His Called Out Ones

Revelation 18:1-4

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."
And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

In Revelation 18, Babylon is portrayed as the ultimate enemy of God, and in verse 4, we read of the heavenly voice calling to God’s people, warning of the dire consequences should they/we fail to come out of her. If we are hearing from the Holy Spirit — in whatever way that He chooses to show us — He will teach us to spurn the darkness and walk in the light.

For we have been called out — out of captivity, out of bondage and out of darkness. Jesus announced His purpose in Isaiah’ words as "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

In these words we can recognise Jesus’ mission to call out His people, the calling out meaning to heal; and this setting free — breaking the ties that bind — is salvation. His name translates as ‘Jehovah is salvation’, that is who He is.

“Come out of her” is a command, not a request. There is no equivocation in these words, and so it becomes part of the ‘hear and obey’ of The Lord’s economy. This way or no way. If we have chosen to follow Jesus then we — as ‘His called out ones’ — must follow through in our commitment to give our utmost for His Highest.

MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS

1 PETER 2:6-9
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

HOW SWEET THE NAME OF JESUS SOUNDS — written by John Newton,
performed by Chris Bowater

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PRAYER requires HONESTY

NOTHING IS MORE difficult than asking. We long and desire and crave and suffer, but not until we are at the extreme limit will we ask. A sense of unreality makes us ask. We cannot bring ourselves up against spiritual reality when we like — all at once the staggering realization dawns that we are destitute of the Holy Spirit, ignorant of all that the Lord Jesus stands for.
The first result of being brought up against reality is this realization of poverty, of the lack of wisdom, lack of the Holy Spirit, lack of power, lack of a grip of God. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God."
[from ‘Our Brilliant Heritage’ by Oswald Chambers]

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COMING NEXT — #504 BY THE SEA 1: ON THE RIGHT SIDE