PRAYER: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST
IT IS OF MASSIVE SIGNIFICANCE – MORE THAN COSMIC – THAT WE ARE GIVEN THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYING IN JESUS’S NAME.
The question first came to my notice at a dinner
party with some friends. A lady telephoned our host to say that she
had entered a website, on her computer, only to find that the original
Christian content had been tampered with in an evil way. My
friend, true to received wisdom, told her to "Plead the Blood", and
all would be well. The guests heard one side of the
conversation, but it was explained, and discussed in full, afterwards.
Later, we were advised that the website would give a phone number, or email
address, and a warning could have been passed to the owners.
The New Testament does not contain expressions such
as "plead the blood" or "cover us with your blood"; to what
did the Early Church appeal in times of threat? The verse usually quoted is Revelation 12v11:
which does not indicate a momentary victory over Satan through the Blood – but
an eternal redemption, and total rescue; and it is through two elements: the
Blood, and the word of testimony.
Within the Book of Acts - where we see the Church in practical concrete terms (as opposed to the abstract teaching of the Epistles – rather like the old science lessons: Practical and Theory), the Blood is only mentioned once by the Christians, and that is the Atonement aspect: on the other hand, The Name is referred to 33 times in Acts.
Within the Book of Acts - where we see the Church in practical concrete terms (as opposed to the abstract teaching of the Epistles – rather like the old science lessons: Practical and Theory), the Blood is only mentioned once by the Christians, and that is the Atonement aspect: on the other hand, The Name is referred to 33 times in Acts.
I would suggest that the authority, and power, which
the saints, in both covenants knew, was invested in the Name of God. The
Name is referred to 355 times in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, The
Name - applied to the Father or the Son, is referred to 131 times: a total of
486.
In the light of the Scriptures, the full salvation,
and sanctification by the Blood set the redeemed people, totally, and for all time, free
from Satan's power and grasp. Even in the darkest hours of
tribulation, the Atoning Blood is the same as ever. All the
references, apart from this one, refer specifically to the Atoning power of the
Blood of Christ Jesus. Indeed, in Revelation 12:11, there is no
reason to assume any different meaning. Certainly there is no
implication of specific difficulties being overcome; but of an eternal and
complete "overcoming", through redemption.
Charles Spurgeon observed that all our prayers
arrive in Heaven in a revised form. This must certainly be true
regarding this wrongly used verse. Granted that it is
difficult to identify exactly whom, "they" refers to; it certainly
does not infer a talisman-like use of a reference to our Lord's blood: as is
popular today. A much more splendid scale is surely portrayed.
May we learn again the power of the Name.
THE GREAT POWER OF THE NAME
Firstly we should look at the major part of the
Scriptures: the Old Testament. This is the foundation for the
teaching of the New Testament. Incidentally, as the New Testament
was being written, we can see how the words of Paul were becoming recognised as
the Word of God. (2 Peter 3:14-16)
A key verse is Psalm 138:2 b:
"...for you have exalted above all things
Your Name and Your Word."
Out of respect, perhaps a false one - or
superstition, Jewish friends do not use the Name "Yahweh": even
though it appears in the Hebrew Text, and in present-day personal names such as
Netanyahu. "Adoni", meaning Lord or King, is substituted
in the Jewish reading of their Bible (e.g. Psalm 121). When I commenced teaching in a school (11-18 year-olds), my first session of marking brought me up sharp: many of the students had written G-d. They were Jewish lads and lasses - who it was my great privilege and joy to teach - who would not write the full word for God. Sensing that something important was afoot here, I did not mark it as a spelling mistake!
Here are the figures again: the Name is referred to
355 times in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the Name,
applied to the Father or the Son, is referred to 131 times: a total of 486 for
the whole Bible.
In Acts, the apostles only referred once to the Atoning Blood of our Lord: in chapter 20:28, "... shepherd the Church of God, which He purchased with His own Blood." We should notice that the Blood was God's own: pointing to the Divinity of Jesus.
The Book of Acts, like the Gospels, comes directly after the Old Testament mind set - in which the Name was everything. In the Old Testament, the Name was that of Yahweh: in the New Testament, the Name is “the Lord Jesus Christ”.
