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Today’s Devotional – April 2nd

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The Straw Man,

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Part 2:

“Add Thou Not!”

to read part 1, click here…March 5th (The Straw Man: “Villains And Heroes”)

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“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you,

neither shall ye diminish ought from it,

that ye may keep the commandments

of the LORD your God which I command you.”

Deuteronomy 4:2

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A Christian radio talk-show host was incredulous at his caller… “You mean you don’t believe in the Rapture!?!

You mean you don’t believe the Lord is going to Rapture His people!?!

Well then, you just don’t believe the Bible, because it clearly states that Jesus will come for His Church!”

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Do you see what just happened here?

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What this talk-show host did, was to employ a well-known subtlety commonly referred to as the “straw man ploy”.

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announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public-Domain (2)

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THE STRAW MAN

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Yes, the “straw man ploy” is a trick used by many politicians and ideologists.

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It is a way of confusing your audience by creating a “straw man”: a choice between one favored idea and another, obviously bad idea: creating an either/or situation.

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In other words, there is a denial of any other rational 3rd alternative.

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Straw Man -attributed to Larch – Wikimedia

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“THE RAPTURE” STRAW MAN

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In the case of the Rapture, the “straw man” is that you either believe in “The Rapture”, or you don’t believe that Christ is returning for His people at all!

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But the fact is, there is a third, and very rational alternative.

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And it’s a scriptural alternative viewpoint too!

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And that is what today’s devotional is all about…

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Straw Man -attributed to Larch – Wikimedia

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“ADD THOU NOT!”

Deuteronomy 4:2

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The problem that many serious-minded Christians have with “The Rapture”, is that it is nowhere to be found in the Scriptures.

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And so, the name, “The Rapture” is adding something to God’s Word, which God never said!

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A DARBY/SCOFIELD CONCOCTION!

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That being said, the Christian community takes a somewhat careless attitude about adding and subtracting from God’s Word.

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For instance, this non-scriptural term, “The Rapture”, is merely a theological name which has gained increasing popularity and acceptance over the past 200 years.

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First being found, quite possibly, in theological writings at the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, by one, John Darby, it was later used in the Scofield Reference Bible, and finally exploded in popularity during the 1960’s.

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And today, it is a non-negotiable name, even though a man-derived name!

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As a matter of fact, if you want to get a scarlet letter (“H” for Heretic) hung around your neck, just start publicly proclaiming that “Rapture” is an unscriptural name!

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John Nelson Darby – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

Paul the Theology Heretic – www.thebiblerevival.com – US Public Domain

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RAPTURE THEORY DEPENDS ON ITS NAME!

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But why? Just why are the majority of Christians so absolutely fanatical in their insistence on using that unscriptural name?

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After all, there are other names they could use, which are very biblical!

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For example, they could say, “The Coming of the Lord”, and they would be totally in harmony with God’s Word!

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The reason is, without the name “Rapture”, their basic theory of two entirely separate returns of Christ greatly falls apart!

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To use a popular phrase, “it is a veritable, house of cards!”

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Because to have TWO Returns of Christ, instead of the one, they had to invent a second name, “The Rapture”!

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Yes, why is this doctrine of two separate returns of Christ so dependent on the name, “The Rapture”?

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House Of Cards Bridge – Wikipedia – public domain 

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So, by using this name, The Rapture, they can now distinguish which of the supposed two 2nd Comings, they are referring to: either the man-made name, “The Pre-Tribulation Rapture”, or the correct, biblical name, “The Coming of the Lord”.

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Prologus Ioanni Vulgata Clementina – Wikipedia – public domain

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“COME OUT OF HER (BABYLON) MY PEOPLE!”

Revelation 18:4

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But God is now calling His people to come out of all this confusion, so prevalent in today’s church community!

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Listen to God’s call…

“And I heard another voice from Heaven,

saying, Come out of her (the harlot city, Babylon), My people,

that ye be not partakers of her sins,

and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

Revelation 18:4

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Yes, there is an end-time exodus out of the apostasy and confusion which today’s church-world has devolved into.

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And today’s devotional has presented one more reason why God is calling His people to “Come out of her, My people!” Revelation 18:4

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James Tissot – The Flight of the Prisoners from Babylon – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TO READ PART 3, GO HERE…

Today’s Devotional – June 14th (The Straw-Man, Part 3: “Satan’s Straw-Man Ploy!”)

Straw man (or lady) – Wikipedia – Share-alike or GNU Free Documentation License

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to get rid of all the unscriptural ideas and man-contrived add-ons which I have accumulated over the years. Let me live by Thy Word and Thy Word only…

Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1”,…

…or you can also read…“March 8 (Add Thou Not! Part 3: “You Bet Your Soul!”)“

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

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FLEEING WOMAN OF REVELATION 12…

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“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle,

that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place,

where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time,

from the face of the serpent.

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman,

that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.”

Revelation 12:14, 15.

So this Revelation 12 Woman Constellation gives a heavenly portrait of a woman fleeing from the Dragon, who is spewing water in her pathway.

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FROM WHERE & TO WHERE DOES SHE FLEE?

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WOMAN ROTATES THROUGH THE SEASONS…

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This page is about the Big Dipper, also called the Great Bear constellation (Ursa Major ).

However, the ancient pagan cultures did not see this constellation as God intended it to be seen.

It is actually a headless woman in childbirth.

This is seen in springtime in the northern skies.

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But as the seasons progress, this travailing woman flips upside down, now appearing as a woman with upraised arms like eagle wings who is running (eventually flying, as shown in sketch on right) into the wilderness (westward).

The single star representing her birth-child (Christ) now becomes her head (“Christ is the head of the church.” Ephesians 5:23

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The 7 Stars (Big Dipper) is easy to see with its very bright 7 stars. But the Revelation 12 Woman (Ursa Major) must be seen on a dark starry night, away from city lights.

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These are star charts from Wikipedia, with sketches of the Woman added.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Woman of Revelation 12 (Flees to the Wilderness)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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TOMORROW:

” April 3rd (Mark Now Given!)”

ABOVE PICTURE: Mark of the beast – pub. dom. – Wikipedia

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 

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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

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Harold Camping Jeremiah Series #92

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THIS STUDY #92 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…

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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain

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