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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 20

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The Evil-Eyed Pharisee Scorner,

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Part 2:

“Pharisee-ism Today!”

To read Part 1, click here…November 3rd (The Evil-Eyed Pharisee Scorner!)

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“Enter into the Rock, and hide thee in the dust,

for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty.

The lofty looks of man shall be humbled,

and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down,

and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

For the day of the LORD of hosts

shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty,

and upon every one that is lifted up;

and he shall be brought low:”

Isaiah 2:10-12 

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“BUT MY CHURCH ISN’T BABYLON!”

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There are many churchgoers who insist that their church is still faithful; therefore, they have no intention of leaving their beloved congregation… “My church isn’t Babylon! We don’t have bands that play sensual-sounding “praise” songs! We still sing the old hymns! We don’t allow lewd or provocative clothing! Nor do we allow jewelry or make-up! Our pastor preaches right out of the Bible!……”

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And that’s a normal reaction to this horrible message about God’s people making a last day Exodus from out of the local congregations.

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It’s understandable!

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Church choir singing – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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APOSTASY OFTEN HARD TO DETECT!

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But what many do not realize is that apostasy isn’t always so easy to detect.

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Apostasy isn’t just discovered in the camp of so-called, “liberals”.

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Oh yes, the greater portion of today’s churches fall into this camp. And it doesn’t take much observation to see the apostasy in the form of sensual music, giddy-loud-joke-telling preachers, amusement-driven and prosperity-driven gospels, circus acts, dramas, clubs, car washes, comedies, dramas, parties, dances, sports, etc…..

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No, it doesn’t take much observation to see this kind of apostasy!

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Audience hands – cropped and altered image – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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But what about the few really conservative churches, which don’t have all those decadent and sensual attractions? How can they possibly be apostate?

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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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EXTREMELY CLOSE COUNTERFEITS

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It must be remembered that Jesus warned us… “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:24

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Now from this above verse, it becomes evident that Satan’s counterfeits will get really close to the true!

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Yes, Satan’s counterfeits are so close, that they might “deceive even the Elect”!

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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org

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MORALITY HARDER TO DETECT

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What we must keep in mind is that the spirit of the Sadducees and Pharisees is still alive and well.

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And while Sadducee-ism is mostly just the spirit of faithless unbelief, Pharisee-ism is the spirit of pride and morality!

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And let’s face it! Morality can look really, really close to true Christianity!

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Because good and correct and neat-n-clean behavior looks almost exactly like true Christianity!

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But there are some tell-tale signs of the Pharisees, which can be detected, when closely examined.

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James Tissot – The Pharisee and Publican – Brooklyn Museum & Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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PHARISEEISM POINTS AT OTHERS

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For one thing, phariseeism doesn’t think of itself as being “chief of sinners”.

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It’s “those other folks” who are the chief of sinners. Not us proud and morally-correct ones!

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And so, Phariseeism does a lot of self-righteous finger-pointing at others.

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Oh yes, there is a time and place to expose the apostasy of the churches.

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But never do we judge another individual’s heart nor the motives of his or her heart.

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Nor do we scorn others, thinking we are more righteous and “holier than thou!” Isaiah 65:5

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SATAN FIERCELY ASSAULTS TRUE SHEEP

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And any true worshipper of God will probably be so heavily assaulted by the “Accuser of the Brethren”, Satan, that he realizes just what a dirty rotten sinner he (or she) really is!

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In other words, there will be no pretentious humility.

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It will be the real thing!

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Because, truth-be-told, we all have pharisee-ism and sadducee-ism within us!

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And it is by frequent trials and afflictions, that God purifies us from all such wickedness.

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As a goldsmith purifies gold by fire, so also, God sends us through many fiery trials to burn away the dross of sin, that we will become as pure and precious gold in His sight!

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Protest – Anti-Christian rally in Chicago – cropped image – Wikimedia

Gold bars – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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MANY NOT SUFFERING SO MUCH

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But those who are NOT truly on the pathway to the Celestial City of God, are not suffering so much.

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Oh yes, they experience the some of the same trials that unbelievers are going through.

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But these will not suffer the kinds of fiery trials which cause true worshippers to fall to their knees daily and cry out for God’s mercy!

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PS Krøyer – Hip hip hurra! Kunstnerfest på Skagen – 1888 – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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WE MUST BE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

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To fill up the measure of Christ’s suffering in our body is what we have been called to partake of!

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We must have our, “Old Man of the flesh”, crucified with Christ!

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And that, dear Christian, is a war that we just cannot avoid!

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But because Pharisees (the unrepentant proud and moral) are yet unsaved, they are most likely having a somewhat smooth existence.

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And they are certainly not falling to their knees, pleading for God to remove their filthiness and sin!

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Cross of Jesus Christ – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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“LOVE FOR EARTHLY MAMMON”

Matthew 6:24

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Now the Bible says that the Pharisees, “were covetous” (Luke 16:14).

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And while conservatives love to point the finger at those crazy “name-it-and-claim-it” churches over there, the conservatives merely call their own version of the prosperity-driven gospel, “The American Dream”, or “The Entrepreneurial Spirit”

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

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PAUL FORSOOK ALL!

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After all, we are to imitate the Apostle Paul!

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And did Paul load up on the things of the world?

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Listen to Paul…“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” 1st Timothy 6:8.

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And Paul lived by these words!

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And he is writing this exhortation to all true worshipers of God!

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Paul Tentmaking – La Vista Church of Christ – Creative Commons License

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IS ALL THIS CRITICISM NECESSARY?

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Now, having said all this, doesn’t this entire article sound very judgmental and finger-pointing?

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Yes, it absolutely does!

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Be that as it may, these tell-tale signs of Pharisee-ism, nevertheless, must be pointed out, since they are so easily overlooked in today’s church-world!

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And how, by keeping silent, can God’s people ever realize that ALL the churches are apostate, not just some!

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GOOD NEWS! A PLACE OF REFUGE!

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Well, the Good News is, that God has provided a place of refuge for all who are escaped out of Babylon.

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Listen to Isaiah…“And there shall be upon every high [spiritual] mountain, and upon every high [spiritual] hill, rivers and streams of [living] waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers [churches] fall.” Isaiah 30:25 (words in parentheses supplied by Webmaster.)

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God has promised to all those who come out of Babylon, rivers and streams of living waters, outside of the churches.

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And our spiritual bread shall be given to us, and our living waters shall be assured! (see Isaiah 33:16)

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

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TO READ PART 3, GO HERE…

January 6 (The Evil-Eyed Pharisee Scorner, Part 3: “Worshiping the god of Respectability!”)

Young business people – Cropped Photo – Wikimedia – the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to understand this fearful message, to come out of Babylon! And if it’s true, then help me to make this great modern-day Exodus…

Woman Praying – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

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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…“May 12th (Come Out of Her, My People?)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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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 SCORNER (THE PHARISEE)”

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“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, AN EVIL EYE, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:18-23 

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Please tilt your head to the left. Do you see a man with a very long pointed nose. (Obviously, the sketch to the right is just an exaggeration in order to help you find the face in the photo to the left.)

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Do you see an angry look? His right eye-brow is raised as if he is judging.

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This second face in the Moon appears to be that of a combination of a man as well as a fox. Or maybe a wolf. Doesn’t he have a long narrow nose like a wolf or fox? Maybe even a dog. Nevertheless, the expression on his face, as he appears to look down upon the Earth, is that of scorn. Unlike the first Moon-man’s sad shock and awe; this ‘man/fox/wolf/dog’ appears to be that of anger and scorn. As if he is disgusted at the sinful planet below.

