How long halt ye between two opinions? | The Institute for Creation Research

 
How long halt ye between two opinions?
 

We remember this passage (I Kings 18:21) as Elijah's condemning challenge to God's people living under the godless, or, better, the multigodded reign of King Ahab. Remembering the drama—the showdown—of chapter 18—Israel, in the third year of a God-appointed drought, His judgment, gathered at Mount Carmel where Baal's priests had erected an altar unto him, and Elijah, unto the living God. As we read this account, we are in awe of Elijah's faith as he ridicules, then taunts the priests of Baal. Our hearts are challenged by Elijah's singleminded faith in God as he has his offering doubledrenched and then calls upon his God to glorify Himself by sending fire to the soaked altar. We are blessed as we witness our faithful God's response to His servant_not only did He send fire, He sent it in such abundance that it consumed the entire altar—wood, meat, rocks, water—EVERYTHING! . . . and Israel fell on its face.

This brings us to the point of this column last month: Who, or what, has our heart—who, or what, are we "on our face" before? Are we as Elijah, singleminded toward the Lord, or are we as idolatrous Israel: not rejecting God, but not rejecting those things which others around us worship, either.

Remember, an idol is anything that has our attention at the expense of our devotion to God; idols do not have to be evil images housed in shrines. In our day, idols can be things that God would otherwise consider good—our loved ones, jobs, homes, recreation, reputation, investments (or lack thereof), etc.—the things to which our mind naturally goes when we are quiet. Please don't misunderstand—God does give us great latitude to enjoy the life/possessions He provides. My point is that He gives us NO latitude to enjoy them at the expense of our devotion to Him!

The reminder, then, again this month: we can't have it both ways. Our choices today (toward the Cross or with the crowd) do make a difference with the Lord. By His very nature, He must either commend or condemn them. The opportunity and responsibility remain ours.

". . . choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . " (Joshua 24:15)

Cite this article: Tom Manning. 2001. How long halt ye between two opinions?. Acts & Facts. 30 (6).

The Latest
NEWS
The Origin of Eukaryotes
Eukaryotes are multicellular organisms that contain diverse differentiated cell types. Within almost every cell there are subcellular compartments called...

CREATION PODCAST
Water vs. Wind: The Controversial Coconino | The Creation Podcast:...
Welcome to the sixth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old...

NEWS
Fossil Fish Finally Filmed
The bizarre lobe-finned coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) “that flourished some 350 million years ago”1 continues to be a thorn...

NEWS
The Mosasaur: A Giant Sea Dragon
Mosasaurs (order Squamata) were massive marine lizards that were common in the pre-Flood oceans. Therefore, it is not surprising that their fossils...

DAYS OF PRAISE DEVOTIONALS
Summer 2025
...

NEWS
Was Life Detected on a Distant Planet?
There was celebration, albeit briefly, for the discovery of potential life on a planet called K2-18b, which is 124 lightyears away from Earth. The...

NEWS
Ichthyosaur Graveyard Explained by the Flood
Ichthyosaurs are marine reptiles that occur globally in the same rock layers as dinosaurs. Specimens with babies support the idea that they gave live...

CREATION PODCAST
What Do We Do With Geology's Unconforming Features? | The Creation...
Welcome to the fifth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old...

NEWS
Freshwater Fish Fossil in Australia
Yet another fish fossil has been discovered. This one was found in the Australian desert and was dated by evolutionists to be “15 million years...

NEWS
May 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans...