MinistrEmail January 2015 – Do It All In Jesus’ Name

Over the past few months at our church, I have been preaching and expounding on Colossians chapter 3 from verses one through to seventeen. This has been a comprehensive study with the Lord expounding it for us verse by verse. May I encourage you to connect online and listen to these different messages and hear what the Lord has placed on my heart concerning this? The very last verse, verse seventeen, was the scripture that the Lord orchestrated to fall upon the very first Sunday of the New Year.  And as such, I thought it fitting and timely to share this with you, our partners and friends, this month.

Firstly, please take a moment to read through Colossians 3:1-17 (please hyperlink click to read).

Briefly these are the main points that the Lord had us focus on;

2.     Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

3.     We are exhorted to “Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth”. (Our affections! Seek first the Kingdom of God)

4.     We died (were crucified with Christ and no longer live Gal 2:20) and our life is now “hidden with Christ in God”.

5.     When Christ who is our life appears, then we also will appear with Him in Glory! We will be instantly changed at the rapture of the church. (1Thes 4:16-17)

6.     We are to “put to death” any part of us that is of the earth, fornication (pornia – image worship a form of idolatry), uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness which is idolatry.

7.     The wrath of God is not coming upon us, because we are born again.

8.     We are to put off worldly, soulish things like malice, wrath, filthy language etc, because we have put on the new man.

9.     We are to consider our actions and life in light of the Body of Christ corporately, passionately refusing strife and extravagantly walking in Love!

10.  We must “Let the peace of God rule in our hearts…” Jesus was chastised so that we could have peace, the peace of God which rules, arbitrates, in our hearts. We now have nothing missing and nothing broken.

11.  We must “let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly…..

12.  We must admonish one another with spiritual songs…

And now for verse seventeen, let’s read it in three different versions.

Colossians 3:17 NKJV  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:17 NLT  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17 AMP  And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.

As we apply this verse to ourselves this year, we see that the year ahead must be both ‘done and said’ “in the Name of the Lord Jesus”… “as a representative of the Lord Jesus”…”in (dependence upon) His Person”…”giving thanks (praise) to the Father through Him.”

We must be “doers of the Word” and also speakers of the Word of God if we are truly going to walk by faith this year. Verse seventeen said; “Whatever you do or say”! That’s everything!!

This is not a year to be about your own business, this is a year to be about the Father’s Business in Jesus’ Name. That’s not to say that the Father doesn’t want your business to grow and prosper. He surely does!! It means that we must make our business His Business!

This is the year where we will go through the doors that Jesus opens, through the door that IS Jesus. There have been a number of prophetic words that I have been pondering on from several prophetic voices that I trust. In summary, they have said that;

• 2015 will be “The Year of The Open Door!”
• 2015 will be “The Year of the Overcomer!”
• 2015 will be “The Year of Visitations, Manifestations, and Demonstrations!”

Recently, on facebook, Bill Winston wrote; “God is going to comfort you. Everything that has been tampering with your destiny will let you go in 2015!”

This is the year where everything we do, we do it as a representative of Jesus. Someone might say, “but my job isn’t ministry”. Actually, it can be and in fact it must be! Look at just a few verses later in Colossians 3;

Colossians 3:23 NKJV  And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

Even those things that seem carnal or natural in nature, do them all unto the Father in Jesus’ Name, and not to men. The Father’s business for you is whatever He tells you to do. The open door that He puts before you, even if you don’t understand it all at the time, is yours to enter. So boldly step through it by faith. Declare whatever the Lord says. Once you’ve received a direction from God say “I believe that and I receive that!” Why? Because it’s Bible!

Revelation 3:7,8 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

God is the God of the Open Door. Many have seen Him as the God of the double padlocked, security coded, multi combination locked door!!

2 Corinthians 1:20For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

John 10:9“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, …………………….”

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

You must “see” the Door first before you can go through it! It’s true to say that everything starts with vision. Not only do people perish without prophetic vision, they never get started on God things without a vision. Not man’s vision, but God’s vision! Many people get busy with things that they see, can or should be done. That is not necessarily God’s vision for you though. We need to have our spiritual eyes opened to see what we are to do in Jesus’ Name.

Last year many believers got distracted! Maybe this happened to you? You may feel you weren’t where you needed to be when you needed to be there! Sometimes demonic strategy is behind this distraction, yet at other times, we plain just get distracted through our own doing. BUT……This year is different, it MUST be different!

