A few years ago, I heard that a Chinese woman who spoke no English was to move into a new house down the road from me. So, I sent to the American Bible Society for a Chinese Bible, and the Lord helped me to find and underline the plan of salvation through Jesus in that Bible. After she moved in, as I approached her home for the first time, I was both a little frightened and a little exhilarated at the prospect.

She opened the door just a wee bit, and I smiled as broadly as I could and held out the Bible for her to take. She smiled back and motioned for me to come in. Radiantly, she showed me her well worn, treasured Bible and papers that I determined were her Bible studies. Then I was really excited. I had just met a sister-in-Christ.

I bought myself a Chinese-English manual and made an effort to learn some words in her language. Her daughter-in-law, who spoke fluent Chinese, suggested that I learn the word for Grandmother and call her by that name. And soon my Chinese friend began to speak some English, such as "come in", "sit down" and "have tea".

The next time I saw the daughter-in-law, I asked if her mother-in-law could understand the Chinese words I was trying to use. "There is some problem with your pronunciation. In the Chinese language you can use the same sounds to make 4 different words, depending on the inflections in your voice. You've gotten the right sounds for the word ‘Grandmother', but because of the wrong inflections, you've been calling her a ‘horse'."

Now, that inadvertent name-calling of mine could have caused hard feelings, but she carried the name of Christ, and with her Christ-like attitudes she overlooked my blunders. Yes, names are important to us; they are our identity.

I started dating at 13 years of age, and when I was 14, I fell in love for the first time. I loved this young Mr. Durst so much that I thought of him almost every waking moment. In school while the teachers were talking, I drew hearts with my name on them and them shot those hearts with arrows that I put his name on, Durst. I had never realized before how many times the verb durst was used in the King James Version Bible. Being in love with Mr. Durst, I studiously underlined the word durst every place I came across it in my Bible. Shame on me!! That seems sacrilegious to me now. What I underline in my Bible these days are things that will enhance my relationship with the Lord.

I was proud of Durst and loved being identified with him. I day dreamed about a wedding and practiced writing my first name with his last name.

Jesus said (Matthew 10:32,33) "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father." Do I, do you, deny Jesus by our silence? Jesus also said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." Do we give our all to the Lord; our heart, our mind-thoughts and our strength-actions? Can those around us tell that our all is in the name of Jesus?

In the name of Jesus, we are told to 1) repent, 2) receive salvation, 3) to be obedient, and 4) to bear fruit. Let us each, you and me, introspect today and see if we meet this criteria.

1) Repentance. Jesus speaking in Luke 13:3 says, "I tell you, nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." What does it mean to repent? The dictionary says to repent is to be sorry for one's sins. When Jesus appeared to the apostles after his resurrection, (Luke 24:46, 47) he quoted to them from the Old Testament saying, "It is written...it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead on the third day...that repentance and the remission of sins should be preached In His Name". In Christ's name we must repent that our sins might be removed by the blood of, and in the name of, Jesus. True repentance gives us the desire to "go and sin no more" (John 8:117)

2) Salvation. After our hearts are cleansed of our sins through repentance, we are ready to ask for salvation, In His Name. Then He gives us the strength no to sin. Peter, speaking to the high priest about Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12) said, "Neither is there salvation in any other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." Only In His Name are we able to be saved from our sins and saved from hell.

3) Obedience. Paul, speaking of Jesus (Hebrews 5:9) says that "Being made perfect, he (Jesus) became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." Yes, Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to suffer and die, that we might have eternal life. But, he does demand obedience from his followers. Jesus himself said, "Not everyone that saith to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

In this country we have no good excuse not to know the will of God, as Bibles are readily available to all. If we have trouble reading, we can even secure Bible cassette tapes to listen to. God speaks to us through His inspired Word, the Bible. Jesus said, "Search the scriptures" (John 5:39). Then 2 Timothy 2:15 tell us to "study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed." As we pray and read the scriptures on a daily basis, we need to apply what we learn to our own lives and become closer to God and more Christ-like.

4) Bear fruit. Regular reading and studying of the scriptures is also necessary if we are to obey the command to bear fruit. To bear fruit is for some the most difficult of Christ's edicts. In 1 Peter 4:10 we read, "As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Yes, we are all to minister to others in the name of Jesus. If we have received the gift of salvation, let us share it. We can do this through teaching Sunday School, leading Bible studies, or on a one-to-one basis with a friend, relative or neighbor. There are many ways to acceptably and unoffensively share Christ.

Wherever we are in our spiritual walk, Jesus has given us a tremendous promise. He said, (John 16:23) "I say unto you, whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you...ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full."

Ask for forgiveness of sins
      In the name of Jesus

Ask for the gift of salvation and eternal life
      In the name of Jesus

Ask for strength to be obedient to God
      In the name of Jesus

Ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you power that you might minister to others
      In the name of Jesus

We have already lost some of our Christian heritage in this country because we have been too quiet about our faith

What am I doing? ....What are you doing?
      In His Name!