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Daily Devotional – Year 2 – JULY 14

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To read part 1 of this article, click here… “August 22nd (Sodom Rising!)”

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When Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the lush and well-watered country surrounding Sodom, he decided that affluence and convenience was paramount to keeping separate from the ungodly influences which awaited him and his family in that wicked city.

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Oh yes, Lot probably made vows, when he took his family to Sodom! Lot probably lived in the country to begin with, a-ways away from the immorality and corruption of city-life. But perhaps the city began to expand closer and closer to his family, or outlaws and invaders made it impossible to live in the country, forcing them into the city.

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Picture – Lot Escapes Sodom – www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart – Public Domain.

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“…let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:”

Mark 13:14  

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But the day finally came when God’s warning came to Lot…“Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” Genesis 19:17  

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Lot took his wife and two daughters and fled from the impending destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah and the two other cities.

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But as we all know, it was the constant contact with the sin and sensuality of Sodom which caused Mrs. Lot to look back at her life in that doomed world, and become eternally lost! She became a pillar of salt!

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Mrs. Lot Flees , turns to salt – www.christianimagesource.com

Picture – Lot Escapes Sodom – www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart – Public Domain.

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GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT!

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In the mid Twentieth Century, a saying became popular… “You are what you eat!”. This simply meant that if a person ate junk food, then his or her health would begin to suffer.

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Eventually, this same saying morphed a bit into merely saying… “Garbage in, garbage out!”

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Well, this saying certainly presents a truth which is hard to deny! What we eat on a daily basis will have great impact on our future health.

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Crab cakes, sweet potato french fries, cole slaw, tartar sauce, Cola – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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FEASTING WITH OUR EYES & EARS

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But even more than our physical health, this statement can easily be translated into the spiritual realm. Yes, what we allow our eyes and ears to feast on daily, eventually will become what we are!

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And obviously, Lot’s wife allowed herself to become intertwined with all the sensuality, opulence, and materialism which ultimately led to Sodom’s destruction!

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GUARDING OUR HEART

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The Bible presents a huge concept, found in the wisdom of Solomon… “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Keep thy thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:23-27

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Yes, as this above passage warns, our hearts are the treasure chest of our mind. And whatever we allow ourselves to become enamored with, are the treasures that will be stored in that treasure chest.

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And so, Solomon is warning us to carefully guard that treasure chest of the heart, by walking wisely and prudently through each and every day!

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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CHURCH SENSUALITY

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Unfortunately, the Church has allowed herself to mingle with this very sensual world!

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Whether it be the sensual love-ballads so often heard in worship services, to the alluring dress-code within the church-world, to the watching of television in the homes of Christians: all these lifestyle choices will have their overwhelming effects upon Christians and their children.

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Church scandals abound, today! Even pastors and elders are falling left and right! When a church embraces sensuality, a different spirit moves in. And it’s not the Holy Spirit, but a counterfeit spirit, an “angel of light”! 2nd Corinthians 11:14, 15

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Church music – Singers & Dancers – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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PASSED DOWN TO OUR CHILDREN

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And even though the adult Christian may or may not see the results of such an intimate merging with the world, the children will be greatly influenced!

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Statistics show that young people are leaving the Church in droves, or are joining churches which are totally immersed in sensuality! 

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A REMEDY AVAILABLE

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And so, the big question is, “Just what can I do about all the sensuality which is flooding society and the Church? How can I escape this Neo-Sodomite culture which is rising up all around the Christian home?”

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Well, the very first thing we must do, is to follow the advice of the prophet, Habakkuk!

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Yes, as we see that we are being surrounded and enveloped by all the sensuality and hedonism and Sodom-like opulence, the Lord, through Habakkuk, says to us all… “RUN!” 

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Habakkuk by James Tissot – Wikimedia Commons – US Public Domain

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But where are we supposed to run to? I just can’t pack up my family and move to the hills!

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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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NO TRESPASSING!

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Well, considering how evil big city life is getting, it should be a wake-up call from God to flee from the cities into the country!