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He is very moral, you see!

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Moon – Public Domain – 2nd face Pharisee Scorner – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 2nd Face: The Evil-Eyed Pharisee Scorner”

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TOMORROW:

DECEMBER 21 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 31: “Are There Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors & Teachers, Today?”)

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

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are encouraged to listen to this Open Forum #37, a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – Wikimedia – Creative Commons lic.

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.

 

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 21

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Come Out of Her, My People!

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Part 31:

“Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors & Teachers?”

To read Part 1, click here… “May 12th (Come Out of Her, My People?)”

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“And He gave some, apostles;

and some, prophets;

and some, evangelists;

and some, pastors and teachers; 

For the perfecting of the saints,

for the work of the ministry,

for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

Till we all come in the unity of the faith,

and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

unto a perfect man,

unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”

Ephesians 4:11-13

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Paul – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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GOD GIVES US SHEPHERDS

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Listen again to our signature passage for today…

“And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;

and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 

For the perfecting of the saints,

for the work of the ministry,

for the edifying of the body of Christ…”

Ephesians 4:11-13

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In this above passage, the Lord promises to provide apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”

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David the Shepherd Boy – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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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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The problem is, with today’s innumerable company of pastors and teachers, and evangelists, and prophets, and even self-proclaimed apostles, just who are we supposed to listen to?

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After all, there are many different opinions about the Bible, and what it teaches.

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And the Apostle, John, warns us, that there are many Antichrist deceivers out there…

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And his 1st letter stands as a warning…“These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.” 1st John 2:26

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So then, just who do we listen to? 

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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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“WE NEED NOT ANY MAN!”

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Well, in the very next verse, the Lord, through the Apostle John, supplies the answer…

“But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you,

and ye need not that any man teach you:

but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things,

and is truth, and is no lie…”

1st John 2:27

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Okay, so this above verse reveals that it is the anointing power of the Holy Spirit which leads a Believer into all truth.

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And those who are true worshipers of God are reassured here, that they do not need to be under the tutorship of any mortal man!

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John The Apostle – by Alonzo Cano – 1635-1637 – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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TWO CONFLICTING PASSAGES?

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But how are these two passages to be harmonized together? After all, one tells us that God has supplied us with, “teachers, Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors…” Ephesians 4:12, 13

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So how does this harmonize with John’s admonition that we, “need not that any man teach” us?

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Well, the fact is, there are no more Apostles around today (even though many, today, claim to be modern-day Apostles).

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So that cancels out the possibility of apostles edifying us! 

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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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But let’s just get right to the point of today’s devotional. 

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Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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90% OATMEAL

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The fact is, today’s church-world is so apostate, that it is highly recommended that Christians turn off the radio and TV teachers altogether and stick with the Bible and the Bible only.

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Oh yes, you are going to get many Bible truths from these people!

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But how are we going to discern between truth and falsehood?

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Even mice poison is mingled with 90% oatmeal.

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And Satan knows that to sell his poisonous deceptions, he must mingle them with much truth!

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Oatmeal – copyrighted but permissable for use – wikimedia commons

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But this brings us back to the question…“How do we harmonize Paul’s confirmation that the Lord will supply us with human teachers, and John’s confirmation that we need not any man to teach us, if we are indwelt by God’s Spirit?”

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Question Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors”

Psalm 119:24

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The answer is very simple!

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We can simply study the Bible and the Bible only, and still be aided by, “Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers”!

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Because, as you have probably already realized, the Bible contains all the above offices in the various Bible writers!

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Chaplain reads Bible – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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APOSTLES

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Oh yes, the Bible has the writings of Paul, Matthew, John, and Peter! Were they not Apostles?

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Yes, they were Apostles of the first order!

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St Peter – Brandl – 1724 – National Gallery Prague – Wikimedia Commons

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PROPHETS?

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And doesn’t the Bible have the writings of prophets?

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Absolutely! Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with prophets and their prophecies!

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As a matter of fact, every book of the Bible is prophetic!

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Book of Isaiah – Wikimedia – C.C. Share-alike License

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EVANGELISTS?

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And doesn’t the Bible have the writings of evangelists?

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Well, of course! Paul, Peter, Luke, Mark, James, Philip, and all the rest!

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They were the best of the best of all evangelists!

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St Paul Preaching in Athens (Raphael, 1515) Wikipedia US public domain

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PASTORS?

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And Paul was certainly a pastor!

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And didn’t Jesus say to Peter, “Feed My sheep”?

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Yes, Peter and Paul were pastors in the truest sense of the name!

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

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TEACHERS?

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And of course, every one of the Bible writers was a teacher!

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Paul Tentmaking – La Vista Church of Christ – Creative Commons License

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COMPLETE HARMONY

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And so, this is how the Christian can fulfill Ephesians 4:11-13, and still hold to 1st John 2:27.

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Now we have complete harmony between these two passages.

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And with the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, how can we go wrong?

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Listen again, 

“But the Anointing which ye have received of HIM abideth in you,

and ye need not that any man teach you:

but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things,

and is truth, and is no lie,

and even as it hath taught you,

ye shall abide in HIM.”

1st John 2:27

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Yes, the Anointing, that is, the Holy Spirit, can teach us any and every necessary truth we will need to get us through the coming storm!

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE!”  

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And God is now calling His people to come out of this City of Confusion, and flee to the spiritual Mount Sion, to take their stand with all those who, “follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth.” Revelation 14:4.

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And we need not fear to make our end-time exodus out of these apostate organizations.

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It is increasingly unsafe to be under the authority of the apostate churches!

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But God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory!

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Yes, our heavenly bread shall be given, and our waters of grace are assured! 

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James Tissot – The Flight of the Prisoners – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TO READ PART 32, CLICK HERE…

DECEMBER 23 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 32: “What Good Is Church, If The Holy Spirit Has Been Removed?”)

Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER 

“Dear Lord, Help me to come out of this Babylon of confusion, and worship Thee 100%. Give me the assurance that all my needs will be supplied on the spiritual mountains outside of the churches…

Prayer – Mother and Daughter – Wikipedia – (cropped image) the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… ”May 17th (The Marinated Christian!)”, or you can also read this shorter article…“March 29th (Preaching to the Wrong Church!)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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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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“HOLY-GHOST-RIDER CONSTELLATION”

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“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;” Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22

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As you can easily see, this horse has some very big ears. Of course, this presents a very big concept. And since this Rider represents the Holy Spirit, it is obvious that He is leaning close, as if to whisper His words in the horses ears. And so what is He (The Spirit) whispering in this horses ears? Well, primarily the messages to the 7 churches, found in Revelation Ch.’s, 2 & 3.

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But not everyone has ears to hear. Listen to Ezekiel… “Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.” Ezek. 12:2. Yes, the rebellion amongst God’s professing people was great, and they had all but closed their ears from hearing truth.

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Well it’s the very same problem in the New Testament. Listen to Jesus… “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 7:16.

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So this Rider whispering into this Horse’s ears is a heavenly picture of this concept… “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;” Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22.

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Now the great lesson to be learned, is that there are certain truths, which those who are rebellious in God’s house, will not be able to hear. And these messages to the 7 churches are those very types of messages, that many “Christians” just do not like to hear.

