SPIRIT OF FIRE

THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME

BHAKTAN

Spirit of Fire Publications

Buckingham, Virginia

MMXI

I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them.

The nations will know that I am the Lord, says the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

— Ezekiel 36:23

© 2011 William J. Eberle

Second edition, 2016
All Rights Reserved

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Publisher, except for the use of quotations in articles or critical reviews.

Spirit of Fire Publications

76 The Way

Buckingham, Virginia 23921

SpiritOfFire.com

ISBN 9781508995845
LCCN 2011908964

For those who’ve tried everything else.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Book I - Spirit of Fire:  The Power of Jesus’ Name

Prologue

The Father

His Presence

The Word

Our Words

The Word In Us

Mary

Jesus

Jesus Anointed

Christ in Us

New Covenant

Victory

Resurrection

Consecration

Spirit of Fire

Prayer

Judgment

Living Sacrifice

Eternal Covenant

Summary

Epilogue

Book II - Spirit of Fire:  Substance

The Word

Mary

Jesus

Jesus Anointed

New Covenant

Victory

Resurrection

Spirit of Fire

Prayer

Judgment

Eternal Covenant

Book III - Spirit of Fire:  Summary

The Word

New Covenant

Victory

Eternal Covenant

Book IV - Spirit of Fire:  Essence

IV: Essence

PREFACE

In the summer of 1972, I was hitchhiking across the USA with all my earthly possessions in my backpack, including harmonicas, Tao Te Ching, and New Testament. Some Christians gave me a ride.

As it became clear that the cause of converting me was going to fail, the driver posed a question:

“And what do you want in life?”

“I want wisdom.”

“Jesus Christ is wisdom.”

I thought it was a silly thing to say. How can a man be wisdom? Still, the word went into my spirit and took root.

My search for wisdom took me around the world and back to Jesus.

The man was right. Jesus Christ really is wisdom — and much, much more.

INTRODUCTION

Opening the scroll, Jesus found the place where it is written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and sight for the blind, to release the oppressed — to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

[He said,] Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

— Luke 4:17-19, 21

——————

His name is Jesus, God Saves.

His title is The Christ, The Messiah — The Anointed.

God anointed Jesus to save us from poverty, heartbreak, captivity, blindness, and oppression (Luke 4:17, above).

Today, Jesus and his anointing are known by the power of his name.

Spirit of Fire is intended to release the power of Jesus’ name, here and now; to induce the experience of his presence.

It’s not about what to believe and not to believe, what to do and not to do.

It’s for making the transition from believing (or not believing) to knowing he’s here; from self-improvement to abiding in him.

Spirit of Fire consists of four meditations on the power of Jesus’ name.

Each of the four stands alone.

They are progressively shorter:

BOOK I: The Power of Jesus’ Name.
Sixty-four pages.

BOOK II: Substance.
Sixteen pages.

BOOK III: Summary.
Four pages.

BOOK IV: Essence.
One page.

For the sake of the rhythm, it would be helpful to pronounce “Jesus’ name” simply “Jesus name” (rather than  “Jesuses name”).

The gender-neutral forms available at the time did not seem refined enough for an enduring work.

Multiple meanings are intentional.

Acknowledgments, references, and more at SpiritOfFire.com.

——————

Let all in heaven, earth, and hell

hear me now as I proclaim

the glory of the Word of God

and the power of his name.

BOOK I

SPIRIT OF FIRE:
THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME

256 verses

PROLOGUE

Two thousand years ago, the Word of God appeared as man on earth.

Today, our standard calendar is calculated from his birth. A million churches have been built. A billion Bibles have been sold. No one knows how many times the story of his life’s been told.
So we should know who Jesus is.

Now, if we knew what Jesus meant when he said,

The work of God
is trusting in the one he sent — and,

Mercy is what I desire,
not your sweat and sacrifice,

we wouldn’t try to save ourselves by working hard and being nice.

(I.1)

What the world is looking for, human eyes cannot discern, human minds can’t understand, human efforts cannot earn.

Beyond our dreams, there is a place where guilt and striving disappear in a flood of love and joy.
In Jesus’ name, that place is here.

Those who call on Jesus’ name, keeping who he is in mind, enter God’s Most Holy Place and leave the worldly life behind.

Lasting joy can never come from a world of ceaseless change.
You come to know the Changeless One as you consider Jesus' name.

(I.2)

THE FATHER

God is love, and love is God.

Creation, from the sky above to the earth beneath our feet, is fashioned out of endless love.

God our Father is the same before the universe is born, when the universe is here, and when the universe is gone.

In him we live, in him we move, in him we have our being. Here.

Those who live in God, in love, experience the death of fear.

Treading lightly on the earth, clothed in deep humility, they live their lives surrounded by the fragrance of infinity.

(I.3)

HIS PRESENCE

Our Father is beyond all thought; beyond the ever-changing scenes of waking, dreams, and dreamless sleep; beyond the subtle space between our breathing out and breathing in; beyond the worlds too great or small for us to comprehend, and yet — his presence permeates it all.

The presence of the Sovereign Lord annihilates our theories and loads our senses far beyond their processing capacity.

When his presence fills your heart, when only love abides in you, you look upon created things from our Father's point of view.

(I.4)

THE WORD

Creations rise at his command, upon the order of the One. Because the Word of God is first, his Word is called his Firstborn Son.

