By the Waters of Babylon

I imagine your heart is breaking like mine over so many things in the mix of our day – Covid-19, months of sheltering in place, death, confusion, online church, loneliness, to mask or not to mask, the senseless death of George Floyd, and now the senseless violence and destruction drowning out necessary peaceful protest. 

The heaviness of our day is on me and I know many of you feel it as well. The immensity of matters our nation is carrying in its collective soul is overwhelming at the moment. We need help in the most desperate way from Jesus and we need Eternal truth to guide our way, not the weakness of man’s wisdom! These current days led me to think on a song written during some of the most devastating days in Judah’s history.

After so much rebellion marking the nation’s history over the centuries, God tells the nation through a number of prophets of His pending coming judgment upon them for their rejection of His Ways! The punishment came by the hand of Babylon, and when the siege of Jerusalem is finished, almost an entire nation is carried away from the land of Judah to Babylon for 70 long years.  

While Biblical Jewish history is marked by some really devastating and sad moments, this one may be one of the saddest moments and their initial perspective on life in Babylon is recorded in a song found in Psalm 137. As you read it, you can feel the heaviness of heart, regret, pain, uncertainty, doubt, and hope as they sit on the banks of the Euphrates in Babylon and ponder their lives. Let’s read the Words… 

Psalm 137:1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres. 3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! 6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!

The writer of this song is reflecting back upon the time in Babylon during their captivity. Once, joy had been in their hearts in freedom, but now it was only the oppression of living as slaves and oppressed people that filled their minds.

Rather than living in the blessings of God, they were living in the fruit of their rebellion by carrying some of the strongest burdens of their lives and they did not know what to do. The burdens led to a great brokenness and hopelessness as they begin to live out their captivity. 

As we have stated, they were overthrown and carried away not because of weakness, but for their embracing of wickedness.

Their rejection of God led Him to raise up Nebuchadnezzar to come and break down the walls of Zion.

Since they would not bow to God, then He would force them to this posture by a powerful pagan king, in hopes that under his thumb, they might look up again and repent of their sin and return to Yahweh.

We need this return to Christ so desperately in these days. Jesus, please help us! 

Our nation has in many ways become & embraced the worldly life and mindset of Babylon. In Ancient Days and during the days of the Tribulation, Babylon is a reference and picture of the ways of the World that rejects God and truth – a world of immorality and a place where living for self dominates our culture.

Here is what happens always in Babylon – barrenness comes, that leads to a bitterness & that results in a brokenness.

One could almost say that the only ones who like Babylon are Babylonians. 

But not all who live in Babylon become like Babylon as there are those who remain faithful to God, yet they still feel strongly the burdens of life in Babylon. The tension is real, but Christ is Ruler over All!

Again, Babylon is a depiction of the sin and the idolatry of a world that rejects Christ, and life in Babylon can still be one where joy is known when one walks with Christ. If we are not careful, living in this world, even for those who love Christ can get a bit confusing. This is why intimacy with Him is of such a necessity to navigate the confusion.

            Babylon’s Name

Babylon means confusion and the source of its origin goes all the way back to Genesis 11. Now centuries and centuries after its origin, God’s broken people found themselves on the banks of the River in a foreign land, attempting to make sense of the confusing land in which they lived as “aliens and strangers”. 

How do we live in the days of Babylon?

1. Allow our Hearts to be Broken in Babylon as We Set our Mind on our Real Home

Psalm 137:1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.

The Jews were in Babylon, yet their hearts were in Zion. This condition led them to sit down and weep of over what was, what could have been and what could the future hold. 

·      They wept as they could not get Zion out of their minds.

·      They wept over the death of so many loved ones

·      They wept over the loss of almost everything they owned.

·      They wept over the destroyed city of Jerusalem and her great temple.

·      They wept over the agony of a forced march from Judea to Babylon

·      They wept over the cruelty of their captors.

·      They wept over the loss of such a pleasant and blessed past.

·      They wept over the forced captivity of their present.

·      They wept over the bleak nature of their future.

·      They wept over their sin that invited such judgment from God.

A Shining Light and Perspective in Babylon

We know from Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, that they found an avenue to be an influence in Babylon and thrive, just as we can. They shined greatly for the glory of God in a pagan secular culture. 

            Zion

This is a specific reference to Jerusalem and it means “City of Peace”. There are two towering cities in the Bible – Zion and Babylon and they are completely opposite of one another.   

