The Love of God is the Great Separator

NOTE: This is the third of a series of blog posts dealing with the coming Apostasy and the End time Revival. 


When we left off last time, we  were looking at the first chapter of Romans and the power of the true gospel--the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Starting off with verse 18:

18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 
21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 
24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 
26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 
28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,   30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 
31. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 
32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.  

Bear in mind that this is a description of apostates as a warning to the Church at Rome (chapter 1 v. 7). The true gospel of Jesus Christ delivered with power is received through revelation by the Holy Spirit. Preachers cannot preach/teach heresy and still remain in close fellowship with the Holy Spirit. They are in fellowship-and have given themselves over-to another spirit that is not of God.


Another passage from the first chapter of Galatians:


 6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.  


The manifested Love of God is what separates the sheep from the goats. The love of many will grow cold because of lack of fellowship with God. The epistle of First John is about love, but it is also about separation and the doctrine that will draw the line between truth and error. Love is the great separator-those who seek truth will remain in the Love of God, and love of the World will cause separation from Him. It's that simple.


Here's something the Lord shared with me two weeks ago:


Souls Moving In Opposite Directions
There are souls moving in opposite directions. The devil's answer to the Great Harvest of souls - the Revival - is the Great Falling Away of believers. It will be a simultaneous move, this move of the devil. While the True Gospel is being preached with genuine signs and wonders, there will be false doctrine being preached by satan's ministers to draw away the sense-ruled. Only by discerning of spirits and daily fellowship with the Holy Spirit will believers be able to know the difference. 
True Revival will bring sinners into the Kingdom as it was with the early Church.
False doctrine will usher in the Great Falling Away which is designed to lead unsuspecting believers down the path to destruction.


Apostasy comes in two ways: falling away in relation to wrong teaching, or falling into a lifestyle  of sin using Grace as a license to continue in that lifestyle. The main themes throughout the epistles-from Romans to Jude-are holiness and sound doctrine. Doctrine takes precedence because if the doctrine is sound, then true holiness will automatically follow. Anything and everything else is religion of the Pharisees.


The bottom line is this: if the Love of God is abiding in us and we are filled with His Spirit, there is no way we can ever be deceived.


20. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22. And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.  


As of this moment, I think the next post will be the final one in this series. Thanks for taking the time. Until next time...be encouraged!


 

Manifestation and Separation: The "Fast" and The "Slow"

NOTE:This is the second of a series of posts dealing with what is sometimes referred to as the "Apostasy" or the "great falling away".


A lot of Christians refer to the "End-time Revival", "Latter Day Rain" or the "Outpouring" regarding the coming move of God on this earth. Many look to the current state of degeneration of this planet as the primary sign that the end is near. In the meantime, there is a stealth operation that the enemy has already launched. I referenced this in an earlier blog titled "A Message to Watchmen:The Smokescreen of False Doctrine" posted in July of 2011. I won't detail all of that here, however.

While many, include those in the Body of Christ are looking UP,  there is an agenda that the devil is using to destroy the Body from WITHIN. Jesus said that the first sign of the end would be deception sent by the evil one (Matthew 24:4b). The devil has been at it since Genesis chapter 3 and he has not stopped. Why? Because it is working. I have said this numerous times and I will continue to state it: the main reason for deception is that the Church in large part has abandoned the path that the Holy Spirit has laid out for us through the Word of God. We have abandoned His leadership and replaced it with our own. Many name the Name of Jesus but are not following Him. These are the very ones who will hear "Depart from Me" on that Day. I don't know about you, but I DO NOT want to be numbered in that group!

Praying in the Spirit, Fasting, Worship and spending time studying, meditating and speaking the Word is the antidote to what the devil is doing. A word of prophecy came forth some years back through this preacher I know where the Lord said this: "The fast will go faster, and the slow will go slower" (I'm paraphrasing). I have meditated on this particular phrase from time to time. Over the years I have come to realize that there is indeed a "slow lane" and a "fast lane" when it pertains to us believers. The "slow lane" is soul - those that have given themselves over to their senses, what they see in the natural. They look for signs and are most susceptible to the spirit of fear because they are "sense-ruled". Having not been rooted and grounded in truth--not spending time in the presence of God--they set themselves up to be "taken out". The "fast lane" is Spirit- those who have taken the time to separate themselves and spend time in Holy Spirit fellowship. In the coming days there will be more of a divide between the "fast" and the "slow", what I like to call "manifestation and separation". The spirit of the world has invaded the church. Many have noticed it and spoken out against it; the sad part about this is, the majority of the church does not care. Why? Because many of them are caught up in it themselves, or they think it is harmless.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.- 1 John 2:19

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1

These are two passages among many that talk about separation due to false teaching and how to combat them. In many cases, those in the church may not have left physically, but even though they are present within the body (for now, at least) their heart belongs to the world, the things of the world and the god of this world. In due time, these things will come to pass.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Rome, spoke about "falling away". In his introduction, he made a reference which can be easily overlooked by some but is a key statement, not only in the context of what he was about to say next, but to much of the book of Romans itself:

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; - Romans 1:9

The phrase "with my spirit" is key here because he goes on to diffrentiate what it means to be led by his born-again spirit rather than by his soulish intellect.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. - Romans 1:16-17
The gospel that is of the world, influenced by satan, has no power because it is sense-ruled and carnal. It is a "feel-good" gospel that equates material goods with God's blessings. This is what those with "itching ears" will embrace and will be drawn away from true fellowship with the Holy Ghost, the true source of power. Without naming any names, this "gospel" is quite popular among many mega-churches and mainstream Christian television nowadays.For the sake of brevity, I will end here. In my next post we'll take a look at the gospel that satan is preaching from christian pulpits on a regular basis. I hope to be posting within the next few days.
Until then, be encouraged!