power of Jesus' name

Before Jesus left this earth He left His name with His disciples. They will pray in His name and speak to obstacles in His name, even command evil spirits to leave. Today we use His name a lot but do not find the same power manifesting as in the early church’s time. Why?

Reading some passages from the Bible we can learn more about His name and the power therein. There are much more significance in using His name than we often think. All Scripture are quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

His name gives hope

Matthew 12:21

And his name will be the hope

of all the world.”

Power of His name gives life

John 20:31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

In His name, prayers get answered and requests granted

John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

John 16:23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.

John 16:24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

We are identified and separated as His people by His name

1 Corinthians 1:2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

Our belief is in His name

1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

His name is written and has spiritual significance

Revelation 19:12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.

We are identified finally by His name written on us too

Revelation 22:4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.

What does the name of Jesus do? Sins forgiven.

Acts 10:43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

end times church mission: the proof of your love

2 Corinthians 8 New King James Version (NKJV)

Excel in Giving

8 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: ² that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. ³ For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, ⁴ imploring us with much urgency that we would receive^[a] the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵ And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. ⁶ So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. ⁷ But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.

Christ Our Pattern

⁸ I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
¹⁰ And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; ¹¹ but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. ¹² For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
¹³ For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; ¹⁴ but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”^[b]

Collection for the Judean Saints

¹⁶ But thanks be to God who puts^[c] the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, ¹⁹ and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, ²⁰ avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us— ²¹ providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
²² And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you. ²³ If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show to them, and^[d] before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 8:4 NU-Text and M-Text omit that we would receive, thus changing text to urgency for the favor and fellowship . . . .
2. 2 Corinthians 8:15 Exodus 16:18
3. 2 Corinthians 8:16 NU-Text reads has put.
4. 2 Corinthians 8:24 NU-Text and M-Text omit and.

How to have sound mind?

Sound mind brings healthy body. How to have sound mind? Here are some thoughts which help to bring sound healthy mind.

Andrew Wommack’s quotes
Excerpts From: Grace – the power of the Gospel
The Gospel is the most basic, foundational message of the New Testament, yet it’s the most misunderstood. Today’s religious system is not preaching the same Gospel that Paul did. They mix it with the Law, and that isn’t the Gospel at all.
It is offensive to people, particularly if they have a lot of holy actions to their names, when you tell them that all their good deeds don’t make them righteous before God. Then when you tell them sinners who only put faith in God are more righteous than they are (Matt. 21:28-32), that really puts them over the top!
We need a Savior! The only thing we have to offer is faith. We just believe the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news that Jesus died for us and paid a debt we couldn’t pay and gave us a righteousness we couldn’t earn. It’s faith righteousness!
It takes a supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit to be able to understand this. But once you do, it’ll transform the way that you view God, the way that you relate to God, and the way that you receive from God. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. I encourage you to just humble yourself and ask God for a supernatural revelation of this truth. It’s tremendous.
When you truly get a hold of the grace of God, I guarantee you, it sets you free from sin, not free to sin. You’ll wind up living holier accidentally than you ever have on purpose. You’ll serve God out of love stricter and stronger than you ever would have out of legalism.
Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). It’s not truth that sets you free; it’s the truth you know that sets you free. But before you can know it, you’ve got to hear it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).
Quote from : “Whose Righteousness?”
The word “righteousness” has become a religious cliché that has lost its meaning to many people. Even Christians are confused about what righteousness is and how to receive it.
“Righteousness” and its counterpart, “righteous,” appear 540 times in 520 verses of the Bible. In contrast, “faith,” “faithfulness,” and “faithful” are only used 348 times in 328 verses. This means that there are 1.5 times as many scriptures about righteousness as there are about faith. Righteousness is important.
The mistake of thinking that doing right makes us right is the same error the Pharisees made. Religion has always preached that if we clean up our actions, our hearts will become clean too. Jesus taught just the opposite (Matt. 23:25-26). It’s through a changed heart that our actions change. The heart is the issue. Actions are only an indication of what is in our hearts. Actions are the fruit the heart produces.
Modern-day Christianity often puts the emphasis on actions instead of issues of the heart.
Jesus was in right relationship with God as no one else can be. He is the Son of God. He is God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16).
In return for Jesus taking our sin, those who put their faith in Him get His righteousness instead of their own.
Colossians 2:6 says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” That means if you were saved by putting faith in God’s grace alone, then you maintain that relationship in the same way.
Failure to understand this truth is at the root of all guilt and condemnation. Satan’s only inroad into our lives is sin. If we understand our right standing with God on the basis of what Jesus did for us, and not by our own actions, then Satan’s power to condemn is gone.
____________Sound mind Bible verses (in NKJV; boldness added)
Philippians 4:8 [Full Chapter] [ Meditate on These Things ] Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
2 Timothy 1:7 [Full Chapter] For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Galatians 5:22-23 [Full Chapter]   ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

a solemn message from Jesus for Christians at end time

a solemn message from Jesus for Christians at end time.
Six Key commands: do not judge; keep asking, seeking, knocking; the narrow way; you know them by their fruits; I never knew you; build on the rocks. All these are spoken by our Lord and Savior Jesus. He is talking about entering the kingdom of God and maintaining our heavenly citizenship.

 Matthew chapter seven (NKJV)

Do Not Judge

“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Way

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Build on the Rock

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

a testimony from this blogger: transformed by the reality of a personal God

I was led to (more seriously) walk this journey in the Holy Spirit about ten years ago. My life has been totally made over and drastically transformed from a self-centered Christian who preferred the comfort zone, to the person whom God has originally designed and called me to be.

