One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter August 2022
- Aug 24, 2022
- 2 min read
Download the August 2022 issue of THE HUB from One Hope Outreach here.
Dear friends and partners:
Greeting in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. We are always so thankful for your love and support of One Hope Outreach Ministry as we seek to do the will of God and preach the good news of the gospel.
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?
Psalms 137:1-4 (KJV)
In this portion of scripture we find the people of God in tears as they remember the greatness of their own country and by-gone days of rejoicing in their beloved temple. This was tears of consideration as they remembered Zion. Their reflection was, no doubt on the great feasts and celebrations of those glorious days and how the fire of God would come down and consume the sacrifices and how God was their provider and great protector.
Now the Israelites find themselves in a strange land indeed, in the land of Babylon, hanging their instruments of music and merry-making on no less than the weeping willow trees which was an expression of their mournful sorrowful condition.
Babylon, throughout the scriptures, represent that which is evil and in opposition to God and His plan. The word Babylon is derived by the ancient Hebrews from a root word which means (“to confound”). The writers of the bible refutes any God-honoring reference to the name. In the prophetical writings, when the actual city is not mentioned, the usage of the name “Babylon” is signified to mean “confusion” of the whole social order that has forgotten God.
The Israelites found themselves smack in the middle of a confused social order that God had strictly forbid them to be a part of. They disobeyed God and made sacrifices to strange gods embraced by the people of Babylon. The people of God found themselves enslaved by the very social system that God had forbidden them to be a part of.
The apostle James writes -- do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4 NKJV)
This refers to the world system or social order in all its values, mind-set and philosophies of life that run contrary to the will and plan of God. In our present culture, we are inundated with all the wokeness and political correctness and are challenged to maintain our walk with God.
We are to renew our mind with the word of God (Romans 12:2) and in
(Mark 8:36 NKJV) For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul.
May the Lord God bless you as you serve Him in purity of heart and fervency of spirit.
-Marvin Smith
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