May 7, 2023 – Reflection on “In the NAME of JESUS!”

Have you ever wondered who you were? Your identity begins with your name, and then your identity comes through the choices you make for how you live. Have you ever wondered about God’s Name – Yahweh? God revealed Himself as the great Creator in Genesis. The Bible teaches us Who He is. He is the beginning and the end.

      He determines the number of the stars; He gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure. Psalm 147:4-5.

        The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2. Every time I see a squirrel or a flying bird, He reveals His handiwork. He created the moon and the stars and named them. Our God loves us, and then there was Jesus.

        In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And He came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.” Luke 1:26-31.

The ‘WHY’ of the birth of Jesus comes in John 3:16-17. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” 

Jesus’ Name means salvation for us in our eternal home, the joy of hope is through His Name, and much more. In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5.

The name of Jesus is filled with power, love, and doing His Father’s Will of being righteous and holy. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” John 14:6-7.

In Jesus, we have the ultimate gift of salvation, and the wondrous gift of prayers heard and answered. Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14.

      And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17. We are to glorify God in the things we pray for, do, and say! This changes our identity as one being a child of God. Our citizenship is not in this world, but eternal life with God, our Father.

      To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Haim, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

God is most powerful and searches our hearts. Nothing is hidden from Him. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us. I John 3:19-23.

         But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I Timothy 6:11-12.

We are to reflect Jesus in the way He loves. What did Jesus pray for? He prayed for those who believe and loves all of us with a heart of forgiveness.
How would you pray before if you faced a time of crucifixion? When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since You have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.” John 17:1-5.

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray…beginning: Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10.