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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – January 30

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Add Thou Not!

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Part 2:

“Jesus: The Firstborn Among Many Brethren”

To read Part 1, go here…April 2nd (Add Thou Not!)

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“Ye shall not add unto the word

which I command you,

neither shall ye diminish ought from it,

that ye may keep the commandments

of the LORD your God

which I command you.”

Deuteronomy 4:2

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The Bible clearly teaches that, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2

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This command has always been a test for God’s people. And Satan has worked hard from the very beginning to compel God’s people to do just that!

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Even way back in the Garden, Satan caused Eve to add to God’s Word, adding, “Neither shall ye touch it” to God’s command, to not eat of that forbidden fruit! And this addition contributed to the fall of Mankind! (see Genesis 3:3)

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TOTALLY FABRICATED DOCTRINE

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And in the Christian community, theologians have been guilty of adding doctrines which are not substantiated by “the Bible only”.

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One such unsupported church doctrine which is totally a product of adding to God’s Word is the notion that Mary and Joseph had a so-called “blended family”.

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In other words, there are many who greatly desire to make Mary into a perpetual virgin. But in order to do this, something had to be done to eliminate all of Jesus’ brothers and sisters.

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And so, the idea was concocted that Joseph must have had other children from a previous wife, even though the Bible never once gives the slightest intimation that any such prior relationship existed!  

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Nativity – Carl Bloch – www.wikigallery.com – Public domain

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Well, this little devotional does not have time or space to “beat around the bush”, as the saying goes.

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So let’s go right to the heart of the matter.

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Exclamation Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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NOT EVEN ONE VERSE!

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There is absolutely nothing in Scripture which demands or even suggests that Joseph had a previous family, prior to Mary and Jesus. 

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In other words, the integrity of the Bible is very much intact and preserved by Jesus having younger siblings, born of Mary.

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There is no biblical necessity or rationale to insist on Mary and Joseph having two families.

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And any attempt to invent such a situation is adding to God’s Word, which is strictly forbidden by God!

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END OF DISCUSSION

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And so, there is absolutely no need to proceed with this debate, because there is nothing in the Bible that would lead us to any conclusion of Mary and Joseph having two families.

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La Bible, Notre-Dame – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License

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“BROTHERS” AND “SISTERS”

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But rather, to the contrary, there is overwhelming evidence that Mary continued to have more children after the birth of Jesus. 

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One such evidence is the fact that the Bible calls His siblings, “brothers”, and “sisters”. But if these were not the fruit of Mary’s womb, then they would not be true brothers and sisters to Jesus, not being the fruit of Mary’s womb. And so, they would have been most likely referred to as, “Joseph’s sons and daughters”, or something similar. But they were not! They were specifically named as “brothers”, and, “sisters”.

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They were merely referred to as, brothers and sisters…“Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?” Matthew 13:55, 56

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Jesus the Carpenters Son by – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org US public-domain.jpg

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NO MENTION PRIOR TO JESUS’ BIRTH

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The next piece of evidence is that these brothers and sisters were never once mentioned prior to the birth of Jesus. Nothing!

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It was only AFTER the birth of Jesus, that any mention was made of Jesus having brothers and sisters…

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Listen again…“Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?” Matthew 13:55, 56

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Tissot – the Pharisees and the Herodians conspire against Jesus – www.joyfulheart.com – Pub Domain

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NO OTHER CHILDREN IN STABLE

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As a matter of fact, there is one little account in which Mary and Joseph and Jesus were specifically mentioned…“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night….And the angel said unto them…Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger…And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ” Luke 2:8, 10, 12, 16

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So where is the mention of the four brothers and all His sisters being there in the stable, along with Mary, Joseph and Jesus?

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There is no mention made anywhere, prior to Jesus’ birth, of brothers and sisters!

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Nothing!

