The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding that in Christ’s Person … in His Name, there is Awesome Power!

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 August 2026   Acts 4:16.

Acts 4:16.        ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name among men, whereby we must be saved.’

Sunday’s here again my friends, time to join the joyful throng of believers in worship and fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary, or wherever you may be gathered, for Jesus assured us that ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt. 18:20) That means that even a small group, meeting in the open air, with His authority and intent, has His full presence. So, the size of the gathering or the place is of no real importance, just the Christ-like intentions we bring to it.

And let’s also remember that getting together in worship needs to be a regular occurrence, not a once every so often matter. It’s like the author of Hebrews reminds us. ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25) That’s because as the scholars advise: ‘The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another. The church is a body interacting; it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’ (smile)

So let’s get to some interacting right away, by singing this modern worship song, written by Will Reagan and made popular by Tasha Cobbs, titled, ‘There is Power in the Name of Jesus.’ And we’ll offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a rollicking, heartfelt, mid-tempo version of the song. Singing: ‘There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain (Repeat)

There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain. All sufficient sacrifice, freely given, such a price. On our redemption Heaven’s gates swing wide, That’s why we believe that There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.

We believe that there is power, power, wonderworking power in the name of Jesus. And that’s why There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain! Oh He’s our Jesus, Jesus – the Conqueror – Mighty Conqueror! That’s why we hear the chains falling, the chains are falling! Shout it out!  I hear the chains falling I hear the chains falling!  I feel the freedom, freedom from the bondage of sin! Yes, He has set us free, because there is power in the name of Jesus, power in the name of Jesus, power to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain…’

Oh friends, that was indeed a powerful piece of worship, and it encourages us to invoke the name of Jesus over our families, communities and struggles! And there’s no doubt that we truly believe what we sang; that there is indeed power in the name of Jesus to do all we said He could do. As one overview tells us: ‘It’s a central declaration of Christian faith, it reflects the belief in spiritual authority, healing, and redemption found in Scripture.’ But before we go further, let’s make one thing absolutely clear; there is power in Christ’s name only because there is power in Christ’s person.

As an article on the subject from the website gotquestions.org explains: ‘Any power that Christians access in Jesus’ name comes from true faith in who Jesus is and what He does for sinners. The saving, healing, protecting, justifying, redeeming power of God resides in the Person of Christ, and Jesus is His name. Where there is no faith, no relationship, or no submission to His lordship, the name Jesus is nothing but a word. We are wise to guard ourselves from the temptation to misuse the name of Jesus. As adopted sons and daughters into God’s family, Christians experience God’s saving grace through faith in the Person of Jesus. When we call on Him, we participate in His power and find that “the name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

And as Peter told the Jewish council when they arrested John and himself for preaching Christ crucified: ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts: 4:16) Yes friends, salvation can be achieved through no other name than Jesus. That just goes to show the awesome power of His name and person. It’s like Bruh Paul says about Christ in Philippians: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:8-11)

That shows just how powerful and exalted is the name of Jesus! But now, turning to the song where it talks about Christ’s power to break chains, there are several scriptures that agree with it. For instance, in Psalm 107: God’s Redemptive Power, the psalmist declares: ‘Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces).’ (Ps. 107:13-14)

And to prove the miracle working power of Jesus and His Exalted Name, listen to this scripture from Acts, where in the city of Philippi, Bruh Paul and Silas are beaten and deposited deep in the bowels of the prison bound and shackled in chains. ‘And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands (chains) were loosed.’ (Acts 16:25-26)

Oh yes my brethren, there is indeed power in the name of Jesus to break chains, both literally and figuratively! That’s why when we call upon His name in sincerity and truth, chains will break! But we need an army to rise up and help those living in bondage to break their chains. Jesus has already done His part, as the song says: ‘All sufficient sacrifice, freely given, such a price. On our redemption Heaven’s gates swing wide,’ Once and for all time, Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice of His sinless life on the cross of Calvary to pay our sin debt.

As the author of Hebrews declares: ‘Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.’ (Heb.9:12) And the only way we can repay a very small portion of that debt we owe Jesus, is by living sincerely for Him, and being a part of the  mighty army He needs to help break the chains and bondage that Satan has on too many of our fellow human beings. Let’s show Him we truly care nuh, by rising up and standing strong and faithful in His mighty name! Much LOVE!

…the name…the name that holds awesome power…JESUS…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Truly Believing that Jesus Christ is Lord of All and Spreading that Word to All and Sundry!

