Isaiah 13 - Godly Living in Spiritual Babylon

To give you a little bit of a heads up, I want the sermon—I plan the sermon to be actually be two sections, two major sections to the sermon. We will be going to Isaiah chapter 13 and resuming our study of Isaiah. We'll just be looking at the one chapter, more or less, in a survey mode, talking about the fall of Babylon. After that, we want to take a look at what it's like for us to be living in spiritual Babylon today. Brethren, I am deeply concerned about what's taking place in our country, and I am also very deeply concerned about reports I'm hearing about what's happening with some of our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Two weeks ago, I gave a message where I talked about Satan's tactic of misdirection. Today, we're going to talk about another one of his tactics we don't think of very often, and that is the tactic of social programming. That will be the second portion of the sermon today.

Let's get into Isaiah chapter 13. There's some background information I would like to extend to you. In Isaiah 13, we see that God's judgment falls upon Babylon. God's judgment falls upon Babylon because of her sins, because of her rejection of the true God. Certainly, if that could happen to a great empire like Babylon, it can happen to you and I if we're not careful.

If we don't repent of our sins, if we don't stay the course properly, then we can also find ourselves in a very difficult set of circumstances before our great God. Now, I may mention that in the second half of the sermon today, we'll be talking about social programming. What is social programming? Well, a very succinct definition of social programming is this. The process by which the ideas, concepts, and belief of the society in which we live are ingrained into our psyche.

The process is usually by authoritative decree or by assimilation.

Now, Satan used this tactic very thoroughly, very carefully, very effectively in many of the world's kingdoms in times gone by. Certainly, it was true in the case of Babylon. With the Babylonians, when they conquered a people, they wanted the national identity of the people they conquered to be erased.

And so, they would take people, whole people, whole groups of people's nations, great portions of those nations, and transplant them to other parts of the of the empire. They wanted to break them up. And the hope was that the person would become so attached to Babylon, and Babylonian culture, they would lose their original national identity and be attached to Babylon.

Satan very much wants that for you and me. He wants us to forget at times that we have a homeland that is the kingdom of God. He wants us to forget who and what we are, what our names represent, that we are the children of God, that we are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. He wants us to forget those names, and he wants us to be thinking about what's happening in society.

And how we need to change society. But we're talking, we'll talk more about that in the second half of the sermon. This will be very similar in some ways with new material, though, very similar to what we talked about a couple of weeks ago. A little bit of historical background, I think, would also be in order as we break into Isaiah chapter 13. The Assyrians sacked Babylon in 689 BC.

Some see the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 13 as a reference to this point in time. However, in verse 17, we see the Medes, not the Assyrians, as one conquering Babylon. This didn't happen until much later on. The Babylonians eventually conquered the Assyrians, overthrowing the Assyrian capital of Nineveh in 612 BC. The Neo-Babylonian Empire ruled the Middle East until it was defeated by the Medes and Persians in 539 BC. This was the fall of ancient Babylon.

The prophecy that we see in Isaiah chapter 13 anticipates that event. So what we're seeing here is something that is dual. We understand that prophecy is dual. There is a first fulfillment and a second fulfillment. In some cases, there are three fulfillments, such as the Abomination of Desolation. But we're going to take a look at the historical fall of Babylon.

We're going to see the prophetic fall of Babylon in the future. Then, as I said in the second portion of the sermon, we're going to talk about how do you and I as Christians, what are some spiritual keys for us as Christians living in spiritual Babylon?

There are only two keys I want to give to you today. That's going to be later on. But let's just jump now into Isaiah chapter 13 verse 1. Isaiah chapter 13 verse 1.

The burden against Babylon, which Isaiah the prophet Amos saw.

When we're looking at this idea of a burden, we're looking at something that's in the idea, the concept here is something that is so drastic, so heavily laden on the prophet, that he simply must deliver the message. It's a burden. Of course, it's a burden because we're looking at a whole group of people who are going to be facing some very severe testing.

The destruction of Babylon depicted in Isaiah 13 is a picture of God's final judgment that's coming not only has come in the past, but is coming in the future to modern Babylon. Now, let's take a look at that as we drop down from verse 1 to verse 6. Isaiah chapter 13 verse 6.

Whale, for the day of the Lord is at hand, it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

We drop down to verse 9. Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel with both wrath and fierce anger. Delay the land desolate, and he will destroy its sinners from it. So notice, again, as we talked about and we'll continue to talk about, we see the fall of ancient Babylon in chapter 13, but verses 6 and 9 talk about a future time. Notice in verse 6 and verse 9, the day of the Lord. And prophetically, we've taught that the day of the Lord is the last year before the return of Jesus Christ. So here we're looking at something prophetic in nature.

This chapter is heavily concerned with the day of the Lord, a time that is yet future, which immediately precedes the return of Jesus Christ. Now, looking at the same material, let's take a look at Isaiah chapter 14. We're just going to look at two verses here, Isaiah chapter 14 verses 1 and 2. Excuse me. Isaiah chapter 14 verse 1, For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel and settle him in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. Then the people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord.

They will take them captive, whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors. Now, what is chapter 14 verse 1 and 2 talking about? Well, the return of God's people to the Promised Land was not fulfilled when the Jews came from Babylon captivity at the time of Ezra. Only maybe about 50,000 had returned. A few more or later, perhaps only 15% or so of the Jews that were taken captive. But in Isaiah chapter 14 verses 1 and 2 says, the house of Jacob refers to the house of Jacob, refers to Israel, meaning all 12 tribes, not just Judah.

In the return from the Babylonian exile, the Jews did not take their oppressors of slaves, as the prophecy says. What happened? So verses 1 and 2 as a prophecy yet to take place in our future. I'm not going to turn to any of this. There's just too much to look at at this point, but just as a reference, Revelation chapter 17 and 18 makes it very clear that while the destruction of historical Babylon is in view, Isaiah's prophecy at this point is referring primarily to end time Babylon, which is not merely a single city or province, but an economic, political, and religious power block.

You know, again, that's what we see in Revelation chapter 17 and chapter 18. This power block will seek to rule the entire world. The leading national force of this union is explained many times as we've gone through prophecy. It appears to be modern Assyria, and we've taken a look at who the modern Assyrians were in a prior study here in the book of Isaiah. But who is Babylon? Who are the Babylonians? You know, what was interesting as I was preparing this message, I turned to our United Church of God online commentary.

There's a couple of paragraphs I would like to share with you, and please note very carefully what is said here as to who the Babylonians were. Again, remember, in history, we know that the nations of Israel and Judah, the northern tribes, the southern tribes, were at different times taken into national captivity and transported away from their land.

This was not an uncommon occurrence in ancient history. But who were the Babylonians? Let's take a notice of what it says here in our online commentary, and I quote, in the years following the fall of Babylon, great numbers of the Babylonians were taken to Rome as slaves.

Amazingly, in the centuries just before and just after Christ, a massive change happened in the Roman population. Through wars and other social economic factors, Italy's native population dwindled. Many of the local free-born citizens who were left migrated to other parts of Rome's growing empire. At that time, Rome brought in vast numbers of slaves, mostly from Syria.

First century Roman satirist Juvenile wrote of them, these dregs call themselves Greeks, but how small a portion is from Greece? The river Arantes in Syria has long flowed into the Tiber in Rome. Over time, it became popular to free slaves in Rome, and thousands upon thousands of free slaves were skilled at various trades, displaced even more of the free-born citizenry. So, as incredible as it may seem, Italy eventually became almost entirely Syrian. In actuality, Babylonian and Phoenician. The center of modern Babylon is still Rome, so when God identifies Rome and its empire as Babylon in Revelation chapter 17 and 18, he means what he says.

Eventually, we will see modern Babylon and modern Assyria fused together into the same power as indeed was already happened in times past such as both Hitler and Mussolini. The same time power will conquer all the modern day Israelites nations and deport them and their remaining populations. So, now we see a little more clearly when we talk about Babylon and prophecy, and we talk about modern Babylon, we talk about what's happening in Europe, we've got a little more clarity of thought as to who these peoples are.

Let's go back to Isaiah chapter 13. Isaiah chapter 13 verse 17. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them who will not regard silver, and as for gold they will not delight in it. So, here we see a reference to the Medes coming against Babylon, and this may have been an end-time fulfillment as well. Not just, you know, the historical fulfillment, but the end-time fulfillment, because we take a look now at Revelation chapter 16, and I'll read this for you, Revelation chapter 16 verse 12.

Then the six angels poured out his bowl in the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

So, again, here we see another situation of what is occurring in the end time with Babylon. Lastly, let's take a look at Isaiah chapter 13 toward the end of the chapter here, verses 19 through 22. Isaiah chapter 13 verses 19 through 22.

In Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldean's pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited, nor will it be settled from generation to generation, nor will the Arabian pinches tense there, nor will the shepherds make their sheep-holes there. But the wild beasts of the deserts will lie there, and their houses will be full of owls, and ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will keep her there. Ahenas will hollow into citadels, and jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, her days will not be prolonged. So here we see Babylon being destroyed and abandoned, apparently referring to its end-time capital of Rome. So here we see in Babylon its fall, its ancient fall, in its end-time prophetic fall. Now, brethren, I know that you are very much aware that we are living in spiritual Babylon today. How do you and I—this is now the second portion of the sermon—how do you and I as Christians live successfully in spiritual Babylon? Does the Bible have any instruction for us?

