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Today’s Devotional – August 22nd

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Sodom Rising! Part 1

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When Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was given first choice, he lifted up his eyes and beheld the rich and fertile countryside compassing about the wicked cities of Sodom. And so, the rest is history!

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While Abraham took his family up to the less-fertile and less-populated hill country, Lot took his family to live near the great opulence and decadence of Sodom.

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Abraham & Lot Part ways – www.christianimagesource.com

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SODOM  ALL OVER AGAIN!

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Now, we seem to have a similar situation today. Scripture has foretold… “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodoma, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Luke 17:28-30

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People on Times Square – cropped image – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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EATING, DRINKING, PLANTING, BUILDING

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Well, to a great extent, Christians today have joined together with unbelievers in the pursuit of “unrighteous Mammon”. (Luke 16:11)

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And just like the citizens of Sodom, we’ve been eating and drinking, planting and building, instead of wholeheartedly engaging ourselves in the work of soul regeneration! 

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And now, all of a sudden, Sodom is rising up all around us! Yes, we have been taken by surprise, seeing the abominations of Sodom now becoming the norm. Even the government schools are beginning to teach that the ways of Sodom are an acceptable lifestyle! Unbelievable? Yes, and very tragic as well! 

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Pride Parade – cropped and altered image – image – Wikimedia – GNU Free Documentation License

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PANDEMIC SITUATION

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But all we need to do, is to take note of the similarity between this modern-day opulence and hedonism, being exactly what caused the downfall of Sodom & Gomorrah!

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And, it is the same opulence and hedonism which caused the downfall of other great societies, too!

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But now we are at the end of all things! Our problem is not confined to just one society! This is a pandemic situation! A world-wide phenomenon!

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But we should not be surprised! After all, the Book of Romans warns us… “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:” Romans 1:24.

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As this above passage reveals, it is when God gives a society up to their wickedness, that such perversions are the result!

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Mall Market culture – Jakarta – Wikimedia – share-alike-lic.

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FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS

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Now, in the Genesis account, the day finally came when Lot was warned to, “escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed!” Genesis 19:17. Yes, the day ultimately arrived when God was ready to pour out His fire and fury upon Sodom and its surrounding cities.

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And so, God is now allowing Satan to create a similar situation in the world. And the call is just now going out to God’s people… “escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed!”

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But what are we to do? Where are we to flee? After all, this modern-day society does not permit people to merely homestead anymore! And it seems that God has given up the entire world!

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So just how are we to escape with our children from the destructive forces which are enveloping around us and around our families?

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Listen to Luke’s admonition… “In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Luke 17:31-33

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Picture – Lot Escapes – www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart – Public Domain.

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REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE!

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Notice that it says in the above passage… “Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Luke 17:32, 33

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Remember what Mrs. Lot did? She looked back, didn’t she? She looked back at her opulent life! She already missed her comfortable and selfish lifestyle of wandering through the richly adorned malls, restaurants and materialistic market places which catered to the every whim of the local citizenry of that opulent citadel of selfishness!

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Both she and her husband dreaded the supposed austere existence which awaited them on that mountain. But if only they had considered that Uncle Abraham and Aunt Sarah had a wonderful life up there, serving the Lord, in those very same mountains!

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Lot and His Daughters flee – by Raphael – for www.wikigallery.com – public domain

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WHERE DO WE FLEE?

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But where are we to flee? Where is that mountain today?

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Listen to what the Lord has to say… “In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isaiah 2:20-22

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This passage from Isaiah reveals that in the last day, there will be a place of refuge for God’s people! And so it says here that we are to cast away our idols of silver and gold, and take refuge in those ragged rocks!

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But then notice that it counsels us to “Cease ye from Man”! 

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Such strange language! But this is where we must flee!

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And yet, where are those ragged rocks?

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And how do we “cease ye from Man”?

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PICTURE – Constellation- Woman of Revelation 12 flees to the mountains Mark 13:14 This is not a star-chart, but merely a concept picture, but made up of real constellations (Ursa Major & Auriga, Hyades, etc…, howbeit not in their actual positions in the night-sky)

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ENTER INTO THY HIDING PLACE!

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Listen again…  “Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” Isaiah 26:20, 21

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As this passage reveals, it is not a literal mountain that we are to flee to.

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And now our Lord adds this new piece to the puzzle by saying that we must enter into our chambers as the place of our refuge!

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So just how are we supposed to enter our chambers? And just what chambers are we supposed to enter?

