There is Power in the Name of Jesus

Philippians 2:9-11

⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Several years ago I use to take my dogs out for a walk in my neighborhood every night weather permitting. There are many cats in the neighborhood that live outside. All cats that I come across while walking my dogs either ignore us or they run away.

There is one cat in the neighborhood, though, that is totally the opposite. He is all black (not that that matters) and is very aggressive if anyone comes into an area he thinks is his territory.

Well, one night when I was walking my two dogs I came across him. When he saw us he started to slowly approach us with his back arched as if he wanted to attack.

I certainly didn't want the cat attacking me and my dogs, so, as my dogs were sniffing the neighbor's yard, I pointed my finger at the cat and said in a very loud, forcible, and harsh way, "Go, in the name of Jesus!" The cat ignored me and continued to approach with back arched and aggression in it eyes. Again, I said,  with a lower voice this time, but with force and with harshness, "Go, in the name of Jesus!". Still the cat ignored me and continued to approach.

I still felt like the cat might attack. I didn't know what to do. I thought I would change my approach. Again I pointed my finger at the cat, and in a soft, and gentle voice I said, "Go, in the name of Jesus." Well, the cat looked away and started to retreat. He looked back at me again as if he wanted to attack. I said to him again in a soft and gentle voice, "Go, in the name of Jesus." This time he turned and walked away.

There is power in the name of Jesus.  However, that power was hinged on how I delivered it.

God anointed my words when I spoke them in a godly (gentle, meek) way.  He did not anoint them when I spoke them in an ungodly (loud, harsh, forcible) way.

Testimony: God's Creative Power

A Testimony of God creating flesh from nothing.

Back in 1990, I knew a man by the name of Paul that had an elderly basset hound by the name of Dude.

Dude was an outdoor dog and liked to roam the streets. When I came home one afternoon I saw Paul with his dog. Dude was walking on three legs. I asked Paul why. He said that Dude spent the night roaming the streets and came home early in the morning limping. Paul examined his injured paw and discovered that Dude had severed off completely three of his pads down nearly to the bone.

When Paul showed me his injured paw my heart went to that dog. I went home and immediately got on my knees and cried out to God to heal Dude.

About 3 or 4 weeks later I saw Paul and asked him how Dude was doing. He said that he healed up. I asked if his pads were back and Paul said "No". I was disappointed because I believed that God would restore his pads to him.

About a week or so later later Paul and I were talking with a mutual friend. Dude was with him. Paul was trying to explain to our friend what had happened. She didn't believe him so I rolled Dude over to show her. Much to my surprise the pads were there along with the grey matter. You would not have been able to tell that anything ever happened to Dude's paw. Since muscle can't grow back then the only explanation was that God recreated Dude's pads and grey matter supernaturally.

 God did not use natural means to have Dude's pads and grey matter appear; instead He gave the word for Dude's pads and grey matter to appear from nothing in response to my prayer.

 God , through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, is truly a miracle working God.

Why Jesus Came

Back in the early 90's I was making my own Christmas cards that had a  message that the reason why Jesus came was to save people from their sins.  As I was making this card for the people I would give it to the question came to mind, "Why did Jesus come?"  I decided that I would search the scriptures to find out why.  I found that there were 17 different reasons why Jesus came.  Below is a compilation of those reasons.


1) Jesus came to do the will of the Father.

John 4:34 - Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5:30 -  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 6:38-40

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.


2) To die; to be crucified

John 12:27 -  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

3) To call sinners to repentance

Mark 2:17 - When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32 - I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 9:13 - But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

4) To save that which is lost

Matthew 18:11 - For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

Luke 9:56 - For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Luke 19:10 - For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

5) To be a minister

Matthew 20:28 - Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

6) To preach, heal, deliver

Luke 4:18-19

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.


7) To give you life

John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

8) To preach to other cities

Mark 1:38 -  And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

Luke 4:43 - And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

9) Came in His Father's name

John 5:43 - I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

10) God sent Jesus

John 7:16 - Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

John 7:18 - He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

John 7:28-29

28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

John 8:42 - Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

John 9:4 - I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

11) For judgment

John 9:39 - And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

12) As a light

John 12:46 - I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

John 3:19 - And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

13) Not to condemn

John 3:17 - For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

14) Not to send peace

Matthew 10:34-36

34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.


Luke 12:51-53

51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.


15) Not to destroy the law

Matthew 5:17 - Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

16) To send fire

Luke 12:49 - I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

17) Bear witness of the truth

John 18:37 - Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

As I was nearing the end of this search, the Lord kept saying to me in my thoughts,  "So send I you."

John 20:21 - Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.