The End

Posted on by korgrocker

“This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”
John 21:24-25 NLT

The world today has an insatiable desire for information. Vast quantities of data flow along cables and radio waves throughout the world, a global information highway that transport data in fractions of a second. Telephone calls can be made across the globe. News reports become immediately available. In a sense the world is shrinking. But back at John’s desk, as he was penning his final words, he felt a sense of being overwhelmed. Have I written enough? What about that time when …? Did God want me to mention about …? These were all questions that could have been going through his mind, but in the end he concluded that he had done enough. Mission accomplished. We must also remember that what he wrote was inspired by the Holy Spirit so he would have felt a peace within as he added the final “full stop”. But John was right over one thing, if all that Jesus had done had been recorded in the way we have come to expect today, then there would not have been enough storage media available to record it all. 

In recent years, a device called a “lifelogger” has been produced that would take a snapshot every thirty seconds or so, providing a log of someone’s life. And then there was the Spanish scientist who started logging every detail of his life in a notebook when he turned forty. Now, nearly ten years later, he has filled 307 notebooks and there are more to go. But it begs the question about what value this could ever have to anyone. But it is different with Jesus. Superficially, the Son of God’s thoughts and deeds would be of immense value to humanity, but then we have to consider that He, through John and the other Bible writes, had divulged all the needed principles for life that would leverage our human understanding and intelligence. Jesus taught using parables, and the benefit of these is that they make people think, bringing understanding and direction for the way they live their lives. And the Holy Spirit brings enlightenment and direction. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

John concluded that his Gospel account was “accurate” and his testimony recorded. Job done. Book finished. And we’re grateful for the Bible writers like John who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote down just what God intended. 

Dear Father God. The Bible is Your own work, recorded by Your human servants. Thank You for John and men and women like him, who devoted their lives for the benefit of others. Amen.

What About Him Lord?

Posted on by korgrocker

“Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” So the rumour spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”“
John 21:20-23 NLT

Peter had just completed a difficult conversation with Jesus. Three times, Jesus had asked him if he loved Him, and three times he responded that he did. Jesus has gone to say how Peter’s life would eventually end, presumably adding to his discomfort, and He then reminded Peter that he must follow Him. But Peter then did what we try to do sometimes – take the focus off ourselves and try and divert it to someone else. Turning around, Peter saw John just behind him, and he asked about his future as well. Jesus said to Peter that it should be of no concern to him how John’s life would end, and he once again told Peter to follow Him, “As for you, follow Me”. 

Too often people, even us pilgrims, try and evade a situation by trying to avoid accusations or blame by involving another person. It is common to find a child blame someone else when in trouble. A person in the dock, being prosecuted for a crime that they committed, will sometimes claim a defence of mistaken identity, just in case the evidence against them is a bit weak. But regardless of conduct in this life, there will be a time of reckoning. Romans 14:10-12, “So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God”. Thankfully, the names of us pilgrims are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but there will perhaps be some uncomfortable moments when Jesus asked us, “Why didn’t you …”.

Jesus told the parable of the Three Servants, each left with some responsibilities when their Master went away on a long trip. His expectation was that they would use their God-given abilities to do something significant for Him. The first two servants were commended, “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:21). But the third servant failed to use his abilities, even though they had been granted by God Himself. And the penalty was dire, as we read in Matthew 25:29-30. “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Father God. You have given us many blessings but we deserve none of them. We desire to do Your will, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Peter’s Death Foretold

Posted on by korgrocker

“A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep. “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.””
John 21:17-19 NLT

John records in these verses that Jesus foretold the kind of death Peter would experience at the end of his life. No chance of a peaceful slipping away in his sleep. Peter’s death was to be something he didn’t want to experience. For the rest of his life Peter had the spectre of a violent and painful death hanging over him, but he never flinched from his mission. But he always had the option of keeping his head down and keeping out of harm’s way, avoiding upsetting anyone. Jesus had warned His disciples about what was to come in Matthew 24:9, “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers”. In John 17:9-10 we read, “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory“. But the disciples, apart from Judas, never stopped following Jesus and they were all present in that Upper Room the day that the Holy Spirit came.