FOR A FULLER LIST OF BIBLICAL REFERENCES AND COMMENTS, SEE: ENDNOTES ONE
THE BLOOD OF THE SAVIOUR: SEE ENDNOTES TWO
PRAYER
1. The Lord’s Prayer – really The Disciples’ Prayer
This is a exquisite prayer, and points to the perfection of our Lord's teaching, and of Scripture! It places God first and the corporate body of believers second – we do not pray “my”, but “our”. What an honour to use the first person plural, possessive - God is our father and we are a member of His huge family. We use it either word-for-word, or the parts of the prayer as an outline.
In our Primary School, the Head Teacher taught us to pause after each line.
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come;
Thy will be done; on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.
In our Primary School, the Head Teacher taught us to pause after each line.
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come;
Thy will be done; on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.
As a child I was always taught to say "Please" - perhaps in all our prayers this should apply.
The Prayer might be expanded along these lines:
Our Dear Father, who inhabits the highest Heaven, and is above all authority and power [we may like to call God by the intimate "Abba" - "Daddy" - as God's Adopted children, calling Him Daddy will give Him pleasure],
may your Name be respected and praised by all; more today than ever before in History.
Please may your Kingdom come: in my life, in the Church, in the World, and eschatologically: in Christ's returning; may the Gospel be preached to the ends of the Earth, that Christ may come again
May your will be done; on Earth as it is in Heaven - may there be peace in troubled places [name them] - your people protected from persecution [name places] - the victory of Christ seen in their holy joy.
May all our families, and your people, have the concerns for today fully met.
Please forgive us all our sins - help us to be aware of the seriousness of sin, and the cost of forgiveness; may all your people be a forgiving people. [The expression “forgive and forget” is, in
my opinion foolish, and impossible: remembering to forgive someone daily, impresses their sin indelibly on our minds.
Only God can will to forget – and that in the legal sense. To forget is also unwise: we need to be aware
of future dangers of the sin being repeated.
I look at forgiveness in detail under the Blog on “Enemies”.]
We relinquish the desire for sins, even though they attract us.
Please rescue us from Satan's power.
The real Kingdom of power and blessing is Yours,
Your power is beyond that which is seen in the Cosmos,
The Praise and the Glory are yours, to be given by us: now, and in Eternity.
Help me to trust you fully to care for us.
The Lord's Prayer in decorative Arabic, from The Sudan
2. Pray without ceasing
In Air Traffic Control, we had several staff who had their Pilot’s Wings, and were therefore required to fulfil minimum flying hours each year. Two Flying Officers went airborne together in an old Airspeed Oxford. They forgot to switch their radio transmitter off. This meant that the conversation: assassinating colleagues from the Air Vice Marshall downwards was delivered to the ever growing audience in the Control Room. They were embarrassed, to put it mildly! This serves to remind me that we should never switch our Prayer “Transmitter” off.
3. USING THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS – WISELY, INFORMED, AND IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
A missionary, I was working with, visited an eminent Christian businessman, at his office by the docks. He wore a patch over one eye. He wrote a cheque to a supplier of Christian material, signed it; but left the amount blank – for my friend to fill-in. This is a partial illustration of using our Lord’s Name in prayers; because God will always edit or overrule our intercession.
Intercession for the suffering Church
This is an essential aspect of prayer.
There are organisations, which will help us direct, our petitions wisely.
Open Doors (cf their website)
Barnabas Fund
Wazala
The encyclopaedic book: “Operation World”, Biblica Publishing, 7th Edition
Much persecution comes from: Islam, Communism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. In the West, we have antagonism from the Political Class, Homosexuals, other Faiths, and the Atheistic Evolutionists. The application of the Law is often slanted against Christians.
A list written, or mentally kept, of our family, friends, extant members of the Family Tree, and enemies – for daily prayer
A Notebook to keep names of people we meet – and want to pray for, and record answered prayer - although I long ago found too extensive.
The Book of Psalms is a guide to how we might pray - quite an eye-opener!
Philippians 4: 6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When my father was fifty-two, he had started practicing for the Cricket Season, and came home with a pain in his chest. When the doctor went to his room and knocked – there was no conversation. I knew the worst had happened. My dear Christian Aunt and I prayed for comfort and help in our bereavement: the peace which followed was almost embarrassing.
A KEY FACTOR IN PRAYER IS TO FOLLOW THE LORD JESUS IN FASTING ALONG WITH OUR PRAYERS. Health and safety should be born in mind - we should not put lives in danger by driving a car or operating equipment, if incapacitated. A signifying of intent in prayer could be as slight as missing a snack, or the course of a meal; or a series of meals.
A group of young people, at the church Smith Wigglesworth was connected with, and some of his family attended, looked carefully at fasting: some advised taking water, the stomach muscles collapse at first - giving the sensation of hunger, but this soon passes; taking small amounts of soft food when ending a long fast.
As an artist working on an oil painting, I would often miss food at a crucial stage. Even in secular life there can be a kind of secular fast.
PRAYERS GOD WANTS TO ANSWER IN HIS GOOD TIME
He desires to receive thanksgiving, praise, and worship, from His people, for everything!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
He wants to:
Glorify Jesus, our Lord
Build the Church
Unify the Church as one, so that the World may know the truth of Christ's message
Fill Believers with the Holy Spirit
Increase our knowledge of Christ
Resolve the problems in the Church, either by giving us wisdom and understanding, or by His intervention
Cleanse us from sin, and bring us to holiness
Equip us with the spiritual gifts the church needs
Give grace to help us in all things, to abound to every good work
Bless the preaching of the Joyful News
Have all people to hear that Good News
Work attracting miracles
“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” Deuteronomy 4:7
Nicky Gumble, in a sermon at Holy Trinity Brompton (London), suggested that every Christian should try to join a prayer group. I took this on-board. In the first I joined my prayer for cleansing of our witness (which I knew was faulted) was shouted down; and it was severely lacking in enthusiasm. I then moved to a brilliant Methodist Prayer Meeting: it included a retired missionary nurse, and the son-in-law of a lady who was martyred in a Pakistani church.
“Make prayer your first priority: not the last resort.” (Noticeboard, Vale Baptist Church, Todmorden,
UK)
An Italian businessman was in China, before the Boxer Rebellion. He was taken seriously ill, and was dying; but China Inland Mission nurses brought him back to health. He saw so much of Christ in their lives that he became a Believer. Financially secure, he retired to Sweden for health reasons. He could only walk the short distance between the door and gate of his home - using this time to pray for God’s work on the mission field where his life had been saved. The district saw revival for many years, until suddenly it stopped: on the day he died.
SOME PASSAGES AND COMMENTS: ENDNOTES ONE
"At that time men began to call on the Name of
the LORD." [Genesis 4:26 b
The godly people called on The Name]
Yahweh is the Name specified (hence the capital letters in the English Versions); many will use a general name for god, or define
god in a non-Judaeo-Christian way. We are drawn to recognise
exactly who is the God we are calling upon. There is the example of
Elijah at Mount Carmel. (1 Kings 18:24)
We should not profane, or swear falsely by, His holy
Name. (Leviticus 18:21, 19:12 etc)
“Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD.
Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the
Israelites. I am the LORD, who
makes you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.” Leviticus 22:31-33
"You shall not misuse the Name of Yahweh your
God, for Yahweh will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name."
(Exodus 20:7) The misuse of the Name: blasphemy, for immoral or
false aims - carried the death penalty, in God's holy nation.
God will have a place where His Name will dwell.
(Deuteronomy 12:11, etc)
Speaking, serving, and blessing, must be in His
Name. (Deuteronomy 18:5, etc. 1 Kings 18:32 - Elijah; in the New Testament –
James 5:10, 17-18)
God's Name will be put on His people. (Numbers 6:27)
His Name is glorious and awesome. (Deuteronomy
28:10, etc)
His Name is "the LORD of Hosts". (1 Samuel
17:45)
His Name is "the LORD Almighty". (2 Samuel
6:18, etc)
Praises are sung to His Name - forever. (Psalm 61:8)
We must confess His Name, when we repent. (1 Kings
8:33)
The nations will hear of, and fear His Great Name.
(1 Kings 8:42-43) The whole chapter is rich in references.
The outworking of this is seen throughout both Testaments. A
Gentile ruler, "foreigners", "neighbours", "the
nations", and "gentiles" will call on God's Name, and sing
praises to The Name. (2 Samuel 22:50, Isaiah 41:25, 56:6, 59:19, 65:1; Jeremiah
3:17, 12:16, 16:21; Malachi 1:11-14, and Amos 9:12 - which is quoted by the
apostle James in Acts 15:14-18, as the whole point of apostolic preaching, and
as witnessed to by the Prophets. The "ultimate" aim of
the Old Testament is that the Name of Yahweh will be taken to the Gentile
nations for their obedience and worship.
