Mystery Babylon - Where the Bible says it is located and the rise of the...

Thy faithfulness

Thy faithfulness [is] unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. (Psalm 119:90)
God is the true measure of faithfulness. Never failing, His goodness endures forever. His salvation is eternal. His nature is unchanging. His glory is to everlasting. Depend upon the Lord Who is worthy!

So that we

So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (Hebrews 13:6)
Our Lord is mighty beyond imagining. His power and strength are above measure. None may stand against the weight of His arm. And He will protect us, His people, to everlasting. Having been made His children, we who believe live under His defence as long as there exist enemies to His throne. Rejoice in the fact of your salvation, O believer, for your redemption is to life eternal and unshakeable! The darts of the enemy may be of deadly flame, yet they shall never pierce His people! We rest under the banner of the King and sit in the shade of His mighty shield! Take heart in the strength of our Lord and give no fearful recognition to the weak boasting of the world's powers.

For if we have

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection: (Romans 6:5)
By the power of the resurrection of Christ, we are freed from the horrible bondage of sin. Incredible! We are united with the Creator of both heaven and earth and transformed into His likeness of righteousness. Our sin was crucified with Christ Jesus and we now hold the remarkable privilege of being called His children. May our loving Father be glorified for His indescribable kindness and faithfulness.

Blessed [is] the man

Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12)
Find your strength in the Gospel promise. Overcome the slings and arrows of the enemy's wrought! Overcome them by the beautiful power of Christ. Trust your salvation to the sovereign hand of God. Persevere, O brothers and sisters, and you shall be welcomed with great fortune of riches! The crown of life shall be granted you and you shall glorify the Lamb! Love God for He first loved you

Blessed [is] the man

Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12)
Find your strength in the Gospel promise. Overcome the slings and arrows of the enemy's wrought! Overcome them by the beautiful power of Christ. Trust your salvation to the sovereign hand of God. Persevere, O brothers and sisters, and you shall be welcomed with great fortune of riches! The crown of life shall be granted you and you shall glorify the Lamb! Love God for He first loved you

So when this

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)
When we get to heaven, we will have an incorruptible and immortal body. Death will be conquered!

My Prayer: O Lord, You sacrificed so much that I might live! Thank you for conquering death and allowing me to live with You forever.

How excellent [is]

How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. (Psalm 36:7)
In the midst of the most desolate wilderness or most perilous storm, every child of Abraham may rejoice that the Lord offers Himself as the surest of shelters. Circumstance, no matter how treacherous, is of no great concern for the believer for he has an eternal and unshakable refuge, lacking of no good thing. By the blood of Christ, all the believer's sins are washed away and he need tremble no more at the wrath of the Almighty due him for the fall.

I have set

I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved. (Psalm 16:8)
Strong is our Lord and powerful the force of His mighty arm! You shall never need fear any power of earth or heaven for naught can shake you from His unbreakable grasp. His hands of power and might are hands of safety and protection for His own-and hands of wrath and destruction for His enemies. Rejoice, O believer, that you are His child!

This then is

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
Here lies the believer's assurance that the light of God will permeate even this dark world. Even more, God is that very light! The believer ought hold this truth tightly: despite the most tumultuous circumstance, not all is dark, lost, or evil!

For ye have

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:36)
We have need of endurance to be sure, but that very need is fulfilled by virtue of the promise itself. We await that long-promised eternal and heavenly rest of Christ, and yet, as all the redeemed are already secured in the heavenly promise, so their perseverance is guaranteed. Even unto the end of the age!

But as it is written,

But as it is written, 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 Corinthians 2:9)
We thank You, our God, that You have been pleased to divinely reveal to us the great truths of the gospel!

"These are such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard. Observe, the great truths of the gospel are things lying out of the sphere of human discovery: But, lying out of the sphere of nature, we cannot discover them but by the light of revelation. And therefore we must take them as they lie in the scriptures."
-Matthew Henry

I love them

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (Proverbs 8:17)
Take heart, O blessed body of Christ! The Lord your God has rewarded your diligent search. He has shown Himself to you. You are granted sight of things unseen-you are granted sight of Christ Himself! Christ, the son of the morning! Christ, the eschatological Lamb! Christ, the fulfilment of all the history redemptive! Glory in Him, O congregation of all believers! For in Him consists your new life, your righteous standing, your power to sanctification, and your promise to heavenly rest! In Him consists all things (Colossians 1:17) and it is to Him that you ought be conformed! So give glory evermore: holy, holy, and surely, holy!

According as his

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
His beautiful excellence draws us near and grants us many promises that we may be fashioned into His superior character and likeness. As believers of Christ, we have been washed of our transgressions and set apart from the ever-present evil world. Through our knowledge of the everlasting Father, we are granted these most precious promises!

