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From The Pastor’s Desk
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Bishop Randy Barnett, Oklahoma
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BE SEPARATE,
SAYS THE LORD
October is the month in which Halloween
happens. First of all, please allow me to go on record by saying that anything
and everything about is pagan and demonic, it is of the darkness and is
therefore displeasing to God. Even as I write this statement, I realize that it
sounds so religious, so 1940-ish and
out-of-step with the modern-day Church that has worked so hard to make its self
palatable to the world. This ‘ecclesiastical compromise’ is evidenced, sadly
enough, by the fact that many churches openly and publicly celebrate this
satanic holiday with haunted houses and fear-based venues.
The mandate I was given from God almost three decades ago was to help bring the Church into maturity. During these thirty years it has felt as though I was paddling upstream against the current. Everything within me has wanted to go the depths of the Holy Spirit and experience His awesome power. I wanted to see the saints of God rise into their Kingdom destinies powerfully anointed to demonstrate both the power and the love of Jesus to a world that needs Him. But for the most part, the trend within the Church has been to flow along with society, ever moving inch-by-inch away from the heart of God.
What you see happening in the world right now is something God showed me about 25 years ago. Now I understand it better. What I saw in the Spirit was a great divide separating mankind into two distinct camps. It appeared to be a crack in the earth much like what happens during violent earthquakes. On the one side of the divide were people whose faces radiated with the glory of God; on the other side death prevailed. The word “polarization” came before my eyes and I knew that this divide was a polarizing of those who loved and served God and those who did not. At first the divide seemed to be only inches wide which meant the masses on both sides were hardly identifiable. But as time passed the crack widened and the ones on each side became evident.
As I watched the people on each side, it was interesting to me that some on the side of carnality were actually dressed in robes of righteousness! How could this be? These saints were born again to be sure; however, because they never advanced spiritually, never grew in the knowledge of the Word, and never separated themselves from the world, their earthly existence would not differ from those who had no covenant at all. I cried because of this knowing that they would needlessly suffer along with unbelievers, never experiencing the glorious covenant benefits that belong to the children of God.
Child of God, hear the voice of the Lord: “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.” (II Corinthians 6:17) Take your place among the committed, shoulder to shoulder with Kingdom saints fully dedicated to the Lord, finding your place in the army of the Lord.
The good news is there is a remnant within the Body of Christ that refuses to mesh with the world. I am not talking about dressing in quaint, ugly clothes, wearing no makeup or jewelry, and focusing on outward appearance as a standard for holiness, no indeed, such things make little difference. I am talking about a “Joshua Generation” that defies public opinion (and Church opinions that are carnal) and against all odds is willing to risk it all to please God and to take the Kingdom by force. These are men and women whose hearts are fully given to God. They are covenant people whose lives are guided by the Word of God.
There is a world-wide shaking that has begun that God prophesied about over 2000 years ago through the writer of Book of Hebrews. (Hebrews 12:18-29) Anything and everything that is not of God is being shaken apart! Political systems, ideologies, financial markets, philosophies are crumbling before our eyes, and the worse is yet to come. Global unrest is peaking giving rise to wars and rumors of wars. It all seems so ominous! But, child of God, do not despair. Do not fear. You stand in covenant with God, and within that covenant relationship are promises made by the Almighty God of the universe to His covenant people, promises of well-being, abundance, protection, peace, joy, and health. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you! God Himself is your shield and that is why you are always led in victory.
The key is for you to separate yourself from the world as quickly as possible. Start by renewing your mind on the Word of God. Find out how God thinks and what He likes and dislikes, then start imitating Him. Think like He thinks. Say what He says. Do what He says to do. Abhor what He abhors and love what He loves. As you do these things you are distancing yourself from the world and from its ways of thinking and doing things. The farther you are from those things that are crumbling the less effect they will have on you when they are finally destroyed.
In conclusion, this is not just a matter of whether or not we embrace Halloween; it is a matter of making the choice to cast away all that is not of God to follow Him. Amen.
Randy Barnett Ministries / Covenant Global Church
