“The Line in the Sand”
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Do you remember the challenge when you draw a line in the dirt and dare someone to cross it. If they crossed the line the outcome would often lead to a fight, but what it also established was separation distinguishing between those that were too scared or chicken to fight and those that would fight.
Today I want to bring this concept into this lesson and show you how God has drawn a line in the sand and He is looking and waiting for those to cross it to separate the true believer from those that just have a form of godliness.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURES: Genesis 1:3-4, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Matthew 10:34-36, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17, Matthew 5:14-16, 1 John 1:5-7, Matthew 13:24-30, 37-40, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Revelation 18:4.
INTRO: - A Diven God Principle is immutable foundational guidelines that reflect the character, justice, and sovereignty of God. They establish God’s Kingdom while showing an amazing connection between the natural and the spiritual. If I were to pick just ONE DIVINE GOD PRINCIPLE as an example it would be John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” that verse summarizes the immutability, foundational guidelines, justice, and sovereignty of God in such a way that even a young child is able to understand it.
There is a God principle that in essences establishes separation not of those who will fight from those who will not but will distinguish true from fake, light from darkness, wheat from tares, sheep from goats and saints from sinners. This God Principle is called the Principle of Separation, and it runs through the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. As a matter of fact, before the mountains were formed from the sea, before the green grass started to grow, before there was the first signs of breath when all there was was a place without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep God spoke this principle into existence establishing His Divine Principle for all eternity. In Genesis 1:3-4 God said “Let there be light and there was light. And God saw the light and it was good and God Divided the light from the dark”. Understand that was not just a principle of illumination of creative separation but a Spiritual Principle as well because light and darkness cannot inhabit the same place period. When light enters darkness can’t fight against it, it can’t protest or debate its position it simply vanishes because the God Principle has been established when God said, therefore it is so and cannot be changed.
TEXT: - 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away”. This is the time we are living in right now actually it is the last of the last days because the last days started at Calvary and go until Christ returns the Day of the Lord.
The principle of separation has been established but there is also the pattern of separation that needs to be understood. The pattern of separation always proceeds the move of God. Before God delivers, before God judges, before the return of Yeshua HaMashiach there must be separation.
EXAMPLES: - Noah and his family before the flood came. Noah preached for 120 years begging and pleading for the people to repent only for them to mock him and fail to repent. When it was time for judgment, when God finally said enough is enough, His spirit no long strived with mankind He separated Noah and his family having them go into the Ark then God closed the door and brought judgment upon earth and all its inhabitants.
Lot and his family before God sent fire down from heaven to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He sent 2 angels to go and Rapture/Separate Lot and his family out of the city by taking them by the hand and rushing them out before judgment fell. Although his wife turned and looked back, they had first been separated, the line had been drawn.
Then there is the EXODUS from Egypt before the Children of Israel left Egypt there was a separation that took place. The Children of Israel had to take the blood of the Lamb and spread it on the door post and the mantel of the door all those separated by the blood were spared and safe but those the Egyptians that were not covered/separated by the blood experienced the judgment of God the death of the 1st born and there went out a great cry in Egypt Exodus 11:6.
Now in these last days there is a line of separation drawn and it is messing with relationships, dismantling churches, friends are walking away from friends of years, families are turning against each other, governments are crumbling and many people don’t understand it at all they are failing to realize that it is God’s plan of Strategic Separation that He is causing before He sends His Judgment.
Matthew 10:34-39 says, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it”. This is Divine Systematic Separation – We have churches, organizations, and denominations dismantling over doctrine, worship styles, cultural appeasement, the pastor’s wife dress, political preferences because God has drawn the line of separation between His True Disciples and the Cultural Christians. Remember the principle light and darkness cannot abide in the same place is more than a creative illumination principle but is spiritual in every way. When light enters darkness doesn’t fight back, it vanishes, it doesn’t have a choice because it can’t occupy the same space as light. For to long the modern seeker sensitive culturally relevant church of today has tried to merge Bible truth with cultural, political, and societal acceptance by watering down and sugar coating the Word of God trying to make it more palatable to the sinner they have dimmed the light of the church to the point where darkness is no longer uncomfortable and God is saying enough is enough judgment is about to happen and He is sending warning now to come out of her His people separate yourself and touch not the unclean thing and He will receive you unto Himself 2 Corinthians 6:14-17.
Understand separation is painful, separation hurts, separation will make you cry sometimes. Luke 14:26 says, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple”. This is separation based upon devotion to Yeshua and how He must have priority over every other relationship, adventure, desire, goal, and dream you have. Understand the word “hate” doesn’t mean you hate as we believe it today but to love less than God. You must prioritize your relationships placing God above all else all earthly desires and ties. This is not telling you not to love your family but requires that all love be subordinate to the love for God. It is separating those that Love Him from those that Love things.
To long we have been operating in a Spiritual Twilight Zone neither hot or cold but just lukewarm, good for nothing, and ineffective and God says it’s time to separate to cross the line that has been drawn in the sand. 1 John 1:5-7 says, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”.
Why is it so important to separate.
Matthew 13:24-30 says, “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 0 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn”. Why is it important because there is a harvest coming. For years the wheat and the tares have grown together, compromise and appeasement was the norm, there has been the form of godliness which allowed mediocrity and complacency to entangle itself in with the wheat. The tares sang and lifted up hands standing next to the wheat and God says enough is enough its Harvest time. The reapers are about to blow the trumpet of God and the wheat which is humble and bows under the weight of the grain will be gathered and stored in the barn/heaven and the tares which is hollow and refuses to bend will be gathered and burned in hells fire. The QUESTION is Which one are you Wheat or Tares.
Understand God uses fire to separate. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”. Malachi 3:1-3 says, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness”. God is a consuming fire He doesn’t compromise with impurities He removes them. He is a refiner that is trying genuine faith right now to reveal what we are made of. He is making sure that all impurities are gone and only His reflection is being portrayed in us. He is not trying to destroy us but preparing us for what is to come.
WHAT’S COMING – ETERNAL SEPARATION
Matthew 25:31-33 says, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left”. This is the eternal separation the sheep whose names have been written in the Lambs Book of Life will spend eternity with God the goats those whose names have not been written in the Lambs Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire Separated from God and any chance of redemption for all Eternity which is the second death.
Therefore He gives a FINAL WARNING in Revelation 18:4 “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues”. God is telling us to separate from conformity, complacency, mediocrity. We are to be distinct from the world immoral practices and sinful influences. He calls us to Holiness to uphold a standard of morality the world is incapable of holding. Our actions, behavior, and values must be seen as being different for we are lights of the world that cannot be hid. We must avoid unclean influences, sinful practices, and relationships that compromise faith and the Word of God.
We are peculiar people and a Holy nation that is to reflect God’s character and not blend into the culture. The line has been drawn, the principle is established, the pattern has been set and separation is demanded.
The question is what are you going to do? Are you going to cross the line and separate yourself from the world, coming out of their system, their ways, their mentality or will you stay with the world and receive the wrath of God.
The line has been drawn I dare you to cross it.
Bishop Melvin L, Maughmer, Jr.