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And so, what is the bottom line. Well, it would be a very good idea, for each and every one of us to humble ourselves before God, and plead with Him to give us spiritual ears to hear these deeper truths which God is trying to tell us.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… The Holy-Ghost-Rider Constellation

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TOMORROW…

DECEMBER 22 (Apocalypse NOW! Part 13: “The Signs of the Times?”)

Judgment Bus New Orleans 2011 – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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This is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…Here is presented Open Forum show #38

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 18

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Come Out of Her, My People,

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Part 30:

“When the World Hugs The Church!”

To read Part 1, click here…“Come Out of Her My People, Part 1”

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“Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

Proverbs 27:6

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God has created many things of Nature in such a way, so as to teach us all about Satan’s deceptive ways!

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Take for instance, the little seductress, the Photuris, commonly known as the Femme-Fatale Lightning Bugs of North America.

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These seductive little lightning bugs can imitate the mating-signals of light which female fireflies emanate in order to attract the male firefly into mating rites.

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But when these impostors make contact with the naive male firefly, they quickly gobble up the unsuspecting firefly.

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Firefly composite – cropped image – Wikipedia – Creative Commons License

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A DEADLY ROMANCE!

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Yes, just imagine this happy-go-lucky little firefly, joyfully buzzing about the summer night air, giving his light for all the world to see!

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And then, he spots a certain flashing light off in the distance, giving that unmistakable love-light signal that tells him it’s another firefly of the opposite gender! 

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And so, this naive little light-bearer responds to her love-light signal! And off he goes, straight into a deadly trap, set by this predatory impostor!

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And before he realizes the impending danger, he flies right into her treacherous arms!

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And in a few seconds, he is no more!

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Firefly – cropped image – Wikipedia – Creative Commons License 2.5

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THE CHURCH-WORLD GOBBLED UP

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Well, this little lesson from nature can easily be seen in how the world has dealt with the Church during much of the past 2,000 years.

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And like the naive little firefly, we have flown headlong into the waiting arms of the femme-fatale impostor (the world), and the corporate church-world, has been gobbled up!

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Yes, they have been swallowed up, digested, assimilated, and now are an integral part of this Babylonish world, incorporating many worldly and unbiblical aspects into their worship!

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Whore – Babylon – Burgkmair – 1523 AD – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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“NOT MY CHURCH!”

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Now at this point, someone will jump out of their seat and protest, saying, “Well, the churches becoming apostate may be true in many cases! But my church is still faithful! We believe in Sola-Scriptura (the Bible only)! And we sing out of an old hymnal, etc., etc…”

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What we need to understand is, that when the world hugs the Church, it is inevitable that church apostasy will soon follow!

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Church Attendance – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain

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THE SIN OF BALAAM

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Yes, the church-organizations have been deceived by the “Doctrine of Balaam”, spoken of in Revelation 2:14.

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And the world has embraced the churches, as surely as Balaam flooded God’s Camp with strange and lewd women, and the fornication which followed, resulted in the destruction of 24,000 Israelites!

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And that was a picture of today’s apostate churches.

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Brooklyn Museum – The Foolish Virgins – James Tissot – US Public Domain

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AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT!

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Now with just a brief look, it becomes apparent that the churches have become sleepy and have left their watch.

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And Satan has moved in, bringing in his counterfeit, “ministers of righteousness”, to take control. (2nd Corinthians 11:15)

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And the watered-down gospels, and the erroneous doctrines, along with the world-loving lifestyles of false brethren have left the churches in utter shambles!

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Even the so-called conservative churches have likewise been gobbled up, “teaching for doctrines, the commandments of men” Matthew 15:9.

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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain

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WORLDLY POLITICS

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For instance, many of these so-called “conservative” churches are more concerned over politics and the prevailing social ills, than in their own soul’s Salvation! 

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Restoring America’s Honor Prayer Rally Protest March on Washington – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

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ITCHING-EARS BIBLE STUDIES

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The Bible is not studied so much for its “precious promises” and the revelation of Jesus, as it is for revelation of world events, erroneous time-charts, and black helicopters, and “those evil ones over there!”

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Bible prophecy chart – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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HAS BECOME A SOCIAL CLUB

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Birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, potlucks, sports games, campouts, comedies, carwashes, dances, theatricals, & musical productions fill the calendar: events in which Jesus is hardly ever mentioned!

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And these social events have greatly turned today’s churches into little more than a social/fraternal organization, mostly having a thin veneer of religiosity.

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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain

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WORLD-LOVING LIFESTYLES

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Pastors seldom rebuke parishioners for their worldly lifestyles (quite often because the pastors are likewise living world-loving lives): social clubs, copious amounts of television and radio, sports, lavish adorning of persons, homes, and grounds, excessive vehicles, expensive vacations, frequent banqueting, parties, time-consuming hobbies, gratuitous shopping, energy-sapping careers, and a host of other similar pursuits.   

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GRAND CATHEDRALS

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Another sign that the world has embraced the Church, is all the grand buildings which have popped up like mushrooms!

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In the days of persecution, God’s people had to flee to the mountains, and live a simple life.

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But today, millions of dollars are spent on lavish church-buildings!

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Church – Milano Duomo – 1856 – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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SCHOOLS EMBRACE THE WORLD

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And sadly, the Christian schools connected with many churches, are kept so busy fulfilling the mountain of government regulations, only a thin slice of Bible is offered each day!

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And many of these schools are so expensive that most parents cannot afford them, especially families with several children!

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And beyond the government regulations, many of these schools have sports teams, cheer leaders, sensual and earthly music, and a host of other worldly compromises!

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High School, football field – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

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WORLDLY CONVERSATIONS

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Conversations within the churches have become worldly and common!

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Joking, followed by loud laughter, slang, and crude expressions, giddiness, and worldly passions are frequently heard among parishioners, while spiritual conversation is seldom heard, outside of the watered-down sermons.

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And even when spiritual conversation is heard, it is usually followed by a return to worldly conversation, and earthy, sensual behavior!

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PS Krøyer – Hip hip hurra! Kunstnerfest på Skagen – 1888 – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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ENEMIES NOW FRIENDS

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Yes, the world has hugged and embraced the church-world.

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And these two former enemies have merged and are no longer at odds with each other!

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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain

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THE EARLY CHURCH

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The early Church was given as an example of how God wanted His people to conduct themselves.

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And you will read of none of our modern-day church-abominations in the Book of Acts!

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The Church was wholly dedicated to the Gospel, and to their own perfection in Christ.

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Jesus Discourses with His Disciples – James Tissot – by Brooklyn Museum – by Wikipedia – Public Domain

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FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS!

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And so, the sad truth is, the churches have been absorbed by the world, and have adopted the ways of the world, to a great degree!

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And this is why the call is now going out to flee to the mountains of God!

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And those who flee from these apostate organizations will discover that the Bible and ceaseless prayer will be the place of our refuge, and the hiding place for all those who are escaped from Babylon!

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

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“Flee out of the midst of Babylon,

and deliver every man his soul:

be not cut off in her iniquity;

for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance;

He will render unto her a recompence.”

Jeremiah 51:6  

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TO READ PART 31, CLICK HERE…

DECEMBER 21 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 31: “Are There Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors & Teachers, Today?” 

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

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to flee out of this Babylonish religious system which has replaced the simplicity of the early Church… 

Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…“March 3rd (Who Lowered the Bar? Pt. 1)“, or you can also read this article…“March 29th (Preaching to the Wrong Church!)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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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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WINE-CUP IN HER HAND

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As you can see, this Mystery Harlot, the Pleiades Constellation, has a cup of red wine in her hand. This actually is a single red star. But it only confirms that we are seeing this constellation correctly.

