God Put The Difference There

I want to ask you, who was it that put that difference there? Was it Moses? The world and even many religious church goers say; IT'S YOU HOLINESS FOLK THAT HAVE PUT SUCH A DIFFERENCE THERE! But this is not true. We have chosen to RECOGNIZE and acknowledge that there is a difference. It is God that has put that difference there.

In the very beginning of God's creation we find that God established that DIVISION and that DIFFERENCE. Gen.1:3-8 (And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. ver.4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. ver.5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. ver.6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. ver.7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. ver.8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.)

Notice; AND GOD DIVIDED THE LIGHT FROM THE DARKNESS! And I don't mind telling you I'm glad he did. Also He divided the waters that were above from the waters that were on the earth. Here we see in type God putting a DIVISION, a complete DIFFERENCE, and DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY, the SPIRITUAL AND CARNAL!

Look what God did after He had DIVIDED the LIGHT from the DARKNESS. He CALLED (or gave a name to) the Light DAY, and the Darkness NIGHT. Friend, God gave a name to them so that you would not only know THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, but also WHAT THAT DIFFERENCE IS! There are many churches that don't want you to NAME SIN. They say you may OFFEND someone. Someone may think your preaching about them. Well I want you to know that if folks are sitting in the church house committing sin, they don't just need to THINK maybe that message against sin is for me; THEY NEED TO KNOW IT'S FOR THEM! Shout Amen Someone.

They say, you don't need to call it by name they'll know what your talking about without naming it. How far from the truth. That would be like walking down a busy street and you see someone you know up ahead but they don't see you. It would be foolish to shout out: HAY YOU when you know their name! If their name is Frank Jones to make a difference and distinction between Frank Jones and everyone else on that busy street you CALL OUT HIS NAME. And believe it or not that's why everything has a name so that if I want people to know what it is that I'm preaching about I must use it's NAME to make the distinction clear.

Calling SIN BY NAME was not considered the wrong thing to do by Jesus, Paul or True Men of God recorded in the bible. John the Baptist preached to Harold and call his sin by name: IT'S NOT LAWFUL FOR YOU TO HAVE YOUR BROTHERS WIFE! It surly wasn't a well like message, and eventually brought about his death; BUT HE STILL PREACHED CALLING SIN BY NAME ANY WAY.

Jesus was not liked at all by the RELIGIOUS SECT of His time, because he was not afraid to CALL THEIR SIN BY NAME!

Let's take a look at Paul's writings about this subject. 1Cor.6:8-10 (Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. ver.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ver.10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.) Again in Gal.5:19-21 (Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ver.20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ver.21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.) Also 2Tim.3:2-9 (For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ver.3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ver.4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ver.5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ver.6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ver.7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ver.8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. ver.9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.)

Even the very last book of the bible closes out the bible CALLING SIN BY NAME. Rev. 21:8 (But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.)

All of these felt that they not only had a right to CALL SIN BY IT'S NAME, but even more important they felt they had a RESPONSIBILITY to those they were preaching to, TO CALL IT BY NAME!

God it was that has put the DIFFERENCE between His people and the world, between Holy, and Unholy, between Right, and Wrong etc... and this generation must be made to know the difference.

It's Called Separation

This DIFFERENCE, this DIVISION that I am preaching is called SEPARATION. SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD! SEPARATION FROM SIN! Now God's Word makes it clear that this Separation is not STAYING AWAY FROM SINNERS. But rather; DON'T PARTAKE OF THEIR EVIL DEEDS! DON'T LIVE YOUR LIVES LIKE THE WORLD DOES!

Many so-called christians frown on the message of SEPARATION; and on the preachers who preach it. But I believe that for the most part it's because they have not been made to know WHAT A GREAT AND TREMENDOUS BLESSING SEPARATION IS! I will be dealing with this later in the message.