Any succinct information we can hold on to in our fight to be close to God in spiritual Babylon?

Well, we've got an example. We've got a very fine example. We've got the example of the man Daniel.

Daniel lived in Babylon. Daniel was one of the most righteous men who ever lived.

What did he do? What were the keys that made him so successful in his living, not only in physical Babylon, but in spiritual Babylon? Let's take a look at that today. Brethren, why am I touching on this? Why then, two weeks ago, I talked about Satan's tactic of misdirection, and today I'm going to talk about his tactic of social programming. It's because I, as your pastor, am concerned about what I see in the church. I am concerned about what I hear from other pastors around the country and what they see happening and what they see. You look at the news today and you see very disturbing things on TV. Very disturbing. There is a mind at work. This mind has been at work as long as there's been a man and woman on this planet. But today we see things happening that we've not seen in our lifetimes for the most part. Maybe if you were older and you lived during the Second World War, you saw Satan with his great fury.

But we're seeing things today that we've not seen before. There is a power behind this, and this power doesn't want to just upset our community, our United States of America. This power wants to upset the entirety of the world, and certainly this power wants to upset you as a member of God's church. So why am I touching on this? Because I am concerned, because I see some of our people beginning to edge toward this thinking, and it deeply concerns me.

Now, again, what is social programming? It's the process by which the ideas, concepts, and beliefs of the society in which we live are ingrained into our psyche. The process is usually by authoritative decree or by assimilation. Brethren, are there things happening in our society today that we are falling victim to? That we're saying, yeah, we need to really rise up and do something about this. We need social change. We need social justice. Talk more about that in a moment. One pastor wrote this to the elders on our elders forum. Among some in the church of God today is the casual acceptance of progressive liberal thought. Our educational systems in the United States have sanitized man's philosophies to make them palatable. Are we falling victim to that? Are we falling victim? I'm not just talking about members here.

Are some of our leaders falling victim to this as well?

Time for us to wake up, brethren. Time for us to wake up.

You know, last time we were together, I spoke with you last time. We talked about false gospels, people coming to you with a way of life that they feel that they want to export to you.

We talked about the principles of the world. I quoted to you Colossians chapter 2 and verse 8. Let me quote that for you again. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 8.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

There's a lot of that out there. A lot of that out there. So what are two very—I probably gave any number of sermons on this topic—but just to get going, what are two basic spiritual keys for godly living in spiritual Babylon? Two keys we see in the life of Daniel, who lived in Babylon, and who lived very successfully as a man of God, who had an excellent spirit in Babylon. Key number one, don't give place to the devil, not even an inch.

Don't give place to the devil, not even an inch. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 27.

Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 27.

Ephesians 4 and verse 27 says, nor give place to the devil. We don't want to do that. And this is where the misdirection comes in from what I was talking about two weeks ago. We can hear things that sound so good to our ears as Christians, but what do they mean when they're coming out of the mouth of somebody who's not a converted person? Warn that a little bit. You know, I received a number of comments when I spoke last time about the message about misdirection. One person who's not in the Ann Arbor or Beloit congregation, one person from another state wrote me and said this, and I quote, recently I've seen messages on Facebook supporting certain causes.

I'm sure they have not researched the background of these causes. Some of these people are leaders in the church, disheartening for sure. They don't know what they are doing.

This was not a lone case of this individual writing to me.

I've heard this from others. You perhaps have heard this from others.

Now, let's take a step back a little bit. We're talking about Daniel the man. Let's go back and put ourselves in his shoes. Let's go back to the context of his life and understand what he was facing. Daniel was a young man. He was a young adult. And frankly, one of the areas, one of the groups of people I'm most concerned with in the church is our young adults. Because here is where I hear most of the questions. What is the church doing? Why is the church so hard on this? Why is the church so this on that? Who was Herbert Armstrong? Why should we give him any credibility?

Brother, you begin attacking a man that God used powerfully. Then you attack his credibility.

Then you attack his teachings. And you really drink the Kool-Aid. Let us be careful.

Let us remember one of the greatest things Mr. Herbert Armstrong ever taught us, and that is let's blow the dust off our Bible and live by every word of God. You know, I went to Ambassador College 1970 through 1974, and I went into the Hall of Administration, and at the Hall of Administration, Ambassador Hall, which is actually where I was baptized, there was a pool in that building. But in one entrance, as you walked in the door, it wasn't a main entrance, it was a side entrance, but there was a, and you've seen pictures of this, and I think in our publications over the years, the word of God is the foundation of knowledge. The word of God is the foundation of knowledge. We want to remember that. We don't want to take our cues from society. We want to take our cue from Scripture, from the Bible. So Daniel was a young man, perhaps as young as 15, perhaps as old as 20. Older teen, perhaps, young adult.

