1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,960 Well, aren't you thankful to be in the House of the Lord today? 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,080 Could you lift your hands and just love him one more time? 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,480 Jesus, we magnify you. Jesus, we're thankful for you. 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,680 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,960 What a blessing it is to be in God's house. 6 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:25,280 Amen. Amen. 7 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,280 If you have your Bibles this morning and would turn with me 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,360 to the book of Second Corinthians beginning in six and 9 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:34,200 14. While you're turning there, give 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:41,880 honor to our pastor, to our Bishop, to our youth pastor, for 11 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,920 the Alex, Sister Grace Zach, Sister Malen, for the work they 12 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,160 do with our our younger generation. 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,160 Give honor to my wife today who stands beside me. 14 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:01,520 Unquestionably I'm honored by that today. 15 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,720 Give honor to Jesus Christ, for without him none of us would 16 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,440 even be here to begin with. 2nd Corinthians 6 and 14. 17 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,520 Thank you for standing. The Bible says be you not 18 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,640 unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 19 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,360 I am not preaching on dating this morning, so don't anybody 20 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:22,520 get nervous. For what fellowship hath 21 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:24,840 righteousness with unrighteousness? 22 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:29,120 And what communion hath light with darkness? 23 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,240 What concord hath Christ with Belial? 24 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,960 And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 25 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,120 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? 26 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,520 For you are the temple of God, and God hath said, I will dwell 27 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:46,880 in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they 28 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:54,960 shall be my people. Verse 17 says, Wherefore I want 29 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,000 you to look at your neighbor this morning and and say, with 30 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:09,360 whatever passion you have in you today, wherefore come out from 31 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,840 among them and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not 32 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,040 the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a 33 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,560 father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, sayeth 34 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,320 the Lord Almighty. Let's pray. 35 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:29,600 Mighty God, help me today, Help me today to preach with clarity 36 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:34,240 and with wisdom to do your will and seek after your anointing 37 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,920 and your touch today. Speak that which you would have 38 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:39,640 to be spoken and that only today. 39 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,040 Lord minister our hearts and lines and on our ears to hear 40 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:44,560 what the Spirit would say to the church. 41 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,160 Help me to do your will and purpose today. 42 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:53,360 In the name of Jesus I pray and the church said Amen. 43 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,000 God bless you. You may be seated today. 44 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,760 I want to minister this morning with the help of the Lord on 45 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:05,840 this subject, living in the gardens of Babylon. 46 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:09,280 Living in the gardens of Babylon. 47 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:14,080 It was a place that held significant symbolism in its 48 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:20,080 meetings in various contexts, particularly in religious and 49 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:25,600 historical tradition. It served as a multifaceted 50 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,760 symbol, encompassing the themes of moral and spiritual 51 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:35,320 corruption, historical grandeur, suffering, political power, and 52 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,840 intellectual achievement. It consistently embodied the 53 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:44,560 tension between divine principles and human failings. 54 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:52,240 Historically, Babylon was a powerful city, an empire in 55 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,840 ancient Mesopotamia, having its grandeur and cultural 56 00:03:55,840 --> 00:04:00,280 achievements to include what is known as the Hanging Gardens of 57 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,160 Babylon. These Hanging Gardens were 58 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,200 regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient World. 59 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,080 Babylon was known for its contributions to science, 60 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:15,160 mathematics, and literature. It represented the achievements 61 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,880 of an ancient civilization in the enduring legacy of 62 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,600 intellectual and cultural contributions, of which some 63 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:28,040 still remain today. In the Bible, Babylon symbolizes 64 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,480 a center of moral decay and idolatry. 65 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:36,800 It represented a society or system that opposed divine order 66 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:42,520 and was associated with excess, corruption, and the rebellion 67 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:46,880 against God. The Babylonian exile was a 68 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:51,480 period in which many Jews were taken captive and forced to live 69 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,840 in Babylon, and it became a period that was symbolic of 70 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,520 suffering, loss, and displacement. 71 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,640 When spoken of, Babylon often symbolizes a powerful and 72 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,920 corrupt political or spiritual entity. 73 00:05:08,280 --> 00:05:13,600 The name Babylon itself in etymological matters related to 74 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:19,600 the Hebrew word Babel, which means confusion and disorder, 75 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,120 which is linked directly to the story of the Tower of Babel in 76 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,120 the book of Genesis, where humanity's attempt to build a 77 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:32,120 tower to heaven resulted in the confusion of languages. 