Consumerism and modern society is totally corrupt, selfish, and demonic. The merchandising system is absolutely evil. Yet modern society and culture has a tightening grip around our necks; it is a crutch we did not need at first, and now something we cannot live without. Who can live, or possibly even survive without the convenience of electricity and purified running water? What chaos and panic will ensue in our lives if the hospital or pharmaceutical system happened to fall? Can we live a day when the supermarkets close down and our money becomes worthless. To use those things may not be sin, but we can scarcely make use of them without being brought in subjection.
Mother Babylon the harlot has us bound in chains, and will not let us go. She tries to drag us deeper into the pit and subject us to the slavery of debt. We are living on devilish life support, which we never needed and now have become totally dependent upon. Why do you think the anti-Christ will deceive so many? We have become totally so dependent upon the world's system that once it is taken away from us, we cannot do anything but submit to the mark of the beast and bow down to its image.
Wisdom is seeing the end from the beginning. Wisdom is seeing life from God's perspective. We know the end, the slippery slope of sin, self, satan, and sickness – but this will also affect the very society we live in.
I'm not advocating returning to utopia-Eden lifestyles. The beauties and glorie of the age which is to come await the saints. We the children of God live in cursed bodies in a cursed world and eat cursed food – but we are strangers living in a strange body in a strange land. Our hope is set above. Why should we be chained to a hell-bent bandwagon? We were born into modern society. This is where we live and how we live. But so we were born in sin. Modern society is a hamster-wheel whirl of deception. Everything in it is contrary to the ways of God. Everything in it is corrupt, demonic, and its mindset is crippling. We can chose to ignore the message of wisdom and salvation, living in ignorance. We can ignore reality, but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.
Don't become so settled in Babylon that when faced with being evicted or conforming, we have no choice but to conform. We may postpone the question, but it will only be throwing away a boomerang that will come slapping you in the face, moments later.
It is time we broke free. First in spirit, from the powers of darkness. Then our minds must be renewed, the old humanism and self-centered thoughts washed clean by the blood of Yeshua. Then we must LIVE in the REALITY of the Kingdom of God.
The early church lived in reality. Whether Yeshua is returning within one year or a thousand years mattered not – the fact is, He is returning and we must live in constant readiness – not the readiness of “we're outta here any minute'. No, the kingdom is coming. The kingdom has come. Let us live as the kingdom, live in the kingdom, live for the kingdom.
How did they live? Christ sent them into all the world to preach the gospel. Scholars say it was probably 12 and ½ years between Yeshua's ascension to the baptism of Cornelius. Persecution soon sent the centralized Jerusalem church reeling to the four corners of the globe – what Yeshua had commanded them in the first place. Do we today need God to kick us out, and strip us of all reliance to Babylon, or will we simply heed His commands?
We are strangers in this earth. Captives. Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we are to wander around the face of the earth, looking and believing in the glorious city not made with human hands, yet living the will of God. In effect our destiny is tied through the covenant of Christ (Eph 2) into the wanderings and sufferings of Israel. We must stand with them. We must suffer with them. We must bear their burdens. We are dispersed as the wind. Messiah will us bring into our own land. We are Wandering Jews, but we are Wandering Jews with hope! Our citizenship is ABOVE!
How do we live today, in these last days, before the Olam Haba? How do we live in these difficult times of tension between the Ages? As the Master of the Ages commands.
Leave all. Cleave to Him. Deny ourselves. Take up our cross. Love our brethren. Sell all we have, give to the poor. Do not hold our earthly possessions with clenched fists, but with open arms. Have all things in common. Live for the gospel. Live the gospel.
(Until we give our all to Christ in total love, then only can the scales of selfishness around our eyes will be removed so that we can see the needs of others. Love is the opposite of selfishness. We have no capability nor affection to love as Christ loved us, the love of the cross. When we surrender our little hearts to God, He sets our affections rightly and gives us the power of love, the power which triumphs selfishness)
(Until we give our all to Christ in total love, then only can the scales of selfishness around our eyes will be removed so that we can see the needs of others. Love is the opposite of selfishness. We have no capability nor affection to love as Christ loved us, the love of the cross. When we surrender our little hearts to God, He sets our affections rightly and gives us the power of love, the power which triumphs selfishness)
What did God command the captives of Babylon? Build houses. Live in them. Plant vineyards. Eat fruits – in other words, don't be dependent on Babylon's markets. Just because you live in Babylon does not make you a Babylonian – you are my set-apart people. Pray for the peace of the city where you live, for in its peace you will have peace.
Let us provide our families with food and clothing. Let us eat what God has provided. There is no sin in that. But we live not for ourselves and for our families. We live and we give everything to Christ, not holding any back. Matthew 25 shows us what sheep are to be. We feed the poor, even if this means we have none for ourselves. We clothe the poor, perhaps off our own backs. We give them our drink. We visit them with our Christ. All we must belong to Christ. And Christ requires it of us. He withheld nothing from us- dare we withhold anything from Him?
What am I saying then? That we break free of Babylon. The consumerist Babylonian bandwagon is smooth for now, but financial analysts are predicting a cliff beyond. Not only that, what they do not see is that this slippery cliff will send the bandwagon spiraling down into the abyss of hell fire. And when we know the truth and try to get off, we realize that the iron balls and bronze chains of debt has become our master, and we cannot leave.
Just as Jews were alienated from the worldly systems of education, trade, commerce, etc. in the Middle Ages, so we will we alienated, simply because of who we are. We are to be hated because we too are Chosen People. We are to be a menace and sore thumb to the society of demons, not assimilated and productive in it! Yeshua said that we would be thrown out of “synagogues” (worldly institutions) for His name's sake? Why are the demons not trembling at the words of our gospel? That happens when we are under their power, reliant upon their system, not willing to forsake the world's system.
We don't need to hear the warning more than once. We may not have the luxury of doing so. We don't need to wait until the flames lick our backs and scorch our eyes before beating a hasty retreat, for then there is no turning back.
What shall we do? Give your all to God and bear fruit for eternity. Invest you resources in the eternal treasure of souls. Break yourself free from the mentalities, systems, trading, etc. of the world, for only when your eyes and heart and mind and soul are gravitated on the solid rock, on the Kingdom of Christ and God, can you withstand the turmoil, anxieties, pressures, catastrophes, and tribulations of the last days without your entire soul quivering from the burdens on your shoulders, stones around your hert and sinking under the mires of sinking sand.
Whether Christ was returning immediately or not, the early church put their anchor where it would safely hold. O, may the church BREAK FREE of Mother Babylon the Harlot in SPIRIT, in SOUL, in the MIND, in the EMOTIONS, and in the BODY. Living in the tension of the ages is hard. It is unsteady. Oh GOD, STAMP OUR EYES WITH ETERNITY, EVERY DAY!
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