Daily Devotional, Year 3 – March 6 (Paul’s Godly Example, Part 2: “Like Paul In A Materialistic World!”)

By admin On February 10th, 2021

Daily Devotional, Year 3 – March 6

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Paul’s Godly Example,

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Part 2:

“Like Paul In A Materialistic World!”

To read Part 1, go here…June 29th (Paul’s Godly Example!)

“Yea doubtless,

and I count all things

but loss for the excellency

of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,

and do count them but dung,

that I may win Christ,”

Philippians 3:8

Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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AGE OF MATERIALISM

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We now live in a very materialistic world.

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And the western nations have become immersed in materialism.

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And the industrial revolution combined with the high-tech revolution has resulted in a society of vast material wealth.

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And Satan (the name given for Lucifer and his fellow rebel angels) has worked around the clock to create this decadent, cornucopian super-society in which every conceivable pleasure and selfish pursuit is now possible.

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**And so, it has become a world of Mammon (earthly riches).**

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Consequently, the various industrial/technological societies have become immersed in self-seeking.

Mall – Fashion Centre at Pentagon City – Wikimedia – Share-alike license

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THE GOSPEL SEED

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But even though God has allowed all this state-of-the-art selfishness to be created, He nevertheless, has injected His own government in the midst of this world of sin and selfishness.

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And God has chosen a people out of the midst of all this selfishness, to be His goodwill ambassadors to this lost planet steeped in its selfish ways.

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Yes, God has elected His nation of kingly priests to pray for, and to present themselves as examples of God’s government of selfless agape love.

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**And He has given us the ability to walk, even as He (Christ) walked when living down here in His human body.**

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Mall witnessing, Panama City, Panama

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PAUL LOST ALL!

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Listen to Paul…“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss

for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,

and do count them but dung,

that I may win Christ,”

Philippians 3:8

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Here is seen that Paul allowed God to take away all his earthly belongings and worldly accolades, so that he could be our human role-model.

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That’s right, to put it in his own words…“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” 1st Corinthians 11:1

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Paul was not raised up as some kind of hybrid divine/human idol to be merely adored and revered!

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No, Paul was raised up to be an example of what we too can become, if we so-desire.

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Paul Tentmaking – cropped image – La Vista Church of Christ – Creative Commons License

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PRISONERS OF BABYLON

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Now it must be stated that those who have married worldly-minded spouses are somewhat locked up in bondage to this world.

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In other words, that Christian must continue to provide the comforts of this world, in order to please the spouse and world-loving children.

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Nevertheless, that Christian can indeed deny his or her own self as much as possible, praying for the Salvation of their world-loving family.

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And by self-denyingly providing for the worldly needs and comforts of the family, that selfless Christian can also be included in the number of Christ-glorifying Christians to be manifested before the world!

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Family Portrait – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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“WHO WILL GO FOR US?”

Isaiah 6:8

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And so, that call is now going out to God’s people to no longer partake of all the materialistic pursuits which the apostate churches are advocating.

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And we have that god-glorifying Apostle Paul as our earthly role-model, as he also was a follower of our Divine Role-Model, Jesus, as He.

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Jesus leads us all up that Heaven-ward pathway out of this selfish and materialistic world.

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And as we ascend, the entire world will stop and take notice that the Church-Elect has finally become changed into the image of Christ, as we shine out the blinding light of Heaven’s Jesus upon this materialistic and sin-darkened world!

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Transfiguration – Bloch – Wikimedia Commons – US Public Domain

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TO READ PART 3, just click here…

“May 7 (Paul’s Godly Example, Part 3: “Like Paul In Suffering!”)”

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 catch that same fiery Spirit which caused Paul to joyfully suffer the loss of all things in his relentless pursuit of Christlikeness…

Braet von Überfeldt – Woman with Bible – 1866 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

THE END

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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN:

7 STARS IMITATE THE CROSS OF ORION

This phenomenon begins in late October, in the pre-dawn hours. It then begins a little earlier each night.

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This Wikipedia star-chart, has this constellation sketched in.

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**You must locate Orion, when it is mid-sky, between east and west.**

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You’ll be facing southward most likely, unless you are far south.

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Try to imagine it as a Cross on a steep hill.

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**The 3-star belt of Orion becomes the crest of the hill.**

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**The 3 very faint stars that make up Orion’s head become the very top of the Cross.**

**Next, locate the 7 Stars Constellation.**

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**This 7 Stars Constellation is seen by facing northward.**

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It stands upright a little later in the night.

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**Eventually, Orion will lay down and no longer be seen as an uplifted Cross!**

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**Beginning in November, the 7 Stars (AKA Big Dipper) can be seen as a Cross a little bit later in evening.**

**When you are comfortable in locating Orion & The 7 Stars Constellations, then show a friend. This can be a great witnessing tool!**

ABOVE CHART: The Cross of Orion Constellation star-chart – wikipedia star-chart with orion drawn in by this website – not for commercial use

TOMORROW:

March 7 (Thou Art Weighed in the Balances! Part 3: “Judge Nothing!”)

Scale of justice – by Wikimedia & user-DTR – Public Domain

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<h2 style=”text-align: left;”><span style=”color: #9ea3d9;”><strong><a href=”https://theheavensdeclare.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Prophet-Jeremiah-www.christianimagesource.org-Public-Domain.jpg”><img class=” wp-image-31763 alignright” src=”https://theheavensdeclare.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Prophet-Jeremiah-www.christianimagesource.org-Public-Domain.jpg” alt=”http://christianimagesource.com/prophet_jeremiah_g341-prophet_jeremiah__image_2_p2281.html” width=”69″ height=”147″ /></a>90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM</strong></span></h2>
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<h3><strong><span style=”color: #cc99ff;”>ALL </span></strong><em><strong><span style=”color: #cc99ff;”>’NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) </span></strong></em><strong><span style=”color: #cc99ff;”>ARE ENCOURAGED TO LISTEN TO THIS 90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM, A QUESTION/ANSWER CALL-IN, TALK SHOW.</span></strong></h3>
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<h3><strong><a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo-TVc9JvSY” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>(911) The Open Forum August 12, 2004 – YouTube</a></strong></h3>
<h3><strong><span style=”color: #000000;”>.</span></strong></h3>
<a href=”http://christianimagesource.com/prophet_jeremiah_g341-prophet_jeremiah__image_2_p2281.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”><span style=”color: #808080;”>above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain

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