Daily Devotional, Year 3 – November 6 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 54: “Did I Use Lightness?” CONTINUED)

By admin On February 17th, 2021

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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – November 6

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Come Out of Her, My People!

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Part 54:

“Did I Use Lightness?” CONTINUED

To read Part 1, click here… Daily Devotional, Year 2 – NOVEMBER 7 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 25: “Did I Use Lightness?”)

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“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness,

let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,

which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks…

Let no man deceive you with vain words:

for because of these things cometh the wrath of God

upon the children of disobedience.”

Ephesians 5:3, 4, 6

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Paul – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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“He (Paul) was not to be accused of levity and inconstancy, nor a contradiction between his words and intentions.”

(This quote is from Matthew Henry’s comments on Paul’s statement concerning his “not using Lightness” in his ministry)

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Listen to the Apostle, Paul, as he condemns using humor…

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Now the Bible condemns the use of lightness in several places, such as in Jeremiah 23:32…

“Behold, I am against them that…cause My people to err by their lies,

and by their lightness;

yet I sent them not, nor commanded them:

therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.”

[condensed for brevity]

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**Yes, the pure and holy God condemns all use of lightness (sarcasm, mocking, frivolity, joking, and flippancy). And Paul used none of these in his ministry, nor in his personal, everyday life!**

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

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“False teachers handle holy things rather with wit and trifling, rather than with fear and reverence”

Thomas Brooks

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Now listen to that reformer of yesteryear, Thomas Brooks on the characteristics of false teachers…

“They preach more to please the ear than to profit the heart…

False teachers handle holy things rather with wit and trifling,

rather than with fear and reverence.

False teachers are soul-murderers.

They are like evil surgeons, that skin over the wound—but never heal it…

False teachers are hell’s greatest enrichers.”

Thomas Brooks on, “The 7 Chacteristics of False Teachers”

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Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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“EPHRAIM (THE APOSTATE CHURCHES) IS JOINED TO IDOLS: LET HIM ALONE!”

Hosea 4:17

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The fact is, those of us who possess (or rather, ‘are possessed by’) this dubious “gift” of making jokes and jests, and funny “off-the-cuff” remarks are quite often unaware that we are behaving in an unchristlike manner.

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We take much pride in our ability to come up with clever remarks which make others laugh. And so, our supposed “gift” actually becomes an idol in our heart. And we attempt to tenaciously cling to this idol!

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Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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“A MERRY HEART DOETH GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE”

Proverbs 17:22

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But there are many in the church-world who are in complete denial, attempting to justify this sin by saying, “Well, isn’t good to make people laugh? After all, ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine’!”, they confidently and presumptuously say!

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But so much of jesting makes light of this tragic world! And it “skins over” the wounds of a sin-sick soul, even as Thomas Brooks wrote…“They (jesting pastors) are like evil surgeons, that skin over the wound—but never heal it…”

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And of course, for the unsaved people of this lost world, what else can they do? That’s just how they deal with this tragic world! Let them engage in their foolish humor. But don’t think their laughter will help their tragic circumstances.

Joker – Jester – Puck Cover- Wikipedia – Public Domain

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*“For…the end of that mirth is heaviness…Sorrow***“

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Just listen carefully to the Wise Man…

“For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,

so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity…

Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful;

and the end of that mirth is heaviness…

Sorrow is better than laughter:

for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”

Ecclesiastes 7:6, Proverbs 14:13, Ecclesiastes 2:2 & 7:3

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No, as these above verses reveal, the laughter of the world is ultimately of no value…“All is vanity (meaningless) and vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes, read the whole book)

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Jester Comedian – Laughing Fool – possibly Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen – circa 1500 – Wikipedia – Public Domain

Vincent van Gogh – Old Man in Sorrow (On the Threshold of Eternity) – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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“COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE!”

Revelation 18:4

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Yes, all those who truly desire to come out of the fog of confusion which is the current condition of the Babylonish church-world, must understand that our goal is to purify ourselves, “even as He (Christ) is pure.” (see 1st John 3:3).

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Oh yes, Christ had a joyful heart. And yet, at the same time, He was also very serious…

“A Man of sorrows, and aquainted with grief…

As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing;”

Isaiah 53:3 & 2nd Corinthians 6:10.

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But His inner joy and agape love were borne from Heaven and not at all from earthy and sensual behavior!

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Jesus Teaching – Luke 4:31-32 – jesus talks about heaven – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – public-domain

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“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Isaiah 35:10

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And oh yes, Heaven will be a place of great and everlasting joy, and peace, and singing, and love incomprehensible!

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But there will not be even one joke or jest made there!

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Those things will have all perished along with the rest of this hopeless and sorrowful world of sin!

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But love, joy and peace, and even innocent laughter will reign supreme in that wonderful Promised Land, “And I saw a New Heaven, and a New Earth!” Revelation 21:1

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River of Water of Life – H. Melville – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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TO READ PART 55, click here…

November 7 (“Come Out of Her, My People! Part 55: ‘A Counterfeit Congregation’”

Church Attendance – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Make me like Jesus! Take away these awful polluted worldly jokes, sarcasm and flippant remarks which roll off my tongue, like water over a falls! Make me and mold me until I fully reflect the image of holy Jesus…

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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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THE FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS STARS

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A new constellation has been revealed, as of about May 29th, 2014. This constellation appears as a snake. Its body is comprised of stars from the Bootes Constellation, and its jaws are made of the four stars which Babylonians saw as the head of Draco, the Dragon. It also has a small single star for an eye.

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Now in this constellation is a group of five stars, which will be called “The Five Foolish Virgins Stars”. These are located on the opposite side of the Glorious Crown of 12 Stars, from the Five Wise Virgins Stars. But one big difference between the two is, that The Five Wise are curved around the Glorious Crown, while the Five Foolish are curved away from it!

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ABOVE STAR-CHART (with constellation drawn in by this website)- Serpent with Wise Virgins not Attached – seen late summer into fall only – Serpent Constellation – comprised of the head of Draco, plus stars from the Bootes Constellation – www.signsofheaven.org – not for profit use

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TOMORROW