“Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me.”
(Mark 9:39closeMark 9:39 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. (ESV) closeMark 9:39closeMark 9:39 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. (ESV) 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. (ESV) ; from the Gospel reading for 9.30.12)
“In My Name”
Get To Know Your “Neighbor"
+ Are you named after anyone? _________________________
God’s Blueprint
+ God wants us to call upon Him, because we trust in His Son’s death and resurrection to pay for our sins; out of faith which was given freely to us by His grace. We believe that to pray “in the Name of Jesus” is to acknowledge our trust in Him as our High Priest and that, “without the high priest we cannot draw near to the Father.”[1] This is what a true brother or sister in Christ is- someone who confesses the Trinity, Christ’s death and resurrection to pay for our sins, and that their faith is a gift of God’s grace. When everything is said and done; these are the people we will spend eternity with in Heaven. If Jesus corrected his disciples then, would He correct us also today if we try to push away other Christians, just because they are “not with us”? _________________________________________________________
God’s Best
+ We believe that when true believers pray “in the Name of Jesus”; that He is with them, not only according to His Divine nature, but also according to His human nature; we experience His humanity with us in the eating of His body and drinking of His blood in communion (Formula of Concord; 2, VIII, 76). This unity of Christ’s Divine and human nature is a picture of the unity He has created in the Church. On the outside (to human nature) it may seem like Christian unity is only a theory when we see Christians so separated by distance and discord; but there is also the Divine aspect of Christian unity which transcends time & space. Is Christ at work today, bringing unity among His true followers? ____________________________
God’s Blessed
+ Proclaiming the Gospel is, “to denounce sin, to offer the forgiveness of sins and righteousness for Christ’s sake, to grant the Holy Spirit and eternal life, and to lead us as regenerated men to do good.”; we do this “in the Name” of Jesus (Luke 24:47closeLuke 24:47 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (ESV) closeLuke 24:47closeLuke 24:47 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (ESV) 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (ESV) ). What will you do “in His name”? _______
Jim Buckman
