In the World, Not of the World

Revelation 18: 4-11- Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;  for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.  Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup.  Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.'  Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.  "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.  Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: " 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'  "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more—

I had two thoughts when I read this passage. My eyes and heart first fixed on the words….come out from her.  I know John is writing what his vision tells us about the end…and I know that God is rescuing the Christians that have made it through these terrible days of tribulation…but I thought….why do I have to wait…to separate myself from the world.  John tells me why…so I will not share in her sins, so that I will not receive any of her plagues;  for her sins are piled up to heaven.  I have read these words before… for Paul said, “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” In 2 Corinthians 6:17.  I may not make it to these end days…I had better heed God’s directions today…I sure don’t want to be judged like this Mystery Harlot when I get to heaven…it sounds pretty severe. For me …it is a reminder to check my involvement in things that I am doing simply to please other people.

I also hung on the words and thoughts of all those merchants and Kings as she was destroyed. They cared nothing for her…John says that they cared for the property …the sales they were losing….because no one would buy her cargo anymore. I realized these are unsaved people…and even though it is very hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that some people will reject Jesus…no matter what…it  is still hard for me to see them care so little about the Harlot  herself. It is a reminder to me to always think about the person…what they have the potential of becoming…if Jesus can take up residence in their heart and life.

If I put these two thoughts together….I see Jesus again….separate and different from anyone else on the Earth.  Always looking for a wayward heart to harvest with his mercy…forgiveness and healing touch. I must strive to be more like his example…to say no to the things I know will not build up my knowledge of God…to say no to the worldly things that might give Satan a chance to trick me into sin. But always remembering that I need to have that heart like Jesus…that looks for the hurt inside a person…and knows just which ones God has placed there because I have a word…testimony or …moment of time to minister to the needs of their soul.  To separate myself from sin…not the people he has placed in my life to help. Easier said than done….but I have to try….for John wrote in 1 John 2:15-17 (KJV) “ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” I guess it was a reminder for John too!

Father…thank you for this lesson…this reminder that I am to be in the world….because you have work for me to do here…but not of the world…because the world is not of your perfect love.  Help me father to get this right…to walk in the world…and see the needs of others…not the pretty things that will temporarily make me happy.  Forgive me for all the times I have let Satan trick me with his worldly pleasures…give me new eyes today to see his tricks and temporary joy.  Give me eyes to see only God’s permanent joy….that will help me to spread his word on the Earth…so I can enjoy my home in heaven when you call me to live with you there. Amen.