"... so that all the peoples of the Earth may
know Your great Name." (2 Chronicles 6:23)
The Temple is the place where His Name will dwell -
forever. (1 Kings 5:3-5, 9:3, etc)
The prophet Gad spoke in the Name of Yahweh, as did
all God's spokesmen and women. (1 Chronicles 21:19, Jeremiah 20:9, Daniel 9:6, etc)
Pronounce blessings in His Name forever. (1
Chronicles 23:13)
The Name protect you. (Psalm 20:1)
The Name is to be trusted in. (Psalm 20:7)
We are to call on His Name. (Isaiah 12:4)
The Book of Acts deserves our special attention in
this study, because it shows the day-to-day practice of the exemplar church,
and illustrates the practice of doctrine. We see the following
references - some by their enemies, some by the apostles, and disciples:
quotations from the Scriptures invariably include the name Yahweh being freely
applied to the Lord Jesus; salvation was by believing in, and being baptized
in, the Name of the Lord Jesus, so was healing, exorcism, and the miraculous;
they rejoiced in suffering for the Name; enemies questioned the authority, or
Name, in which they labored, and ordered that preaching in the Name was to
cease. See also: Acts 2:21 [Joel 2:28-32]; 2:38; 3:6 and 16; 4:7,10,12,17,18 and 30;
5:28,40 and 41; 8:12 and 16; 9:14,15,21,27, and 29; 10:43 and 48; 15:14,17
and 26; 16:18; 19:5; 19:13 [wrongly used by false Jews; causing the Ephesians
to fear and honour the Name of the Lord Jesus], 21:13; 22:16; and 26:9; also 1
Peter 4:14.
A FURTHER SELECTION OF REFERENCES
"Yahweh is a warrior;
Yahweh is His Name." (Exodus 15:3)
Of the angel who led Israel through the desert, God
said: "My Name is in him." (Exodus 23:21)
When God caused Moses to see His glory He said:
"I will proclaim my Name Yahweh, in your presence." (Exodus 33:19)
"Do not worship any other god, for Yahweh,
whose Name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14)
Jealousy is God's right, because He is God and should receive our total worship
and commitment; for humans jealousy is usually a failing.
To wrongly presume to speak in God's Name, or to
speak in the name of other gods, is punishable by death, in the Divinely led
nation. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
His people will proclaim the Name of the Lord.
(Deuteronomy 32:3)
The Ark of the Covenant is associated with “His Name”.
(2 Samuel 6:2, 1 Chronicles 13:6)
Solomon's relationship with the Name of the LORD,
brought the Queen of Sheba to question him about it. (1 Kings 10:1)
Elisha cursed some insulting youths in the Name. (2 Kings
2:24)
Commanded: Glory in the Name of the LORD.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His Name….
Thanks to His holy Name. (1 Chronicles 16:10, 29, 35)
"... so that ... your Name will be great for
ever." (1 Chronicles 17:24)
His people are called by His Name…. (2 Chronicles
7:14)
His people love His Name. (Psalm 5:11)
"Let us exalt His Name together." (Psalm
34:3)
"Through Your Name we trample our foes."
(Psalm 44:5)
"Save me, O God, by Your Name." (Psalm
54:1)
"... in Your Name I will lift up my
hands." (Psalm 63:4)
"... foolish people have reviled Your
Name." (Psalm 74:30)
"Your Name is near." (Psalm 75:1)
"Pour out Your wrath on the nations... that do
not call on Your Name." (Psalm 79:6)
"Not to us ... but to Your Name be the
glory." (Psalm 115:1)
In great hardship: "Then I called on the Name
of the LORD: O LORD, save me!" (Psalm 116:4)
Attacks by the nations were defeated in the Name of
the LORD. (Psalm 118:10)
"Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the
LORD." (Psalm 118:26)
"Our help is in the Name of the LORD."
(Psalm 124:8)
[So often the Blood is appealed to, nowadays, when
the Name of the
LORD, should be our recourse: as taught here.]
"... for You have exalted above all things
Your Name and Your Word." (Psalm 138:2)
[This is such a significant statement of Scripture!
As mentioned earlier.]
God's enemies - the wicked - misuse His Name. (Psalm
139:20)
"Let them praise His Name with dancing."
(Psalm 149:3)
"The Name of the LORD is a strong tower; the
righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10)
[Again an act requiring the Name, and not the
Blood.]
"What is his name, and the name of his
son?" (Proverbs 30:4) A question, which could well apply to
the Father and the Son of God.
