COME OUT OF HER

INTRODUCTION

I must tell you that I am somewhat nonplused, bewildered, and just a little wearied and fatigued by the number of people who visit our website and still don't "get" what the Bible is very plainly saying in Revelation 18:4. This is a very simple verse; there is nothing complicated about it at all. There is NO reason why anyone should misunderstand what is being said here. The verse relates to Babylon and it is directed to God's people - NOT to unbelievers - but very specifically to God's people, those who are living in Babylon. The verse reads:

"... COME OUT OF HER , my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Rev. 18:4)

Now, brothers and sisters, you must understand something here: This is NOT a suggestion; it's NOT a "clever" proposal that someone can take or reject at his convenience; it's NOT simply "good" advice; it's NOT just a recommendation; it is a COMMANDMENT; it is a holy DICTATE; it is a divine DECREE, and it must be treated as such. It MUST be obeyed!

Moreover there is NO hint here - NONE AT ALL - that should give any justification whatsoever to anyone to believe that the Lord will consider favorably any reason for disobedience. The Lord does not say, "Those of you who are able, Come Out;" or "Those of you who don't have the money to do so, you are excused," or "Those of you who don't have your sh-t together, you are pardoned;" or "Those of you who are too deeply in debt, you are permitted to remain behind;" or "Those of you whose spouses and loved ones refuse to follow you, you will be forgiven for not obeying;" or "Those of you who are sick, or who have relatives who are sick, or those of you who have been unable to secure a job where you are going - you too are excused;" ad nauseum, ad infinitum. The COMMANDMENT is simple - "Come out" and that's the end of it!

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ARGUMENT OR DISCUSSION

Where is there any room for argument, discussion, or debate here? Where is there any space to believe that God will excuse your DISOBEDIENCE? There is none! The COMMANDMENT to YOU is "COME OUT." Obedience is what's demanded, and nothing else - and one must grasp just how seriously God considers disobedience; He compares it to the sin of WITCHCRAFT: He declares that He will "REJECT" all those who participate in it. This is very grim stuff! This is the KING speaking, not "good ol' Uncle Eddie" down the street hollering at you to get off his lawn. The Bible says:

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken (to the word of God is better) than the fat of rams.

"For rebellion (i.e., disobedience) is as the sin of WITCHCRAFT, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, HE HATH ALSO REJECTED THEE ..." (1 Sam. 15:22-23)

The King MUST be obeyed; if He is YOUR King, you MUST obey Him. The simple question in all of this is: Is Christ king over your life? If He is, you will OBEY Him; if not, you won't. The proof of your discipleship insofar as the King is concerned is your OBEDIENCE to Him. Jesus said,

"... A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

"And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

"AND THEY ALL WITH ONE CONSENT BEGAN TO MAKE EXCUSE. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee HAVE ME EXCUSED. [In addition, Matt. 8:21 says, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father."]

"And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee HAVE ME EXCUSED.

"And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I CANNOT COME.

"So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being ANGRY said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

"For I say unto you, That NONE OF THOSE MEN WHICH WERE BIDDEN SHALL TASTE OF MY SUPPER.

"And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

"IF ANY MAN COME TO ME, AND HATE NOT HIS FATHER, AND MOTHER, AND WIFE, AND CHILDREN, AND BRETHREN, AND SISTERS, YEA, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, CANNOT be my disciple." (Luke 14:16-21, 24-27)

NOW THAT'S HARSH; THAT'S BRUTAL

Now that's HARSH! In fact, it's BRUTAL! Where is there here any circumstance that you can use as a legitimate excuse for not obeying Him? If none of the excuses given in Luke 14:16-21, 24-27 (and Matt. 8:21) were considered "good" excuses by the Lord, what chance do you have? - and they were "good" excuses. Think about it: The one "brother" said that he simply needed a little time to bury his father (what's wrong with that; I certainly would have given him the time). Two others said that they had some business matters to which they had to attend (and no doubt, after they were finished, they would be able to contribute that much more to the expense of the feast; that sounds like a good deal; I would have excused them); the fourth said he had to take care of his beloved wife (well, one can certainly understand that; doesn't the Bible encourage us to love and take care of our spouses? - I think that's reasonable). These are all good justifications for not going - at least as far as I'm concerned; and I'm sure that all these dear "brothers" would have attended the feast after they were finished with those things that were "holding them back."

