Today’s Devotional – October 8th (Who Are You Calling A Dolt!?)

By admin On February 6th, 2021

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Today’s Devotional – October 8th

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Who Are You Calling A Dolt!?

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In John Bunyan’s great allegorical tale, Pilgrim’s Progress, there happened along the path of the Pilgrim, a character named, “Ignorance”. And this man might otherwise be called a “simpleton”, or even a “dolt”.

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Now why should this character even be mentioned?

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Well, a very popular radio Bible commentator was airing his program today, in which he made the following comment… “A Christian should have plenty of hobbies, and interests! I do! After all, you don’t want to be a dolt!”

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Now this usually very nice and pleasant man didn’t realize just who he was calling a “dolt”!

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Pilgrims Progress – Ignorance – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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PAUL’S SELF-SACRIFICING LIFE

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Just think about it! Was Paul a dolt, just because his life was totally devoted to the Gospel?

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After all, it was the Apostle Paul who crafted the following words…

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss

for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,

and do count them but dung,

that I may win Christ,”

Philippians 3:8

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Yes, Paul devoted every waking moment to the self-transformation of his heart and soul and life into the glorious image of Christ!

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Paul the Apostle – Artist – Valentin de Boulogne or Nicolas Tournier – circa 1500s – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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JESUS SAYS, “FORSAKE ALL!”

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Or take Jesus! Was Jesus a dolt? After all, it was Jesus who said the following words…

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you

that forsaketh not all that he hath,

he cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:33.

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As we read about the life of Jesus, we discover Him to be a totally devoted Redeemer!

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And He didn’t come into this world to merely be put on a pedestal to be admired! No, rather, in the very words of Jesus…

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way, the truth, and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

John 14:6

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Yes, Jesus was not just a Savior! No, He was also a role-model in all matters of life!

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Christ calling His Disciples by Edward Armitage – 1869 – courtesy Wikigallery.com – Public Domain

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HAPPILY EVER-AFTER!

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The Christian life is a wonderful life, especially when compared to the life we once lived, prior to our conversion!

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But the Christian, even in times of suffering, is heading toward a happy ending! You could say that the old story-book line applies to every true worshipper of God… “And they lived happily ever-after!”

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Yes, for only the Christian, this story-book ending is very appropriate and true!

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The Pilgrim’s Progress by Byam Shaw – wikimedia commons – US public domain

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CAREFUL WHO YOU CONDEMN

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**And so, with such “exceeding great and precious promises” before us, it is really not a problem to lay down our life on the altar of service and self-sacrifice.**

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Listen… “I (Paul) beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Romans 12:1, 2

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This above passage says that laying down our entire life on the altar of sacrifice is our reasonable service!

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You could say that worldly-minded Bible teachers who condemn all the totally dedicated Christians as being “dolts” are likewise condemning Jesus and His followers as being “dolts”!

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So, before you or I make some similar condemnation of God’s people, maybe we should first consider if our remark likewise applies to Jesus, or to Paul, or to John, etc….

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ABOVE STAR-CHART – late winter – Woman on the altar & Flower of Heaven Constellation w/leaves

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FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS!

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Now to be fair to this radio minister, amidst the pile of false gospel ministries on TV and radio, there were some reasonably good ministries in decades past. The problem with these was, that the advice they gave was often mingled with a worldly bent.

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Thus, the Jesus they preached was a compromised Jesus. Their Jesus was not pure as the true Jesus is pure.

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But God is calling us out of Babylon, out of both the church and out of the worldliness of this present world-system.

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Yes, God wants the world to behold and admire Christ shining out from within His people. Therefore, God is no longer willing to wink at our worldly compromises. He wants a pure and undefiled Church. Otherwise, the world could never clearly behold Christ in us!

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

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RUN CHRISTIAN, RUN!

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And so, the Church will shine right here on earth, in these last moments!

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Therefore, O Stranger & Pilgrim, we have our work cut out for us! Let’s get busy and transform our hearts and conform our lives into the image of the Holy Christ!

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Let’s flee to the mountain strongholds of God’s Word, and unceasing prayer!

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ABOVE PICTURE – (This is not a star-chart, but merely a concept picture since this mountain is not in this position, but is actually in the fall months)

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to put away the vain pleasures and pursuits of this lost world, so that I might get into the race that is set before me…

Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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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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A HEAVENLY HOBBY

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“And there shall be signs in the sun,

and in the moon, and in the stars…

And when these things begin to come to pass,

then look up, and lift up your heads;

for your redemption draweth nigh.”

Luke 21:25, 28

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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS

The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper). These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Church (7 Stars). And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.

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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.

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TOMORROW:

“October 9th (Silly Women)”

Tissot – women on the HMS Calcutta – Wikimedia – US 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.

Signs Of Heaven