Daily Devotional, Year 3 – December 10 (The Gospel According To Pollyanna, Part 3: “A Pretentious Form of Godliness”)
By admin On January 4th, 2018.
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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – December 10
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The Gospel According To Pollyanna,
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Part 3:
“A Pretentious Form of Godliness”
To read Part 1, click here…Jan 4 (The gospel according to Pollyanna)
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“This know also, that in the last days…
men shall be lovers of their own selves…
Having a form of godliness,
but denying the power thereof:
from such turn away.”
2nd Timothy 3:1, 2, 5
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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO POLLYANNA
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Back in the 1960’s, a very popular movie was introduced, called Pollyanna.
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In this movie, a young girl came to live with her very harsh and judgmental aunt.
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But this happy, lovable and precocious little girl in that movie, had been following her father’s gospel of his own making (which eliminated the thousands of seemingly harsher verses found in the Bible).
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Now, Pollyanna’s “very nice and happy-faced” gospel was in stark contrast to the “fire-n-brimstone” gospel which her harsh and judgmental Aunt Polly liked to hear.
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And so, the movie tension was somewhat centered on Pollyanna’s happy, 800 verse judgment-free gospel, against the sour-faced fire-n-brimstone preaching which her Aunt Polly was pushing.
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
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HOLLYWOOD’S WAR ON CHRISTIANITY
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And such movies as Pollyanna (and there are many similar ones) have been a strong deterrent over the past decades, against any Hell-Fire preaching in today’s pulpits.
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Yes, Satan has waged his war on Christianity, via the television and movie industry.
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And such movies as this have made pastors and churches deathly afraid of being seen as “too harsh and judgmental”!
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
Hollywood Sign – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
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A HAPPY-FACED GOSPEL TODAY
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Now, the last two devotionals (click here) on this theme of Pollyanna have focused on today’s apostate Christianity which often attempts to “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative” aspects of the true Gospel of the Bible, all in hopes of gaining a wider appeal among the general populace.
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
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However, today’s devotional will attempt to focus on Pollyanna’s totally upbeat personality, and how this relates to the Bible, and to the Christian.
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Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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INHERENT FRIENDLINESS?
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Now it seems to be proven in nature that friendliness and sociability can be a natural inherent trait. After all, just look at the animal kingdom, and notice that some animals are friendlier than others. For instance, some cats are friendlier than other, not-so-friendly cats. And so, it
would make sense that some humans are likewise more sociable than other, not-so-friendly humans.
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But the storybook character of Pollyanna (especially the British version of this movie) was so happy and bubbly, that few humans could ever hope to measure up to her consistently bubbly bright and cheerful attitude!
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So then, what’s even the point of making this observation?
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
Woman With A Cat, by Renoir, 1885, www.wikipaintings.org – US public domain
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“THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED
Ephesians 6:16
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Well, the point is that the movie was a purposeful jab against Christianity. At least it was intended to strike a blow at biblical Christianity.
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And why would this movie (and many similar movies) be considered to be a weapon against Christianity?
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Very simple! One of Satan’s longstanding attacks on Christians is to portray dedicated Christians as being sour-faced and critical. And so, to make this argument even more convincing, Satan quite often gives his loyal citizenry very friendly and sociable qualities. And isn’t it true that we live in a somewhat fun-loving, joking and an even giddy society?
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And if that weren’t enough, Satan often compels yet another class of impostors posing as Christians to behave badly, thus reinforcing his accusation, that truly dedicated Christians are sour-faced, strict, critical and even austere in our general lifestyle.
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And even sincere Christians are heavily attacked by Satan, who constantly tries to push them into seemingly fanatical extremes, thus strengthening Satan’s argument against Christianity.
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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“NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED, NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE SPIRIT…OF GOD”
1st Corinthians 2:12
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And this Hollywood hit-piece was just another subtle slam against true and sincere Christians!
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After all, Pollyanna was more or less a secular-minded individual. Oh yes, she adhered to a quasi-Christian gospel of her own making. But by-and-large, she was pretty much a secularist. And that is why our secular society embraces that “charming little story” like it does. After all, if Pollyanna was a truly dedicated Christian, then our society would have turned up their nose away from that little movie!