78 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:39,480 Ancient Babylon, which is where we find present day Iraq, was a 79 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:44,440 powerful empire whose destruction was prophesied in 80 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,680 the word of God. In the book of Jeremiah chapter 81 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:52,960 50 and verse 13 it says because of the wrath of the Lord, it 82 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaking of Babylon, it shall not be inhabited, but it shall 83 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:03,680 be holy, desolate. Everyone that goeth by Babylon 84 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:09,880 shall be astonished and hiss at all her plagues. 85 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:16,120 Jeremiah 51 and 37 States and Babylon shall become heaps, a 86 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:22,440 dwelling place for Dragons and astonishment and and hissing, 87 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:28,240 without an inhabitant. Some theological perspectives 88 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,680 draw parallels between the prophetic destruction of 89 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:37,680 Babylon's desolation and the modern day conditions of Iraq, 90 00:06:37,840 --> 00:06:42,120 which stands on the same soil as ancient Babylon. 91 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,880 Iraq itself has experienced significant challenges 92 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,240 throughout the decades, including conflict and 93 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,880 instability. Some view Iraq struggles as a 94 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:57,600 continuation of the symbolic narrative of Babylon historical 95 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:03,280 downfall, while others see it as a separate and geopolitical 96 00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:08,400 issue. From the year six O 5 to 562 BC, 97 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:13,320 Babylon was ruled by a man we know in the word of God as King 98 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,200 Nebuchadnezzar. Renowned for his role in 99 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:21,400 expanding and consolidating the Neo Babylonian Empire, his reign 100 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,840 is marked by significant architectural achievements, 101 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:29,360 including the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, 102 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,480 one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the 103 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,280 rebuilding of Babylons walls in temples. 104 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,800 His military campaigns extended Babylons influence across to the 105 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,800 Near East. In the Bible, particularly in 106 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,920 the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar represents both 107 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,720 the grandeur and the hubris of earthly power. 108 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:56,600 He is depicted as a powerful king who ultimately faces divine 109 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:01,280 judgment for his pride and his failure to acknowledge God's 110 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:05,000 sovereignty. Fast forward to the era of Iraqi 111 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:11,000 leadership from 1979 to 2003, and you find a man that we know 112 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,880 in modern day society as Saddam Hussein at the helm of Iraq's 113 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,520 political structure as its president. 114 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,760 His regime was marked by significant human rights abuses, 115 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,600 aggressive military action, and a quest for regional and world 116 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,840 dominance. During his rule, Saddam Hussein 117 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,440 invoked the legacy of Nebuchadnezzar and other 118 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:40,120 historical figures to promote his vision of restoring Iraq's 119 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,960 past glory. Saddam Hussein and had a desire 120 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:49,880 1 which he pursued to be seen as watch this now the self elected 121 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:54,560 reincarnation of King Nebuchadnezzar, to associate 122 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:59,320 himself with the grandeur and the power of ancient Babylon. 123 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,120 By aligning himself with Nebuchadnezzar, he sought to 124 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:07,320 evoke the image of a powerful and transformative ruler, 125 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:12,200 enhancing his authority and legitimacy in the eyes of his 126 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:16,320 supporters. Hussein invested in significant 127 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:21,200 reconstruction and development projects in Iraq that were 128 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,920 intended to evoke the glory of ancient Babylon. 129 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,440 This included the rebuilding of Babylon's ancient ruins and the 130 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:33,800 construction of new structures inspired by Nebuchadnezzar's 131 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:38,960 era, thereby visually and culturally linking his regime 132 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:43,120 with Babylonian heritage. Hussein's claim to be the 133 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:48,360 reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar was part of a broader effort to 134 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,160 legitimize his rule and project strength and stability. 135 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,880 It allowed him to frame his leadership in our modern day era 136 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:03,640 as a continuation of Babylonian greatness, thereby legitimizing 137 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:09,360 his control over Iraq. This self identification of 138 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:14,720 Nebuchadnezzar was controversial and viewed critically by many. 139 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,080 It was seen as some as a manipulative use of historical 140 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:23,560 symbolism to mask the regime's authoritarian nature. 141 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:28,960 I will declare to you today that I see it as no more than Bishop 142 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:34,040 than the spirit of this age trying to resurrect a time in 143 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:40,320 history, a point in history, to bring back fleshly rule, to 144 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:45,360 bring back fleshly authoritarian principles, to try to overtake 145 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:50,360 the people of God, just as he did in the Babylonian exile 146 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:56,320 during that day. Just take a look at the Word of 147 00:10:56,320 --> 00:11:01,840 God and see the prophecies associated with the demise of 148 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:07,880 Babylon and compare God's Word to the modern day condition of 149 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:12,800 the country of Iraq and you will find it more than curious. 150 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:19,080 God's Word today, we know, is forever settled in heaven. 