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Daily Devotional, Year 2- APRIL 7

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Image of the Beast,

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Part 3:

“Voices!”

TO READ PART 1, CLICK HERE…April 5 (Image of the Beast, Part 1: Schools)

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“How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment!

they are utterly consumed with terrors.

As a dream when one awaketh;

so, O Lord, when Thou awakest,

Thou shalt despise their image.”

Psalm 73:19, 20

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The Cuttlefish is one of the most amazing creatures in all the earth!

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This little sea creature has been given the incredible ability to instantly change shape, color, and spots, to imitate it’s surroundings!

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It takes on the image of whatever environment it happens to be in! 

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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Well, today’s devotional is all about changing into an image.

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And there is no better symbol for image-changing than the Cuttlefish…

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Cuttlefish komodo – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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IMAGE OF THE BEAST

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So let’s look into what the bible has to say about images…

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Listen… “And he (the False Prophet) had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Revelation 13:15

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And so, this above verse from Revelation foretells of a day in which the False Prophet will cause all the inhabitants of the world to bow down to the image of the 1st Beast of Revelation 13 (who is the express image of the Dragon, that is, Satan).

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

TV – highquality – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons License

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SATAN IN THE HOLY PLACE

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From these three devotionals it becomes clear that the image of the Beast is a multifaceted issue.

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But all three devotionals can be summed up by simply saying that Satan is multiplying the ways in which he is indoctrinating the world into conformity to his own image.

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And not only does Satan come through secular entities, but he has successfully infiltrated the Church as well!

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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LYING SIGNS & WONDERS

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Now in these last moments of earth’s history, Satan has been given power to perform counterfeit miracles.

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And of course, this should not be a surprise, since the bible has forewarned this would happen…

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Listen… “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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So here it is revealed that Satan will come with counterfeit signs and wonders.

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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

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DOUBLE-MINDED CHURCH

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Yes, Satan can indeed work lying signs & wonders!

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And like that devilish Cuttlefish, Satan has disguised himself as a counterfeit Holy Spirit!

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But how are we to know the difference? How can we tell what is from God and what is from the Devil?

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Actually it is very simple. The Bible informs us… “For let not that (double-minded) man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:7, 8

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You see, it’s a ludicrous notion that God would be the least interested in placing His seal of approval on an apostate church-world! And it doesn’t take too much observation to realize that we are in a sad and apostate condition!

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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HEDONISM & MATERIALISM TODAY

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Now if we were the persecuted Church of the Dark Ages, one might be able to make a case for signs and wonders being bestowed upon God’s persecuted and martyred people.

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But sadly, today’s Church is steeped in materialism and hedonistic pleasure-seeking.  

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Burning at the Stake – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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REVEALING STATISTICS

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For instance, studies show that the majority of Christian men admit to viewing pornography on a regular basis!

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Our divorce rate is equal to the secular world.

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And most Christians believe that “God helps those, who help themselves” is actually a verse from the Bible!

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And most Christians cannot even recite all Ten Commandments!

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Tissot – Moses and the Ten Commandments – Wikipedia – US Public Dom.

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SATAN HAS BEEN BUSY

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And why are they finding such dismal statistics concerning the Church? Simply because we are just too busy in the world.

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We have been duped by the Devil into believing his prosperity-driven gospels, preached from the pulpits in most every congregation, both liberal and conservative!

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And we have been flooded with high-tech devices and television and radio and all the other time-consuming, Holy-Spirit-grieving distractions.

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And statistics reveal that most Christian children attend a public school!

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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YOKED WITH UNBELIEVERS

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To a very great degree, Satan has successfully enveloped the church-world by the secular world.

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Christians are being encouraged by their pastors to form friendships with unbelievers, when the Bible says just opposite… “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?” 2nd Corinthians 6:14, 17

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No, we can’t come completely out of the world!

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But we can come a good way out, if we so-choose!