Ephesians 1:17-18 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Remember our foundation scripture:

Colossians 3:17 AMP  And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.

The key is to start serving God wherever you are right now and then persistently stick with it. Be consistent, be diligent and be faithful, and God will open up more doors to increase you and promote you.

1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all ofyou be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for  “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Luke 16:12 “And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

The Door to your future, contrary to what you may think, does not have your name in flashing lights over it. It is usually someone else’s name there. There’s someone else that the Lord requires you to submit to and come alongside to assist with the vision the Lord gave them first. Not necessarily the “perfect” other man either!!!! God does not just require faithfulness from you when you have the perfect leader, perfect boss, or perfect pastor! Scripture clearly tells us that it is your response that is your responsibility. Once again, the key here though, is that you serve them as unto the Lord! (Col 3:23)

Ephesians 6:5-9 NKJV  Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;  (6)  not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,  (7)  with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,  (8)  knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.  (9)  And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

As we are faithful to do what the Lord gives us to do, we will see the next Door to go through. In the Book of Revelation the Philadelphia church (which means ‘Brotherly Love’) is the faithful church. This is the church that persevered, the church that Jesus says “I will keep you from the hour of trial”

Revelation 3:7-13 NKJV  “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “HE WHO HAS THE KEY OF DAVID, HE WHO OPENS AND NO ONE SHUTS, AND SHUTS AND NO ONE OPENS”:  (8)  “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.  (9) Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie-indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  (10)  Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.  (11)  Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.  (12)  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.  (13)  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

What are the characteristics of this Church that have the open Door set before them? Verse eight explains; 1. “have a little strength”, 2. “have kept My Word”, 3. “not denied My Name”.

If we will take on board these three things and truly make them ours, we will walk through the open Doors of this year.

1.         “Have a Little Strength”

Jesus identifies the strength of the church with the word “little”. Sometimes when you feel that you have next to nothing left in your own strength, this is precisely the moment that God’s strength takes over you and flows through you.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might

Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the “……..joy of the Lord is your strength”

In this context Jesus is saying to this church that you hold just a little ‘dunamis’ (Greek for miraculous power!) And have kept My Word! This is key. The church in Philadelphia, up until this point, had not seen a great number of miraculous manifestations. And yet, despite all this, they chose to keep holding to the Word of God anyway. Their faith was not based in what they had seen, but in what God had said. This is what qualified them for what’s next, the Open Door!

If you are going to fulfil all that God has for you this next year, then you are going to have to do it in His strength and not your own, based completely on the Word of God alone.

2.         “Have Kept My Word”

This is one of the most important keys that you could ever implement in your life. You have to put the Word of God first place in your life and then keep it first place. Allow the Word of God to shape your priorities and you will see the opportunities that God has already opened and are ready before you.

Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.13 Therefore take up the wholearmor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-

John 15:7-8 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Putting the Word first place means keeping it, being a doer of the Word not a hearer only.

Someone might say “I spend 6 hours a day in the Word, hearing and reading…” and you would hope that someone who has spent that much time in the Word, would begin to have their life shaped by the Word. However, if they never actually do what they are hearing then they never release their faith and we know that faith without works is dead.(James 2:20)

You have to hear, speak and do.

• Hear    =          Develop your faith by the Word of God
• Speak  =          Release the force of faith through words
• Do        =          Act on what you have spoken

If the Word is not kept constantly in your ears, in front of your eyes and in your heart, then you will miss it. We see in Colossians this exact exhortation;

Colossians 3:16a  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,

3.         “Not Denied My Name…”

What does this mean? Let’s go back again to or foundation scripture.

Colossians 3:17 AMP  And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.

To deny Jesus’ Name, is not only as dramatic as denouncing Him under threat of torture or death. It can be as simple as not giving Him praise for what He is doing or has done in our everyday lives. It can be as simple as not doing everything in His Name. If we don’t acknowledge Him through praise, we leave ourselves open to pride. Pride is an ugly thing that can blind us to His hand working for us both in and through our lives. Not only that, pride has the potential to blind us to the Open Door that God has set before us. The door of our destiny that He has prepared and is already opened.

This year, don’t be ashamed of the Name of Jesus. Be bold about Who He is to you.

Do everything this year in the Name of Jesus! Walking out your God ordained destiny inhumility, by God’s Word, honouring Jesus’ Name.

This is the year of THE Open Door, His Name is Jesus!