There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. (Deuteronomy 28:6)
The blessings of the law are not canceled. Jesus confirmed the promise when He bore the penalty. If I keep the commands of my Lord, I may appropriate this promise without question.
This day I will come in to my house without fear of evil tidings, and I will come in to my closet expecting to hear good news from my Lord. I will not be afraid to come in unto myself by self-examination, nor to come in to my affairs by a diligent inspection of my business. I have a good deal of work to do indoors, within my own soul; oh, for a blessing upon it all, the blessing of the Lord Jesus, who has promised to abide with me.
I must also go out. Timidity makes me wish that I could stay within doors and never go into the sinful world again. But I must go out in my calling, and I must go out that I may be helpful to my brethren and useful to the ungodly. I must be a defender of the faith and an assailant of evil. Oh, for a blessing upon my going out this day! Lord, let me go where Thou leadest, on Thy errands, under Thy command, and in the power of Thy Spirit.
Lord Jesus, turn in with me and be my guest; and then walk out with me and cause my heart to burn while You speak with me by the way.
Do Not Sin in Your Sufferings Psalm 4:4; Matthew 6:14; 18:21–35; Ephesians 4:26
Keep God’s covenant in your trials. Hold yourself by His blessed word, and do not sin. Flee anger, wrath, grudging, envying, fretting. Forgive a hundred pence to your fellow servant, because your Lord has forgiven you ten thousand talents. For I assure you by the Lord, your adversaries shall get no advantage against you, except you sin and offend your Lord in your sufferings.
SAMUEL RUTHERFORD
Ritzema, E., & Vince, E. (Eds.). (2013). 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Focus on Jesus, and Shake Off All Terrors Isaiah 7:14; Luke 2:52; John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Colossians 2:8–10; 1 Timothy 3:16
Whenever you are occupied in the matter of your salvation, setting aside all curious speculations of God’s unsearchable majesty, all cogitations of works, of traditions, of philosophy, indeed and of God’s law too, run straight to the manger, and embrace this infant, and the Virgin’s little babe in your arms, and behold him as he was born, sucking, growing up, conversant among men, teaching, dying, rising again, ascending up above all the heavens, and having power above all things. By this means you will be able to shake off all terrors and errors, like as the sun drives away the clouds.
MARTIN LUTHER
Ritzema, E. (2013). 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Reformation. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
18:21 The phrase “two opinions” uses the Hebrew word saif, which means “crutches made from two sticks.” So an alternative translation might be, “How long will you limp about on two crutches?” The point of this metaphor was not about wavering between two opinions, but about the damage Israel was doing to itself by refusing to follow the Lord.[1]
18:21you go limping The Hebrew word pasach, denoting “pass over,” “spring over,” or “limp,” can also imply “jump” or “hop” (see v. 26).
opinions The Hebrew word used here, sa’ip, typically refers to the boughs of a tree (Isa 17:6; Ezek 31:6, 8) or clefts in a rock (Isa 2:21; 57:5), but it also can refer to divided thoughts (Job 4:13; 20:2). The usage here creates the image of a bird hopping between branches or rock clefts.
18:21limping. The rare Hebrew verb pasakh occurs again in v. 26, where the prophets of Baal “limped around the altar.” The irregular steps of their ritual dance portray an inability to move properly. The worship of the people is no better than the worship of these prophets, as they refuse to choose between the Lord and Baal but look to retain both options.[3]
18:21 hesitate between two opinions. Lit. “limp along on or between two twigs.” Israel had not totally rejected the Lord, but was seeking to combine worship of Him with the worship of Baal. The issue posed by Elijah was that Israel had to choose who was God, the Lord or Baal, and then serve God wholeheartedly. Rather than decide by his message, Elijah sought a visible sign from heaven.[4]
18:21 — “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”
At some point, we have to make up our minds: Will we serve God or not? Is He who He claims to be, or not? We have to take a stand and move on from there. No one can “keep their options open” forever.[5]
Ver. 21. How long halt ye between two opinions?—
Elijah’s appeal to the undecided:—
I. First, you will note that the prophet insisted upon the distinction which existed between the worship of Baal and the worship of Jehovah.
II. In the second place, the prophet calls these waverers to an account for the amount of time which they had consumed in making their choice.
III. But the prophet charges these people with the absurdity of their position.
IV. The multitude who had worshipped Jehovah and Baal, and who were now undecided, might reply, “But how do you know that Jehovah is God? How do you know we are not decided in opinion?”
V. And now the prophet cries, “If the Lord be God, follow Him; if Baal, then follow him”; and in so doing he states the ground of his practical claim.
VI. And now I make my appeal to the halters and waverers, with some questions, which I pray the Lord to apply. Now I will put this question to them: “How long halt ye?” When Elijah says, that “The God that answereth by fire let him be God,” I fancy I hear some of them saying, “No; the God that answereth by water let him be God; we want rain badly enough.” “No,” said Elijah, “if rain should come, you would say that it was the common course of providence; and that would not decide you.” I tell you, all the providences that befall you undecided ones will not decide you. God may surround you with providences; He may surround you with frequent warnings from the deathbed of your fellows; but providences will never decide you. It is not the God of rain, but the God of fire that will do it. There are two ways in which you undecided ones will be decided by and by. You that are decided for God will want no decision; you that are decided for Satan will want no decision; you are on Satan’s side, and must dwell for ever in eternal burning. But these undecided ones want something to decide them, and will have either one of the two things; they will either have the fire of God’s Spirit to decide them, or else the fire of eternal judgment, and that will decide them. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The conflict on Carmel:—
1. Now, from this stirring incident, I learn that we must be prepared like Elijah to stand alone for God. Examine the biographies of great men, and you will not find a brighter example of sanctified courage than that which shone in the man of God on Carmel. Think of it! One man against a whole nation! Here was a Reformer, who had the patience of the ox, the courage of the lion, the eye of the eagle, and the intelligence of the man. Prince Bismarck once said in a characteristic epigram, “We Germans fear God, and nothing else in the world.” This was especially true of Elijah, the Whirlwind Prophet, who struck Ahab pale with fright. Fearing God so much, he feared man so little. He was as a mighty rock standing alone in the midst of a stormy sea, braving and outliving the tempest. Take your stand for God wherever you may be, either in the office, or the shop, the workroom, or the home. You, like Elijah, have a Carmel. See that you play the man, and quit yourself right bravely.
2. From the incident on Carmel I also learn that the most of men are desirous of worshipping God and Baal at the same time. This is what the Israelites wanted to do, for you must know that the worship of idols was not proposed as a substitute for, but an accompaniment to, the worship of Jehovah. They wanted to do an impossibility—to amalgamate opposites. This God would not have, and will not allow to-day. Men must be either one thing or the other. Religions diametrically opposed cannot both be right. Things which are contradictory cannot be reconciled. You cannot have an altar to Baal and an altar to Jehovah standing side by side. Mark Antony is said to have yoked two lions to his chariot, but there are two lions which can never be yoked—the Church and the world. Yet men everywhere are trying to win the smile of the world and the “well done” of Christ. They want to serve God and Baal at the same time.
