Luke 8:44-46 English Standard Version

44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”

She denied touching Him. Was that the right response to His question?

What if everyone that was pressed in so close to Jesus had replied “I did!” Would that have been the right response? No, because Jesus wanted to know how His power could escape Him without His knowledge.

My answer is my answer and no one has to agree with me. The will of God the Father responds to acts of faith.

Maybe that is too simplistic for some but let me ask this. When we seek God’s will and find God’s will and do God’s will, is it right to take credit for what God does?

It is the nature of mankind to take credit for things. “Look what I have done!”

I believe in giving credit where credit is due but do we really believe God is glorified because a Christian scores a touchdown? It is an opportunity to say I believe when the cameras are on us, but no one sees God score the touchdown. Glorifying God is allowing God to be seen and that we cannot do without the will of God being performed, just like the woman being healed.

Tom Hanks in Cast Away starts a fire and prances around like he invented fire. He did not invent fire, he just started one.

I often see things in scripture that makes no sense. I don’t write about them because my lack of knowledge in some areas does not glorify God. He is all knowing and I am not. What He shares with me might glorify Him but not if I seek to take credit.

1 Corinthians 6:20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Christ in you. Let Him be seen.

Hebrews 1 English Standard Version

The Supremacy of God’s Son

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

When I said we need to make Jesus the Lord of our lives someone retorted to me “He always was Lord.” That is true but we didn’t accept Him into our hearts, we did not know until then He was that LORD. God always was and always will be, the Alpha and the Omega.

Since His Word is true, what name did He inherit? In the naming scheme of things some names are not adopted until something worth naming is achieved, sort of like Super Bowl Champ or MVP, or Chess Master, something was done that gave them that name.

Was Jesus always our Savior before His work of the Cross? That work was the defining moment in Christian history when His church was formed and we began to be called Christian.

What is in a name is what it stands for. God has many names and they all identify some aspect of what God does or has done.

What have we done to earn the name of Christian?

John 3:21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

God does the work but we have our part to do what is true. That is obedience of faith.

Romans 14:23c For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Isaiah 64:5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

We earned the name Christian when we accepted Jesus into our hearts by faith.

God does the rest.