Today’s Devotional – October 20th (“Social-Justice Warriors For The Church”)

By admin On September 15th, 2014

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Today’s Devotional – October 20th

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“Social-Justice Warriors For The Church”

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Through the ages, there have always been those who try to promote some church doctrine, based on a literal interpretation of a Bible allegory in which God was using a real-life situation or object to make a spiritual analogy.

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For example, such misinterpretations gave rise to the impossible idea that God has some nether-world torture-chamber, in which all christless unbelievers will be tormented eternally by literal fire! (see Job 3:11-19) (you may also read the article…“Planet of Rest: Doctrine of Eternal Torment”)

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Hell – Gustave Dore – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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LIGHTING CANDLES

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And there have been other similar wrestlings with Scripture, such as the lighting of candles in religious ceremonies, thus misconstruing the allegory regarding the candlesticks in the sanctuary. Yes, this too resulted in people taking literally, something which was only meant to be taken allegorically!

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**But the candlesticks in the Old Testament sanctuary service actually symbolized the New Testament Church being illuminated by the Holy Spirit (see Revelation 1:20).**

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Creation candlelight Church Service – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike

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HOLY KISS

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Another similar mis-interpretation was the idea of a “holy kiss”, taking it literally.

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But the “holy kiss” was merely referring to the refreshing experience that Christians should feel, when in the presence of the holiness exuded from other true worshippers of God. (see Song of Songs 1:2)

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Bible Study Group – cropped image – wikimedia – share-alike-license

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A SOUL IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE!

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About every 30 minutes or so, there is a humanitarian advertisement on television, concerning the physical and social needs of humanity. And so, because we Americans have grown up in front of the television, we are thoroughly conditioned to only think in terms of physical and social needs.

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But never do we hear the government producing TV ads, stressing the importance of the needs of the soul! And yet, the soul is infinitely more important than one’s physical needs!

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Nevertheless, in this atheistic society, it is not popular to speak of the needs of the human soul. And so, the needs of the soul are not the band-wagon which most young people want to get on. There’s no laud nor any praise from the world for the human soul!

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TV highquality – cropped image – wikimedia – creatrive commons license

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HUMANITARIANISM

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And even in the Christian community, there is emerging the same kind of confusion regarding humanitarian social justice. Just like these already mentioned examples of trying to take spiritual metaphors, and twist and wrest them back into literal worldly concepts.

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Yes, there is an emerging effort to turn Christianity into some sort of giant humanitarian project. And this has an especially great appeal to younger people, who have been thoroughly indoctrinated by society to think only of the physical and social needs of humanity.

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But why do Christians want to join in with the world’s programs? Listen to Jesus… “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:19.

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Yes, the world takes care of its own, as this verse indicates. That’s their job! And that’s a good thing, for them!

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But our job is to declare the way of Salvation to the world: to show them the way of escape out of this doomed world!

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Free_Food_Distribution Kolkataw – cropped image – Wikimedia – Free Documentation License

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WHY SHOULD THE DEVIL CARE?

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Now make no mistake! Lucifer couldn’t care less about whether a man goes to Hell with a full stomach or an empty stomach!

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All the Devil is concerned about, is taking as many souls as possible, down to the grave with him in an unsaved condition. And so, it is no wonder that “the god of this world” doesn’t stand in the way of humanitarian groups, seeking for social justice.

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As a matter of fact, because Lucifer is the god of this world, he is happy to see his loyal citizens of this selfish world, performing good deeds! It only makes his secular world, that much more deceiving!

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Listen… “For men shall be lovers of their own selves…having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2nd Timothy 3:2, 5. Yes, Satan loves his world to have a form of godliness. It just confuses people, as to the true nature of this planet, Lucifer’s selfish, evil, antichrist world-system!

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ABOVE PICTURE: The False Prophet – signsofheaven.org – not for commercial uses

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SPIRITUAL THINGS MUST BE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED

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Listen to God’s Word… “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1st Corinthians 2:13, 14.

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In essence, this passage is merely saying that those who are carnal and worldly-minded, and lacking God’s Spirit, will not be able to properly discern the spiritual nature of the Bible. Those who are not true-worshippers, will not be privy to the deeper truths concealed in God’s Word.

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Chaplain reads Bible – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”

Proverbs 25:2

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But why in the world would God conceal truth, in the first place?