3. From my text I gather the further lesson that all men are called upon to make a choice between God and Baal. “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.” This searching remonstrance uttered by the solitary witness on Carmel is perhaps still more impressive in the original, for one rendering gives, “How long limp ye on two knees?” He likens them to a cripple hobbling along, first on one knee and then on another. Another translation gives the question thus, “How long hop ye on two sprays?” like a bird which keeps hopping from bough to bough and is never still, and consequently never builds a nest.
4. Our text also clearly shows that God has given to us the power of choice, which power involves tremendous responsibility. We are endowed with the power of will, and are not to be like those derelicts that go floating about in the Atlantic and never reach any port. God asks us to take the evidence for and against, and then deliberately decide whether or not He is to be our king.
5. And in this matter God has not left us without evidence of His superiority over Baal. Still the infallible test is “The God that answereth by fire let Him be God.” If you will sit down and compare the claims of God and the claims of Baal, you will soon see which God has the sole right to your worship. If we translate Elijah’s speech into nineteenth-century English, it simply means this, Will you have Christ or Barabbas; God or self? God can do what Baal cannot! An eminent evangelist once declared in a newspaper controversy that he was prepared any day, at a few hours’ notice, to summon five hundred witnesses, ready to declare upon oath, if need be, the truth of that Gospel of Salvation from the power of sin which every week he preached. To-day the cry rings forth, “The God that answereth by saved men, let Him be God.” There can be no comparison between the claims of Christ and the claims of the world.
6. I beg you to observe that God calls for immediate decision. You are this day to decide between God and the devil. Some of you have been halting till your hair has grown grey. How much longer are you going to fly from bough to bough? (W. C. Minifie, B.D.)
Indecision:—
A more striking appeal is scarcely to be found in the whole volume of inspiration. It was delivered under circumstances peculiarly impressive, and by one of the most eminent and most honoured among the prophets.
I. As to the nature of this indecision in religion.
II. Let us then consider the grounds and causes of this indecision. The source of all this evil is the deceitfulness of the human heart.
1. The love of the world.—The Apostle St. John has left it upon record, that this disposition is totally inconsistent with the love of God. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world,” &c.
2. The fear of the world.—Nothing is more certain, than that the disposition and habits of the great majority of mankind, even in a Christian country, are totally and radically opposed to the precepts of the Gospel; and the world loves its own: and if any are not of the world, it beholds them with aversion.
3. The fashion of the world.—Under this term, I include the example and authority of those with whom we are conversant; or to whom it is customary to appeal.
III. The unreasonableness of this principle.
1. It is unreasonable, on account of the great importance of the subject.
2. Something, perhaps, might be said in vindication of indifference and indecision, if these things were only obscurely revealed; but the fact is, that as we are more interested in the knowledge of salvation, than of all other things, so is the will of God most distinctly made known in respect to it. (Christian Observer.)
Elijah on Carmel:—
I. An alternative presented. The alternative lay between Jehovah and Baal, and the object of this national gathering was to decide which was to be Israel’s God. Notice the different elements composing this gathering.
II. An inconsistency exposed. The inconsistency lay in blending the claims of Jehovah and Baal. Many, apparently, had no objection to divide their allegiance, their only concern being to keep on good terms with the ruling powers. The service of God is an exclusive service, it admits of no compromise. This truth is put in language of unmistakable clearness by lips that cannot err—“No man can serve two masters. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.”
1. A religious compromise, it is sometimes said, is surely better than no religion at all. However plausible this may sound, we are bound to say that, from the nature of the case, it is an absurd position. A compromise in religion is, to say the least, unmanly and hypocritical; it is an attempt to pass off for what you are not.
2. Such conduct yields no satisfaction to the waverer. The troubles arising from indecision are endless. The man who will not take a decided stand exposes himself to the constant banter of his companions, and there is no end of annoyance to the man who cannot say, No.
3. Divided service is dishonouring to God. Why? Because it puts Him on a level with Baal, and robs Him of the glory which is His sole due. If you worship two or more gods at the same time, you put them on an equal footing; and the God of heaven has told us, in a way not to be mistaken, that He will not share His glory with another. A divided heart will not satisfy the Maker of it.
III. A decision demanded. The assemblage on Carmel was, for the most part, wavering between the claims of Jehovah and Baal, and Elijah urged them to take a side. The reasons for immediate decision are powerful and urgent. Time is short, the matter is of supreme moment, and there is no middle ground. You have to be either on the one side or on the other. Let no unmanly fears sway your choice. Be a Daniel, and if need be stand alone. Be an Elijah, a champion for God and the truth. (D. Merson, M.A., B.D.)
The Prophet’s Question:—
I. Hear the text, for it speaks simply of—
1. Two opinions. Like others they tried to do both. Few like this in worldly matters. Some render this: “How long hop ye from twig to twig?” They were—uneasy: unhappy: unstable.
2. Two Gods. Baal. An ancient god: a spreading religion: a gaudy and costly religion: all this very attractive. God. The only God: The only God we need the only true God we can have.
3. Two positions. Halting and following: show the difference.
II. Hear the prophet, for he speaks pointedly. Notice—
1. His manner. Firm: fearless: faithful.
2. His opportunity. Before all the people. How willingly he embraced it.
3. His question. “How long?” &c. They had already had time. They had time then. God did not want time. He could receive them at once.
III. Hear the preacher, for he speaks earnestly. Enlarge upon the theme, and address those who halt concerning—
1. God’s ordinances.
2. God’s service.
3. God’s people—i.e., joining them.
4. God Himself. (W. J. Mayers.)
Halting between two Opinions:—
I. This indecision is justly condemned.
1. It is not honest. It exists rather in appearance than in reality. It is an attempt to accomplish an utter impossibility. No man can have two objects of supreme affection. So long as their hearts are not fixed supremely on God, they are the servants of mammon. In all that they seem to do for God, nothing is truly done for Him.
2. They derive no full enjoyment from religion or the world. They resort to two opposite sources of enjoyment. What they derive from one is embittered by what flows from the other.
3. They have no peace of conscience.
4. This state of mind is attended more or less with a sense of shame. Few things are more wounding to the pride of man, than conscious imbecility of purpose and character. And in no case, perhaps, is this consciousness more inevitable than in a state of indecision with respect to religion.
5. This state of mind is full of danger. If such are not sooner or later discouraged, and led to abandon all thoughts of becoming religious, nothing will be effected, as the result of such a course. Indecision never did anything to the purpose in worldly pursuits, much less in religion. Analyse this state of mind, and you will see that it must be so. An undecided purpose is the want of all purpose. At the same time it has an awfully deceptive influence. The openly profligate can hardly admit that he is either right or safe. He can at least be more easily shown his danger. But the man who imagines himself but at a little distance from the path of rectitude and safety, who supposes at most but a few steps need be taken to reach it, and who perhaps persuades himself that he is fast approaching it, has of all men most cause for alarm. While the real danger of his condition is as great as that of any other, he is blind to the fact.
