What's In A Name?

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

Our name is very important. When my husband and I had  our sons we named them specifically for what their names meant. Matthew means 'gift of God' and Jonathan means 'God has given'. Many people today name babies cute popular names or after a famous person. Your name is special. None of us wants to shame our family last name by doing something bad. Your name is with you for life unless you are undercover law enforcement or in the witness protection program. Often times a giving a person's name gives you certain benefits and privileges. Maybe a name is "dropped" to impress those you are with. In the long run those names may stay with a person but future generations may not have a clue of who the person was.

The only name that  matters is the name of Jesus. There's power in that name. No other name can do what the name of Jesus does. Heal, deliver, set free, save. His name is wonderful!

PRAYER: Your name is above every name. I lift your name on high and love to sing your praises. I love you Jesus. In Jesus' name. Amen.

SATAN IS A NERD

 Oh my goodness, I am name calling! Shame on me. Not when it comes to the lying, cheating, deceitfulness, and killing of this horrible creature. I got the idea for my title today off an elderly gentleman's baseball cap that I saw as he left church in Tulsa, Oklahoma at Victory Christian Center yesterday. It was funny in a way, but also very true.

Satan is not a little red skinny man with a pitchfork like Halloween costumes attempt to portray him as, but he is in fact a powerful, sinister force working through human subjects, who he has deceived, in order to wreak havoc in the world we live in. He despises Christians and anything they stand for, so he hates America since it is a Christian nation. He is in fact an 'angel of light' tricking and deceiving many people. He can convince you of many things if you are not grounded in the word of God. Satan and his demons of evil like to keep people in bondage. They do not like freedom. They do not like the Bible at all for in it is power to defeat him and his demonic spirits. The good news is that we have the power to defeat Satan and his lies with the blood of Jesus and the word of God. Revelation 12:11 says "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much  as to shrink from death."

Talk out loud to the devil and say "Get Thee behind me Satan!" Matthew 16:23 says " Jesus turned and said to Peter..get thee behind me Satan. You are a stumbling block to me for you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men." Matthew 4:10 says "Jesus said to him..away from me Satan for it is written, worship the Lord and serve Him only."

In Isaiah 54:17 it says "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,and their righteousness is of thee says the Lord." Satan will try his best to get you to take his bait and many fall prey to this and do. Even some within churches are tricked by his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11 says " in order that Satan may not outwit us for we are not ignorant of his schemes."  He is the ultimate creep and has tricked many unsuspecting earthly subjects to carry out his evil here on earth. We are indeed in a spiritual battle. Do not get mad at 'mere man' knowing Satan has taken them captive to do his evil bidding, but be angry at Satan and be on your knees in prayer for those he is using against righteous men to hurt us.

 The anti Christ will come and will be a powerful force and lead many astray. Be aware. It says in 1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be self controlled and alert . Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to destroy. Resist him standing firm in your faith because you know your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same type of sufferings." James 4:7 tells us to "Submit yourselves then unto God. Resist the devil and he will flee from us." Satan and demons are no joke. You are either doing the work of God or the work of the enemy, think of that for a while. There is no in between. John 10:10 says "The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

 We know who wins in the end because it says in Revelation 12:9 "This great dragon, the ancient serpent called Satan or the devil, the one deceiving the whole world, was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." John 12:31 says "Now is the time for judgment on this world,and the prince of this (Satan) will be driven out." Jesus is Lord!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I know there are evil forces of darkness who seek to destroy the body of Christ and our freedoms. I stand strong in the  Lord and the power of your might and resist Satan firm in my faith. I stand on the promises of God and I have victory in Jesus. I will not fear evil man and his schemes for you are with me Lord and will see me through. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link and start your Monday morning out with a praise song to the Lord. Be blessed!
http://youtu.be/wIg6RIbLz1c

PS We are in a world not of this world!!

MOTHER NATURE, THE MAN UPSTAIRS, THE BIG GUY....SAY WHAT??

