About Me

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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Why Is There Power In The Name Of Jesus...?

You may have wondered why we refer to the Lord Jesus Christ.  There are many reasons: Lord represents his authority, Lord of the living and the dead, and Lord of all.   He is Jesus because "he shall save his people from their sins,: which was his purpose to die as our Savior.  He lived and died a Savior first of all, and he's Christ, the promised one that was who is the Messiah, the anointed one, who is promised by God.  All three of these names are necessary to understand who Jesus is. 

Jesus himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  It is said that without the way there is no going, without the truth there is no knowing, without the life there is no living..   We live in Christ according to the truth and follow Jesus, who is the Way, as disciples who are followers.  Jesus is also called the prophet, priest, and king. That is an interesting question because he is a Prophet who cancels our ignorance of sin, he is a Priest who cancels our penalty for sin, and he is our King who gives us the power that sin holds over us and sets us free.

Many people are looking for Jesus in the wrong way, and they seek and try to find fulfillment and everything in politics, meaning in life, in religion, philosophy, ethics, good works, or escapism like drugs, etc.  You'll never find God these ways; you must find God through the truth, which is the Living Word of God. You must believe that he is!  You must have faith in the hearing of the Word.   God does hide himself he must look for God to find him, but he will be found by everyone who searches for him with their whole heart.  

There is power in the name of Jesus to defeat the devil in his own territory.  We are fighting on his turf, and the Lord is fighting for us.   We must learn to utilize the power in the name, and realize that he has all authority on Earth, just wanted to give that to defeat our enemies.

To realize that there is power in the name of Jesus, one must use the name of Jesus in their prayers and pray in the name of Jesus, which doesn't mean it's a magical word or phrase or some special power.  It isn't in the name itself, but it's our faith in the name that matters and then we recognize who Jesus is and what authority he has,   It's just like the apostles first said, "Silver and gold have I none but the name of Jesus I command you to get up and walk."  

When we say Jesus in Jesus name at the end of a prayer that is not like some magical phrase that we tack on to get power or something that's because we believe and will of God in expressed in Jesus and Jesus is on our side and we believe him for his will and plan, that we trust in him to answer our prayers.   We want him to do his will for us; anything in his name is for his glory, not for us.   We don't pray in our name, but in Jesus' name; we are not worthy.  Soli Deo Gloria!