6. This state of mind is highly criminal. Whether Jehovah or Baal be God, he is the supreme good, the being who has a right to command; he ought to be obeyed. These obligations exist somewhere. We cannot annul or lessen them. We are created, we are upheld, we are blessed in this world, we are capable of joy and blessedness through eternity. There is one to whom we owe all that we are and possess. This being is Jehovah or Baal; there cannot be more than one supreme God. There must be one. There can be no conflicting claims, no compromise of services.
II. The text enforces the duty of deciding who is truly God, and of serving him, whether Jehovah or mammon, God or the world. This may be done by considering what they are in themselves, what they have done for you, and what they can and will do for you.
1. What they are in themselves.
2. Consider what they have done for you.
3. What can the world, what can God do for you? (N. W. Taylor, D.D.)
God’s call to undecided souls:—
I. This Word of God does not come to the dull, the dead, the sleeping sinner. There are some of whom you cannot say that they are halting between two opinions. That awful stillness—I dare not call it a calm—that awful stillness which pervades their spiritual being has not been broken. They are led, blindfolded, by the devil; and there does not seem even to be a wish—not to say an effort—there does not seem even to be a wish to shake off that fold which is over their eyes. One opinion they are quite settled in; and that is, that sin is sweet, that the world is sweet, that self is sweet, and that sin, the world, and self are all satisfying objects. To them the word cannot be said to come—“How long halt ye between two opinions?” But it is not so with all. Besides those who have no care for their souls and those who have learned to prize Jesus Christ as a Saviour, there is a third class—the class of awakened, interested, inquiring, anxious souls; and unto them does this word come, “How long halt ye?” Their stillness has been broken; their eyes, as it were, have been opened a little; a few dashes of light have broken in upon them; a fresh opinion has forced itself upon them now and then. As yet, indecision is their great characteristic.
II. Let us notice, in the next place, the objects between which they halt. What were those objects in Israel’s case? Baal and Jehovah the great God of Israel! What is there on the one side? On the one side there are objects, of which you have proved, and even confess, that they are unsatisfying. There are things which you know are empty things. There are courses which you know, which conscience tells you too plainly, must end in disappointment, and in sorrow and death. There are habits which only strengthen the cords of corruption, and draw you more and more into sin. There are pleasures which, alas! you know too often end in pain. There are sweets which, alas! you know crumble to very gall and bitterness when a man puts them in his mouth. There is that upon the one side; and what on the other? God. God, who is the source of all life; God, who is the fountain of all joy; God, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift; God, who is the perfection of every thing which the really enlightened soul can long for and enjoy; God is upon the other side, God the Father calls you.
III. Let us consider the reasons why they halt. One reason I would venture to speak of is ignorance. But I can say that there is ignorance of the danger of indecision. But besides this there is ignorance of the blessedness of following God. Then again, besides this ignorance there is unbelief, from which indeed ignorance springs. Then another reason is this—unbelief and ignorance spring from the carnal corruption of man’s fallen nature. (C. D. Marston.)
Decision for God:—
Our first inquiry will be:—
I. Who are they that halt between two opinions? They are not far to seek, nor difficult to describe. They may differ widely among themselves, but there are some points in which they all agree. We may say concerning all such that they are more or less enlightened in things divine. Moreover, the knowledge they possess makes them dissatisfied with their present condition. Their consciences tell them that if Christianity be true—and of this they have not the slightest doubt—their state is far from satisfactory. They know the destructive influence of sin here, and the terrible consequences of sin hereafter, and yet they remain in its power. They know that those who believe the Gospel enjoy liberty, are set free from condemnation, are made heirs of glory; and yet they are not believers, they have not obeyed the truth, and consequently they cannot claim these privileges—their position is that of men longing for something which they have not determined to seek. Our next inquiry will be:—
II. Why do men halt between two opinions? Some halt because they have never given the subject of religion that earnest, thoughtful, prayerful consideration which it deserves. Others halt because the interests of this life occupy too large a share of their attention. Others halt because they have not sufficient courage to abandon their present course of life. Others halt because they look forward to a time when it will be easier to decide. This leads me to call your attention to
III. The immense danger of halting between two opinions. The longer you halt, the harder it will be to decide. Thus your chief object in halting is effectually defeated. Whatever may be your difficulties now, depend upon it, time will only increase their strength and add to their number. We know how speedily habits are formed, and how difficult it is to cast them off. They throw around us cords and fetters which we endeavour in vain to break through. Again, our time is very uncertain. Though the future were quite as advantageous as the present, though it were quite as easy to seek God’s peace next year as this, it would be the height of imprudence to put the matter off until then; for the future is so very doubtful that you cannot reasonably build the slightest hope upon it. “Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Finally, the loss you may incur by halting will be irreparable. (D. Rowlands, B.A.)
Indecision in religion:—
In regard to the state of things existing at that time in Israel, we may remark—
(1) That a large portion of the nation was decidedly inclined to the worship of Baal.
(2) There were some who were as decidedly the friends of Jehovah. They were indeed few in number.
(3) There was another, and evidently a large class, that was undecided. This was the class which Elijah particularly addressed in the text. The doctrine which is, therefore, taught in this passage, is the unreasonableness of indecision on the subject of religion. In discoursing on it, my object will be,
I. To classify those who are thus undecided.
1. Those who are thus undecided may be regarded as comprising the following classes.
(1) Those who are undecided about the truth or reality of religion at all, or of any system of religion. They embrace no system; they make no pretensions to any religion. They are lookers-on in the world, and observers of the various forms and systems of worship, professing liberality to all, and manifesting a preference for none.
(2) A second class is composed of those who hesitate between Christianity and infidelity.
(3) There are those, as a third class, who are awakened to see their guilt, and who are hesitating about giving up their hearts to God. They see that they are sinners.
(4) A fourth class is made up of those who are constantly forming resolutions to attend to the subject of religion, and to become decided Christians.
(5) A fifth class is made up of those who are undecided about making a profession of religion. That it is a duty they feel and admit; and it is a duty which they often purpose to perform.
II. Reasons why a decision should be made without delay.
(1) The first is, that our great interests, if we have any great interests, or any that are much worth regarding, are on the subject of religion. If this be so, then religion is the last thing that should remain unsettled and undetermined.
(2) You would suffer no other matter to remain undecided as this does. If you are sick, you leave no means untried to secure returning health. If you were in as much danger of becoming a bankrupt as you are of losing the soul, you would give yourself no rest until, if possible, you should feel yourself safe.
(3) It is possible to come to a decision on this subject; and if possible, an affair of so much importance should not remain undecided.
