The name of Jesus is powerful because Jesus saves us from the sin separating us from God, whose holiness frees us from the sin separating us from Jesus. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 KJV). The adversary hates the name of Jesus both because he loses followers, and he can no longer be saved from his own sins. Jesus, meaning ‘Jehovah is salvation,’ seeks to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). OT Israel had a limited view of salvation for the gentile world, just as the NT church has a limited view of salvation as only delivering us from the penalty of sin, but not from the necessity of having to sin. “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” (1Thessalonians 5:23). The “name of Jesus”: (1) is essential to “receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38), (2) was used for a lame man to “rise up and walk” (3:6), (3) was proclaimed, taught, spoken, and “preached boldly” by early disciples (4:10, 18; 5:40; 8:12; 9:27), and (4) was used to command a demon out of a fortune teller, “in the name of” (16:18). Why such critical importance for the “name of Jesus”? Because Jesus is the tip of the spear, the point of the arrow, the edge of the knife that defeats our true “adversary the devil” (1Peter 5:8), who tempts us to sin. But, of more importance, Jesus has promised to save us from ourselves. “He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Either sin separates us from God or God separates us from sin. LORD, You are the God of Salvation, who is able to save “to the uttermost” them that come to You through the name of Jesus (Hebrews 7:25). We do not want to waste our time with gods many and lords many, but only You. “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” (Philippians 2:10-11). In Jesus name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Divine Healing
The Countenance of My Health
“I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright” (Leviticus 26:13 KJV). From the notes of a long departed sister, a testimony of hope and faithfulness.
My teeth are healed.
They are white and strong.
My incision is firm
As I sing my song.
I am healed and whole
From my head to my feet.
My family has health
And plenty to eat.
“The Lord is my portion!” [Psalm 119:57]
Saith my soul.
He took my infirmities
And made me whole.
“Faith is substance!” [Hebrews 11:1]
I shout this call.
For I am made perfect
In the presence of you all.
Father, may we all have such bold, quiet confidence in You, that You would never deny us. Grant that all Your people will say, You are the “health of my countenance and my God” (Psalm 43:5). In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Perfect Soundness
“And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all” (Acts 3:16 KJV). Should Christians use doctors and medical science? Of course, since doctors do not heal, but only assist God to heal. It is our privilege to receive healing from God. Yes, but some healing may not be complete until we come into His glorified presence. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1John 3:2). In the meantime, we should pray, believe, and affirm our “perfect soundness” (Acts 3:16) from the top of our head to the tip of our toes, until we see the physical reality, or we’re translated into His presence. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.
Divine Council Retrospective
Since early 2022, when I became familiar with Dr. Michael S. Heiser’s scholarly book, The Unseen Realm (2015), I have attempted to synthesize his Divine Council perspective with my Christian worldview. As a lifelong reader of the KJV, I’d never heard the expression “divine council,” since Psalm 82:1 was translated as “congregation” (KJV) not “divine council” (ESV). “God [Hebrew, elohim, singular] has taken His place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods [Hebrew, elohim, plural] He holds judgment” (Psalm 82:1 ESV). Multiple gods? Yes, but only one Almighty God. Heiser’s title The Unseen Realm and the Divine Council perspective allowed me to rethink my understanding of what takes place in the heavenlies — building a better foundation. For example, in Spiritual Warfare, notice how Paul links our struggles with the heavenlies. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV). Another example, in Divine Healing, observe how an evil angel or “messenger [Greek, aggelos, angel] of Satan” (2Corinthians 12:7) is linked with a “thorn in the flesh” (12:7) and the struggle for healing. And still another example, in Prayer and Intercession, how can we avoid connecting the Courts of Heaven with Yahweh’s Divine Council? “Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted” (Isaiah 43:26 NKJV). We may differ, ignore, or misunderstand the Unseen Realm, but its concepts still affect us in our Supernatural Religion.
We Need A Miracle 