151 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:25,120 What is written is written. What God had brought down in 152 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:30,280 that era, God will keep down according to His Word and His 153 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,680 authority today. I've not come to preach against 154 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,400 Iraq today. I've come to preach against the 155 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:42,640 spirit of this age that wants to resurrect the carnality and its 156 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:47,560 fleshly authority of a day gone by in ancient times. 157 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,560 But all thanks be to God. God, I serve the Ancient of 158 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:56,720 Days, who is still just as real today as he was in 159 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:00,480 Nebuchadnezzar's hour. And he has the same authority, 160 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,400 He has the same power, He has the same ability. 161 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:15,840 Can somebody shout Hallelujah? God's word is forever settled. 162 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,800 What he proclaimed would be will be. 163 00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:26,880 Allow me, if you will, to pause here for just a moment because I 164 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:31,600 need to make a declaration here today to the people of God that 165 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,960 are listening under the sound of my voice. 166 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:41,640 Just as true as the prophetic words of God were and still are 167 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:46,360 regarding the demise of Pablon and what I personally believe 168 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,760 was the prediction of the future of the country of Iraq. 169 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:55,680 When God makes a declaration, when God makes a prophecy 170 00:12:55,680 --> 00:13:02,520 through His Word on your behalf, it is also just as real and just 171 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:07,680 as true and will be just as timeless today as it was 172 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:12,840 generations ago. When His Word says when I fall, 173 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:18,800 I shall arise, then I can take that check to the bank and I can 174 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:23,320 cash it today and I can have confidence knowing that if God 175 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:28,160 said I can get back up again, then every time I fall, every 176 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,680 time I trip Bishop, I know I'm getting back up. 177 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:34,440 I'm not staying down for the count. 178 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:37,720 I've not been knocked out in the 15th round. 179 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,920 I'm getting back up and I'm going to serve in victory. 180 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:49,040 I'm going to walk in victory because I serve a God who is 181 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:55,800 Abel when his word says when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall 182 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,920 be a light unto me. That means it doesn't matter how 183 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:04,360 dark things are in my situation. That means it doesn't matter how 184 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,880 many times I convince myself, Mason, you done messed up one 185 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,400 time too many. That mistake was over the top. 186 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,360 That mistake was just one time too much. 187 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:19,280 It doesn't matter how dark it gets in my in my life. 188 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:25,240 It doesn't matter how many times I speak against myself and say I 189 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,080 can't do it. I'm that that day is gone. 190 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,840 I'm a washed up has been. I can know that the Lord shall 191 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:38,360 be a light and he will light my path in the middle of my 192 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:44,080 darkness. Somebody shout Hallelujah. 193 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:54,360 That means that when Jesus said I will never leave you, when 194 00:14:54,480 --> 00:15:03,120 Jesus said the words I'm not leaving you means no matter what 195 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,160 I've done. That means no matter where I'm 196 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:11,040 at. That means no matter how 197 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:16,160 defeated I feel, I'm never alone. 198 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:25,960 His promise is just true. His promise is just as you know, 199 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:31,960 sometimes. Now maybe this is just me, and 200 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:36,880 if it is, just be patient with me because I'm still trying. 201 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:43,360 I'm not there yet. Sometimes in my walk with God, I 202 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:48,080 have had moments where I've read the word of God and Bishop. 203 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,880 Having grown up in church, I've always tried to maintain a 204 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:52,360 posture that I believed his word. 205 00:15:55,320 --> 00:16:01,480 But there are some things. There's some things I pause. 206 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,120 I'm not going to say we because I can't speak for you, but there 207 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:11,480 are some things I pause sometimes and think maybe that 208 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,560 one's a stretch. They may just just just just 209 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,360 maybe I'm, I'm just telling you about me. 210 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,520 All right. There are some things I look at 211 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,840 and say, Well, I believe it because I believe in him and I 212 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,360 believe in his word. And, you know, you try to be the 213 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,200 good Christian and and say all the right things, but in my 214 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:37,080 heart, I'm thinking who? You know, my dad always told me 215 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:42,560 that I was born in Missouri. For those of you that don't know 216 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,160 what that means, Missouri's known as the show me state. 217 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:47,920 So you have to see it to believe it. 218 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:52,400 OK, some of you need to eat protein for breakfast. 219 00:16:52,400 --> 00:17:01,120 So, but it would be a little bit more real, Bishop, if I saw it. 220 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:08,920 Culmination of all this activity LED up to a moment where several 221 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,640 years ago I traveled to the country of Israel. 