[Thou], which hast

[Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. (Psalm 71:20)
Though we are faint with the troubles of this present age. Though we are as dead men by the futility of our works. Though we are perishing by the minute-captive to the ravishing effects of Adam's guilt. Though we deserve it not, still does the Lord stand ever by His people, faithful to revive their souls! Faithful to bring His dying to new life everlasting! Faithful to cleanse His downtrodden children, clothing them in the white robes of righteousness and crowning them in glory! Praise the Lord all you His people! He is the maker of new life, the crafter of all redemptive history! And yes, dear believer, He is ever worthy of your endless adoration!

For ye are

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)
One of the most intimate relationships God created can be found between a parent and a child. Parents naturally find satisfaction and enjoyment in nurturing and loving their children daily. As believers, we have the incredible privilege to share that same cherished relationship with our Creator. He is our loving Father who tends to our every need and longs for us to be near Him. This remarkable privilege is only attainable by faith in Jesus Christ who destroyed the separation between man and God with His blood. Through the beautiful gift of Christ, we are given the excellent honour of the title, "the sons of God," and given a place in the heavenlies.

The young lions

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good [thing]. (Psalm 34:10)
They whose power lies in the strength of their limbs shall ever be dismayed. They whose trust lies in the might of their youth will always hunger for greater. Yet the satisfaction the godly is met now and forever. Bask in His goodness, O believer! Return time and again to the bounty of His lovingkindness!

And Jesus answering

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. (Mark 11:22-24)
The incredible strength and majesty of our God! He has the might to move mountains and does so through even our smallest faith. When we place our trust in Him, He molds us as He gives us the desires of our hearts.

The LORD also

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)
My prayer: Lord teach me to trust in you in my times of happiness and sorrow, in my struggles and triumphs. Lord, help me to have faith so I can walk on water and move mountains. I thank You for your faithfulness to those who seek You.

But now thus

But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine. (Isaiah 43:1)
O church, remember that Christ is the fulfilment of Israel and the seed of Abraham so long awaited by God's people. And recall that you are His bride! His redemption is your redemption! And even as He bears the name of God, so do you bear His own name! He is Christ and you are His Christians! Having been cleansed and made righteous by His blood, you are now counted worthy the honour of bearing the name above all names! Wonder of wonders-take joy, O bride of the Lamb!

The eyes of all

The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. (Psalm 145:15-16)
The Lord promises to provide for all of our needs (cf. Matthew 6:26). He gives us everything that we ask of Him as long as it is according to His will (cf. Philippians 4:19 and James 4:3). He is our good Father and will ever seek our welfare!

But he said,

But he said, Yea rather, blessed [are] they that hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:28)
Praises everlasting for that most wondrous of gifts: a man who could hear the word of God and keep it! Sing thanks unto the Lord that by His Son's obedience to God's holy law, even unto death, the eternal blessings of the Lord might now fall upon His people. How fortunate are we become, those who serve the Lord in the faith of righteousness! Rejoice, O people, and sing evermore His mighty praise.

For his anger [endureth but] a moment; in his favour [is] life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
You may weep and you may mourn over the troubles of this life, but know this you believers: your weeping will last only a night—for the smallest portion of your life. Once your joy is restored, those times of sadness and despair will seem only the briefest of moments. This life can be seen as a time of weeping; but when compared with the joy of eternity, our suffering seems slight and insignificant indeed. Praise the Lord that He is soon coming!

The Martins - This is The Promise

Yet now be strong,

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I [am] with you, saith the LORD of hosts: (Haggai 2:4)
Ever does the Lord make His presence known to His people. His grace and mercy are abundant and evident. Our Lord is ubiquitous and such His ever-presence is our great and undying comfort. Never need we fear for He is there and ready to attend our needs.

India Arie - Mary Did You Know Ft. Gene Moore, Jr @indiaarie @genemoorejr

And the ransomed

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10)
Soon He comes, the Lord of hosts, to judge the nations and bring to light a new heaven and a new earth! All joy will be eternal. All sorrow shall be no more! The children of the Lamb will march forth as princes of the holy city. And so we now join the cry of yearning, "How long O Lord? How long?"

Trust in the LORD,

Trust in the LORD, and do good; [so] shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. (Psalm 37:3-6)
When taking satisfaction in Christ, our desires immediately change from our selfish ways and turn toward a desire to please Him. He is our loving Father who wishes to bless His children by forming us in His righteousness. As we continue to commit our ways to Him, He works through us causing complete delight and joy in Him. It is this joy and peace that gives us the strength to seek Him daily.

I will instruct thee

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (Psalm 32:8)
What a wonderful promise! Because of our Father's remarkable love and grace, He assures us that He will be our teacher and will continually keep His hand upon us forevermore. God is able to direct and guide us through any surprise or difficulty! May we rejoice in the promise of His sovereignty and greatness! May we find tremendous encouragement in the confidence that He is always with us!

For the preaching

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
To those who do not know the saving grace of Christ, our actions and love for Him are foolishness. We who are saved know the power of God and have seen it work firsthand in our lives. It is not foolishness, but an amazing God with an incredible love for a worthless and sinful people.