(4) The things about which a man is to decide are few in number, and may easily be determined. In our text, it was a simple choice which was to be made. There were but two objects before the mind, and the call was to determine which of them was to be acknowledged as God. So it is still.
(5) This state of mind must be one that is infinitely displeasing to God.
(6) You will never be in circumstances more favourable for a decision than the present.
(7) I add but one other consideration. The present is the only time which you may have to decide this point. To-morrow may find you in another world. To-morrow God may have decided the question for ever. (D. Barnes, D.D.)
A call to decision:—
I. What are we to understand by halting between two opinions? Literally, how long hop ye about on two boughs? This is a metaphor taken from birds hopping about from bough to bough, not knowing on which to settle—balanced between opposing claims. To halt is to stop, to hesitate between opposite interests. Paul was balanced between a life of usefulness on earth and a life of enjoyment in heaven. The people, in the days of Elijah, were balanced between the worship of an idol and the worship of the God of heaven. Multitudes in our day are balanced between heaven and hell; two contrary influences acting upon them, as though God and heaven and holy beings were pulling one way, and the fiends of darkness and hell pulling the other, and they halt between the two claims.
II. What are the causes of this halting?
1. The influence of the Spirit of God on the mind. This may seem strange, but we think it will be evident to you. The Spirit of God is not directly, but indirectly, the cause. He produces such effects on the head and heart, by the doctrines of the Bible, that the sinner is made to see his position, to see the awful future, to see the consequences of moving on in that direction, to see hell at the end of the path. He halts, stops to ponder whether to go backward or forward. Man is a free agent. “What is that?” says one. I answer, a power to choose or reject. There is a consciousness within you that you possess this power, and all the reasoning in the world cannot make a thing more clear to you than consciousness.
2. Secondly, heart weights. Many of you know something about these heart weights. You have had considerable experience in these matters. You have many a time been troubled by abstractions of mind, vacancy of thought, secret uneasiness. Sometimes that unbidden tear has stolen down your cheeks, and you could scarcely tell why—some unaccountable alarm about the future—some undefined dread of some all-pervading spirit fixing a searching gaze upon you.
3. You are unwilling to pay the price. (J. Caughey.)
Immediate decision:—
1. For different reasons, unconverted persons postpone deciding this question. They await a more convenient season—until after they get married, settled down, make money, grow old. I would not limit the mercy of God.
2. Reasons why the unconverted should make an immediate decision:—
(1) You have the power to decide. Not independent of God. But aided by the power that God is ever ready to bestow, you can decide.
(2) Decide, because in no other way can you be happy.
(3) Decide, because your present example is injurious.
(4) Decide, because God has the first claim upon you.
(5) Decide, because the time is short. I wish the unconverted to remember—
1. That, if they neglect—neglect, that’s all—this salvation, they have no Scriptural warrant whatever for believing that they will be saved.
2. That they have almost to force their way to perdition.
3. Remember, there is nothing that stands between the sinner and salvation but sin, and that comes from himself. (Silas Henn.)
The great alternative:—
I. The great alternative.
II. Distraction within the kingdom. Within this spiritual realm are opposing forces which contend with one another, and there is deep unsettlement, a harassing and restless indecision.
1. Conscience insists that we ought to live unto Him from whom we came.
2. The heavenly voices and the best human voices summon us to consecrate our powers to duty and holy service.
3. Prudence, wisdom, exhorts us to seek God while He may be found (Isa. 55:6).
III. The one wise course. Why halt and hesitate?
1. Indecision is
(1) unmanly: we have our mental faculties that we may conclude and act. A man should know his mind and use his strength. It is
(2) guilty: God has a right to require immediate obedience. Jesus Christ has a right to require acceptance and the service of a whole life. We have no right to keep Him waiting.
(3) It is wasteful: for while we are halting and choosing life is passing; and with the passage of our life there are left behind us opportunities that are unemployed and that will not recur. Delay is death, in part if not indeed altogether; for
(4) it is perilous in a very high degree. Duty seems less imperative and service less inviting the longer it is neglected. And
(5) it is miserable. (William Clarkson, B.A.)
On the fence in religious matters:—
I. The condition of those who try to serve the world and Christ at the same time, by compromising the matter.
II. The condition of those who have grace in their heart, but have not decided to make profession of it.
III. The indecision of those who do not know what is the time to attend to religion. There are two clarion voices in that man’s soul. The one says, “Now.” The other says, “To-morrow.” (T. De Witt Talmage.)
Indecision:—
Generally speaking, a strict consistency is maintained betwixt the character of a man and the object of his pursuit. His actions bear a conclusive testimony as to the nature of his individual purpose. There is a oneness of his whole being with the matter at issue. As his companion, you are left to no uncertain guess-work in determining the uppermost thing which engrosses his thoughts, concentrates his affections, quickens his desires, or invigorates his endeavours. The worldling is ever true to the worldling’s creed; his god will not allow of any dereliction of duty, of any niggardness of service, of any neglects or deficiencies in the homage required. Let thus ambition be the ruling idol—and the devotedness of his powers proves the sincerity of his affiance. Let wealth be the ruling idol—and his “rising up early, and sitting up late, and eating the bread of carefulness,” show how perfect is the agreement betwixt him and the influence which presides.
I. First, indecision in its nature and prevalence.
1. In its nature. The mass of society does not consist of only two descriptions of persons—those who are eminently pious and those who are flagrantly wicked—but there is also an intermediate class, the victims of indecision; bespeaking that state of the mind and the heart which, instead of cleaving wholly to God, or yielding altogether to the world, alternates with both; an indecision which, as if passive to the influence of opposite claims, bends now to the one and now to the other, as accident or circumstances shall determine—now governed by the human, now by the Divine claims; an indecision that in seeking to couple the allegiance of two masters is a traitor to both—admitting, more or less, the force of Gospel statements, the powerful appeals of “the truth as it is in Jesus,” while the occasion lasts, so that there is a sort of turning to Him, and being again open to the seductions of sensual objects, so that there is a turning to them; an equiponderant weight, having no settled place, but shifting to this side or that, as the case may be—the opponents pitching and pulling the man now hither and now thither, as if in contention for his whole captivity—the voice of the one saying “You are mine,” and that of the other saying “You are mine,” and the man is neither’s.
2. The prevalence of indecision. By far the larger mass of all our congregations is composed of the undecided. Thousands say their prayers, who do not pray; thousands verbally assent to the truths of Christ, where there is nothing but the dead letter, where there is no spirit, no demonstration, no power.
II. Indecision in its causes. And these are multiform.
1. One is pride. This is ever lingering within us, checking the fulness of our reliance upon God.
2. Indecision, again, arises from ignorance—ignorance of the relative value and comparative importance of things.
3. Indecision springs from our sloth. It is the reverse of the effort to maintain “a good confession.” Decision in being “on the Lord’s side,” involves the necessity of great and painful self-denial.
