29 May 2016
Ensie Enslin
A SPIRIT OF WISDOM (Eph 1:15-23)
The wise Solomon once said: Proverb 16 v 2 “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD.” Would this truth also inspire Paul to pray to God for the Church of Christ in Ephesus to obtain divine wisdom to sustain them in faith? (Ephesus was the capital of temptation and immorality where the goddess Diana, the virgin goddess of childbirth and women, was worshiped as well.)
For Paul, life was more than just being ”wise” or “using one’s brains”. Solomon said that true wisdom and insight started by worshiping Christ and by the knowledge about Christ. (Proverb 9v10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.) Paul then confirmed this principle when he prayed for the believers to get to know God by virtue of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and that they would anchor their believe and hope in God alone; for them to know how majestic God’s power is that he bestows on us who believes in Him. (Eph 1:17-19).
All of this raises a question to the modern Church of Jesus Christ in South Africa: Is there still a revelation of the power of God in His church today (and not by exception to the rule). Has the warning of Paul to Timothy become true for us as well: “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Tim 3:1-5)
Paul gives us the answer to it all: We are NOT the masters of this power! The power is God’s – “That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He RAISED Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms…” (Eph 1:19-20) Could we therefore contribute the invalidity of the church of today to the fact that so many of the church leaders of the modern church no longer BELIEVE in the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ? Paul has the following to say about this “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ HAS INDEED BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD….” (1 Cor 15:19-20)
Maybe God wishes for us to go down on our knees…. And to listen to what He has to say to us…. And to collectively pray for divine wisdom…and the ability to belief – to accept His word as the WORD OF GOD and not as someone’s word about God or regarding God.
You will know if your life is a testimony of the power of GOD…
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29 Mei 2016
Ensie Enslin
DIE GEES VAN WYSHEID – Ef 1:15-23
Die wyse Salomo het gesê: “In sy eie oë is alles wat ‘n mens doen reg…” (Spr 16:2) Sou hierdie waarheid ook vir Paulus gedryf het om tot God te bid sodat die Kerk van die Here in Efese goddelike wysheid kon bekom om staande te kon bly in geloof? (Efese was destyds vol versoekings as hoofstad van onsedelikheid waar onder meer die godin Diana aanbid is.)
Vir Paulus gaan dit egter om méér as net “slim-wees” en “jou verstand te gebruik”. Ware wysheid en insig, sê Salomo, begin met die dien en die kennis van die Here. (Spr 9:10) So bevestig Paulus hierdie beginsel wanneer hy dan bid dat die gelowiges deur die wysheid van die Heilige Gees, God wérklik sal kan ken en hul hoop en geloof in Hom alleen sal vestig; dat hulle sal kan weet hoe geweldig groot God se krag is wat Hy uitoefen in ons wat glo. (Ef 1:17-19)
Die vraag aan die Kerk van die Here Jesus vandag in SA, lê wat my betref juis hier. Kom God se krag nog tot openbaring (nie as uitsondering nie, maar as reël) in sy Kerk vandag, of het die waarskuwing van Paulus aan Timoteus vir ons ook waar geword: “Hulle sal nog die uiterlike skyn van die godsdiens hê, maar die krag van die godsdiens sal hulle nie ken nie.”? (2 Tim 3:1-5)
Paulus gee die antwoord: Hierdie krag lê NIE in onsself nie! Dit is GOD se krag – “dieselfde kragtige werking van sy mag wat Hy uitgeoefen het toe Hy Christus uit die dood OPGEWEK en Hom in die hemel aan sy regterhand laat sit het…” (Ef 1:19-20). Sou dit deel van die antwoord vir die kerk se kragteloosheid wees – dat so baie van die kerkleiers van vandag nie (meer) GLO in die OPSTANDING van Jesus Christus nie? Dan, sê Paulus “is ons die bejammeringswaardigste van alle mense”, want “Christus IS OPGEWEK UIT DIE DOOD…”. (1 Kor 15:19-20)
Miskien vra God vir jou en my om weer op ons knieë te gaan… en na Hom te gaan luister… en saam te bid vir goddelike wysheid… en vir die gawe van geloof – om sy Woord as WOORD VAN GOD te aanvaar en nie net as ‘n (menslike) woord oor God, of aangaande God, nie.
Jy sal mos weet of jou lewe regtig getuig van GOD se krag…
the PLAN-die PLAN 