Reading the book of Revelation, I feel the blessing of God’s word. This passage especially reminds me to be separate from the “world system”.
Too often, I can get very comfortable with making money and enjoying the baubles of entertaining luxuries. God’s word reminds me that living for worldly ways will not last.
I could make a New Year’s resolution to come out of this mindset, to give control to God, rejecting materialism and all that belongs to the world system (the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the boastful pride of life).
Unfortunately, I tend to break more resolutions than I keep. Maybe devising a prayer to help me re-focus will be a better solution. Time to fly and not remain trapped in the birdcage of worldly wisdom.
Thank you Lord for your glory. You have paid a great price to release me from slavery with regards to sin and the world’s passionate focus on self. As Melody Green wrote, “Make my life -a prayer to You. I want to do what you want me to. No empty words and no white lies, no token prayers, no comprise. I want to shine the light You gave through your Son, You sent to save us from ourselves and our despair. Oh it comforts me to know You’re really there. I want to thank you now for being patient with me. Oh it’s so hard hard to see, when my eyes are on me. I guess I’ll have to trust and just believe what you say. Oh your coming again, coming to take us away. I want to die and let you live your life through me that I might live. And share the hope you gave to me. Oh I want to share the love that set me free…”
When nations strive and peoples grapple for power, bringing injury to the children-we may have reached hell on earth. The good news is that the world system will fall. It is not eternal. – Teresa #dyingtoself #alivetoGod
Keith Green performing his wife’s song, live. Click the blue hyperlink above to open the link on You Tube
Revelation 18:1-14 (ESV)
The Fall of Babylon
18 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For all nations have drunk[a]
the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her double for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.
7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and she will be burned up with fire;
for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
“Alas! Alas! You great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.[b]
14 “The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
are lost to you,
never to be found again!”
Reconnection 