August 8, 2013

Felicitations!

 

In John 14:6, Jesus makes perhaps the one single statement that separates our walk with Him from religion and -- more than that -- from the spirit of Babylon and Mammon.

 

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

 

Add to that His statement which John quotes in chapter 10:9: "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

 

Then in verse 11 of the same chapter, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

 

Jesus makes clear here that we are NOT "the way, the truth and the life."  We are NOT the door to Kingdom living.  We are NOT the good shepherd!   Human flesh and human will are not willing to give up life in order to provide eternal life with God!

 

These statements that Jesus makes distinguish the Kingdom of God from the kingdom of Babylon.  Take another look at Babylon's beginning:

 

"And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."  (Genesis 11:3-4)

 

Notice the focus?  US!  Funny thing!  There's absolutely no recognition of God; and everything about Babylon's focus is what WE'RE going to do, what WE'RE going to get, and what WE'RE going to make of ourselves in the earth.  Let's make US a city -- as if living freely off the land isn't safe!  Let's make US a tower that will take us into Heaven.

 

Let me pause parenthetically here to point out a prophetic Word that Isaiah gave.  (See Isaiah 14:12-14)

 

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."

 

Now you see where Babylon had its real beginning!  It's all about I, ME, US, WE -- not Father God, not the Lord Jesus Christ, not the promised Messiah who would redeem them from the Curse!

 

And Babylon's beginnings are wrapped up in the statement, Let US make US a name.  Embodied in that is the core desire to be equal with God, to supplant the need for God, to replace God with I, ME, US and WE.  It is the core of what we know today and refer to as Secular Humanism.  There are some other names for it in our socio-political world today: Progressive, Socialist, Liberal.  The so-called "Progressive" or "Socialist, Liberal" mindset is a nice, sanitized way of expressing the very thing we left off with in our last discussion.

 

Watch carefully.  Let's revisit the 12 categories of importance to the Babylonian mindset.

 

1.   Precious metals (gold, silver, etc.)

2.   Precious stones (e.g., diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, etc.)

3.   Rare or exotic woods

4.   Ivory

5.   Decorative (and even useful) things made of brass, iron and marble

6.   Perfumes, fine scented things (cinnamon, fragrant powders, incense, ointments and frankincense)

7.   Fine wines

8.   Oil, fine flour, wheat (a nice way to express the "importance" of fine cuisine)

9.   Flocks (cattle, beasts of the field, sheep, goats, etc.)

10. Might in battle (horses and chariots)

11. Slaves (having physical control over human beings, having control over the way they live and their lifestyles, and having control over the way they do business)

12. The souls of men (having control over the minds, the hearts, the thoughts and the desires of human beings) THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE MARK OF THE BEAST!!

 

The so-called "Progressive" way of thinking creates at once a sameness (more accurately, a puppet mentality), a robotic behavior according to a set of unsaid (or as the case may be, actually stated) rules which ban societal behavior that acknowledges and honors the Lord.  The fraud incorporated in this mindset is that the "progress" is into rebellion and humanistic "I'm my own god" thinking.  It is the lie of Satan -- the same lie he told Eve when he said, "Ye shall not surely die [if you eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil]: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."  (Genesis 3:4b-5)

 

The very use of the word "Progressive" itself is a lie since this thinking is regressive.  It deprives people of the freedom and liberty there is in Christ Jesus.  It takes them backwards spiritually, mentally, physically, and economically.  The same applies to the use of the word, "Liberal," since there is no liberty whatever.  Those who come under this kind of thinking actually submit to the slavery of the Grand Puppet Master himself, the king of Babylon.

 

People who buy into this lie generally become blinded to the Truth -- the Truth that is the Lord Jesus Christ.  They're sold a myth, one that says that there must be a secular society "free from religion," one in which there is a distinct "separation of church and state."

 

The problem with this kind of thinking -- and I'm pausing momentarily to deal with something that a lot of folks will see as not being "politically correct" -- is that the same folks who push this demonic philosophy treat the Gospel of Jesus Christ as "religion," when in fact it is anything but.  The fact that some folks treat the worship of God and the Lord Jesus as "mere religion" is nothing more than an effort to escape from the judgments of the Lord, not understanding that His judgment is redemptive, NOT destructive.

 

The lie of Mammon -- the lie of Babylon -- is that all religions are the same.  Christianity -- despite the fact that major efforts have been made to treat it as such -- is about as un-religious as anything can be.  True Christianity is nothing more and nothing less than an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  Religion(s) on the other hand is devoid of real relationship.  Religion -- and especially the humanistic religion of Babylon -- requires near-robotic behavior to a set of laws, commandments, rules, regulations, restrictions and doctrines which strip one of relationship with God while attempting to please Him through this mechanical behavior.

 

Babylon requires allegiance to the king of Babylon.  Babylon requires uniformity of thinking and living.  Babylon creates sheer slavery by forcing men and women to take the "mark of the beast" -- the king of Babylon himself -- in their right hand and live, and conduct business according to Babylon's rules.  Babylon deprives men and women of free will and free choice, the kind of free will and choice that Jesus describes like this:

 

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  (John 8:31-32)

 

The Babylonian mindset, therefore, is the mindset -- again -- of the king of Babylon, the beast.  John sees this and describes this in Revelation 13:16 as "a mark ..... in their foreheads."

 

That mark is demonstrated in the so-called "progressive" mindset.  It is also demonstrated in those who don't necessarily refer to themselves as "liberal" or "progressive" but still are greedy for power, for control, for money, for "stuff" because they are afraid to yield control of their lives, their situations, their finances, etc., to the Lord Jesus Christ for a huge variety of  reasons.

 

The entire Babylonian system and mindset -- the "mark in the forehead" if you will -- revolves around self, serving self, satisfying self, worshiping self above the Lord, and getting, getting, getting, getting, getting, and never being satisfied because the "getting" never fills the spiritual need for relationship with Jesus Christ, and with Father God.

 

The entire Global Currency Reset to a large degree revolves around this mindset.  To be sure there is a genuine effort being put forth by men and women of good will whose heart is to try and solve the world's economic crises and put people and nations back on track to financial health.  The root of the "financial health" of course is ultimately found in Mammon and the spirit of Babylon; and yet despite this, the Lord is turning the tables to provide an immense blessing to millions of people -- the majority of whom have a Kingdom mindset.

 

Despite this incredible effort being made to turn around a failing economic system, this is only a temporary fix.  I personally see this as a grace period implemented by the Lord at Babylon's expense.  Babylon can't fix itself!  Babylon's mindset hasn't changed.  That said, people who are involved at the top of our world economic system still have the same underlying policies and thought processes.  The nations and governments of this world will continue their same profligate spending policies and socialist, liberal thinking.

 

Even with all the Basel III protocols in place and the Global Currency Reset being implemented, all this is going to do is to buy a little time -- time that the Bride of Christ absolutely MUST utilize to make herself ready for the coming of the Bridegroom, and time that must be seized and redeemed for this last great harvest.  From what I see and hear, we have perhaps seven to ten years in which to accomplish things before the world's economies collapse inward on themselves with a mighty bang!

 

There is no Basel IV.  There is no new Global Currency Reset the economists and banking leaders can come up with seven-to-ten years from now that will be able to implement another fix.  Tax and spend policies will begin the death spiral all over again, and this time the system is going to come down once and for all.

 

Take a quick look at how John describes it in Revelation 18:15-20:

 

"The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!   For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.

 

"And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!    And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

 

"Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her."

 

Here's how John finishes the picture of Babylon's fall in verses 23 and 24 (with my amplification of the Greek):

 

"And the light of a candle shall shine NO MORE AT ALL in thee; and the [celebratory] voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard NO MORE AT ALL in thee: for thy merchants were the great [the prominent] men of the earth; for by thy sorceries [and manipulations] were all nations [blinded by her enticements, and] deceived.  And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."

 

As is more than obvious today, anyone who dares to speak out against the sin and the policies which not only permit but encourage behavior which is abominable in the sight of God, and addresses the practices of leaders and governments which defy the Word of God are often quickly arrested and put in jail, or had lawsuits filed against them, or had military action taken to quiet their voices; and, in more cases than we want to even think about, been put to death.

 

Jezebel absolutely HATES rebuke and reproof.  Anyone who dares to rebuke or to reprove the actions and activities of those under the domination of this spirit of rebellion frequently (and increasingly in this day and time) suffers as a result.  Let it be known, however, among the saints of God that Jezebel's days of speaking out against God's anointed have been shortened.

 

In next week's Coffee Break -- the last one in this series, I'll share with you some "signs in the heavens and the earth beneath" which portend the final collapse of Babylon.

 

Have the most prosperous week you've ever known or experienced!

 

Blessings on you!