to liven the atmosphere with some morsel of gossip, or some little joke or jest!
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Eve and the Whispering Serpent – Signs Of Heaven – Share-alike License
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“THE DESIRES OF THE MIND”
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“And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: 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: Among whom also we all had our conversation (lifestyle) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;” Ephesians 2:1-3
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Now, just how does this Antichrist spirit work within the unconverted human?
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Well, it says here that we all were, “…fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;” And joking (and gossip) has always been one of those pleasures of the mind that this Antichrist world enjoys!
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So, we must realize that our Antichrist spirit was a demonic spirit. Nevertheless, this Antichrist spirit worked in us, helping us to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, and of the mind!
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Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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TO GO TO PART 2-b CLICK HERE…
Daily Devotional – JANUARY 12 (How a Joke Killed! Part 2-b: “An Antichrist Spirit”)
Laughing – (color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Take away all my worldly affections! Purify my heart, and transform into the likeness of Thy dear Son! Let me be a beacon of light to this lost world…
Family Prayer Before Meal – Wikimedia – US-Govt. – Public-Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… ““Vanity Fair” & The False Prophet”, or you can also read… February 15th . . . . THE TWO IMAGES.
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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(WIKIPEDIA STAR-CHART)
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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.
Wikipedia Star-Chart – Corona Borealis
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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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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Five Wise Virgins Stars”
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TOMORROW…
JANUARY 12 (A World of Lies, Part 13: “Snapping Turtles: As The World Turns Ugly”)
Alligator Snapping Turtle – Wikipedia – Share-Alike License 3.0
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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 #376 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain