Daily Devotional, Year 2 – FEBRUARY 22 (Pilgrim’s Progress: Vain Confidence, Part 2: Eternal Insecurity!)
By admin On December 15th, 2014.
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Daily Devotional – FEBRUARY 22
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Pilgrim’s Progress: Vain Confidence,
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Part 2:
“Eternal Insecurity!”
To read Part 1, click here… “March 10th (Pilgrim’s Progress: Vain-Confidence, Part 1)”
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In John Bunyan’s remarkable allegorical tale, Pilgrim’s Progress, there was a character called Vain-
Confidence.
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And this most unfortunate fellow was true to his name!
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You see, this Vain-Confidence did not enter into the pilgrim’s journey through that infamous Wicket Gate! And as a result, his experiences were nothing like the pilgrim’s experiences!
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No, Vain-Confidence did not experience the things which the true worshipper of God experiences.
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And yet this self-deceived one maintained a vain confidence that he was on the road to the Celestial City, just like the pilgrim!
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Pilgrim’s Progress – Vain-Confidence – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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PICKING & CHOOSING VERSES
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And the fact is, this false-hoped religious figure is still around today!
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Yes sadly, there are many such self-deceived ones today!
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And one big contributing factor to today’s apostasy is a very popular notion in Christian world! It is the false notion which scoffs at the idea that a Christian should ever question his or her Salvation.
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We say presumptuous things, such as… “God doesn’t want us to always be nervous about our Salvation! He doesn’t want us to go through life being fearful!”
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Pilgrim’s Progress – Vain-Confidence – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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1st JOHN CAN BE RATHER TRICKY IF NOT CAREFULLY STUDIED!
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And of course, there are certain passages, such as 1st John 5:13 which seem to affirm this stance of self-confidence… “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
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Now, by reading this verse by itself, one might get the idea that we ought to have complete confidence about our Salvation!
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But that’s the trouble which so many Bible readers and teachers get into, when we pull a passage out of the context of the rest of the entire Bible!
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But the fact is, no verse stands alone!
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It all must be carefully and prayerfully balanced with the rest of Scripture!
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Pilgrim’s Progress – Vain-Confidence – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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1st JOHN: A VERY UNNERVING LETTER!
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And all it takes is a careful and humble reading of 1st John to realize that we just do not measure up to what is written there!
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Yes, if ever there was a book of the Bible that will make one question his or her Salvation, it is 1st John!
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For instance, take this passage… “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1st John 2:15-17
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Now anyone who is honest with his or her own self, will look at this above passage and realize that there still exists within us a love for many things in the world!
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Some of us are still given to gluttony, or perhaps, the love of mammon, or the love of pride or display, or any one of a number of other selfish aspects of this lost world!
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We are all more or less like that vainly confident fellow in Bunyan’s allegory!
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Pilgrim’s Progress – Vain-Confidence – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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LAODICEA: A VAINLY CONFIDENT CHURCH!
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The Bible certainly has a number of passages which would give a person confidence concerning Salvation.
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And yet, the Bible also warns against having a VAIN confidence, or being presumptuous about one’s Salvation!
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Listen to the message to the Church at Laodicea… “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked!” Revelation 3:17
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Here we see that the very church which should have been covered in sackcloth and ashes, was instead, feeling very confident about its Salvation!
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Evangelist Preaching – Church – Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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REMEDY FOR OUR WORLDLINESS
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The point is, there is no reason for the church-world today to have self-confidence about our Salvation!
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Listen to James… “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God…Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord
, and He shall lift you up.” James 4:4, 8-10
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Does this above passage give me confidence about my Salvation?
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Can any of us say that we absolutely DO NOT have a friendship with the world in some way?
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Absolutely not!
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Just the opposite!
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Our repeated sin (whatever type of sin it may be), is because of our love of this world in some way!
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And this above passage from James, was written especially for such times as we are now in!
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David’s sorrow – Wikigallery – Public Domain
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GOOD NEWS!
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The very Good News in all this is that God has given us a little more time to ready ourselves for His literal Return on the “last day”! (Read the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, in which “the last day” is repeated four times).
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And we must not be negligent to use our remaining time to good account! We must make the above passage from James 4:4-10 our daily ma
ntra, and fall to our spiritual knees in humble and heartfelt repentance, pleading for cleansing and restoration!
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And we must begin to fully immerse ourselves in the things which will bring a heavenly profit!
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And we must shun the things which will pull us down and entangle us in earthly desires!
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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – public domain
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Let me often test myself, and see if there is any selfish way in me. Turn me from all presumptuous and vain confidence…
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “March 29th (Preaching to the Wrong Church” or you can also read… “Moon into Blood Trilogy: 3rd Face: The Sadducee Seeker”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
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“It (God’s Covenant) shall be established…
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for ever as the Moon…
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and as a faithful witness
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in heaven. Selah.”
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Psalm 89:37.
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THE SEEKER (THE SADDUCEE)
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LOCATING THIS 3RD FACE
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The 3rd face of the Moon is a bit more difficult to locate, because it is mostly upside down. But this photo and this sketch are how this face would appear if it was turned right side up. (In the southern hemisphere, however, this is how the Moon would appear.)
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The third face is the most difficult to see northern hemisphere, but once you do, it then becomes easy. This face is like a furry creature of the field. Maybe a rabbit. Maybe a squirrel. Perhaps 
a chipmunk. Probably a mouse. All “seekers”; all foragers or scavengers. And while this picture shows this little “beast of the field” right side up, this 3rd face is always pretty much in an upside down position. The other two faces appear right-side-up, and are easier to locate. This photo and this sketch are both turned around to help you see this 3rd face easily. This enhanced sketch to the above right is merely to help you to see this face more easily. (As already stated, this 3rd face is right side up in the southern hemisphere.)
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Moon into Blood Trilogy: 3rd Face: The Sadducee Seeker”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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TOMORROW…
“FEBRUARY 23 (Lovers of Pleasure More Than Lovers of God!)”
ABOVE PICTURE: Unfunny Judgment Day Cartoon – a party tonight – signsofheaven.org
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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 #418 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain
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