Daily Devotional, Year 2 – FEBRUARY 6 (Sodom Rising, Part 5: “What is True Manliness?”)

By admin On December 2nd, 2014

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Daily Devotional – FEBRUARY 6

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Sodom Rising,

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Part 5:

“What is True Manliness?”

To read part 1 of this article, click here… “August 22nd (Sodom Rising!)”

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“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith,

quit you like men, be strong”

1st Corinthians 16:13

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“Can a woman forget her sucking child,

that she should not have compassion

on the son of her womb?

yea, they may forget,

yet will I not forget thee”

Isaiah 49:15

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A certain public advocate for conservative values was having a debate with a young member of the audience about “gays” being “more compassionate than straights”, saying this was more virtuous, “and just the way things ought to be!”

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The conservative advocate countered by arguing that “Emotionalism is mostly a female trait! When men get together, they like to talk football, and cars, and politics, while women talk about softer topics such as family, and more emotional issues.” And this conservative advocate continued by saying, “Men and women are ‘hard-wired’ differently from each other, and this is how it’s supposed to be!”

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Well, the young man was not convinced.

Gay Parade – Jazz Jennings 2016 – Wikipedia – Creative Commons License

Lunch Break – Wikimedia Commons – Share-alike License

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SO, JUST WHAT IS TRUE MANLINESS?

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WHO WAS CORRECT IN THAT CURENTLY POPULAR DEBATE?

Question Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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THE STRAW MAN PLOY

Satan has been using the “Strawman Ploy” for many long centuries. Yes, that diabolical, “Dr. Evil” (Satan) has used his sophistry and genius to deceive all of us simple-minded humans in various ways, throughout history!

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And so, we shouldn’t be surprised by the current situation in today’s world, in which Satan has raised up the homosexual movement.

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But just one of his various reasons for this pandemic phenomenon of homosexuality, is to create a “strawman” with the intent of causing an even more negative stigma against Christ and Christians!

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Straw man (or lady) – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike or GNU Free Documentation license

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SOCIETAL BACKLASH

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In other words, by displaying homosexual men as effeminate-looking creatures, Satan has created a situation which makes being Christlike somewhat uncomfortable for many men.

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Even John Bunyan, far back in the 1600’s, complained in his book “Grace Abounding”, that “effeminate men” in those days shared a few similar characteristics to Christian men, stigmatizing their Christlike gentleness with a devilish counterfeit.

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Yes, because Jesus had some soft attributes, many Christian men, today, do not want to be seen as being effeminate, in any way! And as a result, there has been a rather silent push-back in today’s society, against this homosexual movement, in which many men desperately want to be seen as “all-man”.

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And understandably so!

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And as a result, men try to NOT be seen as totally Christlike. Thus, Satan has scored a big victory, by creating this counterfeit similarity within the gay community!

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Wedding cake of a same sex marriage – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license

John Bunyan by Thomas Sadler – 1684 – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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SATAN’S HOLLYWOOD

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Quite often in the movies, Christians are portrayed as weak and defenseless, like a flock of nervous little birds.

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On the other hand, the hero of the story is often portrayed as strong, and handsome, and brash, and fearless, usually saving the “weak” Christians from the bad guys.

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Of course, this kind of stigma against Christians is right out of Satan’s playbook!

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But another false lesson that the movie-goer learns from such a movie situation, is that Christians shouldn’t depend on the Lord, but should be more like the hero of the movie, relying on his own bravery and on his own strength to solve his dilemma.

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High and Mighty Trailer Screenshot1954 – Wikipedia – public domain

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SATAN OFTEN MISREPRESENTS MANLINESS

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Along these same lines, Satan sets up a standard of conduct for his kingdom (this world). And in so-doing he has used the television and movie industry to promote the idea that men are less-than-men if they display tenderness and compassion toward others.

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And as a result, today’s men like to be seen as an “Alpha Male”, which by the way, is every bit as much of a devilish counterfeit as effeminate men are.

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And so, Christ, who is the very embodiment of tenderness and pity does not measure up to Satan’s standards for men. Again, this also is right out of Satan’s playbook, in how this Master-Deceiver makes men fearful of appearing less than “manly”, if they display any softness and tenderness.

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But listen to Scripture… “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” 1st Peter 3:8, 9.

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Gay Parade – Jazz Jennings 2016 – cropped image – Wikipedia – Creative Commons License

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PICTURES OF JESUS

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Satan has always been hard at work, trying to “cast mud” all over the true Gospel. And one of his dirty tricks has been to use artists of the day to paint pictures of an effeminate-looking Jesus, or effeminate-looking disciples. Thus, he has successfully repulsed many from following Jesus.

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But Jesus was all-man! Make no mistake! He had not one ounce of femininity! Oh yes, he could be soft and compassionate. But he also had a quiet, manly, inner-strength. And His physique was made strong from working as a carpenter since the days of his childhood. And yet, because of the lack of abundant food in that ancient culture, He was, no doubt, slender, as were most other men of that day.

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Nevertheless, Jesus not only possessed great physical strength, but also stood solid as a rock against sin, while the so-called mighty men of that day became weak as infants in the face of temptation!

