Today’s Devotional – June 9th (The Power of Positive-Thinking Gospels! Part 1)
By admin On January 28th, 2021.
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Today’s Devotional – June 9th
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The Power of Positive-Thinking Gospels!
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Part 1
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“But in all things approving ourselves…
in much patience, in afflictions,
in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments,
in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering,
by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
By the word of truth, by the power of God,
by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
By honour and dishonour,
by evil report and good report:
as deceivers, and yet true;
As unknown, and yet well known;
as dying, and, behold, we live;
as chastened, and not killed;
As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor,
yet making many rich;
as having nothing, and yet possessing all things”
2nd Corinthians 6:4-10
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Several nights ago, a very popular Christian speaker held a large convocation with a vast throng of tens 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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Well, the gist of what he said is, “We need to think positive, speak positive, and believe positively, that God has good things in store for us here on earth!”
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Yes, this popular speaker continued to present a message about achieving our earthly dreams: earthly dreams for ourselves and for our families.
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“THE WORDS OF HIS MOUTH WERE SMOOTHER THAN BUTTER!”
Psalm 55:21
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This extravaganza was filled with short, but uplifting testimonies, a high-energy, upbeat rock band, attractive women, well-timed jokes, and smoother-than-butter preaching!
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Well, needless to say, this presentation was received with no lack of enthusiasm!
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The vast audience, thousands strong, seemed mesmerized, yet ecstatic about this uplifting and upbeat message! The night was a huge success!
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Evangelist Preaching – Church – Audience hands – cropped/altered – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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THINK & GROW RICH
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The fact is, this Power of Positive Thinking philosophy has been blowing in and out of the church-world for many decades.
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It began in the earlier part of the 20th century when one of the richest men in the nation, commissioned a well-known writer to study the most successful men in America, with the sole purpose of discovering what all these successful men had in common: commonly-held virtues which contributed to their financial wealth.
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Think and grow rich original cover – Wikipedia – Fair Use Rationale
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POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
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From there, a certain Christian man took this recipe for success and packaged it into a religious context.
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And this Christian writer renamed this philosophy, The Power of Positive Thinking. And its influence was a great contributor to the modern-day gospels which largely focus on earthly prosperity.
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Happy face svg – wikimedia – public domain
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CHRISTIANS TO THINK ON THESE THINGS
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But the Christian must not allow his or her self to stray away from the pure Gospel of the Bible. Oh yes, the Christian has the Spirit of joy, and is encouraged to think upon things which uplift the soul (see Philippians 4:8).
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But the fact is, the Bible is a book which has both joyful truths, but also many unhappy truths. And by no means should the Christian attempt to diminish the words of the Bible, simply because they are “negative”. The Bible says to think on things that are “true…honest…just” (see Philippians 4:8), and this would include unhappy truths.
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Oh yes, the Bible promises “perfect peace” to those who keep their hearts fixed on Jesus and His Word!
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But this popular evangelist, the other night, wasn’t selling a message of “perfect peace”.
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Holy bible – cropped – wikimedia – creative commons lic.
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JESUS TAUGHT BOTH JOYFUL & SAD THINGS
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Certainly Jesus did not subscribe to this Power of Positive Thinking philosophy!
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Oh yes, He taught that we must believe, and be healed… “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” Luke 7: 50.
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But nowhere did He advocate eliminating every negative thought out of our mind. Jesus was called “a man of sorrows” Isaiah 53, and it is written of Him, “Jesus wept”, as he looked sorrowfully down upon the city that rejected Him.
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JEREMIAH, THE WEEPING PROPHET
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The prophet Jeremiah was opposed by similar groups in his day… “Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:” Jeremiah 30:10.
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These groups did not like all the unhappy truths which Jeremiah was prophesying. They wanted a “happy-faced” gospel, and Satan supplied them with false prophets who told the people what they wanted to hear.
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Unfortunately, those “prosperity preachers” of Jeremiah’s day caused the people to reject Jeremiah’s unhappy truths, which ultimately led to their destruction.
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Cry of prophet Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem – Wikiart – US Public Domain
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MICAIAH, THE “NEGATIVE” PROPHET
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Micaiah was a prophet in the days of Ahab, one of the wicked kings of Israel. But Ahab didn’t like Micaiah’s “negative” prophecies… “And the king of Israel (Ahab) said unto Jehoshaphat (a good king over Judah), There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil…” 2nd Chronicles 18:7.
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Yes, it seems that today’s Christian world is filled with many Ahabs. Those who teach the masses that we must, “Accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative” from all our thoughts. But these modern-day Ahabs are slick…“The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” Psalm 55:21.
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Make no mistake! These modern-day Ahabs preach a gospel which is a very well-packaged product! Lots of alluring women, beautiful and colorful backgrounds, exciting and upbeat music, and very slick, “smoother than butter” preaching! But these are enemies of the truth, though their message contains much truth, yet is mingled with soul-destroying lies!
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Micaiah’s negative prophecy – Wikimedia – US public domain
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SOME VERY GOOD NEWS!
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Fortunately, in the midst of all this negativity, there is some very Good News! Yes, it’s not too late 
to renounce such false gospels, and begin to simply study God’s Word. And of course, such a repentance is the gift of God.
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But the New Testament prescribes the remedy for all who have been deceived by such gospels… “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God…Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” James 4:4, 8-10.
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By the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, such repentance as this can be a joyful experience… “I waited patiently for the LORD; and…He brought me up also out of an horrible pit…And He hath put a new song in my mouth,” Psalm 40:1-3
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TO READ PART 2, CLICK HERE…
June 10th (Power of Positive-Thinking Gospels, Part 2: Our Children!)
Child and Computer – TV – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Share-alike License
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to not get caught up in the many false gospels which are blowing in the wind in these last moments. Give me a love for the often-painful eye-salve of Thy Holy Word…The Bible
Prayer – Mother and Daughter – Wikipedia – (cropped image) the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read…January 4 (The gospel according to Pollyanna)., or you can also read… December 30 (A Supernatural Book!)
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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WHY A SNAKE/SERPENT?
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The Five Wise represent all those who were once a part of Satan’s Kingdom of Selfishness. But now, they have been cut off and separated from that kingdom. Now they have become part of God Kingdom of Unselfish Love! And that is why this serpent looks as if its body has been severed. It has lost part of its body! It is now, only half-a-snake! The Wise were once part of that snake. But now they have become free from Satan’s Prison-house of Sin!
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But as for this Snake/Serpent Constellation, and what it represents, one needs only to begin with beginning of the Salvation story: “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3:1
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THE HEEL OF JESUS FOOT
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Now, as step back about several light-years, we can view the great “Son of Man Constellation”. And if we look at his right foot, it is revealed that this serpent is winding its way over of the top of the heel of Jesus’ foot. Of course this reminds one of the very words of God, as He spoke to the serpent in the Garden… “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed… And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:14, 15. Of course, this was a prophecy about Jesus, and how Satan would bruise His Heel.
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And so it is no coincidence that God has arraigned the stars in such a way as to portray this concept, concerning the serpent bruising Christ’s heel.
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Five Foolish Virgins Stars” or you can also read… “Flood Waters of Satan-Introduction”
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TOMORROW:
“June 10th (Nature’s Witnesses, Part 7: “The Beauty of Nature”)
Child boy face with butterfly – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain
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