But the Lord would have NONE of it. He brushed all of the excuses aside, and said instead, "NONE of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper" (Luke 14:24), and He went on to say something so shocking that one is left reeling at its severity: "If any man come to me and HATE not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he CANNOT be my disciple." (Luke 14:26) - but I suppose that you believe you will be given a "pass" insofar as this portion of Scripture (i.e., Rev. 18:4) is concerned?

IT WILL DO YOU NO GOOD TO GET ANGRY WITH ME

Now let me tell you something here! - it does you no good to get angry with me insofar as all this is concerned. If you find all this inconvenient and annoying, don't blame me - as so many of you are obviously doing - BLAME GOD. If you find that obeying God's holy commandment is simply inopportune for you at this time, your argument is NOT with me, it is with God. It does you NO good to get irritated at me; but that's exactly what many of you are doing, as if I am the author of these words and not God. For example, one person writes,

"My problem is the SHRILL, STRIDENT demands of Mr. Shearer that the U.S. is Babylon, the source of evil, so it is the will of God for all of God's people to 'come out of her', flee from it, save ourselves ... I suspect that your more spiritually mature subscribers have signed off your list who got lectured rather than respected for their Spiritual input."

By "spiritual input," I suppose he means their arguments as to why they are unable to obey God; and by "more spiritually mature," I suppose he means those who are able to see the "nuances" and "subtleties" (the differing shades of meaning) that "very plainly revolve around this verse" - or so he suggests. But what nuances is he talking about? What subtleties? There are none - except the excuses that can be found in the fevered imaginations of those who are desperately looking for a way out of "leaving Babylon," or at least delaying their departure.

Another writes,

"... while I love him (meaning me) as a brother, his ABRASIVE writing style isn't helping me on a personal level. Steve sees himself as Jeremiah (figuratively). It's just his nature to come across a bit rough around the edges. I've accepted that - what choice do I have? If I don't turn my other cheek to him, what sort of Christian would I be."

What sort of Christian, indeed? Yes! - that's what I love to do, make people hate me! That's just my nature!

Still another reader says simply to one of my co-workers,

"You are allowing Mr. Shearer to blind your eyes. You are no different than any other cult follower ... Fear of the things of the flesh is what has caused you and your ministry to flee to Canada."

I guess that makes those who obey Christ regarding Rev 18:4 "cult followers;" they're in the flesh, and not in the spirit. This makes me a "cult leader" - i.e., a religious "wacko," a "kook," a "dingbat," a "weirdo."

Finally, this brother says,

"Your rantings have more the character of a Judas Iscariot ... than a purveyor of the Gospel."

Judas Iscariot? - oh well, all I can do is take heart from Christ when He said,

"It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" (Matt. 10:25)

And, believe me, these are just a tiny few of the "slings and arrows" that have been hurled in my direction. There are many, many more - some much worse. I've been called a "Jim Jones" (I was given that "tag" by one of the dearest friends I have ever had), a "David Koresh," a "Rev. Moon" and countless other slurs and epithets. But, again, all I can say is that you are directing your anger at the wrong person! These are NOT my words, they are God's. It is NOT on account of any delinquency on my part that God did NOT offer you a way out nor provide you with an excuse for staying. I would gladly have done so for all of the trouble that it has caused me - the hatred of so many, the lost friendships, the stinging affronts and infamies. I have grown weary of it all. Seriously, I really have. What advantage is all this to me?

I AM ACCUSED OF BEING CARNALLY-MINDED

Then, of course, there are those who say that we are being simple-minded about the meaning of Rev. 18:4 (and other similar verses - see below). For example, another of my erstwhile colleagues upbraids me for being CARNALLY-minded with regard to these verses, not SPIRITUALLY-minded - like him, I suppose. This brother writes:

"The only separation that counts from the world is spiritual - not physical ... We are 'in' the world, but not 'of' the world."

