and has become a become a dwelling place for demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.
At the beginning with Adam, somehow though it is not written in Genesis, we hear the term Adam fell…..? From where? The original place God had planned for Adam. We were designed to live in God’s glory with no separation from God. So if Babylon is fallen, does that mean the same thing? The city that God had established for His glory committed treason? So if this is true. Jesus Christ came to restore His redeemed to where? Are we still fallen if we are living in the Salvation of God through Christ? Where are we seated now if we are in Christ? Where is He seated? Do we then act accordingly in faith of His word?
Back to chapter 18:
This announcement came from a mighty angel descending from heaven and illuminated the earth with his glory in Revelation 18: 1-3.
And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out her, My people, lest you share her sins, and lest you receive her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities, ( Revelation 18:4-5).
Again where are we here? If we are seated in heavenly places with the Lord, why would any earthly thing appeal to us? Unless we are living from our flesh which is fallen, below the standard of God. We are living beneath and cannot glorify the Lord by our actions…… We cannot have both….. Jesus Christ was so different than us, why? He was showing us how to live godly and unto God alone…. He only did what God, the Father told Him to do as He stated in the Gospel of John, chapter 5.
Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!, (Revelation 18:20).
And in her was found the blood of the prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth, ( Revelation 18:24).
I wonder if that includes all the abortions too?
Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins……That little sentence is a very strong warning. How do we know we are set apart for God or have many strongholds left in our thinking that allows corruption to take place in our lives…. How do we know?
- Look over the ones who were weeping and mourning at Babylon’s destruction….. business owners, merchants, clothing stores, food stores, even coffee houses! Could I be as bold as to say, maybe in there are owners and team players of sports! Oh-oh…. Did I touch on the untouchable idols?
What part of Babylon do we partake in and spot our garments of salvation…. and may be not even aware of it? We are not made to concentrate on two ways of life and live two ways…. Jesus Himself said, we go after one way, we will despise the other in Matthew 6:24.
God knows our hearts and our desires…. When His Spirit came on Pentecost, all of the followers of Christ became in one accord to accomplish the plan of God for God and His glory in Jesus Christ’s name…..by the indwelling of the Spirit of God.
Are we still living in our comfort zone in our own picture of salvation? I am grateful God, but just do not invade past this line of my world. Is there some part in our heart that betrays our unfaithfulness?…… Do not worry He will not run us over like a locomotive…. but He will go on with out us, if we choose this world more than His Kingdom…
If we stop at some point of our journey with the Lord because of comfort or knowing we will get persecuted for the cross, it might offend family, or affect our livelihood, do not be concerned. The Spirit of God will leave you there. However, Almighty God wants His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Only Stronghold we live in and by.
Jesus Christ confirms this thought of God by saying in Luke 14:25-35, Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish?
Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears let him hear.
I wonder how many of the multitudes remained after His statement. Beware of following crowds…. Only a couple of women were at the feet of Jesus at His death…. only 120 were waiting for the Promise of God, the Holy Spirit after 500 saw Jesus Christ resurrected. Be wise when you see great crowds…… I always wait and hear to see if they are serving the faith of our death and our resurrection in Christ Jesus or cake and sweeties.
The Lord has spoken this to warn us on those that hear Him but do not do the things that He says, then his house is built on the sand and will not withstand the shakings of the storms that are coming…. and they are coming, beloved. Let us prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts and as we do, others will see the Light of the world. They may be drawn to it and may not be, but that is between them and God. The cross is the standard that all will know that Jesus Christ is Lord of all over and in us.
Paul admonishes us to not partake of the table of demons and of Christ….. We cannot serve two masters, even if is one of them is ourselves…. If we follow Christ, we have died to all of our old ways, interests and life! Remember when Peter went back to fishing after Christ’s resurrection? Jesus Christ met him at the shore and gave Peter his standing orders…. Do we not have the same?
We can judge ourselves now before the Lord and ask Him to show us our wrong ways…. He will let us know, He is faithful to complete the work He has started in us!
Or we can think since He is silent that all is okay with Him…… Not wise….. Jesus stated in the Gospel of John that His sheep hear His voice….. Check: do we hear Him? Check ourselves: Do we know that Christ lives in us?
Remember His ways are higher, so must our ways be….. seeking the heights of the hill of the Lord. We can pay the cost now in loosing our old life now or pay the cost later in trying to keep any area that should be dead on the cross with our King….. And of course, Jesus Christ, leaves the choice to us…… But, I say, to us, choose eternal life and loose the lesser life here.
Therefore her plagues will come in one day- death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire for strong is the Lord God who judges her, (Revelation 18:8).
Jesus admonishes us today, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached and everyone is pressing in on it, ( Luke 16:15-16).
We pursue Him. What, Lord, are You speaking to me today! What are You teaching Me today, Lord?
You are my Endless Frontier, Lord…. Show me -You, today! I love You, Lord and all Your ways are my refuge and my stronghold. My delight is in You and the table that You have prepared before me. All my springs, Lord, are found in You.
You are my Endless Frontier…. There is nothing that compares with You…. You are Life and Light to all My paths……You have flown me to Your Mount of safety and peace in the wilderness… Because of You, Lord, I have found heaven in You. I break down walls of barriers and resistance to remain in You. You have taught my hands to war and my fingers to battle, for the place You have given me before the foundation of the world in You. You are worthy of all my worship and time, Lord, You are King and are above all. May You see Your laws and precepts written on my heart…. May You find Your cross etched in my soul.
We pursue Him and then we can be assured in His faithfulness that we have no part in Babylon….We can say no to ourselves and choose the higher life every minute of our day…..If we allow Him to consume our time, He will. His glory will consume us and our hearts will be transformed to do His will and think and pray His thoughts and will out in this earth. We will not be taken away from Him when certain shaking comes to the nations….. to awaken them to God’s glory…..
First Him…
Second Prayer and Communion….with Him, in Him, and by Him.
Then Be. ( It has been said it is in the attitude! The Be Attitudes of Jesus from the Mount of God.)
You have been called to be His at such a time as this……Come and let us pursue our King for He is our Endless Frontier…..In His Spirit we can pursue the mountain of God, our Stronghold. Where we can be found in Him. Amen! And show the way for others to follow Him with all zeal. Pray that we do not turn to the left or to the right but we see the King in all His beauty and His land before us.
We love You Jesus Christ. The King of our hearts and minds.
Selah!
