Whispering the Name of Jesus

I wonder, if the name of Jesus was spoken more often, would the world be a better place?  I'm not meaning necessarily through the preaching or teaching of the Word of God, although that wouldn't hurt either; but rather by just ... whispering the name of Jesus ... speaking that name out into the spirit realm.

I do that often.  I just breathe out the name of Jesus throughout the day.  By doing so, it keeps me aware of His presence.  When I breathe out the name of Jesus, it seems as if by doing so ... that name cleanses my soul and keeps my attention on Him.  I speak it prayerfully, whether in need or in praise.

By whispering the name of Jesus, it brings a peace that washes over my soul.  It's the soul of man that is always under attack from the things of the world.  Life in general can steal your peace with the many afflictions and problems that come our way. 

Psalms 34:19 speaks to this ... "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."

But does God's help come automatically?  No, I don't believe it does.  I believe one way to start the deliverance, to open up the door so to speak, the avenue that God will use to bring the answer to you ... is through breathing softly ... the name of Jesus.  But that is just me.  By doing so, you are calling out to Him.  God can hear even the small still voice.  He has really good hearing. 

But if you want to shout that name as loud as you can ... then by all means do so.  The writer of Hebrews 4:16 does say ... "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."  God won't mind; call out to Him as loud or as soft as you deem necessary.

Many times it's not just "life" that brings trouble.  The same demonic being that caused the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, is still loose on the earth.  He is still a tempter who delights in bringing as much misery and failure as he can to man.    

When I'm tempted or troubled and I whisper the name of Jesus, that name penetrates out into the spirit realm, which I can't see ... but the devil, the enemy of my soul hears that name, and it keeps him from hanging around me.  You see, he knows there is power in that name.  Just the mention of the name of Jesus causes demonic powers to tremble.

James 2:19 states ... "Thou believest that there is one God ... the devils also believe, and tremble."  (K.J.V.)

The Amplified Bible puts it this way ... "You believe that God is one ... so do the demons believe and shudder in terror and horror, such as make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin!"

Notice, the Amplified version describes in much more detail the fear that is caused in the demonic kingdom at just the thought of God's power over them.  They know they are doomed.

The word "tremble" as used in the King James, is the Greek "phrisso" (pronounced fris'-so) and means ... "to shudder, to bristle up or chill with fear, to cause the standing of the hair on end with terror."

Demons believe; but unlike men, never doubt in the fact of God's existence.  Demons do more than just believe this fact ... they shudder at it.  Vincent's Word Studies says this word shudder means ... "to make the hair stand on end, to contract the surface of the skin, making gooseflesh."

In Luke 4:33-35, there was a man in the synagogue in Capernaum that had a demonic spirit which cried out to Jesus ... "Let us alone; are you come to destroy us?  I know who you are, the Holy One of God."  Jesus told him to shut up and cast the demon out of the man.  Demonic powers fear Jesus.  They have dealt with Him before ... and they always lose.

The name of Jesus is not to be used lightly.  It's sacred.  The name ... Jesus ... should be spoken with reverence.  Or as I often do, whispered in the right manner.  When I breathe out the name of Jesus ... I do so in worship, or praise by saying, "Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord."  He knows what your heart's attitude is when you whisper His name.

The Apostle Peter, in Acts 4:12 said ... "There is no other name given ... whereby we must be saved."  May I repeat myself?  That name is sacred.

The Apostle Paul, in describing the name God gave to His Son, said this in Philippians 2:9-11 ... "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord ..."

What do I see in this scripture? 

1.) That God gave Jesus a name above every other name ... period. 

2.) That every creature's knee should bow at the name of Jesus ... meaning all angels and saints in Heaven; all men and creatures on earth; and those under the earth in the underworld, or hell, the dead awaiting judgment, as well as the demonic spirits chained by God in the darkness of the unseen spirit world.

3.) That every tongue will ... either now or in judgment ... confess that Jesus is Lord.

So ... I encourage you to speak or whisper, the name of Jesus once in a while during your day.  In Luke 6:45, Jesus said something like ... "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." 

Do you have Jesus in abundance in your heart?  Do you have enough to breathe out the name ... Jesus?

Just a whisper ... that's all it takes.  It speaks of need, of praise, of love.  It says ... "Lord I'm trusting you, right now ... in my plenty, or in my want."

He will usually answer ... "in a still small voice." 

What Is Going On

A couple of times in the ministry of Jesus, it looks as if God caused, allowed or arranged for bad things to happen, to allow Jesus to come along and fix the problem.