Concern about dishonouring God's Name. (Proverbs
30:9)
"Your name is like ointment poured out."
(Song of Songs 1:3) Although a love song, it is often transposed to refer to
God or Jesus.
"... Your Name and renown are the desire of our
hearts." (Isaiah 26:8) Isaiah makes extensive use of the Name.
All who are called by His Name are created for His
glory. (Isaiah 43:7)
"Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the
word of His servant?
Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light,
trust in the Name of the LORD and rely on his God." (Isaiah 50:10)
Father, and "Redeemer is Thy Name".
(Isaiah 63:16)
The promise of revealing another Name to His people;
which we see fulfilled in the New Testament. (Isaiah 65:15)
"Your Name is mighty in power." (Jeremiah
10:6 c)
False prophets used God's Name. (Jeremiah 14:14,
15)
"I bear Your Name." (Jeremiah 15:16)
God swears on oath by His Great Name. (Jeremiah
44:26)
"And everyone who calls on the Name Yahweh will
be saved." (Joel
2:32)
He is Creator and Revealer of His thoughts to
mankind. (Amos 4:13)
We can see the majesty of the Name. (Micah 5:4)
"To fear Your Name is wisdom." (Micah
6:9 b)
The "meek and humble, who trust in the Name of
Yahweh." (Zephaniah 3:12)
"... in His Name they will walk."
(Zechariah 10:12)
The refined "will call on My Name".
(Zechariah 13:9)
"Yahweh will be King over all the Earth.
On that day there will be one Yahweh, and His Name the only Name." (Zechariah
14:9)
"... those who feared the LORD and honored His
Name." (Malachi 3:16)
"Hallowed be your Name." (Matthew 6:9)
Jesus's Name equated with God: prophesying, casting
out unclean spirits, or working miracles in His Name, is no evidence of being
His. (Matthew 7:22)
Receiving a child, gathering in My Name [Jesus's].
(Matthew 18:5, and 20)
The Baptismal Formula: "In the Name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
Belief in Jesus's Name brings New Birth. (John 1:12)
Failure to believe in the Name of the Son brings
wrath. (John 3:18)
"I have come in My Father's Name." (John
5:43)
"The miracles I do in My Father's
Name...." (John 10:25)
"And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so
that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for
anything in My Name, and I will do it. (John 14:13-14, and 15:16)
To use the Lord’s Name in our prayers is almost like
filling-in a blank cheque over His signature and addressed to the Father.
"... the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in My Name." (John 14:26)
"I have revealed Your Name." (John 17:6)
"Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your
Name - the Name You gave Me ... I protected them and kept them safe by
that Name You gave Me." (John 17:11-12)
Do we wish for a defence against evil, is there a
need for power: all our requirements are found in the Name. In what
sense did the Father give the Lord Jesus, The Name: for His personal use,
but also to take the attributes into His own Name. This passage is
of great significance. Added to this there are the important
"I AM" titles in the Gospel According to John, which reflect the
original meaning of Yahweh - as revealed to Moses at the Burning Bush.
"... that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His
Name." (John 20:31)
The apostles said, "Salvation is found in
no-one else, for there is no other Name [the Name here is the Lord Jesus
Christ] under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts
4:12) The Name in which salvation is found in the Jewish Bible, is
Yahweh: "I, even I, am Yahweh, and apart from Me there is no
saviour." (Isaiah 43:11)
Among several references to the Name of the Lord
Jesus, in chapter 9: Ananias of Damascus is told by the Lord Jesus: "Go! This man is
My chosen instrument to carry My Name before the Gentiles and their kings and
before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must
suffer for My Name." (Acts 9:15) As said before: The
"ultimate" aim in the Jewish Revelation (the Old Testament) is that
the Name of Yahweh will be taken to the Gentile nations for their obedience and
worship (Psalm 117 etc). The Name, in the context in Acts 9, is the Name of the
Lord Jesus (cf verse 14).
In the great event in Acts 10 - the first preaching
of the Gospel to Gentiles, Peter states: "All the (Old Testament/Jewish) prophets
testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of
sins through His Name."
The Name in Acts 15:16-19 is first of all Yahweh, in the
quotation from Amos 9:11-12, and then "the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (verse 26).
