February 28, 2013 … Come Out of Babylon

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 59

Passage of the Day: Revelation 18: 4 [in the context of verses 2-5 [NLT] …  
2 He [an angel] gave a mighty shout, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become the hideout of demons and evil spirits, a nest for filthy buzzards, and a den for dreadful beasts. 3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her passionate immorality. The rulers of the world have committed adultery with her, and merchants throughout the world have grown rich as a result of her luxurious living.” 
4 Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. 5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God is ready to judge her for her evil deeds. 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Revelation, Chapter 18 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Matthew 22: 37 : [NLT] … [To any who are Babylonians, Jesus speaks God’s exhortation … ]  
37 Jesus replied [to the Sanhedrin], “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ [quoting from God’s word in Deut. 6: 5] 

My Journal for Today: Remembering that my devotional editor, Os Hillman, is writing to those he addresses in his workplace ministry, today he points out that God wants all, no matter where they work or live in life, to do what my journal entry is titled today … COME OUT FROM BABYLON.

And what is Babylon; … to which Hillman writes: “Babylon is a system of doing business. The stronghold of the workplace is mammon and pride. Dependence on money and misplaced trust are at the core of a Babylonian philosophy of life.” In other words, “Babylon,” biblically represents “the world” the system Satan has developed to draw non-believers away from Christ and to damage and/or weaken the witness of born-again believers. And noting The Revelation (i.e., chapter 18, verses 2-5, copied above), there will come a time when God will destroy “Babylon,” and God’s remnant, … the believers who have come out of Satan’s system, will be saved.

There was a time when Jesus was challenged by the Babylonian influences of His time, … by the Sanhedrin or religious leaders; and they asked him to give them what God had presented as the most important commandment (and that is to show them how God’s people can come out of Babylon); and Jesus replied (see above) quoting Deuteronomy 6: 5. And really that is the call for any of us today. God wants to save us from Babylon (i.e., Satan, the world, or our own fleshly hearts). He wants us to recognize that we are in “Babylon” if we are consumed by Satan’s world and relenting to our flesh. God wants us to repent and “come out of Babylon.” And if we do, we will be saved from God’s all-consuming fires which will ultimately consume Babylon.

What about it, dear one? Are you living and/or working in Babylon? If so, come out, repent, and walk with Christ into the freedom of salvation. And to that issue, the Apostle Paul, inspired by God, wrote Romans 10: 9-13; and if you BELIEVE, with all your heart, and have declared openly with your mouth, that Jesus is your LORD and Savior, you have come out of Babylon and are saved.

My Prayer for Today …Lord, thank You for leading me out of Babylon. … Amen