Today’s Devotional – June 13th (Power of Positive Thinking Gospels, Part 4: “This World!”)
By admin On January 28th, 2021.
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Today’s Devotional – June 13th
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Power of Positive Thinking Gospels,
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Part 4:
“This World!”
To read part 1, click here…June 9th (The Power of Positive-Thinking Gospels! Part 1)
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Several nights ago, a very popular Christian speaker held a large convocation with a vast throng of thousands of listeners.
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And this evangelist gave a very high-energy presentation, with a very positive message.
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PRAISING LOST SOULS
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But, as nice, positive, and uplifting as this message was, it nevertheless stood in stark disagreement with the Bible in a number of areas!
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And one of these areas was how this evangelist looks at the world.
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This became evident when, at one point, he began to praise all the “good people” in the world…
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…“good people”, referring to all the public servants, such as policemen, firemen, soldiers, schoolteachers, doctors, etc…
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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain
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Good people!?! You mean to say that this world is filled with many good people!?!
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Does the Bible support that idea?
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Hardly!
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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License
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WHOLE WORLD LIES IN WICKEDNESS
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Listen to the Bible’s summation of the world… “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” 1st John 5:19.
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So this above passage from John’s Epistle reveals that “the WHOLE world lies in wickedness”.
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So, does that include these categories of civil-servants which this evangelist put his seal of approval on?
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Oh yes! Only those who are “born of the Spirit”, can be excluded from the 1st John 5:19’s condemnation!
(See 1st John 3:5, 6, 8 for “born of the Spirit”)
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Paul persecuted by Pharisees & Sadducees – www.thebiblerevival.com – US Public Domain
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NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE!
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Listen again…
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“…There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that does good, no, not one.“
Romans 3:9-18 (Condensed)
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So, this above passage really takes all the guesswork out of this question, as to just who is good and who is evil. “There is none that does good, no, not one!”
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Well then, how about all those public servants which this evangelist pronounced his blessing upon? Don’t they do good?
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THE HEART IS DESPERATELY WICKED!
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Now there are other similar passages in the Bible, which only confirm this same truth! Jeremiah also addresses this same concept…
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Listen… “The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins,
even to give every man according to his ways,
and according to the fruit of his doings.”
Jeremiah 17:9, 10
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Now Jeremiah here, is telling us just what is the condition of our heart: “desperately wicked and deceitful above all things!”
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Jeremiah at the Potters House – Wikigallery – US-Public-Domain
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NOTHING GOOD IN PAUL
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Even the Apostle, Paul, made the following statement regarding himself… “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:” Romans 7:18
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Paul well understood that he too was desperately wicked! It was only the Spirit of God, dwelling in him, that gave him any goodness.
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Paul the Apostle-Artist-Valentin de Boulogne or Nicolas Tournier- circa 1500s
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HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS
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And so, knowing all these things, then the question must be asked… “Just why then, do the people of the world have a certain amount of goodness? Why are people so often, very friendly? Good Manners? Why do they volunteer for humanitarian causes?”
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Well, it shouldn’t be any surprise that this kingdom of evil in which we live has a “form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”. (2nd Timothy 3:5)
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Yes, this antichrist world is cloaked with a thin veneer of morality, and superficial goodness.
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And yet, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, all such morality and goodness are as fleeting as the proverbial morning dew!
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La Bible, Notre-Dame – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License
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MINISTERS OF GOD
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Now having said all this, it must be noted that God is ultimately in control of the world.
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And so, God’s abiding Holy Spirit keeps this world from becoming totally chaotic.
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Listen concerning society’s ruling authorities…
“…For he is the minister of God to thee for good”
Romans 13:3, 4
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So, while we don’t want to begin praising lost souls, neither do we want to go to the other extreme and begin condemning them, either!
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After all, God has ordained public servants to maintain law and order in society!
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Therefore, we are to give them the due honor and respect that their position requires and often deserves!
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Minneapolis Police 1959 traffic control – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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GOOD NEWS!
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The Good News in all this is that God is willing to save all those who call on Him out of a sincere heart!
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And even very misguided evangelists (and public servants) have the opportunity to repent and turn to the Lord.
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None of us have anything to boast about!
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We are all very wicked and evil beings by nature…
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…we are prisoners of Satan and captives of our very own selfish desires.
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Even those of us who claim to abide in Jesus!
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And we all need His divine mercy and forgiveness!
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Yes, if we still are servants of sin and the flesh, we need Salvation just as badly as that mistaken evangelist!
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Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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TO READ PART 5, CLICK HERE…
July 6th (Power of Positive Thinking Gospels, Part 5: Conservative Gospels)
People praying – by Sergei Frolov – Wikipedia – Share-alike license
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Keep me from being deceived into thinking that there is goodness apart from God. Help me to understand that this world is the Devil’s kingdom. And help me to separate from all ungodly and deceitful influences…
USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read…“ JUNE 8 (“Women in the Pulpit”)“…
… or you might also wish to read…February 24 (And The Nations Were Angry! Part 4: “Planet Earth, An Experiment In Selfishness” CONTINUED)
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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FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS
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Now as learned in the article, “The Five Wise Virgins Stars”, The Five Wise are in a semi-circle, as if gathered around the Glorious Crown of 12 Stars.
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This symbolizes, the importance of the Christian Race, and the Glorious Crown of Victory, which will be given to each and every one who finally overcomes the world.
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Now just as the Five Wise are gathered around this Crown of Victory, the Five Foolish are turned away from the Crown, as if to say, “I’m not interested!”
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And isn’t it so often true that the vast majority of so-called Christians have little interest in this crown?
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Quite often, they can be heard saying… “Oh, I got my crown when I got baptized. Jesus won the race for me!”
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Five Foolish Virgins Stars”…
…or you can also read… “The Five Wise Virgins Stars”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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TOMORROW:
“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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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 #162 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