Tuesday, December
5, 2017
After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with
great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. He gave a mighty shout: “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a
hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal. For all the nations have fallen because of
the wine of her passionate immorality. The
kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant
luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.” Then I heard another voice calling from
heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do
not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.
Revelation 18:1-4(NLT)
Many times in Scripture we are urged to cooperate with fellow believers
to do the work of the Kingdom of God.
Just as often we are warned to steer clear of alliances which drag us more
into personal desires than Godliness.
Revelation is full of God’s judgments which fall on those who oppose
Him. In this passage we see final
punishments falling on those who have let themselves become steeped in the passionate immorality of the
age.
It is a deep trap into which we fall when we attempt to minimize the
seriousness of personal sin. Scripture
is very clear about this. And in this
passage of future judgment we see just how fiercely decisive the sword of
punishment is for those who place personal gain over Godly compassion; even
worse is the judgment that falls upon the heads of those who lead others into
such sinful lifestyles.
The thought of judgment being more stringent for those who lead always
brings a shudder to my soul. As a
pastor, even in a small membership congregation, the moment you open your mouth
in teaching, preaching or leading in any way, the possibility of saying
something that will affect someone else’s eternity looms large! That being said, I am still thrilled to be a
pastor, because the opportunity to effect change for good in someone’s life is
just as much a possibility as leading one astray. The two (human) dynamics in that mix are:
· My faithfulness in preaching, teaching and
leading in a Godly way
· The Godly faithfulness of those who follow
Another aspect of this is on a grander scale in the human family – that of
leadership of nations. And Revelation is
just as clear for what a national leader (and followers) do as it is for individuals. National leaders that provoke the culture
along a pathway that leaves righteousness, compassion, and Godly living fading
into the rearview mirror are stockpiling riches for themselves in this world
and an eternity of misery for the next. I’ve
often said I would never want to be president of any country. The temptations associated with that much
power are far above my pay grade.
For You
Today
Your
actions today are merely a teaspoon of water in a vast ocean of the deeds of
humans throughout the world. But even
the smallest drop creates a ripple. What
effect will your ripples be in the life of another human being who crosses your
path today?
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