by: Jonathan Painter
1 Kings 18:21, “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.” Everyone who reads this article falls into one of three circles. You might be one, who is standing with Elijah, willing to stand alone for God. It is possible that you are standing with Ahab, Jezebel, the prophets of Baal, and all their worldliness. If you do not fall into one of the already mentioned categories, then you are probably standing with the masses of Israel who were unable or unwilling to make a decision either way. How long halt ye between two opinions?
I read an article on the internet written by a young man who very obviously had stood with the crowd, unable to decide, and then decided to stand with this world and the prophets of Baal. He talked about how he used to be a fundamentalist, and how he grew up in a Christian home, but now he doesn’t even believe that God created the Earth. He considers himself a “free thinker,” but in reality he is bound by chains of ignorance inherited by the willful decision to join the prophets of Baal and work against the work of God. Christian young person, never feel you are above falling prey to the humanistic ideologies that Satan has to offer. You must continually walk in prayer, and in the Word of God.
In 1 Kings, we find that the children of Israel must decide who they would serve. At the point on Mount Carmel, they were very much reliving the charge Joshua had given them when they took the land on which they stood, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…” Joshua had challenged, and now Elijah stood before the people who once had served Jehovah God and asked, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” but the people declined to answer. The people were not ready to make a decision. This is the problem with our nation’s youth today. So many teenagers in our churches stand on that middle ground where the children of Israel stood, and they refuse to make a decision. They hear the Elijah’s get up and preach God’s Word with zeal and fire, but they sit in the pew and do not make a decision. They know they should not stand with the world, but they do not make a decision to stand for God.
Time is running out. America does not have time to waste while her Christian young people sit on the sidelines watching, not wanting to make a decision, lest anyone should feel bad. We don’t have time young person, for you to try to please your preacher and your worldly friends. If we want to see a revival once again, if we want to see God move in a mighty way, then it is going to take some young people who are willing to stand on the side of righteousness with Elijah and call down the fire of God through prayer. The question you have to answer is, “How long halt ye between two opinions?”
Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, NE