POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST

POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST

When first looking to buy a house in Las Vegas, we drove around town, and I found what I thought was the perfect one. It was way above what I could afford, but it was God’s way of getting us a realtor with amazing clout. Just mention her name, and we got everything we needed and more. That’s an example in the physical of what the name of Jesus Christ does in the spiritual. God gives us supernatural clout to use the name of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us how powerful the name of Jesus is: ^“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

 

Since God created everything in the first place, if He says everything is in subjection to the power of the name of His son Jesus, then it’s true. And if anyone says different, they’re lying. John 8:44 tells us the devil “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

 

Sometimes, at night, if I have a bad dream, I wake up and say the name of Jesus repeatedly, and then I go back to sleep easily. Just saying and believing in the power of His name gets the job done. There is certainty in saying the name of Jesus Christ when you believe in it.

 

When I pray for someone or minister healing or deliverance to someone, I check with Jesus first, and then often He directs me to speak straight to a demon or demonic forces and tell them they must bow and obey whatever I say in Jesus’ name. I remind the devil spirit that it is not more powerful than the Son of God. Then I believe for wisdom and revelation and do whatever the Lord directs.

 

James 4:7 says: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We’ve been given the powerful name of our Lord Jesus to use in making any demon spirit flee from around us. And we can also help others. Just like I’ve told friends about my realtor’s recommendations, and they’ve been blessed, we can help others by sharing what happens when we use the name of Jesus Christ and we get blessed.

 

In the book of Acts, we have many examples of the believers using the authority of the name of Jesus. In Acts 3, Peter and John heal a man born lame, and the people are astonished. “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, ‘Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus” (vv.12-13).

 

Peter goes on to say: “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole” (Acts 4:10).

 

That’s a lot of power behind a name, the biggest power in the universe, in fact! And God loves us so much He’s given us the name of Jesus to flash at any force that is coming against us or the people we love. Let’s get more familiar with the power of Jesus and His name by reading the Gospels and the book of Acts too, and start to walk in even more victory than before.

 

Love, Carolyn

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LEARNING THE PHYSICAL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND GOD'S SPIRITUAL

LEARNING THE PHYSICAL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND GOD’S SPIRITUAL

How does a 3-dimensional printer work? It takes a digital file with all kinds of numbers and coordinates, and from that information, it makes a physical object. That’s similar to how faith works. Faith takes a God-given idea and brings it into the physical world. How is it that you can make a call from Las Vegas to a friend in Hawaii, and you can communicate in words as if you were right there in the exact same space and time frame? Or what about a Zoom meeting? Think about it. It’s like you are in two places at the same time—kind of similar to the way our Lord Jesus has always been able to be in two or more places at the same time.

 

We need to pay attention to what we are guided to learn in the physical realm. God will use it to open portals of understanding from heaven—to connect the dots, to use what you know in the physical realm, to teach you the spiritual.

 

Learn much. Observe it. Hold it. Understand it. The things we take the time to study and grasp in the natural will help us to comprehend the spiritual.

 

Romans 1:20 tells us: “For the invisible things of him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” Let’s get better acquainted with some of the things that have been made by men, as well as concepts and things that were created by God in the first place. We need to stay awake and alert with a curious mind.

 

God created ants, and anyone who has watched ants knows they are not lazy creatures. God uses a person’s knowledge of ants to make a point.

 

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard: when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?” (Prov. 6: 6-9).

 

In this passage, God tells us about the habits of ants, but there are many passages in the scriptures that can be better understood and easier to apply if we know something about the physical thing God is talking about.

 

We’ll only know everything God’s got in the Bible when we go to heaven, but for now, we can keep our ears and eyes open to what things and concepts the Lord has put right in front of us.

 

For instance, one time when it was kind of slow at work, and I had nothing to paint, I took the opportunity to learn a few things from Chris, the carpenter I worked with.

 

Jesus learned carpentry, and there’s a reason God has that in the Bible. One thing I learned from Chris is that there are specifically designed tools for different tasks. That seems logical enough, but I never really thought about it until I started paying attention and asking some questions. Then I started thinking about what Jesus would have learned at a young age in the trade, such as the importance of keeping things straight, using the right tools for the right project, measuring things twice and cutting once, and so much more.

 

Let’s keep our hearts open to what the Lord is magnifying in the physical, then see how He connects the dots to a more spiritual understanding of Him and the world we live in.

 

Love, Carolyn

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ALL THINGS ON EARTH HAVE A VOICE, AND GOD GAVE US DOMINION

 

ALL THINGS ON EARTH HAVE A VOICE, AND GOD GAVE US DOMINION

I held a small handgun. It was one of the lightest in weight and easiest to handle. That was true, but I was surprised at how I instantly felt the voice of power in that gun. It was not a toy. The manufacturer made the gun to be used in a certain way, with purpose. The things of the earth speak of what they are and what they want. Once we realize that, we can choose to respect the voice and go with it, or we can choose to say no to the voice. God has given humanity the rule over earth things. “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men” (Ps.115:16).

 

As far as earth things having a voice, our plants tell us when we’ve neglected to give them what they need, and most of us are tuned into the messages from our pets as well.

 

But there are many inanimate earth things that also have voices. We all know that our cell phones and computers have a voice. They say: “Pay attention! You need to open me right now.” We’ve learned to answer no at work (mostly), and at other times we’ve said yes and found ourselves sucked in for hours.

 

Money has a voice. I have a funny story about that. Jane was working in the computer department at the University. One Monday afternoon, she was sitting on a stone bench by the grass. She put her fanny pack with her wallet in it, at eye level on the column next to her. Jane won a large sum of money at the nickel slots over the weekend, and the money was still in her fanny pack. Her work schedule was pretty loose, and she was free to come and go as long as the work was done.

 

She looked over at her fanny pack, and the money started to talk. “Let’s get in the car and go over to Terrible Herbst Casino and play some slots.” Jane said: “Shut up in the name of Jesus Christ. We’re not going anywhere!” It was quiet for a few minutes; then it tried again: “Let’s go spend some money at Terrible’s.” Jane looked straight at that wallet and told it again: “Shut up in the name of Jesus Christ. We’re getting on that cart and going back to work!” And it never happened again, and Jane never forgot that incident.

 

I had an interesting experience with a Mazda rental car. The commercials on TV always displayed the words “Zoom, zoom” associated with the car. Then, when I went to drive it, I swear, it was really difficult to get the car to slow down. It wanted to go at least 45mph no matter what, even in school zones. That car was a real battle, but I could see why the young people really liked it—“Zoom, zoom.”

 

What inanimate objects are talking to you, and how are you reacting to what you hear?

 

Jesus said: “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear” (Luke 8:17-18).

 

The Lord is saying that we are responsible for knowing what’s going on. We need to be aware of the voices and make good, strong choices. We’re in charge. Let’s listen carefully and decide wisely.

 

Love, Carolyn

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DON'T LET DEMONS DIVIDE YOU FROM YOURSELF

 DON’T LET DEMONS DIVIDE YOU FROM YOURSELF

God always was and is still the Ultimate Authority: “In the beginning: GOD.” He is “the MOST HIGH OVER ALL THE EARTH” (Gen. 1:1 and Ps. 83:18b). Then comes man: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Gen. 1:26).

 

The devil himself was named Lucifer (light-bearer) in the beginning. God created Lucifer as an angel of light. Light makes things grow. Things are made clear in the light. They’re illuminated physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This mighty angel, Lucifer, was to illuminate things for humanity, but he was never supposed to have authority over us. Like other angels, he was supposed to help God by helping us.

 

God gave angels, like humanity, the freedom of will; they could abuse it just like humans do.

 

Lucifer didn’t like the idea of being subservient to God or humans. He became blinded by his own light and thought He could be greater than his creator. In this act, he began to destroy himself.

