Leaving Babylon pg. 63
Babylon has inflicted on humanity the ultimate Stockholm syndrome. This syndrome is described as a condition in which hostages express sympathy and empathy for their captors and develop affection for them to the point of defending them. Patty Hearst, a newspaper heiress kidnapped in February 1974, was such a victim. She actually joined her captors in their criminal behavior against her father, even as he made a great effort secure her release. Babylon has done the same to mankind. She has turned us against our heavenly Father, who has made the ultimate effort and sacrifice to secure our release.
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS: By the power of God through Christ we can break our Stockholm Syndrome and return to our Heavenly Father. God continues to call to His beloved humanity, calling us to freedom from our captor into His loving arms. He pleads with us to come before it is too late, as He did with Jerusalem:
“Wake up, wake up, O Zion!
Clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem,
for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer.
2 Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem.
Sit in a place of honor.
Remove the chains of slavery from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
Isaiah 52:1-2 nlt
The author of Hebrews wrote to the Christian Jews, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3). You cannot neglect something that you do not have. He was clearly writing to Christians who may have become lax or careless in their walk with Christ. The answer to that question is that we shall not escape if we fail to remain in prayer and study of God’s Word, the Holy Bible.
Sessions in Pain, pg. 145
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS: As we enter into this new year we are called more than ever to a spiritual sobriety. The author of Hebrews warns believers in Christ that we face a formidable enemy who knows that his time is short. As Satan turns up his intestity of attack so must we press into the power and graces of our Great Salvation purchased with the blood of Our Christ, which is our only means of escape and victory!
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has comeupon you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.…” 1Peter 4;12-13 BSB
picture credit: Carlos Sandoval
Leaving Babylon pgs. 49-50
Adam relinquished the authority given to him by God to rule over earth to his enemy. This was the beginning of our life in Babylon. However, with our fall we also saw a hope, a hope declared in the book of Genesis. From the beginning of our lives in sin, God declares that one day He would prepare a way for us to leave. This leaving would begin with an effort to gather His beloved humanity out of Babylon. He would give mankind another opportunity to choose Him over sin and make us His children once again.
Can you see the love of our heavenly Father, even after we had broken His heart? He would proclaim that deliverance was coming to us through His Son (her Seed), Jesus Christ. Since that day, God has consistently called humanity out of Babylon. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, His message has been the same…“Come out from her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins, neither participate in her plagues” (Rev.18:4, amp).
Author’s Comments: Christmas is about the fulfillment of the first promise made by God of the coming of His Son in Genesis 3:15. The Christ is described as “her Seed” who would strike the head of our enemy.
No one can make you keep a dirty wound. You must choose to let the scalpel of the Lord come in and cut away the infected tissue. You must allow Him to use His sutures, which may come in the form of Forgiveness, Love (which hides a multitude of sins), the Word of God (which is quick and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword), Hope (which makes us not ashamed) and Faith (which is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen) to mend us back together.
Sessions in Pain, pg. 223
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS: This Christmas season give yourself the best gift and allow the Savior to mend you back together again.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14 KJV
picture credit: Coree Sullivan
Leaving Babylon pg. 45
The problem that remained was that many of us had become so attached to the breasts of Babylon that we did not want to let go of her. Although she was abusive to us, at least we knew what to expect with her, and this brought us a strange sense of security. This is seen in children who have suffered from abuse. They do not know anything other than the abuser. Therefore, they have difficulty trusting in anyone different. Even when they are told that “this new life” is loving, healthy, and prosperous for them, they will still resist it.
In the same manner, the abused children of Babylon recoil and hide behind their walls of anger and fear as the heavenly Father reaches out to them. They take cover behind these walls that were erected early in their lives. Babylon had deceived us all into blaming God for the pain that she had caused in our lives. She convinced us to distrust and hate Him. This is why those of us who have come to know the truth and relief found in Jesus Christ pray. We pray for the lost in Babylon because we know it will take God’s Holy Spirit to break through the walls and reach into their hearts and set them free with the truth. As the love of God is fulfilled in our hearts, we pray for them, even when they reject us and curse us. We pray that their relationship with Babylon be broken by the power of God.
