1. I love this author and her studies.
2. I love this study so far and encourage you to buy it.
3. One of the lessons inspired this post, so here goes...
A new spiritual truth (well, new to me but actually an eternal truth) presented by Dean is that the Name of Jesus, not the word Jesus, has supernatural power only for those who have a relationship with the Bearer of the Name. For example, there may be three mothers in a room and one child in that room. When the child calls for mommy, only the woman with the relationship as the child's mother actually recognizes it as her "name" being said by the child. Making sense so far? Stick with me.
In a much bigger, supernatural way, when a believer speaks the Name (capitalized), all the power of heaven is released. When a non-believer speaks the name (lowercase), it is just a word. There is no power because there is no relationship. The power in the Name for me as a follower of Christ only exists because Jesus, through a relationship with me, gives me the right to use His Name and His power. It is the Name above all names! I may call out, "Jesus!" to Him, and He hears His true Name being called... the Name that no human lips or tongues can actually pronounce until we are fully in His presence in Heaven... the Name defined by Him as my Savior. Here's an excerpt from Dean:
"Because you are in relationship with Jesus, you can use His name to access all the power and provision of heaven. You can have complete confidence and pray with boldness and authority when you pray in the name of Jesus."
Whew! What an eye opener for me! I hope my paraphrasing of Dean's lesson makes sense to those who bother to read this post. I for one am humbled by the implications of this new-found truth in my life.
The excerpt above immediately brought to mind an earthly story for me involving my mother and her father. The first time I heard the story was at my grandfather's funeral as my Uncle Kip gave the eulogy. After the funeral, I got a copy of what Kip had written to speak so that our family could all share it. Here's the story Kip shared (with my translations in parentheses for you who aren't familiar with my family or background):
"Once at Cattle Callin' in Miami (an annual festival/rodeo-type event in the Texas Panhandle), a lady who was upset at the way the winnings were handed out cornered Karla (my mom) by the trailer. Karla was who passed out the money. I was about 15 years old and Karla was 25. I didn't hear yer yell Kip, or Kirk, or Scooter. I heard her yell, 'Daddy?!' and from that day on, I knew what people meant by the saying, 'You'll always be Daddy's little girl.'"
When I think about this story, I can imagine a younger S.E. Mayo, my grandfather, running to my mom's rescue. I see the dust fly in his wake and my mom's relief when her daddy steps in and takes control. She didn't call out to all of the young men around her, the burly cousins and brothers who could have easily ended the situation for her. No, she called out to the one with whom she had the most secure relationship, the one who had protected her from infancy, the one who would come running no matter the cost.
Oh how sweet to know that when I call out, "Jesus?!" in the midst of any circumstance, He comes running. The dust of heaven is kicked up in His wake as He rescues me. Oh the power that is unleashed at the mere calling out of His Name!
Whose name do you call?
"Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11 (emphasis mine)
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 (emphasis mine)
