Today’s Devotional – September 5th (The First Shall Be Last!)

By admin On August 13th, 2014

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Today’s Devotional – September 5th

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The First Shall Be Last!

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It’s so sad to see the nations, in both America and Europe, beginning to crumble under the same judgment as Sodom & Gomorrah. And these were the very nations who once received the Gospel with such love and dedication! Yes, to this very day, the remnant of Christian values are barely lingering. And yet, these nations, including America, are falling quickly into the bottomless pit of sin and moral degeneracy!

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It’s so sad! They just didn’t know what they had! Now God has washed His hands of these nations, giving them over to the same sins which overthrew Sodom & Gomorrah!

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Burning Man – 2013 -Chapel – cropped and altered image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons License

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SATAN’S OWN COUNTER-REFORMATION

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Yes, Satan had his own version of the Counter-Reformation, as he doused those nation’s holy zeal under a flood of materialism and opulence! And just as that same opulence and decadence swept over Sodom and Gomorrah, so too, these decadent nations of Europe and America are now reaping the whirlwind!

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Jesus said… “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” Matthew 20:16.

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And now, many are weeping to see these formerly great societies being destroyed by Satan, giving themselves over to decadence, crime, and immorality!

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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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1st BEAST’S DEADLY WOUND HEALED!

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Yes, those nations were the first to really embrace the Gospel, as they finally saw the Beast receive his deadly wound by God’s glittering sword, the Bible. Oh yes, those European printing presses began churning out Bibles by the thousands. And the apostate churches of Europe could no longer keep the great masses in spiritual ignorance. And there was a season of rejoicing over most all of the European nations. Christianity had triumphed over the Beast of Revelation 13. That evil Beast which persecuted anyone who loved the Bible.

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But alas, that deadly wound was slowly healed. And it was time for the 2nd Beast, the False Prophet to bring in that flood of opulence and decadence, which swept over those liberated nations. And soon, the joy of the Gospel began to wane, as Europeans and Americans began to rejoice over material prosperity, much the same way they once rejoiced over the Gospel!

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Book Burning – Santo Domingo y Los Albigenses – Wikipedia – Public Domain

Burning at the Stake – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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OPULENCE & DECADENCE

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Yes, this 2nd Beast stole away the pure rejoicing in Jesus Christ, and replaced it with a fervor for the things of the earth! That is why the Bible states that this 2nd Beast rose up from the earth! Yes, the earth, and all it produced, became the worst enemy for those Gospel nations.

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Listen… “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” Proverbs 30:7-9

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Yes, this above passage from Proverbs seems to encapsulate what happened in Europe. You see, the 1st Beast made life depleted by means of a flood of stark austerity.

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But the 2nd Beast did just the opposite, by flooding us with more than the heart could wish! So much so, that we are now denying Jesus.

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Mall Market culture – Jakarta – Wikimedia – share-alike-lic.

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APOSTASY NOW COMING INTO FULL

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So now, those nations who were the first to joyfully receive the Gospel, are now losing everything God once blessed them with. And now, those who are last, in the third-world nations are receiving the Gospel, while Europe and America are losing the Gospel. Oh yes, there are prosperity-driven gospels which are thriving here in America. But these are merely the itching-ears gospels which Paul forewarned would eventually bring the church-world into utter apostasy!

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“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2nd Timothy 4:3, 4

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So what are we to do? What are we to say to an angry, yet merciful God?

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Here are the words that we are to say… “the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger…Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.” Jeremiah 1:12 & Hosea 6:1

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Skateboarder Jesus in Jeans by Peter Royle – cropped image – WIKIMEDIA SHARE-ALIKE LICENSE

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NEW TESTAMENT ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

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“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,” 1st Peter 2:9

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Let each of us remember that we have been elected to be priests of the Lord. And now, the Book of Joel commands us… “Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD. Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” Joel 1:13-15

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Yes, the Day of the lord has come like a thief in the night! And we have been caught sleeping when we should be watching!

