Tag: Jesus is Lord

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Daily Devotion July 30th

THURSDAY 30th

John 6:16-21

NIV (v20) – ‘But he said to them, It is I; don’t be afraid.’

ESV (v20) – ‘But he said to them, It is I; do not be afraid.’

This is a short story, but it is another evidence of the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, this time demonstrated with his power over a storm.

There is another account of Jesus stilling a storm when he was in the boat with the disciples found in Luke 8:22-25 . On this occasion in John 6 the disciples are alone, Jesus had remained behind. The storm brewed up and as they were battling to sail through it, they look up and see Jesus walking on the sea, coming toward the boat and they were frightened.

Who wouldn’t be frightened in the midst of a storm out in a boat in the middle of the sea, we are told that because of the placement of the sea of Galilee, storms can come in an instant and can be pretty ferocious. 

I was once caught in the middle of a ferocious storm, but it was not out at sea, it was in the centre of the city of Manchester, it was one of the most frightening experiences I have ever had, it was near impossible to walk unless you were holding onto something, roofs were blowing off buildings, shop fronts were being destroyed, the glass from the bus shelters were being blown out and the scariest of all was watching the tall cranes the builders use rocking like crazy. But at least I could get into a building to shelter from it. Out in the middle of the sea, there was nowhere to go, battling to row, battling to keep the water out while at the same time trying to conquer their fear and remain hopeful the storm would subside and that you would eventually land safely at the other side.

But Jesus comes, and he speaks out to them ‘It is I do not be afraid’ and they were glad to take him on the boat and immediately the boat arrived to where they were going.

We will have all heard sermons built around this story, we all face storms, we all go through trying times, we all go through periods where our circumstances cause us to be afraid, cause fear to arise in our hearts. But unlike this story Jesus is never somewhere else, he never remains behind when he asks us or sends us somewhere, he comes with us. One song writer has put it this way, ‘Standing somewhere in the shadows you’ll find Jesus’ We know what the song writer is intending to say, but in reality Jesus isn’t in the shadow, unless we have chosen to put him there! He is with us, he is alongside us, even more wonderful the Scripture says he is in us! (‘Christ in you the hope of glory’ Colossians 1:27) This should give us reassurance that whatever storms we face, whatever battles we have to fight through, whatever circumstances we encounter that cause us to fear, he is with us, he is alongside us and he is able to pick us up and to carry us through.

If you are going through a storm at this moment, if you feel that you are being tossed about on the tempestuous waves or battered by the hurricane force winds, look out for Jesus, allow him to step into you ‘boat’ and allow him to dispel the fear and to bring calm and peace.

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Devotions

Daily Devotion May 26th

TUESDAY 26th

Reading – Philippians 2

Today we will move into the letters of the New Testament and discover some of the verses that mention the ‘name’ about the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, I will add a summary of references here which you can view if you wish to find the context in which they are written.

‘for the sake of his name among all the nations’ (Romans 1:5), ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’ (Romans 10:13), ‘call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 1:2), ‘by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 1:10), ‘assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus’ (1 Corinthians 5:4), ‘justified in the name of the Lord Jesus’ (1 Corinthians 6:11), ‘in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Ephesians 5:20), ‘bestowed on him the name which is above every name’ (Philippians 2:9), ‘at the name of Jesus every knee should bow’ (Philippians 2:10), ‘do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus’ Colossians 3:17), ‘so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you’ (2 Thessalonians 1:12), ‘we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (2 Thessalonians 3:6), ‘who names the name of the Lord’ (2 Timothy 2:19), ‘as the name he has inherited’ (Hebrews 1:4), ‘blaspheming the honourable name by which you were called’ (James 2:7), ‘anointing with oil in the name of the Lord’ (James 5:14, ‘if you are insulted for the name of Christ’ (1 Peter 4:14), ‘glorify God in that name’ (1 Peter 4:16), ‘your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake’ (1 John 2:12), ‘we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ’ (1 John 3:23), ‘who believe in the name of the Son of God’ (1 John 5:13), ‘for they have gone out for the sake of the name’ 3 John 1:7), ‘bearing up for my name’s sake’ (Revelation 2:3), ‘you hold fast my name’ (Revelation 2:13), ‘and have not denied my name’ (Revelation 3:8), ‘who had his name’ (Revelation 14:1), See also Revelation 19:11-16, 22:4.

As we have looked over this subject for the last three days, we have seen or read so much concerning his name.

When I was a child, I attended a little Church in Madley, Herefordshire and the national Church, used to produce every year for the national Convention what we called a chorus sheet. It would be used to introduce new songs or choruses which would be used during the convention week. Following on from the convention, these sheets would be used in the local Church. I do not remember which year but possibly the late 60’s or early 70’s one of the choruses became my favourite for a long time and it was lethal for whoever was leading to ask for a choice as I would ask for the same one all the time. The words are: (if I have remembered them correctly)

His name, is the best name, is the best name of them all,

Jesus, precious Saviour, at his pierced feet I fall,

Healer, Sanctifier, on the living Christ I gladly call,

For his name is the best name is the best name of them all.

And it is, it is the best name and the highest name that heaven and earth proclaim, it is the only name by which we can call on and be saved.

In our Scripture reading for today, we are re-reading what we looked at earlier in the week, 2:9-11 ‘Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’

There are two things stated in these verses relating to mankind’s response to Jesus being highly exalted, and his being given the name that is above every name. 1) Is that at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow 2) Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

We are living in a time when men and women, and society in general are either rejecting God, or denying God. There are those who would be very definite in their atheistic view, there is no God, there are others who don’t care whether or not there is a God, why should it matter, they would say, each to his or her own. The reality is that God has revealed himself in so many ways, the very design of the universe and the intricate detail in everything that exists points clearly to a designer or architect who must at least be bigger, better and more powerful than everything we see around us. The sadder reality is that the day is coming when there will be no such thing as an unbeliever or an atheist because every knee in heaven, on earth or under the earth is going to have to bow the knee and confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ. But for those who refuse to believe now, in time, when that moment in eternity comes when they will have to bow and confess, it will be too late, spending an eternity languishing with regret, ‘if only’.

Thank God, that we have come to the place where we are already willingly bowing the knee and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. We have come to know him as Saviour, and as Lord, and as the best friend that anyone could wish for in this life.

All hail the power of Jesus’ name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

bring forth the royal diadem,

and crown him Lord of all.

Bring forth the royal diadem,

and crown him Lord of all.

Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,

ye ransomed from the fall,

hail him who saves you by his grace,

and crown him Lord of all.

Hail him who saves you by his grace,

and crown him Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget

the wormwood and the gall,

go spread your trophies at his feet,

and crown him Lord of all.

Go spread your trophies at his feet,

and crown him Lord of all.

Let every kindred, every tribe

on this terrestrial ball,

to him all majesty ascribe,

and crown him Lord of all.

To him all majesty ascribe,

and crown him Lord of all.

Crown him, ye martyrs of your God,

who from his altar call;

extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod,

and crown him Lord of all.

Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod,

and crown him Lord of all.

O that with yonder sacred throng

we at his feet may fall!

We’ll join the everlasting song,

and crown him Lord of all.

We’ll join the everlasting song,

and crown him Lord of all.

Edward Perronet CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion May 25th

MONDAY 25th

Reading – Acts 4:13-31

We will continue today on the theme of the name of Jesus, but today from the book of Acts. As I did yesterday, I will give an overview of the verses that have reference to his ‘name’, you will need to turn to them if you want to find the context. ‘who calls upon his name’ (2:21), ‘every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ’ (2:38), ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’ (3:6), ‘And his name – by faith in his name’ (3:16), ‘or by what name’ (4:7), ‘that by the name of Jesus Christ’ (4:10), ‘there is no other name’ (4:12), ‘to anyone in this name’ (4:17), ‘teach at all in the name of Jesus’ (4:18), ‘through the name of your holy servant Jesus’ (4:30), ‘not to teach in this name’ (5:28), ‘not to speak in the name’ (5:40), ‘worthy to suffer dishonour for the name’ (5:41), ‘and the name of Jesus Christ’ (8:12), baptised in the name’ (8:16), ‘who call on your name’ (9:14), ‘to carry my name’ (9:15), ‘for the sake of my name’ (9:16), ‘who called upon his name’ (9:21), preached boldly in the name of Jesus’ (9:27), ‘preaching boldly in the name of Jesus’ (9:28), ‘forgiveness of sins through his name’ (10:43), ‘baptised in the name of Jesus’ (10:48), ‘risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (15:26), ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ’ (16:8), ‘baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus’ (19:5), ‘invoke the name of’ (19:13), ‘and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled’ (19:17), ‘die in Jerusalem for the name’ (21:13), ‘calling on his name’ (22:16), ‘opposing the name’ (26:9).

