En el Nombre de Jesus
During my first winter semester at Bible college, I had the privilege of taking part in a field trip to the Dominican Republic, where we observed and gleaned from local and international missionaries who were serving the Dominican community. From the church services to the street signs, everything was communicated in Spanish, and it was somewhat difficult to ignore the fact that I was an outsider. Nonetheless, I distinctly remember that at the end of every prayer, the Dominicans would end with the phrase, "en el Nombre de Jesus", which directly translates to, "in the Name of Jesus." This was always followed by a group response of the word "amen". Having learned some Spanish before going on this trip, I knew what the phrase meant, and was able to sense a universality in Christianity while praying with these people. Not only that, I was able to agree with them in prayer, using the powerful Name of Jesus, which is one of the many gifts God shares with His people.
A couple of week ago, I attended a class prayer meeting with my colleagues at the Bible college, and one of the students ended his prayer by saying, "en el Nombre de Jesus, amen!" When I heard this, I couldn't help but smile and I heard some of my other classmates chuckle. Our response was not meant for ridicule, but it was one of nostalgia and recognition that the phrase brought with it - we were recalling our trip to the Dominican Republic and the multitude of times we had each heard that phrase. More significantly, we had just prayed a serious prayer, where some of our classmates were experiencing real challenges in life, and had asked for us to join in agreement with them as they brought up their concerns to God. In the Name of Jesus, we all gathered together and exercised our faith to believe God for miracles, and to show that we had chosen to use the power of Jesus' Name to declare healing, peace, and joy into our lives.
I found this experience significant, and was glad at that moment that my college shares a building with many non-Christian students. Had one of them happened to walk by and ask about the phrase, I would have been glad to translate it for them, and to communicate the universality of Christ's Name, power and authority over all. Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension were not only significant because no one else had ever gone through these experiences in the same manner that He did, but they also have us access to the same power that raised Jesus from the grave and enabled Him to perform countless miracles on the earth. It is this Jesus that Christians all over the world choose to believe in. No matter what language you speak, as a Christian, you have access to Jesus' powerful Name, His Holy Spirit, and the gift of eternal life that God gives.
A couple of week ago, I attended a class prayer meeting with my colleagues at the Bible college, and one of the students ended his prayer by saying, "en el Nombre de Jesus, amen!" When I heard this, I couldn't help but smile and I heard some of my other classmates chuckle. Our response was not meant for ridicule, but it was one of nostalgia and recognition that the phrase brought with it - we were recalling our trip to the Dominican Republic and the multitude of times we had each heard that phrase. More significantly, we had just prayed a serious prayer, where some of our classmates were experiencing real challenges in life, and had asked for us to join in agreement with them as they brought up their concerns to God. In the Name of Jesus, we all gathered together and exercised our faith to believe God for miracles, and to show that we had chosen to use the power of Jesus' Name to declare healing, peace, and joy into our lives.
I found this experience significant, and was glad at that moment that my college shares a building with many non-Christian students. Had one of them happened to walk by and ask about the phrase, I would have been glad to translate it for them, and to communicate the universality of Christ's Name, power and authority over all. Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension were not only significant because no one else had ever gone through these experiences in the same manner that He did, but they also have us access to the same power that raised Jesus from the grave and enabled Him to perform countless miracles on the earth. It is this Jesus that Christians all over the world choose to believe in. No matter what language you speak, as a Christian, you have access to Jesus' powerful Name, His Holy Spirit, and the gift of eternal life that God gives.
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