HALTING BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS

As I was cutting our grass today (we cut it once a week in the summer time) the LORD kept impressing on me to tell His people, "now is the time to stop halting between two opinions." Strangely if I need to hear from the LORD I go to the bathroom (where it is quiet and still) and if I want the LORD to speak to me I cut the grass. How I love cutting the grass and going to the bathroom. We have a big yard and the LORD gets plenty of time working into my heart a few things He wants to see in my life and a few things He wants me to share with the people who get our teachings, articles, newsletter, emails, blog, etc. Today the LORD kept impressing on me to tell my friends, "now is the time to stop halting between two opinions." In 1 Kings Elijah was standing in the place and speaking for God at a crossroad of spiritual understanding for the people of God. At stake was the spiritual life of the people. The concern for the people's physical life was not so much of a concern because even in slavery one can get along quite well. But how easy it is today to have an opinion. Sadly not too many people (and I will include Christians here) are truly concerned about what God wants when it comes to our support for morality and spiritual issues like: abortion, sodomy, lesbianism, and the LGBTQ+ agenda, socialism, the real spiritual issues of our life time. We all (well maybe not all) know God is amazing, but I am ever amazed when Christians do something that is found in the word of God that glorifies God. That pushes the divine spiritual principles of a risen Savior and coming King further down the road of this world and further into the heart and lives of so many people lost in this world. But as Solomon tells us, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9) So true today and even in the day of Elijah. In 1 Kings Elijah could see the waywardness and the heart of the rebellious people as God brought them to a place of decision. So too today as the world continues to spin out of control (and the "church" is spinning just as fast in the world's orbit) God has brought people (and their heart are exposed by truth) to a place of choice between two opinions: those things of God or those things of the world. The choice today is quite clear and easy (as it was in the days of Elijah either serve God or Baal) ) if you want to be called a Believer. "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." (1 Kings 18:21) You see we cannot serve God and Baal or the world and all that goes with her idolatry and religion. Make up your mind! You choose is it God or Baal? In 1 Kings God showed up and there was a great victory as Elijah it slew the 450 servants of Baal after a epic day long battle, but today it seems the choices are not as cut and dry. Then is was God an eternal being of hope and love or Baal a cold hard stone statue. Today it is God or our self and the world and all of the trappings and pleasures the world can offer. Any time we get our soul (our emotions, our thoughts, our feelings, our intellect, our comforts, where sin abides in us) involved our choices and decisions seem to be very difficult. Any time we have some skin in the game, it seems our skin wins out. Not too many Christians want to suffer persecution, go through some tough things even if they are for our learning to be more like Jesus or even for the sake of the Gospel. Maybe that is why the Gospel message is not alive and well in America and around the world? One sign of the times I stumbled across recently. The present leader of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) (check it out it was on their website) just came out with a statement supporting Black Lives Matter (BLM) an anti-Christ and anti-home, homosexual, transgender organization who stated mission is the destruction of America and all she stands for. I was shocked when I read this on FOX News and went to the SBC's website and could not believe my eyes so I called the local Southern Baptist Church is our town and asked for the pastor. Praise God I got him. Well, I did not do much small talk and just came right out and asked if they support BLM and he started telling me how each SBC church is autonomous then he starting to hem and haw on the topic. I asked if he supported the SBC and he said, "well sometimes we disagree on some topics." I then told him the President of the SBC just came out with a statement supporting BLM and "do not say all lives matter." He went to the website as we talked and got very quiet. Now I will be honest I cannot understand how the largest evangelical denomination in the world can play footsie with BLM and still call themselves Believers? How can they can support a radical, subversive, terrorist organization who wants to destroy God and those who love God, the history, traditions, and social graces of America and still say they believe in the Bible? The SBC is deceived and they know not the truth of the word of God. My friend if you support BLM you are not supporting the things of God. I do not know how you can be a member of the SBC and call yourself a Believer. Paul told the Church at Rome, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." (Romans 6:12-13) The words, "yield ye your members as instruments" mean what we support or give ourselves to in thoughts, intentions, or action (to include financial support) we become an instrument to whatsoever we give ourselves to. Whomever we belong and support in word or action (just look at the SBC organizational chart if you need more clarification) we become a part of what we support so if the boss is saying it then you are a part of it in word and action. How shameful of the SBC to support BLM. There must be a political or financial angle here for the SBC the organization of Billy Graham to compromise the truth of the word of God so easily and quickly. Oh maybe I get it now. Maybe the SBC does not want to lose black members or white members who support BLM and all of the money they contribute. Yeah, it is so much easier to capitulate the truth of the word of God than to stand for righteousness and speak the truth in love when money and power is at play. Anyone who does not believe "all lives matter" does not know the word of God, should be ashamed of themselves, and never again call themselves a Believe until they make it right with God and they know it. So why does the nominal church, all of the main stream denominations, and all of the cultic non-denominational churches halt between two opinions. If God be God then serve God, but if this world be your god then serve this world and all of her trappings. The "church" needs to get off the fence playing lose and fast with the world and holding up God every Sunday or Wednesday for the money and power the world offers. I have seen it all of my life. And it is time for the real Believers of God to stand up and be counted as the salt and light to the world. But no what I see in the SBC and main stream denominational churches is, "Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.( (2 Timothy 3:4-5) Did you get that! This is the spiritual condition of the SBC (unless they change their position) and any one or any organization that support BLM or any organization or group that, "yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:" It is high time to stand for the word of God and truth! It is high time to call a spade a spade, it is high time for the Children of God to stand and call sin out for what it is, sin! No more compromise for money, influence, and power in this world. Paul really brings it home in 2 Corinthians when he wrote to the Church at Corinth, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) Why did Paul write these words to the Church at Corinth? Why? Well the Church at Corinth was doing these things as the "church" of today in America and around the world is. Paul asks, "what communion hath light with darkness?" Sadly today there is much communion darkness is having with people who say they are of the light, but not so they are deceived and the truth is not in them. Oh no I am not judging just examining the fruit that is hanging from the low branches of the trees of their lives. Jesus said, "For every tree is known by his own fruit," By their "fruit" their life style, by their words, by their deeds, who they support, whose company they keep, who they give money, time, and energy. Check it out. Jesus said, "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes." (Luke 6:43-44) Jesus stated, "a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit;" I wonder makes a tree good or bad? Well I can tell you that one, it is by the life style (words, actions, deeds) the tree lives and company the tree keeps. And these all are decided by the opinion we make. Do we choose God or the world? No need to halt between two opinions life is far too short. Written by David Stahl.