Zion is the home of God’s people, joy is found in the city, it is marked by holiness and peace, & represents the presence of God

Babylon is the home of the world’s system, full of brokenness and disillusionment, marked by hell, home of worldliness and confusion, and represents the absence of God.                                                                     

God’s people’s citizenship belongs to Zion, yet until we fully get to our ultimate home, we live our days living for God and making a difference in a world with the most twisted values. Here by the “Waters of our Culture”, we as His people feel the overwhelming weight of this life in Babylon and we feel the weight of the lies and twisted values of the world we reside in.  As they sat, they longed for the hope and peace of Zion. It likely seemed as if it would never be tasted again – just a thing of the past.

I sense that so many of us are “sitting by the waters” and longing for the Peace of Zion to fall upon our land and bring the healing we desperately need. Is it possible to things to change? Yes!

For the Jews, as they sat there weeping, a sadness they could not get rid of filled their hearts as they set their minds on Zion. The sadness was so strong, they could not even sing their songs so they did this under the weeping willows…2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres.

Large willow trees grew on the shores of the great river, and because there were no songs left in these captives, they hung their harps on those willow trees for another day. This stoppage is not what is needed, but it reveals the overwhelming nature that can dominate the at times senseless confusion of Babylon’s ways.

These exiled people found in the moment the difficulty of singing the songs of their homeland, but we should also see that they did not throw away or break their instruments, they simply hung them up for the moment until a new day. Sometimes a break is needed to reflect and get ready for a new season, but the break should not be in the pursuing of Christ. Everyone needs to process the hard moments of life, but as we process, it should be done in light of Scripture not the ways of the world.

            We Should Think of Zion

We should note this…There is something wrong in the citizen of Zion’s heart if there is never a thinking of our home in Zion (Heaven) and there is something wrong if we never sit and weep over what has been lost because of sin. Our hearts should break over the sin in our culture – every injustice and every act that belittles the name of Jesus.  

If Zion fades from our minds and we no longer feel the heaviness of a sin-soaked culture, then we have lost our way or one was never truly a follower of Christ. “Zion” should dominate our thoughts as we pray “your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

            Babylon Can’t Satisfy

In such broken days, it has been my prayer that God’s true children would remember why we can never be happy “embracing Babylon” – for the blessedness of tasting salvation in Jesus is so far more satisfying than any food Babylon offers us.  

Though the Jews now in Babylon had previously been filled with the sweet taste of Zion, the bitter flavors of their shame in Babylon would remind them of the desire to seek the glory of God wherever one finds themselves.

This should mark us right now as well. 

2. There is a Song that is Difficult to Get Out – 137:3-4

Psalm 137:3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!

This verse points to the reality that at times in our lives, the overwhelming nature of circumstances makes it difficult to sing in Babylon. We are mocked and misunderstood as we live here in a world that hates us and we are not genuinely of it (John 17:14-16). We are often seen as not having any solid answers and if we were to sing our song, they would not understand it anyway. Their oppressors wanted them to entertain them in their great pain and in our day, people are often entertained at our Scriptural stance on matters. 

Why is it difficult to get our song out? Bondage ties up everything!

The Babylonians requested songs for entertainment, but the song just was not there at the moment in the hearts of the exiles. Here is why…

The songs of God’s people’s lives are to be more than some performance; 

they are to come from their relational heart of love for Christ.

When they do live and sing again in freedom, they are powerful and beautiful.

It is only when we are free, that our tongues are loosed to sing in spite of the darkness of the day. 

The 1^st recorded song in the Bible is written by Moses (Exodus 15) after the people were saved by crossing the Red Sea safely by God’s power. So many life songs flow from the place of found freedom from a place of anguish. A great sorrow can steal the song from our heart, but it can also be the catalyst for great faith as we have seen throughout church history. 

Babylon does not have to crush us and this is likely the best example of this in the bible form the life of Paul and Silas…Acts 16:23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 

Even in the midst of trouble, as His redeemed people, God will put a song in our hearts and they will know He is the greater treasure always. 

3. Determine that We will Remember Christ as our Highest Joy – 137:6

Psalm 137:6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!

A troubled world like Babylon should not rob us of our joy. As I wrote earlier, my heart is heavy with what we are seeing on all sides of the issues & what we are experiencing that stems from the devastation found in Babylon.

I needed this text’s perspective, as the troubles of this life have weighed me down a bit over the last several days.

We must not let Babylon take our faith, voice, & songs!

Hope remains ours because of Christ!

The World in the Hands of the Liar

Do you think you could find the wire that goes to your building? Every time we are in Asia, I still find this picture of the electricity wires for the buildings fascinating. It is a picture of complete confusion to figure that mess out.