He was ripped away from his family in all that he knew growing up.

You know, it's interesting, my wife works with an individual, and this family, his mom and dad, and one child, child is now grown and out of the house, but the family is very conservative, very conservative. But this family, this conservative family, you know, their child went through public education, went to university, and now this child, the parents can't believe some of the things that comes out of this child's mouth. They have been socially programmed to be so liberal. The parents can't hardly understand what, you know, is this our kid? After all, we taught this beautiful person. This is what they now believe. Social programming in action.

So Daniel was ripped away from his family all they knew growing up. His country had been conquered. Thousands of us countrymen have been murdered. Others have been towed away to be deported to Babylon. When it came to Babylon, the social programming began in earnest. Some people would call it brainwashing. He knew what his name was. You know, his name, you know, the last two letters of his name, El, Danny El, referred to God. Well, they changed his name to be a name that was in honor of one of their gods. And of course, they began a re-educational program. They wanted him to understand—well, let's just go there. Let's go to Daniel chapter 1, verses 3 through 5.

Daniel chapter 1, verses 3 through 5.

Interesting as you're turning to Daniel chapter 1, they changed. Now, he knew who he was, but they gave him a Babylonian name. We talked about last time about our putting our name behind certain clauses. You know, our family name that we should cherish and guard, but also the fact that we are sons and daughters of God. We carry the God name, the fact that we are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. We are Christ's brothers and sisters. And what did Paul say? Let any one of us who named the name of Christ depart from sin. Daniel chapter 1, verse 3. Then the king instructed Ashkenaz, the master of the eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles. So here we see some of the background where, you know, like Daniel came out of. Young men, in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, but who had the ability to serve the king's palace, whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldean. Let's program these people.

And the king approached, appointed for them a daily provision for the king's delicacies and the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so at the end of that time they might serve before the king.

Well, Satan very much, brethren, wants to train us. He wants to use society to do that. We'll talk more in depth as we go along. But Daniel hung tough. He hung tough. Verse 8, Daniel chapter 1, verse 8. But Daniel purposed in his heart, he wasn't going to give place to the devil, not an inch. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with a portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore, he requested the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now, you might say, well, Mr. De'llsandro, we understand that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink. We've got that in Romans chapter 14, verse 17. It could have been viewed as a minor thing, but again, there's a principle here.

Yes, it's meat and drink for Daniel, but for him it was something more than that. You know, it's what often said that in our church culture, one of the things that we do, that we're the best at doing, and we break the lease often in terms of breaking a law or whatever, is our keeping the laws regarding clean and unclean. We find Leviticus 11 and do it around 14. We're very good at that. Even sometimes when people leave the church, they still keep those laws.

They see the value of it. It's pragmatic. It's not just that God says. Of course, it's important that God says God tells us how we are to live. He built us. He designed us. He knows the kind of fuel that should go into this physical machine, and what kind of fuel shouldn't go into the machine. So, He tells us what to eat. We're so good at that, that even people, when they leave the church, still do that. But there's more here. There's a profound principle here, and the principle was, Daniel wasn't going to give an inch when it came to obeying God.

Yes, they can try to erase his national identity. Yes, they can give him another name. But when it came to him obeying the true God, he was going to do just that. He was going to obey the true God. He wasn't going to allow himself to be programmed in that way. Now, as I was preparing the message, I ran across an article that I thought was really quite interesting. It deals with social media. There's an executive here who once was the first president of Facebook. Before I get into the quotes, I want to make sure, full disclosure, I don't do Facebook. I don't have any desire to do Facebook. My wife does. Facebook is not an evil that we need to all of us rip out of our conscience.

Facebook could be a wonderful tool, or it could be a tool that hurts us. It's like any tool.

You can take a hammer and use it to build something beautiful, or you can take a hammer and use it as a weapon to hurt somebody.

Facebook is kind of neutral in my mind, but it's interesting to see from the person's perspective who was quoted in this article what they thought about how some of the negatives of social media. The article, and you can research this yourself. There wasn't a name associated with this or even a date, but the article was entitled, Research Shows Social Media Could Be Programming Society for Failure.

Research shows social media could be programming society for failure.

Now, the quote I have here will run maybe about a page of type text, so please bear with me as I read this. But think about as I'm going through this reading this, where you personally stand with social media and how you are allowing it to work in your life, whether it be for good or maybe not so good. Quote, past Facebook executives like Sean Parker, the company's first president and founder of Napster, came out recently to express their regrets over having been a part of what they consider a mass detrimental programming of society. The growth of social media has provided a platform of making connections, finding information, achieving a global voice, but has also created a narcissistic and addictive culture driven by digital notifications, comparisons, approval, and affirmation.