WTFMT 80 (FROM HGM ON 25 AUG 20)

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-80 TEXT:

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." (Psalms 5:3)

I. ADJUSTMENT

 

A. After our discovery of our own weakness the next key comes into the picture. The second key is adjustment. We must adjust to our meager supply. Once we discover that we do not have enough we must then direct our steps accordingly.

B. This means that we cannot attempt to depend upon our limited supply. Neither should we continually gaze upon its inadequacy. Our direction must be adjusted toward the Lord. Then we discover the wonderful relationship of leaning heavily on Him. Hagar had no opportunity to lean heavily upon 40 camels loaded with supplies. If we have such an opportunity, there will be no learning to lean on our Lord. With meager provisions, Hagar soon discovered that she was in a place of need and despair. This is a great discovery.

C. What is surprising about it is that it took Hagar so long to make that discovery. She should have know her supplies were insufficient before she left Abraham. "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba." (Genesis 21:14)

D. If it had been me, I would have said, hey, what are you trying to pull here? Of course I would spoil God's intentions and plans. Wouldn't we all ruin the ultimate fulfillment which God has in mind if we could always have everything we think need. If we could have all that we want when we want it, how would the intentions of God be fulfilled?

F. Hagar did not seem to have good foresight. When it comes to the spiritual life we also lack foresight. She took that Abraham offered her and went with Ishmael into the wilderness. There she wandered. But soon, "And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. " (Genesis 21:15-16)

G. Hagar experienced dire need and despair. This was an absolute necessity. The foundation making this experience possible was the meager provisions. With great provision you may never discover your real need. Hagar needed God more then she needed water, the most essential element of life. This one discovery becomes the base to other discoveries and all that God has for you.

