DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- COME OUT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – COME OUT

"After I these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.' And I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.' " (Revelation 18:1-4)

Babylon – that is, this world system – has been a dwelling place of demons, a habitation of foul spirits, and everything unclean. We don't have to look very long or deeply into the whole of society to see that this is true – from Hollywood to Wall Street to our nation's capitol. And not just the United States. All of the nations have drunk of the lemonade. The people around us are a part of that fallen world system.

God has word for the righteous: "Come out of her, my people." This is what the Apostle Paul wrote: "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.' Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.' 'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the LORD Almighty." (II Corinthians 6:14-18).

The distinctions that Paul painted are very clear: righteousness and unrighteousness; light and dark; Christ and Belial. The term Belial basically means worthless or wicked, but had become a name for Satan. The fact is that as believers in Christ, we have become the residence of God. We are His people and there should be a clear distinction between us and the world system.

In our focus verses, God calls His people to come out and not be a part of Satan's world-system, lest we suffer the same judgment and plagues as Satan and his kingdom.

Of course, we live in this world and there has to be a certain amount of connection with that world. Of necessity, we are in that world-system, but we don't have to live according to its philosophies and its rules. We do not have to have communion or fellowship with that fallen, evil, foul world that Satan controls.

We are different. We are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own special people, so that we may proclaim the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9). What an awesome thing that we get to be a part of God's kingdom.

Love, Dad