4. Indecision proceeds from the love of the world. Whilst the heart is buried there, how can it be given to another? The affections cannot be placed upon two objects diametrically opposed to each other.
5. Indecision sometimes arises from the fear of man. It partakes of that moral cowardice which shrinks from the names that the malicious may invent to stigmatise, or the oppressions which the powerful may bear down upon an honest profession; though perhaps the fear of ridicule may tend more to prevent religious decision than the edicts of the sternest persecution.
6. Indecision has another cause in presumption.
7. Indecision has a cause in the neglect of prayer—of prayer for the assistance of that Holy Spirit, who being the “Guide into all truth,” enables us to apprehend all the mysteries of godliness.
III. Indecision in its consequences. And these are full of evil.
1. Indecision, in the first place, is an insult to the authority and the character of God.
2. Indecision works evil upon others. Every man, whether he thinks it or not, is surrounded by witnesses; and the world is sharp sighted in observing those flaws of inconsistency which bring so many professions of religion into contempt; where such as attend its ordinances, only leave them to exhibit the selfishness, the covetousness, and the earthly-mindedness of the natural man.
3. The undecided are the self-deceived. A hope is begotten which will never be realised; their daydream of good, as a dream, cheats them with its images and all passes away in air.
4. The undecided, again, are criminal. “Whatsoever,” it is said, “is not of faith is sin.”
5. The undecided man is the unrecompensed man; self excluded from the privileges to be enjoyed within the Christian pale. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways; let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.”
6. The undecided man is the unsafe man. Hanging doubtfully, as betwixt two worlds, he has two worlds around him; he neither belongs to this world, nor to that kingdom which Christ said “is not of this world.”
7. The undecided man is a condemned man. He being “neither hot nor cold,” presents a state of Divine rejection. To die is to die under the ban of utter retribution. It is said that “the fearful and unbelieving shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.” (T. J. Judkin, M.A.)
Elijah’s appeal to the undecided:—
I. First, you will note that the prophet insisted upon the distinction which existed between, the worship of Baal and the worship of Jehovah.
II. In the second place, the prophet calls these waverers to an account for the amount of time which they had consumed in making their choice. Some of them might have replied, “We have not yet had an opportunity of judging between God and Baal, we have not yet had time enough to make up our minds”; but the prophet puts away that objection, and he says, “How long halt ye between two opinions? How long? For three years and a half not a drop of rain has fallen at the command of Jehovah; is not that proof enough? Ye have been all this time, three years and a half, expecting till I should come, Jehovah’s servant, and give you rain; and yet, though you yourselves are starving, your cattle dead, your fields parched, and your meadows covered with dust, like the very deserts, yet all this time of judgment, and trial, and affliction, has not been enough for you to make up your minds. How long, then,” said he, “halt ye between two opinions?”
III. But the prophet charges these people with the absurdity of their position. Some of them said, “What! prophet, may we not continue to halt between two opinions? We are not desperately irreligious, so we are better than the profane; certainly we are not thoroughly pious; but, at any rate, a little piety is better than none, and the mere profession of it keeps us decent, let us try both!” “Now,” says the prophet, “how long halt ye?” or, if you like to read it so, “how long limp ye between two opinions?” (how long wriggle ye between two opinions? would be a good word if I might employ it.) He represents them as like a man whose legs are entirely out of joint; he first goes on one side, and then on the other, and cannot go far either way.
IV. The absurdity of this halting. The multitude who had worshipped Jehovah and Baal, and who were now undecided, might reply, “But how do you know that we do not believe that Jehovah is God? How do you know we are not decided in opinion?” The prophet meets this objection by saying, “I know you are not decided in opinion, because you are not decided in practice. If God be God, follow Him; if Baal, follow him.
V. And now the prophet cries, “If the Lord be God, follow Him; if Baal, then follow him,” and in so doing he states the ground of his practical claim. Let your conduct be consistent with your opinions.
VI. Now I will put this question: “How long halt ye?” I will tell them; ye will halt between two opinions, all of you who are undecided, until God shall answer by fire. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Decision of character:—
I. Gives a statement of opposite claims. There are many Baals in our land. What are they? Examine them. Hear their claims. We shall mention four:
1. Worldly gain.
2. Sensual pleasures. Nothing is more deceptive than the pleasures of the world; and the young have the greatest need to guard against indulging in them.
3. Vain speculation. In every age there have been those who have set up their own feeble reason in opposition to the word of God. We live in a day when knowledge is more extensively diffused, and there is in many, who once lived in ignorance, a thirst for information; and this tends to prepare the way for the increased progress and success of the Gospel.
4. Pharisaic pride.
II. Requires a spirit of fixed decision.
1. It is important in its nature.
2. It is uncompromising in its demands.
3. It is satisfactory in its evidence.
4. It is beneficial in its results.
5. It is urgent in its claims. It is to be done without delay. (Ebenezer Temple.)
An undecided character:—
Against this impulse [to act and end suspense] we have the dread of the irrevocable, which often engenders a type of character incapable of prompt and vigorous resolve, except perhaps when surprised into sudden activity. These two opposing motives twine round whatever other motives may be present at the moment when decision is imminent, and tend to precipitate or retard it. The conflict of these motives so far as they alone affect the matter of decision is a conflict as to when it shall occur. One says “now,” the other says “not yet.” (James, “Psychology.”)
The call for decision:—
I believe, for my part, that the most of the life of the bulk of men is lived without any adequate exercise of their own deliberate volition and determination. Sadly, too, many of us seem to think that Nansen’s way of getting to the North Pole is the best way of getting through the world—to put ourselves into a current and let it carry us. We drift. We do not decide, or, if we do, we let deliberate choice be coerced by inclination, and let wishes put their claws into the scale, and drag it down. Or we allow our environment to settle a large part of our beliefs and of our practices. It must settle a great deal of both for all of us, and none of us can get rid of the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere, but we are meant to be hammers and not anvils; to mould circumstances, not to be battered and moulded by them; to exercise a deliberate choice, and not to be like dead fish in the river, who are carried by the stream, or like derelicts in the Atlantic that go floating about for years, and never reach any port at all, but are caught by the currents, and are slaves of every wind that blows. (Alexander Maclaren, D.D.)
