The Badlands

Scripture:
Revelation 18:1-3(ESV)

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice,

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
    She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
For all nations have drunk
    the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
    and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

Devotional:

The first place that came to my mind after reading the first three verses was the “Badlands.”  The second was Dodge City.  Both are from our wild west days.  They were places were the outlaws and lawless lived.  I think of Wyatt Earp and the OK Corral in Tombstone Arizona.  I think of how a few men brought outlaws to justice throughout the old west.  The late eighteen hundreds was a time of change for the United States. 

I look at the major cities and I think about Washington DC.  How the corrupt and powerful fill the halls of our capital.  I think that we are becoming more and more like the Babylon described in Chapter eighteen.  Some people believe that we are somewhere in the middle of Revelations now.  That the end is here and now.  Sometimes I think they just might be right.  That Washington DC is another Babylon.  I don’t know if we are living through Revelation now.  I don’t know when it will come to pass. 

One thing I know is that I can look around and see all the good still in the world.  I hear about the millions of people coming to know Christ.  As bad as it might be, or get, I believe that we must continue to change the world.  That people out there need Jesus and it is up to us to help them make the connection.  Even if we live in a place as bad as Dodge City or Tombstone, or even a worse place, we have to keep reaching out. 

Remember one simple fact.  In the end you only have two choices.  The catch is that you have to choose before you get to the other side.  In this case you really don’t want the choice made for you.  We get only two choices.  One choice is hell, no thank you.  The other choice is Heaven, yes please.  What does it take to make that choice?  Jesus is all it takes.  Is He in your heart?  Is He your savior?  What about your family members?  What about your friends?  OK now the hard question, what about your enemies?