The Letter to the Romans opens with a reference to Paul's
own calling "to receive grace and apostleship" - "through Him
and for His Name's sake"; and "to call people from among the Gentiles
to obedience". (Romans 1:5; 9:17)
"Everyone who calls on the Name of Yahweh will
be saved", is quoted from Joel 2:32, using the Greek word
"Kurion" for "Yahweh". In the same paragraph:
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord", "Lord"
is "Kurion". So we have:
Yahweh=Kurion=Lord=Lord Jesus. (Romans 10:10,13)
Christians are those: "... who call on the Name
of our Lord Jesus Christ...." (1 Corinthians 1:2 d)
Eight verses further on: "I appeal to you in
the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." This was the basis for
Paul's case, and it was common for him to use the full title.
The congregation met "in the Name of our Lord
Jesus". (1 Corinthians 5:4)
In a recapitulation of the Gospel there is reference
to the Name, when it could so easily have been to the Blood: "But you were
washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11 b)
"Always giving thanks ... for everything, in
the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:20)
Philippians 2:9-10, states:
Philippians 2:9-10, states:
"Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every
knee should bow, in Heaven and on Earth and under the Earth, and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." This is a clear reference to Isaiah 45:23 b ff,
which uses "Yahweh". Quite a verse for “Jehovah’s Witnesses” to answer to!
"... whether in word or deed, do all in the
Name of the Lord Jesus ...." (Colossians 3:17)
"We pray this so that the Name of the Lord
Jesus may be glorified in you ...." (2 Thessalonians 1:12)
"In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we
command you...." (2
Thessalonians 3:6)
"... so that God's Name ... may not be
slandered." (1 Timothy 6:1)
"'Everyone who confesses the Name of the Lord
must turn away from wickedness." (2 Timothy 2:19)
"... the Name He has inherited is superior to
them" [angels]. (Hebrews 1:4)
"... the love you have shown to the Name
of" [God]. (Hebrews 6:10 Greek)
"Through Jesus ... a sacrifice of praise - the
fruit of lips that confess His Name." (Hebrews 13:15)
"... the noble Name of Him to whom you
belong" [is slandered by the rich]. (James 2:7)
The Elders bring healing in the Name of the Lord.
(James 5:14)
"And this is His command: to believe in the
Name of His Son, Jesus Christ ..." (1 John 3:23, 5:13,13 AV)
Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never
forsaken those who seek you.
The Book of Revelation
"Yet you remain true to My Name."
(2:13)
You "have not denied My Name". (3:8)
Jesus will write on the "overcomer", the
Name of "My God" and "My New Name". (3:12 Cf)
"... your servants the prophets and Your saints
and those who reverence Your Name." (11:18)
The Beast - the Empire of the Antichrist - slanders
God's Name. (13:6)
The 144,000 had the Name of the Lamb, and the name
of His Father, written on their foreheads. (14:1) In satanic opposition to
this, are those who receive the mark of the Beast's name. (14:11) But
there are "those who have been victorious over the Beast, his image and
over the number of his name". (15:2)
"Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory
to your Name." (15:4)
People "were seared by the intense heat and
they cursed the Name of God, who had control over these plagues, but refused to
repent and glorify Him". (16:9)
When Jesus returns to defeat His foes, He will wear
the Name "Word of God", and a secret Name, known only to Him.
(19:12-13) The Name in the Old Testament is "Yahweh",
the name in the New Testament is "the Lord Jesus Christ", and the
Name in Glory, is secret, or yet to be revealed.
He will strike down, and rule forcefully, the
nations.
"He treads the wine press of the fury of the
wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh he has this
Name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (19:15-16)
"THEY WILL SEE HIS FACE, AND HIS NAME WILL BE
ON THEIR FOREHEADS."
(22:4)
It is impossible in this short span to refer to all
the uses of The Name, in the Scriptures; your own Bible reading must be the
real investigation.
Every day, we should thank God for the redemption,
which is through the Blood. Every battle, task, and difficulty to
be faced, should be engaged in, in the Name of Christ.
The right use of The Name has to be learned afresh.
PRAYER - HELPFUL TEXTS
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need
1 Thessalonians 5:17 …pray
continually;18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's
will for you in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 6 Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep
on praying for all the saints.19 Pray also for me, that whenever I
open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the
mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains.
Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
John 14:13 And I will do
whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Matthew 18:19 Again
I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it
will be done for you by my Father in heaven.20 For where two or three
come together in my name, there am I with them."
John 15:7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it
will be given you.
Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according
to his power that is at work within us,
1 Timothy 2:1 I
urge, then, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for
everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live
peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.3 This is
good, and pleases God our Savior,4 who wants all men to be saved and
to come to a knowledge of the truth.