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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

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“I WILL SPEW THEE OUT OF MY MOUTH”

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“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16

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This above verse is to the very last church: the Church of the Laodiceans.

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And we being the last church on earth, are in a very sad and apostate condition!

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At best, we are lukewarm like those Laodiceans!

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And so why would we ever imagine that God is dealing with us like He dealt with the Early Church?

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Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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SATAN MOVES IN

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And so, Satan has successfully separated the various congregations from God, by our Lukewarm spiritual condition.

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And after many decades of this condition, the Holy Spirit has finally been taken out of the midst.

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Listen… “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now lets, will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” 2nd Thessalonians 2:7-9

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So here in this above passage is described the condition of the church-world just prior to Christ’s Return.

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The Holy Spirit having been removed, and Satan replaces Him with a counterfeit “signs & wonders gospel”, which is exactly what we see in today’s church-world.

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

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COUNTERFEIT WONDERS

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Now these “lying signs and wonders” can come in the form of tongues, voices, visions, dreams, “falling backwards” (“slain in the spirit”), and any and every other counterfeit manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit!

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And so, by making Christians think that God is working miracles marvelously through them, the Enemy of Souls deceives countless Christians!

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Hands – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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GOD SPEAKING DIRECTLY

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After all, many Christians believe that they have a direct line to God, via a voice which speaks comforting words to them in their minds!

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And these deceived ones are often heard saying such things as… “God told me this! God told me that!” 

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And so now, if God is speaking to them directly, what need is there for Bible study?

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Why bother hiding the words of Christ and all His precious promises in our heart?

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Cuttlefish.ogv – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Eve & The Whispering Serpent – www.signsofheaven.org- Share-Alike License

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DISCIPLESHIP REQUIRES ALL

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But the fact is, such misguided church-goers could not study the Bible even if they wanted to!

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Because for any man, woman, or child to be a true disciple of Jesus, requires them to “forsake all, and follow Him”! 

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But Satan has raised up a false gospel which accommodates all those who want Jesus while continuing to cling to the pleasures and pursuits of this selfish world!

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DOOR STILL OPEN

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The Good News in all this is that it is still the Day of Salvation!

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Any man, woman, or child still has time to forsake this selfish world, and begin the upward journey to the celestial City of God!

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There is enough room in the Ark of Salvation for everyone!

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And the door of mercy is still open!

 

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TO READ PART 4, CLICK HERE…

May 19 (Image of the Beast, Part 4: “Signage of the Times:”) 

Time-New-York-City-Night-lights-Wikimedia-Creative-Commons-2.0-Generic-License-

 

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Let me not be deceived by the counterfeit miracles which are so frequently happening today…

USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “May 4th (Mark of the Beast & Seal of God)“, or you can also read… “Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1”

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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FLOOD-WATERS OF SATAN CONSTELLATION

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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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7 HEADS, 10 HORNS, & 7 CROWNS OF THE DRAGON

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“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.” Rev. 12:3 

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In Revelation, the Dragon of Revelation 12 is described as having seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns. However, the Dragon Constellation up in the night sky does not. But God has faithfully created the wave of water, in such a way, as to illustrate this same concept of the seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns. Because this wave of water is basically composed of ten stars. The main body of the wave has seven stars (#‘s, 1 thru 7). And the tip of the crest of the wave has the other three stars (#’s, 8, 9 & 10). So we have this 7 and 10 numbering. And this gives us a great clue, as to where in the Bible we should look, to find out the riddle as to just what or who do these 7 heads, 10 crowns, and 7 horns represent. Because, the Bible speaks very much about floods and waters as being associated with Satan (the Dragon).

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Floodwaters of the False Prophet: “Atheism & Psychology””

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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TOMORROW…

“April 8 (The Straw-Man, Part 4: Stigmatizing Christianity! Foolish Talk & Jesting)”

Talking face – Wikimedia – GNU License

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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 #461 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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