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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – SEPTEMBER 28

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Come Out of Her, My People!

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Part 19:

“Why Can’t I Escape From Babylon?”

To read Part 1, click here… “May 12th (Come Out of Her, My People?)”

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“Flee out of the midst of Babylon,

and deliver every man his soul:

be not cut off in her iniquity;

for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance;

He will render unto her a recompense.”

Jeremiah 51:6

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‘NO WAY OUT’ RIDDLE

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Have you ever heard the riddle that goes like this…

…”If you were held prisoner

in a room made of thick iron walls,

with no doors or windows,

and no person to help you,

how could you get out?

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Well, today’s devotional will answer that question…

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Pilgrim’s Progress 15 p. 45 – There Sat A Man In An Iron Cage – wikipedia – public domain

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BLINDED HEARTS

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Many who have heard the call to come out of Babylon are wondering, “Just how can this be accomplished?!”.  

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After all, we live in a world in which the entire populace is held captive to the “god of this world”, Satan! 

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Listen…“But if our gospel be hid,

it is hid to them that are lost:

In whom the god of this world

hath blinded the minds of them

which believe not”

2nd Corinthians 4:3, 4

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And so, it is virtually impossible to get free from this deadly and deceitful dragon, Satan, seeing that he has blinded our minds, as this above verse reveals!

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BLINDED CHURCH-MEMBERS

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And many churchgoers are not even sure that they are truly prisoners of Babylon… “After all, my little conservative congregation is reasonably faithful to the Bible!”

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Well, today’s devotional will lightly touch on the remedy for this condition.

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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain

 

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“DRUNKEN, BUT NOT WITH WINE”

Isaiah 29:9

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I cannot come out of Babylon until I am ready to admit that I have been taken captive by my addiction to her narcotic-like wine!

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Listen…

…”For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath

of her fornication,”

Revelation 18:3

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The trouble with being intoxicated with Babylon’s wine is, that one doesn’t literally drink from her cup.

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At least, a literal drunkard has to physically put the bottle to his or her mouth each day!

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Not so with this Mystery Harlot!

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And thus, there has to be a conviction of heart that I am indeed in her hellish prison-house.

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Whore – Babylon – Burgkmair – 1523 AD – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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REPENTANCE, A MATTER OF GRACE

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“…if God peradventure will give them repentance

to the acknowledging of the truth; 

And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,

who are taken captive by him at his will.”

2nd Timothy 2:25, 26

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This above passage from 2nd Timothy reveals that repentance is accomplished only by the action of God’s grace!

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Yes, God must graciously give me “repentance to the acknowledging of the truth”.

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Paul Converted – www.thebiblerevival.com

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TELL-TALE SIGNS

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But having said that, there are tell-tale signs that should be a tip-off that something is wrong with my relationship with the Lord.

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Maybe I am vaguely aware that my personal conduct is unchristlike in one or more ways…

…Perhaps I am far too worldly…

…I talk like the world talks…

…I behave like the world behaves…

…I enjoy the company of unbelievers…

…I laugh at their crude jokes…

…I love to watch TV or listen to secular radio…

…I don’t study my Bible much…

…and I certainly don’t meditate on the Bible through my day…

…my prayer-life is anemic at best…

…I spend time with secular entertainment rather than seeking spiritual devotions.

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It is these kinds of signs which should, “send up red flags”, as they say.

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I MAY HAVE A “FORM OF GODLINESS”

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“Having a form of godliness,

but denying the power thereof:

from such turn away.”

2nd Timothy 3:5

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Oh yes, I may attend church each week.

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Maybe I am even an officeholder at church!

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Maybe I even do a daily Bible study!

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But when I leave church, or when I close my Bible in the morning, I immediately return to my “first love”: seeking the cares and pleasures of this world! (Revelation 2:4)

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I am like Mr. Vain Confidence from Bunyan’s classic tale, Pilgrim’s Progress!

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I am confident of my Salvation, in spite of my love for this self-seeking world!

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Pilgrim’s Progress – Vain-Confidence – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE THINE INIQUITY!”

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“Only acknowledge thine iniquity,

that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God…

Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD;”

Jeremiah 3:13, 14

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Okay, so if I have come to the point that I am ready to admit that I am a worldly-minded person, then I have really come to a very good place!

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David’s sorrow – Wikigallery – Public Domain

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THE ANSWER TO THE RIDDLE

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Now, at this point I am ready to solve my dilemma and also to solve today’s riddle!

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Just how do I break out of that iron prison cell with no windows or even a door?

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The answer is, “I must pray my way out!”

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That’s right! You see, being captive in Spiritual Babylon is just as hopeless as being locked in a doorless, windowless room made of thick iron!

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There is no humanly possible way of escape!

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Because it is only the grace of God that can release me from such an impossible situation!

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Therefore, I must continue to cry out until I am delivered from this hard bondage!

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TO READ THE CONTINUATION OF THIS DEVOTIONAL, CLICK HERE…

SEPTEMBER 29 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 20: “Why Can’t I Escape Babylon?” Continued: The Remedy)

ABOVE PICTURE – winter Constellations – Woman of Revelation 12 (Ursa Major) flees to the mountains – Mark 13:14 (This is not a star-chart, but merely a concept picture)

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to come out of this Babylon of confusion, and worship Thee 100%…

Prayer at Day’s End – Angelus by Jean-François Millet – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…

February 10th (Television in a Perfect World!)…

…or you can also read this next article…

February 4th (Why Doesn’t My Christianity Work?)

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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FLEEING WOMAN OF REVELATION 12

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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 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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Ursa Major Star-Chart with woman drawn in by this website – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Pleiades: The Captive Angel & Mystery Harlot Constellation”

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TOMORROW… 

SEPTEMBER 29 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 20: “Why Can’t I Escape Babylon? Continued”)

Babylon – Wikimedia – Share-alike License 4.0

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