One of the most used or rather quoted phrases in the Bible is, “In the name of Jesus.” Perhaps this practice came from our understanding of the passage; And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him (Colossians 3:17). From this scripture, ministers understood that they were to say, “in the name of Jesus,” in baptisms, prayers, and spiritual warfare and other ceremonies. They overwhelmingly complied. Almost everything we did or said, was preceded by the phrase, “in the name of Jesus.” We were taught that the name of Jesus is the authority and power we have in prayer and ministry. Now I dare to say, some of what we were taught was right, but much was also incomplete, or just plain wrong. This verse of scripture has much more meaning than the repeating
of a phrase.
“In the name of Jesus,” has become a cliché for the Body of Christ. They are simply words said in prayer or ministry. But the Hebrew word for ‘name’ is Shem, which denotes reputation, memory, continuance, or fame. I submit to you that the phrase, “in the name of Jesus,” or “in my name,” refers more to the power of character, and overall spiritual disposition of the user, than anything else. John gives us some insight as to the intent of the Master in teaching the use of His name.
1 John 3:16
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren.
Once again, every revelation of power in the Church has its foundation in the mystery of Christ. Herein is our love
made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). If it is the character of Christ to lay down His life for others, then that must also be the character of the Body of Christ. There is no substitute for Christ. We often speak of the power the apostles manifested after the departure of Christ. Peter’s shadow healed the sick, and his words raised Tabitha from the dead. But these men were simply fulfilling the great commission. I really want you to consider the scripture below.
Mark 16:15-18
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
IN MY NAME THEY SHALL…
I want to give you an example that will illustrate the true meaning of, ‘in my name.’ The most obvious one would be the work of a police officer. If someone has committed a crime and a police officer is called to the scene, or if one is stopped for speeding by an officer; he is instructed by the law to issue a citation or an arrest. Thus, he can issue such citations or arrests in the name of the law. The officer is acting in the authority and power of the law, not his own power.
On the other hand, if an officer, in the name of the law, enters a suspect’s home or business without a search warrant, the law will not support such actions. Even if the suspect is guilty, he is let free. Thus, he can continue his life of crime, until those who apprehend him, do so lawfully. It is then and only then that they can proclaim, in the name of the law.
The same is true in the Body of Christ. To cast out devils, and lay hands on the sick, in the name of Jesus, we must do so in keeping all the commandments of Christ. We must walk in His character, His spirit, His heart, and His love for God and man. It is then and only then, that we can work ministry in the name of Jesus.
Mark 16:19-20
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of
God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the
word with signs following. Amen.
On Feb 22, 2021, the Lord spoke to me. I want you to sanctify yourself unto me. I will show you how.
1. You are to abstain from all forms of darkness.
2. You are to watch nothing on television or social media that promotes darkness.
3. The watching of the news must be for information regarding the state of the nations of the world as it progresses toward bible prophecy.
4. You are to spend the rest of your days in concentration on my Word and my Spirit.
I was happy to hear these instructions from the Lord because they had come as a result of me wanting to know if we were ever going to be worthy of fulfilling the great commission.
I wanted to know if the Lord would ever work with us as He had worked with the first apostles. Otherwise, how can we show full proof of the apostolic ministry, or the resurrection of our Lord from the dead. I knew God had given us a Word that most leaders in the Body were not ministering. I understood that this Mystery of Christ, must be preached with a demonstration of its power. Without being able to operate ministry in the name of Jesus, the Gospel most likely would not be believed, even in the church, among the people of God. Therefore, I know we have to do all that is necessary to walk in the power of our Christ. But then the Father said something that filled my heart with a solemness I had never felt before. “You are concerned as to whether I will work with you as I did the first apostles. You have also purposed in your heart to do all that I have commanded. But if you are to have the same fellowship with me that I had with Jesus and the first disciples, then you must be willing to lay down your life for Christ and mankind. For this is my great love manifested. I have given you two great commandments to walk in in this hour. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Matthew 22:37-39). All who are born again must walk in these commandments. But these are not manifested in religious do’s and don’ts. They are manifested in a willingness to lay down one’s life for Christ and your fellowman. Even those who do not deserve such a sacrifice. To manifest the love of God, this must be our heart. If it is not, then you will never be worthy of the power of Christ you desire in ministry. By my sovereignty I have allowed you to gather the flock and to nurture them, and to raise up those who would be soldiers in my spiritual army. This you have done. But now you and they must give me a heart that is willing to die for the salvation of others. This is the heart of my son Jesus. This is the heart of the first disciples. This must be the heart of those who will declare His name among the lost and those who are out of the way. I will send my word to the uttermost parts of the world. If you, and those whom you have raised up in my word, truly believe, then you will obey with your heart, and I will indeed manifest myself to you.”
Saints, this was truly where the rubber met the road. The
Lord made it clear that fasting, praying, and obedience to instructions were not enough. We must give God a willing heart to die for Christ and the lost. Even if we are never placed into such a situation, the heart to do
so must be present. There is no other manifestation of Christ. Without such a heart, our religious doings are not enough. The heart of Christ must be in us, if we are to make it to Heaven or to fulfill the great commission given to us on earth. We have no real fellowship with the Father without such a heart. We have no real confidence in ministry or life itself without the heart of Christ. There is no walking in the Spirit, without walking in the unselfish sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. This is the faith of Jesus manifested; the willingness to give our life for the sheep. All of us must make that commitment, whether we are preachers, teachers, laymen, pastors, evangelists, prophets, or apostles.
This word from the Lord can be summarized as follows: To walk or work ministry “in the name of Jesus,” you must present your body as a living sacrifice to God. It must be holy and without blame. It must not stand in a shadow of turning. As for God, his way is perfect;…(2 Sam. 22:31). Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments…(1 Ki 8:61).
You must manifest a love for the flock that demonstrates a willingness of heart, to lay down your life for the sheep; for this is Christ. There is no substitute for this heart. And there is no way to circumvent it. It is the heart of the Father, manifested in the sons. The bottom line is, how determined are you to make it to the Kingdom of Christ? How determined are you to glorify the Father here on earth? If this is what you truly want, but you know that you are lacking in love, and/ or holiness, then submit yourself to humility and seek the righteousness of God. Go to Him in earnest and plead for mercy. Ask for more influence and a spirit of enlightenment. Stop doing those things you know are wrong. Stop telling yourself you can’t, and that you need more power. You have all the power you need. All you must do is purpose in your heart never to override the Holy Ghost or your conscience again.
The Lord said, “You can trust holiness.” I am a witness, saints. When you walk in the righteousness of God, you will experience a physical “spiritual sensation” that is unlike anything in this world. Peace and confidence in life and ministry will be yours. I promise, and so does the Father. Try it. You will never want to sin again. And when you utter, “In the name of Jesus,” the natural and spirit world will obey.