222 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,200 My first time there, I was on a business trip working for an 223 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:19,680 Israeli company and I told my wife then. 224 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,119 And every time I was there after that, I felt the same. 225 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,599 There was just something. Something about every Sunday 226 00:17:27,599 --> 00:17:36,560 School story I heard at the age of 5 just was like real and 227 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:42,400 right in front of my face. I felt closer to God standing on 228 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,760 Israeli soil than I felt anywhere in my entire life. 229 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:49,360 And maybe it was just because of thinking that that's where he 230 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:51,760 walked. Maybe I don't know. 231 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:58,360 Such a surreal opportunity. And that's how I felt in study 232 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:08,200 as I began to uncover the linkage between Babylon and a 233 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:13,240 modern day ruler that was in power from 1979 to 2003. 234 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,960 Because I realized there's some of you that that just hovers way 235 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,840 over your head and you weren't born until like six years ago. 236 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,720 And that's fine. But there are some of us in this 237 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:28,880 room this morning that when you talk 1973 tonight to 2003, that 238 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:35,960 encapsulates an era where you were a part of it. 239 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:38,080 Everyone over the age of 40 say Amen. 240 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:41,160 There are more of you here than that. 241 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:46,720 You'll be quiet this morning. I see how it is, but it brought 242 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,440 some life. The linkage of that brought some 243 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:54,080 life to me to the Word. If you've ever wondered about 244 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,800 seeing God's Word alive in modern day, here's a linkage for 245 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,840 you from a historical perspective perspective. 246 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,560 But it's also a linkage for you in the spiritual perspective 247 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,600 because the same spirit and attitude of that age has crept 248 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:09,800 into our modern modern day society. 249 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:18,880 In Babylon there was what was known as the Hanging Gardens of 250 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,920 Babylon. Hanging Gardens were one of the 251 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:24,800 Seven Wonders of the ancient world. 252 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:27,720 Construction of them has contributed to the man 253 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,680 Nebuchadnezzar who believed who is believed to have constructed 254 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,000 them in the 6th century. They're described as a series of 255 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:40,080 terraced structures with lush greenery, a cascading effect. 256 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,160 The terraces were said to be supported by complex system of 257 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,680 mud bricks with water brought up from the Euphrates River through 258 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:52,320 an intricate irrigation system that included an early form of 259 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:56,160 the pump mechanism. The Hanging Gardens symbolized 260 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,520 human ingenuity in the grandeur of the ancient Babylonian 261 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:03,400 civilization, representing the fusion of our architecture and 262 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:08,720 engineering. The symbolism of the gardens 263 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:15,360 hold richly and extend beyond their historical and 264 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:19,400 architectural significance. Today, they represent human 265 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,000 creativity in the ability to transform. 266 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:28,360 Arid landscapes. And when we speak of arid 267 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:32,560 landscapes, we're talking about yards. 268 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:37,280 You don't have to mow. What's a yard? 269 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:42,040 When I first started working for the Israeli company and it come 270 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,800 budget time, Bishop and we got to talking about the amount of 271 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:49,400 money we needed to mow the yard for the year, I was initially 272 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:51,240 told cut that out, you don't need it. 273 00:20:51,360 --> 00:20:53,360 Yeah, we do need it. We got to mow the yard. 274 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:56,560 Well, can't you just take some scissors out there and do it? 275 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,920 That sounds funny, but they literally did not understand 276 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:09,960 until we showed photos because the contrast of real estate from 277 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:11,760 here to there was completely different. 278 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,400 If you've got a single blade of grass growing in a yard there, 279 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:21,240 you could take a pair of scissors and you could go out 280 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:26,120 and you could cut it. Not lush greenery, not green 281 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:31,520 spaces that are irrigated and beautiful, but this garden and 282 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:36,200 its construction with a representation of this lush 283 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,880 green spaces through advanced irrigation. 284 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:43,880 The gardens are viewed as a symbol of paradise or an earthly 285 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:48,080 utopia in a in an area where everything else represents 286 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:50,920 otherwise. They serve as a testament to the 287 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,720 grandeur and wealth of the Babylonian Empire, demonstrating 288 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:59,160 King Nebuchadnezzar's ability to command and create monumental 289 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:03,800 works. Putting all of this into modern 290 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:08,960 day terminology, the Gardens of Babylon were representative of 291 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:18,360 four basic things, indulging in material excess, the illusions 292 00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:26,280 of perfection, spiritual and moral compromise, and the loss 293 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:32,960 of societal values. John 17 and 15. 294 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:37,360 Jesus states these words. I pray not that thou should has 295 00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:42,120 take them out of the world, but that thou should has keep them 296 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:46,040 from evil. They are not of the world, even 297 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:51,160 as I am not of the world. The statement we are in the 298 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:56,280 world, but not of the world is an OFT used statement in the 299 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,720 Apostolic Church. The Bible does not record it in 300 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:05,120 those exact words, but in John 17 and 15 the essence of it is 301 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:08,280 most certainly present. And as we look at the 302 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:12,280 representation of what it means to live in the gardens of 303 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:17,640 Babylon symbolically today, it means we are living in a society 304 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:23,520 where there is a focus on material excess, where there is 305 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:29,000 a focus on illusions of perfection, where there is a 306 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:35,840 focus on spiritual and moral compromise, and where there is a 307 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:40,840 focus on a loss of society's values. 