Who Can Stop the Lord Almighty?

Who can stop the Lord Almighty? That is the repeating question we asked in song this last Sunday. Most likely, you are familiar with the song if you attend an Evangelical church. It’s fairly popular and has been for several years. Our God is the lion, The Lion of Judah. He’s roaring with power. And fighting our battles. And every knee will bow before Him. Our God is the lamb. The lamb that was slain. For the sins of the world. His blood breaks the chains. And every knee will bow before the lion and the lamb. Every knee will bow before Him.

As I repeated that question (I view it as more of a hypothetical question then as a statement) my mind went to the book that I’ve been reading. That book being “Paradise Restored” by David Chilton. This book is available in paperback on Amazon, but is less expensive in hardcover at American Vision, so do yourself a favor and pick this one up there. It will stretch your assumptions and get you thinking in ways that may surprise you. If that wasn’t true, I wouldn’t be writing this post right now.

One assumption that is being tested is that of WHEN these things will take place. Not necessarily a date, but more of an order of things. Is God fighting our battles now or will he fight one day? I can’t imagine a Christian who would say that they are left to their own devices today. Every knee will bow before the lion and the lamb. When? Before or after the second coming of Christ? Until pretty recently I thought that the only Christian response was that victory on a scale larger than a remnant could only make sense at the second coming. But what if we are truly to be salt and light in this time? Here? Now? What if we are to preserve and improve things for others and not just try to woo people into life rafts for a ship that is destined to only sink?

And don’t forget that Jesus identifies with and AS his people.

Acts 9:3-5 ESV
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

This “both directions” identification isn’t absolute. The church did not atone for sin. The head of the church, Jesus, did. And it is the body, us, who spreads the good news of this victory over sin and death to those whom we come into contact with. All authority on Heaven and Earth have been given to Jesus, and in direct causality we are instructed to go and make these disciples and to baptize and teach. To refuse to go and also to go in such a way that disregards the fact that Jesus holds all authority in His hand are both equally sinful.

Who can stop the Lord Almighty? That’s a good question. I also ask this. Who can stop the bride of the Lord Almighty? She has been given a task. She has been empowered to fulfill her role. Her bridegroom has been given all authority. Not most. All. As we go through the good works set before us (Ephesians 2:10) let’s keep this in mind. We are part of an unstoppable kingdom. To approach the tasks that our Lord has ordained for us as tasks that are doomed to fail is to have the mind of one who doesn’t believe He holds all authority or that we have not been empowered to fulfill them. How can such an approach be anything but sinful?

Still reading. Still learning. Still stretching.

God wins. The controversial part is that we get to be a part of it.