A Light To My Path

Revelation 8

Good morning my friends,

From all predictions it is a good day to stay tucked up at home with a nice cup of hot chocolate and the Word of God. Do not feel defeated because you could not make it out for worship. We have had it good for too long. We need to remember that we live in Canada and more specifically, we live in Montreal. This used to be normal, 40 to 60 cm of snow with high winds is a blizzard and blizzards are as dangerous to life as tornados.

It is good that we have forecasters who can give us warning about such storms. They save many people from a lot of heartache, or, at least those who heed their warning. There are always those odd individuals who think they have a “Get Out Of Jail” free card and can avoid any danger to life in the midst of such storms. Most of us who are intelligent and wise listen to the police when they are telling us to stay home. It is a shame that more of us do not heed the warnings God has given us as well.

As we read through Revelation, especially this mornings reading, it is hard for us to relate what we are reading to this wonderful time of Christmas. Christmas is such a great celebration of love, joy, hope and peace. One of the problems is we have relegated it to a time of celebrating childhood, trying to make Christmas as special as possible for them. And why not? It is the celebration of the birth of a baby. Mind you, not just any baby, but the Son of God, who had come to open the door for our rescue.

We would like to keep the time of celebration a joyous event with lots of music, lights, colours and an almost magical time for children. Yet, this is also a very serious time; deadly serious. Just as the weather forecasters tell us what is likely to happen before it arrives, giving us time to prepare, so the Word of God tells us what is going to happen with certitude. So why are we not preparing? Why are we not warning people? Never before in our history are we seeing the world change so quickly when it comes to the predictions of global doom. The debate should no longer be about what caused this. The scientists are now saying that it is too late. Changing our habits may lessen the effects 100 years from now but our course is set for the next fifty years. It is going to happen. What we are reading in Revelation is going to happen.

If this is the case for the events that will take place in nature, earthquakes, floods, famines and such, can we not also accept that the predicted political situation will also unfold? This is no longer happening in the future, it is happening in our life time. We look at our government and think everything is stable but it is not. Things can change rather quickly overnight. Look at what happened in Quebec during Trudeau’s time. Look at what happened globally after 911. Things can change quickly.

These events that are revealed to us in Revelation should not be the things that concern us, at least not the disastrous things. They will just lead to physical death. The thing that should concern us is what takes place at the end of this time; the great judgement. As we googoo over the baby in the manger we have a major “storm” about to hit the world and people are ignoring the forecast. This “storm” will be bigger than any tornado, blizzard or hurricane and it is now within sight. Are we prepared? Are we warning people?

I am not suggesting that we do away with our wonderful Christmas celebrations. The feasts, the music, the colours are all a great reminder that the Father did not leave us to our own demise but laid out a plan for our rescue. Yet, Jesus, the one we celebrate at this time of year, told us that we are part of the rescue mission. We have a job to do. Worship refreshes us and renews us. It renews our relationship and reminds us of our purpose. We need this constant renewal because we have a job to do. But it seems we want the renewal without the responsibility.

Keep in mind the letters to the seven churches. Which one do you identify with? Where are you in this relationship with Jesus? Where are you in understanding purpose? Are we making disciples? Very few of us are. It requires relationship and we are not very good at relationship. Yet, that is what Christmas is about, relationship.

Read over these last couple of chapters in Revelation again. Go ahead and read the one that follows. Look outside and see the blizzard that has hit our city. Use it as an object lesson this morning. Let’s get to work.  

Enjoy!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness …”

It is strange how our English language has changed and evolved with the words we use and how we lose the understanding of their usage. Have you ever used the expression, “Thank goodness”? My mom used it all the time. Goodness used in this manner is a euphemism for God. What about the expression, “Goodness gracious”? Maybe these expressions are too mild in today’s blunt language but at one time they were widely used. My point here is that goodness was used in substitution of the use of God because goodness is part of the character of God. Good is the opposite of evil.

