This morning, in house assembly, Bro Dale spoke on the mixing of the Canaanites and the Israelites. He took his text from Exodus 23:31-33 and 2 Cor 6:14 & 7:1. He showed how that when God delivered the Old Testament Israelites from Egypt's bondage, he commanded them to drive out the Canaanites (pagans) from the Promised Land, but they failed to do so. As a result, they ended up worshipping the god of the Canaanites and they forsook Jehovah God. Soon you could not tell the Canaanites from the Israelites as they inter-married and mixed their religious practices.

Many churches of our day have tried to make peace between spiritual Canaanites (worldly minded people) and spiritual Israelites (God's holy people, Christians). As a result, these churches have gone away from serving God in spirit and in truth, and have themselves become worldly minded. In some places, it is difficult to distinguish the Christians from the sinners, or the church members from the visitors. This is particularly true among those professing holiness. Many holiness churches are today caught up in things that they once stood strong against. In such places, the "Canaanites" won out over the Israelites.

People have gotten used to the dark. Darkness has come upon them, as slowly as it may have occurred (sometimes over a number of years), and their eyes have steadily adjusted to that darkness. In such cases, they actually  think they are in light. From time to time God has given them a glimmer of light and understanding, but yet they refuse to see, loving darkness rather than light. "God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear." What a terrible state to be in!

What does God have to say about His people who are caught up in such mixed assemblies and come to themselves? He says:

2Co 6:14-15, 17-18  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? ...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God has called His people out of such places and has assured us that if we will separate ourselves from everything that would defile us, He will receive us unto Himself and He will be a Father to us. We may not be received by those whom we love as a result of our coming out, but God will receive us and that is all that really matters.

Many in the gathering testified and thanked God for deliverance. It is our desire to dwell in the Land inherited to us by God, spiritual Canaan, and to keep it free from any and all defilement. We desire to be a sanctified and holy people and a light to this dark world.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Rev 18:4-5