His Word is both creating and sustaining all the things we see. If God were to withhold his Word, the worlds would vanish instantly. There would not even be a void.

To him there’s nothing old or new. What we call past or future things are present from his point of view.

Creation rises on a Word spoken from infinity.
Love reveals the secret source of this unfolding mystery.

(I.5)

OUR WORDS

Creation is a drama made of countless interwoven plays. In one, you have the leading role; the script is what you think and say.

Our words induce a mood and a direction for our play to go. From there, it’s mostly improvised. No one has complete control.

Every person, place, and thing in this play is full of life. If you don’t treat them with respect, you will see a lot of strife.

If we’re oppressed by circumstance, our Father God is not to blame. We took over when he said,
“Have dominion in my name.”

(I.6)

Those who let their thought and speech revolve around their circumstance conjure up a destiny, a chain of similar events.

Our destiny is rooted in the time before we learned to walk, the time when we began to take an interest in our parents’ talk of things and people in their world.

As we learned to use their words, we also learned to conjure up the world our parents saw and heard.

So, no matter what he does, the rebel never quite feels free — and the conformist never finds his feeling of security.

(I.7)

Millions pass from birth to death never making one attempt to change the inner dialogue that’s directing the events.

To change your destiny, begin by shutting all the voices out. Then get so clear on what you want that you can see the end result.

Then change the way you use your words — from making comments on events to simply giving voice to thoughts that harmonize with your intent.

So, if you’d rather be the boss than the slave of destiny, take charge!

But do not be deceived.

Neither boss nor slave is free.

(I.8)

THE WORD IN US

Now, those who use the Word of God to renovate the heart and mind gain access to the secret place where destiny is left behind.

God communicates with man where hearts are willing to receive; he uses words and images that we can easily conceive.

Anyone who fills his heart with the sayings of the wise and seeks the truth behind the words will hear the voice of God inside.

When revelation overwhelms the thinking mind’s capacity, your spirit opens to the Word spoken from infinity.

(I.9)

The basis of our destiny is our inner dialogue. His Word leaves nothing more to say.

Sunrise burns away the fog. You see, as though for the first time, someone who was always here, giving life to all — the one whose presence fills the atmosphere.

As you relax into the love flowing from the Changeless One, you rise to live above the law of fate that makes creation run.

Those who speak the truth in love rise above their destiny. They overcome and sit with God, above the world they hear and see.

(I.10)

The only time to look for God is now. The only place is here.
His Word reveals him, here and now.

In most, his voice is hard to hear; it's drowned in a cacophony of comments on our circumstance.

So, the prophet walks alone. Ignoring the consensus trance, he saturates his mind and heart with the Word of God until what issues from his mouth is in alignment with the Father’s will.

For centuries, the prophets spoke about a coming Chosen One.
Almost no one could conceive that God would send his Firstborn Son.

(I.11)

MARY

Our Father called his messenger.

Gabriel, I’m very pleased with a girl named Mary, who never gets enough of me.

Go and tell her she’ll conceive. I’ve chosen her to bear my Son, the King whose reign will never end — Jesus, the Anointed One.

We still remember Mary’s song:

All generations will proclaim that I am blessed by God Most High and, with me, praise his holy name.

The Lord has looked with favor on a virgin girl's humility: My firstborn shall be called his Son. The Lord has done great things for me!

(I.12)

JESUS

Jesus kept no wealth on earth, but did not live in poverty. The things he needed came by faith out of heaven's treasury.

He mourned, but not like those who cry for things they've lost and can't regain. His mourning drew the Spirit's might to wash away our tears and pain.

Though he was meek, he did not bow the knee to worldly circumstance. Humbly he received the earth as his divine inheritance.

He knew the cravings of the flesh can be only briefly stilled. He hungered to be right with God, and his desire was fulfilled.

(I.13)

When wronged, he did not argue for his rights, complain, or take offense. For him, our Father’s mercy was an everyday experience.

Jesus’ heart was pure — he had no fear, no greed, no enmity. With nothing to obstruct his view, he saw our Father constantly.

He understood all points of view; when Jesus spoke, confusion ceased. To this day we know him as the Son of God, the Prince of Peace.

When persecuted, he rejoiced — without a thought of compromise. As you gaze at heaven’s throne, he appears before your eyes.

(I.14)

JESUS ANOINTED

He prepared for thirty years to serve his people publicly, then visited the prophet John to receive his ministry.

John immersed him in the stream as Jesus, God and Mary's son.
He came out in the Spirit's might as Jesus, the Anointed One — anointed with the oil of joy and sent with full authority to usher heaven down to earth, to break the Devil's tyranny.

The Spirit came to rest on him softly, like a gentle dove; the miracles he later did were powered by abiding love.

(I.15)

Instead of going out to seek supporters for his ministry, he fasted forty days, alone, facing down the Enemy.

He put his God ahead of food, ahead of putting on a show, ahead of kingdoms in the world, then commanded hell to go.

Full of power, he returned.

He preached:

It’s time to change the way you think.
The kingdom of our God is at hand, on earth, today.

Isaiah’s word has come to pass.

The Spirit has anointed me

to free the captives, heal the sick,

and break the curse of poverty.

(I.16)

CHRIST IN US

Jesus’ simple words revealed a wisdom honored to this day. As people listened to him speak, confusion, doubt, and fear gave way.

