Daily Devotional, Year 3 – August 13 (Noble Bereans, Part 17: “Noble Bereans or Proud Laodiceans?”)
By admin On February 16th, 2021.
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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – August 13
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Noble Bereans,
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Part 17:
“Noble Bereans or Proud Laodiceans?”
To read part 1, click here…“September 2nd (Noble Bereans?)”
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“For the day of the LORD of hosts
shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty,
and upon every one that is lifted up;
and he shall be brought low:
And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down,
and the haughtiness of men shall be made low:
and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”
Isaiah 2:12, 17
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THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE?
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Now, there is a great percentage within the church-world who believe that God is going to remove the Church from the earth just prior to the unfolding of the last 19 chapters of the Book of Revelation.
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In other words, the Church will miss out on all the horrific events occurring during the last few years of earth’s history.
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Yes, the Church will have been removed from earth, prior to the last 19 chapters.
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This is the teaching of the so-called “Church orthodoxy”.
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The Late, Great Planet Earth cover – cropped image – Wikipedia – Non-Free Media Rationale
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DAY OF THE LORD UPON THE PROUD AND LOFTY
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Well, today’s devotional is not going to tackle the details concerning this false church-doctrine known as “The Pre-Tribulation Rapture” (but there are many articles on this website dealing with that subject which the Reader can read.)
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But instead, today’s focus will be on Isaiah, Chapter 2, as it speaks of the nature of the Day of the Lord…“For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.” Isaiah 2:12, 17
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Even if there were such a thing as the “Pre-Tribulation Rapture”, this above passage would almost completely cancel out and dis-annul such a removal of the Church prior to that day!
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RAPTURE-READY OR MERELY SELF-DECEIVED?
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Now, just what does being “proud and lofty” (spoken of in this above passage from Isaiah 2:12, 17) have to do with today’s Christian community?
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After all, are we not the humble servants of God?
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Are we not the so-called, “Rapture-Ready” people of God?
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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License
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PROUD LAODICEANS NEED NOTHING!
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But the sad fact is, today’s Christendom has been spoken of in this next critique by 
Jesus in His message to the Laodicean Church (the last of the seven churches of Asia, found in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3).
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Listen to Christ’s assessment of His lukewarm church…“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” Revelation 3:17
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Here is the sad condition of God’s professed people who, in our stubborn pride, refuse to humble ourselves enough to receive the urgent instruction that might save our souls in this present fearful hour!
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We feel that we are rich in Church doctrine and have need of nothing more!
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PICTURE: Unfunny Judgment Day Cartoon – companys-coming – revised
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“BIND THEM IN BUNDLES”
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Now let’s “switch gears” for a moment, and listen to this next verse concerning the end-time harvest now upon us…“Let both (the wheat and tares) grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn.” Matthew 13:30
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As we look out upon the vast Christian landscape, it seems as if this above verse has already been fulfilled to a great degree!
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In other words, Matthew 13:30 says concerning the tares, “bind them (the tares) into bundles to burn them”.
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This binding “them into bundles” seems to be already fulfilled today!
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ABOVE PICTURE – But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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“MY CHURCH IS MY AUTHORITY, NOT THE BIBLE!”
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Well, just look at all those who are bundled together in the various denominations and smaller ministries, each with their own particular set of doctrinal beliefs!
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And just try to show them some opposing viewpoint! They won’t listen, no matter how much biblical support is offered!
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And these various groups hold many conflicting doctrines from one-another.
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And chances are, they won’t even take the time to examine some seemingly new doctrine! Their church leadership is their authority. And they have no desire to go outside that authority.
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In other words, to them, their church doctrines and church traditions take precedence over the Bible!
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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain
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LIES CLOAKED IN TRUTH!
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The fact is, there is so much stubborn pride in today’s church-world, that the hearts of most churchgoers are shut tight against any re-examination of their own beliefs and church traditions.
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Each ministry group says within their heart…“I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” as far as learning any new truths which their particular bundled group does not approve of.
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Oh yes, each denomination and ministry has a certain amount of Bible truth.
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After all, Satan knows very well, that to sell his lies requires them to be cloaked with much truth.
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Mark of the beast – pub. dom. – Wikipedia
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“STIFFNECKED AND UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART!”
Acts 7:31
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But whenever some concerned Bible teacher attempts convince another
‘Christian’ of his or her error, it is usually met with the same stiff-necked resistance that Isaiah and Jeremiah, etc., encountered long ago in their day.