Half-purposes hindrances to conversion:—
Another hindrance of conversion is unresolvedness, and half-purposes; when men will hang wavering between God and the world, and though the light be never so clear to convince them, yet they will not be persuaded to resolve.… If you would be converted and saved, do not stand wavering, but resolve, and presently turn to God. If it were a doubtful business, I would not persuade you to do it rashly, or if there were any danger to your souls in resolving, then I would say no more. But when it is a case that should be beyond all dispute with men of reason, why should you stand staggering as if it were a doubtful case? What a horrible shame is it to be unresolved whether God or the world should have your hearts? Were it not a disgrace to that man’s understanding that were unresolved whether gold or dung were better? Or whether a bed of thorns or a feather bed were the easier? Or whether the sun or a clod of earth were the more light and glorious? It is a far greater shame for a man to be unresolved whether it be God or the world that must make him happy, and that should have his heart, and whether a life of sin or holiness be the better. (R. Baxter.)[6]
21. The challenge ‘How long will you go on limping (waver) between two opinions?’ (sĕ‘ippîm) can be interpreted also as hobbling between two forks (denoting tree branches or crossroads or even crutches). This is the English idiom to ‘sit on the fence’ (so neb). The clear choice is between acknowledgment of the Lord (Yahweh) or Baal. Syncretistic worship of both at the same time is impossible. Elijah alone was standing out publicly here (v. 22), though the Lord had indeed other true witnesses.[7]
[1] Lowery, K. E. (2017). 1 Kings. In T. Cabal (Ed.), CSB Apologetics Study Bible (p. 428). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Ki 18:21). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 634). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8
Faith in scripture is described as being known through all the senses:
• Faith is sight: “Look unto me, and be ye saved.” (Isaiah 45:22, KJV)
• Faith is hearing: “Hear me, that your soul may live.” (Isaiah 55:3)
• Faith is smelling: “All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.” (Psalm 45:8); “your name is like perfume poured out.” (Song of Solomon 1:3)
• Faith is spiritual touch. By this faith the woman came behind and touched the edge of Christ’s cloak (Luke 8:43-48) and likewise we handle the things of the good word of life.
• Faith is equally the spirit’s taste. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” (Psalm 119:103) “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, says Jesus, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53) This “taste” is faith in one of its highest qualities.
One of the first experiences of faith is hearing. We hear the voice of God, not with the outward ear alone, but with the inward ear. We hear it as God’s Word, and we believe it to be so; that is the “hearing” of faith.
Then our mind looks on the truth as it is presented to us. We understand it and perceive its meaning; that is the “seeing” of faith.
Next we discover its preciousness. We begin to admire it, and find how fragrant it is; that is faith in its “smell.”
Then we embrace the mercies which are prepared for us in Christ; that is faith in its “touch.”
Therefore what follows from all of these enjoyments? Peace, delight, communion – which are faith in its “taste.”
Any one of these paths to faith is saving. To hear Christ’s voice as the sure voice of God in the soul will save us. But true enjoyment is the aspect of faith where Christ, by holy taste, is received into us, and made, by inward and spiritual understanding of His sweetness and preciousness, to be the food of our souls. It is then we sit “under His shadow with great delight.” (Song of Solomon 2:3, KJV) and find His fruit sweet to our taste.
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:2-3
Question: Which way of “perceiving faith” is most effective for you, and why?
By Charles Spurgeon Used by Permission published in “Mornings & Evenings”
The “listening heart” – I love the sound of these two words whether they are spoken or read. They conjure up a quiet time, a space where you can listen to and hear what God is saying to you. Times like these can be in the middle of storms with the thunder crashing around you or in the silence of a sunrise. These are the times that are so very special and mean that we have taken the time to just “be” and simply nestle ourselves in the arms of God.
The listening heart, though, means so much more than that. It requires that we need to listen to anguished hearts of others which are not heard just as we hear God’s voice in the thunder and also the sunrise. We need to listen to the beating of another’s heart and also the silent cries of those who suffer, often in silence, and who mask their desperation from all around them.
No matter what we are doing or where we are we need to attune our “listening heart” to be aware for the need of God’s love, through us, to be shown to others.
Prayer:
Dear One, as we come to you, listening for your still, small voice, we ask that you help us also to listen for the silent voices of others so that we may bring your love and comfort to them. May your Holy Spirit fill us with compassion so that we may develop a “listening heart”. Amen
Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.
CHARLES SPURGEON*
Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 300 Quotations for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
We Often Talk Vainly and To No Purpose Leviticus 19:16; Proverbs 4:24; 18:8; 26:22; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 21:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Why, indeed, do we converse and gossip among ourselves when we so seldom part without a troubled conscience? We do so because we seek comfort from one another’s conversation.… But, sad to say, we often talk vainly and to no purpose; for this external pleasure effectively bars inward and divine consolation. Therefore we must watch and pray lest time pass idly. When the right and opportune moment comes for speaking, say something that will edify.
THOMAS À KEMPIS*
Ritzema, E., & Brant, R. (Eds.). (2013). 300 quotations for preachers from the Medieval church. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Hezbollah looks to take over Lebanon’s energy needs Hezbollah has increasingly become more powerful than the State of Lebanon, conducting its foreign policy, sending fighters to wage wars on behalf of Lebanon in Syria, and now looking to have a stranglehold on the country’s energy needs. In mid-August the Iranian-backed Lebanese group said it will begin to import gasoline and diesel from Iran. Two weeks since then, Hezbollah has clarified some of the details.
Baghdad conference seen as regional turning point A unique conference in Baghdad on Saturday is supposed to bring together key regional officials and leaders, including the President of France who is in the Iraqi capital. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II have said they plan to attend. It was not clear if they had arrived in Baghdad by the morning, but Macron’s plane had flown in overnight.
Lebanon sentences four people to prison for ties with Jews or Israel A prominent physician in Australia, Jamal Rifi from Lebanon, was sentenced in absentia to ten years in prison in Lebanon for the crime of “normalization with Israel,” VOA and Albawaba reported on Wednesday. Dr. Rifi works with Sydney’s Jewish Community on a charity program that organizes treatment for Palestinians in Israeli hospitals.
Key inflation gauge rises 3.6% from a year ago to tie biggest jump since the early 1990s An inflation measure the Federal Reserve uses to set policy rose 3.6% in July from a year ago…the highest level in about 30 years. The core personal consumption expenditures price index…was unchanged from June, which was revised up one-tenth of a percentage point…That 3.6% reading equaled the Dow Jones estimate and appeared to be the highest level since May 1991.
US Navy developing weapon that blasts target’s own voice back at them leaving them unable to speak The US Navy is working on a non-lethal weapon that would render a person unable to communicate. The handheld Acoustic Hailing And Disruption (AHAD) system records a subject’s voice with a long-range microphone then amplifies it and plays it back on two distinct tracks, one nearly simultaneous with the original and another on a slight delay, perhaps a few hundred milliseconds.
Chinese Fluoride in Tap Water Worries Michigan Community The discovery that a Michigan town’s drinking water treatment plant has been adding Chinese-made fluoride to its water supply for years has some of its residents upset.
Terrorists Are Terrorists No Matter What Moniker They Fall Under Totally lost in all media reports of the ISIS-K attacks that killed at least 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghan civilians outside Hamid Karzai International Airport and at the nearby Baron Hotel yesterday?
BOMBSHELL UK data destroys entire premise for vaccine push This is an absolute game-changer. The UK government just reported the following data, tucked away in their report on variants of concern: Less than a third of delta variant deaths are in the unvaccinated. Let me say that another way – two-thirds of Delta deaths in the UK are in the jabbed.
