Daily Devotional – MARCH 28 (Highway To Heaven!)
By admin On January 20th, 2021.
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Daily Devotional – MARCH 28
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Highway To Heaven!
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“Say to them that are of a fearful heart,
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Be strong, fear not:
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behold, your God will come with vengeance,
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even God with a recompense;
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He will come and save you…
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And an highway shall be there, and a way,
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and it shall be called THE WAY OF HOLINESS…
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And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
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and come to Zion with songs
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and everlasting joy upon their heads:
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they shall obtain joy and gladness,
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and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Isaiah 35:4, 8, 10
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Desert Road Highway – Wikipedia – Share-Alike License
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There once was a TV show, called, “Highway To Heaven”.
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And this weekly series starred the late, Michael Landon, posing as an angel come down to earth, to perform good deeds, and bring some form of personal redemption (howbeit, not salvational redemption) to a misguided or problem-plagued person.
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Highway To Heaven – Wikipedia – Fair Use Rationale
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The Way of Holiness
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Now, this devotional is not endorsing television in any way! No, this daily devotional merely glances at the things of the earth, and attempts to use them as object lessons of heavenly truths.
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And the concept of a highway to Heaven does carry some biblical authenticity.
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Listen to the Prophet, Isaiah… “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called ‘The Way Of Holiness'” Isaiah 35:8
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The Prophet Isaiah (Bible Card from 1904) – Wikipedia – public domain
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DEBATE ABOUT ALLEGORIES
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Now this ‘Highway of Holiness’ is a somewhat debated topic.
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You see, there are those who attempt to interpret the Bible as literally as possible, without seeing the allegorical nature of Scripture. This is a very unfortunate situation, since God wrote the Bible as a Book of allegories, to a great extent…
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Listen… “Therefore speak I (Jesus) to them in parables:
because they seeing see not;
and hearing they hear not,
neither do they understand…
But blessed are your eyes, for they see:
and your ears, for they hear.”
Matthew 13:13, 16
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Yes, the Lord wrote the Bible to be a spiritual book, in which many truths are veiled within parables and allegorical stories.
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Brooklyn Museum – The Pharisees Question Jesus – James Tissot – US Public Domain
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ALLEGORIES
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One example of this is found in Galatians 4:24-26, in which Paul revealed the allegorical nature of the story of Abraham, in which Paul identified Sarah & Hagar as being symbols of the Church-faithful, and the Church-apostate.
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And so, not only the story of Abraham, but Isaiah 35:8 is also written in allegories, to a great extent. And so, the Highway of Holiness speaks of a spiritual highway.
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But how are we to understand this highway, spoken of in Isaiah 35:8?
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ANOTHER SIMILAR PASSAGE
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Yes, how are we to understand this highway of holiness?
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Listen to Isaiah once again…
“The voice of him that cries in the wilderness,
‘Prepare ye the way of the LORD,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’
Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low:
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain:
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together:
for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
Isaiah 40:3-5
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So here again, Isaiah speaks of a ‘highway for our God’. Now, there aren’t too many theologians who interpret this passage literally! But it is definitely an allegorical highway. It is a highway for our God!
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Tissot – Isaiah – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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MANY REPAIRS NEEDED
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Now this allegorical highway for our God seems to be a rather rough road, filled with “potholes” and ridges and sharp, winding turns!
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Listen again to this passage from Isaiah 40…
“make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’
Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low:
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain:”
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And so, this passage is foretelling the ministry of John the Baptist, who proclaimed to the people of God their commission to prepare this highway for the coming King.
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And just like in days of olden times, whenever a king was to make a journey, there were highway crews sent ahead to repair the chosen route in which the king was to travel! And these highway crews worked feverishly to accomplish this task in time, so that the highway for the king became as straight and smooth as possible!
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John the Baptist by J. Tissot – Wikimedia Commons – US Public Domain
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THIS COMMISSION FOR US TODAY
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Well, God’s people, in these last days have a work before us! Our King is coming soon!
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Unfortunately, the Highway of Holiness is not so holy anymore. And it has become a twisted and winding road, filled with lots of debris and obstructions and potholes!
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But if the people of the world engaged so feverishly to make straight and smooth the highway for an earthly king, just how much more feverishly should we, the children of the Great King of the Universe, work, to make straight and smooth that Highway Of Holiness!
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Road – FEMA – Flood damaged road in Washington – Wikimedia – Public Domain.
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HOLY HEARTS!
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Yes, we need to once-again make that highway holy!
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That is, we need to make our hearts holy and undefiled, by purging out the worldly leaven, and replenishing our hearts with the pure Word of Christ, as revealed in the Bible!
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LITTER-STREWN HIGHWAY
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Next, we need to clear away the rubbish and debris which has been strewn along that highway!
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No king would want to travel on a litter-strewn highway! That would be an embarrassment!
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And so, we must do a litter-patrol, and remove all the unbiblical theological jargon, and non-biblical Church-doctrines which have, “crept in unawares”, into the Church over the years and centuries!
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Council of Nicea San Nicolas Myra Wikimedia public domain
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EARTHLY DETOURS
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Next, this highway needs to be straightened.
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And because the modern-day prosperity-driven gospels have detoured God’s professed people from the straight and narrow way, we must eliminate those, “get-rich” gospels, once and for all, which are sending His people in an entirely wrong direction!
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Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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THE HIGH-PLACES OF PRIDE
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Next, all the high places must be lowered.
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And just as those road-crews from centuries past, worked intently to level out the highway for their earthly king, so too, we likewise must get rid of the high-places of our heart: pride, arrogance, prideful-careers, Mammon (lust for possessions), and every other aspect of the “pride of life” (1st John 2:16).
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Rolls Royce 200EX ‘Ghost’ – Flickr – The Car Spy – Wikimedia Share-alike license
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“POTHOLES” OF UNGODLY BEHAVIOR
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And finally, we must get rid of all the potholes (stumbling blocks) which exist on our Highway To Heaven!
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Yes, we must set an example for all around us, that we really mean business about our relationship with God! We need to cut out as much mundane chatter, and eliminate all foolish talk and jesting!
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As Peter puts it… “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct)” Peter 1:15.
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And Peter goes on to say… “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;” 1st Peter 4:11.”
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And when God’s people engage in unholy chatter, these become stumbling-blocks (potholes) to our hearers. We show them that we are not really watching and waiting for our soon-coming King!
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Rather, we only prove to them that we are actually among, “them that are at ease in Zion,” Amos 6:1
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PS Krøyer – Hip hip hurra! – Kunstnerfest på Skagen – 1888 – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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TIME FOR REPAIRS
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And so, God’s people must now begin to joyfully engage ourselves in the reconstruction of that Highway of Holiness, as we prepare for our soon-coming King!
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That highway must become holy, once again!
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TO READ PART 2, CLICK HERE…
“APRIL 4 (Highway To Heaven! Part 2: Clearing Away Debris!)”
Desert Road Highway – Wikipedia – Share-Alike License
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Let me clear away all the rubbish out of my heart! Take away the high places and pitfalls along my pathway! Keep me on the straight and narrow highway that leads to the Celestial City of God…
Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read…April 21st (Prepare Ye The Way!), or you can also read…“October 16th (The Highway To Hell)”
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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NARROW WAY STARS
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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 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 below left).
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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…
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To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Revelation 12 Woman & The Narrow Gate Stars (Orion’s Gate to Heaven)”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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TOMORROW
MARCH 29 (The Social Justice Gospel & Christ!)
FMSC Staff Trip 2011 – Food Distribution – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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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 #451 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…
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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain