During this past hunting season, I was looking through binoculars at a herd of elk some 700 yards away. After watching them for some time I thought about the spotting scope I had left back down the trail in the RZR. While the view I had was good enough to see a herd of elk, I needed more power in the binoculars to decide if there were any elk in that herd which would cause me to walk all the way over to them.

Now, I have pretty good eyesight (I am over 60 and need no glasses) and I could see the elk without my binoculars, but the additional magnification was so awesome that the idea of more power appealed to me. I am sure everyone could relate a story about the need for more power in their life; whether we are talking about personal power or literal power; like a bigger hammer or more torque on their screw gun. As human beings, we are often aware of the lack of power in our own life — power to change things or to have an input that produces change.

Well, in the letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul tells his audience that the same divine power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the power that is at work in and through believers. (Eph 1:18-21) In fact Paul piles term upon term to emphasize that extraordinary divine power by which Jesus Christ was raise (verse 20) is the same power. Paul begins this periscope with a prayer, that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. The last phrase in that sentence is what I want us to grab hold of today.

It seems that the world is struggling with the idea of power and who has the power to make us do or forbid us from doing anything. Do not misunderstand me, the power that God gives is for you to do those things that He has laid before us. As Paul said in this epistle, chapter 1, verse 17, that we need God to give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. N.T. Wright says, “…Jesus has, as his hands and feet, his agents within the present world, the church. It is ‘his body, the fullness of the one who fills all in all.’ If only the church would realize this, and act accordingly!”

Too often, churches look at the world around them and see the problems but seldom acknowledge them or more often ignore those problems. Simply because we are afraid, we do not have the power to do anything to help. So, like Paul, I pray that the eyes of your heart maybe enlightened so that you will know the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might (20) which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

If you are looking to see where God has a place for you, start with your local church; if you do not have one, we invite you to join us.

In Him, Scott

Dr. Scott Middleton is the Sr. Minister at Craig Christian Church, Craig Co. Scott can be reached at 970-824-6024 or albaministries@yahoo.com