Consider the event in John 9:1-3 ... "And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from birth."  I don't know if this blind man was someone they personally knew, or whether John is just supplying us with some vital information ... the fact that he was born blind.

Either way, the disciples ask Jesus a question as to the reason he was born this way.  "Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents that he was born blind?"  What a strange question.  If he was born blind ... he was blind before he even had the opportunity to commit sin.

But look at the answer Jesus gives to this question asked in all sincerity.  He says ... "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

What is going on here?  If sin didn't bring this blindness, what did?  Is Jesus saying that this man's maker and creator, God Himself ... either caused, allowed or arranged for this to happen at birth ... so Jesus could come along and fix the problem?

Absolutely.  Isn't this man, with or without sight ... still God's?  As the Palmist David said, "The earth is the Lord's ... and they that dwell therein." (Psalms 24:1)
  
Jesus said, "but that ..." (the word "but" means: nay, nevertheless, or contrariwise to your thinking) ... "the works ..." (acts, deeds) ... "of God should be made manifest ..." (the word "manifest" means ... to render apparent, to show forth) ... "in him ... (the blind man)."

Even someone as simple minded as I am can understand that Jesus is saying that God ... caused, allowed or arranged that this man would be blind from birth to show that the works of God, (in this case healing) could be displayed in him through Jesus.

Next, I want to look at the story of Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, and the brother of Mary and Martha who lived in the town of Bethany.  There were perhaps no family whom Jesus felt as close to as these three.  On several occasions Jesus had spent time with them in their home and would do so again.  But Lazarus falls sick.  The sisters send Jesus a message that their brother is sick, and by doing so expected Him to come and heal him.  But when Jesus heard about Lazarus, He said in John 11:4 ...

"This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

So what does Jesus do?  He stays two more days where He is and doesn't come.

Jesus let's Lazarus die.  So, what is going on?

We see in John11:15, that Jesus intends to use the death of Lazarus and his physical resurrection as a teaching tool when He says to His disciples ...

"I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him."

Had Jesus been there, He would have been called on to heal him before he died; but ... "to the intent ye may believe" ... meaning how much greater the miracle would be to raise a dead man, than heal a sick man.  Through this, there would be no question in the hearts of the disciples that Jesus was indeed the messiah that Israel waited for. 

Oh, He could have just sent His word and healed him when He first heard, but He did not; that was not His object here.  The object here was 1st ... that God would receive glory for what He was about to do ... raise a dead man.  And 2nd ... to teach that death has come into the world; and here with Lazarus it must take effect.  Mankind is really in a state of death before God; but in Jesus, grace and mercy comes in ... and death is no more.  Man must wait for the appointed time by God to raise them up again.

So, Lazarus is raised up again in his natural body just as God had arranged and appointed the timing of each event to proceed.

John 11: 53-54 ... "Then from that day forth the chief priests took counsel to put Him to death.  Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews ... "

What is the main thing trials and times of testing do?  They make us prove our faith.  How do we know it is real if it is never tested?  So, when our faith is thrown into the fire, in reality ... it's a good thing.

Consider a slightly different event that Jesus didn't fix ... the sifting of Peter.  What is going on in this situation?

At the last supper, (Luke 22:31) Jesus tells Peter that ... "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat ..."

This word "desired" is only used here in the New Testament.  It sometimes means to obtain by asking.  Later, the end result proves that Satan had obtained Peter for a time.  Satan desired, and asked God to allow Peter to be under his power and in his hand ... to sift him.

Satan can do nothing without permission ... not even tempt man.  Satan desires to do all the evil he can; but is only permitted to do some.  One thing Satan is permitted to do is to "try the faith" of believers, and to place temptations and trials in their way that they may be tested.
 
And so upon asking ... Satan was given the opportunity to sift Peter's faith as he watched Jesus die on the cross and his faith crumble in front of his eyes. 

Jesus was dead.

So what is going on here?  Is there a lesson we can learn from this?  If God didn't spare the disciples from being sifted, is it possible that we are ... also subject ... to this kind of sifting?

The Apostle Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 13:5 ... "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" ... meaning, prove your faith in Jesus; test it and ascertain if it is real.

When Paul says, "examine yourselves" ... he is saying, test and prove yourself through self examination.  But even better ... to try yourself is better than examine yourself.  Examination does not necessarily imply a practical test.  Trial implies a definite intent to ascertain your spiritual condition.

From my personal experience in life, you don't need to worry about making time for self examination; you will get many opportunities to prove whether your faith in Jesus is really real or something else.

