This morning on international television millions watched as the main statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled by Iraqi citizens and the U.S. military. Symbolically, the new Babylon has fallen.

The war, of course, is far from over and U.S. and Iraqi lives are still in peril. But, not only were some of the armchair retired generals wrong about the outcome of this war, so were many of the doom-and-gloom prophets who repeatedly warned us that is was not God's will that we invade Iraq.

That being said, let us divert our attention from the physical and take a look at the spiritual.

Yes, it was a spiritual battle and the war is far, far from over. But what we must consider it is now incumbent for the Church to remove the dictatorship of Babylon from its own midst. If an insect or a bacteria invades a field of wheat healing must come to each stalk of wheat. There are various methods of applying healing, but it is not the field that is healed, it is each individual stalk. When all are healed, the field is healed.

In this sense, we must all rid ourselves of the Babylon that is in each and every one of us. You will have noticed from your studies that it was the Beast who empowered the False Prophet to prophesy. At one time or another most of us have prophesied from the flesh. But this should happen only in our learning stages of becoming a prophetic voice and we must grow beyond this seduction. The Whore of Babylon is the Antithesis of the Bride of Christ. The Whore of Babylon markets every resource within her control.

When we promote and market our gifts we are partaking of her cup. The Whore of Babylon wants total control over people. She is not willing to give up her "ease". She produces "barrenness" in those under her. They bear no spiritual fruit. She pursues not only the two spies hiding under the flax, but the two witnesses who would prophesy of the coming of our Lord and the fine linen prepared for the end-time Saints.

Fear of man, the vain desire for acceptance, approval and power and the greed and lusts of the flesh are the Babylon of our flesh. Many of those who prophesied gloom and doom concerning this war were speaking from a spirit of fear, one of the many frogs leaping from the mouth of the Dragon, Beast, and False Prophet. I am not saying that the U.S. military is the answer to all world problems, but the Church militant and triumphant is!

Just as there are Americans who hate America there are Christians who hate the overcoming Bride!

Too many false prophecies have been broadcast recently -- yea, even for decades -- concerning world events. There are too many armchair generals being paid for their commentaries.

Let God be true and every man a liar. Let us all inspect ourselves for the "Fedayeen" within ourselves and may cleansing spread through the entire field of harvest one stalk at a time until our own fields are "white" with harvest. And with His purity.

That, as you can guess, will also require time on the threshing floor.

John

John L. and Debra Moore

Miles City, Montana