In our reading for today we discover that it was not long after the day of Pentecost when the authorities began to be concerned about the ‘name’. Even though they had seen tremendous evidence of the power that is to be found in the name of Jesus, they sought to ban any activity based around his name, verses 17-18 ‘But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name. So, they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.’ But what did the disciples do? They prayed for boldness, and after being filled again with the power of the Holy Spirit they went out and continued to speak the word of God boldly. (4:31) But it got them in trouble again, in Acts 5:28 ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching . . .’ The apostles replied we must obey God rather than men.

The disciples had come to know the tremendous power and authority that was involved in the name of Jesus. Power and authority that was present in the name and through the name because of who Jesus was, the obedient and conquering Saviour, the one who God had declared to be Lord over all. And Jesus had commissioned the disciples or sent them to ‘go in his name’, this means that they had been given authority to exercise authority in the name of Jesus.

To attempt to use an illustration, a poor one I know, in themselves the disciples could do absolutely nothing, they would be like you or I going as a civilian and attempting to enter a property to do a search. It just would not happen. What we would need is a warrant, a document that gives us authority to go and to enter and search. And when Jesus gave the disciples authority to use his name it is as if he issued them a warrant, a document ‘his name’ that gave them the authority.  If we look at the period of time between Acts 4:18 when the disciples were charged not to teach or speak in the name of Jesus and the second time in Acts 5:28 ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, we will see verses 12-16 in which we see how they exercised that authority. ‘Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.’ Wow what amazing results. Brothers and sisters, we need to collect our warrant!

As I have gone through these various Scriptures, there are many things that have been highlighted to me, things we know about and readily proclaim, the power in the name to save, the power that is in the name to heal, and the power in the name to deliver and set free.

In Acts 9, we find that Saul who later became Paul was going about with authority (a warrant) to bind those who call on the name, (verses 1-2 and 13-14) and yet as he who hated the name of Jesus was intent on causing suffering toward those who loved the name of Jesus, God was at work with a plan that in turn meant that Saul himself would end up suffering for the sake of the name. The name hater, the name despiser, the one who wanted to obliterate the name would himself become a carrier of that name, he would hold a better warrant, not a warrant that would lead to death for the believers, but a warrant ‘the name of Jesus’ that would lead to life for the unbelievers. (9:15-16) What an amazing evidence of the power in the name of Jesus to save and to transform a life. So much so, that he came to love the name of Jesus so dearly that we hear Paul saying many years later that he was willing himself to be imprisoned or even to die for the name. (21:13)

We are living in relatively safe times in the UK to be a believer in the name, sadly there are many nations where this is not so. We can so easily sing or say that we love the name of Jesus, that Jesus is the name we honour, Jesus is the name we trust because at this moment in time there is no risk involved in saying so. But what if? What if we were told that we were not to teach or preach the name? What if the authorities had warrants to arrest those who follow the name? What if our believing in the name means we would have to suffer many trials, or be imprisoned or be put to death? A lot of ‘what ifs’, but the challenge is for the now, we can believe freely on his name, we can declare freely about his name, maybe, the person God keeps placing into your heart and mind is someone who needs to know about the name, and you are to be the one who is to carry the name to them.

The name of Jesus is so sweet,

I love its music to repeat;

It makes my joys full and complete,

The precious name of Jesus.

Jesus! oh, how sweet the name,

Jesus! every day the same;

Jesus! let all saints proclaim

 Its worthy praise forever.

I love the name of Him whose heart

Knows all my griefs and bears a part;

Who bids all anxious fears depart,

I love the name of Jesus.

That name I fondly love to hear,

It never fails my heart to cheer,

Its music dries the falling tear;

Exalt the name of Jesus.

No word of man can ever tell

How sweet the name I love so well,

Oh, let its praises ever swell,

Oh, praise the name of Jesus.