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And by the way, this entire cluster of stars reminds us of a cluster of grapes, does it not? Yes, this was the forbidden tree in the garden! This was the forbidden fruit which the serpent (Satan) convinced the woman to drink! And so, this Pleiades harlot-woman is a symbol of Eve, as she convinced her husband to eat of that fruit.

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Concord Grapes – Share-alike License – Wikipedia

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… The Pleiades: The Captive Angel & Mystery Harlot Constellation

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TOMORROW…

December 19 (“The Armor of God!” Part 4 – The Devil, “The Discourager-in-Chief”!)

Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to examine this Open Forum # 35 is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 17

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Planet Earth: Devil’s Island!

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Part 3:

“Which ‘Normal’ Will You Choose?”

To read Part 1, click here…March 13th (Planet Earth: Devil’s Island!)

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“Wherein in time past ye walked

according to the course of this world,

according to the prince of the power of the air,

the spirit that now worketh

in the children of disobedience:”

Ephesians 2:2

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What’s your conception of normal? Is your conception of normal, according to the dictates of this present world? Does this world look normal to you?

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Well, the above signature verse from Ephesians speaks of the people of this lost world, and how they live according to, “the course of this world.”

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Yes, for the people of this world, there is a normal way of living and a normal way of doing business. And the Bible here in Ephesians 2:2 refers to this as, “the course of this world”.

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Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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THE BIBLE: A NEW ‘NORMAL’!

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But in the fulness of time, God gave His Word to the people of the world. And this Word, which we refer to as, the Bible, is a book which explains what, “normal” is, according to Heaven! And if that was not sufficient, Jesus, the eternal Son of God came down from Heaven, to walk among sinful men, giving us a living, walking example of what “normal” is, according to Heaven. 

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And so, you could say, there are two “normals”. The first, “normal”, is according to the dictates of the “god of this world”, Satan.

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But as already stated, the other “normal” is what Heaven considers as “normal”! And all Heaven lives by that “normal”.

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Jesus Teaching Luke 4:31-32 – Jesus talks about Heaven – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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RENEWED & TRANSFORMED…

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Now, in many places in the Bible, God commands us to live according to His “normal”…

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Listen…“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 12:2

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Okay, so here it says that God has called us to no longer be conformed to the ways of this present world. But instead, we are to become transformed by the renewing our minds. And how is this accomplished? Simple! We renew our mind, by hiding God’s Word in our heart! 

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OUR WORK NOT COMPLETE!

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But the great problem in today’s Christianity, is that most church-going Christians do not make a complete transformation in their mind. In other words, we Christians have neglected to make a total purification and restoration of our minds into His likeness!

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Oh yes, we have hidden a portion of the Bible in our hearts. But only a small portion! And also, we have neglected to completely remove the old, “normal”, which has been thoroughly ingrained in our heart, from baby-hood and up!

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And as a result, we are still very worldly-minded…“Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.” James 5:5

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As this not-so-funny cartoon shows, we have been at ease, but our Day of Judgment has not been slumbering! 

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A COUNTERFEIT GOODNESS!

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One big problem is that “the god of this world” has designed his “normal” to have the appearance of godliness. And this counterfeit goodness has deceived many Christians, thinking that his “normal” is pretty OK!

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And this deception becomes even more deceptive, because we Christians must abide by many of the standards of society. Because we have to work, and abide by the laws, and obey many customs to a certain extent.

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And so, it becomes a very complex situation, in obeying the Bible while at the same time, trying to co-exist in this Babylonian world. 

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People on Times Square – cropped image – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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LIVING HERE, WHILE HATING IT!

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But the main point of this devotional is, that while we must put up with and live in this present selfish world, we are not to love this present world!  

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In other words, while we work and live and abide in this present world, we, by no means, are to love the present, “normal”, which this ‘rebel world’ has established…

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Listen…“He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” John 12:25

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By this above verse from John’s Gospel, we understand that the Spirit within us, gives us a hatred for this present order of things!

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We are to sigh and cry for the day when we can leave this present “normal”, and enter into the Promised Land, which will be our eternal home!

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The Pilgrim’s Progress – by Byam Shaw – Wikimedia Commons – US Public Domain

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HATING THIS SODOM-LIKE WORLD!

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Listen to God’s description of Lot, Abraham’s nephew…“And (God) delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” 2nd Peter 2:7, 8

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So here is seen that while Lot lived in Sodom, by no means did he love that place! No, Sodom became His daily torture chamber, so to speak, as he witnessed the immorality and selfishness all around him!

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And like Lot, we too, should be daily vexed as we behold the same immorality and selfishness in this modern-day Sodom-like society!

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The Sodomites are smitten with blindness – wikipedia – US public domain

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LIVING BY HEAVEN’S, ‘NORMAL’

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But just because we must live here does not prevent us from living by God’s “normal”, to a great extent! Yes, the more we hide God’s Word in our hearts, the greater will be our conformity to the ways of Heaven!

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And the more we refuse to pollute our heart and mind with ungodly influences, the more consistently will be our imitation of Christ, as He lives out His life in us and through us!

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And one of these days, we will simply walk upward and out of this world completely, into a glorious Promised Land, that lives and rejoices and thrives by that completely new, “normal!”

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Thomas Cole – Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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TO READ PART 4, CLICK HERE…

January 14 (Planet Earth, Devil’s Island, Part 4: “Mental Disorders”)

Human worry & stress & depression – by Becky Wetherington for Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to not love the miserable idols of this horribly unhappy world. But rather, help me get excited about the prospects of seeing my family, happy and healthy in Thy everlasting Promised Land. Let me trade in this miserably selfish world, for that wonderfully unselfish and joyful Promised Land…

Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “December 9 (It’s a throw-away world!)”, or you can also read… “January 27th (It’s a Brand-X World)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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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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7 STARS IMITATE THE CROSS OF ORION

 

LOCATING THESE TWO CONSTELLATIONS

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This phenomenon begins in October, in the pre-dawn hours. It then begins a little earlier each night.

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This Wikipedia star-chart to the left, has this Orion Constellation sketched in. You must locate Orion, when it is mid-sky, between east and west. You’ll be facing southward most likely, unless you are far south. Try to imagine it as a Cross on a steep hill. The 3-star belt of Orion becomes the crest of the hill. The 3 very faint stars that make up Orion’s head become the very top of the Cross.

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Next, locate the 7 Stars Constellation. This 7 Stars Constellation is seen by facing northward. It stands upright a little later in the night. Eventually, Orion will lay down and no longer be seen as an uplifted Cross! Beginning in November, the 7 Stars (AKA Big Dipper) can be seen as a Cross a little bit later in evening.

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When you are comfortable in locating Orion & The 7 Stars Constellations, then show a friend. This can be a great witnessing tool!

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ABOVE CHART: The Cross of Orion Constellation star-chart – wikipedia star-chart with orion drawn in by this website – not for commercial use

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “’7 Stars’ Imitate ‘The Cross of Orion’”

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TOMORROW:

DECEMBER 18 (Come Out of Her, My People, Part 30: “When the World Hugs The Church!”)

ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who now in these last days destroys the churches via a world-loving prosperity-driven false gospel – www.signsofheaven.org

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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This Open Forum #34 is a small 30-minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50-year long series of 90-minute nightly talk shows…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons lic.

