Daily Devotional, Year 2 – April 9 (The Straw-Man, Part 5: Stigmatizing Christianity, CONTINUED: “Foolish Talk & Jesting”)
By admin On January 30th, 2015.
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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – APRIL 9
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The Straw-Man,
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Part 5:
“Stigmatizing Christianity! Foolish Talk & Jesting, Continued“
To read Part 1, click here… “June 14th (Satan’s Straw-Man Ploy!)”
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“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves:
be ye therefore wise as serpents,
and harmless as doves.”
Matthew 10:16
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A TIME TO WEEP
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While unbelievers are free to joke and jest and enjoy their comedies, the Christian has been given a special commission to warn the world to, “flee f
rom the wrath to come!”
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This world, to a great extent, is a tragic place of greed, hatred, war, misery and death; but also a place of great indifference toward the sufferings going on elsewhere, around the world!
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And just as Lot’s sons-in-law thought he was merely joking about the wrath to come upon Sodom, so too, we are in danger of compromising our solemn message to the world by all our giddiness and frivolity and pleasure-seeking!
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Picture – Lot Escapes Sodom – www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart – Public Domain..
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“FOOLISH TALK AND JESTING”
Ephesians 5:2
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Maybe a few moments should be devoted to understanding just what is the problem with “foolish talk and jesting”?
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And so, just what is the problem with worldly humor?
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Listen… “Fools make a mock at sin:” Proverbs 14:9
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One great problem with worldly humor, is that it often makes a joke about sinful behavior.
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And thus, the world makes light of sin: sexual references, silly behavior, people’s looks or personality, all in attempt to get a laugh.
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Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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THE WHISPERER
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As a matter of fact, if analyzed, jesting can be a great source of pride, as the jester makes his audience laugh, and thinking to himself, “I’m so clever!”
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But what he doesn’t realize is, that the source of his inspiration is actually, “The Prince of the Power of the Air, that spirit which now works in the children of disobedience”! Ephesians 2:2
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Yes, the same spirit that whispered malicious gossip into Eve’s ear, is that very same unseen spirit, whose voice whispers clever quips into the mocker’s ears!
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And so, many types of worldly humor only indicates a presence of “another spirit!” 2nd Corinthians 11:4
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Eve & the Whispering Serpent – www.signsofheaven.org – Share-Alike License
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FINDING A CORRECT BALANCE
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We need to seriously warn the world of its soon-coming destruction, and the eternal grave awaiting all rejectors of God’s grace!
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And yet, we need to walk a fine line between falling into one extreme or the other!
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“Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing.” Psalm 100:2
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This above passage lets us know that we can be joyful and content, without joining in with the pagan mirth which the world engages in. Dedicated Christians love to sing joyful songs that praise the Lord!
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And yet, if we are truly filled with God’s Spirit, our daily behavior will be coupled together with fear and trembling, combined with sympathy, love, and rejoicing!
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And such a delicate balance requires the indwelling of the Spirit of Holiness!
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Sailors and Marines sing Christmas carols – Wikimedia – Public-domain
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JESUS, OUR ROLE-MODEL
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The fact is, Jesus, our Divine Role-Model, while never joking or jesting, was a very warm and empathetic individual!
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Oh yes, He was serious-minded, as He warned the world to repent. And yet, His warm love and pure goodness could even melt the hearts of many cold-hearted Pharisees, such as Nicodemus, seen in this painting.
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And Jesus was patient and gentle.
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And though He was a “man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53), nevertheless, He possessed a continual inner joy, which shone out from Him for all the world to see!
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And so, Jesus didn’t need to engage in the foolish talk and jesting which the world loves!
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Heavenly joy, peace and love was sufficient for the Savior’s needs!
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William Brassey Hole – Jesus speaks to Nicodemus – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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JESUS NOT A COMIC!
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No, Jesus was, and is not like this ungodly world!
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And we’re glad that He was not a joker in the least little bit!
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And though, Jesus, “is love”, we should not think that true, godly love, requires us to be jokers and jesters!
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And even though Christians may (or may not) decide to laugh a sympathetic laugh for a joke-teller’s benefit (or smile, etc.), when an unbeliever tries to be comical, they need to conduct themselves even as Jesus conducted Himself!
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And He is to be our Divine Example in all situations of everyday life, big or small.
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Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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“A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF”
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Satan always attempts to cast dirt upon the Gospel, often raising up some look-alike group or counterfeit practice which he designs and orchestrates to disgust and drive away unbelievers.
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And even in the area of humor, Satan has currently 
raised up a political cult which attempts to punish comedians regarding any comedy which these political activists deem to be offensive in some way.
