FOR MY NAME SAKE
Wednesday – April 22, 2020, Nisan 28, 5780
Greetings to all and welcome back to this powerful and instructive Bible Study of the Book of John. Are we really studying these Truths or are we looking at the pictures, scanning and then moving on unmoved and unchanged? Over the preceding weeks you may have heard, said yourself, that is certainly time to get serious with God. Well, when was it not a time to be serious about the Word, about God? It has always been a time to take the Word of God very serious and make it first place in our lives, far in front and above all other thoughts, words, and people. Only when we see the Word of God as the way to think, as the way to talk, and the way to behave, then and only then can we please God, love (agape) God, and love people. We cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). We must develop unwavering faith in God, not the world system, the traditions of men, or the doctrine of devils. The power of faith in God is love (agape). That love (agape) is the strength or power of faith and love (agape) is obedience to the Word of God. Let us throw ourselves entirely upon the Word of God not deviating from even one dot or tittle. If you are reading this on Facebook please hit the “love” and “share” buttons to give us feedback and expand the reach of this one source of Truth. Now let’s read our primary Bible text aloud. Yes, yes, aloud!
John 15:20-23 (KJV)
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
As we move into verse twenty-one of our text, we find that the hatred and the persecution we will suffer (put up with) is related to the name of Jesus and their failure to know the Father. Jesus refers to the Father in our text as “him that sent me”. A point that I want to make here and have made before but bears reiterating time and time again especially in these times. When we reject the messenger of God, we are rejecting God. When we are rejected and we have come in the name of Jesus, they are not rejecting us but Jesus and the Father as well as the Holy Spirit. Remember during the time of the Judges in Israel God ruled over the people through the Judges. There came a time that the people wanted a King so they could be like the surrounding countries. This upset Samuel, the last Judge, and God told him, they are not rejecting you but me.
1 Samuel 8:4-7 (KJV)
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
They wanted to be like the world. What about you and me? To be like the world one has to reject the Lord from ruling over them. We either make God our ruler (Lord) or we walk in the deceptions of the devils which brings stealing, killing, and destroying into our lives. The world even our whole nation is in a major disruption due to rejecting the Lord to rule over us. This judgement includes the Church and starts with the Church. This is occurring due to the rejection of God in the world and in the Church. Let me put this in a slightly different light. Do we have roast pastor after Church on Sunday? How much attention do we pay to tongues and interpretation in our Church? How much honor do we accord the Prophet in your Church? How much attention do we pay to the Word of God day in and day out? How often do we compare and align our thoughts, words, and actions with what we know in the Word of God? How often do we consult with the Holy Spirit or the Word of God before thinking about something, talking about something, or doing something? For a moment before we end for today let’s consider the following verse with regards to the name of Jesus.
Colossians 3:17 (KJV)
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Remember what happened, how enraged the ruling religious authorities were with Peter and John and forbade them to use the name of Jesus.
Acts 4:18 (KJV)
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
They don’t hate you; they are not persecuting you primarily but Jesus, and God the Father. Recall Saul, later the Apostle Paul, was severely persecuting the Church and Jesus took at very personal.
Acts 9:3-4 (KJV)
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus name! Quit asking God to bless you, you are already blessed, you have the Blessing, give Him something to do by the words of your mouth. Once you know the will of God, decree the thing (Job 22:28, Isaiah 45:11, Mark 11:23). (The Blessing is the Holy Spirit) We have left God way to long with nothing to do in our lives.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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