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Today’s Devotional – July 14th

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The Time of Jacob’s Trouble:

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“Alone With God”,

Part 2

To read Part 1, click here…July 13th (Jacob’s Trouble, Part 1: Alone With God)

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In yesterday’s devotional (click here), it was put forth that God’s people have been mingling with the world, and also with the worldly Church, to the point that God’s true-worshippers have totally fallen asleep, along with the “Foolish Virgins”.

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And it was lamented that we have failed to bring forth Christ within!

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And this failure to fully die with Christ, so that Christ might live out His holy life through us, has caused us to fail our great commission: to cause “the inhabitants of the world to fall”…

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Listen… “We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.” Isaiah 26:18

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This passage from Isaiah speaks of the Church failing to fulfill its divine commission, to bring forth Christ within us, that the world might be won for Christ.

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Brooklyn Museum – The Wise Virgins – James Tissot – Wikimedia – public domain

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Now also in yesterday’s devotional, it was discussed that the Time of Trouble before us, is called, “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”.

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So, let’s pick up where we left off yesterday…

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JACOB CHASTISED FOR HIS DISHONESTY

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In the 27th Chapter of Genesis, the true historical account is told of Jacob’s sojourn toward God’s appointed plan for Jacob.

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Now after Jacob was given bad counsel by his mother concerning stealing away his brother’s birthright, Jacob was forced to flee from his home, and ended up with his Uncle Laban, who, for many years, cheated Jacob, over and over again.

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But this ultimately proved a blessing for Jacob, since Jacob’s big sin was dishonesty. And so, God was using Uncle Laban as a tormentor, to rub Jacob’s nose, so to speak, in Jacob’s own sin of dishonesty.

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Jacob Meets Laban by Antonio Balestra www.wikigallery.org public domain

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NIGHT OF WRESTLING

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But after God allowed Jacob to suffer by the hand of Uncle Laban for all those years, God finally brought Jacob to that place where Jacob would wrestle with God through his night of trouble.

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But Jacob persevered! He did not become discouraged, nor did he give up! And because Jacob continued to wrestle, at the dawning of the day, God pronounced His blessing upon Jacob… “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” Genesis 32:28.

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Yes, Jacob no longer was named “Jacob the Liar”. But now he was given the name, “Israel, the Prince who prevailed with God”.

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Jacob Wrestling with the Angel – Wikipedia – public domain

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UNCLE LABAN STILL AROUND TODAY!

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And so, the time now before us is also known as “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”. And like Jacob, we too have also suffered under the hand of Uncle Laban, so to speak.

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Yes, we too have had our noses rubbed in our own sins for all these years, at the hand of Satan and his many workers of iniquity. And God has allowed Mankind to oppress us and our children. And the churches have become so worldly-minded, that they were of little help.

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By their own worldliness, their bad example only made us even more worldly-minded!

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Jacob Meets Laban by Antonio Balestra www.wikigallery.org public domain

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MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE: FLEE!

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But God is now calling us to come out of all this Babylonish confusion, and God is calling us to flee. No, it’s no longer a time to congregate.

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Listen… “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

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Notice that it says to have fellowship together as we “see the Day approaching”.

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And the question that we have to ask ourselves is, “as we see WHAT day approaching?”

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Well, the day approaching is the day when we are to flee!

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Moses spoke of it as a time to flee to the mountain from the destruction of Sodom. Genesis 19:14

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David spoke of it as a time to flee as a bird from our enemies (Psalm 11:1 & Psalm 143:9).

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Solomon spoke of it as a time to get to the “Mountain of Myrrh and to the Hill of Frankincense” S. of S. 4:6

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Isaiah spoke of it as… “…his (Moab’s) fugitives shall flee unto Zoar” Isaiah 15:5.

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Jeremiah spoke of it as a time to “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 recompense.” Jeremiah 51:6.

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Habakkuk spoke of it as an hour at the end, when God’s people are to run from the Chaldeans. Habakkuk 2:1-3

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Matthew also spoke of it as an hour at the end, when God’s people are to, “flee to the mountains”! Matthew 24:15, 16

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Paul spoke of it as a time to “Come out from among them (unbelievers) and be ye separate” 2nd Corinthians 6:17

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Jesus spoke of it as the time to, “Come out of her My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4

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And, The Heavens Declare that the Revelation 12 Woman Constellation is fleeing from the Revelation 12 Dragon, as she finally wings her way into the Narrow Gate Stars!

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ABOVE PICTURES:

Tissot – Abraham Sees Sodom in Flames – Wikipedia – US public domain.

Picture–Lot Escapes Sodom-Genesis3-www.thebiblerevival.com offers free Bible clipart-public domain.

PICTURE – Constellation- Woman of Revelation 12 flees to the mountains Mark 13:14

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CHURCH FAST ASLEEP!

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But why is God doing this? Why are we to flee? Why are we to come out of Babylon (the apostate churches)?

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Well, for one thing, we have allowed our church attendance to become a great big substitute for a moment-by-moment relationship with God! In other words, as we participated in the watered-down gospels being taught in today’s churches, we allowed ourselves to become complacent and lethargic to a great degree! We all went to sleep as did the “Five Wise & Five Foolish Virgins”! (see Matthew 25:1-13)

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But now, it is time to wake up! Now, it is time to enter into the wedding supper!

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Now it is time to trim our lamps, so to speak, and go out to meet the Bridegroom!

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Five Wise Virgins – Matt 25 – www.thebiblerevival.com – public domain

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SINGING A NEW SONG

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“And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:” Psalm 40:3

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Well, this devotional has engaged in a lot of metaphor-mixing. But to put it in plain and concise language, God is separating us from the apostate churches, so that He might teach us His special song, the song of Christ’s infinite love and goodness.

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Because it would be impossible to teach us that glorious Song of Salvation, if we were still mixing and mingling with the world and with the worldly congregations.

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And so, just as the bird is placed in darkness and aloneness, so it can be taught to sing its Master’s song, so too, God’s people must likewise “come out from among them”, away from the world-loving influences, so that they can learn their master’s glorious song of redemption.

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And once we learn that song, we will forever be able to sing that song of love throughout all eternity, as we wing our flight to worlds unknown!

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BIRD – Erithacus rubecula Norway – singing – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike-license

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TO READ PART 3, CLICK HERE…

November 1st (Jacob’s Trouble, Part 3)

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel – Wikipedia – public domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Give me further understanding into this concept of “fleeing”. Open my eyes that I might see clearly, as to the true condition of the church-world…

Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1” or you can also read… “February 11th (Come Out From Among Them!)“

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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REVELATION 12 TAKES PLACE IN HEAVEN

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“And there appeared a great wonder (sign) in heaven; a woman…And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder (sign) in heaven; and behold a great red dragon…And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth…And the woman fled into the wilderness…And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon…And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness…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: 1-4, 6, 7, 14, 15 (condensed)

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This above passage is a very condensed version of Revelation, Ch. 12. (To read entire Chapter 12, click here)

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From time to time, the Book of Revelation mentions stars. But when we get to Revelation Chapter 12, it speaks of two “great signs in heaven”. First, it speaks of the sign in heaven of a woman with child. Then it speaks of the sign in heaven of a great red dragon, with a tail that sweeps one-third of the stars and casts these stars down to the earth. So we get the sense that this phenomenon that the Apostle John was seeing, was closely intertwined with the starry host of the heavens. And these two signs in heaven, a woman, and a dragon, are a big part of this website, Signs Of Heaven.

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And so this phenomenon that the Apostle John was seeing, was closely intertwined with the starry host of the heavens.

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What really gives validity to this idea, is that God created the Universe in such a way, that if one looks at the major constellations, then this Revelation 12 scenario can be seen. So please read on. And if you really want to see this heavenly battle, you just might. It will take some real effort on your part. But through prayer, faith, and study of the site, God may just graciously open your eyes to see this amazing story written on the heavenly scroll above. But don’t wait! This heavenly scroll will soon be rolled up, just as it is written… “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together;” Revelation 6:14

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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.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Woman of Revelation 12 (Flees to the Wilderness)” 

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TOMORROW:

“July 15th (Loopholes in God’s Law!)”

Moses – Ten Commandments – Wikipedia – US Public Domain.

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 

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

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THIS STUDY #193 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…

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

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