Times of testing are for your own information ... God already knows.





 

Why Was Jesus Tempted

The temptation of Jesus. What was that all about?  This man was God wrapped in flesh.  What was He going to learn from this ordeal?  Was Jesus really tempted if He was God? 

Luke 4:1-2 ... "Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, (after He was baptized) and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil."

The word "led" as used here means ... to lead or drive almost forcibly.

The word "tempted" means ... to test, scrutinize, examine and prove, to try, tempt.

The Anglo-Irish biblical scholar John Darby (1800-1882), comments on this scripture with this ... "The unknown Son of God on earth, Jesus, is led into the wilderness by the Holy Ghost to undergo the temptation of the enemy, beneath which Adam fell."

At this point in time, very few people knew that this man Jesus, was the Son of God.  This is why Darby said Jesus was the unknown son.  I really don't know how many realized who He was.  His mother knew obviously. Her husband Joseph was dead by now; at least he is never mentioned again.  Mary's cousin Elizabeth, John the Baptist's mother knew also, but I wonder if few others knew who Jesus was.

Jesus, as a man, does something that is difficult for natural fallen man ... to always be obedient to the call of the Spirit ... doing nothing except what God wills.  This 40 day walk into the wilderness supposes the world and all that is applicable to the circumstances of man as he is in this world.  Man is self willed.  Jesus summits to the will of God and enters into this testing ... as a man ... not as God.  This willingness to do so, is what distinguishes and sets Him apart from man.

Okay, wait a minute.  I must emphasize once again ... this was God.  This wasn't Peter or you and I.  How could God, even though He was wrapped in human flesh be tempted?   His human spirit within His body was God's Holy Spirit.  That's what sets Him apart from us.  To fully understand this testing, we must separate Jesus as a man, apart from God ... if that is possible.

As God ... Jesus could not be tempted.  But as man ... He was just as much flesh as His mother Mary was.  Her womb formed the flesh of Jesus making Him a man.  It was this man of flesh that was tempted during the 40 days in the wilderness.

How do I explain what is going on with this testing?  Jesus has been called the second Adam.  He was just as much flesh as the first Adam was.  The first Adam was not created as a fallen man.  He became a fallen man.  Jesus, as the second Adam was also not created (or born) as a fallen man ... nor did He ever become a fallen man ... because He was without sin.

Jesus endured this temptation in the same circumstances in which we stand ... in the weakness of flesh.  He felt this weakness of the flesh with all the same difficulties and problems that we have living out the life of faith; Jesus being tempted only in body and soul, the human part ... but not tempted in His spirit.  His spirit man was still the same as before He was born of Mary ... He was still the Word of God.

When we are tempted, we fall because we are in bondage to sin as fallen creatures.  When Jesus was tempted in all points like we are ... He was only tempted in a fleshly conflict with the devil ... not because of the bondage of sin as fallen man. 

But even so, it was a real battle within His flesh or it wouldn't be temptation.  How do we know it was real temptation?  I believe Hebrews 4:15 speaks to this question ...  "For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Jesus was an obedient man, subject only to the will of His Father through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  This was the perfection of man standing in the place of fallen man ... not in a garden as did the first Adam ... but in a wilderness of temptation as the second Adam. 

Honestly ... I feel as if Jesus, the second Adam, the Word of God made flesh, the sinless Son of God ... must have been sheltered in some way other than just His trust and faith in the power of the Word He carried in His heart and soul.

But then again ... what attack could Satan make upon one who never went beyond the will of God, and to whom that will was the only motive for His actions?

Even though only the last three of the many temptations Satan placed before Jesus is mentioned, Luke says He was tempted for 40 days and yet did not yield.  To yield would have meant sin ... but Satan is overcome and powerless before Jesus ... who stands in the place of man's temptation.  Jesus conquered the strong man who is called, "the god of this world" and gained the victory over him.

Could the reason for the temptation of Jesus be as simple as showing us that Satan is a conquered foe.  When he tempts us, and he will ... will he find Jesus in us as "the Word of God," the one who defeated him in the wilderness?  

Do not resist the temptation of the flesh ... in the flesh.  Resistance in the flesh does not lead to victory.  Jesus in you as the Word of God is the only weapon needed.  Jesus the man, resisted the devil ... not with the flesh ... but by calling up the Word of God that He carried within His soul.

We need to defeat Satan the same way.  How much of "the Word of God" do you carry within your soul?  Never forget ... the battle is real.

You're Wasting Your Time

One of the great questions of all time has already been asked.  Here it is ... "Do you really believe, that what you believe, is really real?"