The Random House dictionary describes goodness in this way:

Some synonyms would be integrity, honesty, uprightness. Goodness is the fifth fruit of the Spirit which should tell us that we are not capable of it without the Holy Spirit. Again, the Fruit of the Spirit is a work of the heart and not simply an external act.

There are many people who desire to lead a good life and are often referred to as good people because of the acts of kindness and generosity. Yet, inside, they struggle with the same darkness as everyone else and their heart condition is no better than others, because they are without Jesus Christ.

Until we grasp the understanding that there is no redeeming quality in us before Christ Jesus we will continue to try to obtain our own virtue. We will try and fail a thousands times and more in our lifetime because there is no goodness in us. A single act of conscience does not make us virtuous. You can have unkind people doing kind things and evil people doing good but these acts do not change the condition of their heart. It is the heart that matters. When the heart and mind of a believer are changed than all other things follow. It is a shame that we have taken the work of the Spirit upon ourselves because we can do nothing but mess it up. It is only when we are possessed by the Spirit that the fruit is produced in us.

Consider this passage in Romans 13:

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (8-10)

We go back to the root of it; love. Without it there is nothing else. So remembering this we read this next passage:

“And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (11-14)

“Let us behave decently”, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ”. In other words, clothe yourself in the goodness of Jesus. This is the same goodness that was revealed to Moses and clarified the statement, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion:

"I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19)

The goodness of the Lord was the first thing that was revealed because it would assure and comfort Moses. This same goodness is the goodness for which the psalmist expressed praise:

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.” (Psalm 31:19)

This is the same goodness they leaned upon in the assurance of God’s love for them:

Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. (Psalm 69:16)

Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me. (Psalm 86:17)

This is the same goodness that is suppose to be existing in all believers. Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.”  (Ephesians 5:8-10)

Consider the opening of Peter’s second letter:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:3-11)

So we are called by his glory and goodness and the first fruit that is mentioned by Peter is goodness. This is a central part of God’s character that must become a central part of our character through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. And look what Peter says; if these qualities are increasing is us, if we are growing in maturity they will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in Christ. He also adds that if we do these things we will never fall.

As we continue to examine our foundation let us consider carefully the essential need for goodness. Could people refer to us as being:

-         morally excellent

-         virtuous

-         upright

-         honest

-         a person of integrity

God had his goodness pass before Moses before anything else as a way of assuring Moses. I wonder if God desires to reveal his goodness to others through the work of the Spirit in us? Are we being the light of the goodness of his love?

Good morning my fellow sojourners. I hope your week was somewhat better than mine. My week held many difficulties that mounted up on me and threatened to block out the “Sonshine” in my life. Tiredness, overwork, poor diet, lack of exercise, crowded prayer time were the circumstance that left cracks in my armour, leaving me vulnerable to the many deceptive attacks of the enemy.

This was a week that would demand much patience and endurance. How unfortunate that my supply of patience was wearing thin affecting my determination to endure. Perhaps this is a foreign thought to you, the desire to run and hide. Perhaps it is a relentless thought that invades every activity of your life. Perhaps no one in your circle of friends has noticed this in you, but the greater chance is that everyone not only sees it but feels it from you. These struggles in our character always affect our actions. We can hide it for a time but eventually the things of the heart bubble to the surface in the form of our actions.

Some would say that I am a patient man. I would never agree to this assessment of my character. However, I do know that one of the signs that things are not well with me is when I become less patient and allow it to affect my response to circumstances and people. In fact I no longer respond but instead react. Being a father of nine and running a school filled with growing children, patience is the one thing I cannot do without. However, that is exactly what happened to me this week; my patience ran out.