Add to that the anonymity that enables users to launch ignorant political tirades, cyber bullying, and bashing of complete strangers, and you've got a recipe for social disaster. Social media is creating generations of individuals, fully connected, yet essentially isolated and unable to separate what they see on the screen from reality, and it's taking a toll on our mental, psychological, and social well-being. Continue the quote. Seeing comments like this makes people—seeing comments and likes, quote unquote, likes that you see on Facebook—makes people happy. It releases a surge of dopamine into the brain, making people feel better about themselves through affirmation from others, and yet that satisfaction is only skin deep. A Royal Society of Public Health Survey found that the top social media sites induce feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and self-loathing in users who viewed the online world as the standard, and found themselves lacking. Yet, despite the decreased happiness and life-satisfaction of Facebook users, they continue to return time and again for another hormone rush, because it's addicting. According to Parker—again, he's the first president of Facebook—Facebook was built on the notion of how to consume people's time and conscious attention. He said that he, like others behind social networking, understood the vulnerability in human psychology that would attract people to social media again and again, and then exploited in a way by creating a social validation feedback loop in the brain. The result, like Pavlaw's dog, when we see a notification, the dopamine comes in. We're happy and feel affirmed by the world. In the process, we're being programmed. Return to the screen for social approval and lose ourselves in it. End quote. So, once again, brother, Facebook is—it's—and from my point of view, it's neutral—but look what it can do to you if you're not on your A-game, if you're not fully grounded, if you're kind of one of those Christians who you've baptized and you attend on a semi-regular basis and you pray once in a while and you fast once in a while and you read the Bible once in a while, you've got to drift things through life. You might get caught up in this. Be aware, brethren. What does it say in Ephesians chapter 2? Let's turn there. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 2. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 2. Ephesians 2, too, in which you once walked according to the course of this world. That's where he came out of, most of us, or a good number of us.

According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.

Yes, Satan is broadcasting 24-7-365, and if you're not on your A-game, then you can fall victim. You don't want to be there. You don't want to fall victim to Satan.

What did the one lady say that wrote to me? Recently, I've seen messages on Facebook supporting local causes, or certain causes. I'm sure they have not researched the background of these causes. Some of these people are leaders in a church, disheartening for sure. They don't know what they're doing. You know, brethren, as I may mention a moment ago, putting social programming aside for a moment, going back to the idea of misdirection.

We are vulnerable when people talk about social justice. We want justice. We want equity. As Americans—forget the church for a moment—but as Americans, we want fair play. So, when you and I think of justice—and here's where the misdirection can come in—when you and I think of justice, what do we default to? We default to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. We default to the Ten Commandments. We default to the Golden Rule. But what is the world when people talk about the world who are not converted? When they talk about social justice, what are they anchored to? What are they tethered to? We look to the Bible. Talking about the power of social programming and misdirection, talking about the power, looking back at history, as the Christian would look to the Bible. There was a generation of people in the late 1920s, 1930s Germany, didn't look to the Bible, looked to Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler.

That was his idea of social justice. And we saw the camps throughout Europe for the extermination of what he considered undesirable people like the Jews and the Gypsies. To him, that was social justice. We don't want to get behind people like that. Now you say, Mr. Del Sandra, that's extreme. Yes, it is extreme, but it shows the power of Satan to take a whole country and help plunge the whole world into war. You got the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the Communist Manifesto. Ever read that? I read that probably 50 years ago when I was in high school, back in the 1960s. Not a good read. The Communist Manifesto, not the Scriptures, Marx and Engels. Here's social justice. Here's how we should order our society. Here's what's good. Really? Think of the wars that have been fought, the countless thousands of lives that have been lost. Vietnam, Korea, other wars, because of that philosophy, because of that indoctrination.

Brother, let's not forget these scriptures. Let's turn to Proverbs 14 and verse 12.

Proverbs 14 and verse 12. When we're thinking about getting behind a cause, you and I have been called to the greatest cause this earth has ever seen. We don't need to get behind any other causes. Proverbs 14 and verse 12. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 3 and 5 through 7. Proverbs 3 and 5 through 7.

Trust in the Lord, not human beings. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

Some of the greatest advice the world has ever seen. Let us now turn our attention to a lengthy section of Scripture here in Isaiah chapter 59.

Isaiah chapter 59. And boy, does this set of verses here in Isaiah 59 is really defined what we're seeing in our society today. Isaiah chapter 59 verse 2. Isaiah 59 verse 2. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden his face to me, so he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity, your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has moderate perversity.