The irony here - as with so many who oppose us for being "of the flesh" in taking Rev. 18:4 too literally - is that their objections are nothing more than facades behind which they are attempting to hide their failure to act - to "come out of her;" in this case a facade behind which he can chase "filthy lucre" using other peoples' money to invest in ponzi schemes (investment pyramids) and multilevel marketing (MLM) stratagems (which are nothing more than ponzi schemes with a worthless product attached to it in order to get around the Supreme Court injunction against them), linking people up to Imelda Marcos's ill-gotten (and now lost) fortune, "magic gold accounts," etc. Of course, most of these brothers say they are chasing money for the Lord's sake; but in the end, it's the money that catches them rather than the other way around.

A sister writes:

"It looks to me like you all have chosen this present world over Christ by going and hiding yourselves and trying to get as many people as possible to go with you. You have no trust in the Lord Jesus Christ at all, because if you did, you would stay right here and preach the gospel and not be worried about what's coming ... Fear of the things of the flesh is what has caused you and your ministry to flee to Canada."

There's that "flesh" stuff again.

Still another brother writes:

"All I can say is WOW! I have never read such factually incorrect material. Sadly you don't even back up your claims with facts. Just quotes from other liars. Pretty typical actually. Thankfully, most are able to think for themselves and people like you never make a difference. Scare tactics only work on the uneducated. Although those people are probably exactly what you are after. Too lazy to think for themselves ... You haven't a clue."

"Scare tactics of the uneducated?" Eee gads!

Another writes very sarcastically,

"You deal in fear ... Of course God is unable to protect His people in America. Poor, puny, weak God. Thwarted by the GOP and the NWO (New World Order). Defeated, even. Ordered a retreat, did He?"

Again, these are just a tiny example of all those who have written to condemn me (us) for being CARNALLY-minded, and not spiritually-minded; of not being able to discern the simple truth that "we are 'in' the world, but not 'of' the world;" that Babylon is a "spiritual matter," and not a physical matter - a matter of the heart, and not of the flesh. How "carnal" of us! How "worldly!" How "temporal!" How "UNSPIRITUAL" - at least that's certainly what most Christians would like to believe: That there is no PHYSICALITY attached to Babylon. After all, it's so much easier for people to think that the only thing they have to do to "come out of her" is to "come out" of the "apostate church." To suggest that to escape "Religious Babylon" necessitates escaping "Physical Babylon" (i.e., America) makes everything so much more difficult.

THERE IS PHYSICALITY ATTACHED TO BABYLON

But the truth of the matter is, there is a physical reality attached to Babylon as well as a religious reality - and the physical reality of Babylon is as profound and intense as its religious reality, and just as deadly. Babylon the Great is depicted in Scripture as a two part entity: a woman riding a beast. The great Bible expositor, F.C. Jennings, writes:

"Turning then to the seventeenth chapter of the Book of Revelation, we see the whole stage filled with two personalities only: a 'Beast' and a 'Woman' … There can be no argument or discussion as to this speaking of both the CIVIL [political, economic, and military] and ECCLESIASTICAL [religious] conditions [of the country] ... the 'Beast' (which answers to the Civil Power) and the 'Woman' (which answers to the Religious Power) are thus INDISSOLUBLY co-related …"

INDISSOLUBLY CO-RELATED

The "beast" and the "woman" INDISSOLUBLY co-related? - is that what Jennings is saying here? Yes! - that precisely what he is saying! And plainly, if these two dimensions of Babylon are so intertwined, doesn't there have to be a physical aspect to the command "COME OUT OF HER?" Plainly so! - and if that's true, doesn't that suggest that to escape the one (i.e., the "apostate church") NECESSITATES escaping the other (i.e., the United States). Hence, the words of Scripture "Come out of her" must also mean - in addition to leaving the "apostate church" - emigrating out of the United States.

Again, I realize that it is so much easier to believe that the only thing that we have to do to "come out of her" is to "come out" of the "apostate church" - the church of D. James Kennedy, Charles Stanley, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, C. Peter Wagner, et. al. But that won't accomplish much by itself! The very real fact of the matter is, a break-out from the one (i.e., Spiritual Babylon" or the "Apostate Church") necessitates a break-out from the other (i.e., the United States). What other conclusion is possible?

YOU DON'T SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT?