What a funny phrase that is, “running out of patience”. It sounds like patience is a type of fuel. Maybe it is. Can you imagine what verses the Spirit pressed in upon me this weekend?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience …”

“Love is patient …”

People joke about being careful about asking the Lord for patience because he will put us in a situation to develop it in us. The fact is patience is much more important than many of us understand. Consider what wisdom says about it. We can recognize these scriptures and identify with them:

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
       do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
       when they carry out their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:7)

We have all lived this truth:

A patient man has great understanding,
       but a quick-tempered man displays folly. (Proverbs 14:29)

How about:

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension,
       but a patient man calms a quarrel. (Proverbs 15:18)

Consider what is prized here:

Better a patient man than a warrior,
       a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. (Proverbs 16:32)

Now consider the instruction we have received concerning patience.Paul’s instruction to the Ephesians concerning matters of character:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)

Be patient, bearing with one another, with that wonderful secret ingredient of love. So, losing control over my temper because of foolish people, Christian or not, is a really bad sign for me. What about you? Paul repeats himself in a rewording of the same instruction to a different church:

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

Notice how he clarifies it so that we cannot be narrow-minded about it. We must be patient with everyone. Paul put it to the Colossians in such a way that it is difficult for us to ignore:

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

“As God’s chosen people” is the clue that we are suppose to be different from those who have not yet entered into that incredible relationship with Jesus. The scripture that continues to be a sign post for my own spiritual condition is a simple instruction Paul gave to his friend and apprentice, Timothy:

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2)

James also noted that it is something we must possess but for a different reason than something we have to have with each other. We also need to have patience with God:

You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. (James 5:8)

Sometimes, as we face what we must face, we may allow a thought into our head; “Is it worth it?” This is when we also must remember that God’s ways are not ours and his perspective is so much different than ours:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)

This is who our God is. This describes his wonderful character: “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish.” Peter also explains:

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. (2 Peter 3:14-15)

This speaks of God’s character and how it has benefited us but understand that we are to be “imitators” of God. This means that our patience with people may also bear fruit:

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:12)

What kind of example are we setting? Are people seeing the patience of God in us?

So this gives us the frame work of biblical understanding and instruction on patience. But what are those things that block its growth in us? What prevents the Spirit from developing this Godly character in us in a way that Jesus is glorified through our lives? I named a few at the beginning. Imbalance in our lives always has a destructive nature and usually takes the light away from us instead of pushing us more fully into it. However, there is also another thing that destroys much of the work of the Spirit in us; judgment.

It is difficult for us to have patience with someone who we have also condemned. It is a matter of perspective once again. What is our place of orientation? From what direction are we approaching life? How do we see and understand people and circumstances. The best advice I can give in this is, remember where you come from.

It is amazing but when I want to understand geography and direction I usually relate them to where I grew up. It is my place of orientation in this world, even though I have lived in many different places. For someone out west, down east is Ontario and Quebec. But Ontario and Quebec for me is Upper Canada. I am an Easterner, but for someone in BC I am from the Atlantic region or the East Coast. If I want to understand people and circumstances I must first start at where I came from; I am a sinner saved by grace. Sin is where I was born. If we can remember this than it is amazing the amount of grace and patience we can show people. Consider what Paul wrote to the church in Rome in this regard:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? (Romans 2:1-4)

There is no room for boasting, for feeling superior or looking down on anyone when we remember that phrase, “a mere man”. We have done nothing to gain our salvation. He has done all the work. His love is no different for my neighbour than it is for me. The only difference between me and an immature Christian is that, hopefully, I have gained some wisdom in my experience in the Lord but it makes me no more saved or any better in service than anyone else. There is no room for me to be found judging anyone. Yet, this judging will reveal itself in my lack of patience toward that person.

