On Monday my daughter made her way back to Poland. It was wonderful visiting with her. Also on Monday, before she left, we had a storm come through the area. It was lightning and thunder, lots of rain and wind. My modem got struck and died. I had to order a new one from my Internet service provider, and I just received it yesterday. I am now back to posting Internet pieces and today is the third edition of my current book.

Chapter 2 – Coming Out

There is no doubt that the majority of saints today began their Christian experience
in Babylon. This does not imply that all these saints were Babylon, nor walking
according to Babylonish principles, for Yahweh has always had a people of faith. But
for a season it seemed good to Yahweh to allow His people to dwell in Babylon, and
in this place they were to seek to prosper in spirit, soul, and body and to seek the
welfare of those they dwelt among.

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent
from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the
prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile
from Jerusalem to Babylon… “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of
Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to
Babylon, Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their
produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and
take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they
may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease.
Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to
Yahweh on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’”

In the same way, many of the citizens of Zion today have been dwelling in Babylon,
and the Spirit of God has led them to walk in integrity and faithfulness while there.
They have been instructed to seek the welfare of the people they have dwelt among,
and this they have done. In whatever task was assigned to them they have sought to
perform their duty with great faithfulness that they might please the One who called
them. During this time, Babylon has benefitted greatly from the presence of the
Overcomers who dwelt in her midst.

But the time has come when Yahweh has determined that His people should come out
of Babylon that He might establish a pure and holy people, and that He might judge
the sins of Babylon. For these two reasons His Spirit cries out:

Revelation 18:4-5
Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins
and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.

When one hears the call to come out of Babylon, it would be a serious mistake to
choose to delay or neglect the call. However, not all come out of Babylon at the same
time. There were actually a number of pilgrimages from Babylon to Zion recorded in
scripture. One such pilgrimage was attended by Nehemiah and Zerubbabel and the
number who journeyed at this time was 42,360, along with 7,337 servants. When they
arrived in Jerusalem they began to rebuild the temple and they made such progress
as to get the foundation laid. However, due to the obstruction of the enemies of God,
the people ceased building the temple and for fourteen years no work was done. After
fourteen years Yahweh sent prophets to encourage the people to finish the building
of the temple, and it was at that time completed.

After this, Ezra the priest made a pilgrimage to Zion and he took many people with
him, and he brought the rest of the Temple furnishings that had been carried off into
Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. Symbolically, the removal of all the Temple
utensils and implements from Babylon represents the cessation of Yahweh’s working
among the people of Babylon. No longer would Yahweh bless Babylon because of
Zion dwelling among her, for Zion was being removed and so were the blessings of
God. Hereafter Babylon would know the plagues and judgments of God.

So it is with Mystery Babylon today. Zion is being called out of her midst, and as Zion
leaves, so leave the blessings of God. Judgments are soon to come upon Babylon and
it would be tragic to still be found in her midst. Yet, the door is still open for those
who are desirous to leave Babylon, and Zion should not act with disdain toward those
who will flee, even should they flee at the last moment as from a burning house.

Yahweh has many ways of getting Zion’s attention and bringing her to this journey
out of Babylon. Some are like Daniel who was reading in the scriptures when the
Spirit opened his eyes to understand that the time had come for the captivity of
Babylon to be ended. In this hour many are having their eyes opened and they are
hearing the call to come out of Babylon, and they are responding in faith and
obedience.

Others are like unto Lot whom the angels took by the hand and led out of Sodom
along with his family. Some are being literally thrust out of Babylon by the mercy of
Yahweh. Some have become so attached to this place of familiarity that they would
not willingly leave. They are torn in their emotions; their understanding of what God
is doing is still very cloudy, and their will is not strong enough to bring them to come
out, so Yahweh is bringing them out under strong coercion. Indeed, the citizens of
Babylon are the instrument of Yahweh in many such instances as they speak to the
citizens of Zion and tell them that they are no longer welcome in their midst. Many
are being thrust outside the camp of Babylon, and it is in this way that they begin
their pilgrimage.