H. Example, let's say you start your Christian walk with an eight ounce bottle full of faith. Because of your health and wealth you never need much faith. Then your supplies of health and wealth suddenly vanish. You discovery that your faith is not sufficient to carry you through. In desperation you seek the Author of faith. You discover the Fount. You draw from the well. The bottle of faith you once carried is forgotten.

I. Our bottle full of faith and grace does not carry an unending supply. We may experience a situation more difficult than all the bottles leaving us empty, destitute, and in need. Then we make a discovery; we didn't have as much as you thought you had.

J. Any person can have infinite patience if his patience requires only a little output. So if we have two ounces of patience per day and need only one ounce per day we then think we have infinite patience.

K. But let us get into a place where we need four ounces per day. Then what? Then there's a discovery made the discovery of weakness and insufficient supply.

L. We go into the wilderness with the our little bottle. It contains whatever God's grace and wisdom dictate for that particular time and place. Whatever we have whatever we move with will be very limited. The reason behind the limited supply is your focal point. You focus upon that which God has given you. This must be adjusted. God himself must be your focal point.

M. The Lord sends you with that limited supply. And you go as though you have it all, more than enough to see you through. At least it gets you into the wilderness; the supply has fulfilled its purpose. But it is soon spent. Then your crying the blues and begin to wonder what's going on.

N. Where is my faith and love? Your faith and love is spent. Now you discover you did not have all of the faith and love you thought you had. Listen to what Paul had to say about this, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) 

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

 

A. Paul discovered that his faith did not hold him as well and as long as the faith of Jesus Christ could. Remember, that Jesus said to Peter, "Why is it that your faith endured just a little time?" (Matthew 14:31G)

B. When our faith comes to the end of its ability to move we see man in himself is lacking. His shortcoming is conclusively and straightforwardly, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 323)

