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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 12

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Apocalypse NOW!

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Part 12:

“Peace, Peace, When There is No Peace!”

To read Part 1, click here…SEPTEMBER 5 (Apocalypse Now! Part 9: Has Judgment Day Begun? Part 1)

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“For they have healed the hurt

of the daughter of My people slightly,

saying, Peace, peace;

when there is no peace.”

Jeremiah 6:14 & 8:11

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TV: THE PROPHET OF PEACE

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We live in a society which desperately seeks after “peace and safety”. 1st Thessalonians 5:3

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For many decades, television has been the prophet of peace and safety!

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Just turn on the television, and watch the various talk shows.

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So much of these are concerned with how to have a peaceful and happy life.

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So what’s wrong with wanting a life of peace and happiness?

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Nothing is wrong with that!

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So why even dedicate a devotional to this subject if it (peace and safety) is already being discussed on a 24/7/365 basis? 

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Because, the big problem is, there’s a war going on!

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

Family watching television, c. 1958 – wikipedia – public domain

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INVISIBLE WAR ALL AROUND US!

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Yes, this world is neck-deep in the great spiritual conflict of the ages, between two opposing armies: the armies of God, and the armies of Lucifer, who became the enemy of God.

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So, what’s all this talk about peace and safety?

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Well, to put it concisely, it’s just a big fat lie, perpetrated by the Father of Lies, Lucifer, who became the Devil, and Satan.

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

Gustave Dore – Paradise Lost illustration – Lucifer becomes Satan – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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JESUS CAME TO SEND A SWORD…

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Listen to the words of Jesus…

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:

I came not to send peace, but a sword.

For I am come to set a man at variance against his father,

and the daughter against her mother,

and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”

Matthew 10:34-36

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Jesus came not to send peace on earth, but to declare war on this world!

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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THE GREAT REBELLION

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Yes, this world is in stark rebellion against Heaven!

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And Jesus, the true Jesus, is universally hated by the people around the world, for the most part!

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The ways of Heaven are not the ways of this sin-cursed world!

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Oh yes, the people of the world would like to live in peace and harmony with each other.

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But God has no desire to make that happen.

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He wants to end this rebellion.

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He wants to convince the peoples of this lost and dying planet that His ways are the sole ways of peace…and love…and happiness.

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And so, to a certain degree, He allows all the trouble and unrest resulting from our sin, to come upon us.

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

Anti-Christian rally in Chicago – cropped image – Wikimedia

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‘PEACE AND SAFETY’

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But the Devil has been working through his current-day prosperity-driven gospels to convince Christians that God wants them to have a nice, happy and peaceful life here on earth.

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And yet, the fact is, God has called us to be soldiers in His army, to fight against the forces of evil on earth!

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Listen to Paul’s declaration…

…”For when they shall say, Peace and safety;

then sudden destruction cometh upon them,

as travail upon a woman with child;

and they shall not escape.”

1st Thessalonians 5:3

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So here is seen that peace and safety in this world is not an option.

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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SPIRITUAL PEACE IS POSSIBLE

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Oh yes, the Christian may have spiritual peace.

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And certainly, the Christian can live in total safety in Jesus.

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But that kind of heavenly peace and safety will be experienced even in the midst of the battle!

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But the Christian must get rid of the notion that we are going to live a nice little peaceful existence in this world of selfish desires and ambitious pursuits.

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Yes, the Devil has made it his mission to make life extremely difficult for every true son or daughter of God. 

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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STUDY, STUDY, STUDY!!!

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The Good News in all this negativity, is that the Christian can achieve total peace and spiritual, “Rest unto your souls”.

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And this kind of peace comes from a daily study and hourly contemplation of God’s Word…

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Listen… “Thou (God) will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon Thee! Because he trusts in Thee!” Isaiah 26:3

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Yes, now this kind of perfect peace can be enjoyed, for everyone who decides to keep their minds fixed upon Jesus.

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain.

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GET YOUR HEAVENLY ARMOR ON!

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And so, let’s get our spiritual armor on, and go out to battle today, and yet keep our minds stayed upon Jesus!

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For these are the key ingredients to a life of, “peace of God, that surpasses all understanding” Philippians 4:7

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TO READ PART 13, GO HERE…

DECEMBER 22 (Apocalypse NOW! Part 13: “The Signs of the Times?”)

Global Warning – Judgment – Christ Coming by Julian Osley – Wikimedia – Share Alike License

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to study, study, study, that I may be fully armored with the armor of God. Help me to find that perfect peace…

Pray for Our Nation sign – Wikimedia – Share-alike-lic.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…

“April 6 (“Perfect Peace In The Fire!”)”

or you can also read this shorter article…

February 9th (Waiting For The Church to Shine!)

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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LOOSING THE BANDS OF ORION 

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God spoke several times of Orion, in Scripture.

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His question to Job was a very mystifying question, to say the least… “Canst thou…loose the bands of Orion?” Job 38:31. 

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Such a strange question, indeed!

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How could a constellation have its bands loosed, much less, even have bands?

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Puzzling, puzzling!

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But now, He is revealing this bright and beautiful constellation in a way that has never before been seen.

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God Himself is loosing Orion’s bands, as He is just now unraveling this age-old mystery.

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And we are beginning to understand that this most infamous of all constellations is nothing less than a remarkable metaphor concerning Jesus.   

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MICHAEL, THE SOLDIER

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Last is Michael the Soldier, who battles against the Dragon:

…”And there was war in heaven:

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;

and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not;

neither was their place found any more in heaven.”

Revelation 12:7, 8.

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Contrary to popular opinion, Michael here represents Christ as He battles this dragon.

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This will be adequately proven in this article and in various other sections of this website.

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No, Christ is not merely an angel. Christ is very eternal God.

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But Christ is often represented as various entities, such as a rose, or a burning bush, as well as many other things in the Bible.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… Flood Waters of Satan-Introduction

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TOMORROW…

DECEMBER 13 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 29: What’s Wrong With The “Trinity”!?!)

Question Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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This Open Forum show #30, is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons lic.

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