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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – DECEMBER 8

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How To Run The Christian Race:

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“Choosing The Best Music”

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One day, many years ago, a beloved pastor was leaving his church to pastor another church in another town.

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And so, this vacating pastor titled his last sermon, “Stay in the Race”, which was an encouragement to…stay in the Christian Race, and not give up, nor give in to worldly lusts and pleasures.

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ABOVE PICTURE – winter Constellations – Woman of Revelation 12 (Ursa Major) flees to the mountains – Mark 13:14 – Dragon comprised of Hyades, Pleiades, etc…Valley of Decision mountain comprised of Cassiopeia, etc… (This is not a star-chart, but merely a concept picture since this mountain is not in this position, but is actually in the fall months)

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“BUT I’M NOT EVEN RUNNING!”

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Well, there was a young man in the pews listening. And as the young man thought about this sermon, he asked himself, “I’m not even running the race! So how can I stay in a race in which I’m not even running?”

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This self-evaluation by that young man is perhaps a common sentiment among churchgoers today. In other words, many, or perhaps most church-attendees probably would admit in an honest moment, “I’m not running the Christian Race, as Paul did!”

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HOW MANY ARE RUNNING?

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Yes, just how many of us can really honestly say, “I am truly running the Christian Race, even as Paul ran!” 

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 Listen to Paul… “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:” 1st Corinthians 9:24-26

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Yes, Paul was definitely striving for the mastery, as this above passage reveals!

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Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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MUSIC CHOICES

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Let’s just take one aspect of the Christian life, and see how it plays a part in running the Christian Race.

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Let’s take the subject of music, and what is the best music for those who are running the Christian Race.

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Church of Christ worship music – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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WORDS IMPORTANT, BUT NOT MUSIC?

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Now in today’s Christian community, there are different music genres to choose from. And there are those who will say that, “As long as the lyrics are in harmony with Scripture, the particular genre doesn’t really matter!”

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But the problem with this thinking is that music is a language all to itself! Without any lyrics, music conveys thoughts all by itself.

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For instance, one would never play marching music while enjoying a candlelight dinner. Nor would soft violins be played for an army marching into battle!

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8 musicians motion blur experimental digital photography by Rick Doble. – Wikimedia – C.C. GNU License

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A SEXUALIZED SOCIETY

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The fact is, it is no big secret that we are living in a very sexualized society.

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And much of the music today is very sensual. And all too often, Christian lyrics are added to sensual music…One noticeable technique heard in much of today’s Christian music, is when the vocalist pushes air through his or her voice to achieve a sort of, “sensual bedroom voice”.

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And so, in such cases, there is no attempt to imitate Christ, but merely to imitate the world! 

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Store window mannequins – Wikimedia – Share-alike License 3.0

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“TAKE FORTH THE PRECIOUS FROM THE VILE”

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The Bible warns…“Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before Me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.” Jeremiah 15:19

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In this above verse, the Lord was commanding Jeremiah to purify his life from all the worldly trappings which the people of his day had embraced.

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And if Jeremiah faithfully put away all such compromising elements from his life, then God would speak through him in his ministry. And of course, Jeremiah was obedient to this charge.

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Prophet Jeremiah Dictates to Baruch – Wikiart.com – US Public Domain

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THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS WITHIN

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Those who are true worshippers of God, are indwelt by the Spirit of Holiness. And so, that Spirit of Christ within, will gently prompt that Believer towards a Christlike lifestyle. And there will be a constant desire to become transformed into Christ’s likeness.

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And day-by-day, the Believer will be increasingly desirous to put away all commonness and worldliness out of his or her life. To let Christ’s light shine out to the world will be the great longing in a Believer’s heart!

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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A FIRE WITHIN

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So also, the Believer will have an inner prompting to be holy, even as Christ is holy. After all, the Holy Spirit is just that: the Spirit of Holiness! And so, that Spirit of Holiness burns as a spiritual fire within the Believer, causing him or her to gravitate toward an ever-increasing level of holiness.

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Therefore, it is no big surprise that the Believer’s life will take on a greater closeness to Christlike holiness.

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And this will be seen in the various areas of the Believer’s life. Thus, the music which the Believer listens to will more-and-more reflect the musical tastes of Christ, since Christ is supposed to be living out His life through that Believer!

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Jesus – by J. Tissot – Brooklyn Museum – US Public Domain

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NEW TASTES, NEW DESIRES

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And for those of us who have grown up listening to the raw and carnal music of the world, there will be seen a metamorphosis to a music genre which the world would not touch with the proverbial, “ten-foot pole”. But this should not surprise us. After all, our life has been dedicated to surrendering our selfish and carnal nature to Christ, so that His holiness will replace our former carnal desires.

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Music – photo-psychic – Ganzfeld – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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LUCIFER’S SELF-EXALTATION

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Jesus Christ made no attempt to imitate the world. He and His disciples sang a hymn. But there was no self-exaltation in the various voices. Humbleness made the chorus beautiful.

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On the other hand, it was Lucifer who exalted his vocal talent, as he sang before the angelic choir.

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Gustave Dore – Paradise Lost illustration – Lucifer becomes Satan – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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 THE GOOD NEWS!

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But the really wonderful Good News is that every true Believer rejoices whenever he or she can lay down some cherished idol on the altar for Christ!

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But just the opposite to that is the striving for earthly attainments, which is the predominant sin of today’s church-world.

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But with each and every spiritual sacrifice, the more that the Christian’s life will reveal that Christ is living within!

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And his or her godly example will be an inspiration to others, as they behold their changed life! 

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Please put in my heart the burning desire to become like Jesus in every way. Let this desire manifest itself in all that I do, and all that I surround myself within…

Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read…“CHRISTIAN RACE” PART 2: EFFECTS OF SENSUAL MUSIC…, or you can also read… March 25th (Lucifer’s Music Solo)

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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FROM WHERE & TO WHERE DOES SHE FLEE?

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WOMAN ROTATES THROUGH THE SEASONS…

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This page is about the Big Dipper, also called the Great Bear constellation (Ursa Major ). However, the ancient pagan cultures did not see this constellation as God intended it to be seen. It is actually a headless woman in childbirth.  This is seen in springtime. It is seen in the northern skies. 

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But as the seasons progress, this travailing woman flips upside down, now appearing as a woman with upraised arms like eagle wings who is running (eventually flying, as shown in sketch on right) into the wilderness (westward). The single star representing her birth-child (Christ) now becomes her head (“Christ is the head of the church.” Ephesians 5:23

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The 7 Stars (Big Dipper) is easy to see with its very bright 7 stars. But the Revelation 12 Woman (Ursa Major) must be seen on a dark starry night, away from city lights. 

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These are star charts from Wikipedia, with sketches of the Woman added.

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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… 

DECEMBER 9 (Almost All Is Vanity! Part 3: It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World!)

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Mad world poster – Wikimedia – Fair Use Rationale

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) are invited to listen to this Open Forum #26, a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…

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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons lic.

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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.