You don't see what we're talking about here? You really don't see it? Well, all I can say then, is if you don't, it's because you have - like so many of my erstwhile colleagues - PURPOSEFULLY chosen NOT to see it. It's not that hard to see - OR do you think that it's really possible to stay connected to "physical Babylon" (i.e., the United States) without being affected spiritually by your union with it. If that's the case, you have UTTERLY failed to appreciate what "Babylon the Great" is all about, and the power it possesses to CORRUPT people - even the BEST of people, even YOU, and that's especially true in light of the results of the 2004 presidential election.

The truth is, the force of APOSTASY has now broken out of the "meeting halls" of the super-church, and has poured out into the streets. The power of D. James Kennedy, Charles Stanley, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, C. Peter Wagner, etc. has morphed into "street power;" it is no longer confined to the pulpit. Just because you do not "attend church" on Sundays does not mean you have escaped the power of Religious Babylon: it now holds the nation in its grip, and it is infusing itself into the nation's political and even its military institutions.

The fact of the matter is, just as the life (so to speak) of the Nazi state became so intertwined and twisted together with the lives of Germany's individual citizens that it became impossible to function any longer as a human being in Germany without at the same time being involved intimately with the crimes of that nation - SO NOW IT IS FAST BECOMING IMPOSSIBLE TO FUNCTION ANY LONGER AS AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE UNITED STATES WITHOUT BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE GREAT WICKEDNESS THIS COUNTRY IS VISITING ON THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND WITH THE APOSTASY THAT IS DRIVING IT.

A LITTLE LEAVEN LEAVENETH THE WHOLE LUMP

The Bible says,

"Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" (1 Cor. 5:6)

AND ANYONE IN THE UNITED STATES WHO THINKS HE CAN ESCAPE THE POWER OF THIS LEAVEN BY SIMPLY NOT ATTENDING CHURCH IS BEING A FOOL! Yes! - dear brothers and sisters in Christ, "... a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" (1 Cor. 5:6). And just how potent that leaven is, is made apparent by what's happened to some of those who have left the ministry because of the direction the ministry took regarding Rev. 18:4; one never stands still in the things of God. One is either going forward, or retreating backwards. With this brother, the retreat backwards has been astounding, and I'll let the record speak for itself. This is the same brother who recently wrote:

"THE ONLY SEPARATION THAT COUNTS FROM THE WORLD IS SPIRITUAL - NOT PHYSICAL. All of Sean's (my co-worker in the Lord) latest Scriptures on Babylon, especially those that refer to ancient Babylon, are taken out of context and miss the real point. We are told to overcome in this world - 'even in the streets of that great city' (Revelation 11:8). We are 'in' the world, but not 'of' it."

Now, let me tell you all something here - and I speak as one who has known this brother for more years than most of you have been alive. This is NOT what he thought three years ago - at the time of his break with the ministry, which was necessitated by the incessant criticism of his wife and children - i.e., that we should "tone things down," that we should not be so critical of God's servants (so-called) such as D. James Kennedy, Charles Stanley, Jerry Falwell, et. al. - all things which I refused to countenance, even for the sake of our friendship. But, very obviously, the "STRIDENT," "SHRILL" tone of the ministry [as one of our critics calls it (see above)] was making things very difficult for him insofar as his wife and children were concerned. But what was I to do here? - let his wife's anxieties and fears limit the scope of the ministry? No! A thousand times, No!

YOU CANNOT BE A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

As a result, this brother - forgetting the words of Christ insofar as Christ's dictates are concerned - specifically, "If any man come to me and HATE not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he CANNOT be my disciple." (Luke 14:26) - "caved into the demands of his wife." Is this what you are doing? - "caving into the demands of your wife (or husband) or other loved ones?" If so, YOU CANNOT BE A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST. Those are not my words, those are Christ's words!! Don't get angry with me, get angry with God!

As I said, no one stands still - one is either going forward with God, or he is going backwards. Shortly after leaving the ministry, this brother wrote:

"I did not object to the direction they (i.e., Antipas) were going, but how they were going about it. I have no problem as you can see in EVERYTHING I write that Christians MUST leave Babylon. But insulting them rather than communicating clearly are two different things." [Really, these are his wife's and his daughter's words, not his - his protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.]

Shortly thereafter, he wrote:

"I never said that I disagreed with Antipas over the matter of leaving Babylon. I believe that the system is corrupt as can be. I believe we should give the best, most reasoned arguments as to why Christians should leave, along with a solution - i.e., what to do."