Are we hearing any of that on the evening news? No one calls for justice. Not God's justice. Not true justice. No one calls for justice, nor does any plea for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies. They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. They hatch viper's eggs and weave spider's web. He who eats of their eggs dies. And from that which is crushed, a viper breaks out. Their webs will not become garments, nor will they cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. It's hard to watch news anymore.

You know, for the last number of years, it's been so discouraging. And now, when you see what's happening to our great nation, and you love your country and I love our country, but when we see what's taking place, we almost ask ourselves, where am I living?

Verse 7, Their feet run to evil. They make haste to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Waste and destruction are in their paths. You know, we all saw with horror. The gentleman that was killed was murdered with a policeman's knee on his neck as he was gasping for air, saying he couldn't breathe. We were horrified at what we saw, and rightfully so. But, brethren, after that point, how many deaths have there been?

How many deaths have come as a result? People say, we want justice, and more people have died. Innocent people have died. People's lives and livelihoods have been ruined. People who worked all their life for perhaps a business, horrible looting, businesses burned to the ground. People in tears talking to the people who were destroying and the looters saying, why are you doing this? I'm your neighbor. Yes, their feet are swift to run to evil.

Verse 8, The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways. They have made for themselves crooked paths, and whoever takes that way shall not know peace. We don't want to put our name behind these causes. They don't know peace. They don't know God. They don't know the things of God. Therefore, justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us. We look for a light, but there is darkness. For brightness, but we walk in blackness. Now, I'm going to be a little personal here. I've been making mention about going to various sites and looking up some of these organizations and their causes. Well, I did that. I've done been doing that. And it's last week I took a look at one particular cause that's been getting a tremendous amount of airtime, a tremendous amount of ink in our media. And on their website, there's a section called News. And under News, it says, the title, Now We Transform. I quote, our fight for liberty, justice, and freedom continues. Together, we can and will transform. This is the revolution. Change is coming.

Funny, but it seems to me that God says in his word that he's the one who transforms. He's the one who transforms. Let us not forget about what it says when we've read in Proverbs, chapter 14. There's a way that seems right to a man, but it's the way of death. Let's not forget what we read there in Proverbs, chapter 3. We must trust in the Lord, not lean to our understanding. What do we as human beings, apart from God, what can we transform anything into? It's about any value. Absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. Under one of the 10, that same website, looking at one of their beliefs, you know, we've got a statement of beliefs for United Church of God. This particular group has got their statement of what they believe. And under one of the things, I'll just quote one of them here, and I'll quote, We disrupt the Western prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended family and villages that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable. We disrupt the Western model of the nuclear family.

Dad may not be necessary, Mom may not be necessary, but we've got a village.

Is that what God says? What does this go against? This goes against the very, one of the very purposes we are on this earth.

We are to be people who learn to be Christians, sons and daughters of God. We will be spirit beings with a father, with mother, the church. And yet, here's a group says, we disrupt all that.

We know what's best. Oh, really? That's best? I don't want to get by on a group like that. Let's move on. I've quoted this particular scripture again and again, but I want to do it again.

John 10, verse 10. John 10, verse 10.

And think about it in terms of what we're seeing in the news this very week, for the last little while. John 10, 10. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. See any destruction on TV lately? You know, and brethren, the sad thing about it is, what's the 80, 90 percent of Americans don't hold to the values of these people that are doing what you see happening. You know, the toppling of statues, the the denigration of various peoples.

And yet, there are those who say, well, you know, we need to take action. We need to get somebody in office, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Oh, really? So what's your local congressman doing about all this? How about your United States senator? What's he doing about it? What is our president doing? Our president says, well, I'll get out the National Guard. Is that the nation we want to live in?

Where we've got to have guards around statues of Abraham Lincoln, of all people.

George Washington, yeah, let's guard them. Let's put, you know, barriers and razor wire.

Is that what this nation has come to? Do we want to be behind causes that want to be doing these sorts of things? Quoting from the Fox News website, and I quote, city officials announced their plans to remove the statue of Teddy Roosevelt from the outside of New York's New York's Museum of Natural History. The bronze statue has stood there and the Theodore Roosevelt retentive facing Central Park since before the Second World War. Soon it will be gone. You don't get any better American than Theodore Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt. And yet, yeah, he's got to go. Really? This is what mankind has come to in this country for too many with social justice. And it is a minority. I know that. It's a small minority.

But the majority doesn't seem to have the wherewithal, the guts, or whatever you want to call to do something about it. Write your congressman, your senator, what for? What are they doing?

Quote, again from Fox News website, Boston's mayor announces it's time to remove a statue of Abraham Lincoln. He's got to go. In Oregon, another quote, again, same source, Fox News website, in Oregon, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were torn down.