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.

 

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 16

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Almost All Is Vanity!

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Part 4:

“Our Purposes vs. God’s Purpose!” 

To read Part 1, click here…“April 22nd (All Is Meaningless!)”

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“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2.

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After years of seeking for the things of the world, Solomon was finally brought back to his spiritual senses, in which he at last concluded about life… “all is vanity.” Yes, Solomon finally realized the ugly truth about this life, that indeed, “All is vanity!”

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But God worked through all Solomon’s ambitious projects and accomplishments, so as to teach Solomon the great truth, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity (meaningless)!”

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Dore – Solomon – Proverbs – Wikipedia – Public domain (2)

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SOLOMON’S GLORY

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Yes, Solomon had built a golden empire, far more glorious than any other kingdom before or since!

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He built magnificent houses, and an incredible temple! He made beautiful gardens with pools. He had men-singers and maid-singers, and many servants. He no doubt built lavish houses for his 1,000 wives. He was young and strong and handsome. And his wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all other men who have lived, before and since!

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And yet, God worked through all this, so as to teach Solomon (and us), that, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity (meaningless)!”

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The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon’, by Edward Poynter, 1890, Art Gallery of New South Wales US public domain

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JUST CASTLES MADE OF SAND

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But even though Solomon was finally taught the lesson that, “All is vanity!”, just how does this apply to us today? What does, “All is vanity!”, have to do with me?

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You see, when Solomon says, “All is vanity!”, God is trying to convey to us that, “All” means, “All”!

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Yes, everything in this doomed world is meaningless! Because it will all become, as one songster sang, “Dust in the wind!”

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And so, it is inevitable that all the kings’ castles will eventually come tumbling down! They are all just castles made of sand!

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Sand castle, Cannon Beach – by Curt Smith – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike License.

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MAYBE NOT ALL IS VANITY?

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But God, in His infinite mercy and love, works through all the meaningless endeavors of Man, to use as a teaching moment.

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Oh yes, God is allowing all these things as a lesson-book for all who dwell in His heavens and earth.

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But God also works through the individual lives of Believers too, that we might also learn the lessons of life, which will make us more like His beloved Son!

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Christian Race In Todays World courtesy www.signsofheaven.org share-alike license

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GOD WORKS THROUGH OUR ENDEAVORS

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And so, God allows Christians to build our little lives, and strive for our goals. But while we are intensely focused on our earthly endeavors, God’s purpose is much higher. His great desire is to teach us to learn more and more about Him, that we may become more and more like Him!

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And so, we may desire to acquire a new home, or a new car, or a new career, or marry a spouse, or have children, or enjoy social gatherings, or tend to our garden, or build some humanitarian ministry, or whatever other plans, and goals, and endeavors, and enjoyments we seek after. And these are our great focus. We look at all these things from an earthly perspective.

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Wood-framed house – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

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TO INSTILL HEAVENLY VIRTUES IN US

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But God works through these earthly pursuits, and uses them to teach us the lessons we need to learn.

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Oh yes, in His tender mercy, He may allow us to enjoy these things.

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But He works all these things together for our eternal welfare…

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Listen to Romans 8:28…“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

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Here is revealed that God uses all things for our eternal good. He even works through our illnesses, to teach us faith and patience, and to instill within us, a deep sympathy for others who are likewise suffering.

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Munch – Det Syke Barn – 1896 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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SO WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING?

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And so, how should we respond to all this? How can we order our lives in such a way, as to gain the greatest heavenly profit?

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To fill our hearts and minds with the knowledge and heavenly wisdom found in God’s Word, is the greatest work that we can accomplish! And those who are wise, will endeavor to rearrange and simplify their lives, so as to allow the maximum time and energy for continuous communion with God!

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEADS!”

Luke 21:28

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Listen to Jesus, as He instructed His followers…“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?…But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:24, 25, 33  

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These above Words of Life are seldom heeded by professed Christians now living in this decadent, cornucopian super-society!

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Oh, that we Christians might look up and lift up our heads, to re-fix our gaze upon Heaven, and upon Heaven’s Jesus! Oh, that we Christians might put away our earthly idols, and become like Paul, or John, or Peter, 100% focused upon the kingdom of God!

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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and altered image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike license

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TO THE MOLES AND BATS!

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Well, the very Good News is, that God is about to help us to do just that!

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Listen to Isaiah, speaking of the very day which we are now in…“In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” 

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Yes, God is, even now, beginning to shake this earth terribly, and God’s people are now beginning to cast away our idols, and flee to the clefts of the ragged rocks (God’s Word), “for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty!”

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ABOVE DRAWING: Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12. (not a star-chart, but a concept picture)

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TO READ PART 5, GO HERE… 

April 15 (Almost All Is Vanity! Part 5: “Castles of Sand!”)

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to fully comprehend what Solomon is saying to us today! Help me to keep my eyes looking ever-upward, so that the things of earth will grow strangely dim…

Prayer – Anna Blunden – For Only One Short Hour – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Flower of the Field Constellation: Part 2-”All is Vanity”” , or you can also read… “The Flower of Heaven Constellation”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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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 GLORY OF MAN,

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AS THE FLOWER…

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FALLS AWAY”…

1st Peter 1:25

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WiltedRose wikimedia public domain

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FLOWER OF THE FIELD IN HEAVEN

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This is perhaps one of the most amazing constellations that God has created. It truly looks like a flower, and appears to be blowing in the direction of westward. But as autumn draws near, this constellation appears to bow itself down, just like the flowers of Earth bow down, at the summer’s end.

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And these are not merely obscure stars. These are among the biggest and brightest stars in the night heavens.

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The Two Turtle-Doves Constellation is also known as Sagittarius .

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The Flower of the Field is also known as Scorpio .

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But there is another obvious aspect to this constellation group. Notice that the birds are flying in the same direction as the flower is bending; it is as if the east wind is blowing these heavenly messengers. “The wind blows where it desires, and you hear the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8. So here is another incredible Bible concept, written in the heavens! And God has spoken of these signs! Listen… “For ever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in (the) heaven(s).” Psalm 119:89

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THE ZODIAC CONSTELLATION NAMES

By the way, it is not the purpose of www.theheavensdeclare.net to give any validity to the Zodiac or any pagan deities. But the common names of many constellations must be given, solely for the purpose of locating them on star-charts.

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WHY IS THIS FLOWER POINTING UPWARD?

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To the right is a star-chart from Wikipedia. The editor of this site has sketched in the Flower of the Field Constellation on this constellation commonly referred to as the Scorpio Constellation (plus a few other close-by bright stars). Do you see the long blade of grass growing from the base of the Flower of the Field? This is made of the two highest stars of the Lupus Constellation, and the two lowest stars of the Libra Constellation. As this sketch shows, the flower appears to be pointing to Arcturus and the Revelation 12 Woman (shown in sketch below). Arcturus represents Jesus, as He leads His sons (and daughters) on a spiritual journey up a heavenward pathway, as is written… “Canst you bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or can you guide Arcturus with his sons?” Job 38:32.

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ABOVE STAR-CHART: Flower of the Field Constellation commonly known as Scorpio – seen in spring through summer (Flower drawn in over Wikipedia star-chart)

 

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Flower of the Field Constellation” or you can also read… “Flower of the Field Constellation, Part 3: “Signs of the World’s End””

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TOMORROW:

DECEMBER 17 (Planet Earth: Devil’s Island, Part 3: Which ‘Normal’ Will You Choose?)

Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license

Jesus Teaching Luke 4:31-32 – Jesus talks about Heaven – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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This Open Forum #1 is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons lic.

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.

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Click credit links below each pic, for licensing names/details/tags/etc.. Most pics cropped/reduced in size

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 “Complete List of Daily Devotionals”

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 15

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Noble Bereans, Part 10: “Re-thinking Harold Camping Regarding His Doctrinal Error of the Sunday Sabbath” 

To read part 1, click here…“September 2nd (Noble Bereans?)”

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“Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” 1st Corinthians 13:8, 9

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Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.

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A FAILED PREDICTION?

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A few years ago, a certain radio Bible teacher made the seemingly failed prediction that May 21st, 2011 would be the last day of earth’s existence, because of the long-promised return of Christ in the clouds of glory.

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And of course, when that day came and went, the world began throwing verbal stones at Harold Camping.

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But in reality, nothing failed!

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No, nothing in Camping’s prediction failed! But God purposely allowed this tarrying-time to awaken His unprepared sleeping saints, to prepare them to shine forth in the soon-coming, Day of the Lord!

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Harold Camping – cropped image – Wikipedia – copyrighted, not for free use

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OUR SECOND WAKE-UP CALL

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Well okay, maybe you could say that Camping’s May 21st, 2011 prediction was an error, since he didn’t realize that there was to be a tarrying time, so that God can complete His victory over Satan’s kingdom of darkness here on earth.

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But the Lord intentionally allowed this error, so as to give the world its second, “wake-up call”. Yes, God purposely wanted this call to be made that, “the end has come!” (The first “wake-up call” was perhaps, the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City.)

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Judgment Bus New Orleans 2011 – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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CAMPING A VERY FALLIBLE HUMAN

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But Harold Camping, when alive, was always ready to admit that he was very capable of error.

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After all, on each one of his 90-minute nightly telephone call-in programs, he probably cautioned his listeners at least 6 to 10 times per night, “Don’t trust me! I have feet of clay! Trust only the Bible! The Bible, the Bible, the Bible! The Bible is the only infallible Word of truth!”

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Every nightly call-in program was replete with this same warning: “Read the Bible, instead of trusting me (Harold Camping), or any other Bible teacher!”

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Harold Camping – Wikipedia – copyrighted, not for free use

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SEVERAL ERRORS

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Now regarding another glaring error in Camping’s teachings was his inability to see the unbiblical doctrine of the Sunday Sabbath.

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Over almost 90 years as a church-goer, even from childhood, he became so thoroughly indoctrinated into the so-called “orthodox” teachings of the mainstream churches, that it was only the mercy of God that opened his eyes to the heretical church-doctrine named by theologians, “Eternal Torment”.

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And he then renounced that false doctrine and began teaching the wages of sin is death, not “Eternal Torment”!

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SUNDAY SABBATH ERROR

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But the Sunday Sabbath was another unbiblical church-tradition that Camping clung to until the day of his death.

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(Now let it be stated that this website is not necessarily advocating the return to a Saturday Sabbath. This website primarily promotes the spiritual Sabbath Rest that we have in Christ.)

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Hambleton Sunday School Commemorative Stone – geograph.org.uk – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

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“FIRST OF THE SABBATHS”

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Now there are a number of Bible passages which Camping used to substantiate the Sunday Sabbath. Matthew 28:1 was the premier passage he used to promote the idea of the so-called, “1st-Day Sabbath”. And while he was very correct that the Greek language says, “At the end of the sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward the 1st of the sabbaths”, his interpretation of that verse is without biblical substantiation.

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In other words, there is absolutely nothing in the Bible that speaks of a new 24-hour Sabbath Day on the 1st day of the week, which begins and ends at midnight. It is only by twisting Scripture, that one can arrive at that conclusion. The Bible never ever speaks of the 1st day of the week as, “The Lord’s Day”. The Lord’s Day, spoken of in Revelation, Chapter 1 never assigns itself to only one day of the week.

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This whole idea is purely a presumption on the part of the theologians and Bible teachers through the centuries, back to the Romans Catholic Church, and to the secular Romans, and even way back to ancient Babylon! 

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CHURCH TRADITION

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Oh yes, the Bible does begin to make reference to the, “1st day of the week”, a number of times after the resurrection of Christ.

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But nowhere does it establish a new 24-hour weekly Sabbath on that day.

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It is merely church-tradition that exalts a new weekly Sabbath day on Sunday.

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And merely church-tradition which follows this antichrist world’s reckoning that days begin and end at midnight!

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Date stone on the (former) Jubilee Sunday School, Limestone Brae – geograph.org.uk – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

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MISINTERPRETING ISAIAH 58

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Now, Harold Camping also tied other similar passages to the so-called Sunday Sabbath. One of those is found in Isaiah 58…“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:” Isaiah 58:13

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But nowhere does this passage speak of the 1st day of the week, and certainly not of Sunday. This is totally fabricated by human logic. As a matter of fact, Isaiah 58 is most likely referring  to the Christian life in general, a 24/7/365 Sabbath “rest unto your souls”! (see Matthew 11:28-30)

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In other words, we are to honor God every day of the week! And we are not to find our own pleasure any day of the week! Nor are we to speak our own words any day of the week. Every word we speak should be as the “oracles of God”, as it says in Peter’s 1st Epistle 4:11.

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Book of Isaiah – Wikimedia – C.C. Share-alike License

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USING HUMAN REASONING

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Now Harold Camping used his own human reasoning to validate the Sunday Sabbath. “After all”, Camping often said, “people have to work very hard, six days of the week, trying to provide for their family. And that leaves no time for much spiritual refreshment. That’s why God instituted a new Sabbath Day on Sunday. So on that 24-hour period, we are commanded to devote that entire day to spiritual activities.”

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The problem with Camping’s logic is that church history shows that the Church tended to rely on that one-day Sabbath, to the neglect of the other 6 days of the week. In other words, just a quick look at today’s church-world proves that attempting to keep one day per week holy inspires legalism among church-goers. And right after the so-called Sabbath, Christians, for the most part, enthusiastically pursue all the cares and pleasures of this selfish world!

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We are somewhat like a track runner, waiting for the race to start, ready to sprint back into our worldly mode, after the sun goes down at Sabbath’s end!

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Starting gun – 1904 Olympic race – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TENDENCY TO BECOME LEGALISTIC 

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Because of our fallen human nature, most church-goers attempt to worship Jesus on the Sabbath, and immediately after church, we resume the pursuit of our “week-day gods” the other 6 days!

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And we forget that our communion with God should be happening 24/7/365!

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Unceasing prayer, day & night contemplation of His Word should be going on every moment of every day! 

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Prayer – Anna Blunden – For Only One Short Hour – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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ERROR EMBRACED BY NEARLY ALL

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Well this error was not only Camping’s error, but is embraced by nearly the entire Christian world!

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But God is now calling His people out of Babylon.

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We are to cling only to the Bible. And we are to add nothing to it! And yes, we are to live the resurrected life! This is what the 1st-day symbolizes! The “1st of the Sabbaths”, as found in the Greek manuscripts is actually speaking of the Sabbath rest that can only be found in Christ!

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His glorious Rest is found in taking His light yoke upon us and learning of Him, as we sit at His feet and hear His Word! (see Matthew 11:28-30)

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Church Attendance – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain

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NO HUMAN IS INFALLIBLE!