Then he wrote:

"... I have no problem if you feel to go to Canada. I think it is a very good idea, and Lord willing, I will be able to leave as well ..." [HA! - his wife and daughter would never let him go.]

But one can't stay in "limbo" like this forever. You must either go one way or the other - just breaking with the ministry can't suffice for long. Finally, he "caved in" totally. Now, as we just indicated, he says:

"The only separation that counts from the world is spiritual - not physical."

And -

"One would have to be incredibly naive if they thought there was anything culturally, politically or economically unique about Canada compared to America to the south ..."

OH, THE POWER OF LEAVEN TO CORRUPT - and I can attest to the fact that this dear brother was once a giant among giants insofar as his walk with Christ was concerned. If leaven can corrupt him, it can certainly corrupt you - and it all started with this brother's inability to "stand up to his wife" (that and to break free of his hideous attachment to MLM schemes). Be sure, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, your sins will find you out! (Numbers 32:23) Again I tell you, no one stands still insofar as God is concerned - you are either going forward, or you are going backward.

A VERY WICKED CONTRIVANCE AND SUBTERFUGE

This brings us to another matter that many people seem to "conveniently" miss? - Why we are commanded to leave. It has NOTHING to do per se with the fact that Babylon itself is going to be destroyed, but with the fact that IF WE STAY, WE WILL BE COMPROMISED BEYOND REMEDY; that's what Rev. 18:4 means to convey when it says:

"... come out of her , my people, THAT YE BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Rev. 18:4)

This is the problem insofar as the Lord is concerned - AND IT'S THIS POWER TO CORRUPT THAT GIVES THE U.S. OCCASION TO STAND ALONE IN THE WORLD. No other country on earth (outside the Muslim world) possesses the mix of religion [i.e., Christianity (so-called)] and politics that the United States possesses - not Canada, not Mexico, not any of the countries of Western Europe. Francis Shaeffer was right: these are ALL "post-Christian" societies. The United States is the ONLY nation on earth that possesses a VIABLE and POTENT "Religious Right" Christian community - a community that actually possesses political power. No other Christian community anywhere - not in Canada, not in Mexico, not in Western Europe, not anywhere - possesses political power the way the church does in the United States - raw, naked political power!

IT'S THIS, AND NOTHING ELSE, THAT DISTINGUISHES THE UNITED STATES FROM ALL THE OTHER NATIONS ON EARTH. For people to say, as my former colleague does, that "... One would have to be incredibly naive if they thought there was anything culturally, politically or economically unique about Canada compared to America to the south," is disingenuous at best, and a BLATANT, self-serving fabrication at worst.

JUST SO LONG AS THEY GO

All this goes to the heart of the question one very dear saint of God - one whom we deeply cherish in the ministry - asked:

"Remember when I asked you about the border and would Canada and Mexico be part of the Babylon destruction ... (My husband) and I spent a great deal of time the last couple of days going over the scriptures. We believe that Canada and Mexico will be part of this. With that in mind ... (my husband) is contemplating a look see at jobs ... overseas. Right now it looks like we will not be going to Canada."

Well, first of all, you should know that we don't really care where people go, and I don't mean this in a "bad way." They should go where the Lord is leading them - JUST SO LONG AS THEY GO! But what this kind of thinking appears to evince is a misapprehension as to why God is calling us out of Babylon: IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PHYSICAL DESTRUCTION, BUT WITH THE FACT THAT WE WILL BE POLLUTED BY OUR CONNECTION TO BABYLON IF WE STAY - just as our dear brother, our former colleague (see above), has been compromised. Again, that's what the Scriptures have in mind here; that's why we are told to leave so -

"... THAT YE BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS ..." (Rev. 18:4b)

I say again, the reason that the Lord gives for leaving Babylon is NOT because of the physical destruction God intends to visit on this country, and not because - in the interim - we may face martyrdom if we fail to leave.