Thou [art] my hiding place;

Thou [art] my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. (Psalm 32:7)
The Lord our God is the High King of Deliverance! There is no calamity so great that He might be unable to rescue us. Even when we were dead of spirit and purebred haters of Him, He saw fit to rescue us from ourselves. He gave the dead new life. There is no difficulty so strong that He cannot save us. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and He will surely deliver!

Behold, I give unto

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)
The compelling blood of Christ offers great power to Christians as they fight this spiritual battle against evil. By the magnificent name of Jesus Christ, we can conquer all things and nothing shall destroy us! We are victorious because Christ is with us; therefore, no one could possibly be against us (Romans 8:31).

But we believe

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (Acts 15:11)
Sweet is the aroma of such a glorious salvation as ours. When once we bloated in our spiritual death-rot, we now stand cleansed and brilliant, arrayed in robes of purest white and crowned with life eternal. We were dead. We were destined for death everlasting. Yet now, believer rejoice! For our destiny is life never-ceasing!

Colossians 4 Amplified Bible

Colossians 4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
4 That I may proclaim it fully and make it clear [speak boldly and unfold that mystery], as is my duty.
5 Behave yourselves wisely [living prudently and with discretion] in your relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians), making the very most of the time and seizing (buying up) the opportunity.
6 Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you].
7 Tychicus will give you full information about my affairs; [he is] a much-loved brother and faithful ministering assistant and fellow servant [with us] in the Lord.

I will heal

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. (Hosea 14:4)
Praise be to God that He, in the midst of our depravity, drew us to Him with the sweet chords of His melodious grace. We were wretched and iniquitous, yet He chose to love us freely. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, provider of our salvation and promise of hope!

John P. Kee - Standing In The Need

Yolanda Adams Be Still Official Music Video

My little children,

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1)
Recognition of our sin nature may bring a feeling of imperfection and grave hopelessness to our souls. However, the magnificent love of God fills this overwhelming void in our hearts through Christ Jesus. By His blood, we have a righteous advocate who presents us pure and blameless before the almighty God. Thus, we are given the tremendous victory over death as His righteousness conforms us into His image.

Thou wilt shew

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)
O Delight of delights! O great Bringer of Joy! Praise the Lord all the earth. For by His name is pleasure brought and in His presence is pleasure known! Apart from His life is heard no joyous strain nor delighted laugh. All happiness bought apart from the cross is a counterfeit. Take your heart and soul and meaning in the Lord and your joy will ever be complete!

And the Lord

And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:18)
Worry. Anxiety. Fear. Timidity. This is the way of the old man. Yet we, as believers, have been created anew to a heavenly life and spirit both bold and courageous. No longer need we fear at all, for in the Lord we have become so much more than conquerors! If God is for us-and He most certainly is-there is nothing to stand victorious against us. So fear not, O you redeemed, but rejoice in the mighty arm of the Lord!

He will

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. (Psalm 145:19)
Fear the Lord and seek Him on His heavenly throne and you will be given the desires of your heart. So fervent is the believer's desire to see God and please Him that God is well pleased to fulfil this desire. These that seek God shall see Him! This is incredible! This is amazing! There is no reason that man in his shabby and sinful existence has any right to expect God to reveal Himself. Yet God has given His children surpassing desire to see Him and He in mercy will show Himself to His children! Glory!

For we are made

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:14)
Here we have an encouragement to keep on walking the walk. God will help us to persevere. He would never give us something that we cannot do through Him. As partakers of Christ, we have the privilege of having Christ's righteousness put on us. Then God sees Christ's righteousness instead of our sin. We are allowed this privilege if we persevere in the practice and proclamation of Christianity.

Peace I leave with you,

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)
What a breath of fresh air! As Christians, we have the privilege to partake of the beautiful peace through the love of our merciful God. Praise Him! Christ has conquered sin and death! Indeed, let not our hearts be troubled, but let us take joy in the glory of Christ.

O ye sons of men,

O ye sons of men, how long [will ye turn] my glory into shame? [how long] will ye love vanity, [and] seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. (Psalm 4:2-3)
Rejoice you poor in spirit! The Lord is ever your protector! The High King of Heaven cares for His people! Trust in His longing to do good for His children! He is faithful. He is good. He is loving. And in the end, even His children who suffer earthly poverty shall be blessed with all the riches the heavenly throne affords!

Who shall also confirm

Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8)
"How desirable is it to be confirmed and kept of Christ for such a purpose as this! How glorious are the hopes of such a privilege, whether for ourselves or others! To be kept by the power of Christ from the power of our own corruption and Satan's temptation, that we may appear without blame in the great day! O glorious expectation, especially when the faithfulness of God comes in to support our hopes!"

For the which

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)
Of course God is able-with the unsurpassed power of His mighty hand-to guard our souls for all eternity! No matter the storm that assails us, we need never fear our eternal destiny will be capsized in a sea of torment. How wonderful His lovingkindness! Let us not stand in shame of the Lord who bought us, but rather, rejoice in the wonder of His glorious Gospel!