A Greater Time of Separation Is Coming

 Released 12/2009 through Theresa Harvard Johnson

Numbers 16

 ¹NOW KORAH son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men,²And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the Israelites, 250 princes or leaders of the congregation called to the assembly, men well known and of distinction.  ³And they gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, [Enough of you!] You take too much upon yourselves, seeing that all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you lift yourselves up above the assembly of the Lord?

In this season, there are many who are coming into CHOSEN and SET APART MINISTRIES looking for something from God that He cannot give them. They are looking for status, power, respect, authority and a host of other things that must be GROWN and CULTIVATED inside the hearts. Many start off with the right motives when they come into your midst.... but sometimes, evil will enter into their hearts toward you.... and they will "step back... and do what they call watching." In truth, what they are doing is judging and criticizing your call to ministry, the authority you have been given, the authority you have been given over them... and how the Lord is using you.

They are there to SABOTAGE your destiny while PUMPING UP themselves. They want WHAT you have .... and will move deceptively to overthrow your leadership and obtain it.

⁴And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face.

This passage of scripture really stood out to me. A humble leader -- even in the face of criticism will throw himself at the feet of the Lord for clarity and answers. They will seek inward cleansing before the Lord to see if what they've been accused of is true. We serve the kind of God that jumps at this type of humility.. and this type of desire to serve Him. MY GOD! Do you seek God when you are accused by those under your guidance, love and authority?

 ⁵And he said to Korah and all his company, In the morning the Lord will show who are His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him; him whom He has chosen will He cause to come near to Him.^{(A) 6}Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company, ⁷And put fire in them and put incense upon them before the Lord tomorrow; and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi.

When we fall on our faces before the Father, HE WILL ANSWER US. It may not be the answer we are expecting... but HE will give you the wisdom, insight and strategy to make HIS WILL KNOWN not only to your accuser, but to you. Life lessons are NEVER one-way. In everything we are given from God... there is SOMETHING FOR US to learn and grow from. It's not always a matter of who is right and who is wrong.

 ⁸And Moses said to Korah, Hear, I pray you, you sons of Levi: ⁹Does it seem but a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, priesthood also?  ¹¹Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And Aaron, what is he that you murmur against him?

Korah and his crew lacked an understanding of "vision." They lacked an understanding of authority. They failed to grasp this simple concept: Moses did not appoint himself to His mission. GOD DID! Leaders, YOU DID NOT APPOINT YOURSELF TO YOUR POSITION OF AUTHORITY..... GOD DID! But when you are in the midst of a jealous people who covet YOUR ANOINTING and THIRST AFTER THE INFLUENCE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU.... sabotage will enter into your ministry. Those who once stood at your side will RISE UP AND SAY inwardly, "You really can't teach me anything.... I'm hearing from God myself now."

This type of thought process can INFECT a ministry. Here, we see Moses identifying one of the main problems Korah was dealing with in His heart. Quite honestly, HE wasn't satisfied with WHAT GOD had given him to do. He thought that it was LESS than what God had given Moses. He WANTED what Moses had.... instead of seeking out God's heart concerning himself. In the church today, we have so many people wanting to obtain what has been given to another. Korah had become greedy. KORAH was against GOD'S PLAN for the establishment of the people of Israel. He didn't like HOW GOD was using Moses. He wasn't satisfied just being a "minister of music" anymore.... and he did not have the patience needed to allow God to use him .... the way HE wanted to use Him...

Korah couldn't even see that he was being used mightily by God exactly where he was. His pride and ASSUMED AUTHORITY  overtook him...

 ¹²And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and they said, We will not come up. ¹³Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us? ¹⁴Moreover, you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you bore out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!

Just look at how they are talking to Moses -- who is just doing what God called Him to do. Leaders, we have to stand up for the things the Lord has entrusted to us. We must take moments like these to seek God's face and to gain strength. We must guard our hearts from bitterness and fortify them even more with love. We must release these people to God... and not FIGHT WITH THEM. A GREATER TIME OF SEPARATION IS COMING! Many Korah's are coming in and through our ministries! Are you prepared to deal with them... by the Spirit...

Leaders! You did not choose your own path, God chose it for you! You did not establish yourself in this season -- God established you! As separation continues -- and it will -- you will gain momentum and strength in the vision entrusted to you; and your accusers (if they be of God) will come into knowing what is REALLY taking place in the realm of the spirit. All eyes WILL BE OPENED to the truth. Thank God that we can pray for our enemies, and for those who spitefully misuse us... thanks to Jesus!

    ¹⁵And Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, Do not respect their offering! I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them. ¹⁶And Moses said to Korah, You and all your company be before the Lord tomorrow, you and they and Aaron. ¹⁷And let every man take his censer and put incense upon it and bring before the Lord every man his censer, 250 censers; you also and Aaron, each his censer.

Look at what Moses said to THE LORD. Then take a close look at what he said to Korah...

 ¹⁸So they took every man his censer, and they put fire in them and laid incense upon it, and they stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. ¹⁹Then Korah assembled all the congregation against Moses and Aaron before the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.²⁰And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²¹Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

Leaders... a time of separation is still at hand for many of God's people. In the New Testament, the scripture says that we must separate ourselves from the disobedient brethren because if we do not, then when the axe falls we will be struck with it along side them. WE HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY... it's not always the Lord's responsibility to move things for us. He is only required to give us a way of escape.

²²And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin and will You be angry with all the congregation? ²³And the Lord said to Moses, ²⁴Say to the congregation, Get away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. ²⁵Then Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

What I want you to grasp here is that the Lord SEPARATES anything and anyone from HIS BODY that corrupts it. His love is so great that He gives us ample opportunities to change, turn-a-round.... and make things right in His eyes. But when enough is enough --- you will know it, and SEPARATE. A greater time of separation is coming.... and we must DO IT... so that the Lord can do what needs to be done IN US as well as in THOSE WHO MAY RISE AGAINST US within our own congregations....

Will our enemies be consumed? Well, that is up to the Lord. This post is not about burning up anyone... but about recognizing TIMES OF SEPARATION so that we all may grow stronger in the Lord. Remember Paul and Barnabas? Abraham and Lot? Separation is good.... even though it can be PAINFUL...

I can attest that IN THIS PAIN is refinement ... as we DIE to self...
Heal our emotions O Lord! Give us the emotions of Christ Jesus! Renew our minds to the minds of Christ Jesus!

2 Thessalonians 3:6
But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.