Why is it some people are afraid to acknowledge the name Jesus or the presence of God? Instead of the weather man saying an 'act of God' they say 'mother nature'. Not sure that God is a woman since he is referred to as our 'Heavenly Father'. Then there is the one where people say "the man upstairs is watching us" and don't forget about 'the big guy'. Why is it some people have to make a joke out of God's name? Sure we know what they mean but it seems more 'politically correct' to refer to him in these terms to some and perhaps less threatening or 'religious'. But the fact is God is God!

Jesus is Abba Father, the Almighty, the Alpha and Omega. He is  Redeemer, our Defender, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Beginning and the End. He is Light and he is Truth. He is Glorious. He is Jehovah Jirah our Provider. He is our Saviour. He is Master over all things.God is Love.God is our Protector. God is Peace. God is Holy. He is the Bright Morning Star. He is Ruler over all the earth. He is the Creator of the universe.He is more than the 'man upstairs'.

Some say they worship God in nature as their excuse for not going to church. Sure God is out there, he is everywhere and that is wonderful, but when you worship Him in nature do you actually talk to Him and sing His praises as you walk through the forest? One of my favorite places to be to be close to God is at this one state park nearby. I go there occasionally for DAWG days called 'Day  Alone With God' but we should not necessarily use going to the woods on Sunday as an excuse for not being in his house of worship with others. It is a convenient excuse to say that you are out in his creation as a way to justify not being in church on Sunday. God is a jealous God. Yes he loves you and he wants you to love Him. Deuteronomy  6:14-15 says "Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land."  Further in Deuteronomy 11:28 it says "But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before." Are you rejecting God? Something to ponder in your heart. Only you can decide to make Him first place in your life. Just doing 'works' is not putting Him first place but do you truly spend time with Him and want to know Him better?

Philippians 2:10 says "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."  Psalm 95:6 says " Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."  Romans 14:11 says "It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" Do you ever feel like bowing before the Lord or raising your arms up to heaven to declare his glory and to praise Him?  Ephesians 3:14 says "For this reason I kneel before the Father." Kneeling is an act of honor and respect. We see in foreign countries how people bow to rulers. The ultimate ruler over all is God Almighty. We should be bowing before Him. Revelation 5:13 says "Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Do you feel about God this way? Does He have first place in your life? Do you want Him to? It says in Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Christ is knocking on your hearts door. He wants first place in your life not just on Sunday but every day of the week.

PRAYER: Lord I want you to be first place in my life. Forgive me when I have treated you like an obligation and have not wanted to spend time with you each day. Forgive me for only thinking about you one hour on Sunday .From this day forward I want you to take complete control of my life and I want to live for you and serve you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Note: click on link to experience a wonderful worship  song to go along with this devotion. Be blessed.
http://youtu.be/-YYIHIqdSkk

JESUS NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the Bible says(See Proverbs 18:10).Many places in scripture Jesus name is mentioned not just in speaking of Him but talking about what power is behind His name.  At the name of Jesus the devil must flee.(See Matthew 4:10). There is no other name under heaven by which men might be saved. We exalt His name, we glorify His name, we pray in His name, we heal in His name. Obviously His name invokes supernatural power.

 Jesus name means many things too in the Bible. Comforter, redeemer, Holy one, God with us.  I read somewhere in searching that there were over 190 titles or names of Jesus in Scripture. His name is mighty indeed. I ask you do you know Him? Have you given your life to Him?

Philippians 2:10 and 11 says "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Jesus name is so special we are not to 'take it in vain' it says in the Ten Commandments found in Exodus Chapter 20:7. Today people flippantly use the name of Jesus or God's name in the context with swearing. This breaks my heart and I am sure breaks his as well. His name is to be honored!

Psalm 8:1 says "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens". Psalm 148:13 says "Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven."

Yes Jesus and His name are indeed special. Isaiah 9:6 often used at Christmas says "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

PRAYER: The name of the Lord is indeed a place of safety for us to run to. I thank you for what your name means and how we can find comfort in your name Lord. Thank you for being comforter, healer, almighty saviour and so much more. Father I pray for those reading this who have not committed their lives to you. I ask you touch their heart and help them know that Jesus is Lord! Also help those who have not asked them into their heart to do so today. In Jesus name. Amen.

Enjoy a powerful praise song by clicking on the link below:

http://youtu.be/T2qm3eD4akM