Thirteen Service Members Killed on biden’s watch biden vowed to complete the U.S. evacuation mission in Afghanistan after at least 13 U.S. service members and dozens of others were killed in explosions outside Kabul’s airport, promising that those responsible would “pay.” It took 13 service members to be killed before biden “vows” to do something.
California lawmakers could soon impose a statewide COVID-19 vaccination mandatePosted: 27 Aug 2021 11:00 AM PDT(ETH) – After ceding power to Gov. Gavin Newsom throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, state lawmakers are now considering one of the most politically challenging government mandates yet: requiring Californians to show proof of vaccination to enter many indoor business establishments and forcing workers to get vaccinated or regularly tested.According to the Los Angeles Times, Democratic legislators leading the conversation at the state Capitol believe mandates provide an opportunity to improve vaccination rates and help lessen the effects of the Delta variant spreading through California.Continue reading California lawmakers could soon impose a statewide COVID-19 vaccination mandate at End Time Headlines.
Memo to Joe: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot MARK ALEXANDER The blood of our military personnel and the coming bloodshed of thousands of Afghan men, women, and children being readied for slaughter is on the hands of every unrepentant Biden/Harris voter.
A Massacre We Saw Coming DOUGLAS ANDREWS But because of Joe Biden’s failed leadership, our troops were sitting ducks.
Ashli Babbitt’s Shooter ‘Defends’ Himself DOUGLAS ANDREWS Lt. Michael Byrd’s rationale for shooting an unarmed woman in the U.S. Capitol building is utterly unconvincing.
TODAY’S MEME For more of today’s memes, visit the Memesters Union.
TODAY’S CARTOON For more of today’s cartoons, visit the Cartoons archive.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Every president since Bush has had to deal with this really difficult decision — Obama, Trump. But Biden is the only one who really followed through with the stupidest possible option. And now we’re paying in blood for it.” —Congressman Dan Crenshaw
“Kate Brown unfortunately turned out to be lighter than air. She didn’t know anything, she had no achievements. Under pressure, she wilted and became irrational.”
(Breitbart) Wednesday on FNC’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” host Tucker Carlson criticized the permanent nature of what he deemed “nonsensical” mandates, including masks for those regardless of their vaccination status.
He pointed to Gov. Kate Brown (D-OR), who has instituted an outdoor mask mandate for public areas regardless of one’s vaccination status.
Transcript as follows:
CARLSON: Kate Brown was first elected Governor of Oregon by the way back in 2015. At the time, there was not a whole lot going on in Oregon, so voters did not ask many questions. The one thing they did learn about Kate Brown over and over again is that she is a self-described bisexual. Why is this relevant? Well, the media did not explain, they told us without explaining what it meant that this fact was historic and it was highly thrilling.
Kate Brown’s sex life was shattering ceilings. Woo-hoo. And yet, if you looked a little closer, you’ll notice something a little bit weird, actually Kate Brown was married to a man. Yes, he had a different last name, but he was still as they say on TikTok, binary. He was a dude.
That’s fine, of course, but it was also a little bit confusing. How does having a groom at her wedding make Kate Brown an official member of the LGBTQ exclamation point community? No one bothered to ask. That kind of curiosity was forbidden. It was liking wondering why we don’t call Barack Obama half white, which he is. It’s not allowed.
Stop with the questions, celebrate. So voters in Oregon dutifully celebrated, and out from under them the world changed. Suddenly things in America went from placid to highly turbulent. That was especially true in Oregon when there was rioting by left-wing militia that went on for more than a year.
The state’s biggest city was destroyed, people died.
And then a virus arrived from China and it killed thousands. It was a very serious moment. Unfortunately, Oregon did not have a very serious leader. It had some dopey soccer mom who got elected because she claims she had a girlfriend in college.
Kate Brown unfortunately turned out to be lighter than air. She didn’t know anything, she had no achievements. Under pressure, she wilted and became irrational. She was exactly the leader you do not want in a crisis, and yet she was the governor, which in the age of corona made her very close to God and she acted like it.
Here is Kate Brown commanding Oregonians to stop going outside without their little masks on even if they have been vaccinated. View article →
Reuters reported that only half of the restaurants in Paris were complying with the vax rules earlier this month. Restaurants that require proof of vaccination are nearly empty as citizens picnic outside their doors. -GEG
Video of various cities in France protesting against the Vax Pass yesterday – they’re not all there, there were protests in 250 places – but it gives you an idea. We HAVE the numbers, we CAN defeat the globalists. Keep the faith 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/qYYnaRdZIH
Protesters have filled the German capital, as thousands turned out to demonstrate against the government’s coronavirus measures despite bans against several planned gatherings
The Fox News contributor says that the influx of migrants at the southern border and those traveling from Afghanistan could pose a national security threat. #FoxNews
So the U.S. Intelligence Community has released a declassified summary of its investigations into the origins of SARS-Cov-2 and the big bad takeaway is, “Eh, nobody really knows one way or the other:”
Joe Biden on Friday said he and Dr. Fauci discussed requiring Covid booster shots every five months.
The original plan was to offer a booster shot 8 months after the second dose.
We went from 2 doses of Covid shots – to 2 doses and one booster – to 2 doses and a booster shot every 5 months real quick.
“The question raised is should it be shorter than eight months? Should it be as little as five months? That’s being discussed. I spoke with Dr. Fauci this morning about that,” Biden said in the Oval Office with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
VIDEO:
President Biden says there are discussion with federal health officials about offering COVID booster shots as early as five months after full vaccination, rather than the previous plan of eight months: "I spoke with Dr. Fauci this morning about that" pic.twitter.com/3ER7DrZUlc
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., provides an update on Hurricane Ida’s expected impact on the Gulf Coast and criticizes Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan crisis. #FoxNews
Listen to what he said about withdrawing from Afghanistan on August 21st, 2017.
“The consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable. 9/11 the worst terrorist attack in our history was planned and directed from Afghanistan, because that country was ruled by a government that gave comfort and shelter to terrorists. A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and Al Qaeda would instantly fill, just as happened before September 11th.” – Donald Trump
The debacle that Joe Biden, his administration and the woke ‘leadership of our military have created was entirely predictable.
Everyone with half a brain could have seen this coming. In fact, it has been said that their are teenagers who play the video game Call of Duty that have more tactical awareness than the people pulling the strings on this Afghanistan withdrawal.
Just take a look at what some of the people are saying online…
“Whats not reported was that in late Feb 2020 when the withdraw agreement was inked, 4 days later Our President bombed the shit out of the Taliban because they fired on Afghan forces. Since then they cowered in their caves hoping a democrat would come along”
“President Trump was right then and Biden is 100% wrong now. The sad thing is this was all planned by Biden’s handlers. They wanted this to happen.”
“Come back soon MR PRESIDENT – WE DESPERATELY NEED YOU!!”