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Now just because Harold Camping had several great errors in his teachings, by no means negates all the otherwise wonderful teachings of his 50-year ministry.

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We all, “know in part and prophesy in part”, as it says in 1st Corinthians 13. None of us are perfect in our understanding.

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And God had purposely allowed errors in Camping’s teachings, so that nobody would begin to think of him as some sort of an infallible messenger!

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And Camping freely (and constantly) advised his hearers NOT to place their trust in him, but to trust only the Bible! “The Bible, the Bible, the Bible”, often said Camping, “that’s the only infallible Word of God!”

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Harold Camping – cropped image – Wikipedia – copyrighted, not for free use

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STUDY, CHRISTIAN, STUDY!!!

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So while we can learn really valuable information from Camping’s ministry, we are not to neglect our own personal Bible study, to check out what God’s infallible Word says on any particular subject!

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public-Domain 

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“THEY WHICH LEAD THEE CAUSE THEE TO ERR”

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So the challenge goes out to any professing Christian to prove that he (or she) is truly a Noble Berean, and personally begin that 30-month study in Jeremiah.

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Yes, all those who are hungry for truth will delight to hear these many cryptic passages of Jeremiah, finally opened up to our understanding!

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And now that we are at the threshold of that great and awesome Day of God, this Jeremiah study will begin to make complete sense at such an hour as this, when it is truly needed!

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And all a truth-seeker has to do, is to begin the painless process of listening to a 25-minute Bible study each morning, and test and see for one’s own self!

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This above link is to the first installment of Camping’s Jeremiah study. And at the bottom of each day’s devotional is a 20-25 minute audio Bible study by Harold Camping.

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TO READ PART 11, CLICK HERE…January (Noble Bereans, Part 11: Re-thinking Harold Camping Regarding His Ministry)

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to be an open-minded seeker of truth, even if it means giving up a very highly regarded Church opinion! Let me be willing to investigate any seemingly new teaching if it appears to have some biblical validity…

Woman Praying – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…WHAT IS THE TRUE SABBATH? , or you can also read… ” FEBRUARY 10 (The Deserted Island Theologian!)”, or you can also read…JUNE 13 (Why The World Didn’t End on May 21, 2011)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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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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BIBLE VERSES PICTURED IN THE HEAVENS

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“With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.” Ezekiel 26:12

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THIS STAR-CHART: This is a Wikipedia star-chart, in which this site’s editor has sketched in these three constellation (without the Holy-Ghost-Rider Constellation). Notice how the right front hoof is trampling on the tail of the Dragon. Also notice his eye is a star.It’s best seen when in the western half of the sky. It is found in mid-sky traveling from east to west. In January, it is in the west after midnight. As winter progresses, it can be seen earlier and earlier in the evening. a dark sky with good star-visibility is best, but not absolutely necessary to see this constellation. It is found on the opposite side of the Dragon Constellation from Orion. And as already stated, this Goodly Horse Constellation can be seen best in mid-winter when it is in the western side of the sky, and you are looking at it while you are facing west. The nose and head of this horse is partly made from the Perseus Constellation. The tail and rear end is partly of the Cassiopeia Constellation. The hind-leg is made partly of stars from the Andromeda Constellation.

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THIS HOLY-GHOST-RIDER

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Now one thing that is noticeable and makes this constellation even more dramatic, is the fact that the Milky Way runs right through it. And the question that must be asked is, “What biblical implications does this constellation/Milky Way connection have?” Well, very simply put, if stars

represent Believers, then this rider works in the world through His True-Worshippers, to a great extent.

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WHY IS THIS CONSTELLATION SO INCOMPLETE IN APPEARANCE

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So why is this constellation merely an outline? Well it does show his back, rear end and leg…and arm. But unlike, say, Orion, this constellation is very vague, even mysterious in appearance. Almost vacant in appearance. Yes this horseman represents Christ.

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But even more than this, it represents the Holy Spirit of Christ. And as we all know, the Holy Spirit is very, very, un-intrusive, almost impossible to detect His presence. Hence, this constellation is perhaps the most faint of all the constellations of Signs Of Heaven!

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READ MORE…

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To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Holy-Ghost-Rider Constellation”

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TOMORROW:

DECEMBER 16 (Almost All Is Vanity! Part 3: Our Purposes vs. God’s Purpose!)

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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This Open Forum #32 is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…

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Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 25

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Come Out of Her, My People!

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Part 33:

“Which Church Will You Choose?” 

To read Part 1, click here… “May 12th (Come Out of Her, My People?)”

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“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus,

whom we have not preached,

or if ye receive another spirit,

which ye have not received,

or another gospel,

which ye have not accepted,

ye might well bear with him.” 

2nd Corinthians 11:4

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CITY OF CONFUSION

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Babylon was given its name during the building of that infamous Tower of Babylon, because God confused their speech…

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Listen… “Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:9 

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And so, the name, Babylon, actually means, “City of Confusion”.

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by G. Dore’ – The Confusion Of Tongues in Babylon – from www.creationism.org-public domain

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“COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE”

Revelation 18:4

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The call is now going out to anyone who will listen… “Babylon is fallen is fallen…Come out of her My people, that ye partake not of her sins, and receive not of her plagues” Revelation 18:1, 4

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Yes, the time is come for God’s people to make our Exodus out of the “City of Confusion”, the various Christian organizations.

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And this is a literal Exodus!

(“City of Confusion” reference found in Isaiah 24:10)

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James Tissot – The Flight of the Prisoners – Wikipedia – US Public Domain.

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THE WIDE & NARROW GATE STARS

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In the summer and fall, the child of God may look up and behold in the night-sky, the constellation group known as the “Wide and Narrow Gate Stars”.

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These four stars are comprised of the two brightest stars of Orion’s Shepherd’s Rod, and the two brightest stars of “The Dragon’s Wave of Water Constellation”, which proceeds out of his mouth.

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And God is now revealing this group of stars, along with the “Revelation 12 Woman Constellation”, as she appears to be swerving toward the Narrow Gate Stars.

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Now once the Christian locates this constellation group, it will be an amazing revelation which will never be forgotten!

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NARROW & WIDE GATE CHURCHES

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But this being one of the last devotionals of this 2nd year of devotionals, one final admonition should be given concerning the importance of entering into the “Narrow Gate”.

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Because, as we look out upon the Christian landscape, there appears to be two churches that we may belong to: either the Narrow-Gate Church, or the Wide-Gate Church.

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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain

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THE APOSTASY OF THE LOCAL CONGREGATIONS

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Fortunately (but sadly), the choice between these two churches has been made easier in this respect: that God is no longer in the midst of the local congregations.

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Yes, even though the gates of Hell shall not prevail against God’s true Church-Elect, the fact is, that individual congregations do not have that same protection!

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The 7 messages to the 7 churches of Asia, found in Revelation Chapter 2 & 3 makes perfectly clear, that God can and does vomit out any congregation which has been continually unfaithful to their charge!           

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ABOVE PICTURE: Unfunny Judgment Day Cartoon: “Company’s Coming”

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WHICH CHURCH WILL YOU CHOOSE?

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Now of course, the voice has been trumpeted, that God is now calling out His true people out from this spiritual Babylon, which the churches have finally become. 

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And to make this decision, we don’t need to sign some contract, or make some vow.

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Nor do we need to toss “verbal grenades” behind us, as we leave our congregation for the very last time!

