Today’s Devotional – July 21st (A Hard-Workin’ Devil!)
By admin On January 31st, 2021.
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Today’s Devotional – July 21st
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A Hard-Workin’ Devil!
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There is a joke which goes something like this…
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“There was a little elderly lady, a faithful church attendee, who always seemed to have something nice to say about any and every person. She even had nice things to say about church members who were not, well, not very nice!
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But one day, two other church members were discussing this “overly-gracious” little lady, and one member finally said to the other, ‘I think I can get her to say something unkind!’ And so he approached the little elderly lady, and said, ‘Well, what do you think about Satan?’ And the gracious little lady paused, and looked a little troubled for a moment.
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But then, after a few more moments, her eyes again sparkled, and her smile returned to her face, as she leaned close and confided with the man, ‘Well, he’s a very hard worker, you know!'”
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Old woman – Wikimedia – Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
Devil – Hans Memling – Wikimedia – US Public Domain
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LIVING IN SATAN’S KINGDOM OF SIN
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And isn’t it true, that Satan is a very hard worker! And if one looks at the people of this world, it is no wonder that, for the most part, this is a very hard-working world!
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And for those who are disabled or low-energy persons, it sometimes gets annoying to hear people brag about how hard-working they are!
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Yes, the people of this world like to, “blow the trumpet”, quite often, and proudly proclaim their self-righteous work-ethics.
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Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license
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But the Bible repeatedly proclaims that those who are unsaved
are… “Workers of iniquity” Psalm 28:3.
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So, God acknowledges the people of the world to be workers.
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But they are the “workers of iniquity”!
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So let’s explore for a moment into what the Bible has to say about all the labors of Mankind…
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Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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THE PLOWING OF THE WICKED IS SIN!
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Yes, it’s a hard-working world, for the most part! There are very many industrious people here!
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But does God look down on this work-a-day world with admiration and approval?
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Well, listen to God’s assessment of the hard-working people of the world… “An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.” Proverbs 21:4
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So it says here that “the plowing of the wicked is sin”!
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So God looks upon this wicked world, and even pronounces that, “the plowing of the wicked is sin”!
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But how could this be? How can “good honest labor” be considered sin?
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Mall Market culture – Jakarta – Wikimedia – share-alike-lic.
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PRIDE AND SELFISHNESS MINGLED INTO ALL WE SAY, THINK, AND DO!
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Well, perhaps this next verse might help… “All the labour of man is for his mouth,” Ecclesiastes 6:7.
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So then, just like the beasts of the field, man must gather his food and provide his covering.
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And the Bible also says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9
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God does not look upon the outward things, as does Man. But “God looketh upon the heart” (1st Samuel 16:7). God sees the motivations of our sinful hearts. He knows what drives people to do this or that.
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And God sees the pride and selfishness that is the driving force behind so much of what the people of this world do…“All the labour of man is for his mouth,” Ecclesiastes 6:7.
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SATAN, THE GOD OF THIS WORLD
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And He calls this world’s inhabitants, “children of the Devil”, as well. (see 1st John 3:10)
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Yes, this world had been given to Lucifer, whom the Bible calls, “the god of this world.” 2nd Corinthians 4:4.
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And so, being Satan’s kingdom, we might then logically conclude that Satan is the taskmaster of this entire world.
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You see, Satan understands that he must keep the economy going throughout the world. Otherwise, he would have a rebellion on his hands.
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And so, it is not hard to see that Satan and his angels are behind the inner-workings of this world.
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Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – wikipedia – US public domain
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(GOD) DOES…HIS WILL…AMONG THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH”
Daniel 4:35
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Now God also must keep this world running, in order that His Salvation plan will be brought to completion.
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So God allows the Devil to keep this world going to some degree.
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And because God is infinitely more powerful than Satan, God sets the parameters for what the Devil can and cannot do! Yes, the Devil can do NOTHING without God’s permission!
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And so, God is ultimately in control of all things!
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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License
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A WORLD OF ANTICHRISTS
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Nevertheless, the inhabitants of the earth are prisoners of Satan.
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They are indwelt by the, “Prince of the Power of the Air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” Ephesians 2:2.
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Yes, the people of this world are filled with the spirit of Antichrist.
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And so, for the people of this world to ever think that we have some innate goodness, is simply uninformed and wishful thinking!
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SATAN COMES AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT!
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The fact is, we now live in a day in which the Devil is coming as the false prophet. And so, much of his kingdom has a form of godliness…
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Listen… “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;” 2nd Corinthians 11:14, 15
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This above passage from 2nd Corinthians not only speaks of ministers within the Church.
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But it also speaks of each and every person in the world, who has a form of godliness, and yet is not truly “born again”.
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“THE WHOLE WORLD LIES IN WICKEDNESS”
1st John 5:19
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Yes, “the whole world lies in wickedness”, says John, the Apostle!
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And so, as children of light, we must not be ignorant of this enchanted ground we walk upon!
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This world is extremely deceptive! In many respects, this ENTIRE WORLD is a big lie! And we must never be seduced by the Devil and his minions into believing that there is any genuine goodness in this world, apart from God. The Bible just does not allow such thinking!
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And while our merciful God, “works all things together for good, for those who love God, and are The Called, according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), we must never get the idea that there is anything innately good or wholesome in this, the Devil’s kingdom!
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We must keep reminding ourselves that, as 1st John so aptly says, “the whole world lies in wickedness!”
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Oh yes, God works through the people of this world to keep the world orderly to some degree. But that’s God’s goodness and not our goodness.
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People on Times Square – cropped image – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License
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“A WAY OF ESCAPE!”
1st Corinthians 10:13
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But the Good News is this: any man, woman, or child who desires to come out from the 
totalitarian control of the Spirit of Antichrist, can call on the name of the Lord.
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And once that person begins to walk upward and Heavenward upon the Pilgrim’s Highway, “The Way of Holiness”, then that person’s labor will now be done in righteousness! (see Isaiah 35:8)
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Because that true worshipper of God will now be actuated by the Spirit of Holiness.
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Then will God look down with approval on that Believer’s labor!
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Open Thou mine eyes, that I might see this world for what it really is. Keep me from being lured back into this world…
Prayer at Day’s End – Angelus by Jean-François Millet – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… ““Vanity Fair” & The False Prophet” or you can also read… “March 13th (Planet Earth: Devil’s Island!)”
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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THE DRAGON OF REVELATION 12
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“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” Rev. 12:3, 4
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It is well established that this dragon is Satan… “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev. 12:9
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This dragon is described as having, “seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” v. 3
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And so here in Chapter 12 is a brief description of Satan, and his rebellion against God and his war against Michael and against Heaven. And from reading the rest of the Bible, this arch-enemy of God is somewhat well established, as to his workings on Earth.
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Dragon, The Beast & His Image & His Mark”
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TOMORROW:
“July 22nd (Pocket Bible Witnessing!)”
Gideons bible – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
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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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THIS STUDY #200 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain
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