I DON’T HAVE TO ASK YOU this…
I know. You are no different than me regarding the biblical truth of separations. Because we are living in the last days some people are hard to get along with: with many, it’s simply impossible.

Selah.

Why? Those with wisdom in Christ really do know there are wicked people and godly people. Two kingdoms, two lifestyles. One seeks pleasure and ungodly gain, the other wants to please God and have His will be done – period. As I have said in the past, I love to tell the Lord: “Your will be done. My will is only Your will. I want what You want and I don’t want anything You don’t want.”

It really is an easier way to live – and more fruitful.

Selah.

Now chasm is an interesting word. This word, chasm, doesn’t read like it’s pronounced (which is ˈka-zəm.) The English language can be so unpredictable. This gives reason to a fuller explanation, a deeper study; that is, if you really want the answers… Any chasm is a marked division of some kind. The number of instances is unknown to us; but of course, not to God.

One of its meanings is a cleft, an opening. This cleft can only occur due to a splitting of some kind. Can you see where I’m going? Beloved, it is a separation which could be a separation of a physical kind; such as the Earth splitting, causing a new river to come forth; an earthquake to bring something down, including buildings. A chasm could also be strictly spiritual. And that’s the kind of chasm I want to talk about today. Society, with no regard for God, has endorsed and lives out many chasms. And there are definitely times we Christians need to separate ourselves from certain kinds of people.

Selah.

A chasm is a gulf. It can be immeasurable both in the physical and the spiritual. Remarkably, and please take note, it also can be known as an abyss… Where is Satan and his kingdom going?

 

Revelation 20:1-3
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

 

For a thousand years Satan, the enemy of man, will be contained in the Abyss; the Abyss in which he is unable to depart from on his own… After his time is up, totally up, defeated and discouraged, no longer able to tempt, nor torment – his eternal assignment is this:

 

Revelation 20:10
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

 

Very true also, Satan’s seed will enter the lake of fire upon death. And this, my friends, is the mission of my life: to warn you, proclaim to you the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His will should be your will. It has to be! Or do you want to join the enemy of your soul? Of course not! Just like me! You must decide today – today is your salvation.

 

2 Corinthians 6:1-2
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.  For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”  I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

 

Just one of my chasms…
I want to tell you a very real part of my life story. Beloved, this is an exciting teaching because it is spiritual. And it came to me suddenly, totally unexpected. It was very real, a chasm that would remain, one that I felt instantly. A relationship that I thought was going places ended with one sentence…

Before I had children, I was a newlywed living in my husband’s homeland of California. I met him on a blind date. (Yes, they can work!) He was already planning to return to his roots. I was one hundred percent excited about leaving Minnesota, believing I would love Los Angeles. (I was wrong. It’s happened before.) Excited, we set out to make our married life in this huge cosmopolis.

It didn’t take long for me to see that California was not my cup of tea. One of the irritants I had was never finding a job I really enjoyed. I started off at a temp service. Many times I would land a full-time job through one of them and the plus was, I already knew if I liked it or not. Not in California for me. Certainly, I had some nice experiences. I also do remember having one horrible one: so horrible that I called the service and told them they didn’t care about where they sent their employees. “Don’t ever contact me again!” I mean, this area was so rough I was afraid to get out of the car. Please remember, at this time I was in no way a child of God. I was stupid, ungodly (what worse could I be than that?) and naive… As I said though, some of these jobs had some pleasantries about them. However, I didn’t thrive in any of them enough to be satisfied with my chosen profession in LA.

One of the temp jobs was at a hospital. I’ve always loved hospitals: and although I’m not in any way a medical person, this love for them comes from all those years of loving care my father was given (from the time I was seven until I was a grown woman.) I found them as wonderful places with beautiful, caring men and women! Still do! My husband is a nurse in an emergency room!

Selah.

This Los Angeles hospital I worked at was beautiful. I shared a nice office space, the cafeteria was sweet (I love cafeterias and hospital food.) The people were all pleasant. But the work was boring so I knew I wouldn’t keep this job if they offered it to me.

The chasm came from a co-worker. A woman only several years older than myself. New to Los Angeles, I was looking for friends. My thoughts were: if we liked each other, we could get to be good friends. Over the years I’ve learned, thankfully that the first key to a meaningful relationship is having friendships only with God’s children. All others are not thinking nor living what God desires for you and me: and I am not about to become like someone who lives according to evil desires. I have learned.

Selah.

This female co-worker and I had hit it off right away. She was the one who told and explained my duties to me. I liked her; she was helpful. I even had went to her home for a visit and was planning on seeing her more, doing things with her and my husband and mine as a group. I truly liked her, I thought…

The chasm came the day she asked me one single question. Whatever we had been talking about, she turned the conversation around to brownies. A very good topic indeed! But she added something to hers. Going further, she told me what it was and asked me if I, too, loved having it in mine. The ‘it’ was marijuana!

I was shocked (I think I might have still been a sinner back then. Even sinners have some values – but they choose what those are rather than submitting to God.) This was many years ago. I was twenty-three, now I’m sixty-five. But even back then I was at least smart enough to not smoke, not drink much (now, no drinking alcohol at all) and never touch other drugs; which was, is and ever will be, disgusting to me. Using drugs is nothing but stupid. I can never understand any thinking person taking something that Satan loves to use to steal, slaughter and destroy with!

I just looked at her for a few seconds. Chasm… I was so very shocked and disappointed on who I found out she was. I didn’t know who she really was. I just told her no. But I have to tell you: chasm. As soon as the words, that question, was out of her mouth, our whole relationship changed. She was one I would stay away from. Other than being polite and working with her, I didn’t like her anymore. And she, being convicted by God, didn’t want to be around me either. Instantaneously, we felt it. We both felt it. And we both knew we both felt it…

Selah.

I thank God that I learned something that day.

I learned that day and over the years, again and again, not every seemingly nice person is. Nice can be a term meaning well-bred. God wants us well-bred, brought up, in His Word, cherishing His ways; never loving the evil and never endorsing poisoning our bodies, minds and spirits.

Selah.

I could never hang with a drug user. I could never be thrilled with a drunk.

Yes, a chasm intervened and broke off what I thought would be a healthy, loving and long relationship…

Thank God!

AS FOR YOU:
Because I care: I warn you of evil things, including people you should have nothing to do with.

Selah.

 

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

 

I don’t want you to fall in a ditch, wallow with the dirty. And as I humbly write this to everyone, I remember to pray for the salvation of the arrogant, greedy, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, loveless, unforgiving, slanderous, those without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

CHASMS: they can be useful and good!

Grace and peace to those who love truth: Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Challenge and encouragement to those who fit into the category of 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

 

 

SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS FOR THIS JOY STORY:

 

2 Thessalonians 3:6
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.

Proverbs 13:20
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.