IT'S IN THE NAME

Oh Glory to God!
Thank You Jesus!

Colossians 3:16,17
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord.

17 And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Admonishing and Teaching.
To walk in the character and integrity of God.
Amen.
Do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus.
The Name reflects the character.
What is God's character?
Love, Joy, Peace, Long suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance, Truth, Grace.

Do all in the character of Jesus.

Is that why the mind has to be renewed by the Word of God so that we really have the mind of Christ?
So that we think like He does.
Yes, because if we don't think like He does we won't do what He gave us the call to do.

Greater things than these shall you do...
That's what Jesus said.
John 14:12-14

But if we don't think like Him, we can't be like Him.
Amen.

If we think like Christ then we act like Christ and we have His power available.
So it's important to understand the character and nature of God to be able to imitate it.
This is why God the Father teaches us to put away lying and speak the truth, Because God is not a liar.
This is why God teaches us to steal no more, because God ain't robbing nobody.
This is why the Lord teaches us not to allow corrupt communication to come out of our mouth, because it doesn't come out of His.

If we want to call things that be not as though they were, we have to call it the same way that He does, with the same heart and spirit that is free of unforgiveness, disdain, pride and pretense.

He speaks life.
This is why the Lord teaches us to put bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour and evil speaking away with all malice because their is no power in them to edify or to create life.

Being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another is God's way, and it's how we follow Him as dear children.
We are to mimic Him as His children.
Ephesians 4:22- 5:1

God didn't call things into existence with a heart of malice, envy and bitterness.
God doesn't heal from a heart of deceit and unforgiveness because that don't move mountains.
Corrupt communication, filthiness, foolish and spiteful talking don't make great power available.
They just don't.

Heaven doesn't back that character up.
A man is on his own with that.

I want to look at what it means to use the Name, but first I want to talk about the meaning of a name.
Their are a lot of folks going around saying, In the Name of Jesus and they don't have a clue what that means so they are not operating in it and they are not getting results.

I used to think I was using His Name properly until I began to meditate.
When you stand praying always make sure to check your heart.
When you bring anything to God as an offering, make sure you check your heart.
When you stand in service to God, make sure you check your heart.
Even when you stand to give a testimony, make sure that you check your heart.

So how did I get on this Name stuff?

I have a co-worker who God has just blessed her with the birth of her fifth grandchild.
She came to visit me Thursday for hospital related business as we talked she told me that one name had already been chosen for the baby before she was born.
The name was not chosen by the parents but by the paternal grandmother and this was what everyone was calling the child in the womb.

But during the course of the pregnancy things happened that changed how the parents felt about what they would call their firstborn.
As the story unfolded of why her daughter and son in law chose this precious young ladies name, I could understand clearly why they did what they did.

I won't tell her name but I will tell the meaning of her name.
The meaning of her name is restoration.

The reason I'm talking about the name is because as I sat on my bed early Sunday morning praying and looking in the word the Holy Spirit quickened something to me about the meaning in a name.

When I got to church my Pastor taught something that confirmed what the Lord had spoken to me about the meaning of a name.
He taught about the meaning in the name of Elijah/ Eliyah.
So you know after church I got home and went right to the book.

First I looked at Abraham.
The father of Faith began his life with the name Abram but when God called him out from among his kinfolk and his fathers house He changed his named to Abraham.
Abraham "father of a multitude"

What is in a name?
A whole lot, it encompasses the promises of God.
Character and Truth.
And when you operate in a name you are operating in a character.

There were four Hebrew teenagers who refused to serve any other God than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego these were their slave names given to them by King Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,and Azariah their Hebrew names.
Daniel "God is my judge"
Hananiah "God has favored"
Mishael "Who is what God is?" NOBODY!
Azariah "Jehovah has helped"

These boys were operating in the character of their names.

If God was to give you a name like He did Abraham and the four Hebrew boys based on the character that you continually operate in, what would it be?

let us seriously examine our character today.

Is it prideful, will it drop out, will it conform to the world out of fear or to fit in?
Do you hold grudges?
Are you a hater or a participator?

What would your name be?

Calling fire down from heaven means operating in the character of God, not just using His name on the end of a sentence or a request.
The seven sons of Sceva tried that but they didn't have the character.

They said we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth in Acts 19:14.
Meaning Paul walks in the character of Jesus but we don't.
Miracles are wrought by the hands of the men and women who imitate God in their character.

Don't try and use that Name and you don't walk in that character.
Don't get leaped on and overcome and sent running naked.

The evil demon spirits said, "I know the character of Jesus and I know the character of Paul, but what is your character?"
Evidently it wasn't the character of God because the evil wasn't moved.

The evil spirits knew Jesus wasn't moved to fear and to give up by the boat being filled with water.
The evil spirits knew Paul wasn't moved to stop doing God's work when he was, shipwrecked, whipped, disagreed with, bitten and imprisoned.

But you go running at the first sign of rain and at the first sign of a lashing.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?