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The Bible speaks much of the power of the name of Jesus
Christ. It is a blessed name in ANY language! Whether in it's English version
taken from the Greek, or "Senior JesusCristo" in the Spanish, or
"Yahshua ha-Moshiach" in Hebrew or "Yesu" in Chinese...that
name is sanctified and blessed in every language and nation throughout the
world.
God gave the nations their many manifold languages, and has blessed His word's
translations into many languages and dialects to instruct the lost and bring
them to the saving knowledge of His precious Son, Jesus Christ. Millions have
been saved through the name of Jesus Christ. Sinners have come to tears and
repentance as that name has been preached. Divine and wonderous healings have
occurred that changed the lives of millions, including my own life, in that
wonderful Name!
Nothing should cause righteous indignation to arise in a
true Believer's heart than the oppression of ungodly men when they tempt the
Christian to DENY HIS NAME. From the days of the early Church, the martyrs of
Jesus Christ have been many, all because they chose to CONFESS HIS NAME before
men. They were cruelly nailed to crosses like their Savior. They were burned at
the stake. They were tortured beyond recognition. And they died confessing that
name.
even in modern America, Christians have been abducted by Satanists BECAUSE they
were Christians. They have been chained to altars and nailed to crosses, all the
while being tempted to deny that Name. They chose to DIE rather than deny that
name. America's unknown martyrs are many.
And His name is not limited to any single language. God, Who knows the hearts of ALL men, knows what a person is saying in ANY language when they repent under conviction through the preaching of the Gospel, and cry out for His Son Jesus Christ to come into His heart. The Holy Spirit, the great discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts of men, knows our hearts.
There have been several times in my life when it was
demanded of me that I refuse to speak His name or witness or pray using His name
and the words in my Bible referring to God, Lord, etc. But to ask that of me, a
mature Christian, was tantamoun to demanding that I deny my Savior, Whose word
has commanded that I CONFESS HIM BEFORE MEN.
And to pray without ceasing using His name.
Once while in prison for Christian pro/life activities in 1991, the director of the prison (Danny Thompson of NC State Prison for Women) demanded of all the fellow women in our prolife group the following:
"In THIS place, you are FORBIDDEN to WITNESS your faith to even one other inmate...you are FORBIDDEN to have Bible studies with even one other inmate...and you are FORBIDDEN to pray with even one other inmate. IF WE CATCH YOU, it is a major offense. You will be sent to the solitary confinement cells in the death row building ONE MONTH PER OFFENSE. Have I made myself clear???"
Everyone sat silently absorbing the serious impact of those words. We knew from the secret warnings of another inmate the severe consequences that would follow. An earlier group of three women had insisted that they would indeed pray together and witness and have Bible studies. They were immediately apprehended for their "offenses" and thrown into solitary confiement cells. The spiritual leader of the group was then forcibly sedated 20 hours a day with mind control drugs to keep her under their control.
Finally, I raised my small pocket Bible in the air and said, "But what IF what you are telling us to do, and what our Bible tells us to do, are two different things???" The director replied sharply, "Break THESE rules, and you will suffer the consequences!" Sobered, we returned to our cells.
I lay awake all night surrounded with other inmates sleeping. But sleep was impossible for me. I knew my health was fragile by then. Previous arrests and sentencing to jails across America for Christian pro/life activities had worn me out. It would only take several solitary confinement experiences to break my health completely. Yet I was a deeply committed Christian, and knew that I was called above all to OBEY GOD rather than man. And His Word had commanded me to CONFESS HIS NAME before men, regardless of the cost from wicked men.
By morning, my decision was made. I would remain faithful
to my Jesus Christ and pray, witness and share the word of God with other
inmates, regardless of the price to be paid. But the leader of the group did not
have the strength of my convictions and asked all of us to remain silent and
cooperate with authorities. Deeply grieved, I pointed out what the Word of God
commanded of us as believers, and said that I would continue to obey God rather
than man.
And tragically, for this, the leader of our pro/life group cammanded the others
to stay away from me and to no longer associate with me, since I would not obey
their "rules.|"
But I remained faithful to my convictions and to the Word
of God. I boldly began to witness openly to other inmates, to pray with them,
and share the Bible. Guards began to follow me everywhere. I knew I could pay
the price for obedience at any time. BUT I KNEW GOD WAS WITH ME IN THIS!
And as a result of obedience to His law rather than the rules of men, a miracle
occurred...Senator Jesse Helms intervened and caused the prison sentence of a
year and a half to be dropped! We were all released in a matter of weeks
instead. Glory to the mighty name of Jesus Christ!
