It was the second battle of the Civil War.
Tensions were volatile as troops moved again into the vicinity of First Bull Run. At that time, Manassas Junction was little more than a strategic railroad crossing, with rails leading to Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The two Capitals of the two causes were now locked in a great struggle and in between, a poor farmer, very much stuck in the middle.
As troops approached from two directions, the farmer worried about his property being destroyed. He was decidedly neutral in this conflict and wanted to convey his support for both sides. With that thought in mind, he dressed with one part of his wardrobe gray and the other part blue.
The South arrived first and saw the farmer's blue pants and began shooting at him! The desperate farmer kicked off his pants and, waving his chestnut hat, stood up to display his gray shirt. They had barely stopped shooting when the North arrived and, seeing his gray shirt and chestnut hat, began shooting at him from the opposite direction.
The farmer threw down his hat and peeled off his shirt and ran, nearly butt-naked, into his barn.
After the battle his property was badly damaged. He decided to move out of Virginia and get away from the conflict, vowing to never try to make everybody happy again. All he wanted was some peace of mind. The story goes that he moved his residence to the neutral border State of Maryland, to a docile place called Sharpsburg, also known as Antietam—the next bloodiest battle.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS…
This is a time when neutrality is no longer possible. Trying to please everyone pleases nobody. What matters in particular is this question, What pleases the Lord? Are we to avoid the offense of truth in all subjects at all times? If so…what exactly causes persecution, if not the conflict of ideas and opinions? The false prophet is the one who speaks and never offends people. The true prophet never speaks with the intent of offending, but rather with the intent to be faithful to God and his own conscience.
We must take a stand for truth and refuse to bow down to the devil’s schemes, even when the culture at large turns a blind eye. My team and I are working to release messages of hope and clarity in the midst of an insane media narrative. Would you consider partnering with us in this mission? If you would like to give, visit: lancewallnau.com/truth. Your support makes all the difference!
We blend in a bit too much, I think. Compared to other ideological causes, the average Christian is embarrassed by awkward conversations and controversial social subjects.
Beware, lest in trying to position yourself and prosper your career, you miss the moments presented to you to be a faithful witness. Sometimes the warfare of “casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” is not the battle in your head; it is the battle coming through someone else's mouth who is trying to propagandize you.
Let us face the controversial issues, responding in an effective, winsome way as salt and light.
Neutrality of the Republican party and the aggressive Democratic leadership of a speaker, who was incensed with hatred of Trump and Republicans, has reduced our countries stand before the world as “fractured, divided” and no longer a power before the world.
I choose to stand with truth wherever and whenever I find it without fear of pleasing or offending man. I ‘m not naive to believe that truth lie in the “purity” of a platform of a man-made ideological organizations or even political parties. Where there is truth according to the word of God I will say yes and amen. Where there is a deviation from truth I will say “No” regardless of what the organization says! It is as simple as that for me. Truth must not be allowed to become blurry in our conscience because of the “party” label attached (or not attached) to the statement. May the Lord’s word, His will, and His ways be exalted forever. Everything else must be discerned according to its alignment with God’s word. Adding nothing or taking away nothing. IT’S NOT COMPLICATED, BUT IT DOES REQUIRE A HEALTHY FEAR (REVERENCE AND AWE) OF THE LORD AND NOT OF MAN.
YESSSS.. we are to be LIGHTS IN the darkness ‘
Keep speaking TRUTH! GOD WINS and do we, don’t lose heart and get weary in well doing!
I LOVE THIS! It is true! You can’t ride the fence and appear “neutral” any longer! We must take a stand and the Silent Majority CANNOT be silent any longer! We must speak up and protect all that God has given us, including our children. Jesus is the WORD, and we must speak!