In this world, we are familiar with oppression. We see it every day and it happens to most people everyday. When will it all end? When can we be done with it? Emptiness, despair, depression, worry and anxiety are close friends to those who don’t walk with Jesus. These things even try to be friends with those who do walk with Him, however, we have the power through His Name to make Oppression Go Away.

There are two types of people; those who know Jesus and walk with Him and those who may or may not know of Him and do not walk with Him. Years ago Keith Green sang a song and in it he stated, “Just because you go to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger.” The scriptures are very clear on this matter. There is a choice to make. Just going to church and being part of the crowd or even helping doesn’t make you a Christian. You CANNOT become Christ-like unless you give your life to Christ and let Him change you to become like Him by His grace and through the power of Holy Spirit, period. There is no other way no matter what any one else says. No one else is accountable for your life, except you. At the end of our lives the Lord is not going to ask others about our walk with Him, He is going to ask us. It is our choices in this life that determine our place in eternity. We can’t blame it on our spouse, our parents, our pastors, or anyone else. We will stand alone, in front of Him on that day. How will we respond?

Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! Revelation 18:11-12 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more—cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.”

I like to go back to this verse and read it every now and then. Babylon The Great! The great city of oppression will be no more. This world system that is empowered by spiritual darkness will come down. Right now it is spinning out of control and it is oppressing people all over the world. The Lord warns us to come out of it. Don’t get all caught up in it. It will suck the life right out of us if we let it. Notice that some of the cargoes of the merchants is the bodies and souls of men. How is this so? People sell their souls to the system everyday usually for power, greed and riches. At the end of their lives they have nothing left.

I started writing this message yesterday and meditated on it overnight like I usually do and I awoke this morning not wanting to say the wrong thing or leave some stone unturned and then I realized this is impossible. My goal in writing is to encourage others and this happens to be me also when I go back and read them. If you find any encouragement, please take it and use it and pass it on to others if you can. If you are offended by anything I have said, please forgive me, it isn’t my intention. I am human also and I’ve made more than my share of mistakes and I am sure that there will be many more while I walk this earth in this frail flesh.

Oppression is a hard thing to get through alone. It is an outside force that seeks to destroy. If you are under its hold, ask someone you trust to pray for you. Use our contact form and let us know. Ask the Lord to help you through. You are not alone in this. If you are the cause of it, ask His forgiveness and those involved if possible. If you are not the cause of it, just hold on until you make it through. The Lord needs each of us to be where He wants us so that His plan will come to pass. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. Keep doing what you know to do. Keep your head up and your focus on Him. He won’t let you down. Enter His peace, love, rest, and protection. He is our Refuge in times of trouble. Oppression go away!

I pray that your life is blessed today and that you get filled with His anointing. May you be filled to overflowing with every blessing He has for you. May there be a sparkle in your eyes and a smile on your face as you realize that greater is He within you, than those who are in the world. It’s not for nothing, but for everything.

Joseph