308 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:44,000 If you don't believe that, take a good look at the news 309 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,760 headlines and then turn over to the book of Romans chapter 1 and 310 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,160 find where the Bible predicted that there would be a day where 311 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:57,560 that men would call good evil and they would call evil good. 312 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,400 If you don't think we're living in material excess, I'm not 313 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,240 talking about threats of recession. 314 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,120 I'm not talking about the Dow average or NASDAQ. 315 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:12,640 I'm talking about the gluttony of people's want to go after 316 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,120 things that they don't need, all at the sacrifice of their 317 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:22,120 family, the sacrifice of their children, and the sacrifice of 318 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:25,040 their souls. We are living in an era. 319 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,000 Oh, I feel my help coming. Now. 320 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:30,960 We are living in an era where there are illusions of 321 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,200 perfection. If you don't believe that, turn 322 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,720 to social media and you will find the trend of behavior. 323 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:42,840 Nobody posts a bad day. Nobody posts a bad picture. 324 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,400 No, everybody's wanting the filters. 325 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,880 I've got to clean up my crow's eyes. 326 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,280 I've got to clean up the wrinkles on my forehead, and 327 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,240 I've got to get my my neck straightened up in my color 328 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:58,560 palette just right. I've got to represent myself in 329 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,040 a way that I am not, so the world looks at me. 330 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:06,440 An illusion of perfection. I've come to tell somebody today 331 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:10,600 that there is a spirit of this world that wants to destroy the 332 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,600 church and wants to destroy your soul. 333 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:18,320 And yes, he wants to steal. Yes, he wants to kill and he 334 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:23,480 wants to ultimately destroy you by causing your focus to be on 335 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:31,120 the things of this world. Somebody shout Hallelujah. 336 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:40,440 We are living in a time where there is a war against our 337 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:47,360 spiritual principles. There is moral compromise on 338 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:54,760 every hand. Society I could say today and I 339 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,440 could say it with confidence, and if you want to say it's my 340 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,960 opinion, then I respect that today. 341 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,160 But instead of saying that we are losing our values as a 342 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,440 society, I feel confident in my ability today to say that 343 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:17,320 society has lost her values. We wonder sometimes why it's so 344 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,120 difficult to come into an Apostolic Church and tap into 345 00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:25,000 worshipping the Ancient of Days and forgetting about the things 346 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,040 that we brought in the back door with us. 347 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,720 It's because there is a spiritual warfare that is 348 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:35,720 warring against you. You don't have any choice if you 349 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,600 want to live a victorious walk with God, that when you walk 350 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:44,360 through these back doors of this sanctuary, you better lift your 351 00:26:44,360 --> 00:26:48,960 hands and you better lift your voice and you better say thanks 352 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,760 be to God. I've made it another day. 353 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,480 I've come to worship him because the world's trying to grab me. 354 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:01,120 The spirit of Babylon is on my back and it's trying to give me 355 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:04,680 material access. It wants me to be perfect and 356 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,080 it's trying to get me to compromise what I believe. 357 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:18,120 So it's easy to see the parallel between ancient civilization and 358 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:25,920 the world that we live in today. The year 2024 is not so far 359 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:30,600 separated from the ideologies and the geopolitical landscape 360 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,160 of an ancient civilization. All because of these four 361 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:42,200 things, we indulge material excess. 362 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:49,400 We can get so caught up in gaming that we close our hand to 363 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:55,080 Kingdom work. I'm not preaching against. 364 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,640 I'm not preaching against prospering. 365 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,760 And I hate using the word prosper in the pulpit because 366 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,080 there's this erroneous prosperity doctrine that if 367 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,400 televangelists like to try to sell you, that if you give seed 368 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,640 money that God will bless you, that's not the word of God. 369 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,000 So maybe I should replace the word prosper you with blush. 370 00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:30,680 One thing my wife and I have determined over the years as I 371 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,920 have had the blessing and opportunity to grow in my 372 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:40,320 career. But Alex, the more money I made, 373 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:47,800 the more money I gained. Giving is not all about money, 374 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,200 but that's where our mind goes. So I wanted to hit that first. 375 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,720 We can get so caught up in gaining in this life. 376 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:07,800 If I've got a project going on at the house and I can't get it 377 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,280 done before church time, guess what happens? 