Really ... do you believe it's really real?  You may say, "Of course I do."  You do know I'm speaking about what you know and believe about God.  I'm going to share some things about God; things like His character and integrity, and things I believe about God ... things I really believe are really real.

I believe ... there is but one living and true God, who is infinite (limitless, impossible to measure or calculate) in His being and perfection; an invisible spirit without body or material parts, immense, incomprehensible, having no limits or boundaries, absolute and eternal without beginning or end.

God is all-sufficient (in and of Himself) without need of anything.  He is the cause of all life and all things and has sovereign dominion (authority and power over them) and works all things according to His own counsel and will in whatsoever He pleases.

All things are open, naked and manifest (revealed) in His sight.  God's knowledge has no limits in time, space, extent or magnitude.  He is infallible (incapable of failure or error) and independent (free from external control) so as nothing to Him is uncertain or contingent on circumstances.  In all His works, in all His commands He is Holy; so that whatever worship, obedience or duty He requires of man is due Him.

Relating to providence ... God, as the Creator of all things, upholds, directs, disposes and governs ... all ... creatures, actions and things, from the greatest event to the least, according to His foreknowledge and will, through His mercy and grace forever.

All things come to pass according to the decree of God, who is the first cause; and yet He has also ordained these same things to fall away, change or dissolve according to the nature of second causes, either by necessity or contingently (determined by conditions or circumstances.)

God, operating in His providence, makes use of various means; yet is free to work within those means, outside those means or against those means at His pleasure.  As God, He has a right to give whatever He so chooses, in whatever proportions, at whatever times, and with whatever conditions He pleases.  He may therefore give or withhold any or all of His blessings as He pleases.

God, by the counsel of His own will, freely ordains whatsoever comes to pass; but yet ... God is not the author of sin ... but has decreed the evil in nature and its second causes be established as a result of sin.

Although God knows what will happen in all future conditions; He has not decreed any such thing to happen because He foresaw it in the future as that which would happen upon such conditions.

By what looks like permission to sin, by giving man a free will that might lead to sin ... the sinfulness proceeds only from man and not from God, who neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.

As for unrepentant men, God not only withholds His grace, but exposes them to their own lusts and gives them over to their moral perversions, the temptations of the world and the power of Satan; and by that they harden themselves under the same means which God uses for the softening of others.

As to mankind in general, God extends or withholds His mercy and grace as He pleases in accordance with His will and sovereign power over His creatures, which includes man.  By doing so He ordains them to honor or dishonor in the same manner as seems good to the potter over the clay.

Concerning free will ... God has endued the will of man with a natural liberty and freedom of choice that is not predisposed to a specified attitude, action or condition, such as good or evil.  God has not pre-programed us to only accept His way in life.  Man must have that choice for himself or it is not free will.

In the beginning, man in his state of innocence, had the freedom of choice and the power of self will to do that which was good and pleasing to God ... but man was also given the ability and freedom ... so that he might fall from that state of innocence.

Man ... by his fall into a state of sin, lost all ability to will himself by natural means to spiritual good; because the flesh, being altogether adverse (hostile and opposed to spiritual good) is not able to save himself from that sin.

But God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, (Jesus) to become the last blood sacrifice, (really the only sacrifice that ever satisfied the justice of a holy God) when He died upon the cross and paid the complete full price for man's sins.

The good news ... when fallen sinful man believes on Jesus, God converts such a man and translates him into the state of grace and frees him from the natural bondage of sin, and by grace alone ... enables such a man to freely will and do that which is spiritually good.

Even so ... because of his remaining fleshly nature, man does not perfectly ... nor only ... do and will that which is good, but also that which is evil.

And so we are yet today ...

After trying to describe the character, integrity, magnitude, and the power and authority of Almighty God ... and touching only very little about Jesus as the Son of God ... may I ask you two more questions?

Do you believe, or can you believe, that what I have written about God is true and represents not everything, but some of what the Holy Bible, the printed Word of God has to say about this loving, kind, merciful and forgiving God who wants and desires that you and I get to know Him better.

God had a relationship with Adam and Eve.  They walked together in the Garden.  When Jesus came as God in the flesh, He had a close relationship with a disciple named John, perhaps closer than with any other man.  Jesus wants that kind of relationship with you.

Now the second question ... no matter how much you can believe of what I have shared ... "Do you really believe, that what you believe, is really real?"

I ask that question again because, your eternal life may ... literally depend on it. 

If you don't believe, that what you believe, is really real ... you're wasting your time.