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Hide Thyself in thy Chambers- inspired by Tornado Over Kansas by Curry

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FULLY TRUSTING IN CHRIST IS OUR PLACE OF REFUGE!

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So then, can we gather from this, that Christ is where we must flee to?

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Listen… “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a Rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me:” Psalm 27:5, 6

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Yes, it is under the shadow of His wings, in His secret Pavilion, upon that mighty Rock, that we are to take refuge.

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That’s the only safe place to hide in this fearful hour we are now in!

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Prayer – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED!”

Matthew 7:1

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Now, just a word of caution. These truths from Heaven are given “for me and me alone!” We are not to look at others with a judgmental eye.

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And anyway, we just don’t know how God is working in the hearts and lives of people, nor do we know the true motives of others!

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So we simply look into the mirror and realize that, “Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. of who I AM CHIEF!” 1st Timothy 1:15

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Yes, my own heart is filled with enough evil to keep me busy for a lifetime, trying to purify it from my own innate wickedness!

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TO READ PART 2, CLICK HERE… ” August 23rd (Sodom Rising! Part 2: Flee!)”

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

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“Dear Lord, Graciously allow me to enter into Thy hiding place. Help me to seek righteousness and meekness. Help me to cast away my idols, and flee to Christ in these last moments…

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READ MORE…

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To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “How To Be Hidden in the Day of Wrath”, or you can also read… “Ark of the Covenant Constellation, Pt. 2: How To Enter The Most Holy Place”

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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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CASTOR AND POLLUX = THE NARROW WAY…

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“And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.” Acts 28:11

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Most theologians interpret this verse to be speaking of two pagan gods known as Castor and Pollux. Beyond that, they are puzzled as to what significance do these twin gods have. Some believe these gods to be the patrons of safe ocean travel. Certainly God would never want His people to board such a pagan ship!

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But there is much significance to Castor and Pollux. No, not to those twin-gods. But there are two stars named Castor and Pollux. They are twin-stars, and not twin-gods. They are the two bright stars of the constellation commonly known as Gemini. But as “Signs Of Heaven” points out, these two stars also happen to be the two brightest stars on Orion’s sickle.

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And these two stars are also known as The Narrow Gate Stars. And if you will explore this concept, you will see that Castor and Pollux possess great significance… 

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“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14. Castor and Pollux represent this Biblical concept of the Narrow Way. 

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LOCATING THIS GROUP…

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These two sketches below are the same picture, one with stars only, the other with embellishments. These stars appear more or less like this when they are in the western sky, just before they sink below the western horizon (please excuse the less-than 100% accurate sketch). At the top of the sketches in the center is the Big Dipper. But with other surrounding stars, the Big Dipper is known as Ursa Major or the Great Bear. But as this website points out, Ursa Major is actually the Revelation 12 Woman. (Ursa Major appears much larger in the sky than this sketch shows. But in order to fit her into this drawing, the artist had to depict her much smaller) 

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IN THE WEST

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This most amazing phenomenon is seen throughout the winter, and even into June at the beginning of night. It is seen best when it is the western part of the sky. Orion, the Dragon, and the Glorious Horse are beginning to descend into the western horizon. And at this point it is apparent that the Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation is veering toward the Narrow Gate Stars as you can see just to the left of the mountain. A dark night is best for seeing this.

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It begins with the Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation going towards these two doors. The doors are each composed of two bright stars. The two bright stars that comprise the Narrow Gate are the two brightest stars of the Orion the Reaper’s sickle. The two stars that comprise the Wide Gate Stars (to the right of the mountain) are the two brightest stars of the Wave of Water (AKA Auriga Constellation) that comes out of the Dragon Constellation’s mouth (for explanation of “Wave of Water”, just click here). The stars that make up the Narrow Gate are about one-third less the width of the Wide Gate. The two bright stars which symbolize the Wide Gate are Capella and Menkalinan. These are the brightest two stars of the Auriga Constellation. (For more information on Orion’s sickle, just click here, “Orion The Reaper”. )

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(Editor’s note: These sketches on this page are merely sketches. The stars are not in their exact place. But they are close enough to find them in the night sky.)

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READ MORE…

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To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Castor and Pollux & The Mystery Ship of Scripture” 

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TOMORROW:

“August 23rd (Sodom Rising! Part 2: Flee!)”

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing names, details, and tags, and all other necessary info on any particular photo. Most tall, narrow photos have been cropped or reduced by this website to make them a better fit on phone screens.