Whatever the means used, Yahweh is calling His people out. The parting can be most
grievous as family and friends and all that is familiar is left behind. Ahead is much
uncertainty and many trials and dangers, but Yahweh goes with Zion to bring her in
to the place He has prepared for her.

I have corresponded with many of the saints of God and have learned that my own
experience is not unusual. As a minister, the Father was directing me to urge those
people I was among to walk in faith. Various trials and tests were sent by the hand
of God, particularly in the areas of health and finances, in order to elicit from the
people a response of faith. My own family knew great trials, and although it was with
fear and trembling, we stood firm in faith and we saw the salvation of God. Yet the
other ministers whom the Father had placed me among could only see the giants and
the walled cities. They saw themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to the giants
in the land and great fear gripped them.

These ministers became angered that I was urging them to walk in faith and they
began to rail against me. I was accused of being prideful and arrogant for thinking
I had heard God speak when the rest of them denied that such a walk of faith was
being demanded of them. But this is ever the response of those who have not the
faith to face the giants before them. In a similar way David’s elder brother Eliab
accused him of mischief, pride and unfaithfulness because David was willing to face
Goliath when all others were hiding behind rocks. In the same way the people of
Israel picked up stones to hurl at Caleb and Joshua for urging them to trust Yahweh
and go in and take possession of the good land before them.

Yahweh showed me that these ministers would eventually put me out of their midst.
As I was embroiled in the midst of this controversy a book arrived that I had not even
ordered, and it was from a friend. It was entitled “The Harlot Church” and the
subtitle said “Come out of her My people….” The Spirit spoke to me with great clarity
and said that a separation was coming and that I would be put out of the church. He
said I was not to resist this separation for it was of Him. It happened just as He said.

Many are the citizens of Zion who are finding themselves forced outside the camp of
mainline Christianity in this hour. It is often with sorrow and great pain that the
separation comes. How painful it is to have brothers and sisters pick up rocks to
stone us with. With sorrow we find that those we once broke bread with no longer
will make room for us at the table. But we have this promise:

Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of Yahweh will return and come with joyful shouting
to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness
and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Even if Zion finds herself mistreated and rejected and persecuted by saints whose
hearts are enslaved to Babylon, she is not to despise or become embittered toward
them. Instead she is to have the heart of Yahshua who when being crucified said,
“Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.”

The Overcomers of Zion should realize that through their faithfulness and obedience
Yahshua will bring deliverance and salvation to many who remain in captivity. Chip
Brogden gives us these insights:

In the Book of Revelation we find that the Lord is looking among the
defeated Church for overcomers who will demonstrate the victory of
Christ. Overcomers are not a super-spiritual elite class, they are simply
those who rise up and fulfill God’s original intent for the Church as a
whole. They are the remnant which stand for God’s Will and
God’s Kingdom on behalf of the entire Church. They are living
the normal Christian life, whereas the others are living far below their
potential. Everyone who is born of God overcomes the world: it is there
for anyone, not for a select few. The reality, however, is only a few will
actually count the cost, lay down their lives, and live as Overcomers.

The obedience of the remnant will in the end result in blessing to the entire creation,
including those in Babylon who have persecuted the Overcomers. We should not
think this to be odd for this is the pattern of Christ.

Romans 5:8, 10
But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us… For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled,
we shall be saved by his life.

Yahshua’s death resulted in the blessing of those who were His enemies, even you
and I. Should not the obedience of Zion also result in blessing to those who are her
enemies? Those who are of Zion must keep in mind that theirs is not a ministry of
condemnation, but of reconciliation. In coming out of Babylon, Zion’s obedience will
result in the reconciliation of many.

There is much in Babylon that is greatly displeasing to the Father, and much is being
said and written about these things. This is natural and right for light exposes
darkness. However, in exposing darkness our heart’s intent should be to bring people
to the light, not to condemn them in their darkness.

John 3:17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but
to save the world through him.

II Corinthians 5:18-20
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself
through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God
were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God.

Zion must come out of Babylon. She does so to bring about the reconciliation of the
entire creation. This is the glorious result of Zion’s obedience.