 

Isaiah 14 tells us Lucifer’s story:

 

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:12-14)

 

To “sit upon the mount of the congregation” means to sit at the top, above all beings, and judge them. (See Ps. 82:1 and Ps. 75:2.) Lucifer liked that idea—to be the bully on the throne and rule as he pleased. He craved that position and the power.

 

But God couldn’t let him have it. There’s only one God above all else, the God of the Bible. Lucifer turned against God, so he basically threw himself out of God’s presence. He was tossed out of heaven and no longer had the name Lucifer because now his light was darkness. Any light he gave would only be a counterfeit of the true light. He could no longer be called “light,” but instead, he was called Satan or the Devil:

 

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

 

“[But] woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev. 12:9 and 12).

 

Satan, being tossed to the earth, quickly tricked Adam out of having authority over the earth. God sent Jesus, a perfect man, to give authority back to God’s people. Jesus overcame the devil in areas where Adam did not, thus taking back humanity’s dominion on the earth. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b).

 

So where is the devil now? He would like us to believe that he is still running things, and he will continue to do so for those who let him. But legally, he has no authority. He is a liar and a divider.

 

Just like Satan tricked Adam into a type of suicide and self-destruction, Satan works to destroy people today. If we let him, he tries to get us to self-destruct. He gets us to turn on ourselves. When God tells us in His Word that we are wonderful, we instead listen to Satan and say to ourselves, “We are not wonderful.” All the things we see in ourselves that are not good come from demons. Demons divide. They work to tear us apart from each other and apart from our own true selves. How many diseases can you name that are in the anti-inflammatory group? Those are diseases where one part of the body fights to destroy another part of the body. That shouldn’t be.

 

God made the human body to work together. Ephesians 4:16 not only speaks of the body of Christ, the church, but to the human body: “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

 

And our physical bodies are not to be at war with our minds or our emotions either. All parts of us, body, soul, and spirit, should be yielded to God. He is to have authority over every part of us, to give His salvation, His saving, His DNA to every aspect of us. Then, we can exercise our God-given authority over every demon that tries to divide us from ourselves.

 

First Thessalonians 5:23 says it this way: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The only way that happens is if we relinquish our every part to the Lord. If we are holding on to some unhealthy part of us, it is because Satan has sent a demon to convince us that we need it.

 

Let’s stop letting demons divide us from our true selves. Let’s give every part of us to the Lord, believe in our total salvation, and let the Lord personally begin to show us what the new whole me looks like! It’s available, and it’s true. The devil is a liar and a thief. Don’t let him steal any part of you.

 

Love, Carolyn

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"POWER OVER ALL DEVILS" - LUKE 9:1

“POWER OVER ALL DEVILS” – LUKE 9:1

I walked into a small phone store, and a man waiting to get served was staring at me. I walked away and stood on the opposite side of the store, also waiting to be served. When I looked over at the man, he was staring at me more intently, and his face changed shape, with his neck jutting out and oddly connected to the bottom of his chin. He looked kind of like a chameleon. I could see the evil in his expression. I looked at the demon directly and told it (in a whisper because the whole store didn’t need to know what was going on), but I told it: “Keep away from me in the name of Jesus Christ, and shut up.” His face changed back to something more normal and non-threatening, and then he got called up to the service desk, and when I looked at him again, I knew he was no longer a threat to me. The authority we have in the name of Jesus Christ is a powerful weapon.

 

Luke 9:1 tells us: “Jesus called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power [dunamis] and authority over all devils.” The word, dynamite, comes from the same root as the Greek word, dunamis. The power in the name of Jesus is like dynamite! Philippians 2:10 explains “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” No devil can cut across the powerful use of name of Jesus Christ.

 

But we can forget to use our weapons if we don’t recognize an attack.

 

That’s why God tells us in Second Corinthians 2:11: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” In other words, we need to know something about the devil’s ways of doing things. If we don’t know, we can become easier targets for his evil ways. In the spiritual realm, ignorance is NOT bliss!

 

So, I let the Lord reveal to me evidence of the dark side, so I learn. The devil is not happy with that, but too bad; it’s God’s will for me right now, and I know that I belong to Him. Because Jesus paid for me, I am his and have the victory. The authority and the power belong to us, not the devil!

 

Don’t worry about me or anyone else who is researching the enemy, his kingdom, or his devices. We know that magnifying God and keeping our eyes on Him is primary and priority in this kind of study.

 

God can fully deliver us from the evil around us. Jesus gave his original disciples and us a prayer and a promise in Matthew 6:13a: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Knowing God delivers us from all evil, we can then look at what He says about it.

 

In Matthew 6:13a, “evil” is the Greek word “poneros.” It means “the active form of evil, in thoughts, speech, and actions. It is used when the Bible talks about the deeds of devil spirits and is used when talking about Satan as being “the malignant one.” We know what a malignant cell is. It is a normal cell that has been perverted into something else, something that grows, migrates, and destroys. “Poneros” are evil actions that are “harmful, lewd, and malicious.” But we pray in the manner Jesus instructed: “Pray to thy Father...deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6: 6,13), and He does it.

 

Another word used in the New Testament for evil is “kakos.”  “Kakos” means that a person or thing is “bad in character, morally, by way of thinking, bad company, bad desires, and all kinds of evil just for the sake of evil itself.”

 

“Kakos” is used in Titus 1:12, talking about when people accept demons into themselves that have the nature of wild, vicious, biting beasts, venomous snakes or reptiles, or other predatory animal spirits.

 

“Kakos” is also used in James 3:8, talking about a person’s tongue being a restless evil wanting to harm and injure. It’s vicious.

 

There are many things to learn about the ways of the devil. The Lord doesn’t want us to be ignorant, and He gives us great insight and wisdom in this field. But best of all, He has given us His dynamite! -  the power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ to win every time!

 

Here are some important verses that point out our authority and power in Christ. Let’s take the time to look some of them up this week.

 

I am a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

I triumph in Christ ((2 Cor. 2:14).

I have boldness and access in Christ (Eph. 3:12).

I have victory through Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).

I reign in life by Christ (Rom. 5:17).

I have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).

Christ is my life (Col. 3:4).

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM

 THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM

I’m sure we all know people who are naturally wise. They just seem to have a very solid sense of what will work to the positive and what won’t. They exhibit an uncanny plethora of common sense and seem to be able to make good choices and good decisions that keep them out of trouble. Jesus told a parable about a man like this. The man wasn’t a good and honest person, but he was wise.

 

“Now Jesus was also saying to the disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager [of his estate], and accusations [against this man] were brought to him, that this man was squandering his [master’s] possessions. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management [of my affairs], for you can no longer be [my] manager.’

 

“The manager [of the estate] said to himself, ‘What will I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig [for a living], and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from the management, people [who are my master’s debtors] will welcome me into their homes.’

 

“So he summoned his master’s debtors one by one, and he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of [olive] oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

 

“And his master commended the unjust manager [not for his misdeeds, but] because he had acted shrewdly [by preparing for his future unemployment]” (Luke 16:1-8 AMP).

 

The KJV puts verse 8 this way: “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely.”

 

Some people seem to have this kind of worldly wisdom already, and I have no idea where they got it. But then there are people like me who drew the short end of the stick when it came to worldly wisdom. My guardian angels must have been very busy because, unlike the manager that Jesus talked about, I didn’t make many wise decisions as a young person, and even into adulthood, I made a lot of stupid choices. I’ve done my best to do God’s will, and He’s given me tremendous wisdom in so many situations, but there’s always more to learn.

 

My friend, Kathy, shared some insight on wisdom that changed my life. She posted The Passion Version’s translation of Ephesians 1:17a: “I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom.” Then she went on: “The book of Proverbs came to mind because of the subject of WISDOM throughout the book. I then recalled that King Solomon wrote most of the proverbs. And what is Solomon best known for? He received wisdom and riches above all others, for all time.”

 

Solomon also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and The Song of Solomon, so how much wisdom can we also learn from these two books?

 

Though we’ve read the Bible many times and prayed to the Lord for wisdom, I can see that it would benefit us to take a closer look at the writings of the wisest king ever. I believe that in doing this, we will definitely be asking and allowing God to impart into our lives—to our daily choices and decisions—even greater wisdom than we’ve ever experienced before.

 

Love, Carolyn

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SEEING BEYOND THE CARNAL, AND NOT BEING SO QUICK TO JUDGE

SEEING BEYOND THE CARNAL AND NOT BEING SO QUICK TO JUDGE

 I’m reading the chapter about Giotto in Vasari’s book on Renaissance artists. At first glance, I wrote Giotto off as a very primitive artist, especially compared to Michelangelo, Raphael, and some other Renaissance artists whose works I knew better and really liked. But I decided to stop judging Giotto so negatively and take a closer look. I found a great website, wikiart.com, and I was so elated when I saw how he could communicate so many facial expressions and different body positions. This was many years before the discovery of how to use perspective and other techniques of realistic figurative painting.  

 

I spent all afternoon just looking at many of his paintings and blowing them up so I could get a closer look at the wonderful details. I thought about how important it is for us to stop judging things so carnally. When it comes to people, if we always believe our first impressions, we’re probably looking carnally and not seeing the truth.

 

Jesus never did this when he lived as a man on earth, and he doesn’t do it now. He judges if God shows him something. We need to look at people the way Jesus does. Like it says in 1 Samuel 16:7: “But the Lord said unto Samuel, ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’”

 

We can see in the Old Testament many examples of how God chose many people with physical, mental, and emotional issues to be witnesses for Him. Moses had problems with anger; Jacob had a bad leg and limped. God chose four cast-out lepers to save the whole city of Samaria. God is not concerned about anything we may consider a negative carnal characteristic. He is only concerned about what’s in our hearts. If people want to serve Him, He’ll show them how.

 

In New Testament times, people often criticized Jesus for his interaction with regular people. Zacchaeus was one of those. Zacchaeus was a Hebrew but he was a chief tax collector for the hated Roman government. Not only that, but he was over-charging his own people and getting rich off of the illegal profits. It’s interesting that his name in Hebrew is translated “pure,” and that’s how Jesus saw him. We see the story in Luke 19: 1-7:

 

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 

 

“And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 

 

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, ‘Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.’ 

 

“And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.”

 

Jesus didn’t judge Zacchaeus by the way he looked, how short he was, by the money he had, or by any other standard, but only that the man really wanted to see Jesus. So, Jesus went to spend a little time with the man at his house.

 

Have you ever had Jesus come to your house? He will if you want him to. Just ask. You may think I’m crazy, but Jesus has come several times to our house in the evenings to just hang out and be with us. That’s what he did with Zacchaeus, and he even tells us in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” We can take that literally as well as spiritually. When he comes to our house, he brings a peace that fills the whole living room. Jane says that everything just always feels sweet when he arrives. And he doesn’t even care that we’re in our pj’s or are having a bad hair day. He doesn’t care about any of that carnal stuff at all.

 

As it turns out, it seems Zacchaeus was deeply moved by the consideration Jesus showed him: “So then Zacchaeus stood up and solemnly declared to the Lord, ‘See, Lord, the half of my goods I [now] give [by way of restoration] to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I [now] restore four times as much (Luke 19:8AMPC). Four times as much was a greater restitution than the law required (See Num. 5:7: “Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.”

 

When I first looked at Giotto’s paintings, I only briefly looked at a very small photo and quickly dismissed it as primitive, and not that great. But at a closer look, I saw his heart and his tremendous talent. The heart and talent is what Jesus sees, and it’s what God sees. Let’s walk in the image of the Lord and remind ourselves to see people like he does.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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