Only JESUS
7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but ONLY JESUS with themselves. Mark 9:7-8 NKJV (Emphasis added).
The text for this Brief Word is important. (See Mark 9:2-9). The Disciples Peter, James and John were led by Jesus up a high mountain by themselves, where He was transfigured before them.
Note: … Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves … Mark 9:2 NKJV.
Sometimes that’s exactly what we need to do. To get away, by ourselves but somewhere away from people and be with Jesus. No distractions. No technology. Just us and Jesus. Maybe a routine reset would be good to do. Because routine determines the road. And revelation comes when we’re with Jesus. Perhaps for Peter James and John it was just a another mountain. But Jesus revealed Himself to them there. Here’s the thing; revelation comes from routine.
Back to the story. His clothes became bright. Elijah and Moses appeared there and talked with Jesus. Peter didn’t know what to do or say, and wanted to prolong the occasion by building three tabernacles (booths, shelters). A cloud overshadowed them and a loud voice came from the cloud saying, This is my beloved Son. Hear Him. Mark 9:7 NKJV.
Then the Scripture says something incredible. … when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.
Only Jesus! Wow! Now some could possibly argue a different doctrinal position from these words, but I believe there’s a powerful lesson here for us.
We need a revelation that Jesus is enough. When we have Jesus, we have more than enough. We must understand what we have when we have Jesus.
Recently I felt nervous, almost apprehensive, certainly excited, to start reading the Book of Ephesians. I know something about it already. Every verse, is packed with truth. It’s like a gold mine packed with explosives ready to detonate and reveal it’s glory.
Look at this for example;
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He (bestowed grace [favour] upon us) made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:1-3 NKJV.
| i. blessed us with every spiritual blessing | — Blessed |
| ii. He chose us in Him | — Chosen |
| iii. that we should be holy | — Holy |
| iv. and without blame before Him | — Blameless |
| v. having predestined | — Predestined |
| vi. us to adoption | — Adoption |
| vii made us accepted in the Beloved | — Accepted |
It’s all in Him! It’s all in Christ, nothing of ourselves. He is our blessing, He is our blamelessness, our acceptance! He is our everything. Truly He has bestowed grace and favour upon us. Each of those words – Blessed, Chosen, Holy, Blameless, Predestined, Adoption, Accepted – is a huge subject on its own. What an amazing thing the Bible is.
Life is always better when we look at what we have, rather than what we don’t have. Ephesians is about what we have, our spiritual bank account (Ephesians 1-3), and then how to walk in that wealth (Ephesians 4-6).
My wife and I were called upon at one time to pray through a house. We were young and it was our first pastorate. We went in the late evening – first mistake. We’d done this before, and the Lord was gracious and significant changes were experienced in the houses we prayed through. But on this occasion, I can’t recall why but the young husband and I were in a jovial mood. So much so that we were making fun of the situation and of the spiritual realm.
We came to the last room, which was the young couple’s bedroom. At was actually the lounge but because of an unknown bad smell in the master bedroom they’d moved into the lounge. There were four of us, my wife and I, and the young couple. As we prayed in this last room, suddenly, the young husband and I found that we could hardly breathe, and we both felt a hand round our necks strangling us. My wife and the young wife were pushed onto the bed. The young husband and I did all we could do, we cried out Jesus! Jesus!
Once we had gained our composure, we prayed with authority in the Name of Jesus. The window was open, and it was a still calm night. Yet as we prayed the curtain moved like it had been blown by a gust of wind. It was clear to us the demonic presence left the room at that point. From that moment on there was no more bad smell anywhere in the house.
It was a very scary demonic encounter. God was faithful and responded to our faith cry, and as we repented, He forgave us for our lack of respect and frivolity towards the spiritual ream.
We learnt the spiritual realm is very real, but nowhere near as strong and powerful as the Name of Jesus and His Lordship over all!
The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm (heaven, earth, and under the earth). Philippians 2:10 TPT.
Oh yes there’s power in declaring the name of Jesus.
There’s a song we sing at Church, called I Speak Jesus, by Darlene Zschech.
I just want to speak the name of Jesus
Over every heart and every mind
‘Cause I know there is peace within your presence
I speak Jesus
I just want to speak the name of Jesus
Till every dark addiction starts to break
Declaring there is hope and there is freedom
I speak Jesus
‘Cause your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire
I just want to speak the name of Jesus
Over fear and all anxiety
To every soul held captive by depression
I speak Jesus
Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like the fire
Shout Jesus from the mountains
Jesus in the streets
Jesus in the darkness over every enemy
Jesus for my family
I speak the holy Name
Jesus
Here’s the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiaVb8j_nbw
Powerful! A song for the hour.
Speak the name of Jesus over your situation. Speak His name over sickness, lack, anxiety, over fear, trouble, worry, speak the name of Jesus over your family, your work, over every issue, every thought.
Some great advise someone once gave me; just keep Jesus the center of your life!