378 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:18,920 Project waits because Babylon wants me to stay home. 379 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:28,400 The spirit of Babylon wants to tell me it's just one service. 380 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:35,640 You don't have plumbing. Your house doesn't have water. 381 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,440 I'm preaching what I've lived. Right now. 382 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,720 You've got your main shut off. You, you, you. 383 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:46,680 You're. You can't take a shower, you 384 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,880 can't wash your hands. There's no functional restroom, 385 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,520 and you're dumb enough. You going to go to church? 386 00:29:57,120 --> 00:29:59,680 Yes. Why? 387 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:02,960 Because I'm smart enough to recognize, Bishop, that the 388 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:08,720 spirit of Babylon, if I give in to that one occasion, this time 389 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:12,720 it's one thing, Next time it's one thing, next time it's one 390 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:14,880 thing. Before you know it, I'm out of 391 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,520 the House of God. I'm focused on gain. 392 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:33,080 I'm focused on compromise. Illusions of perfection cannot 393 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:36,440 fall victim to the ideologies of this world that if it looks 394 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:46,950 good, it must be good. We cannot fall into this trap of 395 00:30:46,950 --> 00:30:50,630 thinking that beauty is anointed. 396 00:30:56,910 --> 00:31:16,920 It's a good thing. Oh, help me, Jesus. 397 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:25,240 When we talk about illusions of perfection, Babylon says if 398 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:30,840 you've messed up your records, tarnished, you'll never do 399 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:36,280 anything for God. That's what Babylon says. 400 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:42,040 But what God says, I'm not worried about your past. 401 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:47,200 I'm worried about your presence. Don't worry about the future. 402 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:49,760 We get so caught up in the future we lose track of the 403 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:53,800 present. We need to be present in the 404 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:57,360 presence of God. And it's not about, well, it's 405 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:00,520 next Sunday or six weeks from now, or it's another time when 406 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,360 I'm more comfortable. God can get you out of your 407 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:12,200 comfort. It's about your present that 408 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:16,080 matters. We must hold on to the apostles 409 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:21,200 doctrine and not compromise. Because you see, going to 410 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,280 church, this is the world we live in today. 411 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:30,080 This is the world somebody say Amen, world we live in today. 412 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:35,320 My 35 is ticking down. I've got 4 minutes, Let's go. 413 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:40,560 The world we live in today. They don't mind if you go to 414 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:43,760 church on Sunday morning. They don't mind if you go to 415 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:45,880 church on Sunday night. I don't think Now I know there's 416 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,320 a lot of places that don't have Sunday night service anymore and 417 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:51,240 that's that's their business. And I'm not talking about that. 418 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,240 I don't society doesn't care It's Sunday. 419 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,800 In American Society specifically, we go to church 420 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:03,920 midweek. That starts becoming a big 421 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:17,720 question, having daily devotion, having a walk with God that is 422 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,600 representative of more than just attending church. 423 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:30,960 Babylon says, oh, I don't understand because the 424 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:36,360 difference between the church and Babylon is we prioritize God 425 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:50,640 and by Babylon prioritizes self-serving examples for us on 426 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:55,680 how to live and function in this world and how to be of be in 427 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:57,680 this world but not of this world. 428 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:03,240 We find Daniel and the three Hebrew boys, the king of 429 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,880 Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. He wanted to change their name. 430 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,800 He did change their name, and I'm not going to go through the 431 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:13,880 list Pastor preached on this recently. 432 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,840 I've certainly not come to try to repeat what he preached, but 433 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:20,239 let's just let me remind you this morning that while 434 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:25,000 Nebuchadnezzar was changing Daniel and Hananiah and Mishael 435 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:32,320 and Azariah's names so that he could do these things, he wanted 436 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,280 to change their identity from Hebrew to Babylon. 437 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:40,480 He wanted to change their vision, change their voice, and 438 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:44,760 redirect their mission. And that's exactly what Babylon 439 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:48,760 wants to do to us today. That's why we must stand firm, 440 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,440 and that's where we must stand against the spirit of this age, 441 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:56,960 and we must stand against an appetite for success or excess. 442 00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:00,200 We must stand against an image first mentality. 443 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,600 We've got to stand against compromise and we need to stand 444 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:14,000 against the devaluation of our faith because this world, I've 445 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:19,120 really not come to preach a negative message today, but this 446 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:25,320 world, the spirit and the age of this world, the representation 447 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:27,600 of the spirit of the Antichrist is here. 448 00:35:33,270 --> 00:35:38,920 And even on the days when it seems innocent, it wants to stop 449 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:43,480 at nothing more than having you walk away from what you know. 450 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:52,200 That's why I know I'm redundant. They say repetition is the 451 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:54,280 mother of all mastery. So I try to practice that. 452 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:57,000 I know I'm redundant, but that's when I when I have this 453 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,360 microphone at the opening of a service. 