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But God is a merciful God! Listen to Joel again… “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil. Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?” Joel 2:12-14

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PICTURE – Most Holy Place of the Heart Signs Of Heaven

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TO READ PART 2, CLICK HERE…

January 16 (The First Shall Be Last! Part 2: “The Tragic Tale of Europe’s Apostasy”)

Skateboarder Jesus in Jeans – Church in the U.K – by Peter Royle – cropped image – WIKIMEDIA – SHARE-ALIKE LICENSE

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Give me the strength and resolve to shun the excesses which prevail in this opulent and hedonistic society, and run the race to the top of heavenly Zion…

Prayer – Anna Blunden – For Only One Short Hour – Wikimedia – 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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THE THIRD MOUNTAIN…CHOICE ‘C’…

“Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.” Jeremiah 51:25

These three mountains are called “The Valley of Decision Constellation Group”. The first two mountains on the left in this sketch are known are the Mounts of Blessing and Cursing, as found in Deuteronomy 27:11-26 & Chapter 28. The valley between these two mountains is called the Valley of Decision, as is written… “Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the Valley of Decision.” Joel 3:14. The Valley of Decision is not a physical place, but a spiritual valley in which each person of the world will make up his or her mind, as to just whom they will serve: God or Satan; God’s kingdom or this world (Satan’s kingdom). From the Mount of Blessing are heard all the blessings which result from serving God. From the Mount of Cursing are heard all the curses which result from disobedience to God’s will. And those in the valley will listen to both sides, and make up their minds, just who will they serve. A very simple choice, right? Wrong!

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COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM

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Now that this basic concept of the first two mountains (Blessings & Cursing) has been presented, it is time to take note of this third mountain; a counterfeit mountain. Oh yes, such a simple choice of life or death is just far too easy for the Dragon (Satan) to accept. No, Satan’s main deception in this world is to create a counterfeit “look-alike” alternatives; attractive choices. Satan really knows how to complicate and confuse the simplicity of the Gospel. Hence the name, Babylon, which means “City of Confusion” (Isaiah 24:10). A perfect and fitting name for Satan’s kingdom!

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In Jeremiah 51:25, Babylon is referred to as “O Destroying Mountain”. It is the name of this counterfeit mountain. It is Satan’s kingdom, made up of all Satan’s followers, both humans and evil angels. Satan’s kingdom also includes this fallen world, with all its governments and ideologies. It is that great city…Babylon the Great! The world! Satan’s prison-house!

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SATAN: KING OF BABYLON

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Also, in Isaiah, the King of Babylon is referred to as Satan… “That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon… the golden city ceased! How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!…” Isaiah 14:4, 12. So here it says that Lucifer, the fallen angel is called the King of Babylon. And this King of Babylon, Lucifer is called in 2nd Corinthians, “the god of this world”. So the world itself is Lucifer’s kingdom. Babylon.

THE VALLEY OF DECISION CONSTELLATION GROUP. They appear in mid-summer in the eastern skies in pre-dawn hours. These are made of Cassiopeia (mount on left), and various stars from the Andromeda Constellation (valley) Pegasus (Mount of Cursing (middle mount) & Destroying Mount (right)), and Pisces (Broad Way to Hell). The galaxy which appears to be climbing the Mountain of Blessing is the Andromeda Galaxy.

Valley of Decision & O Destroying Mtn. Constellations

This chart shows this amazing constellation group as it appears in fall, just prior to the winter constellation group. Actually, these Valley of Decision Constellations appear in mid-summer after midnight. The mountain to the left (AKA Cassiopeia) is the Mount of Blessing (Grace). The middle mountain is the Mount of Cursing (the Law). And the third mountain to the far right is the Destroying Mountain (Babylon). The straight line from the Destroying Mountain to the Dragon is called the Broad Highway to Hell.

Martin_John_-_Satan_presiding_at_the_Infernal_Council_-_1824wikipedia-public-domain.jpg

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TOMORROW:

“September 6th (Rollie-Pollie Bug Christians!)”

Rollie-Pollie Doodle-Bug – Slater rolled up – Wikipedia – Share-Alike License

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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 #246 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain

Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on the provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing names, details, and tags, and all other necessary info on any particular photo.

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