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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – April 20

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The Time of Jacob’s Trouble,

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Part 6:

“Let The Old Man Live?!”

To read Part 1, click here…July 13th (Jacob’s Trouble, Part 1: Alone With God)

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“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man,

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which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

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And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

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And that ye put on the new man,

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which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”

Ephesians 4:22-24

USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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A certain radio preacher gave a shocking sermon regarding our “earthen vessels” in which he presented the idea that we must not attempt to be holy in our bodies. “We have a body of clay, and must preserve that body. We must let the world see Jesus within, but not attempt to behave holy without”, the preacher surmised. 

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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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Now this was certainly a new concept, to say the least! And a very confusing concept!

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Exclamation Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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OUR MORTAL BODIES

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This radio preacher seemed to be saying that in order to preserve our earthen vessels, we simply need to go on with our worldly behavior, according to the following verse…“But we have this treasure (Christ in us) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2nd Corinthians 4:7

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And because this verse speaks of God getting the glory, because His glorious presence shines through our corrupt, mortal bodies, this preacher therefore thinks it wrong to try to behave in a holy, Christlike manner. And the world will take note that Christ is living within us, even though our outward behavior is still pretty worldly.

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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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Well, this was a really new twist on sanctification!

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Exclamation Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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THE NAIVE MIGHT BE DECEIVED

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And it was evident that this Bible teacher practiced what he preached, filling his sermon with plenty of humor, keeping his audience “in stitches”.

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Nevertheless, listening to him present his case was certainly convincing. And those who do not have a thorough knowledge of Scripture, might easily be persuaded to accept such a false, unbiblical idea.

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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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PRESERVE OUR WORLDLY BEHAVIOR!?

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But by prayerfully and carefully studying everything on this subject, one may come away with a much different conclusion.

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The big question which this preacher raised is this: because we are an “earthen vessel”, a “jar of clay”, so to speak, does this necessitate preserving our earthy, worldly behavior?

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Well, by listening to this preacher one can get easily confused. It is a very difficult issue!

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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“BE YE HOLY!”

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So, in attempt to strike a proper balance to our understanding, does the Bible ever warn us to NOT attempt to behave in a holy, reverent, Christlike manner?

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Listen to God’s Word…“But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (lifestyle); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1st Peter 1:15, 16 

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Now it’s hard to imagine that this preacher could somehow skirt around this above verse. But no doubt he does!

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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“HOLY CONVERSATION”

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Or what about this next passage by Peter…

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,

what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (lifestyle) and godliness,

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,

wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,

and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

2nd Peter 3:11, 12

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Now here again, this above exhortation by God seems to give a clear and concise revelation of how a Christian must behave: godly and holy in all behavior and lifestyle!

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So how could someone get confused when the Bible seems to clear-cut on the issue?

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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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COME OUT OF SPIRITUAL BABYLON!

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Yes, how in the world could someone get so confused about an issue which is so thoroughly and clearly addressed in Scripture?

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Well, this is why God is now calling His people out of Babylon, the “City of Confusion”! Isaiah 24:10 

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This devotion is showcasing just one more confusing doctrine from out of the belly of Babylon which only further maintains the atmosphere of confusion within that apostate city!

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The Good News is, that God has given us a little more time to crucify the “Old Man” of the flesh. Yes, that Old Man must die! And we must not allow any contrary wind of doctrine to deter or discourage us from completing the task before us!

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James Tissot – The Flight of the Prisoners – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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“…to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!”

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Now, having said all this, it must be made clear that none of us can hold our head up high, if we truly have our eyes fixed upon Jesus! No, try as we will to conform our lives into the likeness of Jesus, we still have to humbly bow before Him and confess our wretchedness, compared to His absolute perfectness, to this very day.

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And yet, we do not get discouraged, but cling to such promises as this…“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” Ephesians 3:20

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Yes, God is capable of doing vastly more in our Christian walk than we can even imagine!

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Now that’s quite an “exceeding great and precious promise” if there ever was one! 2nd Peter 1:4

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Wouldn’t you agree?

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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TO READ PART 7, GO HERE…

May 18 (Jacob’s Trouble, Part 7: “7 Bowls of Wrath on The Church!?!”)

ABOVE PICTURE – 7 Stars Constellation as the Cross (aka Big Dipper) – winter – signsofheaven.org – not for commercial uses

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to awaken to this frightful situation! Help me to cry out daily! Chasten me Lord, that I may be cleansed of my Laodicean apathy…

Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…January 15TH  (Good Shepherd Finds Us)”, or you can also read… February 4th (Why Doesn’t My Christianity Work?), or you can also read…March 1st (A Designer Jesus!)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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ORION, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

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This star-chart from Wikipedia, has Orion sketched in by the editor of this website. With the addition of a single star, Theta Geminorum (the left hand of the Castor twin of Gemini), the sickle in Orion, the Reaper’s hand (sketch to left), now extends the blade, thus transforming that sickle into the hook of a shepherd’s rod and staff. And so now this little Gemini star becomes the tip of Orion’s Shepherd’s rod & staff. Thus with this additional star, Orion the Reaper Constellation now becomes the 5th personality of Orion: The Good Shepherd (sketch below right). Theta Geminorum is a class A3, 4th magnitude star, which means it is much fainter than either of the stars, Castor or Pollux. But faint as This little star may be, it nevertheless presents a giant concept, turning Orion’s sickle into a shepherd’s rod. And this is a very wonderful and beautiful Bible truth: namely, that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, as is written…

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“As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” Ezekiel 34:12 

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And so God has placed this Starry Shepherd in the winter-night heavens to remind us of His great love for a planet which has wandered away: just like sheep that wandered to where the grass looked greener.

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ABOVE WIKIPEDIA STAR-CHART: Orion the reaper – Wikipedia star-chart (with the Reaper drawn over by this website)

ABOVE WIKIPEDIA STAR-CHART – winter – Orion the Good Shepherd (Orion Constellation and rod made of Gemini stars – with the Shepherd drawn over by this website) – www.signsofheaven.org

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READ MORE…

Orion, The Good Shepherd

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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TOMORROW:

April 21 (The Devil Made Me Do It! Part 21: “The Dumbing Down of Society About History”)

Government Censorship – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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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 Harold Camping’s 90-minute nightly talk shows. This is aired on YouTube…

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The Open Forum Harold Camping December 17, 2002 (youtube.com)

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

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