W C Martin CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion May 24th

SUNDAY 24th

Reading – John 14

When I was preparing the devotions for last week, at the same time I was also reading through the books of John and Acts, and toward the end of John and into Acts what kept getting my attention were verses that had reference in some way to the ‘name.’ (referring to Jesus)

In the beginning of John’s gospel we have, ‘believing in his name’ (1:12), ‘believed in his name’ (2:23), ‘not believed in the name’ (3:18), Then in particular within the dialogue Jesus is having with his disciples prior to his going to Calvary we have, ‘ask in my name’ (14:13) ‘ask me anything in my name’ (14:14), ‘the Father will send in my name’ (14:26), ‘ask the Father in my name’ (15:16), ‘on account of my name’ (15:21), ‘ask of the Father in my name’ (16:23), ‘you have asked nothing in my name’ (16:24, ‘ask in my name’ (16:26), ‘by believing you may have life in his name’ (20:31).

Now I have only given a highlight from each of the reference, you need to read the surrounding verses to find the context for each of them, but what I want to draw from this short list is the conclusion that they reveal to us that there is and must be something unique and special about ‘his name’. There is little point in me suggesting today that you should believe in my name, or ask anything in my name, nor any point in me suggesting that the Father will send anything in my name. My name is just a normal (or maybe odd, unusual) name that has absolutely nothing significant attached to using it. But when we come to this name it is a uniquely and particularly special and important name because it is the name of Jesus. Now, the name Jesus in itself is not unique, it is still used as a popular Christian name in some parts of the world, but with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ it is uniquely special because it is the name that God has given to his eternal Son. Luke 1:31 ‘And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.’  Luke 2:21 ‘And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.’

The name ‘Jesus’ (Gk Iesous) is the equivalent to the Hebrew ‘Joshua’ (Heb Yehoshua) and means ‘The Lord is salvation’ and this baby born in Bethlehem and given the name Jesus was to be the Saviour, the ONLY Saviour, who would bring redemption for mankind. He would be the only person in the history of the world named either Joshua or Jesus who would literally be what his name declares about him. In Luke 2:11 as the angel came to make the announcement to the shepherds about the birth of Jesus we read ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.’ Most translations have ‘a Saviour’ The NLT puts it this way, ‘The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!’ The NET translation, ‘Today your Saviour is born in the city of David, he is Christ the Lord.’ Jesus is ‘THE SAVIOUR’, Christ the Lord.

Now why is this name when given to Jesus different to when it is given to any other? Why does it contain power and authority, why can we ask through it, why should we believe on it etc.? Well, as I’ve already mentioned, because it is the name his Father gave him, but Philippians 2:9-11 enlarges the answer for us, ‘Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (See also Ephesians 1:20-22)

He was given the name Jesus by God the Father at his birth, and because of his obedience in accomplishing what God the Father had sent him to do, that was to live a sinless life, to die a sacrificial death and to be spectacularly raised from the dead, God has exalted him, and bestowed on him a name which is above every name. The name bestowed upon him was Lord. By exalting his name, God is declaring the one born as Jesus, to be Lord. Therefore, we declare that Jesus is Lord. Remember what Joshua means ‘The Lord is salvation’ and in the person of Jesus, in his name as Jesus he truly is Lord. It is a name that has power, it is a name that has authority, and Jesus prior to his ascension, declared to his disciples ‘All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.’ There is a song made more popular by the Gaither’s which has the line, ‘Mary called him Jesus, but I call him Lord.’ What we can declare is this, Jesus is Lord, or our Lord is Jesus!

Another reason why the name is unique when given to this Jesus is found in Acts 4:12 ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’  It is only in this one who is called Jesus, the one who has become Lord, that salvation can be found.

There are some lovely songs that are composed around the name of Jesus, and I will mention just a few of them here, I love to sing about Jesus, I love to sing about his blood, I love to sing about his name, for it is the highest name that heaven and earth affords.

We will continue the theme on the name of Jesus tomorrow from the book of Acts.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

There’s just something about that name

Master, Saviour, Jesus

Like the fragrance after the rain

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

Let all Heaven and earth proclaim

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away

But there’s something about that name

Gaithers CCLI788682

Just the mention of Your name

Causes me to fall before You,

Tears flow as I adore You,

At the mention of Your name,

Just the mention of Your name.

Just the mention of Your name,

Reaffirms the love that holds me,

Speaks once more of love that knows me

At the mention of Your name,

Just the mention of Your name.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

At the mention of your name,

I worship.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

At the mention of your name,

I worship.

Chris Bowater CCLI788682

Jesus, at your name we bow the knee,

Jesus, at your name we bow the knee,

Jesus, at your name we bow the knee,

and acknowledge you as Lord.

You are the Christ

You are the Lord

Through Your Spirit in our lives

We know who You are

Chris Bowater CCLI788682