Daily Devotional, Year 4 – March 23 (My Yoke Is Easy! Part 6: “Come Apart & Rest A While!”)

By admin On July 11th, 2023

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Daily Devotional, Year 4 – March 23

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My Yoke Is Easy!

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Part 6:

“Come Apart & Rest A While!”

To read part 1, go here…JUNE 10 (My Yoke Is Easy!)

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“And He said unto them (His disciples),

Come ye yourselves apart

into a desert place,

and rest a while:”

Mark 6:31

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In this work-a-day world, most of the emphasis is on physical labor.

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And so, to a great degree, society measures all humans by their physical output.

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Even the various “Christian TV networks” encourage their audience to get out and evangelize the world (of course, this evangelism brings in larger audiences & revenue for those networks, so you can hardly blame them!)

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Palmer – Carpenter – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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“COME…APART…AND REST A WHILE”

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But in this Desire of Ages audio chapter close to the bottom of the page, Ellen White speaks of the true account in which Jesus commanded His disciples to, “Come…apart…and rest a while” Mark 6:31

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In this audio reading, Ellen White stressed the importance of getting alone with God, and contemplating His Word of life.

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She emphasized the importance of personal spiritual renewal.

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James Tissot Jesus Commanding His Apostles – Brooklyn Museum – US public domain

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ELLEN WHITE’S BUSY LIFE

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Oh yes, Ellen White was really big on evangelism and good works!

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As a matter of fact, she lived an extremely busy life, far more than most humans could endure.

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But she clearly pointed out the balance that must be maintained between all the busy-ness of everyday life and the importance of quiet time with our Lord.

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Ellen G. White – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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JESUS PRAYED

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Even Jesus needed His alone time with His Father…“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone.” Matthew 14:23

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Yes, Jesus left His busy ministry to get alone with His Father, often praying until the light of dawn!

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This was the source of His great spiritual and physical strength!

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And of course, His life is to be our divine role-model.

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Jesus and Sleeping Disciples – Agony in the Garden – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”

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**And we must remember that Jesus calls His yoke “easy” and His burden “light” (See Matthew 11:28-30). God would rather see His creatures resting than over-engaging in toil.**

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And in regard to the Christian life, He informs us…“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3

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Christianity is a relationship of the heart. Therefore, all the Lord requires is that we get to know Him.

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Because, to genuinely know God…is to love God!

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Chaplain reads Bible – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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THE DESIRE OF AGES

ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE INVITED AND HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO SCROLL DOWN AND LISTEN TO THIS AUDIO READING OF THE CHAPTER, “COME REST A WHILE” FROM ELLEN WHITE’S STORY-FORM BOOK ON THE LIFE OF JESUS, “THE DESIRE OF AGES”.

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Sign of the Son of Man Constellation – made of the various constellations on this website

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THE OPEN FORUM

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ALSO, JUST BELOW THAT IS A 25 MINUTE AUDIO SEGMENT FROM HAROLD CAMPING’S NIGHTLY BIBLE-BASED, CALL-IN TALK-SHOW, “THE OPEN FORUM”

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Harold Camping on phone – Courtesy of Family Radio.org

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Let me put on that easy yoke and take upon me Christ’s light burden! Let me become a disciple and follower of the Lamb of God, as He leads His sheep up the gently sloping upward pathway to everlasting life…

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

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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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ORION, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

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“The LORD is my shepherd;

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I shall not want (lack).

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He maketh me to lie

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down in green pastures:

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He leadeth me beside

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the still waters…

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I will fear no evil:

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for Thou art with me;

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Thy rod and Thy staff

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they comfort me….”

Psalm 23:1, 2, 4

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ORION THE GOOD SHEPHERD

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And this concept of the Good Shepherd is portrayed in the night sky, in this 5th personality of the Orion Constellation (see “The Orion Phenomena”). And it is a concept which the Lord would have His own people learn and live. God’s people are likewise to become good shepherds too, in our own little sphere. That is, we are to seek and to save the lost, just as we see our Lord doing so. This is part of what it means to follow Jesus. We become imitators of our Lord, the true Good Shepherd.

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ORION, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

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This star-chart from Wikipedia, has Orion sketched in by the editor of this website. With the addition of a single star, Theta Geminorum (the left hand of the Castor twin of Gemini), the sickle in Orion, the Reaper’s hand (sketch to left), now extends the blade, thus transforming that sickle into the hook of a shepherd’s rod and staff. And so now this little Gemini star becomes the tip of Orion’s Shepherd’s rod & staff. Thus with this additional star, Orion the Reaper Constellation now becomes the 5th personality of Orion: The Good Shepherd (sketch below right). Theta Geminorum is a class A3, 4th magnitude star, which means it is much fainter than either of the stars, Castor or Pollux. But faint as This little star may be, it nevertheless presents a giant concept, turning Orion’s sickle into a shepherd’s rod. And this is a very wonderful and beautiful Bible truth: namely, that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, as is written…

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“As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” Ezekiel 34:12

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And so God has placed this Starry Shepherd in the winter-night heavens to remind us of His great love for a planet which has wandered away: just like sheep that wandered to where the grass looked greener.

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ABOVE WIKIPEDIA STAR-CHART: Orion the reaper – Wikipedia star-chart (with the Reaper drawn over by this website)

ABOVE WIKIPEDIA STAR-CHART – winter – Orion the Good Shepherd (Orion Constellation and rod made of Gemini stars – with the Shepherd drawn over by this website) – www.signsofheaven.org

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TOMORROW…

March 24 (The True Message of Revelation! Part 2: “Do Ye Not Hear The Law?” CONTINUED)

Moses Breaks The Tables of the Law – by G. Dore – Wikimedia – US Public-Domain

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THE DESIRE OF AGES, BY ELLEN G. WHITE

ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this chapter of the audio book about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in His life and ministry.

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Chapter 38 – Come Rest Awhile

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