No! - that's NOT the reason at all. The truth of the matter is, up through the years, God's people have routinely been -

"... STONED (to death), ... SAWN ASUNDER (that's what happened to the "Prince of Prophets," the Prophet Isaiah) ... tempted ... SLAIN WITH THE SWORD: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented ..." (Heb. 11:37)

WE MAY FACE POVERTY AND DESTITUTION IF WE LEAVE

The fact of martyrdom, persecution, and heinous tribulation is a reality that Christians throughout the centuries have had to face, AND IF THAT'S WHAT'S BOTHERING YOU (i.e., in leaving Babylon you may face these things - "being destitute, afflicted, tormented," etc.) then you have a problem. That's the cost of discipleship - and it has finally caught up with you! You didn't think it would catch up with you like it routinely has with other Christians throughout the centuries?

Well, it has - AND YOU MAY INDEED HAVE TO FACE THESE THINGS IN LEAVING BABYLON; you may indeed have to "wander about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented ..." OR, again, did you think that you were immune from these things? Indeed, Paul, writing about the tribulations he routinely faced in his journeys, encouraged the saints by -

"... exhorting them to continue in the faith, and THAT WE MUST THROUGH MUCH TRIBULATION enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)

And to this end, the Bible encourages us by saying,

"... fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ..." (Matt. 10:28)

THE TESTIMONY OF THOSE WHO LOVE JESUS

How does a rich man ever know that he is truly loved? The sad truth is, he doesn’t so long as he retains his wealth. But should he lose it, then he will find out. Great crowds of people followed Jesus so long as he fed them and healed them of their diseases. But when tribulation arose because of the Word He spoke, the crowds disappeared.

Oh, to be loved because of who you are, and not just because of the "things" you have! This is the love that God desires from those who follow Him. It is the love that Ruth gave to Naomi, and this even after Naomi had asked Ruth to depart from her because she [Naomi] had nothing further to give Ruth - she no longer possessed any "things" with which to "purchase" Ruth’s love:

"But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

"‘Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me’." (Ruth 1:16-17)

The Lord is looking for such to follow Him - those that will follow after Him long after the "things" are gone, the crowds have left, the popularity faded; when the clothes are tattered and torn, there is no food on the table, and persecution rages all around. These are the disciples of Jesus - with such people one can repose trust and friendship, true love is here to be found!

These are the disciples who can say with the prophet Habakkuk:

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

"Yet I will REJOICE in the Lord, I will JOY in the God of my salvation." (Hab. 3:17-18)

Do you love Jesus in this way? - or do you love Him because he secures you from poverty, he provides you with a spouse who loves you, a house to live in, a visa and a master card, a new car to drive around in, and so forth. You say no! - that you love Him in the same way that Ruth loved Naomi, and the Prophet Habakkuk loved God. Oh, really? - we'll see! We'll see. It's not what you say that counts, but what you do! That's what counts. Are you willing to leave Babylon in answer to the holy command, or will you balk? We'll see!

GOD GRANT US A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE

Obviously then, the Lord is not that much concerned that we should lose our lives if we stay in Babylon." No! - in COMMANDING us to come out of Babylon, God is not doing so because he wants to spare us the anguish of persecution, tribulation, poverty, and even martyrdom. I repeat, what God is concerned about here is that if we stay in Babylon we will be TAINTED by Babylon's sin and spiritually CORRUPTED.

That sin has eternal consequences; but the poverty, the persecution, the tribulation, etc. that we face today is only for a little while, and it is soon over. The Bible says:

"For all our days (in this present life) are passed away ... our years as a tale that is told.

"... for it (i.e., our life) is soon cut off, and we fly away." (Ps. 90:9-10)

And the Bible goes on to say -

"... (We) shall fly away as a dream ... as a vision of the night." (Job 20:8)

And then something WONDERFUL:

"... Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Cor. 2:9)

Can you imagine that? And, finally, in the Book of Revelation, the Bible says:

"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

"AND GOD SHALL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM THEIR EYES; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Rev. 21:2-4)

OUR TESTIMONY AS GOD'S CHILDREN

Brothers and sisters, Babylon is NOT our home! We are told to leave it, and in our going, we are a testimony against it. If we love God, and we value our relationship with Him, we MUST be obedient to His command. When God speaks, we must obey; we must be able to say with Paul when he stood before King Agrippa:

"Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was NOT DISOBEDIENT unto the heavenly vision ..." (Acts 26:19)

We are those about whom it is said:

"... look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Heb. 11:10)

People who are "persuaded" and "embrace" the fact that we are -

"... strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Heb. 11:13)

And that if we were truly -

"... mindful of that country (i.e., Babylon) from whence ... (we) came out, ... (we) might have had opportunity to have returned.

