“His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb…they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the LORD.” Luke 2:21-22
The Name of Jesus is the one name the forces of darkness and the tongues of men have no shame taking in vain. Every demon in hell knows the name of Jesus is the one name by which men can be saved from their sins. It is their mission to marginalize this saving name and to dishonor it on every occasion.
In the shady gray, dim edges of civil religion, it is still possible to hear voices shout, “God Bless America” at the close of a political speech or “God Bless You” at the end of a sneeze. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is Christianity or reverence for God.
Pray in the name of Jesus at any public gathering, and the cries of political correctness scream out in offense. Jesus came as The Light of the world, but those who love the darkness still hate His name.
Go to a football game at high school or university and listen to pre-game prayers. You will often hear the chosen chaplain of compromise or some other prophet of political correctness painstakingly wordsmith their way through a thesaurus of theological terms to avoid using the name of Jesus. Like a cat pussy-footing over broken glass, these pointless prayer-mongers paw their way over Christian vocabulary attempting to avoid offending anyone who hates to hear the name of Jesus. Why?
Cool Christians don’t want to be accused of being on fire. They camouflage themselves in the civil arena, by throwing a blanket over the head of Jesus in the public square. They try to smuggle Him through the public debate without offending their friends or embarrassing themselves. They end up robbing lost people of an encounter with The Savior. Stop it!
NOTE TO SELF: The Name of Jesus is not a man-made invention. It is a command from Heaven. For you to replace The Name with your own brand of benevolence or another synonym for salvation is not cowardice. It is heresy. His name was created in the mind of God, sent from Heaven, delivered by angels and has the handprints of The Father all over it. In Hebrew, English or any other language, The Name of Jesus is still the sweetest name of all. The Name means “God Saves.” Jesus still does. When you pray in His name, you will find the passion to say it, the wisdom to treasure it, and the courage to share it.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!