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Well, listen to this next verse… “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:2. Yes, God purposely conceals the deeper truths of the Bible, by speaking in parables and allegories. And Believers are those very kings, who search the Bible for such hidden gems of truth!

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However pressing his duties STM2-c James Lee Frazer always finds time to read a few chapters from his Bible each day. I – NARA – 520675 – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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EMERGING HUMANISM

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So back to this idea about humanitarianism. While the Bible certainly promotes the idea of having compassion on the poor, never should that eclipse the getting-out-the-Gospel!

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But here is where people get into trouble when reading the Bible. Take for instance, the following passage… “For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.” Matt. 25:35, 36

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Now at first glance, this passage seems to be saying that Christians should be engaging in some sort of crusade for social justice.

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But as with any thing in Scripture, we are not to take any passage out of context, but we are to compare “spiritual things with spiritual”.

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Free_Food_Distribution Kolkataw – cropped image – Wikimedia – Free Documentation License

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BREAD OF LIFE

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**And as we search out what all this means, we find that feeding the hungry is actually all about sharing the “bread of Life”: sharing Jesus with the world. (see John 6:35)**

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Mall witnessing, Panama City, Panama

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CHRIST’S ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

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**And covering the naked actually has to do with covering the spiritually naked with the “garments of Salvation”. (see Isaiah 61:10)**

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Baptized in the Jordan – cropped image – Wikimedia – Licensed

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SATAN’S PRISON-HOUSE OF SIN

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And even though God desires for the Gospel to be preached to those locked up in the world’s prisons, there are multitudes walking about in society who are prisoners of Satan. And we should visit all such with the Gospel. These also need to be loosed from their spiritual bondage! **(see 2nd Timothy 2:26)**

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FOLLOWING PAUL’S GODLY EXAMPLE

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Take note of Paul’s ministry! Paul’s main focus was on the care of the spiritual needs of the churches. Oh yes, the churches helped out their own, who were poor and weak. But Paul worked tirelessly to build up the body of Christ, so that those Christians might be transformed into the image of Christ. His work was for the spiritual growth of Christians.

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But even more than working for others, Paul knew that the first and foremost ministry was that of his own transformation. Yes, in his own words, Paul exhorts us… “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” Philippians 3:8

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Now Paul realized that God had raised him up to be a spiritual role-model. This is why he encouraged Christians thus… “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” 1st Corinthians 1:11

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Paul the Apostle-Artist-Valentin de Boulogne or Nicolas Tournier- circa 1500s wikipedia public domain

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“WHO IS ‘THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN?”

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And if we really want to get down to the bottom line, the primary objective for the Christian is to loose his (or her) own bands of sin! And it is the primary duty for the Christian to feed his own self on the Bread of Life, and to freely drink the Water of the Gospel. And it is the primary duty of the Christian to clothe his own self with Christ’s robe of righteousness.

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One great problem is, there are many who become involved with Christianity, who do not correctly see the infinite importance of Salvation. They place more importance on the physically hungry, and upon the physically thirsty.

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These have just not sat down and considered how infinitely greater is the gift of eternal life, than any earthly consideration!

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**This old painting is a very nice attempt to show what all Believers will one day experience when on resurrection morning, they leave this dark world, and enter into life-everlasting!**

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Because if we only give some earthly food and water, that person will eventually die. But if we share the bread of Heaven, and the water of eternal life, as Jesus says… “I am the bread of life: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

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ThomasCole-Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey – wikimedia – US public domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Open my eyes to behold wondrous things out of Thy Word. Let my see the spiritual nature of the Bible…

Prayer – Mother and Daughter – Wikipedia – (cropped image) the 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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7 MAJOR STARS OF ORION…

Orion Constellation can best be seen all winter (but even in August in the pre-dawn hours of morning in eastern skies) traveling east to west through the night, in mid-sky. To find the seven major stars of Orion (one star on each shoulder and one star on each foot, plus the three stars which make his belt), you can locate on just about any clear night regardless of the blackness of the night. To find Orion’s other stars, you need more star-visibility…a darker, moonless night, and possibly away from city lights.

Orion – wikimedia – share-alike license

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TOMORROW:

“October 21st (‘7 Stars’ Imitate ‘The Cross of Orion’)”

Cross of Jesus Christ – cropped photo – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International 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 #291 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain

Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on the provided image credit link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing names, details, and tags, and all other necessary info on any particular photo.

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