"But now ... (we) desire a BETTER country, that is, an HEAVENLY: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called ... (our) God: for he hath prepared for ... (us) a city." (Heb. 11:14-16)

I say again, our testimony to the world is this: WE DO NOT BELONG TO BABYLON, AND WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO GIVE HER UP. Babylon has no hold on us.

I CANNOT GUARANTEE

Christ is our King, not Mammon, and when Christ speaks, we obey; but, again - at least insofar as this life is concerned - just because we obey God does not guarantee that we will not suffer. This is something very hard for Christians - at least Christians in America - to grasp. For example, one dear sister writes:

"Apparently your ministry of getting out of America means for the suburban middle class of America to get out ... My income of SSI and welfare doesn't allow me the luxury of leaving to Canada with my 5 children. I guess I should ram the border with my car and flee into it"

Another dear Christian writes:

"Many Christians who once were felons won't be allowed in Canada. Does that make them partakers of Babylon's sin??? What about poor Christians, sick Christians, disabled Christians, and on and on?"

Another dear saint of God writes:

"Do you feel that there is any way a person can stay in the U.S. as long as they are trying to change the hearts of others here? Many cannot leave due to their situations with loved ones (my son, for example, is attached to treatments and such at the local children's hospital. I understand there are many hospitals around the world but some of us rely on the contributions we get from the very government we despise to help our son's condition. We cannot afford treatment abroad. We can barely afford it here. Even with working and trying to get an education that will help to find a cure for him. What advice if any do you have for those of us that follow this site that really feel you are correct but cannot leave. I hope this doesn't sound like an excuse, but I want so badly to do as Jesus would do and risking our son's health is a very big issue that we are struggling with."

Finally, another dear sister writes:

"What happens to people who can't get out of Babylon? The sick, the lame, the poor?"

I know that this sounds hard, but NONE of these queries are adequate as excuses for not obeying God's holy dictate to "Come out of her." For me to say anything less would be tantamount to a BETRAYAL, not just of God, but of YOU.

I repeat what I said earlier: God's command to "Come out of her" (Rev. 18:4) is NOT a suggestion; it's NOT a "clever" proposal that you can take or reject at your convenience; it's NOT simply "good" advice; it's NOT just a recommendation; it is a COMMANDMENT; it is a holy DICTATE; it is a divine DECREE, and you must treat it as such. It MUST be obeyed! There is NO hint here - NONE AT ALL - that can give you any pretext for believing that the Lord will consider favorably any reason for your disobedience. The Lord does not say, "Those of you who are able, Come Out;" or "Those of you who don't have the money to do so, you are excused," or "Those of you who don't have your sh-t together, you are pardoned;" or "Those of you who are too deeply in debt, you are permitted to remain behind;" or "Those of you whose spouses and loved ones refuse to follow you, you will be forgiven for not obeying;" or "Those of you who are sick, or who have relatives who are sick, or those of you who have been unable to secure a job where you are going - you too are excused;" ad nauseum, ad infinitum. The COMMANDMENT is simple - "Come out" and that's the end of it!

GOD IS FAITHFUL

Again, I know that sounds hard, but the Bible says:

"There hath no temptation (i.e., test) taken you but such as is common to man (in other words, countless numbers of Christians before you have gone through what you are about to go through): but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (i.e., tested) above that ye are able; but will with the temptation (i.e., test) also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Cor. 10:13)

Paul says:

"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Cor. 1:9)

Or don't you believe that - but then, that's what we are going to find out, aren't we? It's easy to say, "I believe" when nothing is really at stake; but it's much more difficult to say, "I believe" when - like Abraham - you are being "called out" -

"... into a place ... and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

"By faith he sojourned in ... a strange country ...

"For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Heb. 11:8-10)

WE WILL HELP: THE ALIYA FOUNDATION

Now, in saying all this, I will tell you that Antipas will do everything in its power to stand with you in your hour of need (and even desperation). We will not leave you alone. God help us if we fail you here. We know the words of Christ when He says, "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?," and we fear for ourselves if we don't respond to your needs.

