Devotional #13               

Come Out of Babylon!

James teaches us that double mindedness leads to great instability.  Light cannot change its mind and become darkness and Jesus told us that salt is no longer good once it has lost its saltiness! As Christians, there comes a time in our walk with God where we realize we must live true to the convictions of our faith. There is often great pain in the process of laying down our will and exchanging it for God’s. After all, sometimes we enjoy the sin we are in, or we like doing what we want that perhaps is not in the Lord’s particular plan in that moment.

Sometimes we try to blend God’s will with our own. Often we justify a sin as being permissible. We convince ourselves that God simply would not withhold a certain pleasure from us. In Revelation, the Lord describes this type of wishy-washy church, who had not grown cold to the things of God, and was neither on fire for God, but was somewhere in the middle, all mixed up! The Lord said He’d prefer either alternative (i.e. coldness or hotness) to this ‘lukewarm’ type of existence. It so disgusted Him, he promised to vomit them out! The members of this particular church concerned themselves with acquiring riches so much so that they were actually bankrupting themselves spiritual. They became blind to their own wretched, miserable, nakedness. They lived a disparate gospel. Be clear, God does not like a mixture of good and bad. Such a mixture in and of itself is bad!

Jesus taught, “…every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

When I was still a teenager, one of my sisters, who at the time was not yet saved, decided to throw a Halloween party. I was already in the Lord for several years and my older sister began to teach me about the origin of the holiday and the fact that to a large degree it is a celebration and glorification of evil. It was the first time in my life where I was hearing something from God and determined to do the opposite. It was blatant disobedience on my part. I loved a good party, so I rationalized that I wouldn’t participate in anything that I perceived to be sinful. I didn’t understand that God was calling me to come apart from the world. I purposed to have a moderate amount of fun while still maintaining my witness. The activities that were planned were innocent enough, but with each passing minute I became more and more grieved internally.

As the night went on, some of the guests began participating in a great deal of inappropriate behaviors. I felt as though I were a chaperon at a frat house. By the end of that night, I knew that I would never celebrate Halloween again. What did any of this have to do with me?

Revelation 18:1-6 refers to Babylon, which is the mixture of goodness and evil.  The Lord calls, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.” Are you out yet or are you still trapped in Babylon? Don’t stay on the fence! Choose a side!

See It for Yourself: James 1:8, Matthew 5:37, Revelation 3:15-21 & 18:1-6, Matthew 7:15-23 & 11:16-19, Romans 12:1, 2

Prayer Focus:

Dear Lord,

Take me, Lord. Take all of me. I do not withhold anything from Thee! Help me to love Thee with all that I have and all that I am!

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.

Working It Out: 

^“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”