Month: May 2019

In the famed tragedy by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet are in love. The problem is that their families, the Montagues and the Capulets hate each other and so, Juliet, who is a Capulet, is forbidden to have any association with Romeo, who is a Montague. Their love is forbidden solely because of a name. In one scene of Shakespeare’s play, Juliet says, “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet is pointing out that Romeo would still be the wonderful person she believes him to be no matter what his name was. She is asking what is so special or significant about a name.

When it comes to the name of Jesus, there is great significance to the name. Scripture is quite clear about that! In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul tells us that the name of Jesus is the name above all other names (Philippians 2:9). Paul goes on to say in Philippians 2:10-11 that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” So when it comes to names, the name of Jesus Christ is not just significant. It’s the most significant name there is. The name of Jesus is so significant that, in the Gospel of John, we read that Jesus taught His disciples that they should pray in His name. And He told them this not just once but three times.

In John 14:13-14, Jesus said, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” Then, in John 15:16, Jesus said, “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.” And finally, in John 16:23-24, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” Clearly, such emphasis on praying in His name tells us that there is an importance to it.

What makes it so important to pray in the name of Jesus is that, when we do, we are praying with faith in the authority of Jesus and praying for the authority and power of Jesus to be manifest in the situation we are praying about. Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). There is power in the name of Jesus (John 17:12). Jesus taught His disciples that they should call on that authority and power by praying in His name. When we look at the book of Acts, we can see that this was a lesson they learned and understood.

In Acts 3, a man who was lame from birth sat each day at the Temple gate called Beautiful to beg from the people going into the Temple. One day, as Peter and John were about to enter the Temple, the man asked them for money. After telling the man to look at them, Peter told the man that he had no money to give him but what he did have to give the man was even greater–the power and authority of the name of Jesus. So Peter told the man to get up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene. Soon the man was running and jumping and praising God, healed from the lameness he had dealt with all his life. Later that same day, when Peter and John were questioned as to what power or by whose name they had healed the man. Peter’s response, found in Acts 4:10 showed that he fully understood the authority and power of Jesus name: “Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.”

When we call on the name of Jesus in prayer, we are calling on that same authority and that same power that Peter called upon. When we call upon the name of Jesus, we are calling on the only name given by God by which each one of us must be saved (Acts 4:12).

When you receive a gift from someone, whether it be for a birthday, an anniversary, or for no special reason other than the desire of the giver to present you with a gift, that gift is generally meant for you and you alone. We’re not given gifts of jewelry, clothes, books, or flowers for the purpose of giving them to someone else. But what about a gift like a coffee maker, a food processor, or a set of dishes? Those are gifts that we are given for the purpose of using them to serve others by providing them with food or nourishment for the body.

God gives each one of us certain gifts that, just like that coffee maker, are given to us for the purpose of using them to serve others. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” The gifts that God gives us are not used to feed the body, like the food processor or the dishes. God’s gifts are used to feed the spirit, to serve others by helping us to encourage them, comfort them, disciple them, and build them up in their faith.

We may have the gift of speaking, a gift that we should use by allowing God to speak through us. We may have a gift for helping others, a gift that we should use by tapping into the strength and energy God gives us to do so. When we use these gifts to serve others, we are building up the body of Christ, building up God’s children. Whatever gifts God has given us, the ultimate goal in using those gifts is to bring glory to God through His Son, Jesus. (1 Peter 4:11).

When we think about the gifts that we give to others, or that others give to us, there are a great variety of gifts to choose from, as well as a great variety of places or sources from which these gifts can be obtained. The gifts that God gives us are spiritual gifts of which there are, as Peter points out in 1 Peter 4:10, a great variety. In 1 Corinthians 12:4, Paul says that there are different kinds of spiritual gifts. But, unlike the earthly gifts that we give and receive, the gifts that God gives all come from the same source. They come from the Holy Spirit. And, as Peter pointed out, they are given to us to serve one another and glorify God. Look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11:

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”

God gives each one of us spiritual gifts according to our own abilities. Our responsibility is to be faithful in using those gifts as we serve one another and give glory to God. When we use our gifts faithfully in this way, we will one day receive the wonderful gift of hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

On the TV game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, a contestant is asked a number of multiple-choice questions on a variety of subjects. As the monetary value of the question being asked grows higher, the questions become more difficult. To help with those difficult questions, the contestant is given three methods of receiving help with the answer, called “lifelines.” If the contestant is stuck and not sure of the correct answer, he or she can poll the audience, have two of the incorrect answer choices removed creating a 50/50 chance at getting the right answer, or call a friend for help with the answer.