So many times christians make the fatal mistake of associating the MESSAGE OF SEPARATION with a certain group, with a certain sect of people. But the fact is this; and we God's people must settle in our hearts once and for all, that SEPARATION IS FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD! The truth is this: you can not be a Child of God unless you live a life of SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD!

We can see in 2 Cor.6:14-18 that this is what God wants out of you and I, if we are to be His. Here is want God says; (Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ver.15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? ver.16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ver.17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, ver.18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.)

The message of SEPARATION is not hard to understand or beyond our grasp of comprehension. Yet so many christians have such a HARD TIME with it. It is simply this; YOU CAN NOT LOVE THE WORLD, AND LOVE GOD! YOU CAN NOT BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD, AND BE GOD'S FRIEND! 1John 2:15-17; (Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ver.16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ver.17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.) Let's look at James 4:4 also (Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.)

Why then do so many have such a HARD TIME with the message of SEPARATION? A message that God's word is so clear concerning. Paul explains why this is so in Gal.5:16 & 17 (This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ver.17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.) The struggle is because there is a DIFFERENCE. The Spirit LEADS US TO LOVE, SERVE, AND OBEY GOD! The flesh DRIVES US TO LOVE, SERVE, AND OBEY THE THINGS OF THE WORLD; WHO SATAN IS THE GOD OF! You must chose who's side you will be SEPARATED to. You may ask; Is it possible to live a life SEPARATED UNTO GOD? The answer is a most definite YES. And not only can you, but YOU MUST if your a child of God. Look at Gal.5:16 again, (This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.) Jesus said unto Peter, and those that were with him in the garden; WATCH AND PRAY THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION! The SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING, but THE FLESH IS WEAK! The Spirit is ready and willing to HELP YOU OBEY AND SERVE GOD if you will give him complete control of your life. But the flesh IF IT HAS CONTROL IS READY AND WILLING TO DRIVE YOU INTO SIN AND REBELLION AGAINST GOD.

We Are To Keep Things Separated

In this part of the message we will see from God's word that the things of God and the things of the world do not mix. And that we are not to try and make them mix. And that those that do try to mix them face the severity of God's judgment and wrath. Don't hurry through these scriptures, allow God to speak to you.

Lev.10:10 (And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;) Lev.25 &26 (Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. ver.26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.)

Ezk.22:26-31 (Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. ver.27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. ver.28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. ver.29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. ver.30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. ver.31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.) Ezk.44:23 (And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.) 1Kings 3:9 & 10 (Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? ver.10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.) 1 Kings 18:21 (And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.) Isa.59: 1 & 2 (Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.) Ezk 42:20 (He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.) Mal.3:18 (Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.)

The Blessing Of Separation

One thing I feel that many have not been made to realize about the teaching of SEPARATION is the tremendous BLESSINGS that belong ONLY to those that are SEPARATED UNTO THE LORD!

Let's look at Ex.8:22 & 23 (And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. ver.23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.) In Ex.14:20 the BLESSINGS OF SEPARATION are clearly shown. (And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: ver.20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.) You see the BLESSING OF BEING SEPARATED UNTO GOD guarantees the PROTECTION OF GOD FROM ALL OF YOUR ENEMIES, AND HIS DELIVERANCE FROM ALL OF YOUR AFFLICTIONS! Somebody go ahead and shout. It guarantees the SUPPLY OF ALL YOUR NEEDS! It guarantees HEALTH AND HEALING FROM SICKNESS AND DISEASE! It guarantees that every thing will work towards your good! Someone may say: Preacher I really don't know about that; aren't you taking it a little bit to far? Well let's see what God has to say about it. Rom.8:28 (And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.)

When we look at the WHOLE of what God's word says about SEPARATION; it's not such a bad thing after all, is it?

In the book of Ecclesiastes we find this truth confirmed once again. Eccl.8:11-13 (Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. ver.12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: ver.13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.) And also in Isa.3:10 & 11 (Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. ver.11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.)