Today’s Devotional – August 18th (The Golden Rule in Hell!)
By admin On February 2nd, 2021.
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Today’s Devotional – August 18th
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The Golden Rule in Hell!
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Do you remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? Yes, here was a little story which Jesus told about a certain “non-christian” man, who did what the so-called “religious ones” did not! He stopped and helped a man who was beaten and robbed, while the religious community passed the poor man by!
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And the big point that Jesus was making in the telling of that parable, was that Christians need to really begin to apply the principle of love in our daily lives!
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Yes, there is the great principle which guides the universe, and should guide us too! It is commonly referred to as “The Golden Rule”. Yes, to “love thy neighbor as thyself” is spoken of in James 2:6 as, “The Royal Law”.
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Good Samaritan – (Watts) – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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THE ROYAL LAW
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Now of course, this principle applies in every instance of life, both big and small.
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It is to guide us in matters of courtesy. It is to guide us in matters of the family. It should speak to us when down at work. Or in the classroom. It should be the guiding principle in how we treat others, be it friend or stranger, or even foe!
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Yes, this Royal Law is for all the world to obey!
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But as Christians, we have a much greater commission! Not only are we to be kind and loving in the little matters of everyday life. But we are to seek after the lost souls in this world, as if we are seeking after our very own soul!
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Mall witnessing, Panama City, Panama
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PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!
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But how do we do this? Just how do we love our neighbor as our self, in terms of Salvation? Are we to pray for others, even as we would pray for our own self, if the tables were turned, and we were the lost one? Yes, we should be praying for others 
as if we were in their place!
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Listen to James… “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16
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So here we see the Royal Law shining through in this verse! Yes, like all of Scripture, this little, tiny verse is also fraught with deep and great importance! It challenges us to seek after a greater abiding love! It begs us to strive for a closer likeness to Jesus! It constrains us to fully engage ourselves in a more fervent and constant prayer-life!
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A Prayer for those at Sea by Frederick Daniel Hardy – wikipedia – US public domain
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JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD
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Yes, as I consider how I would want to be sought after, if I were the lost soul, then it becomes very clear how I should be living my life in total devotion to the Salvation of others! And even the most wicked of men are also souls desperately in need of Salvation!
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And so, no more should I be pointing the accusing finger at the wicked despots of the world! Instead, I should be praying for their Salvation as if I were praying for my very own soul! After all, didn’t Jesus die for those wicked despots?
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And so, to “love thy neighbor as myself” includes the most wicked of the wicked in this very evil world!
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And with this in mind, the life of Jesus starts to make real sense! Here was the Great Shepherd who gave His very utmost for the reconciling of lost souls! Every thing He did was for one purpose alone: to seek out and save the Lost!
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And look at the life of Paul! His life was totally devoted to the saving of souls! Look at the life of John, the Apostle! His life was dedicated to becoming transformed into the likeness of Jesus!
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Brooklyn Museum – What Our Lord Saw from the Cross – James Tissot
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IMAGINE YOURSELF IN HELL
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And so, dear stranger and pilgrim in this world, whatever your conception of Hell is, or whatever my conception of Hell is, we both need to imagine that it is my soul that will spend eternity there!
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Because, when you and I are each standing before God’s Judgment Throne, on the Last Day, the question will be asked us, “Did you spend your time on earth seeking for the souls of others as though you were seeking your very own soul?”
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Brooklyn Museum – The Bad Rich Man in Hell – James Tissot – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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STILL TIME TO CHANGE!
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And the Good News is, that you and I are still in the land of the living! We still have time to change!
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And if we haven’t been as faithful as we should have been, we still have time to repent! We still have time to beg God to give us more grace!
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We still have time to purify our hearts and become transformed into the likeness of Jesus!
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David’s sorrow – Wikigallery – Public Domain
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Make this Royal Law the guiding principle of my life! Help me to truly see myself in place of others, and to seek them, as if I were seeking to save my very own soul…
Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Orion The Reaper” or you can also read… “December 15 (We Need to be Like Scrooge!)”
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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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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THE GOOD SHEPHERD FINDS US
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“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” John 15:4-6
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There are many who are confused as to just who found who. Because there are so many passages that urge us to seek the Lord, many mistakenly assume that the sheep find the Shepherd, when just the opposite is true. The Good Shepherd finds us, not we Him. Just listen…
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“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” 2nd Tim. 2:25, 26
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Brooklyn Museum The Good Shepherd Le bon pasteur James Tissot wikpedia US-public-domain.jpg
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Orion, The Good Shepherd”
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TOMORROW:
“August 19th (Crocodile Love!)”
Crocodiles Eye – Wikipedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY
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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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THIS IS STUDY #228 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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