“…11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But to all who did receive Him,to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” John 1:11-12 BSB
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You cannot teach or lead anyone to conversion until He has created in you a clean heart and His Spirit is dwelling strong in you. Your intellect cannot do it; your years of experience or your degree(s) cannot do it—nothing but His Spirit. Therefore, beloved, do not despise the painful waiting; learn your lessons and prepare yourself to minister. David acknowledged that God had broken his bones but he also knew that he would rejoice in the end. Sessions in Pain, pg. 189
AUTHOR’S COMMENT: We are living in a season where it is critical that we focus on strengthening the Holy Spirit in us. We cannot effect change in this world outside of a strong relationship with the Holy Spirit. Too many of us “Christians” have the label but not the life. We must draw closer to our Christ and His Holy Spirit. As the Scriptures have taught us:
“It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies” (Zechariah 4:6 nlt).
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Leaving Babylon pgs. 10-11
This book was not written to bring fear and uncertainty of the future but rather to encourage you to get up and move into the safety of God’s plan of rescue. Certain events are inevitable because sin is costly, and the Word of God cannot be changed.
However, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sins. He put in place a plan of rescue for us. Unfortunately, many human beings continue to live bound by the chains of Babylon. Babylon, simply put, is this world’s system of living, working, and existing. It is the “bondage living” we inherited from our earthly father, Adam. When Adam sinned in the garden, the existence God intended for humanity drastically changed. Babylon entered into our lives and brought with her fear, strife, struggle, and greed.
Our choice to sin brought the dictates of Babylon into our lives, and it took the blood of Jesus Christ to forge the way out of her grip. Jesus said, “The thief ’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” ( John 10:10, nlt). The choice is yours: to continue being robbed, or to live with purpose and fulfillment within the security of God.
I am so glad God remembers our value and worth to Him. I’ve experienced His sending someone that I had helped along my path when I felt discouraged, who reminded me of the work He has done in my life. Such reminders cause me to hope again, to recall His Word: “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
Sessions in Pain, pg. 58
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS: Beloved, in this day and time when so much is coming at us at once discouragement can evelope us very easily. But remember that your Lord has already won your battle! Your work is to hope again everyday and keep the “Shield of Faith” up until you reach the finish line.
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Leaving Babylon pgs. 15-16
Babylon is described as one who commits adultery with many kings. To commit adultery, one has to have a commitment and owe loyalty to someone. You may not commit adultery unless you have made promises to someone and owe responsibility (care and protection) to someone. Therefore, we see that the Word of God describes Babylon as a betrayer of the people to whom she owes commitments. She betrays them for her own selfish gain. She sells out the people in her charge to anyone that can pay her price. She leads the kings of the earth or those in authority— the CEOs, the presidents, the prime ministers, and even fathers and mothers, to betray those in their care. News stories explode with the deliberate acts of business and world leaders who cheat and exploit the people who have put their trust in them, for selfish gain.
Babylon is described as someone with whom the people of the earth were drunk. They lost control of themselves and neglected their responsibilities, because of her adulteries and her willingness to sell anything and anyone for a price. The people of the earth flocked to her ways of conducting business. They became intoxicated by her profits from the sell out of herself and the betrayal of her responsibilities. Nothing and no one is safe from being sold to and ravaged by the highest bidder.
Author: The Word of God remains true, “For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes” (Rev. 18:5)
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The strongman often lives not realizing that God’s glory has left his life. His fear and pain grow as he eventually recognizes that he is alone; but he remains too proud to admit his error and convinces himself that he won’t be like the others he has heard of who destroyed themselves. He is bound by the grip of pride and like so many great men, here he falls…Lucifer fell here.
Sessions in Pain pg. 194
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS: Beloved, why fall here at the feet of pride? The 
“strongman”can be that part of any one of us that thinks it knows better than God. He may have accepted Christ but fails to allow the Holy Spirit to rule. It is essentially our ego or our sense of self that we usually protect with a shield of pride. Humility is rejected as weakness in the heart of the strongman. But the Word God remains true:
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1Peter 5:6 nlt).
Picture credits: Acuérdate de tu Creador, The Military Heart
