Tag Archives: Through the Holy Spirit

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS…IN JESUS’ NAME – 8

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As part of their witness to Him, Jesus authorised His disciples  to pray in His name. 

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is huge! In a sense, Jesus gave His disciples a “blank cheque”, which He signed, with only one condition…in His name! If this was not an opportunity to satisfy any desire of their hearts regardless of whether it was good or bad simply by attaching the name of Jesus to the end of the prayer, what did He mean?

We can make any fragment of Scripture mean anything we like if we take it out of context, especially a promise like this one because it is so open-ended. 

We can use “in Jesus’ name” like a mantra…we think it will happen if we repeat it enough times. We can use “in Jesus’ name” like a radio call…”over and out”, or like a full stop at the end of a sentence, adding “amen” to complete the call. 

What did Jesus mean  when He authorised His disciples to pray “in His name”? The context of this promise will put it into its correct perspective. 

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Jesus’ mandate to His disciples was…”You will be my witnesses.” We have already discovered that being Jesus’ witnesses meant preaching the message, living the life, doing the works, and praying the prayers that would usher in God’s kingdom. 

This promise of Jesus, then, relates specifically to His works that were signs that God’s kingdom had come to the whole earth, not just to the Jews. 

Jesus assured His opponents who accused Him of casting out demons in the name of Beelzebub, the prince of demons…

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In my name” was Jesus’ authorisation that His disciples were to do the miracles He did and more as signs that God’s kingdom had come, was among them, and in them…This power to do miracles was not a badge of office, a sign of privilege or special anointing, or even a way to intervene in people’s lives to fix what was wrong. 

This promise was also not for a special or favoured few. It was a mandate for all His disciples to go “in His name”. They were to preach “in His name”, to forgive sin “in His name”, to heal the sick and drive out demons “in His name”…all as a witness that Jesus is Lord and that His kingdom, His reign of justice, righteousness, and peace, had come to earth.  

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands;  and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

‭‭Mark‬ 16‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus does not authorise healing campaigns for the sake of healing…”Come and get your miracle!” He authorises healing to authenticate the presence of God’s kingdom on earth.  

Any other use of “in Jesus’ name” is illegitimate. Jesus has no obligation to honour this promise outside of His mandate to be His witnesses. Conversely, He will always confirm His promise by acting on behalf of those who acknowledge His authority, believe His Word, submit to His authority, and speak and do the works that reveal the presence of God’s kingdom on earth. 

To pray “in Jesus’ name” is a solemn commitment to represent and be representatives of Jesus on earth by what we say, what we do, and how we behave. We are citizens of God’s kingdom on assignment as His ambassadors, to bring heaven to earth because we carry heaven’s presence in us wherever we go. 

JESUS, THE GOD-MAN – 4

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THE GOD-MAN, THE PLAN CONCEIVED

Jesus, the God-man’s journey from the cradle to the throne began in eternity. Before the beginning of time, God, the three-in-one, set up a plan to rescue their yet-uncreated human family from the consequences of rebellion and unbelief.

This member of the Godhead, this second person of the Trinity, would humble Himself, and come into the world, take on a human body and a human nature. He would live as an ordinary man by voluntarily setting aside His divine privileges and, under the authority of the Father and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, be the representative of what the Godhead planned humans to be.

Then, despite His perfectly holy life, He would be condemned to death and executed as a criminal and law breaker, at the hands of God’s human representatives, the religious leaders of His own nation. This travesty of justice would be the apex of human rebellion, man executing the God-man in the name of justice.

Three days after this shameful event, this God-man would burst from the tomb, raised to life by the same Holy Spirit who would lead and empower Him from birth to death. He would deal a death-blow to death itself since He would be raised, not back to fragile human life but to be, forever, the eternal God-man who would carry the offices of prophet, priest, and king in the kingdom of God.

God, the Three-in-One, told the story to His people before it began in history. Step by step, His prophets painted a word picture of the one He promised, who would carry His anointing and carry out His will. His name would be Immanuel, the anointed one, Messiah, who would come to earth as one of them. His reign would be righteous, just, and eternal. He would rescue all mankind, including the nations who had rejected and rebelled against His rule, from eternal destruction. He would restore the Godhead’s original plan to create a family of sons and daughters in the likeness of the God-man.

So, the moment came when this daring plan began in time. A young village girl, betrothed but not yet married, became mysteriously pregnant. Had she been unfaithful to her fiancé?

An angel of God came to Joseph in a dream, with a reassuring message…

Matthew 1:18-21 NIV
[18] “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. [19] Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. [20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

This is not a sweet Christmas story. This is history, God’s story. It happened as recorded. God and man, fused into a single cell, would become a human baby in His mother’s womb. The angel told this to Joseph in a straightforward declaration of fact.

“… what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

The life of the God-man had begun, a risky, dangerous life because the very destiny of this man and the whole human race hung on a single thread, His perfect obedience to the Father. He would be obliged to live this life in the face of the most violent hatred and opposition from humans and devils any human would ever face.

One slip, one thought or action independent of the Father would be death to Himself, to the human race, and to all God’s plans for His creation. We have only one hint of the intensity of this all-or-nothing war in one statement and one conclusion from the pen of an anonymous writer.

Hebrews 5:7-10 NIV
[7] “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. [8] Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered [9] and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him [10] and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”

Heaven and hell reacted to His birth. God’s entry into human history did not go unnoticed. Angels brought the message to shepherds, an announcement that heaven had come to earth, calling forth a joyful celebration of that moment.

Two years later, wise men from the East brought the same message to Herod, ruler of the province of Judea, with devastating consequences. He did not celebrate with thanksgiving. He let loose a reign of terror on his own people by drawing the net around every boy toddler in every family in the vicinity of Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:16-18 NIV
[16] “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
[17] Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

[18] “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Herod hoped to catch the new king in his trap but, too late, God has already intervened to protect His boy. Safe in Egypt, the little family remained there until Herod’s death.

On their return to Israel after Herod’s death, a new chapter began for the little peasant family of the God-man child in a village in Galilee. He lived a hidden childhood with only one tiny glimpse of His growing up years…at the age of twelve. A trip to Jerusalem to celebrate His first Passover, almost ended in disaster. His connection with His heavenly Father took precedence over His earthly family, drawing Him to the temple to converse with those who would later become His implacable enemies. He returned to Nazareth with His relieved parents to live again igognito and in seclusion until, eighteen years later, He would step onto the public platform.

What was happening in this child-cum-young-adult God-man during those thirty formative years? The Father’s one public statement says it all.

Matthew 3:13, 16-17 NIV
[13] “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John…
[16] As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. [17] And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

The Father’s Blessing! Jesus heard from the Father what every child yearns to hear from the mouth of his earthly father, His equipment for life.

Affirmation “This is my Son, ”
Adoration “Whom I love,”
Approval “With Him I am well pleased.”

In one all-embracing declaration, the Father announced His Son, Jesus, ready for His mission and His destiny, having equipped Him with the Holy Spirit, to launch into a dangerous world to carry out their daring plan.

To be continued…