This week, I spent some time looking at the places in Scripture that speak about our enemy, satan, and his tactics of confusion and how we can deal with the confusing tricks he uses.  

Remember that we live in a spiritual war, not a physical one. So when things in the midst of this pandemic are confusing and the senseless violence that is rocking our nation from all sides, let's not lose sight that the enemy is sowing the seeds of utter confusion in the lives of the broken in our country.

This is a SPIRITUAL WAR!

 The World in the Hands of the Liar

Deception & Wickedness Personified

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The World Lies in his power

1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

He schemes and this is a Spiritual Battle, not physical

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

The enemy sows weeds (sons of evil one) among the World

Matthew 13:37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

He is a thief fighting against salvation

Luke 8:12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil 

comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

He desires 3 kinds of fruit against us – robbery, death, & destruction of real life

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 

He sets a snare to capture people to do his will

2 Timothy 2:25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

He is loud and desires to devour

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

A thief in regard to the seed of the Word

Mark 4:15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

He demands to sift and get us to doubt

Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Aims that our heart filled with lies

Acts 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

He aims for the world to be in darkness and in his power

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place along those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

He aims at outwitting and hiding his plans

2 Corinthians 2:10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

He disguises Himself as a Angel of Light

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

He had enough power to hinder Paul’s travels

1 Thessalonians 2:18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 

He is the ancient Deciever

Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

            Caution to Sober and Awake, not to be Deceived

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. 

James 1:15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 

Matthew 24:42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

Mark 13:33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.

Mark 13:37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.

Luke 21:36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

1 Thessalonians 5:6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 

         Steps to Deal with him

Ephesians 4:26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Hebrews 2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Living by Biblical Convictions

Though I am not one who likes to quote a lot of people, there are some quotes that have been made throughout history that have helped give a profound perspective in my own life. The words of man pale in comparison obviously to every Word from God, yet that is not to say some women and men have not written or said anything of substance that can aid us in contemplating the realities of life.      I would like to share a quote that I have found through the years that I go back to and read, for it frames some things from time to time to me in certain moments of my life.

One of the things every Christ-follower who desires to faithfully obey Jesus or a Christian leader may face are the perspectives & responses from parents, friends, spouses or other Christians who may take issue with how one lives for Jesus or a conviction they may hold. 

Such is the certainty of following Jesus, for He told us this would mark our lives at times. 

On April 23, 1910 in Paris, France, Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech that is still being quoted today, as it still resonates with many who aim to live life focused on making a difference with their life…

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

For my life as a youth pastor, a missionary in another culture, and a lead pastor through all these years, I have at times not been understood, but I have always tried to speak from a place of conviction based in my understanding of the written Scripture. For those who love Christ, we have all found that loving Jesus brings about the turning of a head when we may express a conviction about our faith and this will continue to be the case. There is no exception to this truth, for a reading of Scripture reveals to us men and women who lived by God-centered convictions and they were persecuted, mocked, misunderstood, ignored, seen as a bit off or even martyred. 

Though Roosevelt was not referring to faith or Christian ministry, yet I have found perspective in his words and you may as well by picturing the one in the arena (in a world that does not know Christ), whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood as they attempt to strive valiantly by living and speaking the Gospel-truth. The critics will always be around peering at our lives and pointing out things that are likely true about us, but as His sheep, we must know His voice and let it be the lone one we care about.

In these days of Covid-19, there has been much scrutiny toward the church, its leadership, and influence in the culture and we need to be ready for more that may come from government, the culture, and even within the Western church.

Personally, this aim to know Christ and make Him know has led me to know the great enthusiasms, devotions and triumphs of the Gospel-centered life. The Christ-centered life is definitely not for those who have cold and timid souls, but it is for those who have become convinced to live by the convictions found in knowing the Holy Writ of God as the revelation of Christ for us. 

I want to now share some perspectives on what it means to Live by Biblical Convictions from some passages I have been contemplating on during these days of such dramatic change.

The Convictions of the One in the Arena

Be a Christ-follower…

1. Who is Controlled, has Concluded, is Convinced, & has Convictions

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

·      Controlled by the Love of God - For the love of Christ controls us,

·      Concluded that Love is Revealed in the Cross - that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

·      Convinced that His Death Demands Death to our old life - that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

·      Convictions to Live for Him, not Ourselves – that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

These 4 really important things call you and I who claim His name to live for Him in every kind of way. We are not to demand our rights, nor are we to affirm what does not honor Him for we know we have been bought by the blood of Jesus. 

