THE NAME OF JESUS
When I was a teenager, I was a bit of a film “buff.” I really enjoyed going to the cinema. I particularly liked historical films such as, Cleopatra, The Greatest Story Ever Told or musicals like Mary Poppins and Funny Girl. In those days most movies were innocent entertainment and virtually never had any bad language.
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These days it’s a different story and following on from Vlad’s article last month - we really need to be careful what we choose to watch. There are countless movies and TV programmes available on Freeview and I can honestly say that I often go through the many titles and cannot find one that I want to watch or that I can allow myself to watch.
However, I do like films that are based on real life stories and I do watch that kind of movie when one turns up, but even these so often these days have “strong language” and end up having at least one character who uses the Name of our Lord as an expletive. I really abhor this, and it hurts me deeply. I actually wrote an article about it in November 2020 - which is included below but things are getting worse, and I think it’s time to revisit this topic.
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No one would DARE to use the name of the founder of Islam or their name for God as a swear word and yet we as Christians sit back in silence when they take our Lord’s Name in vain. I have never heard the Archbishop of Canterbury, or the Pope or any Christian leader for that matter, ever say anything about it. (If you have - please let me know with date and reference)!
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There is no way we can ever stop this but in my previous article below, I do make a positive suggestion of what we can do about it. I will also reiterate what I said there: They don’t use the name of Buddha or Krishna or the like, as a swear word but I believe they use the Name of Jesus because they want to shock and be insulting - but they are actually deliberately blaspheming and unwittingly acknowledging at the same time, that He is God. On the day of judgement, they will never be able to say that they did not know anything about Him, or they did not know His Name. Therefore, they will be without excuse!
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I have made my first point: The Name of Jesus is used as BLASPHEMY by the world - but my main point now is that the Name of Jesus for us as believers - is BLESSING.
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Six times in the gospel of John Jesus is recorded as saying things about asking in His Name:
“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14.14
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“I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—
and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16
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“In that day you will no longer ask me anything.
Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” John 16:23
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“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.
Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:24
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“In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.” John 16:26
The Name of Jesus is not some kind of formula that we should tag on to the end of a prayer, it’s much more profound than that.
Let me give an illustration:
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The CEO of a huge corporation has many people under him/her who basically do all the work - so he/she delegates authority downwards. Some are given authority to make transactions and spend money and sign cheques and orders in the name of the company/CEO.
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These people therefore, have ACCESS to all the riches of the corporation but at the same time they are ACCOUNTABLE for what they do, and they must do everything in accordance with the policy that has been determined by the CEO. They are working to fulfil the mission of the corporation and make it a success.
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When Jesus said we can ask in His Name we are asking with the authority of the
PERSON WHO HAS ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH.
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“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power.” John 13:3
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” Matthew 28:18
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He is giving us ACCESS to HIMSELF and His resources and authorising us to continue His Mission to bring in the Kingdom of God – doing His WILL on earth as it is done in HEAVEN!
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We can ask anything in His Name that is in line with that!
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Does this stop us from asking for personal things? Someone in the church I led for forty years used to say we should not bother God with silly prayers like: “Lord please help me to find this” or “please help me to get a parking space.” Well, all I can say is that I’ve had lots of prayers like that answered and I’m very grateful!
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Philippians 4:6 says: “Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERY SITUATION, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
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The One who transcends all of creation and has all the power - at the same time is aware of the tiniest details and because we are his children, our heavenly Father delights to answer our prayers for His help in our everyday lives.
Praise His NAME!
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
(Message of the Month November 2020)
This message has been on my mind for a number of weeks, and I have hesitated to share it because I wanted to be careful to approach it in the right way - but I cannot leave it any longer. It starts with a modern issue that gives me personally, very great sorrow and should grieve us as Christians to the core of our being.
Up until the last ten years or so, although worldly people have been using blasphemous words in their conversations for centuries, they were very rarely spoken in movies or on TV. However, these days almost every TV drama here in Britain and from some parts of Europe, plus many films coming out of Hollywood, have characters who use the name of our Lord and Saviour as an expletive and these productions are being seen and heard by millions of people – including children, around the world.
The producers and media moguls will no doubt excuse that by saying that they are just being true to real life. Alright then, if that is the case, there’s a big problem here – because it is a very serious thing to do with ultimately huge consequences.
Using the name of the Lord as a swear word and in other wrong ways is nothing new. It was an issue since the beginning of time – so much so, that one of the Ten Commandments is devoted to addressing it:
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,
for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
(Exodus 20:7 NIV)
Or as the Living Bible translates it:
“You shall not use the name of Jehovah your God irreverently nor use it to swear to a falsehood.
You will not escape punishment if you do.”
Or the Message version puts it this way:
“No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter;
God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.”
Why do people use the name of the Lord in curses or as a swear word? There are other words that can be used – but I think that unbelievers use it deliberately to offend – in order to make the biggest possible impact. They choose to blaspheme because they can’t think of any other words that would be more shocking.
The dictionary definition of blasphemy is:
“The act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence to a deity,
or toward something considered sacred.”
The great irony of this is that by using the name of the Lord in this way, which is blasphemous – they are unconsciously acknowledging that He is God!!!
Therefore, they will be without excuse on the Day of Judgement – they will never be able to say that they did not know his name!
They don’t use names from any other religion – in fact they would not dare to do so. We have seen the consequences of that in France just this last month!
Yet no one seems to be phased at all when the name of the Son of the Living God is used in this way.
Christian leaders seem to just accept the status quo – and by highlighting this I am not wanting to stir up anger or incite recriminations against people.
By our (born-again) nature we as Christians are tolerant, loving and forgiving. We take our example from Jesus who said “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men” - including against Himself – (obviously only if there is genuine repentance).
I do however, think that as Christians when someone is using the name of our Lord in a blasphemous way, that we have EVERY RIGHT to politely ASK them NOT to do so in our presence – and be prepared to explain why. It could be a wonderful opportunity to witness and share the love of God with that person!
We could say something like: “Please don’t use that name as a swear word around me. That is the name of someone very important to me – someone I love very much. He’s my Lord and Saviour and I’d love you to know Him too.”
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So what is in a name?
For us as Christians we use the NAME OF JESUS in prayer, in claiming victories,
in worship and praise – and it’s powerful in its effects. Why is that?
The NAME stands for the PERSON.
If I mention the name of someone you know, you will immediately either see that person in your mind’s eye or you will instantly hold together everything that you know about that person in your mind.
Their name stands for everything that person is.
The name of Jesus is so powerful because it stands for WHO HE IS.
As he was about to go back to heaven Jesus made the biggest claim of ALL TIME – He said the BIGGEST THING that ANYONE has EVER said! (Matthew 28:18-20):
“ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS GIVEN UNTO – ME.”
The ONE with all the rulership of EVERYTHING is called JESUS!
The NAME OF JESUS stands for the ONE who has ALL THE AUTHORITY in heaven and in earth!
And we are to go and make disciples of Jesus – baptizing them in His NAME.
And He has promised to be with us as we do that –
There’s no one else who has ALL THE AUTHORITY – so why follow anyone else?
We belong to the One who has - ALL THE POWER!
That’s why in the end…
At the name of Jesus every knee will bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that
Jesus Christ is LORD,
to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:10-11)
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