At his command or touch, all kinds of sickness vanished, leaving health.

Anxiety dissolved in joy.

The poor were introduced to wealth.

The dead rose up, completely free of disease, decay, and pain.

Blind eyes opened.

Demons left, and suddenly the mad were sane.

As you eat and drink his name, his anointing comes on you, and you begin to know — firsthand — what Jesus Christ was sent to do.

(I.17)

Jesus wants to live in us, like God the Father in his Son, and show the world what God can do. In his name, his will is done.

The name of Jesus is the same as Jesus in the form of man. Jesus in your heart completes what Jesus in the world began.

This doesn’t happen by itself. It happens when we put him first.

Jesus is the Firstborn Son,

the Author of the Universe;

the Bridegroom with unfailing love;

the King of endless realms within;

the Judge whose word is final, and

the Final Sacrifice for Sin.

(I.18)

From his time of ministry as a man until today, no one who has ever come to Jesus has been turned away.

When you accept him, call him Lord, Jesus takes away your sin and gives you his eternal life. By his grace, you’re born again.

Ideally, you’d simply lay all thoughts and feelings, hopes and cares, failures and successes down at Jesus’ feet and leave them there.

But if that seems impossible, train the rhythm of your breath to Jesus’ name, and think about what he accomplished with his death.

(I.19)

NEW COVENANT

Taking water and a towel, Jesus got down on his knees and washed and dried his student’s feet, revealing how our hearts must be before we can begin to grasp the irreversible intent with which he signed his name in blood, founding a new covenant.

Take this bread:
Consider it my body given up for you. By eating in my name you'll find your bodies healed, recharged, renewed.

And take this wine:
it is my blood, shed for your iniquity. Those who drink my blood are joined in covenant with God through me.

(I.20)

The covenant was ratified when Jesus shed his blood and died. In the name of Jesus Christ, justice has been satisfied.

Satan pays for sin with death, but Jesus had no guilt, no sin. Hell was wrong to take his life, so hell is now in debt to him.

His death was absolutely wrong —  the debt can never be repaid — so Jesus Christ retains the right to give his life for yours in trade.

Although he's saved a multitude, the situation is the same. The Enemy is powerless over you in Jesus’ name.

(I.21)

For thirty coins, his treasurer led his foes to where he prayed. In him, you can't be bought, or sold, or even found — much less, betrayed.

When he was taken prisoner, he did nothing to protest. In him, there's no one to suspect, to accuse, or to arrest.

When Jesus wouldn't let them fight, his companions fled in fear. In him, you have no enemies — and when you need them, friends appear.

Falsely judged by church and state, he neither spoke nor took offense. When Jesus' name is in your heart, the Word of God is your defense.

(I.22)

Using scourges tipped with lead and chunks of bone, they flogged his back. In Jesus’ name, our wounds are healed, and we’re protected from attack.

They put a cross on Jesus’ back and made him drag it up a hill. In him, no burdens weigh you down, and no one bends you to his will.

They nailed his body to the cross, naked, for the world to see. In him is freedom, honor, peace, kindness, and prosperity.

They gave him vinegar to drink when he was burning up with thirst. All our needs are met when we put the name of Jesus first.

(I.23)

Why the various reports about what happened when he died?

Did he simply say,
It’s done.
— or perish with a mighty cry?

Who can gaze, unwavering, on Jesus at the bitter end — into the face of too much love and suffering to comprehend?

I only know that Jesus died, crushed beneath my guilt and shame, and that the things that weighed me down are taken off in Jesus’ name.

The hidden logic that defines a worldly life was crucified. Whatever fate you may have had ended on the day he died.

(I.24)

I broke the rules.
I crossed the line and gazed into the black abyss of Jesus’ death.

It cost me my depression, rage, and loneliness.
It killed my fascination with the drama of my destiny.

The hand was not designed to hold the vast expanses of the sea; the mind can never grasp his love. All my merits and my faults vanished in his love the way the sea absorbs a grain of salt.

Plunging into Jesus' death, the inner man is overwhelmed by Jesus' love and knows the truth: His presence is the highest realm.

(I.25)

At the moment of his death, the temple veil was torn apart.

His name reveals his dwelling place in heaven, and within your heart — the secret place of God Most High that no created hand has made, the tabernacle of the Lord, where earthly cares and passions fade.

Soak your being in his blood until it comes out white and clean; make your permanent abode the secret chamber of the King.

Clothe yourself in Jesus' name; enter God's Most Holy Place. Rest your spirit in his love. Enjoy the riches of his grace.

(I.26)

To prove that he was really dead, they drove a spear into his chest.

In Jesus’ name, you’re dead and gone; tests and trials are meaningless.

The motivations of the flesh — pain and pleasure, praise and blame, vice and virtue, gain and loss — are meaningless in Jesus’ name.

His death relieves you of the need to judge what people say and do — and lets you live without a thought of what they think and say of you.

In him, you have no pride, no shame, no petty cravings, fears, or hates, no ambitions, no regrets — no basis for a human fate.

(I.27)

They laid his body in a tomb, embalmed in aloes, oil, and myrrh.
Your metamorphosis begins when you're dead to who you were.

Face the fear of being free — undistracted, undefined, no special favorites in your life, no private corners in your mind.

Bundle up the memories with the dreams of better days. Drop them off in Jesus' tomb, turn around, and walk away.

Fix your thought on Jesus' name, the dwelling place of God Most High, where everything your heart desires is found in infinite supply.

(I.28)

VICTORY

In Jesus’ name you eat and drink the love our Father has for you — the only love that can't be changed by anything you say or do.

The world can never be appeased by gifts of things we do and say. Nothing but a flow of love can keep the outer world at bay.

In love, you come to know — firsthand — how Jesus' miracles were done: Love and mercy never fail to overwhelm the Evil One.

Love is both the means and end of those who walk in victory. The light and heat of Jesus' love blinds and burns the Enemy.

(I.29)

Although we live our lives immersed in love, the power of his name, it doesn't seem to matter much until we die to casting blame.

As soon as you renounce your right to take offense and criticize, the veil that hides the love of God vanishes before your eyes.

Even if your history is only violence and hate, when you forgive in Jesus' name, mercy overrules your fate.

Never making others wrong, not bothering about your rights, you soon become invisible to people who enjoy a fight.

(I.30)

Life in him, above the world, begins with settling your estate — with asking others to forgive your fits of envy, greed, and hate.

When true humility appears, the Devil leaves. Oppression ends. Your debts are either canceled or you find the means to make amends.

For those who’d rather serve than rule and who refuse to take offense, satisfied desire becomes an everyday experience.

If your flesh does not rise up when your faults are brought to light, you've reached the end and stand among the overcomers, dressed in white.

(I.31)

The overcomer never tells another person how to live.

He stays the same through praise and blame, taking life for what it is: scenes from God's immense domain coming, going, in a play of pleasure, misery, or joy that we direct with what we say.

He walks in love, unwavering, serene amid the noise and haste.

Considering each moment spent without the Lord as gone to waste, he takes the name of Jesus as his shield, his very great reward, and lives in heaven on the earth, in the presence of the Lord.

(I.32)

RESURRECTION

Jesus rose to life in the abyss. He faced the gates of death. One word,

Open.

was enough. They fell as he released his breath.

From Satan’s nerveless grip he took the keys of death, hell, and the grave. Even in the throes of death, those who call his name are saved.

Jesus set the captives free and put the Devil and his hordes in the chains they made for us, while the hosts of heaven roared with a single voice of joy over Jesus’ victory: the breaking of the fear of death, the scepter of the Enemy.

(I.33)

The love of Jesus sweeps away the blackest guilt, the deepest shame. The Enemy has no defense against the power of his name.

If darkness ever closes in, think about his victory. As you consider Jesus’ name, the Word of God, the master key, the light comes on.

You see your life as Satan's slave for what it's worth. You see some possibilities of how your life could be — on earth.

And so, with newfound confidence, with open eyes and lifted head, you disregard the Devil's threats and leave the dungeons of the dead.

(I.34)

CONSECRATION

In heaven, Jesus the High Priest sprinkled some of his own blood over the utensils used in worship of the Most High God.

In Jesus’ name, we’re purified and set apart for sacred use.

We never worship from afar; we know the Spirit and the Truth.

Outwardly, we live on earth.
Inwardly, we’re overwhelmed, caught up in the radiance, the beauty of a higher realm; we minister as kings and priests in his presence, night and day. We, reflecting heaven's light, put his splendor on display.

(I.35)

SPIRIT OF FIRE

At first, the light of heaven seems like all your dreams come true, but then you notice that the light reveals your hidden motives and your sin, and you must choose:

Return to hell — or take your place among the few who have nothing to conceal and nothing they're afraid to lose, the few who call the Spirit's fire to strip their lives of everything that weighs them down, to clear the way for gifts beyond imagining:

freedom that no war can win,

wisdom that no man can teach,

healing that no drug can bring,

riches that no hand can reach.

(I.36)

No one earns the Holy Ghost.

The Spirit comes on anyone who asks for him in Jesus’ name. He pays no heed to what we’ve done.

Without the Spirit of the Lord,

no one gets a virgin birth.

No one knows the mind of God.

No one walks with God on earth.

No one overcomes the flesh.

No one sets the captives free.

No one rises from the dead.

There is no final victory.

By his Spirit, in his name, Jesus’ work is carried on through his people on the earth; we seldom see his human form.

(I.37)

The Holy Ghost immerses us —

in water, to be cleansed of sin;

in Jesus' name, to walk with God;

in fire, for unity with him.

In Jesus' name, your past is dead and buried in his baptism. Once for all.

In him, you rise to a new life; you’re born again.

In him, you walk with God Most High; you sense his presence everywhere.

In him, the fire has done its work, the dross is gone, you cease to care for anything except the Word that caused creation to appear — and the holy fragrance that remains when all things disappear.

(I.38)

Seeking knowledge of the world,

daily something new is learned.

Seeking knowledge of the Lord,

daily something old is burned.

This fire is very painful when we try to justify our sin, but it’s sheer, unalloyed bliss when we cooperate with him — when we give thanks and magnify his name, imagining the day when the final fleck of dross that taints the gold is burned away.

When the Spirit’s work is done, we live together in accord; our faces, like transparent gold, reflect the beauty of the Lord.

(I.39)

Accept your inability to bring a perfect offering. Lay each moment of your life — as it is — before the King. Relax, and let the fire of his Spirit burn away the dross.

When the Master does the work, not one speck of gold is lost.

Father, let your kingdom come.

Father, let your will be done.