We need to keep a proper perspective to our place of origin when it comes to dealing with people:

What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:
   "There is no one righteous, not even one;
      there is no one who understands,
      no one who seeks God.
 All have turned away,
      they have together become worthless;
   there is no one who does good,
      not even one."
 "Their throats are open graves;
      their tongues practice deceit."
   "The poison of vipers is on their lips."
    "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
     ruin and misery mark their ways,
 and the way of peace they do not know."
    "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:9-18)

The thing that keeps us straight in all of this is remembering that the Father loved us all so much that he gave up his Son for us all. Not just for a select few but for anyone who would believe. Instead of considering the lost as our enemy we should see them as brothers and sisters who have yet to find the way. Thus we are patient with them. Instead of impaling the “young in the faith” we should be like older brothers and sisters, bearing with their silliness; being patient for their maturity.

Like joy and peace we cannot isolate patience from the total package; it must begin with love. Patience cannot and will not exist where there is no love, joy and peace. The best place to start our examination of the problem of our patience is with our relationship in Jesus Christ. Is it what it ought to be? 

Good morning my friends,

Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ – that is the greeting of the ancients, of Paul, Peter and John. But of which peace did they speak? The peace of the “body” or the peace of the Spirit? We find both teachings throughout the Christian text. An example is found in Ephesians 2:

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (2:14-18)

Paul is addressing the issue of the unity that should be found in the Jew and Gentile through the bond of peace which we find in Jesus Christ. Paul states simply, “For he himself is our peace…” So that without Jesus there is no peace, in the flesh or in the soul. Those who seek after world peace are on a fool’s errand because peace is a matter of the mind and heart not political will. The only one who holds any sway over the heart and mind of man is Jesus Christ.

So here we have two types of peace; of the Spirit and of the flesh. Of the Spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Galatians 5:22)

Of the flesh:

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Romans 14:19)

So, again, just like love and joy, we get it backwards. We cannot possess any form of peace in our flesh unless we first possess the peace of our soul which comes through our relationship in Christ Jesus.

So let us make this clear and establish it from the very beginning of this discussion. You can do nothing to produce peace within yourself. You may try hot baths with candle light; quiet moments with a cup of tea; avoidance of people and situations; yoga and other such dangerous “emptying of our mind” methods. Often our pursuit of peace includes lack of people and quiet. But we live in a noisy and crowded place. What we may set aside for 30 minutes will eventually catch up to us. Something is going to come crashing in to destroy whatever little peace we managed to produce in that bubble of time. This is not the peace that Jesus Christ has offered us.

The peace of Jesus is designed for where we live and what we experience. In other words it is a battlefield peace:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

What Jesus gives to us he will not take from us. If we have a weak relationship with him then troubles and fears will strip us of that peace but we have done that to ourselves. Peace comes from that confidence and trust in Jesus Christ which is only found in a growing relationship with Jesus. If we stop growing decay will set in and we will find our peace eaten away until we are filled with fear and doubt.

Keep in mind that we are not talking about a world peace. That will only happen if every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord and each one enters into that glorious relationship with him. Remember what Jesus told plainly to us:

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:51)

Peace cannot be achieved by political means. In the world peace can only be achieved by brutal force and it is not a real peace but instead a simple absence of violence. Real peace is only found in a relationship of love:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)

However, what do we do when we have confessed Jesus Christ and we are doing our best to live a righteous life yet we lack peace? There is a real absence of peace in our lives and we know it. Why is this our reality? If this is true for you then ask yourself, “Where is my mind?”

“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.” (Romans 8:5-7)

That sounds a bit severe. What does a lack of peace look like? It is dissatisfaction with life in general. You find it hard to be content. You always seem to be searching, aching, like an itch that you can’t scratch. Things irritate you quickly. You are short tempered. It causes you to have a lack of satisfaction in the relationships around you. It causes you to be critical of others. It really is another marker in our relationship with Christ because we know that peace is a fruit of the Spirit:

“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” (Romans 8:9-11)

Ask yourself again this week, “What is my orientation in this world?”

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” (Romans 14:17-18)

Are we seeking the Kingdom first? Are we seeking things for ourselves first? The wonderful thing is that this first peace leads to the second peace, peace in the body of Jesus Christ:

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.” (Romans 14:19-21)

Paul was dealing with unity issues. As long as people were touting their rights and freedoms there was division. Our orientation changes all of this so that our inner peace also affects the outer peace and we are willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary to live in peace within the body of Christ.

