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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 8

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How To Run The Christian Race:

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“Choosing The Best Music”

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MUSIC CHOICES

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Let’s just take one aspect of the Christian life, and see how it plays a part in running the Christian Race.

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Let’s take the subject of music, and what is the best music for those who are running the Christian Race.

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Church of Christ worship music – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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WORDS IMPORTANT, BUT NOT MUSIC?

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Now in today’s Christian community, there are different music genres to choose from.

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And there are those who will say that, “As long as the lyrics are in harmony with Scripture, the particular genre doesn’t really matter!”

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But the problem with this thinking is that music is a language all to itself!

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Without any lyrics, music conveys thoughts all by itself.

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For instance, one would never play marching music while enjoying a candlelight dinner.

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Nor would soft violins be played for an army marching into battle!

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8 musicians motion blur experimental digital photography by Rick Doble. – Wikimedia – C.C. GNU License

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A SEXUALIZED SOCIETY

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The fact is, it is no big secret that we are living in a very sexualized society.

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And much of the music today is very sensual.

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And all too often, Christian lyrics are added to sensual music.

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One noticeable technique heard in much of today’s Christian music, is when the vocalist pushes air through his or her voice to achieve a sort of, “sensual bedroom voice”.

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And so, in such cases, there is no attempt to imitate Christ, but more often than not, to imitate the world! 

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Store window mannequins – Wikimedia – Share-alike License 3.0

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“TAKE FORTH THE PRECIOUS FROM THE VILE”

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The Bible warns…

…”Therefore thus saith the LORD,

If thou return, then will I bring thee again,

and thou shalt stand before Me:

and if thou take forth the precious from the vile,

thou shalt be as My mouth:

let them return unto thee;

but return not thou unto them.”

Jeremiah 15:19

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In this above verse, the Lord was commanding Jeremiah to purify his life from all the worldly trappings which the people of his day had embraced.

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And if Jeremiah faithfully put away all such compromising elements from his life, then God would speak through him in his ministry.

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And God did!

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Prophet Jeremiah Dictates to Baruch – Wikiart.com – US Public Domain

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THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS WITHIN

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Those who are true worshippers of God, are indwelt by the Spirit of Holiness.

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And so, that Spirit of Christ within, will ever-so-gently prompt that Believer towards a Christlike lifestyle.

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And day-by-day, the Believer will be increasingly desirous to put away all commonness and worldliness out of his or her life.

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To let Christ’s light shine out to the world will be the great longing in a Believer’s heart!

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“…he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”

2nd Corinthians 5:17

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And for those of us who have grown up listening to the raw and carnal music of the world, there will be seen a metamorphosis to a music genre which the world would not touch with the proverbial, “ten-foot pole”!

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But this should not surprise us.

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After all, our life has been dedicated to surrendering our selfish and carnal nature to Christ, so that His holiness will replace our former carnal desires.

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Music – photo-psychic – Ganzfeld – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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LUCIFER’S SELF-EXALTATION

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Jesus Christ made no attempt to imitate the world.

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He and His disciples sang a hymn.

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But there was no self-exaltation in the various voices.

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Humbleness made the chorus beautiful.

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On the other hand, it was Lucifer who exalted his vocal talent, as he sang before the angelic choir.

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

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 THE GOOD NEWS!

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But the really wonderful Good News is that every true Believer rejoices whenever he or she can lay down some cherished idol on the altar for Christ!

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And with each and every spiritual sacrifice, the more that the Christian’s life will reveal that Christ is living within!

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And his or her godly example will be an inspiration to others, as they behold their changed life! 

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Please put in my heart the burning desire to become like Jesus in every way. Let this desire manifest itself in all that I do, and all that I surround myself within…

Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…“CHRISTIAN RACE” PART 2: EFFECTS OF SENSUAL MUSIC…

 …or you can also read… March 25th (Lucifer’s Music Solo)

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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FROM WHERE & TO WHERE DOES SHE FLEE?

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WOMAN ROTATES THROUGH THE SEASONS…

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This page is about the Big Dipper, also called the Great Bear constellation (Ursa Major ).

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However, the ancient pagan cultures did not see this constellation as God intended it to be seen.

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It is actually a headless woman in childbirth.  

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This is seen in springtime.

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It is seen in the northern skies. 

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But as the seasons progress, this travailing woman flips upside down, now appearing as a woman with upraised arms like eagle wings who is running (eventually flying, as shown in sketch on right) into the wilderness (westward).

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The single star representing her birth-child (Christ) now becomes her head (“Christ is the head of the church.” Ephesians 5:23

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The 7 Stars (Big Dipper) is easy to see with its very bright 7 stars.

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But the Revelation 12 Woman (Ursa Major) must be seen on a dark starry night, away from city lights. 

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These are star charts from Wikipedia, with sketches of the Woman added.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Woman of Revelation 12 (Flees to the Wilderness)”

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TOMORROW… 

DECEMBER 9 (Almost All Is Vanity! Part 3: It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World!)

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Mad world poster – Wikimedia – Fair Use Rationale

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

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this Open Forum #26, 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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