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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – JUNE 21

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Love Is Not A Pick-n-Choose Buffet,

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Part 2:

“Our Royal Priesthood!”

To read Part 1, click here…February 27th (Love Is Not A Pick-N-Choose Buffet)

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In the first installment of this “Love Is Not A Pick-n-Choose Buffet” devotional (click here), today’s Christianity was compared to an all-you-can-eat buffet in which many church-goers attempt to pick-n-choose what they like or do not like from the Gospel.

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In other words, there are many who simply want a Christianity made only of the softer aspects of the gospel, such as “being kind to others.”

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This would be akin to going to an all-you-can-eat buffet and loading up on dessert and refusing everything else!

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Well, this is nice. But true agape love is comprised of many different facets of truth.

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You just cannot decide to choose one or two aspects of the Gospel, and refuse the rest! Salvation doesn’t work that way!

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Forain – The Buffet – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

 

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ANOTHER GOSPEL

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There is a particular popular evangelist who promotes this kind of gospel. And he is big about being very emotional and even, “warm and fuzzy”, as they say.

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And he speaks of helping those in the world who are in great need. And he almost seems on the verge of tears, as he speaks about Christ’s love for sinners, and our lack of love for God.

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The problem is, this very nice man combines this highly emotional gospel with world-loving behavior. And listening to him is like going on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, ranging from his tears of remorse to fits of laughter at his well-timed jokes.

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And besides his rather fashionable manner of speaking and dress, he occasionally mentions his favorite TV shows and other worldly pursuits.

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

 

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DECEIVING THE SIMPLE-HEARTED

Romans 16:18

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Well consequently, this particular evangelist has a great appeal among young adults who are not so well-seasoned in knowledge of the Bible.

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Yes, his gospel is very popular among those who desire a gospel which combines so-called love for Heaven with the love for many elements of this selfish world.

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After all, to have a great love for others, and yet, still pursuing the many exciting aspects of the world is just the type of religion which the world is looking for! A religion which does not require dying to this present world of selfishness! And along with this evangelist’s charismatic personality and his ability to charm his audience with jokes or tearful stories only makes for a very appealing gospel!

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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel 

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A PICK-N-CHOOSE BUFFET

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But the purpose of even using this man’s ministry, is not to merely criticize him.

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But his kind of a gospel is so close to the true gospel, that it clarifies a great deception which is commonly seen today! And it reminds us of Jesus’ warning… “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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You see, this kind of a pick-n-choose gospel takes the most appealing aspects of Christianity, while ignoring and rejecting those more holy aspects of Christ.

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Vegie buffet – cropped – Wikimedia – GNU Free Documentation License

 

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A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

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For instance, there is very little emphasis upon the fact that Christians are called to be, “…a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar (purchased) people…” 1st Peter 2:9

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Well, just why is this missing ingredient important?

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The fact is, if we read about the office of a priest, we begin to understand just what a high and holy calling we have from the Lord!

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the Holy of Holies – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain

 

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THE HIGH AND HOLY CALLING!

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The priests in the Old Testament were to live and walk in holiness and purity.

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And should they take their duties casually and presumptuously, they were in danger of being struck dead by God. (Historians even mention that when a priest went into the tabernacle to minister before the Lord, that they attached a rope to their ankle, in which they could be pulled out, should the Lord strike them dead! Because no one but the priest was allowed within the walls of that Holy Place!)

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Tissot – The Two Priests Are Destroyed – Wikipedia – Public Dom.

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“THE PEOPLE…ROSE UP TO PLAY”

1st Corinthians 10:7

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And yet, in today’s Christianity, our behavior is anything but holy!

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Oh yes, we might behave reverently during church service. But after a few hours of pretentious solemnity, we return to our world-loving pursuits and mundane giddiness!

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But the fact is, we are called to God’s service in the following manner… “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1st Peter 1:15, 16

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

 

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HOLY PLACE OF THE HEART

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We have been called to minister in God’s Holy Place in our heart. And just as the Levite priests purified themselves from every trace of worldliness and defilement, so too must we, if we expect to remain in that most holy office of priest!

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Oh no, God will not strike us dead, like He did to those Old Testament priests. But by our continual carelessness and presumptuous trifling with the holy things of God, we place ourselves in danger of grieving the Holy Spirit and ultimately losing our connection with Heaven…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Most Holy Place – Signs Of Heaven

 

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A MOST SOLEMN WARNING!

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Listen to this most solemn warning… “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:5

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Here is a most solemn warning for Christians. Our hearts are the Holy Place in which Christ, our High Priest, desires to be a co-priest with Christians.

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But more often than not, instead of cleansing our soul-temple, we rather emulate the nonchalance and foolish giddiness of the world!

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ABOVE PICTURE: Unfunny Judgment Day Cartoon – companys-coming – revised

 

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“GOOD NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY!”

Proverbs 25:25

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Well, the Good News is that the Lord is very willing to forgive us and return us to our priestly duties.

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It simply remains for us to begin to take our royal priesthood seriously! And God has extended our time, in hopes that we will turn and repent and call out to God for deliverance from our spiritual lethargy.

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And hopefully, that misguided evangelist will realize his error and turn again to the agape love which embraces all of the Bible, and not just some of the Bible!  

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David’s sorrow – Wikigallery – Public Domain

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“THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY PEACE…”

Galatians 5:22

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And don’t think for one moment that we cannot have joy and peace as we live such a holy life, as we minister and pray in the Lord’s Temple!

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When the Holy Spirit truly comes to abide in our heart, we will share in Heaven’s joy and peace: a peace which surpasses all understanding!

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And as we go about our daily earthly duties, we will become a tabernacle in the wilderness of this world: a walking and breathing and living tabernacle!

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Family Portrait – cropped – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

 

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To read Part 3, click here… 

JUNE 22 (Love Is Not A Pick-n-Choose Buffet, Part 3: Heart Purification!)

ABOVE PICTURE: Most Holy Place within the heart – Signs Of Heaven

 

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to embrace all the Bible and not just pick-n-choose what I like. Help me to seek after all the qualities and virtues of Jesus and not just some…

 

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “March 1st (A Designer Jesus!)“, or you can also read… February 3rd (Fashionable Religion)

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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ARK SEEN IN HEAVEN 

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“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”  Revelation 11:19

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The above verse from Revelation, speaks of God’s Temple in Heaven being opened. But this great constellation, the  Sagittarius Constellation  is actually the constellation of the Ark of the Covenant. So these two events go hand in hand simultaneously. The Ark Constellation, as sketched into this Wikipedia star-chart, is a representation of the heavenly Ark, as God begins to open up the spiritual concepts of that true Ark to our minds.

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Star-chart from Wikipedia (this Website has taken the liberty to sketch in this Ark Constellation)

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… Ark of the Covenant Constellation, Pt. 2: How To Enter The Most Holy Place

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TOMORROW…

JUNE 22 (Love Is Not A Pick-n-Choose Buffet, Part 3: Heart Purification!)

ABOVE PICTURE: Most Holy Place within the heart – Signs Of Heaven

 

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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 #536 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

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

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo. Most tall, narrow photos have been cropped or reduced by this website to make them a better fit on phone screens.

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