2 Corinthians 6:16-18 "…16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
17“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”…"
We are living in the days just like those of Noah when there were so few believers that nearly everyone had a false religion and followed wicked cultural practices.
We have become so accustomed to the sin of pride in the church gatherings that it all seems normal and even good to us. Why does it feel good to most attendees? The answer is simple, the culture as a whole is basing their gathering experience on feelings. If they feel good about it, then it must be good. If they feel convicted or sad, then it must be bad.
Very few people are evaluating church gatherings according to the Word of God. Remember Jesus Christ is the Word, everything in the Bible is His message to us. He is the very essence of His Own Word. When we negate the Bible by adding and subtracting from it to fit the culture it is the same as denying Him.
If you want to take the spiritual and emotional temperature of someone just quote the Bible to them and watch their reaction. Those who disobey God's Word will be irritated or even rage with words like; "legalist" or "mean-spirited", to discredit us. This will show you their heart and that you cannot have fellowship with those who use the Bible disrespectfully and for their own purposes.
Those who love Jesus Christ will want to hear what He has to say, in context and without adding to or subtracting from His Word.
Isaiah 52:11
"Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD."
Jeremiah 15:17
"I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation."
God's heart has not changed, it remains just as it was in the days of the prophets when He mandated that they not engage with false prophets or half-hearted believers.
When we participate with those who use the Bible disrespectfully by changing what God said, we are validating what they do.
2 Corinthians 7:1
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Numbers 16:21,26,45
"Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment…"
The pandemic that closed the churches was God's way of showing us the spiritual and emotional temperature of the gatherings. Many were beside themselves with fear that they could not meet anymore. They didn't know how to read the Word, pray and worship at home, they were addicted to the leadership of that "paid-pastor" as though they could not approach God without him.
When we depend on any person to be our spirituality for us we are not depending on the Holy Spirit. This mentality that we must have that leader is no different from the Catholic church or any other cult that depends on a human mediator between them and God.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 " 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.…"
1 Corinthians 8:6
"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist."
No man stands between us and the Holy Spirit Who lives in us when we become born-again.
Hebrews 8:6
"But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."
Bottom Line: trust the Holy Spirit and trust no man!