Come to us in Jesus’ name;

burn the dross and make us one.

Let the altar be my heart;

let discord be the sacrifice.

Send the fire of heaven, now,

in the name of Jesus Christ.

(I.40)

PRAYER

If you’re sure of what you want;

if you always keep your word;

if you stand unwavering,

certain that your prayers are heard;

if the way you live your life

matches what you think and say;

and if you never hold a grudge,

you get exactly what you pray.

————

But in his presence, the entire drama loses its appeal. The things we used to sweat and cry and bleed and die for seem unreal.

Losing track of our desires, we pray according to his will; God makes sure our needs are met and our desires are all fulfilled.

(I.41)

Jesus sits at God's right hand, praying for us ceaselessly — as we, his people here upon the earth, reduce his enemies to a footstool for his feet by the power of his name.

He then returns, restores the earth, and wipes away our tears and pain.

————

As kings and priests of God Most High, we have his final victory today.

We do not condescend to battle with the Enemy; we simply speak the Word.

Until it comes to pass, we keep our wits and walk in love.

The Devil sees he can’t defeat us, so he quits.

(I.42)

Jesus doesn't pray alone; his Bride is with him through the night.

Both are full of energy when the darkness turns to light; each is an embodiment of our Father's perfect ways.

Jesus likes to feel you lean against his shoulder as he prays — beyond the gates of thanksgiving, the courts of praise, the Holy Place, beyond the shredded pieces of the veil, upon the throne of grace:

Father, let your kingdom come.

Father, let your will be done

for everyone who calls my name.

Burn the dross and make them one.

(I.43)

In heaven, first resounding praise,
then utter silence fills the air.

The angel brings the offering: incense, mingled with our prayers.

The smoke goes upward as our prayers, burning with the Spirit’s fire, ignite the incense to release the scent of satisfied desire.

The Lord receives the offering; he draws it inward with his breath.

The angel fills the censer with fire and hurls it on the earth.

Let lightning flash, let thunder roll,

let earthquakes level everything.

The answer to our prayer comes

from the presence of the King.

(I.44)

JUDGMENT

The judgment has been written out; the scroll is sealed with seven seals. 'Til someone worthy breaks the seals, its contents shall not be revealed.

Jesus broke the seven seals.

In him, the judgment is released. The wheat is stored, the chaff is burned. Jesus' name is perfect peace.

Even if you've sealed your fate with rage, addiction, greed, and doubt, and sit imprisoned in despair, Jesus' name can break you out.

Jesus, open up the scroll.

Release the power of your name.

Shake the heavens and the earth.

Let the unshakable remain.

(I.45)

It is written:
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and life for life.

Hell will pay for Jesus' death, and earth will see the end of strife.

On that day we'll sit with him, in the power of the Lord, and send the wicked to the fire, the righteous to their great reward — but our Father has decreed that Judgment Day shall be delayed 'til every nation hears the news that its ransom has been paid.

May all who try to fight the flesh and all who serve it eagerly get the message of the cross before they meet their destiny.

(I.46)

Satan says,
The time is short, and hell is looming at the end. You must be righteous to be saved, to not be damned like other men.

Jesus says,
The confidence, the peace, the righteousness of God belongs to those who claim it as a gift I paid for with my blood.

Satan says,
The Sovereign Lord who made all things is very great. No one can resist his will. To be defeated is your fate.

Jesus says,
Since my demise you have no fate, no destiny. You’re free to speak my Word and reign in life by my authority.

(I.47)

Satan says,
Indulge your flesh. Make merry, eat, and drink today. It’s obvious that all your deeds will perish with you anyway.

Jesus says,
My name reveals my love, my joy, my righteousness — the pleasures of eternal life. The worldly life is meaningless.

Satan says,
The world is mine. Your misery will never end until you either die or leave with Jesus when he comes again.

Jesus says,
The earth is mine. I paid your ransom with my death. Now, leave the world and come with me — in your worship, not your flesh.

(I.48)

If Jesus told us,

Pray like this:
'Your kingdom come to earth, today,’

who would pray the opposite:

Jesus, come take us away …

Our dreams of floating through the clouds, escaping judgment, quickly end when we call his name and find we're standing face to face with him.

He doesn't need a long account of our vices, crimes, and lies. The deeds we thought were in the past are happening before his eyes.

As you confess his name, you see your life from Jesus' point of view and know, without a trace of doubt, your record will not rescue you.

(I.49)

In Jesus' name, your case is lost. No hearings, no postponements left; all motions and appeals denied. You stand alone, condemned to death.

You cannot run.

You cannot hide.

You can’t deny the evidence.

The time has come to let the blood of Jesus speak in your defense — to stand before the Great White Throne, gaze into his blazing eyes and say,

My faith is in your blood.
My actions can't be justified.

To guarantee each one of us this kind of confidence and peace, he left his name — the signal for his precious blood to be released.

(I.50)

The ruthless judgment that you face for everything you’ve said and done is countermanded by the blood of Jesus, the Anointed One.

The guilt you could not wash away with tears and sweat and sacrifice vanishes without a trace in the blood of Jesus Christ.

In the light of Jesus' blood, the Old Accuser has no case. His detailed list of all your wrongs and all your rights has been erased.

Dare to break the great taboo and drink the blood of Jesus Christ. Get drunk enough to make yourself a shameless living sacrifice.

(I.51)

LIVING SACRIFICE

Nail your flesh to Jesus' cross. Take the urge to criticize and fasten it to Jesus' name 'til he alone is in your eyes.

Die to pride, and die to shame, and paralyze the jaws of hell by loving everyone you meet as much as those who treat you well.

Leave the past in Jesus' tomb. We've all been lied to, slandered, shamed, used, abused, and cast aside. Forgive it all in Jesus' name.

Rise to life in Jesus' name: his treasure for your poverty, his presence for your loneliness, his gladness for your misery.

(I.52)

ETERNAL COVENANT

The universe is founded on an everlasting covenant between the Father and the Son. It stands because of their intent.

God agreed to back his Word with all of his authority. The Word agreed to carry out his Father's wishes perfectly.

In Jesus’ name, we have been made partakers of this covenant. Our words and deeds contain the same irreversible intent.

God is offering to trade the flawless name of Jesus Christ, with all he has and all he is, for the ashes of your life.

(I.53)

Who will take my name in trade
for his life of slavery?

Who will serve as king and priest
on earth and in eternity?

Who will trade his prison rags
for garments tailor-made by grace?

Who will trust his scattered mind
and shattered heart to my embrace?

My knowledge for your ignorance;

my lovingkindness for your fears;

my vision for your sightlessness;

my healing for your pain and tears;

my freedom for your destiny;

my power for your helplessness;

my comfort for your broken heart;

my mercy for your bitterness.

(I.54)

Thanksgiving opens up the heart to gaze upon the King of kings. When he appears, you lose all thought of chasing after worldly things.

With a shout of thanksgiving, the gates of heaven open wide, revealing to the inner man the glory held for us inside.

In his presence, walking on a city street or country road is just as sweet as walking through heaven on the streets of gold.

As I made the sacrifice of thanksgiving, my misery turned into rising floods of joy, wisdom, and prosperity.

(I.55)

Jesus, you delivered me

from confusion, rage, and strife;

took away my guilt and shame;

clothed me in eternal life;

healed my eyes to see the truth,

my crippled legs to walk with you;

swept my worldly cares away

and brought your kingdom into view.

Defeat turned into victory,

greed to generosity;

gifts from somewhere out beyond

my dreams began to come to me.

You touched me with your fingertip,

and I will never be the same.

You've ruined me for everything

but singing praises to your name.

(I.56)

Day and night, throughout the earth

and in heaven, Jesus' friends

are adding words and melodies

to a song that never ends,

lifting voices, minds, and hearts

to join the angels as they sing,

in heaven's flawless harmony,

the praise of Jesus:

Bridegroom, King,

Judge, Redeemer, Son of God,

the Holy and Anointed One,

whose Word upholds the universe,

who was, and is, and is to come.

This is the sound of victory.
Jesus the Anointed dwells in our song of praise. We are the terror of the hordes of hell.

(I.57)

I proclaim a day of rest

from tears and sweat and sacrifice,

a day to just enjoy the gift

of the name of Jesus Christ;

to put him first, above all else,

knowing he alone is real —

not this passing fantasy

of things we see and hear and feel;

a day to listen to his voice,

to see the glory of his face,

to understand what’s in his heart,

and lose ourselves in his embrace;

to worship God in Jesus' name,

in his presence, sinking deep

into never-ending love,

in waking, dreams, and dreamless sleep.

(I.58)

I once was paralyzed by shame, frightened by your majesty, but now your holy name has made your loving-kindness real to me.

Let Satan and his minions rage.
They cannot win.

But as for me, my place is at your table in the presence of my enemies, taking in your living Word, breaking bread and drinking wine.

As your anointing overflows into my body, heart, and mind, all my worries slide away.

Freed of care, my heart takes wing; I watch the battlefield become the sea of glass before the King.

(I.59)

In the stillness, in the peace,

in your holy dwelling place,

I feel the penetrating warmth

of your presence, your embrace,

and open to the healing rays

of the sun of righteousness,

partaking of the easy life

at your invisible address.

Let the rhythm of my breath

be consecrated, set apart,

for just one thing: to worship you,

face to face and heart to heart —

in your presence … all alone

orbiting … forever free

in the updraft … motionless

on this, your earth … infinity

(I.60)

SUMMARY

No one really knows his name — it’s too sublime for human speech — but in the name of Jesus, God has put himself within our reach.

His name reveals his endless love, his wisdom, confidence, and ease, his overflowing cup of joy, his healing power, and his peace.

His name reveals his suffering, his bloody wounds and ragged breath, his silent shame and loneliness, his cross, his final cry, his death.

His name reveals his Spirit's might, his resurrection victory, his place in heaven on the throne, his coming back in majesty.

(I.61)

I am the Way.
Wherever you may go I am already there. All paths begin and end in me. I’m not going anywhere.

I am the Truth.
Whoever wants to know the truth firsthand, to see who lives beyond the end of time, above creation, comes to me.

I am the Life.
Creations rise and draw their life from me, and when they pass away, return to me.
I Am. I don’t begin or end.

I am the First, I am the Last — the ultimate authority.
Yet I bow down to wash the feet of those who give their hearts to me.

(I.62)

EPILOGUE

He kissed his Bride, and she awoke to a love that never fails. Anointing her with joy, he said,

Come with me beyond the veil.

The world released her from its grip. She left her friends and family, never to be seen again until his final victory.

