Why Only Halfway?

Where Are You?

Christianity is more than just a haven between hell and heaven.
Are you satisfied with such a haven?
Why stop halfway, when you can go all the way to Faith House where Christianity is a vibrant, living reality?

We may use Christ’s name at halfway house.
We may even sing His praises there.
But He is living at Faith House and expects us to dwell with Him there—
where Christ is the object.

The gathering center of Faith House is neither a philosophy nor a dogma,
but the very person of Christ.

So many who profess to be Christians prefer half-heartedness.
They have found a halfway house, and though warned, they continue to dwell there.
They never increase in spiritual stature or enjoy the privileges of Faith House.

Why Not Faith House?

Why Only Halfway House?

God does not want Christians living at halfway house.
He purposes them to live at Faith House.

Let’s consider an analogy:
Everyone expects the President of the United States to live in the White House.
He may have a retreat somewhere else—maybe Maine, Massachusetts, or California—
but any place apart from the White House is his halfway house.
He may go there for relaxation, but in a national emergency, he returns immediately to the White House.
This is the residence to which he has been elected and this is where he’s expected to live and work.

At Faith House, the invigorating life of Christ is ours and will be seen in us at home, school, work, or play.
But if we separate from the source of life and continue at halfway house, the communion that could have been ours at Faith House is lacking.
The power is missing. We go through the rituals and motions, but there are no results.

Some travel to Faith House with their feet while their hearts remain at halfway house.
If one really wants to move to where Christ is, he must bring his heart with his feet.

Orpah and Ruth

Orpah and Ruth are good examples.

Both left Moab with Naomi. On the way, the choice of going on to Bethlehem or returning to Moab came up.
This was their halfway house.

Orpah’s feet brought her out of Moab, but her heart was still there. So when all was said and done she returned to Moab.

Ruth brought her feet and her heart out of Moab.
So at halfway house she said to Naomi:

“Don’t urge me to … turn back …
Where you go I will go …
Your people will be my people and your God my God”
(Ruth 1:16 NIV).

From there she went on to Bethlehem, the Faith House where she met Boaz.

The bounties of our true Boaz, who is Christ, are fully available to any believer who does not stop at halfway house.

Jeroboam and a Man of God

In 1 Kings 13, a man of God was sent by God with specific instructions to testify against Jeroboam’s false altar.
When Jeroboam invited him to come home and refresh himself, the man of God refused according to the LORD’s command.

So far so good.

But on his return journey, a useless prophet met him and invited him to “come home and eat bread.”
This was his halfway house.
This prophet, who had become useless to God, said,

“I too am a prophet also as you are”
(1 Ki. 13:18).

His false claim of equality led to the destruction of this man of God.

Similarly, some supposed Christians live at halfway house, but, like the old prophet, they are of no use.
In fact, they are destructive.

The old prophet claimed an angel told him to bring back the man of God.
The man of God should have said, “If an angel spoke to you, God spoke to me; and I must obey God.”
But no, he went with the useless prophet; he was wined, dined, and given a donkey which took him to his death.

It is dangerous to tarry at halfway house where we will very likely meet an “old prophet” who will say,

“An angel spoke to me.”

Jehoshaphat and Ahab

King Jehoshaphat left the Faith House of Judah and went down to Samaria, where he befriended King Ahab (2 Chr. 18:1-3).

Ahab made him feel like his equal, but that was his trouble.

Similarly today, supposed equality deceives many at halfway house.

Ahab really impressed Jehoshaphat as royalty to royalty.
At halfway house, one may be among impressive company, but is Christ there?

In this atmosphere the question of alliance inevitably arises.

Samson and His Women

Samson was always visiting halfway houses.

Wine should never touch the lips of a Nazirite.
So what was Samson doing in the vineyards of Timnah? This was one halfway house. The result? He found a woman there.

His next halfway house was Gaza.
Samson was strong enough to pull up the gates of the city, but should he have been in Gaza?
He found a harlot there.

After that, he paused at another halfway house in the valley of Sorek.
There he took up with Delilah, and you know the rest of the story.

If we do not go directly to Faith House, our halfway houses will multiply until they confuse us and lead to our destruction.

Will You Move?

It takes conviction and commitment to leave halfway house where self is satisfied.

We may have plenty of company there, but real companionship with Christ is available only at Faith House.

It takes courage to pack our bags and move.

There must be dependence on the Lord and purpose of heart to make our way to Faith House.

Get to Faith House and begin living the Christian life now.

There is always much danger in half-way measures and compromise.

Orpah, Jehoshaphat, the man of God, and Samson fell into spiritual decline because they compromised their values.

Like them, some of us have our values mixed up.

We mistakenly place emphasis on trivial, non-essential issues.

We cannot measure our values properly because at halfway house the measuring instrument is defective.

It is not God’s instrument; His is Christ.

God wants not only our feet—He wants our hearts as well.

He first had the heart of Ruth, and as a result her feet went to Bethlehem.

If you are at Faith House with your feet but not your heart, you will be most miserable and may eventually, like Orpah, choose to return to the world.

But if you move your heart with your feet, there will be a wonderful change in your life, and the results will be seen by all.