In San Francisco, the mob demolished the statues of Ulysses S. Grant and Francis Scott Key.

The sad truth, brethren, is this is a tiny amount of Americans.

But the rest of us were kind of standing around.

But my question for any who want to say, well, I just need to get out there and carry a sign or march, or we want to repair this society. Is that what we want to do? We want to do it man's way? We want to repair it, yes, but we want to do it God's way. We don't want to do it man's way.

As these people are toppling our national heroes, and I know there's a debate about some of these individuals and where they stood with this issue or that issue. I understand that. I'm not ignorant of that. But some of these men have been just great Americans.

If they topple our national heroes, and we stand and do nothing, and there's something we need to be doing. We'll talk about that in a moment. We stand and do nothing, then pretty soon, and it's already taking place, they're going to tell you what you can teach your kids, and what's going to be taught your kids in school. Now, as those of you who've got your children in public school, you will know what's going on there. It's very disheartening, and that's been taking place for some time now. It doesn't nothing new. This has to come to an end. But it doesn't come to an end by writing your congressman or your United States senator or who you're going to vote for for president. That's not how this comes to an end. Yes, we need to take action.

For the right kind of action. Talk about that in a couple moments.

Brethren, you have been called not to walk on a picket line, not to walk on a picket line, not to stand behind some cause of men.

Well-intentioned, though some of them may be, some not so well-intentioned.

We've been called to proclaim to the world the return of Jesus Christ.

That he and his saints are going to take control of this planet and run things God's way. Not man's, God's way. We are proclaiming to the world the good news of God's kingdom, not a restored America or not an America in somebody else's eyes that's been rebuilt.

You know, one man who apparently has some weight in this particular movement says, we are going to destroy this nation, we are going to burn this nation to the ground, and then rebuild. Well, let me tell you something. Has he thought that maybe if he brings this country to its knees and burns it to the ground, some other nation might just come and take over? Have they thought about that? We are proclaiming a time of true social change and justice, God's way. We don't need to be following the dictates of man. You know, every year during the Holy Days, Peter Eddington sends out a little email saying, here's what we've been accomplishing to this point as a church. To this point, it's just since 2002, we've sent out almost eight million pieces of literature, not hate-filled literature, literature that shows how to live a godly life, literature that shows how to live the way God would have us live, literature that would bring blessings to all who read it. How many people do you think the Apostle Paul or Peter ever contacted in their lives? It wasn't millions. It may have been thousands, maybe a few thousand, maybe. But we've got eight million pieces of literature we've sent out since 2002. We've had nearly nine million pieces of incoming mail since 1999.

And I can just, you know, go through all these figures and lose you in figures. But currently, and I asked Peter this last week as I was preparing my message, I said, Peter, where is our webcast right now? You know, we've had 75 million unique visitors to our website. Unique visitors, you know, if you come to it a second time, you're still considered one visitor. So we've had 75, almost 76 million people come to our website as we proclaim the truth of God. Our website, the U.S. website, our website, the ucg.org, now currently ranks 12th, number 12, in the world of Christian webcasting. You know, we're behind the catholic.net. We're behind the Adventists. We're behind the Mormons. They have larger sites than us. But in terms of in Christendom, our site once was in the top 10. Now we're number 12. We are doing a tremendous work. So brethren, if we want to get behind something, let us get behind the work God has called us to do. Let us remember that first key that I may mention, and that first key is don't give place to the devil, not an inch.

Let's look at the second key. Before I give you that second key, let's ask, what do people protest? Protest is an American right. I value it when done properly. But what do people protest?

People protest because they want to make their voice heard. They want to have an impact. They want to have an influence. Perhaps they feel that, you know, as they protest, maybe even their act of physically showing up and doing something has a lasting effect.

And I agree. Let your voice be heard. Point number two. Let your voice be heard by Almighty God.

Let your voice be heard by Almighty God.

We don't need to stand with a sandwich sign at an intersection, or march, or do this or that. We can go to the source of power of the universe and be heard. It's more important that we're heard by God than we're heard by our local congressmen. It's more important that we're heard by God than heard by our state senator. Some people say, well, Mr. Del Sandra, why can't we do both? What's standing behind your congressman? What's it doing for you lately? I wasn't really serving you lately.

Now, we were talking about Daniel living in Babylon, and what were two keys—and there were more than two—but what were two keys I wanted to share with you as to what he did to be a successful man of God in Babylon. Daniel was a man of prayer. Daniel let his voice be heard by Almighty God. In chapter one, we see where there's this very first test of faith about what he's going to eat or not eat. It doesn't say he went to God, but we're going to see later on. We know he did. He was a man of prayer. He was blessed for his actions. In chapter two, they started, you know, Nebuchadnezzar was wanting to know what his dream was and telling me what the dream was and what the interpretation was. When people couldn't understand, they started losing their lives.