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And men should likewise be strong against the evil forces of this antichrist world, giving their sons a balanced view of how to be strong, and resilient, yet tenderhearted toward his wife and children, as well as being empathetic toward those who are weak, or suffering.

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John the baptist – Leonardo Da Vinci – Wikipedia – Public Domain

Father & Son – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other”

Psalm 85:10

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Now, it’s true that God has created men and women differently, just as He wrote the Old Testament to bring out His Judgment/justice attributes, while the New Testament brings out God’s merciful/compassionate nature more clearly.

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And even though man and woman were both created in God’s image, their personalities most often bring out this same dichotomy, making them seem strikingly different, as this old painting attempts to correctly portray!

And let’s face it, a husband’s strengths are complemented by his wife’s fragilities, and visa-versa,

Pierre Auguste Renoir, La loge (The Theater Box) – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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WHAT IF JUPITER RULED US?

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Just who would you rather have ruling the universe? Perhaps, one of the Greek or Roman gods? Zeus maybe? Or perhaps Jupiter? Well, they were both given very hard attributes, weren’t they? Just imagine if one of those gods were ruling this world? (Well actually, as we look around, we have to admit that Satan is doing a fine job of giving us a picture of how those pagan gods would behave!)

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We are so very fortunate to have a tender, understanding, and compassionate Father God, Jehovah, who runs this universe! On the other hand, we can see how things would be run, if Lucifer was the god of this universe. All we have to do is just look at this present world around us, and we can, so often, see the results of what a lack of compassion can accomplish.

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Hans Thoma – Jupiter – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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“A FORM OF GODLINESS”

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Oh yes, one of Satan’s attributes is to display, “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2nd Timothy 3:5.

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Thus, we live in a very deceptive world which seems to contain a certain degree of goodness, kindness, etc….

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But be not deceived! Such counterfeit goodness and mercy can evaporate as quickly as the morning dew if “the god of this world”, Satan, sees fit! (2nd Corinthians 4:4)

Lady Helping the homeless street-person – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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SATAN SCULPTS SOCIETY

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Satan has been given a certain amount of freedom to draw individuals into one lifestyle or another. And because of that, he will often draw certain people into one sin, while drawing certain other people into another sin.

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And so, as we look around at society, we can see the footprints of this invisible Dragon, and how he has designed society to promote his various deceptions. In plain language, Satan will often draw persons who have certain physical traits or mannerisms into homosexuality, to give this totally unnatural lifestyle an appearance of being “natural”. Contrariwise, he will draw others into just the opposite extreme.

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And so, as we look at all the confusion over this hotly debated issue in today’s society, we need to understand that “the prince of this world” has been hewing and sculpting society for this very purpose: to raise up Sodom and Gomorrah all over again! And yet making this totally spiritualistic phenomenon appear to be of physical, natural origin!

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

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THE BATTLE BEFORE US!

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One thing we must remember is that this world is Satan’s kingdom! 2nd Corinthians 4:4 calls him, “The god of this world”!

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And so, no matter how hard the Christian strives to strike the proper balance, it will be nearly impossible to satisfy Satan’s loyal citizenry! More and more, the true Followers of Jesus can expect to be mocked and derided and even vilified by society (and even by former church brethren).

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And so, the Christian can expect that Satan and his unseen armies will be tirelessly working to set pitfalls upon the pathway of every Christian, in hopes of causing him or her to fall! This is, to a great extent, what the long-promised Time of Trouble is all about in these last days!

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**And only by following the Lamb, side-stepping all these various spiritual “land-mines”, will the Christian finally become perfected in walking even as Jesus walked!**

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And so, O Pilgrim of the Cross, all that we can do, is to put on the armor of God, and ready ourselves for the fierce battle ahead, knowing that our victory has been assured, by Christ, who has already won the battle for us!

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“JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED!”

Matthew 7:1

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Now, just a word of caution. These truths from Heaven are given “for me and me alone!” We are not to look at others with a judgmental eye.

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And anyway, we just don’t know how God is working in the hearts and lives of people, nor do we know the true motives of others!

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So we simply look into the mirror and realize that, “Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. of who I AM CHIEF!” 1st Timothy 1:15

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Yes, my own heart is filled with enough evil to keep me busy for a lifetime, trying to purify it from my own innate wickedness!

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“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,

forgiving one another,

even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Ephesians 4:32

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“Be strong and of a good courage,

fear not, nor be afraid of them:

for the LORD thy God,

He it is that doth go with thee;

He will not fail thee,

nor forsake thee.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

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TO READ PART 6, CLICK HERE…

May 27 (Sodom Rising, Part 6: Moving Into Sodom!)

The sodomites are smitten with blindness – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to become wise as a serpent, yet harmless as a dove, as I walk through the battlefield of this world…

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

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

The info and pics of the constellations on this site are all taken from Wikipedia and from The Internation Astronomical Union (click here to view their site)

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THE MILKY WAY RUNS THROUGH 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?”

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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. 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.

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TOMORROW…

“FEBRUARY 7 (Judgment Day Now, Part 1: Viewing Sex & Violence)”

TV icon novela svg. – Wikimedia –

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20 MINUTE+ AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH

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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

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THIS STUDY #402 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…

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

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