Years ago, in a church in Austin, God gave us the wonderful opportunity to partner with another congregation to host a Backyard Bible Club in the courtyard of an apartment complex. We wanted to reach out to and connect with some families across town to share the Gospel. A friend and mentor of mine was the pastor of a missional church ministering with families in this community. He and I used to meet each month to talk, share some coffee, and pray with each other. It was at one of those meetings that God led us to team up together and organize a Backyard Bible Club in one of the government subsidized apartment complexes his church wanted to reach. Several of the young adults in our ministry eagerly jumped in to help. We went door to door in the apartment complex, distributed free Bibles, and invited all the kids to come outside to learn with us, play some games, and enjoy some hot dogs for lunch together. It was a great day. Grandparents sat in lawn chairs in front of their doors and watched as the kids had a day of fun and learning on a hot Texas Summer day. Then they joined us for hot dogs, chips and lemonade. At one point, Anita and I were teaching some 1st graders and things seemed to be going well. We had played a game, had some goldfish and began with to tell the children a Bible story. Then, in the middle of the story, one of the kids grabbed a beer bottle, smashed it against the curb, and began threatening the other kids and us with it with a wild look in his eyes. Everyone froze, except one. The mother bear protector came out in Anita. She stood up and walked straight toward this broken glass wielding 1st grader pointing at the bottle and saying, “In the name of Jesus, you put down that bottle!” The next sound we heard was glass plinking on the asphalt. The kid had dropped the bottle, the wild look in his eyes had been replaced by shame at the realization what he had just done, and he began to cry. Anita hugged him, told him everything was okay, prayed with him, and sat next to him as we continued with the Bible teaching. We have no idea what that child had experienced in his life that would trigger a fear/anger/fight response so intense. We could not understand why a child would grab a glass bottle, smash the end of it, and use it as a weapon against the other neighbor kids and two adults wearing madras shorts, smiling, and holding Bibles. Something had triggered his fear, but the Good News is, something also triggered his release from that fear - The Name of Jesus! When we finally arrived home with our own kids later that evening, we hugged them, and we once again called on Jesus praising His Name because everyone had made it home alive and in one piece. We rejoiced that we all got to experience the power of Jesus’ Name, feel the grace of His goodness, and witness His great love!
The Apostle Paul told the church he loved, that because of Jesus’ humility to come to the earth and save us, His Name would be powerful and above every name. He says, “For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 CSB What’s in a name? When we are fearful, we can call on the Name of Jesus! When we are blessed, we can praise to the Name of Jesus! His Name is powerful and wonderful...above all names!
Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!