TRIALS OF OUR FAITH

The purpose that God has in the life of the Believer that He wants to accomplish through the trials of our faith and even suffering is that each Believer would come into a personal inward realization of Jesus Christ. So when we come to Jesus by faith and are joined to the LORD and made one spirit with Him that is the "new creation." Paul tell us, "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6:17) Joined to the LORD with one spirit does not make one physical body nor are we made one soul man or natural man with Christ. Our physical body and the soul man remain outside of our spiritual resurrection union with Jesus Christ. The natural man is made up of three parts. The first part you can see your physical body and the second and third part you cannot see and that is the soul and spirit of man. Paul again tells us, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) These three parts are our spirit - pneuma, our soul - psuche, and our body - soma. All corrupt by a natural birth into the Adamic race where we experience physical sickness, aging, and death. We must understand being joined to the LORD does not eradicate, annihilate, cause to cease or exist any part of our soul man or any part of our natural make up. Some teach and are unbelievably deluded that the Believer does not continue to have a sin nature, but now we have two natures one being of the earth (flesh birthed from the earth) and the other being of the heavenly (spirit birthed from above). These two dynamics are in each Believer and war -- flesh against spirit and visa versa. God wants us to walk in Christ governed by Him as LORD. He no longer wants us to be governed by our Adamic corrupt fallen nature. When talking about being governed we think what we do or don’t do works. Thus if this thing that I am doing is holy and in keeping with God’s law we say that’s walking in the Spirit. But if I am somehow sinning and doing something not acceptable to God, we say we’re walking in the flesh. Oh no my friend it goes far deeper than the outward. And even deeper than in the inward man even to the thoughts and intents of our heart. The real issue here is our faith and to whom we belong by virtue of the spiritual union. God wants us to come to the place not governed by natural man. HE wants us to be governed by Christ out from knowing and loving Him. If we can just come to know and love Him our attitudes, character, and life style will be adjusted and fall into place. If coming into an inward realization of Him our mind will be renewed according to the truth and our thoughts and concepts will align with God. Gather all of this up you can see a necessity for the trials of our faith and even suffering; the work of the cross. The trial of our faith and even suffering is intended to break and put to death as far as the governing power, to break the control over the soul and the flesh. The way the control is broken is not by taking a club pounding the old nature over the head nor by slapping the old nature with rules, laws, and principles (religion) that God demands we follow, but by God showing us the truth about our old nature in the light of Jesus Christ. If God does not show us the truth about our old nature and the greatness of Jesus Christ then we will never be free from our flesh no matter what we do for Him, preach, sing or dance, even give our bodies to be burned. We must take our faith off of our self and what we "do" or have done for the LORD and put it more and more on Jesus Christ which will result in living out from Him. We will never get free of sins that are rooted in that old life until we surrender that old life under the work of the cross to Jesus Christ. God has to undercut all of these things in us we think constitutes that old life and He must get at the root of it itself. At the heart of the root is unbelief, self-ownership, and deception. The trial of our faith is intended to expose our old nature for what it is, but at the same time if we allow God, He will bring us into a realization of who Jesus Christ is. A sense of adding while subtracting God's idea of math. And as He does and we surrender to Him then little by little the light will dawn and we will more and more be able to live our life out from Christ. Now this doesn’t happen in ten minutes or ten years it is a life-long process God uses to accomplish building the nature of Christ in us. The condition God finds us in is not simply void of life, but also in bondage to darkness and our entire nature is corrupt. You and I will know nothing if God leaves us to ourselves. Our life will be out from our self-rulership, fear, torment. God in Christ called individuals to Himself who are corrupt and deceived and in darkness. Who know nothing but the old nature If we come to Christ at that point we are joined to the Lord and made one spirit with Him but that old nature remains. What God will do then is put us through a series of (His dealings and judgments) experiences many of them dealing with that old nature so that we can come into the reality with the Christ in whom we are joined. God has to break us! Only the broken are useful to God! He has to expose the truth about our sin nature so that He can bring us to the place where we will know and see Jesus Christ. God wants to bring us to the place where we are able to say to Him, "LORD I didn’t know you, but now I see You. Because I thought who I was was the answer, but now that I see you God I understand you are the only answer." We have to come to the place that we can say LORD, "now that I see You I see everything else is a lie and I need more of You." Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;" (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) If any man is in Christ he is a new creation If you are in Christ joined to Him you are a new creation. It is the union of the human spirit with Christ through the Spirit of God. If any man is in Christ that person is a new creature we might even say that person is a different kind of human being than the one born in Adam. Now the Greek says, "old things are passed over" as it pertains to this spiritual union. You and I are not united to Christ in the soul man and in the body. These old things are passed over as it pertains to the spiritual resurrection in Christ, My body, soul man are still here. The same for you, nothing passed away not any of it, but right now if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed over in other words. The old nature none of it is incorporated into the new creation in Jesus Christ. Old things are passed over, behold all things in that spiritual union with Christ are become new and all things are out from God. But none of the new creation is out from us. Can we see that the separation of the new and the old here is utter and total. That we are united with Christ in spirit and all things that are of God are out from Him or of His life. All of it comes out from Christ we are the source of nothing. This is the way God needs to put us through experiences whereby our natural man is broken, whereby we can be free to experience all that is coming out from Christ. It all begins in 2 Corinthians 4:7, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (2 Corinthians 4:7) It is a description between soul and spirit in each Believer. Verse six says, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6) The effect of it in other words, an excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Just as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17 we are in Christ and old things are passed over and now all things are out from God that the excellency of the power may be out from Christ with whom we are one and not out from us. So the necessity of the trial of our faith and even suffering happens so that the old man may be crucified that we may be set free from its power and recognize it so that we can walk in the excellency of the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. You know we are going to have seasons as did Job where we are perplexed and just do not have any answers. And God is not giving them. We are going to be persecuted (systematic vexation) if not by other people then the enemy. We are going to be forsaken it would seem forsaken certainly by people, but never by God. We must believe this. You will notice in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul gives us these possibilities that will cause suffering. Paul writes, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) But none of these are stated to destroy a person if they are in Christ.
While in a trial, while the suffering continues God makes a way of escape, but that way of escape is not out of the trial that way of escape is into Christ while still in the trial so that we might be able to bear it without ill effects to our faith and it is the only way that it can be for us to overcome, for us to have victory is for us to realize Christ and to be set free.
If God delivered us from out of trials we would never be set free from our old nature. Do you know nowhere in the Bible did God just deliver anyone? In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul rehearses these trials in verses 8-9 and he says in verse 10 on the heels of these possibilities of Trials and sufferings, "Always bearing about in the body;" that’s the natural man that is not united with Christ." Always bearing about in that part of our makeup in our flesh.
That is where we bear in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. This is a process that is ongoing despite the fact that we are crucified with Christ and planted into His death. God wants to bring us to where the cross of Jesus Christ actually has an impact of death upon that old man that is not united with Christ. We have to by faith lose our life to Him as these trials and sufferings unfold. If we will do that and bare about in those dimensions of our make up the dying of the LORD Jesus then the life of Jesus is going to be released in us.
We are going to see Jesus we are going to know Him. Our mind will be renewed and it is going to filter down through out from Jesus to the point where our knowledge and realization of Him begins to govern our natural man. We are never going to be perfect in this life We are always going to be in a process of coming to know Him, but the inward realization of Jesus and it is out from Him as the source into us by the Spirit. It is going to affect our whole man one way or the other Keep in mind that Christ is the source of all that is of God. He is the source of life and truth and it is only as we grow to know Him and know that God has put all things in Him for the Believer that all things are out from God FOR the Believer.

WTFMT 79 (from 11 Aug HGM)

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-79 TEXT: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." (Hosea 2:14)

I. DESPAIR

A. Between the wandering and the discoveries there are two key aspects. Before the first discovery can be made in your wandering you will need the first key. The first key to discovery is despair. What a awful key! It is too horrendous and personal to be viewed as a key let alone used as one.

B. But don't worry. You do not have to recognize despair as a key. God without your understanding will still turn the lock on your door of opportunity. Discoveries cannot be realized if you are supplied with 40 heavily laden camels. We have enough food and water, a large and sturdy tent, servants, and gold. All your heart desire you have.

C. Somehow God separates you from your bountiful provisions if indeed you had them in the first place. You then have very little. Please accept this little bottle of water and few loaves (fist size) of bread.

D. This limited provision (strength) is not going to last for many days. It is not suppose to last long. It is designed only for the purpose of getting you deep into the wilderness. You cannot get out on your low provisions and failing strength. Thus you are allured into traveling into the wilderness as our text expresses. Allured into the wilderness, "to speak to her heart." (Greek)

E. We are given enough by our heavenly Father to get us into the wilderness. We go into the wilderness on the strength of the provisions given, following the Lord. (He will be there to meet with us) There in the wilderness our greatest discovery will be the most insignificant in our own eyes. We will discover our own weakness.

F. Entering the wilderness is done with the strength which one already has. There in the wilderness that strength is spent. Then when the one who entered the wilderness comes out she is leaning on her beloved, "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee." (Song 8:5)

G. She exhausted herself. She has spent the provisions and strength which enabled her to journey into the wilderness. This is necessary, this what God wants, and this is His plan. Therefore God cannot send us into the wilderness with a great supply.

H. Some refuse the wilderness as part of their Christian living. They miss that which God had planned for them. They were to come out of the wilderness with additions of great riches. God designed to enrich their lives. I. When the one in Song of Songs went into the wilderness she was not leaning on her beloved, but when she comes out she was. "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? "Leaning on the Beloved" (of invaluable worth) was gained while spending time with God (her Beloved) in the wilderness.

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

A. This picturesque arrangement as far as the will and the desire of God are concerned is absolutely essential!

B. Discovery! Revelation! How wonderful they are. They are so tasty that we consider ourselves as having arrived and eaten the total provisions of God. Actually after despair we have just made the very first and foundational discovery. We are just getting started.