Q: Which, if any, of the pieces of those 4 principles are not aligned right in our lives?

Be a Christ-follower…

2. Who Sees Proclaiming the Gospel as Greater than our Life

Acts 20:24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Because Paul lived controlled by Christ, had concluded the Cross mattered, was convinced that he must die to self & lived with convictions to honor Christ in all ways – Paul did not see his life as so precious to hold onto it. He saw the telling of the Gospel as a greater joy than any life he could have constructed for Himself. 

Q: Which is more valuable to each of us – our life or the Gospel?

Be a Christ-follower…

3. Who Does not Shrink from Being Shaped by the Entire Counsel of God

Acts 20:27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 

Paul reminds them of his time with them when the church was founded in Ephesus, as his great aim among them was to make sure he held nothing back in his communication of the Gospel. What does he mean in this verse? Paul’s great longing was that as he pastored the Ephesian church, he wanted to hold nothing back in declaring to them the fullest instructions of everything God had already said and all that He wanted said to them. Why? The truth was the most loving thing that he could give them for in the Truth – they would know Him who is Truth and that relationship would set them free. 

This drives my life as I preach, wanting no one to ever miss out on the full knowledge of every Word, phrase, sentence, verse, chapter and book of the glorious revelation of Jesus. Every pastor I know who is guided by the mission of teaching the full counsel of God, has deep seated convictions about the church and the implications for the people he leads. He cannot do anything but declare them and make applications even though some may not understand the wrestlings of what comes with preaching Gospel convictions. 

This now leads to a fourth conviction…

Be a Christ-follower…

4. Who Loves & Guards the Sheep from Influences Without & Within the Church

Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you 

overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

It is only my opinion, but a passion in this area is lacking in and around the local church today. 

·      Leaders must guard their lives and the Flock

Why does the church need guarding? 

The fact that Paul speaks of the necessity of guarding the church means there are definitely some things that need to be a part of the church and for some things to be kept away from it. So, for the church to be guarded well, then the leaders have to know what to guard the church from and they need to have firm convictions on those matters based on an understanding of Scripture. 

Please notice this, the church needs guarding – All things are not to be allowed in the church.

From where is the church to be guarded?

            (1) Danger of Fierce wolves from outside the church 

This call from Paul is clearly a warning that says we are to be very aware of allowing anyone or anything that is too secular – in mindset, practice, philosophy or doctrine to take root in the church. It is why we point out the utter deficiencies of the world as any kind of answer for the church. We get enough of the world all week, it is therefore necessary for the world to be kept out of the church. Paul says be aware of the wolves who desire to devour the sheep.

            (2) Danger From those Within the Walls of the Church 

To protect the church, leaders must examine all things that are labeled Christian – books, movies, Christian music, denominations, doctrines & even churches to ensure a teaching could twist up a Gospel understanding that is true. From Paul, Peter & John -  we are warned to examine and test everything. This area is the greater danger and the NT proves this out, for Rome’s culture & secularism was not the greatest danger in the 1^st Century, it was the false belief, teaching, and doctrine that arose within the church that caused her to drift. 

This is why we must examine and be wise with everything that is called Christian and we should call it out when it is not and we should affirm when things are right with the church. Jesus gave us this example of examining churches in Revelation 2-3 where He affirmed the good & bad in the 7 churches & pointed out what needed to be addressed. Those churches serve us to understand the kind of churches that not only existed then, but they remain today. 5 of the 7 needed correction, not a good percentage!

·      Ephesus – enduring, did not tolerate evil and tested false apostles, but lost her first love

·      Smyrna – under great trial, poor, and a faithful church

·      Pergamum – held fast to his name, but some in the church embraced the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

·      Thyatira – a church marked by faith and endurance but tolerated a woman who encouraged sexual immorality.

·      Sardis – The church had a reputation of being alive, but it was dead.

·      Philadelphia – Marked by keeping the Word and not denying His name

·      Laodicea – the church was naked and lukewarm

Be a Christ-follower who…

5. Who Maintains a Love for Sound Teaching  

2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

A remnant will always be around & I believe it will always be marked by a passion for 

Gospel-centered sound teaching. They will also be known for rejecting teaching that enhances man-centered feeling & passions or the watering down of the Gospel.

In light of all of that, are we the ones in the crowd who point out the faults & weaknesses of those who are in the arena or are we the ones, who though we are not perfect, we know we are giving our lives to the most noble “cause” of all – the glory of Christ?

We must live by Biblical convictions.

   

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