The Fall Of Babylon

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Scripture

In Babylon the high officials were having a feast. They were eating and drinking, when someone shouted, “Officers, take your places! Grab your shields.”

~Isaiah 21:5, CEV

Quote

How fragile is life! How quickly everything can change.

~N.E. Turner

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Bro JackBabylon has a figurative meaning in scripture; sometimes it is a reference to the world system that is in rebellion against Christ and perpetuated by greed and lust. BUT, there was a literal Babylon. Ancient Babylon was located in present day Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia. I suppose the Babylonian Empire reached its height in the 6th century BC but it fell overnight in 539 BC. Belshazzar and the political leaders were having a party, getting drunk, praising their idols and making fun of Daniel’s God Yahweh. This is when Belshazzar saw the hand writing on the wall. Belshazzar was paralyzed with fear; his face turned pale, his knees became so weak, he could not stand and he was shaking all over. It was the kings last night on planet earth. The same night, Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede took his kingdom. Remnants of the Babylonian Empire endured for a time but today there is nothing there, not even a trace.

In a second, a minute, an hour or one day, everything can change for as long as we live on this earth. Belshazzar was celebrating one moment and in terror the next–it does not take long for everything to change. Life is very volatile, very fragile and wisdom dictates that we live one moment at a time. Our perspective in life can change in a moment. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in a moment. Never underestimate God’s ability to change everything in a second because He can do it. On the night of Belshazzar’s party and the eve of his death, he was praising his gods but the very next morning, his gods were laying in the streets of Babylon smashed to pieces. {Isa. 21:11} Before it is all said and done, we will curse our gods and see them destroyed one by one. Yahweh is a jealous God: He will not tolerate other gods. Things I once valued highly, I despise now. In the end, the gods of this world will be obliterated; you can put it on your calendar, it is going to happen.

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  • They are getting a lot of rain in the upper Mid-west and the weather channel assures us that cooler weather is coming next week with the slight possibility of rain. Hey, we have hope and that is the main thing. I have some things I need to do outside but it is so dry and hot I don’t want to do them.
  • It has certainly been a good week and I’ve tried not to be anxious about Sunday but I am a worrier by nature. I continue to pray for God’s will to be done in DBC and I hope you are praying for the same thing. Joe David had to go to New Orleans this week for class. He will be coming home today, pray for travel mercies.
  • One of the reasons I need to retire is my hearing or perhaps my understanding. I did the devotion for the football team yesterday in their locker room. They have a huge “hawk” painted on the floor. When I walked in the coach said, “Don’t step on the hawk.” I did not hear the “don’t” and I went straight to the hawk and stepped on his head. He almost had a melt down. I am fairly certain he did not forgive me. I did apologize but it was not a good way to get things started. The boys didn’t seem to hold a grudge but I’m not sure I will be invited back.
  • TRUNK-A-TREAT: We have moved our event to Sunday night October 30 in hopes that we can get more people involved. We have been losing venders with each succeeding year. At one time we had 50 or more and last year we had less than 20. We know that the rising prices of candy has discouraged some so we are going to supplement the venders this year. There will be a $50 prize for the best decorated trunk and a 50$ prize for best costume. There will also be more TREATS like cotton candy and funnel cakes.
ralph
Holly wanted me to be “Wreck It Ralph”…do you think it fits? My Daddy would have!

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