The Wrestling Match, Written by my Husband

The Wrestling Match, Written by my Husband Mel

Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

We are all participants in a wrestling match. For our fleshly nature is contrary to God’s Spirit, and the two natures are in opposition to one another. Our flesh wars against God’s Spirit, and must be brought into subjection to God’s will. Many people say that we are only human and God understands, as well as, tolerates our carnal nature. This false belief is a lie and is contrary to God’s Word. God’s Holy Spirit is more powerful than sin and He has equipped us with the power to live a holy life, separated from the world. The battleground is our mind and our will is all that stands in the way from totally surrendering to Christ. If we purpose in our heart to love God more than the world, and are willing to yield our minds to the convictions of the Holy Spirit, then God will transform us into a new creation. All things are possible with God, if you will surrender  your will to his.

 Christ said, that if you love him you will keep his commandments. Paul said, that if you continue in sin you do not know the Father or the Son. No one is perfect by any means, for we have all sinned and fallen short of his glory. Paul is speaking of habitual sins, also known as bondages. A sinful lifestyle will lead you down the broad road to Hell. Christ made atonement upon the cross for sins committed in ignorance, as well as, for sins that are repented of. Grace is not automatic, grace follows repentance only. Repentance means that we are sorry for our sins and are turning away from them. If we stumble and fall, we should not get discouraged. We should get back up, dust ourselves off, and press forward in Christ. There is grace to help us overcome our fleshly nature. God does not expect a new believer to grow up overnight. God gives us time to grow in him. We enter the Kingdom of Heaven as babes on milk, but we are expected to grow up to strong meat in time. God is calling His children to bear much good fruit for His Kingdom. Galatians 5, lists the works of the flesh, as well as, the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the sinful nature will bar a person from entrance to God’s Kingdom. Gal 5:19-21 states that those who practice these sins, will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Christ said, that any tree that does not bear good fruit, will be cut down and thrown into the fire. God’s Word, states that some will produce thirty, sixty, and one hundred fold fruit. As we grow in Christ, we will produce different levels of fruit, but we must produce good fruit if we are truly born again. To be born again, is to become a new creation in Christ, through submission to the working of God’s Spirit.

Many years ago, I worked as a security guard in a large office building. I had a conflict with the cleaning crew over security issues. This conflict caused me to have a great amount of bitterness toward these people. The Lord gave me a dream about the bitterness that I was contending with. I dreamed that I was walking through a building and the lights went out. Later the lights came back on. The angel of the Lord walked up to me and said, “You could have been injured, or killed, when the lights were out.” I was told to remain plugged in to the power source, which is the Holy Spirit. I was then seated at a large banquet table, with candles and good food. The lady, who was the supervisor of the cleaning crew approached me and looked very irritated. I was eating a red pepper, which is symbolic of anger. I spoke to her with kindness and forgave her. I understood that when we have bitterness, or hatred, toward others, we are walking in darkness rather than light. Bitterness, or hatred, will cut you off from God, as well as, his protection. God cannot look upon sin, it will cut you off from His provision, until you repent. Ephesians 5, tells us to be imitators of God, and to walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us. Ephesians 5, also tells us that no unclean person has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God. That is why it is crucial, that we allow God’s Spirit to purify us, and separate us, from the sinful world. Without holiness, no man shall see the Father. We are told to walk in the light, bearing the fruit of God’s Spirit, as well as, to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." 

Who will you serve?

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Mystery Babylon, Written by my Husband

This is the article I mentioned in my "Revelation, Part 5" video that I said I would share.

Mystery Babylon, Written by my Husband, Mel

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. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Rev 18:4-5  

In Revelation chapters 17 and 18 we read about mystery Babylon. I believe that this prophecy is in reference to both spiritual Babylon (harlot church), as well as physical Babylon (Rome, United States).  Bible prophecy tends to be multi-layered, which means it may have dual or tri significance. First, we will examine the spiritual meaning of the harlot who sits upon the back of the beast. 

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,  with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. Rev. 17:1-6

 

And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. Rev 17:18 

 

Rev 17:18 states that the harlot is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. I believe that this is a reference to both Rome, as well as the Roman Catholic Church. She is depicted as an adulterous woman clothed in purple and scarlet, scarlet is symbolic of sin, and purple is symbolic of royalty, as well as is the official color of the Roman Catholic Church. This adulterous woman sits on many waters and commits  fornication with the kings of the earth.  This is a depiction of the harlot church which rides upon the back of the beast (anti-Christ, as well as his beast empire).  The biblical term Babylon is used many times within the old testament as a reference to sin and wickedness. There is also a similarity between the adulterous wife of Yahweh, mentioned in Ezekiel, and the harlot of Revelation. Just as Israel was unfaithful to God many times within the old testament, so much of the church is unfaithful to Christ today. To live in un-repented sin is to commit spiritual adultery. Mystery Babylon, is referred to as the mother of all harlots, I believe this is a reference to the Roman Catholic Church, as well as her offspring, the many protestant churches that preach a lukewarm  apostate message of compromise (grace without repentance). God commands his children to come out of the harlot churches.   

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. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Rev. 18:4-5

The dragon is a symbol of Satan, and it is interesting that many of the popes use the symbol of the dragon on their coat of arms, medals, shields, as well as grave guardians. In fact, dragon art work, as well as statues of dragons are found throughout the Vatican in Rome. I believe that this clearly shows that Satan is the god of the popes. I will post some pics of the Papal medals depicting satanic artwork. 

The Lord has given me many dreams, in which he refers to the modern church as Babylon.  Within the dream of the lukewarm church, the Lord showed me many Christian congregations within a Roman Catholic Church building. The Lord referred to these harlot churches as the offspring of their mother church. The number one concern of the Lord is the sin in peoples lives. Many who profess to know Christ, are adulterous in God's eyes, because of sinful bondages in their lives, they are slaves to sin, instead of allowing the Lord to set them free. Here is a link to my dream of the lukewarm church.  http://twelfthhourendtimeministries.blogspot.com/2014/08/dreams-of-history-of-lukewarm-church.html

There are many similarities between Babylon, Rome and the United States. I believe that Rev 18 has a duel prophetic meaning, in which the modern Rome of the end times (United States) is depicted.  The book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John while he was imprisoned by the Romans on the isle of Patmos. At that time, Rome was the most powerful empire in the world, as well as the richest, through it's merchant trade. Today, the United States is the most powerful nation, as well as the richest economy in the world. 

And according to Rev 18 it will burn in a single hour. This may refer to nuclear warfare. Rev 18 also states that the merchants of the world will mourn over her, because they were made rich through their commerce with her. Babylon, Rome, as well as the United States were melting pots of many ethnic groups. In fact, our federal government is based off of Rome's government which was the world's first democracy. Our Senate and House of Representatives are also modeled after Rome's equivalent. Even many of the buildings in Washington D.C. are of Greco-Roman architecture, including Capital Hill. The seal of the Caesars was the eagle with arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. And the motto of Rome was "E Pluribus Unum" meaning, out of the many one. Look on the back of your one dollar bill and you will see the same. I believe that only the United States meets the criteria to be the Rome of the end times. Like I stated before, Rev 17 and 18 depict both spiritual, as well as physical Babylon, and that is defined as wickedness.    

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. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’  “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!” Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” Rev 18:1-24