(Now, it must be noted, as of late, there has arisen up a certain segment of secularist-socialists who often appear angry, humorless, and even hateful against Christians, Conservatives, and Jews)
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
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“A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF”
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But does the Bible affirm this idea that Satan raises up a somewhat godly and moral standard among the inhabitants of the world?
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Well, as far as today’s opening Bible verse, God reveals that in these last days, many secular-minded people will have, “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2nd Timothy 3:5
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Yes, our society is filled with many forms of godliness, howbeit a type of counterfeit godliness, completely void of the Holy Spirit’s power.
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
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“THINK ON THESE THINGS”
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Now having said all this, let’s not throw out the proverbial, “baby with the bath water”!
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In other words, Christians would do well to follow Paul’s advice in the following passage…“if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
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Yes, even though Pollyanna was a fictional character. And though she was very much a partaker of the spirit of the world. Nevertheless, Christians would do well to think about, and even imitate Pollyanna’s cheerful personality, as much as possible!
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
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“NOW FOR A SEASON…YE ARE IN HEAVINESS THROUGH MANIFOLD TEMPTATIONS”
1st Peter 1:6
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On the other hand, God is well aware that true Christians are often under heavy attack by 
the unseen ruling forces of this evil world. We are at war!
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And so, right now, it is often difficult for sorely tried and tempted Christians to maintain such a bubbly personality as Pollyanna had. God’s people are suffering right now!
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Nevertheless, we are to be looking upward, by faith.
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And it is only by true faith that Christians look beyond our present distress, trying to be joy-filled even amidst our fiery trials!
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Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
Munch – Det Syke Barn – 1896 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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“…AND EVERLASTING JOY SHALL BE UPON THEIR HEAD”
Isaiah 51:11
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Well, the very Good News is that it won’t be long until our trials will all be over!
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Yes, and very soon we can cross over that Jordan River, into the Promised Land in which it will be very easy to be light-hearted and joy-filled, even on a 24/7/365 basis!
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The River Of The Water Of Life by H. Melville – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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TO READ PART 4, CLICK HERE…
December 11 (The Gospel According To Pollyanna, Part 4: “Hollywood’s War On Christians”)
Hollywood Sign – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, help me to be wise as a serpent in regard to Satan’s deceptive tactics in his ongoing war against God’s people…
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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 may also read…March 1st (A Designer Jesus!)
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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VARIOUS SIGNS SPOKEN OF…
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Now as far as those who search Bible prophecy concerning “signs of the End”, most 
of us were expecting extraordinary heavenly phenomena; you know, such things as giant asteroids or other colossal cataclysmic occurrences.
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Asteroid – Giant impact – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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VARIOUS SIGNS MENTIONED…
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But you see, God has mentioned various constellations in Scriptures: Orion, The Pleiades, Mazzaroth, etc.. But He also spoke in Revelation of “great signs” in the heavens: a woman with child, a dragon who swept a third of the stars, and Michael who fought against that dragon (see Revelation, Ch. 12).
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The Bible also speaks of other signs in the heavens, and it is the purpose of Signs Of Heaven website, to introduce these wonderful signs and to reveal the many Bible passages which explain them. And if you are one of the fortunate ones to receive this amazing message, then you too can begin to proclaim this heavenly love story to anyone willing to listen.
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Comet Hale-Bopp-29-03-1997 – cropped – wikipedia – share-alike license
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“LAY UP…TREASURES IN HEAVEN”
Matthew 6:20
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“My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of 
righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” Proverbs 8:19-21. This above passage speaks of a pathway which leads to riches and treasures.
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Yes, God is just now revealing the long-awaited signs, as it is written, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” Luke 21:25. And God is just now opening up a pathway to the stars: a figurative gate to Heaven itself!
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Arcturus (the star that wise-men follow!)”
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TOMORROW…
December 11 (The Gospel According To Pollyanna, Part 4: “Satan’s War On Christianity”)
Pollyanna statue – cropped photo – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 license
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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY
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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 IS STUDY #342 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain
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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, and tags, etc.. Most Images cropped & reduced in size.
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