Philippians 2:9.        Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

It’s Sunday once again friends! And some of us wonder how it comes around so often and so quickly…just like Monday. (smile) But that’s because we know we ought to get ourselves out to church to celebrate the Lord’s Day in fellowship with other believers; giving thanks and praise, while receiving a renewal of faith and confidence to face the turbulent outside world this coming work week. And this week we have a very interesting and popular hymn as our song of praise and worship. It’s aptly titled “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.”  

It’s so popular that it’s sung by many Christian denominations. The hymn is often called the “National Anthem of Christendom.” The lyrics were written by Edward Perronet (1721-1792) a prominent British Pastor at one time affiliated with the Wesley’s of the Methodist persuasion, but afterwards became a pastor of a dissenting congregation. And I like how this commentary describes the song. ‘This hymn is a declaration of praise, but it’s also much more than that. The words both declare the majesty of Christ and task us with making that majesty known to all. Like many hymns describing the glory of God and the hope that one day all people will see that glory.’

So, having some idea of what the song is about, let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, mid-tempo version, letting all and sundry know in heartfelt sincerity, to whom we ascribe majesty. ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall; Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, Ye ransomed of the fall, Ye ransomed of the fall, Hail him who saves you by his grace, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. 

Sinners whose LOVE can ne’er forget The wormwood and the gall, The wormwood and the gall, Go, spread your trophies at His feet And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe, On this terrestrial ball, On this terrestrial ball, To him all majesty ascribe, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. O that with yonder sacred throng We at his feet may fall; We at His feet may fall; We’ll join the everlasting song, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all.’ And we’ll certainly do that when the time comes! 

Now, many of us know the song refers to Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he writes: ‘’Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus (that’s harmonious living). Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): 

And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11) 

Ah friends, what powerful and revealing scripture! Jesus, having possessed the very nature of God, gave up His heavenly privileges, or, as the scholars say, ‘decided not to continue enjoying His heavenly existence, although He could have lawfully kept it. But instead, He assumed the position of a servant and appeared in the likeness of men. Consequently, being judged by His fashion (outward appearance) He was recognized by many people as a mere man. But he was much more than that – he was still the Son of God, who continued to possess the divine nature.’ 

Yes my brethren, although Jesus became a man in appearance, He was still all He had ever been, just not using those divine privileges here on earth. But then the scholars pose a very interesting question: ‘Why did Jesus willingly give up His divine existence with all its benefits and advantages? Because He had within Himself the attitude of verses 2c-4: He regarded sinners as more important than Himself (vs. 3), and was just as concerned with their needs as with His own affairs (vs. 4). So the Philippians were to cultivate within themselves this same attitude and express it to one another.’

Now that goes for us believers today also. We ought to stop being selfish and thinking only of ourselves but include our fellow man in our concerns. And it’s because of those sacrifices that the Father exalted Jesus so highly, gave Him the honour of His name being higher than every other name, and the assurance that one day every knee will bow to Him as Lord.

And the scholars give three purposes for Jesus’ exaltation. ‘(1) That every being in the universe might someday submit to Him. (2) That in addition to future universal submission (vs. 10), there might also someday be a universal confession that Jesus Christ is Lord. On earth Jesus is recognized by many to be no more than a man (vs. 8), yet in the future all will acknowledge Him as Lord, that is God. The ultimate purpose for Jesus’ glorification is (3) to the glory of God the Father (vs.11), for His honour.’ That’s why the song says: ‘we’ll fall at his feet…join the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all.’ 

But here’s another interesting situation, posed by the commentary above. They say: ‘We long for this day, and declare our hope in its arrival in the text of this hymn. But are we willing to declare that hope to those who have not heard it? The phrase, “Easier said than done” comes to mind here. After we have sung these words of victory and longing, what do we do? Do we act on those words and turn our expectancy into realities? Or do we wait for someone else to do it for us? The fourth stanza of this great hymn declares, “We’ll join the everlasting song….” Everlasting means that we are a part of that song right now – are we willing to lift our voices together to sing more than a hymn, and truly crown our God Lord of all?’

Now that’s a most poignant question? Are we ready to do more than sing the words of the hymn, but also spread the word, and truly crown Jesus Lord of all? Let’s go home pondering that question this Sunday morning, hoping we’ll reach a positive conclusion! Much LOVE!

…Jesus’ sacrifices, compassion, selflessness and obedience…caused the Father to exalt Him to the highest level… 

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Ringing Endorsement of Jesus on Palm Sunday!

