I’ve been thinking so much lately about the Name of Jesus. The very Name above all names (Philippians 2:9). The very Name that causes everything and everyone to one day bow to Him and confess Him as Lord (Romans 14:12). The Name that causes demons to come out (Mark 16:7). The beautiful Name – the ONLY Name – that brings salvation (Acts 4:12).
We had a worship service at my Church this past Friday night, and every song we sang was explicitly about Jesus. The Spirit fell so heavy for a few moments, I could barely sit up. People were physically healed instantly, saved, and even emotionally healed. It was GLORIOUS. I love lifting up Jesus in that way because He always meets us there.
I felt a challenge from the Lord early 2018 to always bring it back to Jesus. And that challenge still stands. Regardless of whether I am writing, preaching, teaching or even just chatting with a friend, I felt the weightiness of keeping Jesus FIRST in everything I do or say. And not in the cliché, “Sunday School,” trying-not-to-sin kind of keeping Jesus first. I am talking about a sincere AWAKENING to the POWER and PURPOSE in the Name of Jesus, and all that He is in this world.
Jesus – above hype, above inspiration, about self-help philosophies. My Jesus.
Anyone who has read my writings or heard me teach knows that my heart is strongly to equip the saints for the work of the ministry by teaching them about their IDENTITY in Christ. But He has been speaking me lately about the fact that it’s identity in CHRIST – we’d be nothing without Him.
Knowing our identity is not just about us walking in freedom and shining a bolder light in this world (though that is indeed part of it); knowing our identity glorifies JESUS because our identity is actually JESUS living resurrected INSIDE OF US (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
How often I have forgotten that I carry my Jesus within. As He is, so am I in this world (1 John 4:17), and how can I walk in my identity as Jesus when I am distracted by everything but Jesus?
I’m definitely not taking a jab at the Church or ministry or even the world, but I am finding that a tactic of the enemy in these days is to get us to focus on everything else, taking our eyes off of Jesus.
Many times, we forget to USE His POWERFUL NAME! Personally, I have found myself many times chasing after breakthrough instead of chasing after Jesus (Who IS breakthrough). I have caught myself praying for wisdom while I try to find a way quickly through sickness instead of declaring the healing truth of JESUS over my body, when it was by the stripes of Jesus that I was actually already healed (Isaiah 53:5).
At times I see how easy it is to turn to worldly philosophies and ways of doing things when we have the most POWERFUL NAME EVER CREATED living inside of us, just waiting for us to step out in faith and do even greater things than even He did (John 14:12-14).
In a world that is so full of little gods and big problems, let us not forget the POWER in the Name of JESUS.
Let us remember that only Jesus is the WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE (John 14:6). Let’s stand against the spirit of the age who works overtime trying to get lovers of Jesus to become so busy and overwhelmed by the world that they forget that they are now living ABOVE the world, thanks to JESUS (Ephesians 2:6). Put that glorious Name on your lips, and DON’T STOP SPEAKING IT!
~ Mandy Woodhouse
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His word; Just to rest upon His promise; Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.
Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him, How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er, Jesus, Jesus,
Precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more.
– Louisa M.R. Stead 1882
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