THE COMING SEPARATION

SCRIPTURE: “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:49, 50

I was recently given a lovely bouquet of flowers, which I placed upon my foyer table. Around the end of the second week, as expected, certain flowers began to visibly wilt, and I embraced a simple solution.  I scooped up some beautiful artificial flowers and interspersed these with the live flowers, and “VOILA!”  problem solved!  Full beauty restored!  If only the harmful disunifying effect of darnel weeds in churches today could be as easily eliminated!   This really showcases the divine reasonableness of the apostle Paul’s comments in 1 Corinthians 5:12, 13—“For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside God judges.  REMOVE THE WICKED [person] FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.  [This begs the question, would there be ANY congregants left in the pews of protestant churches today if this earnest regard for maintaining church purity was upheld over the centuries]! We all know the answer to that; but let us resist the temptation to discouragement.

 God has promised to perform an unprecedented “purging” of humankind at His appointed “day.” Does this fact stir us to repent, confessing to Him our transgressions of thought, words, and/or deeds?  I pray that it does, dear reader.  Our uncompromisingly holy and just LORD declares that He will separate the sheep from the goats [Matthew 25:32].  He assures us that He is keenly aware and grieved by the presence of ruinous demonic {is there any other kind?] WEEDS among His redeemed people!   This spiritual reality is emphatically proclaimed in Matthew 13:24-30 and verses 36-44.  This promised separation should give us who know Him great cause for rejoicing!  Fret not over the evildoers—instead, “delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart, which will be aligned with HIS!  [Psalm 37:1, 4, 5] Rest assured of this as you yield to His indwelling Spirit; commit your own way to the LORD! A holy separation IS coming!!  HALLELUIAH!!!

PRAYER: Dear Father, while  You’ve told us that You take no delight in the punishment of the wicked, Your divine justice, cannot overlook habitual and willful sinning—the enemies of true unity and spiritual growth.    May Your solemn warnings prompt us daily to walk worthily of Your high calling of us in Jesus Christ, in His wonderful name we pray and give thanks; amen!
By Sis. Denise Diggs