Matthew 21:9.       And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

So we’re finally getting there my faithful believers; just one more week to the biggest and most important day in the annals of our faith, that’s Easter Sunday, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose triumphantly from dead, having defeated Satan, hell, death and the grave, thus bringing the long ago promises of salvation and eternal life to fruition. And all of God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus!’ 

But friends, we still have a li’l ways to go until that glorious day, although we do have another marvellous situation that involves Christ, we call it Palm Sunday! The day when Jesus sent His disciples to get a donkey and its foal in a nearby village and then rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on the donkey like a conquering King. The Bible tells us: ‘All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek (lowly) and sitting upon an ass (donkey), and the colt the foal of an ass.  (Zech. 9:9) 

And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass (donkey), and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him (Jesus) thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed (spread) them in the way (road). And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.’ (Matt. 21:4-11) 

But before we move on, here’s an interesting note from the scholars. They say that ‘Riding on the colt of an ass marked the official entry of Israel’s kings. Thus Jesus arrives in the full declaration of His kingship.’ He was finally making a ringing endorsement of Himself, after previously playing down His kingship. But like so many things in this crazy and ungodly world, five days later, that joyful celebration and all the cries of ‘Hosanna’ had died, and that same crowd was now crying, ‘Crucify Him!’ 

Yes friends, that’s the basic nature of the human animal; you can’t put too much trust in them, for they will turn against you in an instant, conveniently and completely forgetting the joy you recently brought to their souls and spirits. That’s why the Bible keeps telling us not put our trust in man who is unreliable, but in God, who is wholly reliable. And this commentary explains it thus: ‘The idea that it’s wrong to trust in man is a recurring theme in religious texts, particularly in Christianity, where it emphasizes placing trust in God rather than human beings. 

The biblical text from Jeremiah 17:5 states that “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD”. This message suggests that relying on humans for strength or security is a flawed approach, as humans are ultimately fallible and cannot provide lasting comfort or protection. Instead, it encourages a reliance on a higher power, emphasizing faith over human reliance.’ And that’s the indisputable truth. 

Anyway, enough on all this other stuff, let’s get to today’s song of worship, aptly titled, ‘Hosanna in the Highest!’ One commentary tells us ‘“Hosanna in the highest” is used when we acknowledge Jesus for His ultimate sacrifice and what it means for us and mankind as a whole. This may not be something we often say out loud, but we can think it in our minds and feel it in our hearts in times of worship.’ So, let’s do that right now nuh, as we raise our sacrifices of praise to high heaven, in an up-tempo, scintillating version of the song. 

Singing: ‘Hosanna [2] Hosanna In The Highest [2] Lord We Lift Up Your Name With Our Hearts Filled With Praise Be Exalted Oh Lord Our God Hosanna In The Highest.  Holy [3] Is The Lamb Of God [2] Lord We Lift Up Your Name With Our Hearts Filled With Praise Be Exalted Oh Lord Our God Holy Is The Lamb Of God.  

Jesus [3] Is The King Of Kings [2] Lord We Lift Up Your Name With Our Hearts Filled With Praise Be Exalted Oh Lord Our God Jesus Is The King Of Kings.  Hosanna [2] Hosanna In The Highest [2] Lord We Lift Up Your Name With Our Hearts Filled With Praise Be Exalted Oh Lord Our God Hosanna In The Highest. (2) Be exalted Oh Lord our God Hosanna in the Highest….’ 

Oh my fellow believers, let’s hope that we sung that song from our heart, with true thanksgiving and much praise, for Jesus indeed deserves to be exalted! As Bruh Paul so rightly declares (chuhhh!!!) to the Philippians: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Wherefore God also hath exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in the earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’  (Phil. 2:8-11) 

Then in the Book of Revelation, John writes thus of Jesus: ‘These shall make war with the Lamb (Jesus), and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.’ (Rev; 17:14)

Yes my people, “Lord of lords and King of kings” is a title used in the Bible to describe Jesus, affirming his supreme sovereignty and authority over all earthly and heavenly rulers. The idea of Jesus being King of kings and Lord of lords means that there is no higher authority. His reign over all things is absolute and inviolable. And that’s the gospel truth! There is no higher authority than Jesus! And it’s high time that we sincerely believe it and begin to live our lives in a manner becoming His called, His chosen and faithful! Much LOVE!

…if we are indeed the called and chosen…we are doing a terrible job of showing it to the world… for we are definitely not faithful enough…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien