Almighty God is, among other things, a separator of people. His separation process takes place in the spiritual realm where only His Very Elect saints know that such spiritual activity is a continuing activity. The Apostle Peter warns church people that judgment from above is continually taking place within what is called “the church.” He points out that, OF ALL WHO ARE IN THE CHURCH, ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE SAVED, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE FEW IN NUMBER (1 Peter 4:17,18). This means that most church people are not walking (living) in righteousness and, unless there is a total reversal of life, will not be saved. Obviously, God knows who is truly His and who is living a lie. Much of this ministry involves the separation that is taking place in professing Christendom, and equally important–why there are two, totally different groups that are Biblically referred to as sheep and goats, wheat and tares, good fish and bad fish, good trees and bad trees, etc. The problem is that very few people believe what I tell them audibly and in print, though it is plainly revealed in the Holy Bible they possess.

This problem is not new as the treatment of the prophets, Jesus, His apostles and the millions of Christian martyrs of the past attests. They were beaten, stoned, starved, burned alive, hanged, crucified, stabbed, sawn in half, beheaded, etc. FOR TELLING RELIGIOUS PEOPLE THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR RELIGION. The irony is that their killers claimed to be the Lord’s chosen ones. Jesus warns us in Matthew 10 that there is more of such treatment to come from people who will kill His messengers while believing that they are doing God a service (Jn. 16:2).

The primary factor relative to the rejection of God’s Word by those who claim to be saved by Him is self-inflicted Biblical ignorance. The vast majority of salvation seekers have never heard God’s Truth. The dual-bodied, multi-headed religious beast known as “the church” has as many versions of God’s truth as it has churches, denominations, faiths, assemblies, etc. Therefore, their ministers are equally ignorant of God’s Truth/Light/Gospel. And because those false prophets refuse to believe anything beyond their organization’s doctrines, their false “truths” have been spread throughout the entire earth as “thus says the Lord.” However, there are a minutely few Bible believers who know what God said, believe it and obey it. God has secretly, spiritually separated them from the other 99.99% of professing Christendom. However, all in the larger group believe that the fix is in for them. Next stop–heaven.

Chapter 15 of the Apostle John’s Gospel involves God’s secret separation process. It remains unknown to the salvation-seeking masses because only a minutely few know God’s Word and even fewer believe it (Mat 7:13,14; 22:14). In John 15 we find Jesus speaking to His disciples who would soon become His apostles (sent ones). In the first five verses Jesus explains the relationship that exists among Himself, the disciples, their heavenly Father and the fruit (righteousness) they produce.

In verse 1 Jesus proclaims that He is the true vine, and that His Father is the husbandman. In verse 2 He identifies His disciples as “branches” that are designed to produce “fruit” (righteousness, holiness, godliness) by receiving the source of righteousness (God’s Words) provided by the Vine (Jesus). In verses 2 and 6 Jesus notes that in order to be a true branch one must abide (remain) “in Him” which enables the branch to continually receive nourishment (spiritual food–the Words of God–vs 7). He states that if a branch does not bear fruit (godliness) he is removed from the Vine (Jesus) where he withers, dies and is burned (at the time of judgment). Read Matthew 7:21-23. Note that the rejected branches had preached, cast out demons, etc. but had refused to obey the Law. Christ’s response to them: “I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME YOU WHO PRACTICE INIQUITY (LAW-BREAKING).” Such people will face Him on judgment day “knowing” that they are about to be given the keys to their heavenly mansion.

In verse 2 Jesus warns that a branch in Him that bears fruit is PURGED so that it will produce more fruit. In days of old wheat would be tossed up into the air so that its chaff (inedible part) would be separated from the edible part and blown away. The usable part would then fall to the floor where it would be gathered up and placed in the owner’s barn for future use. The same principle applies to wheat that has tares growing among the wheat stalks. Tares are bitter and inedible and must be removed from the wheat before it can be consumed. In verse two Jesus is referring to purging his branches while they remain on the vine (being fed by Him). By continually consuming His Words His true branches remain cleansed of false “truths” put forth by false branches (prophets) who serve the false believers who make up the vast majority within professing Christendom as Jesus prophesied would be the case in Matthew 7:13,14 and 22:14.

Following Christ’s death and resurrection the Lord’s purging process came to involve the Holy Spirit as He would later remind them (Acts 1:5,8). Here He tells the disciples to return to Jerusalem where they were to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. At that time they would receive power that would enable them to work for Him throughout the world. John the Baptist foretold of this event in the lives of all true believers in Matthew 3:11,12 where he compares man’s sins to chaff. True God-seekers would be baptized with Holy Spirit FIRE that would totally consume their sins (chaff, tares), leaving them in a state of righteousness that, if maintained, would result in their salvation.

In verse 3 Jesus speaks about the importance of His Word which cleanses true believers by washing away the false “truths” preached by those who do not know His Word, or if they know it, do not believe it or obey it. The Word-based cleansing system is written about in Ephesians 5:26 where we are told that God would sanctify and cleanse His true saints in the church “by the washing by the water of the Word.” Notice that the church needs to be sanctified and cleansed. This reveals that God is judging those within her, most of whom, Jesus warns repeatedly, must remain in a state of holiness, righteousness and godliness in in order to qualify for salvation upon His return. The vast majority of church people reject this Truth. Satan has deceived them into believing that they are already saved, born again and rapture-ready.

However, because they are all in “the church,” everyone, regardless of his/her spiritual condition, “knows beyond a doubt” that he/she is one with God and on his/her way to heaven. The fix being in for them, they believe that they need nothing from the Lord. I have been told this. Read Revelation 3:14-18 where Jesus describes the modern Laodicean Church.

Spiritual delusion is not a new phenomenon. Turn to Second Chronicles 7:13,14 where we find that the Old Testament prophets faced the same problem with the ancient Israelites. Notice how God dealt with them. Notice in verse 13 that He pours out His wrath on His people by sending them drought and diseases because of their sins. Then he says: “If My people, who are called by My name (today’s church system) will humble themselves (they are proud), and pray (they lack prayer), seek My face (they have ignored Him), and turn from their wicked (sinful) ways, then (and only then) I will forgive their sins and heal their land.” Sadly, that is not happening. The result is the reality we are witnessing on the nightly news. Read The “Voices” of God and The Lion is roaring. Key words–Voices and Roaring respectively.

The irony is that all of those in Israel–God’s chosen people–believed that they were right with God simply because they were the biological descendants of Abraham. They did not realize that God had spiritually separated them into two groups: spiritual descendants of Abraham and all other descendants of Abraham. Nothing has changed. In the modern (Laodicean) church there are two groups of people: God’s true, obedient, Very Elect saints and everyone else. L.J.