Prevail!

“But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?  And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.’ Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (Acts 13:8-12).

Opposition.

Triumph.

Tony Merida in his commentary Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in Acts helps capture the passion of Paul, the passion of Christ to spread his kingdom, and yet gives practical down-to-earth contemporary applications. God loves our neighborhoods no less than he loved Cyprus, Psidia. He loves our leaders in our cities no less than he loved the proconsul Sergius Paulus in Acts 13. He is no less the victorious God, the living God, the working-in-history God, the powerful God than he was in Acts. [See my full review here—it is a great, easily accessible, Christ-exalting commentary perfect for individual reflection.]

Paul and Barnabas set out, the first missionary journey. Immediately, opposition.

Elymas, the representative in human form of darkness, Satan, the one who would keep people bound in darkness, who would foil light, was overcome.

So, too, today. Opposed by the spiritual world, we overcome. Our Captain gives us a shield of faith and helmet of salvation far greater.

“….[in Lystra] they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city…” (Acts 14:19-20).

Opposition.

Triumph.

Acts 14, the gospel marches on.

Stoning, the epitome of persecution and death, cannot quell the gospel. Jesus will triumph over any form of persecution we face, in Syria, Iraq, China, North Korea, in Africa. We need not fear what may come in our nation, to others, to us; Jesus is greater. Life will come out of death. For the little persecutions we do face today, rejection by friends, shame, feeling unable to speak, having our mouths tied in professional roles, let us persevere in boldness, in courage that rises above with our victorious Lord.

“And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” (Acts 16:6).

Opposition.

Triumph.

Acts 16 as the journey continues. Tony Merida reminded me of how difficult this journey must have been. We breeze through a sentence like this, “they went through the region….” Travel was not easy back then. More than that, Paul may very well have been sick for he later recounted, “You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you….” (Gal. 4:13-14).

Sickness, difficulty, logistics, obstacles, lack of provision—the gospel will prevail. The Lord will see to it. He, the King of All! We need not let these stand in the way! Lift our eyes to your power, to seek your kingdom first!

“But when some [in Ephesus] became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation… Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all….So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily” (Acts 19:9, 18-19, 20).

Opposition.

Hadrian's Temple in Ephesus

Triumph.

Acts 19, the stubborn obstacles of unbelief o the Jews and pagans, as well as the syncretism within the church itself in her magic practices—but no obstacle to the gospel! The word of the Lord continued to prevail. Prevail, the same Greek word Jesus used to declare the gates of hell would not prevail! Here, his words are faithfully being carried out, fulfilled. The word prevails, and the very gates of hell cannot. Our unbelief, the unbelief of our neighbors, close friends, dear ones, the impurity of Christ’s own bride are no obstacles. Let us weep, let us pray, but let us not be dismayed.

“He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:30-31).

Opposition.

Triumph.

Acts 28, the closing verses—imprisonment. Not even governments, jails, closed walls, our limits, our housebound, our finite time and resources can stand in the way. Our creative God will use the available, no matter how. His word will prevail by his might and his power and his Spirit!

"I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review."