If someone presented to us the Gospel and we were warned that this would lead to physical harm and even death, would we have accepted Jesus and believed in Him? Today, many evangelists present a Gospel of a loving God, saying that by believing in Him we will receive eternal life. John 3:16 is their text, but correct as it is, they fail to present the other facets of God’s character. His sinlessness, purity, holiness, justice, righteousness and so on. God is complete and highlighting just one of His attributes is a dangerous path to follow, both for themselves and the people who respond to it. It is only be receiving the whole counsel of God that we will be able to be truly saved. How do we do that? By reading the Bible, God’s Word, by prayer, and by going to church to fellowship with God’s people. It will take us a lifetime to even just scratch the surface of finding out who God is, but he is patient and kind and will help us every step of our journeys. 

Dear Father God. We too, like Peter have wobbly moments. Thank You for Your patience and loving kindness, and for the Holy Spirit who helps us day by day. Please forgive us for our sins, for the things we should have done but haven’t, and the things we have done but shouldn’t. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Peter Recommissioned

Posted on by korgrocker

“After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”
John 21:15-17 NLT

After they had eaten together, Jesus put Peter on the spot. Peter would have still been hurting, his conscience shredded, after denying that he knew Jesus, not once, but three times, and after vowing to Jesus that he would even have died with Him. That this was an awkward moment would have been an understatement. The ensuing conversation, involving as it did the use of the word “love” and the different meanings in the original Greek, commissioned Peter for the rest of his life. Of course, sheep and lambs referred to people, human beings who had a relationship with Jesus, and Peter’s pastoral mission has led some to even believe that he was the first pope. Peter didn’t write a Gospel, as did his friend John, but he did write two letters, the first probably about thirty years or so after this “do you love me” conversation with Jesus. 

The first verse of 1 Peter reads, “This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia“. Here he was shepherding the early Christians, scattered around the area East of the Mediterranean, and the encouragement contained within his letters is clear to see and read. The Holy Spirit empowered Peter on the Day of Pentecost and he stood up and preached an amazing sermon straight afterwards, leading to a commitment for Jesus being made by over three thousand people. If anyone ever doubts the power of the Holy Spirit, just consider the change in a man who went from a God-denier to a God-affirmer over the space of a few days. As we read through the early chapters in Acts we see the prominent role Peter played in the birth of the church. And historical accounts record that Peter stayed faithful to his mission right up until he was crucified on a cross many years later.

We pilgrims have been commissioned to tell others of our faith in God, spreading the Good News to the lost and hopeless around us. We probably won’t have the opportunity to preach to thousands, seeing large numbers of people saved, but we might bring someone to Christ who might be the next Billy Graham. Ananias might not have achieved anything else, other than praying for Paul that day in Damascus, but his one act of obedience to God might have been all that he was asked to do. We followers of Jesus are called to be faithful and obedient, and a good prayer to start the day is …

Dear Lord Jesus. What do You want me to do for You today? Speak, Lord, for Your servant listens. Amen.

It Was the Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

““Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.”
John 21:12-14 NLT

Once again, Jesus served His disciples. The moment would not have been lost on them, as they remembered how He had washed their feet in that Upper Room not so long ago. Before them were hands bearing the scars of the cruel Roman nails, hands tenderly passing to them portions of bread and fish, reminding the disciples that before them was the Risen Lord. Perhaps their tired minds were thinking about what was going to happen next, because even death by crucifixion and burial in a tomb was insufficient to stop this Man. He was no revolutionary, intent on overthrowing the occupying forces in Israel. He preached a message of hope, peace, love and eternal life with God in Heaven. How was all this going to impact their lives? So they munched on their breakfast, wondering.