“That stubborn, demented, stupid ass Biden, could have had the EASIEST presidency in the history of this country. IF he would have sat back, eat his Choco Chocochip ice cream and left all of Trump’s policies in place. HELL, I bet Trump would’ve even gave Ol’Joe free advice, if he asked for it.”
“Too bad the MSM won’t show this. They are already covering Bidens butt! Such a sad state we are in with this corrupt administration”
“Afghanistan is the final straw . . . POTUS Trump, please come back and take control of the White House and our govt. . . . before it’s too late!”
“What do you know Joe? President Trump was right again.”
You would think that Democrats would love America enough to implore him to simply resign in disgrace over his horrendous performance within the first year of his presidency.
That’s just wishful thinking as they continuously prove that loving America isn’t something that Democrat ‘leadership’ does.
They may say they do when it’s a perceived political advantage, but they don’t as can easily be seen by their actions.
“My fellow Americans, the heart of our nation is broken tonight. Americans, the bravest most courageous among us lay dead in the streets of Kabul today. They were spouses, parents, family members, American patriots. They had hopes and they had dreams. They were truly the best among us. But even as the world reels and even as we grieve, the United States stands strong, our freedom remains intact. But it remains intact because there are hundreds of 1000’s of service members who are just as brave and just as ready to pay the ultimate price. But though we stand strong today, is incumbent upon We The People to be vanguards of our republic and take steps to save American lives.
In times of trial and hardship when it seems our government has failed us. We turn to our leaders for answers. We demand accountability, because that’s innately American. Inaction and indecisiveness have defined our politics for far too long. The hallmark reaction of far too many leaders today has been to rollover and surrender to do nothing. Those days are over. This is not a time for impassioned speeches followed by no action. With that in mind when I look to our commander in chief, I do not see someone who maliciously makes poor decisions. And yet today we witnessed devastating heartbreak. American carnage as a direct result of his inept and incompetent actions.
Joe Biden does not simply have a pattern of poor decision making. His mental decline is on full display. Our enemies know it. Americans have witnessed it. His disastrous Afghanistan withdraw proves even further, our executive is in crisis. President Biden’s physical inability to lead is not a political talking point. It is a demonstrable fact, our President is not mentally fit to serve as President of these United States. I truly believe that he is unable to discharge the duties of the office he holds.
That is why today, I sent letters to each member of the President’s Cabinet and to the Vice President asking that they invoke the 25th amendment of the United States Constitution and remove Joe Biden from his office. I’m also calling on speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi to immediately call Congress back into session to construct a disability review Council and assess the president state. I cannot sit idly by and watch the nation that I love, spiral into death and devastation because our leader cannot discharge his duties. When there is no time to wait. The time for action is now I take no pleasure in sending this request. The gravity of this weighs heavily on me. But I find no other recourse. We must not allow this mentally unstable individual to direct our country for one second longer. The future of our republic must be guarded. The lives of American citizens must be preserved. The time to act is now.
Thank you. God bless you and may God bless these United States of America.” – Madison Cawthorn
This is no longer just a question of politics.
It’s a matter of National Security.
Joe Biden’s Administration is destroying America and the people see it…
“This is the America I Know and Love. You my friend are well needed in American Leadership. Nothing stopping America but Air and Opportunity.”
“In the Medical Ground, he must Submit his Resignation and should Step down from the Post. That will be The Best for the people of America”
“Thank you sir. You are a true leader.”
“A true patriot and representative of the people. This young Rep. is doing the will of the people. Only if more will push his request through, Biden could retire in the assistant living home he’s suppose to be in.”
“Several Republican Congressmen have called for Biden’s resignation but Rep. Cawthorn has officially pulled the trigger.”
“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.” – Article III, Section 3, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution
While the USA and NATO spent 20 years fighting the Taliban and its allies in Afghanistan, the illegitimate Biden regime has now reversed that policy and is actively collaborating with Americans’ worst enemies. The deliberate policy reversal, which cost the lives of 13 US Soldiers and did the greatest damage to the security of the United States since Pearl Harbor, fits the textbook definition of treason.
As Representative Jim Banks, a former US Navy reservist, pointed out, the Biden regime has now given the Taliban access to $85 billion worth of American military equipment and the biometric data of the Afghans who have assisted soldiers over the past 20 years. The vast hardware left behind includes 75,000 vehicles, 200 airplanes and helicopters and 600,000 small arms and light weapons, as The Telegraph reports.
“The Taliban now has more Black Hawk helicopters than 85 per cent of the countries in the world”, Banks said. “They also have night vision goggles, body armor, and medical supplies. And unbelievably, the Taliban now has biometric devices which have the fingerprints, eye scans and the biographical information of the Afghans who helped us over the last 20 years,” Banks said. “This administration still has no plan to get this equipment or these supplies back.”
U.S. officials in Kabul also gave the Taliban “a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies”, as Politico reported, quoting a defense official: “Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a ‘Kill List’… It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.”
The U.S. government has thus made itself guilty of collaborating with a known terrorist group, the same group which harbored Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden 20 years ago, leading to the overthrow of the Taliban 2001 in collaboration with the Afghan Northern Alliance.
While the Biden junta leaves the regrouped Northern Alliance to fight the Taliban alone courageously in the Panjshir Valley, it wants billions of dollars in aid to continue to the area the Taliban controls – in deliberate circumvention of the Taliban’s designation as a terrorist group by the United States, as Reuters reported: “The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets of the group and bar Americans from dealing with them, including the contribution of funds, goods or services.”
The National Counterterrorism Center also lists the Taliban as a “Terrorist Group” responsible for “the most insurgent attacks in Afghanistan”, from “low-level ambush and hit-and-run attacks” to “periodic high-profile attacks… The Taliban between 7 and 10 August 2015 conducted a series of attacks in quick succession in Kabul that resulted in at least 60 deaths, marking the deadliest stretch in the capital since the US-led invasion in 2001.”
In 1999, the United Nations Security Council designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization in Resolution 1267. The Security Council unanimously voiced its “deep concern over the continuing violations of international humanitarian law and of human rights, particularly discrimination against women and girls” under the Taliban, and condemned “the continued use of Afghan Territory, especially areas controlled by the Taliban, for the sheltering and training of terrorists, and planning of terrorist acts.”
“There is no doubt that the Taliban occasionally attacks civilians intentionally, not accidentally, and that’s the definition of terrorism,” James Dobbins, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told VOA News.
The Taliban also closely collaborate with Al Qaida and the Al Qaida-linked Khalil Haqqani Network. “The Biden administration has entrusted airport security in Kabul to Haqqani and his operatives and has reportedly provided them with information about Americans trapped in Afghanistan,” John Hayward reports on Breitbart:
“The Taliban’s Kabul security chief Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani – his last name should have been a clue for the Biden State Department – was designated a terrorist in 2008 by the U.S. government, which offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest.”
At least 13 US soldiers are now dead as a result of the Biden administration’s treasonous actions.
It is time for Joe Biden to face the consequences.
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