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“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. [*Isaiah 40: 28 - 41: 1 (KJV)]”
“It takes me to another place…” is what they who are in and of the world say, often, about music and the arts. And of course, christians are waiting for “the rapture” (in the traditional sense), to take them unto “another place” also, even unto “a better place” (*often said about those who have physically expired: “They’re in a much better place, now…” and how would they know??); and so that they (christians) can, likewise, escape the present reality of This Present Evil World. But Spirit is not fiction! Spirit is not fantasy! Spirit is not fable! Neither is Spirit something of the imagination!
A Spirit created all physical matter, spoke it all into existence…; not “out of nothing,” but out of Someone… Himself! Spirit is reality, a far greater reality; even His Redemptive Reality, both now, and in us! “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us…” Yet, they who are of either and both, “Babylon, the harlot christian church” and This Present Evil World are escapists.
They “want out” of all that they are “presently in”; which at large, has been generated and sustained by their own self-righteousness and narcissism, and governed by their own lusts and pride. Think about it. We create the shit-storm that we’re in, because of our own self-righteousness and narcissism (blindness of heart), and governed by our lusts and pride… and then we “want out,” we want “an escape” or even a “rapture”?? We want someone else to clean up our mess, change our dirty diapers for us, while we continue to give our time, and attention, and affection, and money unto music and the arts, unto fiction, fantasy and fables; just like the spoiled little children, and selfish brats that we are??
We “want out” while Jesus prayed, “Your kingdom come! Your will be done, in these earthen vessels, as it is in heaven!” and again, “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil… (*that is in, and of the world).”
Babylon, the harlot christian church and This Present Evil World are both looking, hoping for some sort of an escape or a release from the misery, and miserable, joy-less existence they share; while our heavenly Father’s Provision of Peace, the true and new “Jerusalem” or “Yireh-Shalom”… aka, The Lamb Himself… has already been provided, and our heavenly Father is waiting for us all to grow up, finally, in His love… toward one another, as brethren! His love for us all is the source of His joy, and hope of our discovering His Redemptive Reality!
It used to be that, in King’s courts, bards (poets) and musicians, actors and actresses, jesters or comedians, politicians and athletes would entertain and amuse; until the King would arrive, and be seated upon His throne. Then there would be silence… as people would shut their mouths! There was genuine reverence, even fear. Today, we have turned our favorite bards (poets) and musicians, actors and actresses, jesters or comedians, politicians and athletes into idols and false gods whom we worship, emulate.
Yet, where is our reverence? Where is our fear? For the King has been seated, now for over two-thousand years!! And we… we keep running our big mouths, even suffering from “diarrhea of the mouth”!! Is it any wonder why Apostle John is inspired to pen, “He that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches…”? and Apostle Paul, “Today, while it is called, Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart… as in the day of provocation”??
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