We pilgrims were a people who lived worldly lives, our futures mapped out, or so we thought. We were in a career, at school or further education, facing into the usual things most people get involved in. Finding a wife or husband. Having children and then enjoying grandchildren. Retiring. Solomon decided that such a life was futile and meaningless, and he wrote, “I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). And so we might have agreed with him, until one day we heard the Message of Hope. It may have been through a friend, a family member, at a funeral, or even through a tract or wayside pulpit. But we met Jesus and our journey was immediately changed. All our plans for the future had to be rewritten, but in a way that wasn’t immediately clear. We joined the small company of early disciples on that day – they didn’t know much about their future either, but they knew it had to be different. 

Solomon later wrote, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Our life became one of uncertainty, as we believed in Jesus and followed Him in our journey of Life. And follow Him we still do. We don’t know all the twists and turns in the road ahead. Ananias never thought that one day he would be called to pray for a man called Saul, who had just had an encounter with the Living Jesus on the Damascus Road. But he was obedient to the call, regardless of the consequences. Neither do we pilgrims know what Jesus will ask us to do today or tomorrow – all we must do is to remain available to the call when it comes.

The disciples sat before Jesus, eating their breakfasts, unaware that just round the corner was the Day of Pentecost. We never know, but such an occasion might be waiting for us too. 

Dear Lord Jesus. You have our lives mapped out before us, lives of excitement with You. Please guide us in Your ways, this day and every day. Amen.

Breakfast on the Beach

Posted on by korgrocker

“When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.”
John 21:9-11 NLT

Events were unfolding quickly. After a fruitless night’s fishing, and as dawn was breaking, the disciples were about a hundred yards from the shore when they noticed a Figure standing there. He instructed them to put their nets over the side of the boat one more time, and, after doing do, they found that they had caught more fish than they could have ever dreamed of. In fact, they had caught 153 large fish, as they later found out. John said to Peter, “It’s the Lord”, and impetuous Peter jumped over the side and headed for the beach. Breakfast was waiting for them – barbecued fish with bread, and Jesus told Peter to bring some more fish for the meal. 

Once more the disciples were exposed to Jesus’ miracles. A heavy haul of fish but the net didn’t break. A breakfast cooking before them. And of course, for the third time, the resurrected Jesus standing there with them. Twice previously during His ministry years Jesus had miraculously fed thousands of people, from just a few fish and some bread, and here He was again, repeating the occasion before them. Not for thousands but for a few disillusioned, tired and hungry disciples. Would they have been hearing Jesus’ words, “O ye of little faith” ringing in their ears?

We pilgrims read the Bible stories. We read the accounts of Jesus’ ministry years, as He walked the highways and byways of Palestine. We feel the pain of the woman caught in adultery, or the synagogue leader and his sick daughter. We feel the joy of those sitting down to a meal of bread and fish. We wonder as the figure of Lazarus, wrapped in grave clothes, appears from the mouth of a tomb. But then we turn to our circumstances, perhaps facing into financial difficulties, with too much month left at the end of the money. Perhaps struggling with our poor mental or physical health, or the sickness of someone close to us. And in it all, we too hear the Lord say to us “O ye of little faith”. Jesus had the answer for tired and hungry disciples, and He has the answer for us as well. The Kingdom of God is not just for some time in the future. It is here with us today. In every situation we face. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need“. These were not just nice platitudes for a people without needs. They applied, and continue to apply, to all who believe in Him. So we, like the disciples raise our eyes away from the situations before us, and instead focus on the Meet-er of needs, Jesus himself, conscious that He is interceding for us in Heaven. 

Dear Lord Jesus. Where would be without You? Please bolster our faith today as we navigate through this challenging life, supplying the provision we need for the journey ahead. Amen.

