Blessings to you, people of God!  My prayer right now is that we proclaim boldly the mighty name of Jesus, that the world may hear and believe.  Here is what to expect on the Lord’s day this week.

I got a call from Kelvin on Friday.  He said the lockdown ends for him on August 4.  That seems like an odd date to me, but I am sure he will let us know the moment he is able to come back.  It will be good to have him with us.  I wish everyone was so eager to come to church.

As of my last chat with Brenda there was not anything definitive to report, but we are trusting God to bring that situation to a resolution.  Kimi has been really sick the past week, so keep her in prayer.  I am sure we’ll have more details from the praise and prayer requests later today.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been talking to you about Jesus.  I’ve talked about Jesus being the only solution to the problems our nation is facing and then about who He really is.  I thought I was ready to move on, but god kept drawing me back, so this time I will speak on the name of Jesus.

What’s so important about His name?  It has to be more than the combination of letters that make it up.  that changes with language, and is actually a rather common name.  It was not that uncommon even in His day.  When we talk about Jesus’s name, we are talking about the power and authority of His name.  We are making reference to the person behind the name, and that is where its power comes from.

There is much teaching on this subject, and I think some of it actually encourages the misuse of his name, violating the commandment of Exodus 20:7.  The most important thing we need to know about the name of Jesus is that it carries with it the power to save souls.  His name can only be used to accomplish His purposes.  It is not a magical incantation to be applied at our whim.  It is holy, powerful, and praiseworthy.  When we pray in His name, we are asserting that the things which we have asked are within His authority to grant and also according to His will.  As His children, we carry His name.  Everything we do reflects on Him, and we are to be about His business.

We’ll read from Acts 4:9-12.  Peter and John have been arrested, jailed for a night, and are now being questioned by the Jewish leaders.  Their crime, the healing of a man who was lame and begging at the gate of the temple.  They might have let that go, but the disciples were attributing this miracle to Jesus and preaching in the temple.  These rulers thought they had stopped all that by crucifying Jesus, but it didn’t work!  We are dropping in as Peter responds to the question back in verse 7, “”By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”  Peter boldly proclaims that it was by the name of Jesus, and that there is no other name by which we must be saved.

I want to see you at church today.  In the name of Jesus be there!  🙂

Love y’all,

Larry