James 4:2 You want something
but don't get it... You do not have, because you do not ask God.
END NOTES TWO: ON THE BLOOD
The Old Testament contains 129 references to
sacrificial blood; the New Testament contains 36 mentions of our Lord's Blood.
Firstly then, the word in the Jewish Bible
"Blood" is "dawm"(dam), number
1818 in the Hebrew Dictionary in Strong's "Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible".
It is found 338 times, according to my counting. Apart from various
uses such as poetic and idiomatic: life's blood, innocent blood, human life,
his blood be on his own head, predatory birds, grape juice, and so on; the
Sacrificial References - the ones which interest us here - numbers 129.
The sense of Sacrificial Blood is roughly two fifths of the total.
Secondly, a look at how the word is used in the New
Testament
May I say in parenthesis: we do well to observe that
some people are reluctant to mention the Blood of the New Covenant at all;
others, we may feel, mention it too much, and out of context. These
quotations demonstrate the mind of the Holy Spirit, and therefore the true
balance.
The Greek New Testament word is "hah'ee
mah" (haima), Strong's reference number is 129 (plus two conglomerates).
The medical use of the Greek word is familiar as in "haematology"
(studies relating to blood). Of the 100 occurrences, some are of a
general and expected nature, but 36 (about a third) refer to Our Lord's most
precious blood.
They are as follows:
At the Last Supper, in the Synoptic references:
"This cup is my blood of the New Covenant" (Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24,
Luke 22:20).
In John's account: Jesus mentions the need to
"drink His blood" - to spiritually drink/partake of His sacrifice.
We also have the reference to "blood and water" flowing from the
pericardium wound at the Crucifixion (John 6:53-56, and 19:34).
When the Sanhedrin assessed the preaching of the
apostles, they used the expression: "... make us guilty of this man's
blood" - of taking Jesus's life. (Acts 5:28);
When Paul gave his sermon to the leaders of the
Ephesian Church, he used this expression: "... the Church of God, which He
purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28) Indicating both
the Divinity of our Lord, and the huge importance of the redeeming blood.
The New Testament Letters:
"God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement,
through faith in His blood." (Romans 3:25 NIV)
"Since we have now been justified by His
blood...." (Romans 5:9)
"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for
which we give THANKS a participation (a fellowship, koinonia [Greek]) in the blood of
Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16)
"In the same way, after supper, He took the
cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you
drink it, in remembrance of Me.'...Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks
the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the
body and blood of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11:25 and 27)
A Digression: Personally, I take this to mean that
whenever we are eating and drinking, in a meal of bread, or the likes – and of
some type of drink; not only at times of corporate worship in a church
service, we may make this memorial. A question asked of theology
students: If an ordinary Christian was shipwrecked on a desert island, could
they administer the Eucharist to themselves? The answer invariably given
is, “Yes, they could.” This also must apply to those in prison, for
whatever reason. Taking Bread and Wine, or food and drink, is not an
option; but a Command! It must be accompanied by a time of reflection,
and self-examination, as implied by the Scripture quoted above. In
impoverished and isolated Christian communities, banana, and camel’s milk has
been used in the Eucharist. What other unusual combinations will have
been used in exceptional circumstances?
"In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He
lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:7 and 8)
"But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far
away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13) Based on the thoughts of Hosea chapter 1.
"For He has rescued us from the dominion of
darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians
1:13-14, NIV mg) This is the great overcoming of Satan's ambitions: our total and eternal deliverance
from the Kingdom of Darkness.
"For God was pleased ... to reconcile to
Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making
peace through His blood shed on the Cross...." (Colossians 1:19-20)
The Atonement is valid everywhere in the Universe.
Among the Epistles, Hebrews is especially rich.
As a High Priest, Jesus did not enter the more perfect Tabernacle in Heaven
"by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy
Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."
(Hebrews 9:12)
"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ,
Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse ...
that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14)
"... we have confidence to enter the Most Holy
Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the
curtain, that is, His body ...." (Hebrews 10:19-20)
"How much more severely do you think a man
deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has
treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and
who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29)
"You have come to ... Jesus the mediator of a
new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood…. " (Hebrews 12:24)
"And so Jesus also suffered ... to make the
people holy through His own blood." (Hebrews 13:12)
"May the God of peace, who through the blood of
the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus...."