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And we certainly don’t need to insult anyone, nor tell any individual just how horrible the condition of their beloved church is.

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SO, COME ALONG!

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So, come along, dear Christian pilgrim, and follow that bright Star which is now leading God’s people up, up, up, into the very Heaven of heavens!

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And in that Promised Land, we will find everlasting joy, and peace, and laughter, and singing, and days without end.

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And there we will be forever young!

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TO READ PART 34, CLICK HERE…

DECEMBER 26 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 34: Christmas With, “Another jesus”) 

Santa’s Portrait by T. Nast 1881wikimedia public domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to come out of this Babylon of confusion, and worship Thee 100%. Steer me away from the Wide Gate, and into the Narrow Gate…

Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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READ MORE…                                                                                               

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… March 1st (A Designer Jesus!), or you can also read this shorter article…JULY 23 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 13: The Evangelical Cult!)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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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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NARROW-GATE STARS

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This most amazing phenomenon is seen throughout the winter. Although it can be observed most of the winter, it is seen best when it is the western part of the sky, at winter’s end (The end of winter being the final scene of this heavenly Gospel story). Orion , the Dragon, and the Glorious White Horse are beginning to descend into the western horizon (sketch to right is Winter Constellations descending into western horizon. This can actually be seen as early as December, in the pre-dawn hours).

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And at this point it is apparent that the Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation  is veering toward the two bright stars, known as Castor and Pollux (sketch to below left). But the Wide Gate Stars are composed of the two brightest stars of the Auriga Constellation, known as the star, Capella, and the star, Menkalinan. The two stars, Castor and Pollux, make up the concept of the Orion’s Narrow Gate Stars.

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This can even be observed into June in the western sky (for a short time just after dark). While a dark night is best for seeing the Woman Constellation, the 4 stars which comprise the Narrow Gate/Wide Gate Stars can be seen even under mediocre conditions. It begins with the Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation (AKA Ursa Major) going towards these two doors.

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The sketch to left shows, the two doors are each composed of two bright stars. The two bright stars that comprise the Narrow Gate are the two brightest stars of the Orion the Reaper’s sickle. The two stars that comprise the ‘Wide Gate’ Stars are the two brightest stars of the wave of water that comes out of the Dragon Constellation’s mouth (for explanation of “Wave of Water”, just click here). The stars that make up the ‘Narrow Gate’ are about half the width of the Wide Gate (see sketch to right).

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(For more information on Orion’s sickle, just click here, “Orion The Reaper”.)

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Editor’s note: These sketches on this page are merely sketches. The stars are not in their exact place. However, they are close enough to find them in the night sky. But as with most stars, it takes persistence to finally locate them.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… WOMAN OF REVELATION 12  & THE NARROW WAY CONSTELLATION…

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TOMORROW…

DECEMBER 26 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 34: Celebrate Christmas With, “Another jesus”?)

Santa’s Portrait by T. Nast 1881wikimedia public domain

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this is small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…This is Open Forum Show #43

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons lic.

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 14

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A Form of Godliness,

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Part 2:

“When Evil Wears A Smile!”

To read Part 1, click here…SEPTEMBER 20 (A Form of Godliness: Humanitarianism)

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“The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,

but war was in his heart:

his words were softer than oil,

yet were they drawn swords.”

Psalm 55:21 KJV: 

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When most people think of Satan, they conjure up the picture of a sinister and evil-looking being. Perhaps a sly-looking con-artist with a wry smile.

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Satan – Lucifer – cropped and altered image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

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But as Christians, we are commanded by God to be, “NOT ignorant of his (Satan’s) devices!”

2nd Corinthians 2:11

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Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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AND YET, WE BECAME NAIVE

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We know that Satan comes as an, “angel of light”, as it says in 2nd Corinthians …“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15

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In spite of this above warning, many Christians get somewhat naive and simple-minded when it comes to their fellow church-members.

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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org

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LETTING DOWN OUR GUARD

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Yes, we look around and see most everyone smiling, and behaving very friendly! And so, we let down our guard, because of all this friendliness.

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But we should not be ignorant of his devices. After all, the Antichrist spirit which indwells the people of the world, and within worldly-minded parishioners, wants his world to appear full of happy people!

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Just listen to Scripture, as Paul warned Believer’s way back in his day…“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” Acts 20:29

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The problem with this above verse, is that it gives us the idea that these grievous wolves are vicious-looking and evil in appearance.

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PS Krøyer – Hip hip hurra! Kunstnerfest på Skagen – 1888 – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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WHEN EVIL WEARS A SMILE: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful”

Proverbs 27:6

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But the fact is, Satan is no dummy, as many mistakenly suppose! He knows that his so-called, “ministers of righteousness” must be very friendly and cheerful, if they are ever going to be effective soul-murderers.

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And so, Satan quite often picks the smartest, the most gifted, the most cheerful, and the friendliest Antichrists from society, to infiltrate the Church.

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Yes, Satan’s “ministers of righteousness” are often the most vivacious, energetic, and charismatic members of the church!

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Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain

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LOT REPRESENTS GOD’S ELECT

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When Lot lived in Sodom, he was sorely vexed from day-to-day with their evil deeds. But he probably had no idea of how few righteous men lived there! Actually, he was the only one! Oh yes, his daughters were spared too. But they were probably just a gift from God, considering the evil that they later committed.

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And this true historical account of Lot’s escape from that wicked city is an allegorical depiction of the church-world in these last days. We too, are to “flee to the mountain” in a spiritual sense. And like Lot, many faithful “Lots” probably assume that their little congregation must have some righteous ones still attending.

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But they too might be surprised to discover that nobody else comes out of Babylon from their little congregation! In other words, they just might all be pretenders! Antichrists in sheep’s clothing! Lots of smiles, and lots of back-slapping! But no genuine fruit of the Spirit!

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

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“COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE!”

Revelation 18:4

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But the Good News (even though it is also sad and tragic news) is this: this whole situation is no longer a problem, since God is now calling His sheep to come out of the “Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlot” churches. (see Revelation 17:5)

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And today’s devotional has provided one more reason to come out.

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James Tissot – The Flight of the Prisoners – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TO READ PART 3, CLICK HERE…

January 17 (A Form of Godliness, Part 3: “Satan, The Original ‘Candy-Man’!”)

Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Let me not be naïve concerning Satan’s deceptions. But make me wise as a serpent, by the knowledge of Thy Word…

Prayer for USA – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…“MARCH 12 (Building Relationships)”, or you can also read this shorter article…“October 20th (Christian Humanitarianism)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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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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“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman…And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads…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.” Revelation 12:1, 3, 15 

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THE FLOODWATERS OF THE REVELATION 12 DRAGON…

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The Wave Constellation is primarily comprised of the Auriga Constellation plus one star from Taurus, plus one more star. The Winter Constellations are depicted in this below sketch to the right, and shows this constellation group as they are seen in early winter, as they rise in the eastern skies. The Woman is in the north. The Dragon and Orion are farther south from the Woman.

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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 isThe 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.

(Editor’s note: It is impossible to make this chart accurate, and visually correct, because the dome effect of the sky makes these constellations look different than they appear when placed on flat paper.)

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… Floodwaters of Satan: Introduction

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TOMORROW…

DECEMBER 15 (Keeping 1 Day Holy, Part 3, “Works”)

Ten Commandments – cropped photo – Wikimedia – Share-alike License 4.0

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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This Open Forum #33 is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons lic.

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.