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BAM 100 POSTS!!!!!!!

At Berean Community Church Summer Retreat!!!! oh ya!!!!

Honestly so excited, so happy to be here!!

Yay!

Anyway

Rev 18

Fallen is Babylon the great. It is described as being a place where all kind of bad things dwell, specifically; unclean spirit, unclean birds, and unclean and detestable beasts. It is a place of sexual and economic immorality.

Then a voice from heaven continued with the analogy of the prostitute. She does not consider herself a widow, which I think may refer to non-Christians denying God and Christ as Lord over their lives. Instead they depend on themselves and will be judge accordingly. She will be payed back double for her iniquities. She lived in luxury and glorified herself but she will have plagues fall on her ina single day, "death and mourning and famine and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her." Actually I forgot and have too much to type to go back so the first thing the voice says is to not ally ourselves with the prostitute. That means for us, to reject the world. It is a very difficult thing and I'm sure that when I have to choose sides, I will pick God's side despite family and friends remaining in the iniquity of the prostitute.

The kings and merchants who had acquired such status and wealth from Babylon will stand apart from the city and mourn its destruction, but! I do not believe they will escape the same judgement. These merchants lament over the loss of what defined and made their lives valuable. The destruction of Babylon is the removal of everythign non-Christians find important, yet not being of this world, a part of this Babylon, Christians will rejoice because what we long for, live for, defines us, is God's everlasting presence that can not be destroyed or taken away by fire.

The scene moves to heaven where the merchants lengthy lament is met with rejoicing by the saints who are vindicated by God's justice. Mimicing Jeremiah 51:63-64, an angel throws a millstone into the sea to represent the destruction and loss of babylon. Honestly, throw a stone into one of the oceans and try to find it again. It won't be found, it is forever gone, and it certainly will not rise. There is reasurance that anything resembling worldly lifestyle will be lost; violence, musicians, crafts, labor, lamps, marriages, etc....

What I realize: The treasures of this world can be blessings but only if they are offered to God. I don't think God just blesses us to make us happy. He blesses us so that we can bless others. And honestly, all things of this world will one day be destroyed, sent to the bottom of the sea, and then what worth will it have? One that struck me is that there will be no more marriages in vs 23. Before I was a Christian and even now I struggled with schooling and miscellaneous jobs so that I could provide for my family (if I'm ever to be trusted with one). Really, before Christ, thats what my life revolved around, my eventual wife and kids. And thats not a bad thing.... but it can be if not handled the way that God designed. If I am ever blessed with a family, they will not have been given to me for my own fulfillment but rather they will be my responsibility, whom I will shepherd, to ultimately give glory to God. If I can't do that, then I don't deserve a family because a family in itself, without God in the picture, is just a worldly "activity" that will pass when we die. What good is anything if it's not used to serve God?

Anyways, next is friday's reading

Rev 19:1-5 Rejoicing in Heaven

So basically the saints in heaven are rejoicing over the ruin of the Babylon. Which again, this is a good while after Babylon had conquered Judah. Finally the prostitute that is synonymous with Babylon is destroyed and the saints are avenged as God righteously judges the wicked. They cry out "Hallelujah!" which is the only time the word is used in the new testament. It literally means praise Yahweh.

"The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." Fire damge is an interesting thing because there is no repairing something thats been damaged by fire. Things that have melted from a fire can not be taped back together... like a photo. Buildings can not be patched because 1. usually a fire will consume the whole building or 2. the fire affects the very structure of the building, permanently damaging it. When a person is burned, scars remain forever, if there is any skin left, which may only be repaired with skin grafting (a crazy skin transplant procedure). Point being, when babylon falls and is consumed in fire, it goes up with the smoke never to return, it will be gone, erased from existance. Hooray!!!!

By this the elders and beasts bow down to God offering Him praise. A voice actually commands it (as if anyone was able to help their amazement anyway) that all who fear the Lord, small and great, should praise God.

What I realize: Well more what I struggle with, is a proper fear of God. I know what He can do but perhaps the knowledge has not yet been taken into understanding in my heart. I suppose I have respect for God but I don't know about fear. I think I've been so saturated with growing in understanding of God's more pleasant attributes that a proper fear of Him has been neglected. Perhaps if I feared Him more, I would be moved to work harder for Him. I am certainly (and ceaselessly for the rest of my life) growing.