Daily Devotional, Year 2 – JULY 29 (“Am I A Deist?” Part 1: Insurance)
By admin On January 29th, 2021.
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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – JULY 29
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“Am I A Deist?”
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Part 1:
“Insurance”
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A DETACHED DEITY?
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There is a certain daily newspaper comic strip which often features a cartoon-like God, who looks down upon Earth, from Heaven, through a giant telescope.
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And though this cartoon is meant to give readers a daily chuckle, the fact is, many people who call themselves Christian, more or less believe in such a distantly detached God.
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The Helix Nebula – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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DEISTS OF THEIR DAY
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Some, or perhaps many of our founding fathers of the United States of America called themselves “Christian”, but were actually what were known as, “Deists”.
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You see, Deists believed that God sits far off in outer space, and merely monitors the comings and goings of Mankind.
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But is that what the Bible says about God? Am I really the captain of my ship? Am I just an independent agent? Is the world merely a place where most all the actions and decisions being the product of humans?
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Or does God intervene in the affairs of Mankind?
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RAISED TO BE FAITHLESS
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We live in a faithless world! From infancy, we have been taught and conditioned to believe that we must, “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps”, as the saying goes.
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Yes, this ol’ world is under the false notion, that if there is a God, He just sits out there in some far-away nebula, looking at this world through some gigantic telescope.
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We are deists! We are faithless! We think that we must scratch and claw our way through this life, by our own strength, relying on our own faulty intellect!
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Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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DEIST = SADDUCEE
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Of course, this stark spiritual poverty is nothing new! The Bible refers to the Sadducees during Jesus’ time on earth. They were a class of secularized “believers”, who doubted any supernatural intervention in the affairs of Man, by God!
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And when Jesus began His earthly ministry, this faithless group of Sadducees had absolutely not one shred of belief that He was the promised Messiah that was to come!
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Tissot – the Pharisees and the Herodians conspire against Jesus – www.joyfulheart.com
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TODAY EVEN WORSE!
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Now in today’s society, things are even worse than in the days of Jesus!
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Our western societies are not only heavily atheistic, but virtually void of any degree of living faith in God’s divine providence for man’s needs!
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People on Times Square – cropped image – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License.
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INSURANCE
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For instance, just look at all the insurance companies which are making billions in profits, capitalizing on Mankind’s fear of losing our house, our cars, and any and every other personal possession!
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And of course, there is nothing wrong for the people of the world buying plenty of insurance for all these things.
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One can only sympathize with Mankind’s spiritual bankruptcy!
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SCORNED
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Many parishioners even look down on those who choose to live by faith, calling them “fanatics”. We have been so thoroughly indoctrinated by this society (via TV, radio, family & friends, etc…), that we pretty much think like the world thinks!
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Listen…“For ye had compassion of me in my bonds,
and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods,
knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven
a better and an enduring substance.”
Hebrews 10:34.
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The churches of Paul’s day gave freely for the furtherance of the Gospel!
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Paul Tentmaking – cropped image – La Vista Church of Christ – Creative Commons License
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PAUL LOST ALL THINGS!
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And speaking of Paul, listen to his own personal testimony…
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ,”
Philippians 3:8
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Paul had virtually suffered the loss of all earthly possessions, and yet counted them as dung, that he might finally become totally Christlike!
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Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain
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OBEY IN ALL THINGS LAWFUL
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Oh yes, some types of insurance are required, such as driver’s liability insurance, and now, maybe even health insurance.
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And we are counseled by God, in 1st Peter 2:13, to, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of Man”, unless of course, it causes us to sin. For instance, paying our taxes (even unfair taxes) is NOT a sin! Or getting all the necessary permits and inspections for a building project!
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Oh yes, there are some things, such as computers which are so fragile, it is almost guaranteed to break, and may (or may not) require getting some insurance.
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Building Inspection – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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SATAN RAISES UP FANATICS
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Now, are there those who are “fanatics” (a non-biblical name), who make a mockery of faith?
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Of course there are, and Satan has always supplied such false brethren, who pretend to have great faith, but eventually end up in some disastrous catastrophe. Their faith was merely presumptuous folly.
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They were raised up by Satan to cast aspersions on those true worshipers of God who truly desire to live by faith.
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And if the Reader of this article is given to such extremes, it would be best to not allow Satan to compel you into doing things which will eventually cause you to fall into some catastrophe.
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David Koresh – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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FAITH, A GROWING EXPERIENCE
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But true faith comes from daily Bible study and contemplation, combined with trials and afflictions which are given to strengthen the faith of God’s child.
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Little-by-little, the true Believer learns to live by greater and greater faith, ever progressing toward his or her goal: to become totally Christ-like!
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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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A TRUE GROWING FAITH
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If only we would have an intelligent faith, based on day-by-day growth in grace and the knowledge of the Lord!
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Then would God lead us, even as He led His disciples, willing to help all those who desire to live by the same faith that Jesus lived by!
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Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain
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NOT TO COMPEL OTHERS
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Now, having said all this, we need to NOT sit in judgment against those who do not agree with our faith. Let God be the judge.
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There are many who are weak in faith, and still very much indoctrinated in the ways of Man. We are not to force our beliefs on others. We are not to compel another person’s conscience: not even the conscience of our spouse!
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The last thing we want to become is some little dictator!
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And so, let’s just live by our own faith, and allow others to serve God according to their own faith!
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Family Portrait – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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THE TIME HAS COME
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Now, that long-promised time of trouble has already begun! Oh yes, it is still very mild at this point. But it will gradually get more and more intense for God’s people!
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But there should be no more delay to fully engage ourselves in unceasing Bible contemplation and prayer! Let’s put on our armor! The day is at hand!
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Learn to live without all the man-devised faithless alternatives to Divine Providence! “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils!” Isaiah 2:22
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picture – soldiers of the cross – armor up! copyrighted
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TO READ PART 2, CLICK HERE…
AUGUST 26 (Am I A Deist? Part 2: “Why Didn’t Paul Visit Doctor Luke?”)
Acts 28 – 5 and Paul shook off the beast into the fire
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to grow in faith and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Give me wisdom as to how I should live and how I am to provide for my family during the coming crisis…
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 2nd Face: The Evil-Eyed Pharisee Scorner, or you can also read this shorter article… “September 22nd (Thy Will IS Done in Earth! Part 2)”
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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THE SEEKER (THE SADDUCEE)
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LOCATING THIS 3RD FACE
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The 3rd face of the Moon is a bit more difficult to locate, because it is mostly upside down. But this photo and this sketch are how this face would appear if it was turned right side up. (In the southern hemisphere, however, this is how the Moon would appear.)
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The third face is the most difficult to see in the northern hemisphere, but once you do, it then becomes easy. This face is like a furry creature of the field. Maybe a rabbit. Maybe a squirrel. Perhaps a chipmunk. Probably a mouse. All “seekers”; all foragers or scavengers.
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And while this picture shows this little “beast of the field” right side up, this 3rd face is always pretty much in an upside-down position.
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The other two faces appear right-side-up, and are easier to locate. This photo and this sketch are both turned around to help you see this 3rd face easily. This enhanced sketch to the above right is merely to help you to see this face more easily. (As already stated, this 3rd face is right side up in the southern hemisphere.)
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… Moon into Blood Trilogy: 3rd Face: The Sadducee Seeker
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TOMORROW…
JULY 30 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 15: “The Basics of Babylon”)
Babylon – Wikimedia – Share-alike License 4.0
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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 #574 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain
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