Today’s Devotional, NOVEMBER 29th (TIP-FOR-TAT CHRISTIANITY)
By admin On February 8th, 2021.
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Today’s Devotional, NOVEMBER 29th
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TIP-FOR-TAT CHRISTIANITY
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“Not rendering evil for evil,
or railing for railing:
but contrariwise blessing;
knowing that ye are thereunto called”
1st Peter 3:9
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Birds in a One-sided argument – Flickr – Andrea Westmoreland – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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So when a cashier is rude, do I respond back with anger or rudeness?
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Do I get angry when I have to put out more effort than the others, on that job, on that committee, or at that potluck, or at that fund-raiser?
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Do I insist that everything always be equal?
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When my spouse acts selfishly, do I insist on responding in like-manner, instead of behaving like loving Jesus?
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When somebody yells at me, do I yell back, just to even-up the situation?
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Scale of justice by wikimedia & user-DTR public domain
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BEAST-LIKE BEHAVIOR
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Well, such behavior we’d expect from members of the animal kingdom, and even from the unsaved humans, but not from those who claim to be followers of loving Jesus!
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And so, if these kinds of retaliatory behaviors are my standard operating procedure, then I just might be what is known as a “Tip-For-Tat” Christian.
And truth be told, a Tip-For-Tat Christian is not really a Christian at all!
He (or she) just thinks he is!
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Yes, a Tip-for-Tat Christian doesn’t allow others to walk over them.
Rather, their mantra is, “I’m not gonna be used like some Christian doormat by others!”
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Mocking Bird Argument cropped image – wikimedia share-alike license
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“FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS”
Matthew 6:12.
There is a parable about a king who forgave a very large debt owed by his servant.
And that forgiven servant refused to forgive his fellow-servant for his small debt, but choked him and cast him into prison till he repaid!
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Now when the king heard about this great wrong, he said to the servant,
“Shouldn’t you also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant,
even as I had pity on thee?
And his lord was wroth,
and delivered him to the tormentors,
till he should pay all that was due unto him.
(And Jesus says,) ‘So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you,
if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.'”
Matthew 18:33-35
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Now this parable has great significance for today’s devotional!
After all, Christ has paid the ultimate price for our soul’s Salvation.
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But when we ourselves demand everything to be fair and equal from others, are we not behaving like that wicked servant, who refused to forgive a small debt from his fellow-servant?
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“FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE!”
Matthew 10:8.
Now of course, when Jesus walked the earth, His every deed and transaction was an example of how we likewise should behave.
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Listen to Isaiah…
“He was oppressed, and He was afflicted,
yet He opened not His mouth:
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,
so He opened not His mouth.”
Isaiah 53:7
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Yes, Christ didn’t mind being used. He gladly endured such unequal treatment. For it was these kinds of godly qualities which set Him apart from the world.
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Oh yes, this is a “Tip-For-Tat” world!
Why do you think there are so many wars?
Why do you think there are so many murders, and divorces, and beatings?
Yes, this is a, “You hit me, and I’ll hit you back” world, in which we live!
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Cross of Jesus Christ – cropped photo – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
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“STRANGERS & PILGRIMS”
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Listen…
“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil:
but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek,
turn to him the other also.
And if any man will sue thee at the law,
and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile,
go with him twain.
Give to him that asketh thee,
and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”
Matthew 5:39-42
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ABOVE STAR-CHART – Sign of the Son of Man – www.theheavensdeclare.net – Not for commercial uses
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, cleanse me, please, of this worldly spirit, and let me behave like Jesus in every way, that I may be a true witness for Christ, to this “I’ll-hit-you-back-again” world…
Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Parable of the Sheep & Goats: The Greatest Gift”,
or you can also read…July 1 (Why Doesn’t My Christianity Work? Part 4: “Forgiving Others”).
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 MAN IN THE MOON (Turn the Other Cheek)
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You will notice a big bruise on this “Man in the Moon”. His right cheek looks like it has a big bruise on it. That reminds us of the following verse…
“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil:
but whosoever shall smite thee on thy RIGHT CHEEK,
turn to him the other also.”
Matthew 5:39.
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And just as this verse says ” turn to him the other also”, so too, our nocturnal friend likewise is turning his other cheek. This is a big statement that God is making about how important is this Bible principle of “turning the other cheek”.
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 1st Face: The Night Watchman”
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TOMORROW:
“November 30th (To die is gain!?!)”
Paul the Apostle – cropped & brightened photo – Artist – Valentin de Boulogne or Nicolas Tournier – circa 1500s – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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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 #331 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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click here to listen…Harold Camping Jeremiah Series #331 – YouTube
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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain