BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

when the lame man was healed at the Temple gate. You remember how that happened. As they were passing by, the lame man asked for alms and looked to them, expecting to receive something. " en Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God" (verses 6-8). When the people in the Temple saw the man had been healed, they were astonished. ey knew he'd been lame from birth and that this was a notable miracle. Realizing it had been done at the hands of Peter and John, everyone crowded around them and started treating them like spiritual supermen. But Peter stopped them. Rather than going along with the idea that the miracle had happened because he and John were apostles and therefore anointed with special power, he said just the opposite. "He answered unto the people… Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? e God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorifi ed his Son Jesus…whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (verses 12-13, 15-16). Faith in the Name of Jesus is what caused the lame man to jump up and walk! Peter didn't even pray for that man. He just released faith in Jesus' Name, and that Name did exactly what Jesus Himself did in those kinds of situations. In Acts 4, we see another confi rmation of this. We see that after the Jewish leaders commanded Peter and John not to say anything more in Jesus' Name, the whole company of believers got together and prayed: "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus" (verses 29-30). Notice that doesn't say that signs and wonders may be done "in" the Name of Jesus. It says that signs and wonders may be done "by" the Name of Jesus. How can His Name work miracles? e same way He Himself worked miracles during His earthly ministry. He didn't do them by His own power. As He said in John 14:10, "...the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." at statement is still true today. Jesus isn't physically on earth anymore but His Name is, so the power of the Father that dwells within does the works through that Name. ere's a whole lot more to Jesus' Name than most of us have understood! Proverbs 18:10 says, " e name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous B V O V : 7 "WE TEND TO SAY 'IN THE NAME OF JESUS' A LOT, BUT WE SAY IT SHALLOWLY, WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT OR REVERENCE. WE USE HIS NAME WITHOUT RELEASING ANY FAITH." POINTS TO GET YOU THERE: There is nothing in heaven, on earth or in hell that can stand against the power of the Name of Jesus. Phil. 2:10-11 Jesus inherited that Name and won it by conquest when He defeated the devil through His death and resurrection. Heb. 1:3-4 You inherited that Name when you received Jesus as your LORD. Eph. 3:14-15 As a believer, you have the right to use Jesus' Name boldly, as your very own. Phil. 2:5 B V O V : 7

• Cover