We cannot do much; the Spirit cannot do anything unless our orientation is correct. Our eyes must be fixed on the author and finisher of our faith. He is the source of everything for us and without him we have nothing:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Seriously, be honest with yourself and the Lord today. Where has your mind and heart been focused? It may not be on anything terribly sinful but if it is on anything other than Jesus it is the wrong thing and damaging to your desire for peace.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

Now, have you noticed how these three – love, joy, peace – are woven together throughout the scriptures? Joy springs out of God’s love for us and out of this joy we find peace hard at work:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

The other thing about peace we need to keep in mind is that it is the Father’s design for us. Consider this:

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

We were called to peace! If you want it, truly want it, it’s yours. It means letting go and letting the Spirit do his work. Surrender to him, trust him, live a righteous life and he will produce this peace in you; a peace that goes beyond all understanding. But it must first start with Jesus; it must be found in a growing and loving relationship with him.

Now I leave you with this simple prayer:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Amen! 

Reading: 2 Chronicles 27, 28; Acts 19:1-20

Good morning my friends,

The name of the Lord is not a thing to be trifled with, even in the age in which we live. As I watch society around me today I cannot help but subscribed to the theory of de-evolution. Instead of advancing our culture seems to be shrinking. Technology is growing so there should be more available with which to educate ourselves. The great works of art, great literature, great music is all one or two (maybe five) cliques away on the Internet. Technology is great. However, we do not employ it to increase our culture but instead for our self entertainment. We will watch videos of people doing stupid things or of people have accidents and we will find it entertaining.

We are a people who could enrich ourselves in our own language or in the countless languages available on the Internet. Instead, we use the crudest forms of language to express ourselves. It is not due to environment but instead from laziness. In this we find the most precious name of Jesus used and misused to the point where it ceases to be a name and becomes simply a word used to express frustration, anger, shock. Yet, it is at the sound of this name that demons flee, illness is cured, that knees bow. But, is it the name or is it the person the name represents?

When we consider the incident with the seven sons of Sceva we may discover something a bit different. Some may look at this and quickly conclude that it was a misuse of power that back-fired on these men. Remember they were doing legitimate work in casting out demons. This was being done long before Jesus arrived. However, when these men saw the effectiveness that using the name “Jesus” had they figured they had found a more effective tool. What they failed to understand was that it was not the name that held the power but the relationship with the one to whom the name belongs. That was their mistake. It is the same mistake that is made today.

The demon said to these men:

"Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

To know the name of Jesus is nothing. To know only the name is like knowing the name of your neighbour. You may be able to call to him but just because you know his name will not make you one of his buddies or part of his family. To know is not to be known. To be known is to be possessed by the Spirit of God. This is why Paul had to deal with the 12 men at the beginning of this chapter. These men knew of Jesus but they were not known. It is by the Spirit that we become “in Christ” and “Christ in us”. Without the Spirit we only know the name and not the person of Jesus. To “confess” the name of Jesus is simply to say that we accept Jesus for being who he says he is. His name is precious to us not because it is a more beautiful name than any other but instead because he himself is beautiful.

We do not want to make the same mistake that these seven men made. We do not want to make a religious thing out of the name or out of any ceremonies or acts of our celebration of Jesus. We must always remember who Jesus is by remaining in the Spirit. To the Corinthians Paul had written this reminder:

“He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”

So I encourage you, when you pray, do not simply speak the name of Jesus, speak to him. Do not think that he is “out there” somewhere, but if you are possessed by the Spirit then Jesus is actually part of you. With this, always keep in mind that the one who you are in and who is in you is the instrument of creation. This is the reason demons flee and illness is cured when the name is spoken by those who belong to him. Remember, it is not so much the name as it is the one whom that name represents.