Daily Devotional, Year 3 – July 8 (Watchmen On Zion’s Walls, Part 5: “The Devil’s Detours!”)

By admin On February 16th, 2021

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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – July 8

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Watchmen On Zion’s Walls,

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Part 5:

“The Devil’s Detours!”

To read Part 1, click here…OCTOBER 9 (Watchmen On Zion’s Walls, Part 1)

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“And take heed to yourselves,

lest at any time your hearts be overcharged

with surfeiting, and drunkenness,

and cares of this life,

and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them

that dwell on the face of the whole earth.”

Luke 21:34, 35

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This above passage from Luke’s Gospel is a stern warning to all Christians, to not allow the everyday things of the world to begin to eclipse the things of Heaven.

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Detour Sign – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“THE MAN OF GOD & THE OLD PROPHET”

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**There is a very unnerving story found in 1st Kings, Chapter 13, regarding the “man of God” who came to the town of Bethel and prophesied against the apostasy amongst God’s people.**

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And the man of God was warned expressly, “Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.” 1st Kings 13:9

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Tissot – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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“BRING HIM BACK!”

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**But on his way back home, an “old prophet” came to him and persuaded the man of God, by telling him a lie…**

…”an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD”‘, said the old prophet…

…”saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house,

that he may eat bread and drink water.'”

1st Kings 13:18

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And so, the man of God went back with the old prophet, to eat and drink with him.

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Man of God from Judah meets Old Prophet of Bethel

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“A LION MET HIM BY THE WAY”

1st Kings 13:24

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But as these two were eating and drinking, the old prophet stood and condemned the man of God…

…”Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD,

and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee…

thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.”

1st Kings 13:21, 22

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Well, after the man of God left the old prophet’s home, a lion met the man of God, and killed him.

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The Man of God, and the Lion – by G. Dore – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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NOT TO GET TOO SETTLED IN THIS WORLD!

Now, contrary to popular opinion, all those “musty” Old Testament stories are as up-to-date and as relevant as tomorrow’s newspaper!

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And this one is no exception!

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You see, we too have been commanded by God to proclaim Salvation to this lost and dying world.

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And God has given us ample warning against getting too settled down in this world.

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**We are called to become, “strangers and pilgrims”, traveling through this foreign land!**

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He wants us to get ourselves up the Heavenward pathway and on to our eternal heavenly home!

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DEVIL’S PURPOSE TO DIVERT!

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Yes, it is the first and foremost commission of God and His angels to help Christians get themselves to their heavenly home without delay.

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But it is “the god of this world”, Satan, whose great purpose is to divert Christians from such a single-minded mission, by any means possible! (2nd Corinthians 4:4)

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Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TO BE WATCHMEN

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And so, each and every Christian must be “sober and vigilant”!

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Yes, as Peter warns in 1st Peter 5:8…

…”Be sober, be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil,

as a roaring lion, walks about,

seeking whom he may devour:”

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And just as that man of God was killed by the lion who met him on his way back home, so too, Satan now comes, “as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour!”

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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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MANY DIVERSIONS & DETOURS!

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Yes, the Devil has given this old world a complete make-over, turning it into somewhat of a theme-park of selfish pleasures, desires, and proud, ambitious pursuits…

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…Internet, television, video games…

…secular radio, newspapers, magazines, novels…

…clubs, social events, plays, sports…

…homes & gardens, romance, pleasure vehicles…

…hobbies, sight-seeing excursions…

…politics, energy-sapping-time-consuming-careers…

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… and a variety of other similar worldly pleasures and pursuits!

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ABOVE PICTURE: Dream Maker of Babylon – Signs Of Heaven.org

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AS LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER!

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And what is the Devil’s goal in providing all these interesting diversions and ambitious pursuits?

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Is it to keep us so busy in his antichrist-world-system that we lose our watchful vigilance?

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Oh yes, and to keep us so focused on, and preoccupied with these earthly pursuits, even as the proverbial “lambs led to the slaughter!”

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sheep – Lambs to the slaughter – cropped/altered image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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SATAN VERY PROACTIVE!

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Now, perhaps, engaging in “a little” of these more benign pursuits might not be so bad.

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The problem is, as far as Satan is concerned, “a little” is never enough!

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ABOVE PICTURE: Unfunny Judgment Day Cartoon – a party tonight – signsofheaven.org

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WATCHMEN ON ZION’S WALLS!

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We have been called to be watchmen on the walls of Zion!

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We must have our heavenly armor on, and with sword in hand, cut away any earthly tendrils that begin to entwine themselves around our feet!

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The Good News is, that God is our divine Helper.

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And He promises that…

…”He which hath begun a good work in you

will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Philippians 1:6

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US Navy – Chaplain Lt. Jason Gregory reads Bible on weather deck – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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TO READ PART 6, GO HERE…

July 22 (Watchmen On Zion’s Walls, Part 6: “Cutting Away The Tendrils!”)

Ivy Covered Door – Hawthorne Hall – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Make me a watchman. Help me to be sober and vigilant. Let me not sleep, but be awake and watchful…

Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED SIGN

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“Watchman, what of the night?

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Watchman, what of the night?

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The watchman said, The morning cometh,

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and also the night:

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if ye will inquire, inquire ye:

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return, come.”

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Isaiah 21:11, 12

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THE 1ST FACE IN THE MOON: “THE NIGHT WATCHMAN”

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“MOON IS CONFOUNDED”… The first face, a man’s face, is easy to see.

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**It is that proverbial ‘Man in the Moon’.**

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Most have seen it.

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Even as little children. (The other two faces are not so easy to see. But let’s concentrate on the first face.)

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**Notice that the ‘Man in the Moon’ appears as though he is looking down at the Earth.**

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‘Shock and Awe’!

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That’s the look on his face.

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Sadness too!

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You might even see the tears running down his cheeks. (“Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.” Psalm 119:136)

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The Moon is spoken of as a “faithful witness”.

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**God’s covenanted law is spoken of as a faithful witness as well.**

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Listen to the Psalmist…

…It (God’s covenant with David shall be established for ever as the Moon,

and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.”

Psalm 89:37.“

Notice here that God is comparing His Covenant to the Moon as a “faithful witness”.

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The Moon reflects the light of the Sun, just as Christians should reflect the light of the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus, who should be in their daily lives.

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And so the Moon fulfills the verse from Psalms which proclaims… “Praise ye him, Sun and Moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.” Psalm 148:3

Full moon (“blue moon”) as seen on 31.08.2012 as seen from Slobozia, Romania – by Cezar Popescu – Wikimedia – Public Domain – photo cropped and highlighted

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TOMORROW…

July 9 (Lucifer’s Music Solo, Part 8: “Lucifer’s Lullabies”)

Violin Lullaby – Satan – Tartini’s Dream – by Louis-Léopold Boilly 1761-1845 – Devil’s Trill Sonata – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM or BIBLE STUDY

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

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CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS 83 MINUTE TALK SHOW…(310) Harold Camping May 24, 2010 – YouTube

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

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