454 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:03,600 That's why so many times one of the things I off to say the most 455 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:06,360 is what a privilege it is to be in the House of God. 456 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:10,040 It's not an accident. I'm saying that on purpose 457 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:17,040 because if it were not for God, if it had not been for the Lord, 458 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:21,120 I might not have survived Monday through Saturday to be in the 459 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:24,360 House of God on Sunday. It's a privilege. 460 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:26,640 It's not an obligation. Bishop. 461 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:28,880 I love it. It still rings in my ears. 462 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,960 I used to hear you say it all the time, quoting the psalmist 463 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:35,280 David getting up on a Sunday morning, getting his family 464 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,360 ready and saying, come on, it's church day. 465 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:49,920 I was glad when they said unto me, now I got to practice Bishop 466 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:58,330 just a little bit. I was glad when they said it, 467 00:37:04,220 --> 00:37:07,460 I'll do some post churches stretches just to make sure 468 00:37:07,460 --> 00:37:10,860 everything's good tomorrow. I was glad when they said unto 469 00:37:10,860 --> 00:37:21,520 me, it's a privilege to be in church but don't know it's a 470 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:25,160 privilege to get into the presence of God, lift my hands 471 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:39,120 high and say I love you Jesus. It's a privilege to lead worship 472 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,880 and won't look over during a season of worship and see a man 473 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:46,160 by the name of Reese with his hands lifted receiving the 474 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:51,560 baptism of the Holy Ghost. It's a privilege to be in God's 475 00:37:51,560 --> 00:38:00,800 house. I might be living in the gardens 476 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:06,320 of Babylon, but I refuse to let Babylon live in me. 477 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,600 Oh, somebody lift your hands and thank Him right now. 478 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:23,640 What a privilege. What a privilege. 479 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:33,160 What a privilege. Sit down. 480 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:35,480 I'm in overtime. I've got to hurry. 481 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:47,120 In Exodus chapter 2, a basket was drawn out the Nile River. 482 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,880 Pharaoh's daughter and behold, baby is insightful. 483 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:59,040 Miriam, this baby's sister, asked an all too important 484 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:03,560 question to Pharaoh's daughter. Would you like for me to get a 485 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:08,440 nurse of the Hebrew women? She may nurse the child. 486 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:13,240 Pharaoh's daughter, the Bible records for us, hired this 487 00:39:13,240 --> 00:39:18,920 Hebrew woman to nurse this baby that she pulled from a basket 488 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:24,520 out of the water. If a nursing a child was simply 489 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:28,160 about a nutritional feeding time, it wouldn't have mattered 490 00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:34,240 how the baby Moses was fed. However, the Midrash Commentary, 491 00:39:34,720 --> 00:39:39,200 an ancient Jewish commentary on Hebrew scriptures, states that 492 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:42,720 the baby Moses refused to be nursed by Egyptian nurse mates. 493 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:49,960 This set the stage for the Scriptures of Exodus chapter 2 494 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:53,680 to unfold and for Jochebed, or if you're following Hebrew 495 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:59,000 terminology, Yochabed, Moses's mother to become the nurse maid 496 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:03,920 for the baby Moses. According to Jewish laws, a baby 497 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:07,480 was not to be weaned before the age of 24 months. 498 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:11,840 And the process could customarily go up to four years 499 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:17,160 with dedicated Jewish prayers recited between the mother and 500 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:21,800 the baby, the child, because if it's up to four years old, a 501 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:27,000 child's talking with dedicated Jewish prayers recited before 502 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,560 the nursing time. Jewish tradition holds that 503 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:34,000 teaching children about God and the Torah as a fundamental 504 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,200 aspect of raising them, Deuteronomy 6 four, part of the 505 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:42,560 Shema, is a central declaration of Jewish faith and is recited 506 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:47,360 daily in Jewish prayers. It's common practice for Jewish 507 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:50,440 parents to instill these values in their children, so it's 508 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:54,320 plausible today to believe that Jacob Ed, as a devout Hebrew 509 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:59,280 woman, would have been mindful of imparting the faith to her 510 00:40:59,280 --> 00:41:02,160 son Moses every opportunity she had. 511 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:08,880 I can just imagine the nursing time that Moses spent with his 512 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:14,000 mother going something like this with her holding Moses. 513 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:18,560 I can hear the words of Deuteronomy 6/4 in the Hebrew 514 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:24,800 language as she said Shema Israel, Adonai Elohenu Adonai 515 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:33,440 Ihad here O Israel, the Lord our God is 1 Lord, I can hear her. 516 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:36,880 This is my imagination today, but I can hear her saying, 517 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:41,360 Moses, as you grow, I want you to love and serve God with all 518 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,120 of your heart, mind, and strength. 519 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:49,440 I can hear her saying, May God grant you health and strength, 520 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:53,320 wisdom and understanding. I can hear the mother saying, 521 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:57,640 Moses, may you walk in the ways of the Lord and grow up to be a 522 00:41:57,640 --> 00:42:02,200 righteous person. I even hear her saying, Moses, I 523 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:05,280 want you to hold on to your spiritual values. 524 00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:09,560 You're going to need your faith as you grow up in the House of 525 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:14,000 Pharaoh. And I can hear, perhaps most 526 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:18,440 importantly, I can hear Jacobin whispering into the ears of a 527 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:22,240 young Moses. Moses, you're not an Egyptian. 