Isaac Boluwatise

Engaging the Surpassing Power of God Eph. 1.19-23

We cannot afford to have any problem with what the word says about the power of God. God’s word is exalted above his name – Ps. 138.2. With his name the word constitutes the two immutable things by which it is impossible for God to lie – Heb. 6.13-18. Is this his word? Yes all scriptures are given by the inspiration of God… – 2 Tim. 3.6 this is God’s word expressed through Paul.

God’s power is surpassingly great – Eph. 1.19. His power is also at work towards/for us. The word power means ability; its being at work suggests that God’s power is quickened or energised towards/for us. The power of God is not latent; it is quickened/active – according to the working power which he wrought in Christ…..

The power, being active, works. It works to heal; deliver; save; bless; lift; give victory; change. It produces change wherever it is directed. What energises it is not just the intention of God, but also the agreement of man with God. When man believes, all things become possible – Mk.9.23; the working mighty power becomes activated in him.

Here we see the significance of the prayer of Paul. It is for us to have a spiritual experiential consciousness of this power and the way it worked in the Lord.
How did it work in him? Initiated by the Father’s design, the power was activated by the son’s resignation (trusting faith) to the Father’s will and effected by the work of the Holy Spirit.

We are to maintain/have a consciousness that uses the awareness of how the power worked towards Jesus.

He was raised (resurrected) from the dead, never to die again. Christ death is the death of death itself – 1 Cor. 15.54-57; Eph. 2.5;

He was seated in the heavens and we also in him – Eph. 2.6, thereby granting us control in the spiritual realm (aerial control) with a wider reach and distance removed.

He became exalted above all… Eph. 6.12; Col. 2.15. His resurrection exalted him above all of hell. They are defeated, though still here. We fight not for victory, but from victory, by taking stand (with the word) always

He got everything under his feet. The victory is won

He was given as head to the church which is the fullness or compeletion of Him that fills all in all. The power fills the universe through us with all the fullness of His authority, His victory, and His glory. We are His body and the comic force with which He penetrates everything here..

We are not denying the power of the devil; we are rather appreciating and establishing our preference for the power of God. The devil hates us and could attack all the plantings of the Lord around us. We do not avoid him or run from him; we consciously engage him every day with the full consciousness of God’s power taking our stand with it always.

This is what he hates. He is frustrated with those who know the power at work towards them; and these are they that win in all life’s battle.

David Jeremiah tells about the group of men gathered one Saturday morning to help paint a friend’s large, two-story home. Toward the end of the day when the job was almost complete, a small bit of trim, which actually could not be seen from the ground, remained unpainted. One of the men said, “Since nobody can see that piece of trim, I guess we don’t need to paint it.”

“Not true,” said another of the crew as he went for a ladder. “God sees it.”

The difference in the two approaches is the difference between working man’s way and working God’s way; working in light of the end of the day versus working in light of the end of life; working for immediate rewards versus working for ultimate rewards. It’s easy to get confused about who we really work for in this life. We go to work and interact with a human boss who makes the rules and signs the checks. We may face him at the end of the day; but at the end of the age, we will come face to face with the ultimate “Boss,” God Himself. What we got away with on the job will be made known, and what went unrewarded will be paid in full.

The best way to get high marks on our final “employee review” is to picture God as our employer each day.]

How God Reveals His Will To Us

“Did not our heart burn within us” – Luke 24:32 NKJV

Look at the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and you’ll discover how God speaks to us and gives us direction. They thought they’d seen the death of Jesus and His movement. Fearful and disillusioned, they packed their bags and headed for home, when suddenly Jesus appeared to them. How does the Lord reveal His will to us? The simplicity of the process may surprise you. First, through others. The travellers’ first mistake was to disregard the words of their fellow disciples. ‘… Today some women among us amazed us. Early this morning they went to the tomb, but they did not find his body there. They came and told us… Jesus was alive!’ (Luke 24:22-23 NCV). God still works that way. He still speaks to us through others. That’s why you need to attend church regularly and build relationships that strengthen you. Second, through Scripture. ‘… Starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures’ (v. 27 NCV). Their second mistake was disregarding the Word of God and listening to their fears. Are you doing that? God still speaks through His Word; the answers you need are in your Bible. Third, through our heart’s desire. ‘They said to each other, “It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us.”… ‘ God reveals His will to us by giving us a burning desire. What fuels and focuses you? Singles? The inner city? Untouched nations? Forgotten orphans? Whatever it is – heed the fire within you!

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“Because you say so, I will” – Luke 5:5 NIV

Until we accept and cooperate with the law of gravity, we can’t fly. Until we accept and cooperate with the law of economics, we can’t succeed in business. Getting the idea? Surrendering to God is not weakness, it’s wisdom. Only a fool resists God, because it’s a fight we can’t win. It’s in surrendering to Him that we are empowered to succeed in what He’s called us to do. Surrender is demonstrated by obedience. It’s saying, ‘Yes, Lord’ to whatever He asks. To say, ‘No, Lord’ is a contradiction. How can we call Jesus ‘Lord’, and refuse to obey Him? (Luke 6:46 NKJV).

Peter demonstrated true surrender when Jesus told him to try again. ‘… “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish… ‘ (Luke 5:5-6 NKJV). Surrendered people obey God even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. Abraham followed God without knowing where it would take him. Hannah waited on God’s timing without knowing when. Mary expected a miracle without knowing how. Joseph trusted God’s plan without knowing why circumstances happened as they did. Each was fully surrendered to God, and they came out on top. ‘How will I know I’m fully surrendered?’ we ask. When we rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force our own agenda or control the situation. We don’t have to be in charge, we simply let go and let God have His way.

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