Quote from baruchYour Word says that as we approach the end of the age, the love of many will wax cold.. may it not be so, Lord, with us may it be exactly the opposite That as we approach the end of the age . .'And earth repeat the loud amen!' AMEN! Brothers baruch and Compton,Thank you for these thoughts. I feel you're speaking my language though I could not have posted what you've posted - if you know what I mean. Words seem weak to me today and that's a good thing. Sometimes, less, is more.of talking about the river of sewage...let's address the source, the heart..The face of evil is quite a spectacle, but let's pay attention to the little man behind the curtain.Perhaps one way to view Babylon's current presence on Earth is as an incarnation in men. If the Kingdom of God is within...then perhaps the same is true for the kingdom of darkness. It enters this world and occupies territories through the portal of mens hearts.I think this is an important suggestion.... one which should make us squirm in our seats slightly, as we observe the Babylon in our own hearts. Thank God Jesus comes into the temple with a scourge of small cords to drive out the money changers and turn over their tables!How much do we welcome Him as He tries to infect our hearts with His zeal? Do we resist? Do we not SEE what He is about - is trying to achieve - our purity, as baruch mentioned in the leading post?Compton saidIt's effects on our hearts causes us to want to save our lives instead of lose them. I feel this darkened instinct of self-preservation is the mustard seed of Babylon. We know we can be in the world but not of it. Can we say, be in Babylon but not of her? I think so. Conversely, can we say that we can be in the Church, but not of her? Apparently so. Can we be citizens of two cities? Or are we citizens of one, and aliens of another. Consider these scriptures."Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, Build houses and live {in them;} and plant gardens and eat their produce. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare. " Jeremiah 29"After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven… 2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! 4 …"Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; 5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Revelation 18. As God's people lving in Babylon, how do we come out of Babylon?Bro baruch saidI really want to reiterate how important it is that not only does the saint need to identify her characteristics, but then, the opposite Kingdom - the characteristics of what our Lord wants us -- commands us -- to be aboutThese are two kingdoms - Confusion vs. Purity ... based on fallen man or the risen ChristBeloved, this is about worship - the old first and second commandments. It is about external as well as internal idols - a theme sister Chanin has been bringing to us all year. And roadsign has started another thread on in the Lounge.I believe the answers to God's heart will distress our theology. To show what I mean, here is a quote from LetUsPray's latest post in the thread 'What Kind of Counsel?' which Chanin started. Fascinatingly, he made this post over 24 hours ago and no-one has responded. Not only that, but the brethren in general, have backed away from that thread. Why? Are you all secretly reading it, or, does the title put you off? Many of you are happy to admit you don't know how to go street preaching, or want prayer support to lead a Sunday gathering... but what are you going to say to the person who hangs around afterwards, waiting for a private word with you - 'Sorry, I'm in a hurry?'Here's the quote, from two separate parts of the post. I draw your attention to these words because they have everything to do with taking Babylon out of the Church.'Many denominations don’t recognize or systematically ignore the possibility of demonic oppression. Some charismatic denominations or groups declare that it is impossible for a born-again spirit-filled tongue-talking Christian to be oppressed – might I add, even inhabited – by evil spirits. This poses an enormous problem for the Christian who struggles with bondages that don’t seem to go away by fasting, praying, going forward after altar calls, being prayed over, etc. ..To make a long story short, through time I was delivered of three demons. The last one was the most difficult, because its root was hidden in something that I had no recollection of. It came to the surface when I attended a compulsory counseling session as part of a course. During that session something started actually to speak through me and at one point I saw myself when I was sexually molested as a small child. ...The problem I want to identify is that if I would have stayed in the charismatic church, I would have never found freedom. They simply declared that it was not possible for the Holy Spirit and a demon to be in the same body. Most other churches don’t even want to talk about this, so the person in bondage will struggle and be hopelessly defeated in their Christian walk and never experience the abundant life in Christ. My experience is that demons can be in a born-again Christian and they only come out one way: by command in the name of Jesus Christ. I also believe that it is very important that someone who is involved with hurting people has experienced God’s comfort for their own pain, because God’s Word sets the precedence:2 Corinthians 13 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.It is my prayer that ALL who confess the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life will experience the abundant life He promises us.In other words, beloved, the Church has to offer its members - that is, we have to offer each other - the tenderness of the Great Physician, as well as the dynamism of anointed preaching of the Truth (Thanks, Annie).