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Thus, most comedians today are increasingly fearful of saying anything which offends those politically-correct authoritarians.
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And, of course, this only further gives true Christianity a “black eye”, as the general populace lumps together, true Christians with those humorless, angry political cultists.
Antifa @ Protest Trump in Phoenix – 8-22-17 – Wikipedia – GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
Anti-Christian rally in Chicago – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
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REQUIRES A STRUGGLE
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And yes, to quit any bad habit, requires a struggle.
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And those who are addicted to this fleshly pleasure may have to prayerfully resist the urge to jest, for weeks, even months, before getting the final victory over this bad habit.
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And whatever loss Christians might feel from laying one of their cherished worldly idols on the altar of self-sacrifice, they have faith that God will replace that discarded idol with something far more precious and wonderful!
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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public-Domain
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FORCING OTHERS
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And Christians who have a family should not try to force the family to come along with these things.
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Oh yes, those who have a spouse who agrees in these matters, the family can gently be brought along the upward pathway.
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But the Christian cannot expect an unsaved spouse and children to give up many of these fleshly pleasures of the mind.
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In such cases, the Christian pilgrim will probably have to keep silent, and merely try to keep the family together, praying for God’s Salvation for the family.
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Family – Children’s Playground – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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GREAT TRIBULATION AHEAD!
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And so, let’s not be ignorant of Satan’s many devices!
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And we will ultimately overcome 
the intimidation which Satan cruelly imposes upon God’s people. And great persecution is guaranteed to come down upon us, concerning these matters, as we walk through the fires of tribulation which the coming Time of Trouble will bring upon us!
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And, Christians can expect to be the butt of jokes, as the battle begins to heat up in the coming days!
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But when we are fully cleansed, we will finally be able to say, along with old Job… “…when HE hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10
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Goldkey (logo removed) – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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EVERLASTING JOY TO COME!
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For those who suffer the scorn and ridicule from this mocking world, there is a promise of joy to come… “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5, 6
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Yes, one day soon, when we finally cross that dark river, we will hear the distant sounds of the innocent laughter of little children, and the joyful songs of the Redeemed, as we enter into that Everlasting Promised Land; that Land spiritually flowing with streams of milk & honey…where we will be forever happy, and forever young!
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Study for The Cross and the World…… Brooklyn Museum Thomas Cole – US public domain
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TO READ PART 6, GO HERE…
January 25 (The Straw-Man! Part 6: Kingdom of the So-Called “Cults”)
Straw man (or lady) – Wikipedia – Share-alike or GNU Free Documentation License
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Give me wisdom and insight into the wiles of the Devil, that I be, “not ignorant of his devices”…
Praying Hands – Otto Greiner – Wikimedia – .bassenge.com – Cropped image – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1”, or you can also read… August 25th (End-Time Exodus! Part 1)
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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CROSS/SCEPTER CONSTELLATION
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NOT THE NORTHERN OR SOUTHERN CROSS
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This is not the Northern Cross, nor is it the Southern Cross. This cross is made of stars from both the Serpens Constellation and the Ophiuchus Constellation. Here is a star-chart from Wikipedia, in which the editor of this site has sketched in this Cross/Scepter Constellation. The stars in this star-chart are accurately placed, and this Cross/Scepter Constellation stands out in brilliance, among the other stars in the night sky.
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The sketch below is the Summer Constellations, as seen when looking west. Well, if you look just to the south (south is to the left in this sketch) of Arcturus, you will see what appears to be a scepter. But this scepter also appears as a Cross. And this constellation has been named, the Cross/Scepter constellation. It can be seen in January, in the pre-dawn hours. Each night, it appears a little earlier, as it slowly inches its way westward. Finally this constellation dips below the western horizon, in the fall, not appearing again till January, back in the eastern sky.
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Now, as earlier stated, this wonderful prophecy (“there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel”) has its greatest fulfillment in the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus is represented by that glorious Star. And His death on the Cross is truly His scepter of authority. Jesus died to save a world of rebellious sinners.
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ABOVE STAR-CHART – Summer Constellations w/ark (aka: Sagittarius) & Revelation 12 Woman (aka: Ursa Major, including The Big Dipper) – www.theheavensdeclare.net
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Cross/Scepter Constellation”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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TOMORROW…
“April 10 (“Ask For The Old Paths!”)”
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20+ MINUTE AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 
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THIS STUDY #463 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…
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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – Public Domain
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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo. Most tall, narrow photos have been cropped or reduced by this website to make them a better fit on phone screens.
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