Monday, June 17, 2013 [The Last Word]
1 Kings 18:1-46
Acts 11:1-30
Psalm 135:1-21
Proverbs 17:12-13
Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' And SINCE GOD GAVE THESE GENTILES THE SAME GIFT HE GAVE US WHEN WE BELIEVED IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO WAS I TO STAND IN GOD'S WAY?" When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, "We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life."
Rightfully so, God is to have the last word. This discussion in Acts 11 is Peter's explanation for eating with Gentiles upon being criticized by the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. He explained the whole story to the brothers and ends with this brilliant reasoning that we read in verse 16: "Since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?" The evidence of the presence of the Spirit of God was all that was necessary to confirm God's agreement – salvation is available to everyone (Galatians 3:28).
The Lord had the last word (a tremendous understatement!) in the showdown on Mount Carmel between Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal. With one blast of fire the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and soil, and the water in the trench was burned up. Yes, God can burn water! Why did this have to happen? So that all of the people would know that Yahweh (the Lord) is God
Psalm 135:6 says, "The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." I think that the psalmist expresses this same notion differently in Psalm 46:10 – "Be still and know that I am God." This is a challenge for me because I tend to always want to know what will happen next. I think about "next steps" so intensely that I already know what I want God to do before I think He has done anything (and, I'm happy to give Him suggestions about what I think He should do). The reality is that God has already mapped out His plans for us and is working in the unseen to bring about His purposes that we have no idea of – things we couldn't understand even if we tried (Isaiah 55:8, 9).
So, who are we to stand in God's way?
"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)
Kenny Sullivan
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