6 “Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the Lord’s vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves.
Revelation 18: 4
Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’[a] so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
Speaks of the coming judgement of God as it was in the time of Jeremiah, it will be in Revelation. I will punish Bel in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will fall. In Jeremiah 51: 44 promises to punish Bel in Babylon as with Revelation 18 because of her sins. In this time, the kings of the earth, the rulers and the military chiefs, the rich and powerful, and all other people, slave and free will have prepared a place to hide themselves in caves and under the rocks in the mountains. This took place in Revelation 6: 15.
Ephesians talks about the parts of the body of Christ, some as evangelist, others as prophets, teachers and they work as the body does like the hand works with the chest to move likewise as the feet cannot say to the toe it is useless. The fundamental idea is every part of the body of Christ even the small part we deem useless are the most useful. So no matter the work we do for God no matter how small it is, it is useful to the body of Christ.
Some people say those who donate never do anything, some say those who teach like the lime light, some say those who pick up the communion plates after communion are not useful. But in the eyes of God, all are equally useful. Because we as believers as fitly joined together.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved”
Sometimes, my life can get really busy and the call to cast my burden on the lord and he will sustain me. Is just the encouragement we need so that we will not be moved. Circumstances are always changing, we always need to be somewhere and do something or help out somewhere.
“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)
Jesus first coming gives us a picture of a holy lamb of God, who suffered in our place. This was a picture of Joseph who maintain his purity and became a second in command to show mercy to his brothers.
Jesus second coming gives us a picture of David who came to as man of war, reigning in righteousness and ruling in justice. As the desolation is to come where the sanctuary will be restored in the next 3 years. So the desolation is already happening and the temple will be restored.
Paul and left for Corinth and in his journey, he found Aquila. Claudius had commanded the Jews to leave Rome; And, because they were tent makers by trade he stayed with them. Paul reasoned with the Jews and the Gentiles in the synagogue every sabbath preaching that Jesus is Messiah. Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with teaching and preaching that Jesus was the Christ through his word. Then they opposed and reviled him (Paul), so he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now I go to the gentiles.
In preaching the word we may face opposition, but it did not deter Paul from preaching, even from opposition against his own people he said, your blood be on your own head. we are not to be deterred from preaching the word, the blood of opposition is on their heads! when we are innocent!
Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! Isaiah 1: 9 -10
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD.
See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers! 22 Your silver has become dross; your choice wine is diluted with water. 23 Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes.
Revelation 18: 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
It is amazing that when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, and lot was to take his family out. He sent his angels to say get out of town, run for your lives and do not look back. In revelation 18 vs 1 – 3, God says the same thing to Babylon by the angels, after this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[a] She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. 3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
The description of Cornelius is very avid ” devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly”. He was generous, feared God and helped those in need. Because of this, “his prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God”. So, he calls for two servants to go to the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.
On Peters end he saw a vision/trance:
he was hungry as he fell into trance: He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat. “He replied that he had not eaten anything unclean (cleansed by deeds). As peter wondered about the vision, men sent by Cornellius house arrived at his home. They asked Simon the tanner, if there was a guest called Simon Peter in his resident, of which he said yes.
They came personally to Simon peter, so he could go as peter understood what the vision meant; the spirit said listen 3 men are looking for me, so get ready to go down and do not hesitate to go with them. Peter answered, as I do. I am the man you are looking for, they said Cornelius sent them.
Peter invited the men in and invited the men in and told them to spend the night as Simon got ready with some Jewish believers who went with him from Joppa, they arrived Caesarea, Peter went in and said stand up, I myself I am only a man. Sometimes, it is important remember that we are only men. it’s that simple.
3 things Peter realized:
Even if he didn’t understand he went when the call was made.
the call for peter took 3 days he arrived, and thus he was SHOWN he should not call anything clean he must not consider anyone ritually unclean or defiled.
God treats everyone on the same basis. No matter the race they belong to thus even to the gentiles. Acts 10: 3
He narrated the gospel which Cornelius knew, how his Jesus came on earth, “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. “
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and praising God.
It’s funny that as the words were spoken by peter the spirit of God fell on those who heard him. What great anointing must have rest on Peter.
We are reminded of Jesus, as we come to the table of grace to seek his mercy. Such is seen with King David. King David asked rightly “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” So Ziba, a servant from the household of Saul. THE KING is always looking to show kindness to us. Thats the heart of the king of king towards his people.
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
It’s interesting to note that a house that is battered/sold of the people of God with no pasture or communication with God is still shown kindness.
Mephibosheth, he came to David and fell face down, saying “Behold, I am your servant” David assured him “David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.”
God assures us that even in our lowest moment, he is still looking to show kindness to us. We are all like Mephibosheth, in some way, where the King comes to invite us to his table. If God can move him from the Lo debar to the kings table, he will surely make a way for me and you.
Naaman has the commander of the Syrian army, respected esteemed but had leprosy. On one of his conquest he met a little a Israelites girl, whom he took home to his wife. As the little girl heard about Naaman problem. She urged him to go to Israel to seek for help of which he did. Upon going to the king of Israel, he asks for help, and the king thought Naaman wanted to start a quarrel, and refuted; Am I God? I do not give life or take life. Sometimes, this is my anthem, I don’t give life nor take it.
Then Elisha heard of the king’s outburst and Naaman case; he came to Naaman and asked him to go wash himself in the River Jordan (to flow down). Now the Jordan water was not the cleanest, so Naaman complains that the Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So, he turned and went off in a rage.
Now Abana and Pharpar as I said is river constructed with a split and a divide flowing upward. And healing comes down not goes up. As with Naaman, everyone thinks their own river is better. But it is not what we think it’s what God think and with this Naaman servant urged him that if it was difficult task, he would do task but a simple task he doubted it. Sometimes, it is the simple task we doubt. Naaman listened to his servant and got cured. Thereafter Gehazi went after Naaman to ask for 3000 price of silver and 2 changes which led him to be cursed with Lehman leprosy.
Healing is available for us today as the simplest things often carry the grace of God that bring healing, in Naaman case it was his leprosy. Elisha just gave a decree and Naaman was cleansed with an act of faith even still he had doubt.
I had been saying sorry so much to God, I forgot it was an excuse; I guess that why the British call it lame excuses. Sometimes, one can be blissfully ignorant about what God wants us to do. Then excuses come in.
A man had been ill for 38 years, and well he started giving Jesus excuses as to why he could not reach the pool. He said people got there before him. You know I had been giving God lame excuses as to why I could not evangelize. As this man, I went on and on as to why this was not for me.
Indeed in this coming days, I had gained clarity from the ignorance of what happened to me; and yes God had recompensed me for my foolishness of not knowing.
As with this man, Jesus came and asked him do you want to walk, and he said Yes. Jesus told him take up you mat and follow me. The Pharisees heard it and where angry as you would imagine that Jesus healed again on SABBATH Day. when Jesus healed the man, he told him to stop sinning else worse sin will fall on him, I did not know, continuous excuse is a sin. Jesus said my father is always working and I too must work. Sometimes we must walk with Jesus to work for him. Until then I reside on the house of Bethsaida.