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It just seems that most persons who claim to be Christians are locked into their own particular group’s beliefs, and will not, nor cannot exhibit the same open-minded meekness which those “Noble Bereans” exhibited back in Paul’s day…
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Listen…These (Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:10, 11
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These Bereans were considered noble because, with an open mind, they continued daily, searching out seemingly new truths which conflicted with the prevailing so-called “orthodox” beliefs of that day.
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The Prophet Jeremiah – by G. Dore – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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“COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE”
Revelation 18:4
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It was never God’s desire for the church-world to become divided as it now is.
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But foolish human pride has caused these divisions, with their varied doctrinal differences.
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And though God has allowed these divisions to continue, the day has come when God is calling His wheat to separate from its housing…“Come out of her My people, that ye do not partake of her sins, nor receive of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4
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As this above verse commands, God is now calling His humble and teachable ones out of the proud confusion which has long divided the church-world.
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James Tissot – The Flight of the Prisoners – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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AN END-TIME EXODUS
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Yes, the end-time exodus out of Babylon has already begun.
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This is the separation of the wheat and tares prophesied in Matthew 13:30.
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And before God visits the “City of Confusion” with His final judgments, God’s faithful ones must come out of her, just as surely as Lot fled out of wicked Sodom the night before her judgment came!
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Picture – Lot Escapes Sodom – www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart – Public Domain.
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“BREAD SHALL BE GIVEN…HIS WATERS SHALL BE SURE!”
Isaiah 33:16
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The Good News in all this sadness is, that God has made ample provisions for His people upon every high mountain and hill.
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Listen…“And there shall be upon every high (spiritual) mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of (living) waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers (churches) fall.” Isaiah 30:25 (parenthesis comments by website editor)
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And even though this coming, “Time of Jacob’s Trouble”, will NOT be a time of congregating together, nevertheless, every separated Christian will be delighted to discover that all his or her spiritual needs have been abundantly provided for, even in those “Ragged Rocks” of Refuge!
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(Click to see the Bible passages concerning the above verses, Isaiah 2:20-22 and Isaiah 33:16, 17)
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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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TO READ THE NEXT PART, CLICK HERE…
October 27 (Noble Bereans, Part 23: “The Messages of the Three Angels of Revelation 14”)
3 Angels Message – Wikipedia via www.pri.org – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to be an open-minded seeker of truth, even if it means giving up a very highly regarded Church opinion! Let me be willing to investigate any seemingly new teaching if it appears to have some biblical agreement…
Prayer – Mother and Daughter – Wikipedia – (cropped image) the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… ” FEBRUARY 10 (The Deserted Island Theologian!)”, or you can also read…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 FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
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THE 12-STAR CROWN CONSTELLATION
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If you were to go out on a dark and starry night in the summer months, and lift up your head, you might just see this constellation group. Looking at this sketch, do you see this woman as she tries to take hold of that crown?
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Well, this is a heavenly fulfillment of the above Bible verse (“And there appeared a great wonder (or “sign”) in Heaven; a woman…and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:” Revelation 12:1).
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And this woman is known as the Revelation 12 Woman, and that crown is known as the Revelation 12 Crown. You can see this constellation group in the summer months by looking in the western skies.
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LOCATING THIS CROWN
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This page is concerned with the Glorious Crown (a.k.a. Corona Borealis Constellation), as is written… “And there appeared a great wonder (sign) in heaven; a woman…and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” Revelation 12:1.
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This rather dim constellation follows behind that bright and beautiful star, Arcturus , as Arcturus leads a heavenly ambassage through the heavens 
each night in summer. Every glorious crown should be studded with precious jewels, and this one is no exception. Though these “jewels” are stars, they represent the precious jewels spoken of throughout Scripture, when speaking about God’s people. But this constellation is not nearly as high-profile as, say, the 7 Stars Constellation (a.k.a., The Big Dipper). It is relatively dim, compared to those two bright constellations.
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… The 12-Star Crown Constellation of Revelation 12
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TOMORROW:
August 14 (Cease Ye From Man! Part 12: “Whose Image Am I Beholding Today?”)
Woman gazing into mirror – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY
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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 IS STUDY #223 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo. Most tall, narrow photos have been cropped or reduced by this website to make them a better fit on phone screens.