THIS IS WHY WE HAVE SET UP THE ALIYA FOUNDATION - TO HELP THOSE OF YOU WHO NEED HELP. WE URGE YOU TO GET INVOLVED WITH IT! [Please see our article, "The Aliya Foundation." (please scroll down to that section of the article entitled, "The Aliya Foundation" - about half way through the article).]

WITHOUT FAITH IT IS
IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD

Brothers and sisters, this isn't a game anymore - the kind that you can play comfortably in the safety of your homes like my erstwhile colleagues want to do; hiding money away in off shore banking accounts, looking for Imelda Marcos' fortune, hoping to hit it "big" in an MLM scheme, following "Nick's" advise on how to make and protect your money in a "troubled economy," etc. THIS IS FOR REAL - and it is NOT for the feint of heart. But I tell you the truth; For those who believe -

"... the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." (Is. 59:1)

And -

"Faithful is he that calleth you ..." (1 Thess. 5:24)

You must believe this! You must believe it by faith - and you must understand what faith is. The Bible says,

"... faith is the substance of things hoped for, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN." (Heb. 11:1)

And the Bible goes on to say,

"... without faith it is impossible to please him: FOR HE THAT COMETH TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM." (Heb. 11:6)

ESCAPING THE CRIMES OF BABYLON

How is it possible, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that we - as Christians - can allow our names to be linked to a country that is bent on oppressing the poor of the earth through the "force of arms" and military conquest - ALL IN THE NAME OF CHRIST? Don't think, even for a minute, that God will not hold such a person guiltless. In the light of this, can we do any less than what Moses did when -

"... he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

"Choosing rather to suffer affliction ... than to enjoy the pleasures of sin (i.e., Egypt) for a season;

"Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." (Heb. 11:24-26) ?

Therefore, God has called us out of this evil place; He has commanded us to -

"... COME OUT OF HER , my people ..." (Rev. 18:4)

And -

"... seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

"For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Heb. 12:1-3)

ONE LAST THING

Finally, one last thing - something which I have reiterated to you over and over again; something which a brother touches upon in his letter to us:

"If the United States is indeed the beast, then it matters very little where in the world anyone lives, whether in Canada or Costa Rica (because the whole world will be conquered by it) ..."

There are a whole slew of other letters like this one, the essence of which is, if the whole world is eventually to be subsumed by America and made a part of the American New World Order System, it doesn't really matter where we live - we will all eventually be engulfed and immersed by it.

But, as we have said before, such thinking is nothing more than a VERY WICKED CONTRIVANCE AND SUBTERFUGE. It's true, all the world will eventually be absorbed by the American New World Order System, just as all of Europe was eventually conquered and absorbed by Nazi Germany; but there was still a great difference to be remarked upon insofar as Germany's conquered territories were concerned (i.e., France, Denmark, Poland, the Ukraine, Norway, Holland, Belgium, etc.) and Germany herself; and there was a GREAT DISTINCTION to be remarked upon insofar as the conduct of these different populations were concerned vis a vis the people of Germany.

Germany's population actually PARTICIPATED in Germany's crimes; the population of Germany's "slave states" SUFFERED as a result of these crimes. There is a big difference here; it is, to put it in the vernacular, the difference between the "screwer" and the "screwee;" the difference between the one who is being raped, and the one who is doing the raping; the difference between the perpetrator and the victim; the difference between MASTER and SLAVE. SO ALSO INSOFAR AS AMERICA IS CONCERNED vis a vis HER CLIENT-STATES, i.e., HER SLAVE STATES - and in this regard, there is a big difference between Canada and Mexico (on the one hand), and the United States (on the other hand).

TIME HAS RUN OUT ON ALL OF US

Brothers and sisters, the end really is upon us. It's time for us all to begin taking the Prophetic Scriptures very, very seriously! The Scriptures warn us that we should not bury our heads in the sand and think that everything will be okay. The Bible says that you should not allow the "end of days" to -

"... overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." (I Thess. 5:4-6)

Jesus said,

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

"And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matt. 7:24-27)

More next time!

Until then, God bless you,

S.R. Shearer,
Antipas Ministries

Finally, we URGE you all to read or re-read our article, "The Good News of the Coming Kingdom." It's about what the Lord has called you out of Babylon to do!

We also urge you to read our article, "A Plan of Action for Antipas Ministries."