Magic Words! (Video)
Tag Archives: blessing
The Name Of Jesus!
Before you decide to skip this one, please just take a moment, because you might find something worthy here. Even if you do not consider yourself to be a “believer”, if you will just give it a chance with an open heart and mind, I think you will be amazed at the difference the name of Jesus can and will make in your life. I mean, honestly, what do you have to lose by just opening yourself up to something different and new? I’m not talking about religion here, but I am talking about what could be the beginning of a beautiful new relationship…
This past Sunday, I finished preaching a series of messages on Jesus and as I was looking back on my notes for the past month, I could not help but be reminded at what a meaningful, sweet and powerful name the name of Jesus really is. Jesus is the name that is above every name. Jesus is a name that has to be explained by a thousand other names in order for us to truly grasp the depth and width of just how amazing our Savior really is.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. -Philippians 2:9-11
The name “Jesus” means Savior and that is exactly what Jesus is. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus saves us from our sins, failures and mistakes. Jesus saves us from our past so that we might grow in our present and enjoy our future. Jesus saves us from living a wasted life and enables us to live a life of purpose that brings us blessing and fulfillment.
Jesus helps us to understand the great power that flows through obedience to God’s will and way. Jesus defends us and stands up for us when no one else will. Jesus has no limitations and can do whatever we need Him to do and He loves to perform miracles on our behalf and for God’s glory. Jesus is the beginning and the end and gives meaning to the in between. Jesus has chosen me and so I choose Him. Jesus is writing the story of my life and willing to take an active part in it’s success. Jesus has always watched over me and He watches over me now. Jesus is my food when I am hungry and my drink when I am thirsty. Jesus is my light in the darkness, my Captain through the rough seas, my shepherd leading me beside the still waters. Jesus is the Lord of my life, the King of all kings and the only way that really matters.
There is something about that name. I want to encourage you to think about it, speak it and believe in it, because it is the not so secret source of strength to every challenge you will ever encounter. At the very mention of His name: Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…
Life Is Yours For The Taking!
“If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be truly fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” -Lao Tzu
That sounds like an amazing way to live life, doesn’t it. How incredible it is that there is nothing lacking and the whole world does belong to us, once we come to that realization. The question is: How do we get to that place of realization? Realization being, not just that it sounds good, but that we believe it and live it.
I believe we get there through GRATITUDE. When we here the word gratitude, we think about being thankful and that is a part of it, but it is much more than just being thankful. Gratitude is the realization that I already have everything I need. There is nothing that needs to be added and nothing that needs to be taken away. The recipe for our blessing, growth and success is complete.
This does not mean that life does not come without challenges. Life is tough, but it’s not impossible. The truth is that the tough challenges are part of the process that moves us from where we are to where we need to be so we can become. The best way to get there is by focusing on what is right over what is wrong, this is when the real magic happens.
I’ve lived life long enough to notice something truly remarkable: Happy people are grateful and grateful people are happy. I’ve notice that happy people come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. I’ve also noticed that happy people still have challenges, struggles and difficulties. So why are they happy? Because, somewhere along the way they learned to be grateful, regardless of the circumstances.
You see, this whole human experience, the good, the bad and the ugly serves a greater purpose than most of us realize. This whole human experience is offering our Spirit the opportunity to grow our soul. This is just one of the many amazing gifts that our Creator gives us that allows us to follow in His footsteps.
My challenge is to practice gratitude everyday of my life and in as many moments as possible, because it is the practice of gratitude that helps me to take advantage of the room for improvement that I have in my life and offers me the opportunity to experience the magic of the Spirit at work on me, in me and through me.
Stop focusing on what you don’t have or what’s not working the way you want it to and instead practice being grateful for what you do have and what is working. You will be amazed at the difference it makes in your life and living…
Michael Joe Harvell 