Then Daniel prayed to God. God gave him the answer—literally a life-saving answer, not just for Daniel, but for the other false prophets who hadn't been executed yet. God answered Daniel's prayer. In chapter three, you see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in their amazing deliverance because of answered prayer. In chapter five of Daniel, you see the handwriting on the wall incident and Daniel being given insight because he was a man of prayer. Let us turn to Daniel 6.

You know, Daniel the lion's dead incident. Let's just look at one particular Scripture here.

Daniel 6, verse 10.

Daniel 6, verse 10.

This is where they told him that if you pray to any other being other than the king, you're going to die. Daniel 6, verse 10. When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home and in his upper room with the windows open toward Jerusalem, he didn't care who saw him pray. Let the spies see him pray. With his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before God, as was his custom since the early days.

He was a man of God. He wanted his voice heard by Almighty God.

Let's take a note now of Exodus chapter 15. I'll be keeping here a little bit after three o'clock. Not much. Exodus chapter 15. Here we see what is thought to be the first song in the Bible.

The nation of Israel had come through the Red Sea, and you've got what is known as the Song of Moses. The Song of Moses.

When we pray, we go to Almighty God. He is better than the president, better than a senator, better than a congressman, better than the police chief, mayor, whatever dignitary you want to talk about. We go to God. Let's drop down in chapter 15 of Exodus to verse 6. Exodus chapter 15 verse 6.

Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power. Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces. This phrase here, the right hand, glorious in power, was a way of describing God's active and powerful presence among his people. God was not a ways away. God wasn't some god a far off. He got down there. He came to his people. He acted among them. He was there with them.

He opened the Red Sea. His people came through on dry ground.

And as the enemy forces fell in behind, because there were those walls of water, you know, an enemy likes to surround the prey and annihilate it. Because God had those walls of water, they couldn't go around the Israelites.

When the Israelites were through the danger zone, God collapsed those walls.

Every one, note, every one of those enemy soldiers died. God took care of a nation.

He can take care of you and I. That's Exodus chapter 15 verse 7.

And in the greatness of your excellence you have overthrown those who rose against you.

You sent forth your wrath and consumed them like stubble.

Well, there's an important principle here, brethren. Notice here in verse 7, Exodus 15 verse 7, says, in the greatness of your excellence you have overthrown those who rose, notice, against you.

When you go against one of God's people, you are going against God.

He's our Father. He protects his kids. You know what it is for you as a father, you as a mother, you as grandparents. You don't mess with our kids. You mess with our kids, you better come to us, or we'll go to you. The same thing is true with God.

Pharaoh and his army were said to have risen up against God, not Israel. So that's power we can rely upon. God is no respecter of persons. He loves you as a son. He loves you as a daughter.

Exodus chapter 15 verse 8, And with the blast of your nostrils, the waters were gathered together, the floods stood up like a heap, the depths congealed in the heart of the sea.

God didn't work up any sweat in doing all this. The blast of his nostrils.

You talk about tremendous power at our disposal. He's our Father. We're his kids. He loves us. He answers our prayers. He stands with us and beside us.

Verse 9, The enemy said, I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword. My hand shall destroy them. Notice the vanity of man and the way of man's thinking compared to God. Verse 10, You blew with the wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Yes, we don't want to follow man and their vanity. Men as they are being deceived by Satan.

Men as they are being led by their carnal human nature. Verse 11 and 12, Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious and holy? Fearful and praises, doing wonders. You stretched out your right hand. The earth swallowed them.

The power of God is at our disposal, brethren. We don't need to stand behind some organization.

Now, as I said last week, are all organizations of the world bad? Of course not. I hopefully made that clear last time I spoke. There are some organizations in the world who do wonderful works.

And as they follow God, as they follow godly principles, we're very supportive. And if you want to stand behind that kind of a thing, that's one thing. But some of these other causes? No.

No. That's why the lady wrote. Even some of our leaders don't know what they're doing.

Well, let it not be said of you, let it not be said of me. Brethren, today we've taken a look at Isaiah chapter 13. We've seen the fall of ancient Babylon. We know that prophetic Babylon is going to be falling. But we're living in Babylon. We're living in Babylon. Satan is roaring about like a lion seeking whom he may devour. He doesn't have to devour you or I. He doesn't have to devour you or me. Excuse me. But we can let him if we're not careful. We've taken a look at two tremendous spiritual keys for God the living and spiritual Babylon. Number one, don't give place to the devil, not an inch. And number two, let your voice be heard by Almighty God. Brethren, let's do these things and let's overcome.