Today’s Devotional – May 9th (Vain Dogmatism!)

By admin On May 8th, 2014

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Today’s Devotional – May 9th

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Vain Dogmatism!

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The Bible makes every truth that is necessary for Salvation, as clear as noonday!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Bible,_Notre-Dame_du_Taur,_septembre_2011.jpg.

Yes, every essential doctrine is available to all.

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“some things hard to be understood”

2nd Peter 3:16.

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Bible,_Notre-Dame_du_Taur,_septembre_2011.jpg

But as we know, there are many other things in Scripture which are hard to be understood.

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Listen to Peter… “As also in all his (Paul’s) epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2nd Peter 3:16.

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Yes, there are many who need to wrestle with many scriptures, so that we may hold on to our world-loving ways!

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And so, instead of clinging to the plain teachings concerning Salvation, we try to twist these plain truths, making the simple become convoluted.

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La Bible, Notre-Dame – cropped photo – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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LITERAL OR SPIRITUAL?

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Now there are many truths which God has concealed.

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And as we all should be aware, there are many truths concealed in metaphorical language.

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One of those hard-to-be-understood truths is the role of Israel in these last days.

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Just like so many future prophecies, God has spoken many things concerning Israel, which make it very difficult to know exactly what God is speaking of.

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Declaration of State of Israel 1948 – Wikimedia – public domain

 

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SPIRITUAL ISRAEL

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In other words, God speaks of literal Israel, but also speaks of a spiritual Israel, which consists of all true worshippers of God.

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For instance, listen to this… “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” Romans 9:6-8

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So this is just one of many similar passages which speak of spiritual Israel.

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Jewish Children with their Teacher in Samarkand – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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CHRIST, THE TRUE TEMPLE

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So now, the big question to be asked is this: “How can we get dogmatic that God is going to https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_What_Our_Lord_Saw_from_the_Cross_(Ce_que_voyait_Notre-Seigneur_sur_la_Croix)_-_James_Tissot.jpgbegin working again with literal, national Israel, in the future, in the light of all the passages which speak of a spiritual Israel?”

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Listen to Jesus… “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But He spake of the temple of His body.” John 2:19-21.

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It seems that the Old Testament people had the same problem that we now do!

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They could only think in literal terms, while Jesus here was trying to open their eyes to spiritual truth!

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Brooklyn Museum – What Our Lord Saw from the Cross – James Tissot

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IT’S A STUBBORN WORLD!

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It seems as if hard-headed closed-mindedness is every bit as prevalent in today’s church-world as it was back in Old Testament times.

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Listen to God’s assessment of His people… Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.” Jeremiah 19:15

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PProg_09_p29_Obstinate.jpg?uselang=de

This is just one of many similar passages in which God is warning His people of their refusal to listen to his “Word of Life”, which would have saved their souls, had they been willing to change their course and turn to him in deep humility and meekness.

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And so it is today. Just like old Mr. Obstinate here, from Pilgrim’s Progress, many of us are stuck in our ways, and mostly refuse to give up our hard-heartedness. We believe what we believe and, “Nobody’s gonna convince me otherwise!”

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Jesus said…“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” Mark 10:15

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Children are much more receptive to seemingly new teachings, and Jesus here admonishes us to be childlike in our faith!

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Pilgrim’s Progress – 09, p29 – Obstinate – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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GOOD NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY”

Proverbs 25:25

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USMC-06831.jpg

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The very Good News is that today is still the day of Salvation!

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And those of us who realize our necks are much too stiff and unbendable, can yet fall to our spiritual knees and cry out for God’s meek and mild Spirit to infill us with childlike belief in His Word.

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And with this accomplished, the indwelling Holy Spirit will dispel our proud defiance and cause us to turn from this rebellious and hard-hearted and stubborn world, and allow the “meekness of wisdom” to fill our needy souls.

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And then, with childlike willingness, we can begin to look at God’s Word with fresh eyes, as the Psalms 119 encourages us…“Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” Psalm 119:18   

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PaulT.jpg

To read more on spiritual and literal Israel, go to…

March 14th (Paul the Ultimate Replacement Theologian!)

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

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angel_prayers.jpg

TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to be humble, meek and teachable! Let not my pride make me “puffed up” concerning my understanding of Bible truth…

Girl Praying – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_book_magnify2.svg

READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “December 30 (A Supernatural Book!)” or you can also read… November 22 – (The Greatest Jig-saw Puzzle Ever!)“, or you can also read…APRIL 12 (Seagulls & ‘No-Fear’ Teachers)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

.Orion Constellation at Eagle Ridge

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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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REVELATION 12 WRITTEN IN HEAVEN

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“And there appeared a great wonder (or sign) in heaven; a woman…And there appeared another wonder (sign) in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads…And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” Rev. 12:1, 3, 6, 15

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Here is a sketch of this Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12. This is the Winter Constellations of Signs Of Heaven. Besides Orion and his Horse, we also see pictured in this sketch, the Dragon of Revelation 12.

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winter four constellations

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This Revelation 12 Woman Constellation is fleeing. As you can see, the Dragon Constellation is spewing a flood of water in her direction, as is written… “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” Rev. 12:15. This wave of water represents Satan’s lies, and his false teachers who tell those lies.

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GOD’S MESSAGE: FLEE!!

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Beholding the Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation in winter, it seems that God is trying to get a very important message across to His people: that His Church is to flee! But what are they to flee from? Well, you can go to the article titled “The Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation”

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WINTER CONSTELLATIONS-SEEN IN FALL: This sketch to the right is how this constellation group appears in the eastern sky in fall. This is the four primary constellations of the Winter Constellations. They can be seen in this position, in the late fall above the eastern horizon. The Woman of Revelation 12 is commonly called Ursa Major or The Big Dipper and appears in the north. Orion the Soldier is the at the bottom is to the south of the Woman. The The Dragon of Revelation Constellation’s mouth is The Hyades Cluster, and the tip of his tail is Pleiades, and his Wave of Water is primarily the Auriga constellation. The Glorious Horse Constellation head is of Perseus Constellation and his rear end is Cassiopeia Constellation.

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_book_magnify2.svg

READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luther95theses.jpghttp://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures/The%20Early%20Church%20Artwork/target8.htmlTOMORROW:

“May 10th (Paul’s Hardness or Luther’s Penitence?)”.

Martin Luther – 95 Theses – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 

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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 STUDY #127 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…

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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – 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.

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