Today’s Devotional – January 2 (“Harvesters of Light”)

By admin On January 13th, 2018

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Today’s Devotional – January 2

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“Harvesters of Light”

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“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son

cleanseth us from all sin.”

1st John 1:7

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NAME-CALLING

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“I know you are, but what am I?! I know you are, but what am I?!”

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Have you ever said these words? “I know you are, but what am I?! I know you are, but what am I?!”

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This was the best we could come up with, back in the 50’s, when somebody was calling us a derogatory name. Perhaps, here in the 21st Century, children now use some other, more effective (and vindictive) retorts, when answering bullies.

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Bully Free Zone – Creative-Commons Generic License – cropped image – Wikimedia

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DEROGATORY NAMES

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Well, the fact is, most of us have been called many derogatory names over the span of our lifetime. Back in our early schooling, some of our less-than-admiring companions may have teased us about some perceived flaw in our looks, personality, or life-circumstances.

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Not too much fun, was it?

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Anger during a protest – by David Shankbone – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike-License

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GOD CALLS PEOPLE NAMES TOO!

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**But God also has a name for His followers. Yes, God is into ‘name-calling’ too! Actually, He calls us many different names.**

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But today’s devotional is focusing on one name in particular. That name is the name, “Children of Light”.

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Listen… “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” 1st Thessalonians 5:4, 5 (see also Luke 16:8, John 12:36, Ephesians 5:8)

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Jesus Teaching Luke 4:31-32 – Jesus talks about Heaven – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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A GOOD NAME IS WORTH PROTECTING!

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“These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the Seven Stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Revelation 3:1

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What a wonderful name! “Children of Light”! It kind-of makes us feel a responsibility to protect that light within us, doesn’t it? Well, it should! After all, there are many ways in this dark old world, in which we might drink in that darkness, isn’t there?

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And this above verse from Revelation warns that a good name must be protected (“I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”)

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DRINKING IN THE DARKNESS

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Just think of all the things of the world which exude darkness: the various newscasts on TV and radio, for instance, which report one heinous crime after another. Do you think that has any effect on our Heavenly glow?

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Well, God thinks it does!

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Just listen…“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire (God)? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings (God’s judgments)? He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly…that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil…” Isaiah 33:14, 15.

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Well, isn’t that what so much of nightly news is all about: the “hearing of blood” (violence)? And on TV news, you not only hear about violence, but you get to see it, too! So, this little passage from Isaiah presents a big concept! (“He…that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil…”). And anyway, the best place to find out what’s really going on in the world, is by reading the Bible, isn’t it?

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ABC-Good Morning America – wikipedia – share-alike license

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REPROVERS OF THE DARKNESS

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**Dear Stranger & Pilgrim in this world (two more God-given names), instead of watching evil communications, it is our responsibility to reprove all such evil.**

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Listen… “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Ephesians 5:11-14.

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Just think, the Bible tells us that it’s a shame to even speak of such hideous crimes we so casually and carelessly watch on TV! And we wonder why we’re having so much trouble in our flesh each day! This is why God tells us in this very same passage…“Wherefore He (God) saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Ephesians 5:14.

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Yes, the sad fact is, that God is calling us “dead” if we’re still continually fellowshipping with the dead deeds of this dark world!

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LIGHT MANIFESTS THE DARKNESS

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But the good news is, God is also calling us to awaken from our death-like slumber, and He will give us light! “Wherefore He (God) saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Ephesians 5:14

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And so, instead of verbally scolding the evil deeds of others, we simply need to let our light shine. Yes, as children of light we don’t need to call the world all sorts of derogatory names. We simply need to let our light, “…so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” Matthew 5:16

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Yes, as this passage, and also the one before it from Ephesians tells us, it is light which makes :manifest the darkness of this world (“for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.” Ephesians 5:13).

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Transfiguration – Bloch – Wikimedia Commons – US Public-Domain

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GATHER UP THE LIGHT!

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Therefore, instead of gathering darkness, let us each be light-gatherers! And there is no better way of gathering light, than to behold Jesus, “in the light of His Word”! (a line from the hymnal song, “When We Walk with the Lord”)

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“The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalm 119:30.

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So here it plainly declares that when God’s Word enters the heart of man, it brings light into the soul.

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And consequently, the greater one’s understanding of God’s Word, the brighter will be that light!

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Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, I have lived in the flesh much too long! And I have loved the things of the flesh too. Let me become a gatherer of light, instead of a gatherer of darkness. Let me walk in the light, while there’s still time…

Woman Praying – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic 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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***THE ARK, CROSS/SCEPTER* *& FLOWER OF THE FIELD***

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Revelation 11:19

The below sketch is of the southernmost constellations: The Ark of the Covenant, the Flower of the Field, and the Cross/Scepter Constellations. As you can see in the sketch, the two stars in this Ark of the Covenant Constellation, (on either side of the Ark) do not look like these two angels. This sketch is just an overly generous rendering of this constellation. This sketch does however, present a view of the Ark, as it might have appeared (somewhat) in Solomon’s temple. This constellation is commonly known as “Sagittarius”. Why the ancients saw this as a centaur (man/horse figure) is a mystery. Maybe someone knows.

TEMPLE IN HEAVEN OPENED

But the really big important fact is that this constellation is spoken of in Revelation… “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Revelation 11:19. This constellation begins to fulfill this prophecy in this above verse. But as you read more and more of Signs Of Heaven, you will see a greater fulfillment of this prophecy. Because not only will the temple be opened in Heaven, but you will receive instructions as to how you may enter by faith into the true temple in Heaven and into the true Most Holy Place where the actual Ark is (the heart of God).

(To read more on this subject, go to… “Ark of the Covenant Constellation, Pt. 2: How To Enter The Most Holy Place”

EDITOR’S NOTE: these are sketches, and are not charts. They are not 100% accurate. But hopefully, they are close enough, so that the reader may locate them in the night sky.

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TOMORROW:

Daily Devotional, Year 4 – JANUARY 3 (A World of Lies, Part 2: “Every Vote Counts! Or Not!”)

Voting in Hackney – Wikipedia – Creative Commons 2.0 License

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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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