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And yet, most people are not in the financial position to make a sudden change in environment and circumstances.

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And Satan is working through secularists to make it harder and more difficult to move out into country places.

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No Trespassing sign – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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A PLACE OF REFUGE!

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Nevertheless, there is a place where the Christian can find refuge from the storm! Listen…“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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ABOVE PICTURE: Hide Thyself in thy Chambers – inspired by Tornado Over Kansas by Curry

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But how do I enter my chambers? I don’t even have chambers!

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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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SEEK RIGHTEOUS & MEEKNESS

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Listen to this next passage…“Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.” Zephaniah 2:3

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Yes, this above verse speaks to those who are true children of God!

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And yet, it exhorts us to seek even more meekness and even more righteousness, so that we may be hidden in that time of trouble!

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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A LITTLE HEAVEN-ON-EARTH

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You see, O Stranger & Pilgrim, the message for today is to shun as much contact with this ungodly world as possible!

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No, we cannot come all the way out. But we can come a good way out! By simply turning off our sensual music. By separating ourselves from the sensual and close-minded churches. By immersing ourselves in God’s Word and prayer.

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By turning off the television altogether, and making our own life into a little Heaven-on-earth.

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These measures, when implemented, are how we may be hidden!

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Chaplain reads Bible – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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To read Part 8, click here…

JULY 17 (Sodom Rising, Part 8: Good Warning Sodom!)

Picture – Lot Escapes – www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart – Public Domain.

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to move away from the overwhelming tide of sensuality, whether in society or in the Church…

Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… (Television: Enchanted Ground!), or you can also read… (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 6: The Sensual Church!), or you can also read…(Habakkuk Says “Run!”, Part 11: “Living In A Sexualized World!”)“

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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NARROW GATE

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This most amazing phenomenon is seen throughout the winter. Although it can be observed most of the winter, it is seen best when it is the western part of the sky, at winter’s end (The end of winter being the final scene of this heavenly Gospel story). Orion , the Dragon, and the Glorious White Horse are beginning to descend into the western horizon (sketch to right is Winter Constellations descending into western horizon. This can actually be seen as early as December, in the pre-dawn hours).

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And at this point it is apparent that the Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation  is veering toward the two bright stars, known as Castor and Pollux (sketch to below left). But the Wide Gate Stars are composed of the two brightest stars of the Auriga Constellation, known as the star, Capella, and the star, Menkalinan. The two stars, Castor and Pollux, make up the concept of the Orion’s Narrow Gate Stars.

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This can even be observed into June in the western sky (for a short time just after dark). While a dark night is best for seeing the Woman Constellation, the 4 stars which comprise the Narrow Gate/Wide Gate Stars can be seen even under mediocre conditions. It begins with the Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation (AKA Ursa Major) going towards these two doors.

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The sketch to left shows, the two doors are each composed of two bright stars. The two bright stars that comprise the Narrow Gate are the two brightest stars of the Orion the Reaper’s sickle. The two stars that comprise the ‘Wide Gate’ Stars are the two brightest stars of the wave of water that comes out of the Dragon Constellation’s mouth (for explanation of “Wave of Water”, just click here). The stars that make up the ‘Narrow Gate’ are about half the width of the Wide Gate (see sketch to right).

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(For more information on Orion’s sickle, just click here,“Orion The Reaper”.)

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Editor’s note: These sketches on this page are merely sketches. The stars are not in their exact place. However, they are close enough to find them in the night sky. But as with most stars, it takes persistence to finally locate them.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Revelation 12 Woman & The Narrow Gate Stars (Orion’s Gate to Heaven)”

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TOMORROW…

JULY 15 (Eternal Torment? Part 11:”Is God A ‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’?”)

Hans Thoma – Jupiter – Wikipedia – Public Domain

Woman why weepest thou – Jesus – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO 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 #560 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo. Most tall, narrow photos have been cropped or reduced by this website to make them a better fit on phone screens.

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