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Nativity – Jesus – Carl Bloch – www.wikigallery.com – Public domain

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MARY AND JOSEPH HAD INTIMATE RELATIONS

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Now as to the notion that Mary was some sort of perpetual virgin, the following Scripture lays that idea in the dust… “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And (Joseph) knew her not (sexual relations) till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called His name JESUS.” Matthew 1:24, 25 

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So Joseph “KNEW HER NOT” (in the biblical sense of physical relations) “TILL” after she had brought forth her “FIRSTBORN Son”, Jesus.

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So right here, the Bible completely refutes the totally non-biblical, man-contrived doctrine that Mary continued her virginity throughout all time and eternity!

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Holy Bible -cropped image –  Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.

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JESUS CALLED “FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN”

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Yes, from this above verse in Matthew 1:24, 25, it becomes apparent that Joseph and Mary did have intimate relations AFTER the birth of Jesus.

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But also, it states right here that Jesus was Mary’s “firstborn”.

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But it nowhere says He was her LASTBORN.

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And let’s not forget that the Bible calls Jesus, “the firstborn among many brethren” Romans 8:29.

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And though this is specifically speaking of spiritual brethren, it also seems to be speaking of His literal family as well, based on what the Bible says concerning these things.

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Nativity – Jesus – Carl Bloch – www.wikigallery.com – Public domain

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WE NEED TO TREMBLE

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“saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My Word.” Isaiah 66:2

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Listen, if only God’s people really trembled at the Word of God, like this above verse admonishes, there would be much less division and confusion in the body of Christ!

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But throughout the past 2,000 years, churches and theologians have been responsible for many unscriptural additions and subtractions from God’s Word.

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Thankfully, God has preserved his infallible Word, the Bible, so that we may correct our misunderstandings and false notions of the truth!

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TILL WE ALL COME INTO UNITY OF THE FAITH

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But God says, concerning His chosen and elect people, that the day is coming when these following words will be fulfilled…

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith,

and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man,

unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

That we henceforth be no more children,

tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, 

by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,

whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”

Ephesians 4:13, 14

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Yes, it is high time that we be no more children, being carried about “by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”.

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And the sooner we get rid of this, and every other theologian-contrived non-scriptural doctrine, the sooner we can come together as one body, united in Christ as our head.

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Bible Study Group – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License

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TO READ PART 3, GO HERE…

March 8 (Add Thou Not! Part 3: “You Bet Your Soul!”)

You Bet Your Life – title card – 1955-60 – Wikipedia – Fair-use rationale

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to get rid of all the unscriptural ideas and man-contrived add-ons which I have accumulated over the years. Let me live by Thy Word and Thy Word only…

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1”, or you can also read… OCTOBER 1 (Strong Delusion in Scripture, Part 5: 4 Rules of Proper Bible Study)

Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike 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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FLEEING WOMAN OF REVELATION 12…

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“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” Revelation 12:14, 15. So this Revelation 12 Woman Constellation gives a heavenly portrait of a woman fleeing from the Dragon, who is spewing water in her pathway.

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The sketch to the right is “Valley of Decision” Constellation, the Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation, and the Dragon Constellation. This is a concept sketch. These three constellations are not in this position in the night sky. So please don’t try to find them together like this. All of the other sketches have the constellation in the correct position, unless otherwise noted. For locations of each of these Constellations, please go to the article for that particular constellation.

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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 ). However, the ancient pagan cultures did not see this constellation as God intended it to be seen. It is actually a headless woman in childbirth. This is seen in springtime. 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. 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)”

Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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TOMORROW:

January 31 (Highway To Hell, Part 2: “Paved With Good Works!?!”)

Highway – pathway – Flickr_-_…trialsanderrors_-_The_Roads_to_Heaven_and_Hell_religious_tract_ca._1896-e1458672758232

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90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM

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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO LISTEN TO THIS 90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM, A QUESTION/ANSWER CALL-IN, TALK SHOW.

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Harold Camping Bible Conference Open Forum #18 (youtube.com)

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.

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