When it comes to dealing with problems or trials in life, how many of us look to use a “lifeline” for our answers? Maybe we “poll the audience,” by seeking the advice of others or looking at the way in which others handled similar problems or trials? Maybe we look at the possible solutions, eliminate some and then play “eenie, meenie, minie, mo” with the remaining solutions hoping for a 50/50 chance at choosing the right one? Or maybe, just maybe, we “call a friend” by going to God in prayer, asking for His help with the solution to our problems.

I’m sure you can agree that the third option, the third “lifeline,” is the best to use in dealing with the things in life that we can’t solve on our own. But here’s another question: Should prayer be treated as a “lifeline?” Should we look at prayer as a last resort, the thing that we turn to when we can’t deal with life’s difficulties in our own power? Should prayer be a “lifeline” or a lifestyle?” Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be turning to God when facing a dilemma, when we are stuck between a rock and a hard place and don’t know where to turn. We should do that! But that should not be the only time we turn to God in prayer.

Prayer should be a lifestyle. It should be something that we do as naturally as breathing, eating, sleeping, or any of the things we do to stay healthy and alive. Scripture tells us that we should be devoted to prayer (Colossians 4:2), we should be faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12), and we should pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Acts 2:42 tells us that the early church devoted themselves to prayer. Jesus prayed (Matthew 14:23) and He taught His disciples to pray (Luke 11:1-4).

Prayer is an important part of the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. As I said before, it should be a lifestyle and not simply a “lifeline.” Think about it. Let’s say that you had a close friend who came to you or called or visited you only when he had a problem. When all was well, he all but ignored you. How would you feel about that relationship? Would you feel it was a bit one-sided? God desires to be in relationship with us. He wants us to spend time with Him. He is always there for us when we need Him in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). But He wants us to seek Him first, to spend time with Him before we bring our problems and our requests to Him. He knows what we need and He wants to give it to us (Matthew 6:31-33). And so, prayer should be a lifestyle, not a lifeline.

There are some things that need to be done repeatedly. Take laundry, for example. We wash our clothes, we dry them, we fold them, and then after we’ve worn them, we do it all over again. Wash. Dry. Fold. Repeat. And unless you don’t mind walking around in dirty clothes, it’s a process you will do at least weekly, right? Wash. Dry. Fold. Repeat. Wash. Dry. Fold. Repeat.

Among the many things that Scripture teaches us we should do as believers are to be joyful, to be consistent in prayer, and to be thankful. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the apostle Paul wrote: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” In other words, “Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks. Repeat.”

When should we rejoice? When should we be joyful? In 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Paul tells us that we should be joyful always. Not just when things are going great. Not just when we feel like all is well with the world. We should be joyful in all circumstances, good and bad. We should be joyful when we are in the best of health and we should be joyful when we get concerning news about our health. We should be joyful when we have plenty and we should be joyful when we have nothing. But how can we be joyful in the bad times? Psalm 28:7 gives a great answer: “The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” We can be joyful in the bad times because God is our strength, God is our shield, and He is there to help us.

When should we pray? On Sundays? A couple of times a week? Once a day? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that we should never stop praying. When it comes to prayer, we need to look at the example of the early church. Acts 1:14 tells us that the early believers got together with one main purpose, to be united in prayer. Paul tells us in Colossians 4:2 that we should be devoted to prayer. Prayer should be as much a part of our daily lives as breathing is. In Luke 18, Jesus told His disciples the story of the persistent widow who went to the judge repeatedly in order to seek justice against an adversary. Jesus told this story to show them, and us, the importance of continually praying and never giving up (Luke 18:1). But this is not because God takes delight in making us ask for things over and over again. Persistent prayer, praying without ceasing, builds our faith.

And when should we give thanks? When we’ve received what we seek from God in prayer. When we are completely satisfied? Yes, we should be thankful in those times. But, as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we must be thankful in all circumstances, good or bad. Why? Because giving thanks in all circumstances is God’s will for each and every one of us who belongs to Christ. A thankful heart is also a heart of worship. Psalm 50:23 says that giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors God.

So, every moment of every day, those of us who follow Jesus Christ, who believe that He died for our sins and is the Lord of our lives, should remember to…

Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks. Repeat.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.