Fishing Lesson 3

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore.”
John 21:6-8 NLT

The penny finally dropped. It was Peter’s boat that Jesus used, in the Luke 5 account, as a platform to teach the crowd, and he would have immediately been reminded of that occasion, one that resulted in a tremendous catch of fish. Something stirred in Peter’s mind as he realised who the mystery Man was standing there on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. For Peter, this was where his journey started, in a boat with more fish than he could ever have expected catching. Peter was the man who had let down his friend and Master by denying that he knew Him three times, and his conscience would have been badly affecting his nights’ sleeps. And yet, Peter couldn’t wait to return to the shore. He put his clothes back on and waded or swam back to shore, leaving the others to sort out the boat and heavy net. It wasn’t Peter though who firstly recognised who the Man was. Once again it was “the disciple who Jesus loved”, who we know was John, the writer of this account in his Gospel. 

As we reflect on this story and remember God’s generosity, we turn to what Jesus had previously said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back”. The picture of a generous God who multiplies our puny efforts in giving applied first to the disciples. They gave up everything to follow Jesus and He returned their commitment with the miracle of catching more fish than they could have imagined. We pilgrims may also have had a similar experience, finding out that God knows our needs and makes provision for them in response to our faith. 

Initially, the disciples failed to recognise Jesus standing there on the shore. But when they had come to the end of their own human resources, God, in the form of Jesus, was waiting to take over. And so often it is with us. Instead of praying about a problem and engaging God’s help and provision, we try every method we can think of to come up with a solution without Him. Then, finally, we think about prayer and more often than not, find God was patiently waiting in the wings with the answer all the time. Psalm 37:25, “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.”

Dear Lord. Please forgive us for our reluctance to pray and bring our needs before You. You are always wanting to bless Your children. We praise and thank You today. Amen.

Fishing Lesson 2

Posted on by korgrocker

“Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.”
John 21:3-6 NLT

A fruitless night’s work. In fact, they were depressed when they went fishing and returned, still depressed and now tired, after a night without sleep. In spite of their best endeavours they had caught nothing. Not even a tiddler. And to make things worse, this Person had turned up on the beach and rubbed their noses in their disappointment by asking if they had caught anything. A terse reply “No!” was their response, but then He, because it was Jesus, told them to throw their nets over a particular side of the boat. I suppose their first thoughts were resentment and “who does he think he is – we’re the experts around here”, but something must have cut through their thoughts, and, tired as they were, they cast their nets. The Man on the shore said that they would catch “some” but they caught so many fish they couldn’t pull their nets back into the boat. Another amazing miracle. 

The event was just like God. No half measures. No stinginess. Just an unstinting and bountiful supply of whatever was needed at the time. That haul of fish would have provided the financial resources to keep them all going for a while. There was a time when Jesus went fishing with His soon-to-be disciples. A crowd has gathered to listen to Jesus, in fact there were so many people that He borrowed a boat and used it as an oratory. And we read in Luke 5 what happened next. “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking”(Luke 5:4-7). The episode ended, ” … Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus” (Luke 5:10b-11). 

Faced with such a miracle, yet again, what were the disciples thinking? Peter and the others who had been present during that original miracle must have remembered the occasion. Then, Jesus commandeered their boat after a fruitless night’s fishing, and turned their fortunes around. Now He had repeated the miracle. Two miracles either side of the grave, emphasising that God is not bounded by death. All who believe in Him will experience eternal life, now and after crossing the Great Divide.

Is there anyone reading this today who needs a miracle? Well, the same Saviour who filled a net with fish will fill our hearts and lives with His provision, just when we need it. He is an unstinting God, who delights in His children. Our circumstances might be riven with fear, but Jesus says to us what He said to he leader of the Synagogue, “But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith“” (Mark 5:36). David knew all about God’s provision and he wrote in Psalm 23:5-6, “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honour me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever“. The Lord is not just a passive presence, He “pursues” us with His “goodness and unfailing love“. He is with us, before us, behind us and around us. Everyday of our lives.

Dear Lord Jesus, we worship and praise and thank You today, for all You have done for us. Amen.