(Hebrews 13:20)
"... who have been chosen ... for obedience to Jesus
Christ and sprinkling by His blood: grace and peace in abundance." (1
Peter 1:2)
"... you were redeemed ... with the precious
blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1:18-19) It is precious to God, is it valued by you and me?
"... the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from
all sin." (1 John 1:7) Hallelujah!
"This is the one who came by water and the
blood - Jesus Christ
... by water and blood ... For there are three which
testify: the
Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are
in agreement."
(1 John 5:6-8)
In the Book of Revelation we notice the Holy
Spirit's direction in references to the Blood.
"To Him who loves us and has freed us from our
sins by His blood... be glory and power for ever and ever!
Amen." (Revelation 1:5-6)
"You are worthy ... because you were slain, and
with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and
people and nation." (Revelation 5:9)
"'These are they who have come (Greek,
"are coming") out of the great tribulation; they have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, ‘they
are before the Throne of God and serve Him day and night in His Temple; and He
who sits on the Throne will spread His tent over them.’'" Revelation
7:14-15)
These three passages, above, are concerned with the
redemption, cleansing, and freeing from sin, through the Blood. For
the next we may well be compelled by current and common usage to hold to a
wrong understanding.
"They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of their testimony..." (Revelation 12:11)
In the light of the Scriptures: the full salvation,
and sanctification, set the redeemed people, totally, and for all time, free
from Satan's power and grasp. Even in the darkest hours of
tribulation, the Atoning Blood is the same as ever. All the
references, apart from this one, refer specifically to the Atoning power of the
Blood of Christ Jesus. Indeed, in Revelation 12:11, there is no
reason to assume any different meaning. Certainly there is no
implication of specific difficulties being overcome; but of an eternal and
complete "overcoming", through redemption.
Charles Spurgeon observed that all our prayers
arrive in Heaven in a revised form. This must certainly be true
regarding this much wrongly used verse. Granted that it is difficult
to identify exactly whom, "they" refers to; it certainly does not
infer a talisman-like use of a reference to our Lord's blood: as is popular
today. A much more splendid scale is surely portrayed.
There is obviously a most excellent and active wing
of the Church, which gives mutual encouragement in enthusiastic teaching about
the "power of the Blood". Derek Prince and Benny Hinn,
are two such international teachers who have shown great experience of God's
power, and wisdom about the meaning of Scripture. But neither their
learning, nor their power, should make us afraid to stand up for the Word of
God: "To the Law and to the Testimony! If they do not speak
according to this word, they have no light of dawn." (Isaiah 8:20)
Both great men have faced criticism and made adjustment before.
However, Benny Hinn has written, and enlarged, a
most readable book entitled, "The Blood" (Charisma House, USA, 1993,
2001). Here is a quotation from it: "I believe that when we
ask God to cover us with the blood of Jesus, He honors that because it
represents the name of Jesus and the authority connected with that name."
(p. 51)
Derek Prince has spoken eloquently and at length, on
the Power of the Blood as a defence against satanic attack. But in
a "Teaching Letter" (No.29), he concentrated on Atonement through the
Blood. He sees the victory though the Blood - pointed to in
Revelation 12:11 - as hugely cosmic: causing Satan to be cast out of Heaven by
the prayers of a redeemed people, witnessing to the Atonement, and being
willing to die: "The blood of the Lamb affirms the all-sufficient
sacrifice that Jesus offered on the cross on our behalf," he writes.
As I said at the beginning: Some are reluctant to
mention the Blood of the New Covenant, at all; others, we may feel, mention it
too much, and out of context. These Biblical quotations demonstrate
the mind and balance of the Holy Spirit.
When I have heard people relying on the Blood, it is
invariably as a defence. By distinct contrast, the use of the Name
is for attack as well as for God's care. As in the 23rd Psalm:
"Thy rod and Thy staff", where there is attack and defence.
Never, in the New Testament, did the Church use
"the blood" as a specific victory formula over the attacks of Satan;
their recourse was always to the Divine Name, which had been transferred to
Jesus.
In my work for Christ's Kingdom, I have always been dependant on the prayers of others: not solely on my own.
We must
learn again: the power of the Name.
Pray without ceasing.
IF YOU ARE TOO BUSY TO ATTEND THE CHURCH PRAYER MEETING, YOU ARE TOO BUSY!
Pray without ceasing.
IF YOU ARE TOO BUSY TO ATTEND THE CHURCH PRAYER MEETING, YOU ARE TOO BUSY!
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