Precept Class was so good. We learned about Babylon. It comes in so timely after the earthquake in Japan. Most of all it is again the talk of town, Christ is coming again. Yesterday's lesson was on Babylon.
Is there a Babylon? Or is it just a system? Or is it a kingdom of the past? Babylon I learned yesterday was all these. It is a real place in real time. Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest king of Babylon and he built a statue of himself to show his greatness. But God humbled him and he was to feed like a cow in the fields for 7 years until he was well. The prophet that was present in Nebuchadnezzar's time was Daniel and if you study the book of Daniel, you will learn about Christ's first and second coming. It is important to study Revelations because those who study will live wisely and carefully.
Babylon was a great city built by the great grandson of Noah. Nimrod built a city of great hedonism and full of the worldly wisdom of mankind.
God has a holy city called Jerusalem. Satan has a city called Babylon. This is a city that God will destroy not once but twice. Why was God so angry with this city? Let's check it out.
It is built where the tower of Babel was built and God hated this place. It was a place where the people wanted to be like God. God hated it for another reason. It was on this ground that Adam and Eve sinned. Yes, that is right, it is founded on the exact site of the Garden of Eden. I was told that there is a lot of oil in Iraq. It is one of the world's best oil because the vegetative matter is unique and of top quality. There is no other place on earth in that area where there is lush vegetation save for this fact that the garden of Eden was there. It laid buried under layers and layers of mud during the flood. It was difficult to identify the garden of Eden because there were supposed to be 4 rivers flowing through it. However, after the flood only two rivers were obvious and deep. These rivers were the rivers Euphrates and Tigiris that still exist today. And Babylon was right between these two rivers now. Thus Babylon was sitting right above the garden of Eden where all rebellion broke lose and disobedience prevailed. Babylon was burned to the ground but it is now rebuilt. Babylon is found in Iraq. Saddam Hussein has rebuilt it. When the Gulf War occurred, not a stone in the new palace or anywhere in the Babylon city was devastated. Much has been done to protect and restore it. Why? Because it will be rebuilt and it will become the centre of hedonism again.
The system of Babylon such that there is drunkeness, money, lusts and all that displease God has already pervaded every fibre of all civilisations that were present in the past and today. And this system will be accentuated in Babylon, the physical city until Christ comes and destroyed it and there will be no more. There are pictures you can find with regard to Babylon and Saddam has written his name on every stone in his palace. He worshipped Nebuchadnezzar and was going to be the next Nebuchadnezzar.
Another reason why God is angry with Babylon is also because Babylon is always ready to destroy Israel. The British also ruled over Iraq and when Iraq was granted freedom, the first thing it did was to attack Israel.
Why does God love Israel so much? Israel is stiff necked. Israel constantly rebelled against God. Israel rejected Christ. Israel is still waiting for the Messiah when the Messiah came and He will come again. Why?
Our God is a covenant God. He made a promise to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob that He will come and redeem His own. God will redeem all those who are not Israelites too even in the old testament days. There were people who believe in Jehovah God and were saved.
What was taught yesterday connected with what I heard today at BBTC.
Today's sermon at BBTC was excellent. Most excellent because my friend Annie came with me. She was so not used to the system of worship at BBTC.
She was very uncomfortable with the standing to sing for 45 minutes. I laughed as I listen to her judge the entire service. I expected her to do that throughout the day and she was predictable. But I prayed that the Lord will speak to her because she has been thirsting for the word of God. When she called me yesterday to ask if I would like to go to my former church, I told her no way. She said that the messages I heard was boring so I told her to honestly check to see if she was telling the truth. Having daily devotion is not enough. I know it because I don't have both. It is terrible to live a godless life. Yet this pastor wanted to control everything. I told Annie to do something about her soul. So I invited her and she came with me this morning.
I thank God for this chance because I want her to share my joy in listening to God's word in BBTC. I enjoy the worship service there very much.
The message was on redeeming the time. To redeem the time is to save that which was lost, lost time. How do we redeem the time? We need to know what is important and what is not important.
The speaker is a young pastor with a diverse cultural background and heritage named Steve Cioccolanti. He was born in Thailand. But he speaks American English, based his ministry in Australia. You go check him out.
There are few time wasters.
1) Facebook, TV, handphones that buzz when there are messages
2) Complaining about our misery. I do that alot.
3) Trying to please people. I like what was said. He shared that we cannot please ALL people. If these people don't like us and some will never even though you have done your best, then it is okay to let them leave. He told us not to be afraid cos God will bring those who love us and will celebrate life (be it good or bad) with us to our path soon.
4) Thinking I am not important. I do that alot too. And I am reminded again that I must believe I am a person of destiny and that God has wonderfully and fearfully made me. I am valuable and my time is valuable. I must believe that. I am going to change the way I look from today onwards. I am also going to think about who I want to spend my precious time with. Because my time is important. I will also decide HOW I spend it.
How to redeem the time?
1) Realize you don't live forever. Our days are numbered. You think you live through 80? Well think again. Young children with cancer. Young men dropped down dead after a good workout. Times that we don't know and will not have because GOD has them.
2) Live like you were dying. If I have 5 years, what would I do? What must I do first? After the earthquake in Japan, many of the survivors said that they know what is important to them now. Even if they have one day I would think they want to do that important thing. What is your most important thing to do or who is the most important person you want to be with? We never know when the melt down will be, yah? Tsunami? There is still a huge earthquake that will be sent by God that is not sent yet. This one, many islands will fold. Already the last quake in Japan moved Japan 2.4 metres to the EAST. What can God not do? Nothing!
3) Get into the call and stay focus on what God is calling me to do. As of now, I know my call. But the door is yet to be opened and until I am equipped I won't be able to work on it. God is faithful and I will fulfill whatever I need to do in this call. I need to pray to God for focus. To stay focus, I need to be accountable to someone and thus I need to form a team. Even Jesus the master teacher, has a team of 12. I will have to form a team to pray for me. I already have a team of 4. I need more.
4) Have no time to be sick. I need to stay healthy spiritually and physically. I must feed on the word of God and hide His word in my heart.
God will want us to account how we redeem our time.
For many of you who were worried about my depression and my walk with God, I hope you know that your prayers have protected me from falling deeper into sin.
I am not out of the woods fully but I know I am walking closer with GOD and everyday is a day to LIVE for HIM. I don't plan but I allow God to reign. I make small victories some days. And some days, I am down. But I remember our GOD. Thank you for praying for me. I need a strong hedge as I LIVE for Him. I know I am up against a strong force but Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.