Relaxing in his arms, she crossed the threshold of his dwelling place; she felt her breath aligning with the subtle rhythms of his grace.

Her former life went up in flames, ignited by a pure desire. The things that stole her joy are gone, reduced to ashes in the fire.

(I.63)

The work is finished in his name. All her sin has been erased, and she reflects the love of God as she gazes in his face — relaxing in his endless love, in his presence, day and night.

Nothing in creation can distract her from the sheer delight of knowing Jesus as he is.

She is the perfect sacrifice of thanks and praise to God Most High. She is the Bride of Jesus Christ.

You’re mine before the world began,

mine beyond the very end.

You're with me here in heaven, now,

and with me when I come again.

(I.64)

BOOK II

SPIRIT OF FIRE:
SUBSTANCE

Sixty-four verses

THE WORD

God is pure, unchanging love —

without beginning, without end.

We have our being in a love

too wonderful to comprehend.

From the depths of love, a Word arises and the worlds appear. To us, he gave authority to dictate what we see and hear.

Those who turn away from love to criticize the things they see make themselves the pawns of fate, the playthings of the Enemy.

Freedom doesn’t come from work, from pleasure, or from discipline. By our words we're justified, and by our words we are condemned.

(II.1)

MARY

Mary brought the Word of God into human history.

She made his presence her abode, and in deep humility heard, believed, and spoke his word:

While yet a virgin I'll conceive the Son of God, his word made flesh.

It came to pass as she believed:
The word was born as one of us.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has ever understood the hidden power of this Word — but if you’ve conjured up a world of sickness, fear, and poverty, understand that Jesus' name is the Word that sets you free.

(II.2)

JESUS

Jesus walked in harmony with the Spirit of the Lord. His thoughts, desires, words, and deeds worked together in accord. He always spoke the truth in love. He took no interest in sin.

The power and the love of God flowed without restraint through him.

Through the prophet, God released the oil of joy upon his Son and sent him forth to overthrow the kingdom of the Evil One.

His anointed word and touch broke the curse of poverty, healed the sick, and raised the dead.
Jesus set the captives free.

(II.3)

JESUS ANOINTED

Jesus is as Jesus was, and his anointing is the same. Jesus Christ is known today by the power of his name.

No force of hell can stand against the power of his ministry. Jesus in your mouth and heart ends the Devil's tyranny.

Those who call on Jesus’ name take possession of a link to joy and blessing far beyond what anyone could ask or think.

The Lord is offering his name and his kingdom in exchange for your discussions with yourself and your load of guilt and shame.

(II.4)

NEW COVENANT

Jesus set his mastery over life and death aside. Without resistance, like a lamb, he let himself be crucified.

He paid the total price for sin: the suffering, the guilt, the shame, the fear of death, and death itself. You’re dead to sin in Jesus’ name.

Passing through the ugly door of Jesus’ death, you come upon the gift of everlasting life. The work is done. Your sin is gone.

In him, the evil and the good that all of us combined have done is but a particle of dust in the furnace of the sun.

(II.5)

Set your heart and fix your thought on the name of Jesus Christ. Take full possession of the gifts he paid for with his sacrifice.

He took the pressure of the world when he sweated blood in prayer. The name of Jesus, Prince of Peace, ends depression and despair.

He took the curse of poverty, rejection, ridicule, and shame. Wealth and honor seek you out when you're set on Jesus' name.

He took the thorns, the blows, the nails, the brunt of Satan's violence. Jesus’ name protects you from disease, attacks, and accidents.

(II.6)

He cried to God with all his might — but died before the answer came. The answer comes before you ask when you abide in Jesus' name.

He was crushed to death beneath the burden of our wickedness. There is no pressure in his name — no oppressor, no oppressed.

The veil to God's Most Holy Place was torn apart when Jesus died. His name reveals the secret place where all desires are satisfied.

They laid his body in a tomb and set a boulder as a gate. In him, you’re dead to who you were — and separated from your fate.

(II.7)

VICTORY

Jesus’ blood erased the list of things you did and failed to do. Forgiving is the only way to grasp what Jesus did for you.

Mercy, joy, and grace attend the funeral of casting blame, staying on to serve the one whose life is lost in Jesus' name.

He walked in love — no matter what people said or did to him.

Only those who walk in love can live beyond the reach of sin, in the presence of the Lord; can speak the word that overcomes the flesh; can know the joy that breaks the scepter of the Evil One.

(II.8)

RESURRECTION

Jesus' rising from the dead crushed his final enemy. At the sound of Jesus' name, even death must bow the knee.

He took the keys from Satan's hand and opened every prison door. Jesus' name reveals the truth:

We're not in bondage anymore.

Satan had to wear the chains in Jesus' victory parade. In Jesus' name, the Devil's shame and utter folly are displayed.

He took his seat at God's right hand and put his feet on Satan's head. Jesus Christ is Lord and judge of both the living and the dead.

(II.9)

SPIRIT OF FIRE

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord comes on us in Jesus' name and clothes our spirits in the fire that lit the world when Jesus came.

He burns away our ignorance with knowledge that cannot be taught; he burns away our shame and fear with love and joy beyond all thought.

As your worldly reference points vanish in the fire, you find all the promises of God written in your heart and mind.

Once we've been refined with fire by the Spirit of the Lord, our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds work together in accord.

(II.10)

PRAYER

In heaven, Jesus takes the scroll from him who sits upon the throne and breaks the seven sacred seals on things the world has never known.

On earth, we pray in Jesus' name with words that he alone can teach; in him, the answer is so close that we don’t even need to reach.

In him, the problems of the world have no power over you. You know our Father always does exactly what he says he’ll do.

So, whether nothing happens or all hell breaks loose, you pass the test — standing on his Word until the answer fully manifests.

(II.11)

JUDGMENT

He knew his physical return might be delayed for many years, so he left his name with us to take away our pain and tears.

In Jesus' name, you stand alone and give account for all your deeds to a judge who sees all things, a judge who cannot be deceived.

Only those who drink his blood, his love, the power of his name, are able to endure the gaze that burns away their sin and shame.

Let all your motives be exposed and all your sins be brought to light, knowing that the blood he shed makes you righteous in his sight.

(II.12)

ETERNAL COVENANT

Changeless when the worlds appear; present when the worlds are gone; eternal is the covenant between the Father and the Son.

Creation changes ceaselessly; the Word of God remains the same. God is ours and we are his by covenant in Jesus' name.

The Lord confirmed it with an oath sealed in blood that does not fade. This covenant cannot be changed by anything his hand has made —

love for envy, fear, and strife;

prosperity for lack and debt;

health for weakness and disease;

grace for struggle, toil, and sweat.

(II.13)

Our Father keeps a storehouse full of priceless treasures, old and new. Giving thanks in Jesus’ name opens up the door for you.

As the sound of thanksgiving opens up the heart and mind, you see a better place to live and leave the worldly life behind.

Thank you, Jesus, for my life; for the work you’ve given me; for air to breathe and food to eat; for teachers, friends, and family; for calling me to walk with you, in your presence, far above the things of earth.

You’ve made my life an endless banquet of your love.

(II.14)

No human mind can grasp the scope of your creativity. Subatomic particles, oceans, planets, galaxies, entire creations rise and fall with the sound of your command.

As Jesus, you appear on earth to redeem a fallen man.

Beyond all names you are the Way without beginning, without end, the Truth that words cannot express, the Life on whom all life depends.

Your blood erases all my sin;

your love destroys my fear of death;

your holiness suspends my thought;

your beauty takes away my breath.

(II.15)

As I gaze into your eyes, something calls me from afar — a memory of things unknown from the depths of who you are.

As you whisper in my ear, the more I hear, the more I see beyond my feelings, thoughts, and words, into your soundless majesty.

Jesus, pour the fragrant oil of joy on the consuming fire you kindled deep within my heart.

Reveal me as your heart’s desire, your holy Bride who sits with you above creation, on your throne, radiating perfect love and joy — with eyes for you alone.

(II.16)

BOOK III

SPIRIT OF FIRE:
SUMMARY

Sixteen Verses

THE WORD

The words we speak decide our fate

and dictate what we see and hear.

Those in bondage think and speak

about the things they want or fear.

Jesus is the Word of God,

born with man's authority,

anointed with the oil of joy,

and sent to set the captives free.

He finished what he came to do,

left his name, and went away.

The Spirit comes in Jesus' name

and does his work in us today.

No one knows when he'll return

to rid the earth of pain and fear.

Everyone who calls his name

knows that he is always here.

(III.1)

NEW COVENANT

Bondage ends with Jesus’ death.

You have no past in Jesus’ name —

no basis for a destiny,

no cause for boasting or for shame.

Jesus' name reveals the love

that overwhelms the Enemy —

the God who raised him from the dead,

who turns defeat to victory.

He took his place at God's right hand,

in heaven, on the throne of grace.

In Jesus' name, you hear God's voice,

you know his heart, you see his face.

When you pray in Jesus' name,

on the basis of his Word,

forgiving others and yourself,

all of your requests are heard.

(III.2)

VICTORY

Those who lay their dreams to rest

in the name of Jesus Christ

rise to live above the world

of pleasure, work, and sacrifice.

As Jesus’ name reveals his love,

you lose the urge to take offense,

and satisfied desire becomes

an everyday experience.

In him, you eat the bread of life

and drink the cup of joy, so sweet,

while the Spirit of the Lord

crushes hell beneath your feet.

All the strongholds of the flesh,

from greed and lust to casting blame,

and all diseases, doubts, and fears

disintegrate in Jesus' name.

(III.3)

ETERNAL COVENANT

Those who honor Jesus' name

find success they cannot earn,

favor they do not deserve,

and wisdom they could never learn.

Those who worship in his name

dwell in God's Most Holy Place

and spend their lives discovering

new dimensions of his grace.

In the presence of his name,

your heart becomes as pure as his;

when nothing but his love remains,

you see our Father as he is.

Jesus prayed that we be one,

as Son and Father are the same.

We get the answer to his prayer

by the power of his name.

(III.4)

BOOK IV

SPIRIT OF FIRE:
ESSENCE

Four Verses

IV: ESSENCE

Our inner dialog controls the way our outer life unfolds.

When we speak the Word of God — instead of stories we’ve been told — his kingdom comes to earth through us.

In the presence of the King, the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord, you live above created things.

The Spirit comes in Jesus’ name.

He burns away our shame and fear with love and joy beyond all thought.

He opens up our hearts to hear the Word of God, the voice of him who was, and is, and is to come — and to see creation as the kingdom of the Changeless One.

(Book IV)

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