Fishing Lesson 1

Posted on by korgrocker

“Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.”
John 21:1-3 NLT

This last chapter in John’s Gospel is entitled “Epilogue”. Seven of the disciples decided to go fishing, back to the time when Jesus called them from this very profession. A night-time excursion out on the Sea of Galilee. So they readied the boat and presumably headed off into the places where they knew they would normally have caught something. They returned to their comfort zones, as they struggled to get their minds around the grief over what had happened to Jesus, as they wondered what the implications would be from His appearance to them in the locked room, and at a loss to know what to do next. We read what happened after hours and hours of toil, “but they caught nothing all night”. How discouraging was that? They would have usually caught something, but nothing at all? So the depressed disciples ended up even more depressed after a fruitless night’s labour.

Do we pilgrims sometimes find the same? We encounter something that totally throws us out of our routines, or we experience a discouraging event, losing a job or a loved one, or suffer some other life event in our journey that totally throws us and all we can do is to get back into our comfort zones, doing something familiar to find comfort and give us time to make sense of what has happened. But that might not be the best place for us, because rather than reach into the temporal, we should instead be entering the Kingdom realm where we can find Jesus. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you“. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”. 

The disciples lost their way for a bit, but Jesus had a solution, as we will soon find out. We too may lose our way sometimes, but we must always turn to Jesus instead of looking for a solution in a world corrupted by evil. Our comfort zones may not align with God’s Kingdom, and we run the risk of becoming depressed as the disciples did, catching nothing of any value even if we work hard at trying to make something happen. There is only one way to eternal life and that is through Jesus. Only He is the Way.

Dear Lord, You are the Way, the Truth and the Life. The comfort our souls crave for can only be found in You. Amen.

Many Other Miracles

Posted on by korgrocker

“The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.”
John 20:30-31 NLT

The Gospel of John is drawing to a close. John is starting to wrap up his book, which had become a remarkable document of Holy-Spirit-inspired accounts written down by a fisherman called by Jesus from the side of a lake where he was mending some nets. He was perhaps reflecting on some other miracles, many in fact, that had happened but he hadn’t recorded them. He had done enough and he wrote down his account so that people would continue to believe that “Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God“. Mission accomplished. 

Have we pilgrims anything to write down? Some thoughts and experiences collected on the way through life, that now may be of value to a future generation? That was how I started writing blogs in 2017, going through the Bible to record my thoughts. They may or not be of value to others but they have certainly helped me to understand more about God from the Scriptures that have be combined in the wonderful and priceless book we know of as the Bible, and we remember that it is all inspired by the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives, the ordinary men and women who put pen to paper during times touched by God.

John finishes this chapter by writing, “by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name”.There is, of course, nothing significant about Jesus’ name on its own. It is not a magic word that will unlock mystical results, such as healings. We cannot delay death, for example, by the use of His name alone. The power comes from the Man behind the name, Jesus Himself. About Jesus, the writer to the Hebrews wrote, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). When we call upon the name, Jesus, we call upon all that the name represents, undertaking a deep dive into the character of God Himself. 

There is an intriguing story in Acts 19 about seven sons of a Jewish priest called Sceva, who were using the name of Jesus to try and cast out demons. They were not believers, but nevertheless they used Jesus’ name in a vain attempt to emulate the Apostles works. We read in Acts 19:13b, “ …They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”” And then in Acts 19:14-15 we read what happened, “But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered“. The result in the community was “the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honoured“. 

Perhaps we pilgrims are sometimes guilty of adding words like “in the name of Jesus …” to our prayers for the sick, but without really being in the zone of understanding about the implications. Do we wonder sometimes why our prayers are ineffective? We used to sing a song “There is power in the name of Jesus”, and, scripturally, that is correct but do we really believe that? Sometimes we omit faith and belief in Jesus from our lives and prayers.

Dear Lord Jesus. Please forgive us for the weakness of our faith and our failure to really believe in You. We confess that our faith muscles are sometimes weak or even non-existent. Please help us to know and understand more and more of the  power of Your name. Amen.