Chapter Ten
Be Ye Separate
Just before going to Vancouver and being re-water baptized, I signed up to attend a pastor’s conference in Orlando, Florida. It was to be the largest pastor’s conference in the world, with over 60,000 pastors the following year. This year, we were to have a preliminary meeting of about 2000 pastors. These pastors were of every denomination and any sect of whatever they believed.
When I arrived at the meeting, there was standing room only, as the meeting had already begun. As I edged my way in, I was in absolute shock at what I heard being preached. It was directly against Scripture! The amazing thing was the people with uplifted hands, jumping out of their seats, shouting and praising in support of what was being preached.
I simply asked the Lord, what is going on here? What happened next far superseded any Pentecostal experience I ever had.
All the deafening noise totally silenced, but yet I could still see their actions and their mouths moving; it was as though I went deaf. It was then the most clear voice spoke to me, penetrating the silence saying, as you were reading this morning about the binding of the tares that are to be burned, the word being preached now is the ropes going around them! Get out of there before you get caught in the ropes!
I was scared to death and took off running. Not even waiting for the elevator, I flew down the stairs, ran out into the parking lot, jumped into my car and locked the doors, as if that was going to help! I was in a cold sweat and just sat for a quite a while, pondering on what just happened.
At the time I am writing this, it has been 27 years since that Voice came to me and I still get goose bumps when I think about it. My life would never be the same again. I have never, ever looked back, and when I hear things so contrary to the Word of God, it continually confirms what the mighty Voice spoke to me that night.
The Scriptures tell us, come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Revelation 18:4
He is the Word; He will have only a Word bride.
Looking back over my life, I have had to trust Him over and over for every twist and turn. This trusting caused me many times to let go of traditions and other things that seemed so much a part of me.
This is likened to a circus trapeze. We cannot hold onto the old and securely grab hold of the new. We must trust Him and let loose of the past to move ahead in the direction He has called us. His unfailing arms will never fail us. We are secure in His unfailing Word, the Written Word and the Living Word, Jesus Christ.