Daily Devotional, Year 3 – May 23 (A Suffering Church is a Strong Church! Part 2: “Our Favorite Party: The ‘Pity-Party’!”)

By admin On February 14th, 2021

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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – May 23

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A Suffering Church is a Strong Church!

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Part 2:

“Our Favorite Party: The ‘Pity-Party’!”

To read Part 1, go here…May 24th (A Suffering Church is a Strong Church!)

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THE PITY-PARTY!

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Well, just as the world loves to party, there is one type of party which many of us who call ourselves “Christian”, love to throw for ourselves.

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It is of course the ever-popular “Pity Party”.

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But unlike the parties of the world, that depend on a good turnout, the less people who show up at our own little pity-party, the better!

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After all, uninvited guests can spoil our miserable enjoyment, by attempting to encourage us in some way, thus putting a huge damper on our self-pity!

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Girl – cropped image – Depression by Danielzanetti for Wikimedia – C.C. Share-alike License 3.0

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OLD TESTAMENT PITY-PARTIES

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But these pity-parties are nothing new!

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No, the Old Testament records some incredibly large pity-parties in which multitudes were reveling in self-pity!

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You see, the Old Testament was, “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1st Corinthians 10:11

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**Yes, all those supposed “musty and crusty” Old Testament stories are actually as fresh and sparkling as the night-gallery of stars when passing overhead each and every evening!**

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Murmuring against Moses – www.freebibleimages.org – Creative Commons License

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OLD TESTAMENT BATTLES

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For instance, when the children of Israel were overwhelmed by their enemies, the Lord encouraged them by saying…

“When thou go out to battle against thine enemies,

and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou,

be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee…

let not your hearts faint,

fear not, and do not tremble,

neither be ye terrified because of them;

For the LORD your God is He that goes with you,

to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 (condensed for brevity)

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Now such precious promises as this can be a great comfort and encouragement to those of us who are fighting our own battles, whatever they may be.

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**And the “horses and chariots” today come in the form of false gospels and secular organizations.**

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Gideon and His Three Hundred (Bible Card) www.thebiblerevival.org – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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ON THE BED OF SICKNESS

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**Yes, the Bible has many “exceeding great and precious promises” which can be a great comfort and encouragement to those of us who are fighting our own battles, whatever they may be.**

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For instance, there are many of us who are suffering from some illness.

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And day-after-day we pray for God’s help and mercy and even for His healing touch.

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And as the Wise-Man says in Ecclesiastes 3:4…“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

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Yes, there is a time for genuine sorrow, especially in this sad old world! Many times for tears!

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Nevertheless, the Devil would love nothing more than to get us to become dismayed and discouraged.

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And so, if only the Enemy of Souls can get us to take our eyes off Jesus, and begin to feel sorry for ourselves.

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ABOVE PICTURE: Battle for the heart – www.signsofheaven.org

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EVERYONE’S A VICTIM!

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One of the Devil’s favorite tactics is to whisper into some church-attendee’s ear…

…”Just think how you were oppressed by your Christian parents, and by church-members!

…You have the right to walk away from God!

…You were denied many things that the world was enjoying!

…You deserve to walk away!”

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And so, Satan really knows how to whisper such accusations, which are designed to give excuse for the supposed offended-one to walk away from salvation!

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And let’s face it! Victimhood is actually celebrated in today’s culture!

Eve & The Whispering Serpent – wwwsignsofheaven – Share-Alike License

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THE VERY FIRST PITY-PARTY

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Even way back in Paradise, Satan discouraged Eve by the lie, that God was holding her back from achieving her potential greatness!

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And in her self-pity, she decided to disobey God’s one little command…“Of all the trees…ye may freely eat; but of the tree in the midst of the Garden, ye shall not eat of it!” Genesis 2:15, 16

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So you see, Satan knows extremely well just how powerful a pity-party can be!

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How do you think he caused a third of the heavenly host to rebel!?

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By convincing them that God was unfairly holding them back from “living merely to please their own selves”!

Eve – Tizian – Wikipedia – pub-dom

Paradise Lost – G Dore – Wikipedia – Public-domain

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GOD’S ENCOURAGEMENTS

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But God patiently encouraged His people to go forward by faith, saying such things as this…

…”With him (our enemy) is an arm of flesh;

but with us is the LORD our God to help us,

and to fight our battles.”

2nd Chronicles 32:8

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Gideon and His Three Hundred (Bible Card) www.thebiblerevival.org – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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CLAIMING GOD’S PROMISES

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And so, dear darling soul of mine, whether we are on the bed of suffering, or have suffered some great loss, or fear for some looming future threat, do not begin to throw one of those giant pity-parties.

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But rather, begin to claim those Old (or, New) Testament, “exceeding great and precious promises”, and rise up against the Enemy of Souls, treading upon those fiery serpents which he mercilessly casts before God’s people! (See 2nd Peter 1:4)

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For the Lord will go before us and fight for us and deliver us from every form of evil which comes against us!

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He will absolutely not fail us, even though our present circumstances may seem hopeless!

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But they are not hopeless! For, “…with God all things are possible!” Matthew 19:26

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Munch – Det Syke Barn – 1896 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” Hebrews 13:3

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But as this above verse reminds us, we must be ever cognizant that there are many Christians who are crushed beneath a weight of doubts and discouragement!

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But instead of scolding the one who is in one of those pity-parties, let’s instead remember what God admonishes us to do…

…”comfort the feebleminded,

SUPPORT THE WEAK,

be patient toward all [men].”

1st Thessalonians 5:14

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Prayer – Anna Blunden – For Only One Short Hour – Wikimedia – Public Domain

John George Brown – “Sympathy” – 1885 – Wikimedia – US Public-Domain

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TO READ PART 3, CLICK HERE…

March 7 (A Suffering Church is a Strong Church! Part 3: “John the Baptist”)

John the Baptist by Harold Copping www.wikigallery.com US public domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to joyfully accept the trials which come upon me, knowing that they keep me looking up to Thee…

Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

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“THE SCORNER (THE PHARISEE)”

Please tilt your head to the left.

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Do you see a man with a very long pointed nose? (Obviously, the sketch to the right is just an exaggeration in order to help you find the face in the photo to the left.)

Do you see an angry look? His right eyebrow is raised as if he is judging.

This second face in the Moon appears to be that of a combination of a man as well as a fox. Or maybe a wolf.

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Doesn’t he have a long narrow nose like a wolf or fox?

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Maybe even a dog.

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Nevertheless, the expression on his face, as he appears to look down upon the Earth, is that of scorn.

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He is very moral, you see…

Moon – Public Domain – 2nd face Pharisee Scorner – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

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TOMORROW:

May 24 (The Deal of All Deals! Part 3: “Free Tickets To Paradise!”)

Belize – Wikipedia – Share-alike License11

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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…(83) The Open Forum Harold Camping July 8, 2002 – YouTube

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

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