I am happy to testify that the journey is worth more than fine gold. I thank God who personally intervened in my life. He never abandoned me and in truth He lifted me up from the miry slippery spiritual snare and placed my feet on high and solid ground with Him. He filled me with His love and, yes, His Son. From a distance (in cold religious self-righteous stance) I have moved into personal relationship with my God, my Father in heaven, Jesus my Lord and my Savior, Holy Spirit, my teacher and my life power source.

Amongst other things He did, He put good teaching by Spirit and faith filled and Word believing disciples of Jesus into me.I have introduced many classic ones in this blog and other blogs.
Today I would mention a few of the contemporary ones (from whose teachings and lifestyle I have benefited).

They are familiar names to many. I would just add here some of the latest resources from them. I pray that all readers of this blog will be blessed too. They have led my eyes to focus on the trinity God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They have helped me to focus on the solid living words of God, which is life, and spirit, just as Jesus has declared.God and His Word have become real to me. They are real. This knowledge is not just in my soul, it is in my spirit. The personal reality of God as revealed to me has converted me.

They are (in chronological order of my exposure to their teachings): Joseph Prince (his earlier teachings on grace and righteousness), Andrew Wommack (his all time teachings of the Bible), Heidi Baker (her personal relationship with God and her life testimonies), and Sandra Kennedy (her Whole Life Ministries' worship and healing teachings; current prophetic messages). 

 I would describe this unusual combination of 'mentors' the 'right' combination only my Father God can design for me at this season of my life. God knows. He cares. he provides. Always at the right time, the right place, with the right focus.

I am not saying that anyone of them is perfect. I just want to express my appreciation and thankfulness for the very important teachings they have given and are still giving, and in some cases, even free of charge.

I shall continue to introduce to readers, from time to time, materials which I have been led in my spirit to pass on to you at a particular time. Someone somewhere needs that material. I believe.

Here is what I have found today and would like to share with you:
http://www.mp3olimp.net/heidi-baker/

Do support their worthy course according to what the Lord has urged you. At least stop for one today as Jesus leads her or him to you. http://www.irisglobal.org/

Matthew 20: continue to see the Father's love

Walking with Jesus has brought us to Matthew chapter 20. The Lord continued to teach the disciples the full Gospel, the Good News, about God's love (that no perishes), Jesus' forthcoming victory (resurrection from atonement death) over sins and illness. But the disciples could not understand and continued to focus on physical matters and not the matters of God.

Jesus' teaching in Matthew 20

(1) God's love shows no favor. He loves every soul and saves everyone who believes and responds by faith and enters through the gate, who is Jesus.

“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.
³ “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. ⁴ So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. ⁵ So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.
⁶ “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
⁷ “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’
“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’
⁸ “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. ⁹ When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. ¹⁰ When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. ¹¹ When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, ¹² ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
¹³ “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? ¹⁴ Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. ¹⁵ Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
¹⁶ “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

(2) Jesus Again told the disciples the full Gospel Good News: He will resurrect from death! But they were not listening. They were engrossed in political power struggle.

¹⁷ As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. ¹⁸ “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. ¹⁹ Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

 

(3) Jesus taught the disciples about true authority and relationship in the kingdom of God: not based on man's political power, but based on Christ in us, living the life of Christ-the Son of God Himself (manifesting in us to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8b)

²⁰ Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. ²¹ “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
²² But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”
“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
²³ Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
²⁴ When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. ²⁵ But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. ²⁶ But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. ²⁸ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

(4) Jesus heals: His healing continued even as He progressed toward His crucifixion at Jerusalem. Those who believed in Him and kept crying out to Him received what they wanted from Him! Their lives were transformed as they refused to conform to the world and they became the disciples of Jesus.

²⁹ As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

³¹ “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.
But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
³² When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”
³³ “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” ³⁴ Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

a letter: each must find his/her or its own course and follow through to its end

DEAR BELOVED OF GOD:

Last night I slept after 2 something.I came back from a posh French dinner and had a scare when my mobile phone was jammed at the starting screen and couldn’t be shut down. I did open both ends and found that they did not house the battery. Later I waited for the battery to run out using the fan at full blast to cool it to prevent explosion if any. my over imaginative mind…sigh.

Then I went on internet and discovered this phone’s battery was fixed and could not be removed!

How to shut if off ? A blogger advised that he did it by pressing the on-off button and the sound volume increase-decrease button at the same time.

Anyway my prayer was answered. The phone actually shut down itself when the battery was exhausted. Then I recharged the phone and discovered to my relief it came back to ‘life’ by itself. (Rather, by angels’ working overtime! )

While all these were going on, and I was sitting in darkness in the humid and sweaty night, I thought of how even a jumbo jet could exhaust its fuel and shut down itself wherever it 'happened' to land itself (on solid ground or on stormy raging waters).
So is life without God.

There is an appointed time for each appointed living being and even non-living thing. How awesome is our Creator.

Lesson and reminder learned:

1. appointed time cannot be ignored. It doesn’t change its course.

2. each must find his/her or its own course and follow through to its end.

3. Believers can ask the Lord and follow through without fail if we really want to. Jesus has promised each believer His Spirit to lead and enable us to complete the race in the time appointed to each.

4. Reminder to all: when time is up, it is up. Like choosing a path in the maze: once a wrong choice is made,  it will still lead the mistaken to its end, usually a dead end.

Frightening without the Holy Spirit!

5. My resolution: Must spend the rest of my appointed time to use my spiritual gifts to the max., hopefully, to bring many to the Holy Spirit pathway.

love to all,

watchman

an appoinited time for each man