528 00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:26,440 Moses, you're not. You may live there, but you are 529 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:29,480 not of there. Moses, you're not an Egyptian, 530 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:33,840 you're a Hebrew. Moses, you belong to Jehovah 531 00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:38,320 God. Moses became who he was because 532 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:45,200 his mother chose service to God over material wealth and excess 533 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:50,520 and an easier life. Moses became who he was because 534 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:54,400 on a Sunday morning and Sunday night, Moses mom didn't find 535 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:58,400 excuses not to go to church. She found privilege in the House 536 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:02,640 of God. She would not allow Moses to 537 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:05,560 lose their values. I need to remind someone today 538 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:07,800 as I'm closing this morning and musicians come. 539 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:10,800 I need to remind someone today that you're not an Egyptian in 540 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:13,480 this house. You are not a Babylonian in this 541 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:15,000 house. You are. 542 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:18,400 And we are today the children of the Most High God. 543 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:26,880 We might be in Babylon. Stand with me this morning if 544 00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:36,080 you would please. We might be in Babylon and it 545 00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:41,240 might be green and filled with luscious gardens, and there are 546 00:43:41,240 --> 00:43:44,760 occasions where it might be beautiful and it might look 547 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:51,240 good. There are references in the Word 548 00:43:51,240 --> 00:43:53,720 of God that talk about joy and sin for a season. 549 00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:58,280 Luscious greenery, the beauty and the grandeur of this world. 550 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:02,920 Babylon might look like it has something to offer, but let me 551 00:44:02,920 --> 00:44:06,240 remind you and echo the words of our Scripture text today in 2nd 552 00:44:06,240 --> 00:44:12,360 Corinthians 6 and verse 17, where he said, wherefore come 553 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:19,800 out from among them. The word wherefore means for 554 00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:25,680 which reason leading up to verse 17. 555 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:28,680 It's talking about not being unequally yoked together with 556 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:31,280 unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with 557 00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:33,600 unrighteousness? What communion hath light with 558 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:35,880 darkness? What Concorde or harmony or 559 00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:39,880 agreement hath Christ with Belial or Satan, or what part 560 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:42,160 hath he that believeth with an infidel? 561 00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:44,040 An infidel is just an unbeliever. 562 00:44:44,240 --> 00:44:47,920 So the compare and contrast of these things he's saying what 563 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:53,520 relationship to these things and for the for this reason, for 564 00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:58,000 this reason, come out from among them and be separate, sayeth the 565 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,160 Lord, who is them. Them are the workers of 566 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:02,800 iniquity, the infidels, those that serve Babylon. 567 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:09,360 It's the spirit of this age. Wherefore come out from among 568 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:11,440 them, sayeth the Lord. It's OK to be different. 569 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:20,640 It's OK to be different. I'm not talking about clothing 570 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:24,560 right now, because until you get it in your heart, your clothing 571 00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:29,160 don't matter. Until we get it in our attitude, 572 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:34,120 your clothing don't matter. And I believe clothing matters. 573 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:36,320 I believe there's Bible preference precedent for that. 574 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:40,520 But in the Apostolic Church, over decades, we have 575 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:43,760 grandstanded on our appearance and lost the fact that we need 576 00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:56,560 right attitude. Right attitude write speech. 577 00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:07,280 The things I say matter. The things I do matter, the 578 00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:12,960 attitude I say I'm in matters. It's OK to be different. 579 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:19,280 Don't let Babylon change your identity. 580 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:25,080 They may call you different, but just because they've got a 581 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:26,600 furnace doesn't mean we have to bow. 582 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:34,840 This altar is open this morning. I've come today to remind 583 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:38,880 someone that we need a consecration to separation 584 00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:42,360 decisions made in an altar service. 585 00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:46,760 Watch me now. The decisions we make right now 586 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:51,560 in this moment. I'm not worried about lunchtime 587 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:54,400 right now. The decisions we make right now 588 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:59,720 become the actions we take when the last Amen is sin and the 589 00:46:59,720 --> 00:47:04,800 service has been closed. And this is the moment where I I 590 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:09,480 surrender my consecration to God and I need to reflect on my life 591 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:15,840 and my living in Babylon. God allow me to be a part of the 592 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:21,560 people that do know their God. I want to be strong and do 593 00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:24,960 exploits for God, but I've got to 1st remember who he is. 594 00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:28,400 I've got to be first part of those that are consecrated to 595 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:30,320 separation. This altar is open today. 596 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:33,840 I'm asking, would you come if you just need to remind God that 597 00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:37,160 you're committed to him or that you need his help or that you 598 00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:41,120 can't do this alone? This is the hour, this is the 599 00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:43,960 moment, this is the day to remind God. 600 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:46,080 And if you don't want to come to this altar today, but you want 601 00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:48,760 to kneel at your seat, stand at your seat wherever you're at 602 00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:52,160 today, just let your voice be heard in the heavens this 603 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:55,920 morning. That God, I need him.