Friends, as the winds of persecution begin to blow across our nation, I want to inform America's Christians that THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE! It will be either obedience to ungodly men, or obedience to the Lord God the Almighty and His eternal Word. There are NO "RULES" of earthly men that are HIGHER than the WORD OF GOD! Read the Bible in Acts carefully to see how the early Apostles were arrested and beaten by authorities after having been commanded to no more preach or speak the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. And their response? "We ought to obey God rather than man!" And defying the authorities of their day, including religious authorities, they continued to spread the wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, not only throughout Jerusalem, but unto the uttermost parts of the earth! Millions of souls now stand in heaven's courts rejoicing at the redemption of the Lamb of God in their lives, all because of the faithfulness of those who refused to DENY HIS NAME but confessed Him before men.
I was shocked recently to stay in one home while visiting in Costa Rica in which I was given an ultimatum: either stop praying, worshipping and witnessing using the name of Jesus Christ, God, Lord, etc. (which is found in the pages of my King James Bible) or I would be forced to leave. This was the only home I had at that time, and I had no emergency financial support to enable me to make a transition at that time. No transportation, no finances, no alternative. And living in a strange country.
I was grieved and deeply disappointed with such a request. Going out to pray, I thought about it. Feeling weak, helpless, I spent time in prayer. I had spent hours every day at the computer, researching and typing up reports for this website and obtaining new information. Often I would receive emails indicating our website readers were in crisis across America as this police state unfolds around us. I would pause to say a prayer immediately for my friends in danger. Some were recieving black helicopter visits, others observing roadblocks, etc. But even for this, I was reproached.
"I heard you praying using the Name of Jesus while at the computer," he said accusingly. I was stunned. Did he realize what he was saying??? Here are my friends across America, facing life threatening dangers as the police state unfolds, and he was criticizing ME for using the wonderful name of Jesus Christ to pray??? NO words were sufficient for my shock. I would also spend time in my bedroom in this home, praying for hours for my nation and for the readers of this website. And for this I was also reproached! "We can HEAR you using the name of Jesus Christ," was the complaint.
Yet this home was void of genuine group prayer, worship and praise gatherings. In the midst of such tragic occurrences in our nation unfolding, no one would take the time to pray with me, to intercede for our nation, to gather in worship and praise to petition God on behalf of our nation. I found myself standing alone. And even for this, I was rebuked.
I returned that night after thinking about all these things. I was given an ultimatum: either agree to these terms ("household rules") or I was out. I looked at this person and replied, "I would rather DIE than stop using the name of Jesus Christ!" (And I meant it.) Angered that I replied thus, he said, "Then you are out!"
The next night, my possessions were thrown out by the side of the street. I was forced to leave, at night, without even being able to make prior arrangements to find another place to stay in. One houseguest even added insult by hurling profane statements at me and verbally harassing me as I left. He then stood by the side of the road to make sure that he would prohibit anyone from coming to help rescue me. Tempting me one more time to agree to stop using the wonderful name of Jesus Christ in their home, I was offered the option to return IF I would comply. I looked at him and replied, "I would rather DIE than deny His name!" They left me in the dark.
I was alone, destitute, my life already endangered, and now homeless on the streets of a foreign country. But as I prayed, such wonderful peace flooded my heart. The Holy Spirit spoke to me clearly: "I have allowed this trial to come into your life to test your heart. Will you wholly follow Me, even if you suffer rejection? Even if your life is at risk? Will you lay down your life to obey Me?" And my irrevocable answer to Him was yes that night, even through tears.
I prayed for God to show me His perfect will in this trial of my faith. And that night, slowly one miracle after another began to unfold. My Jesus heard my voice and witnessed my tears and helpless situation, and began to miraculously provide for my needs. I spent that night in a most beautiful location, and rested wonderfully. The next day, as I contacted my website readers and shared my crisis, one after another they began to respond with love and compassion and generosity. Doors began to open up, and I was rescued completely from this crisis. Glory to God!
And thank God for the loving support of His people! How I love them. I spend 10/12 hours a day on the computer on their behalf, because I love God's people in this critical hour in my nation. I care about them. I want them to know the truth. No one has paid my salary for these hours and labor, nor my webmaster. We have done it all freely, out of love for God and our nation.. and for you. And our website friends came through beautifully in this crisis. Thank you!
But this is my response forevermore to those who would seek to hinder my liberty in Jesus Christ, to freely speak His name in ANY language, to pray in His name and to witness His word as well. I WOULD RATHER DIE.. be thrown out into the night...have my life jeopardized as a result, THAN TO DENY HIS NAME. NO MAN has been given any form of authority to command me to disobey His word. I am simply obeying His word, "He that confesses me before men..."
And friends, a mature Scriptural response is what God calls ALL of His people to in this hour. He has promised "I will never leave you nor forsake you." And through such crises, He will remain faithful to those who remain faithful to Him.
Friends, do NOT for ANY reason be moved to DENY HIS NAME. Yes, you WILL be tempted by the NWO forces of darkness and oppression in the times to come in America...and throughout the world. And the consequences of obeying God rather than man may be severe. God's word has guaranteed it. My research has confirmed it. But God's Word is greater! And in all these things, we can rise up in faith to be MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US.
Even when you are FORBIDDEN TO CONFESS THE NAME OF JESUS...
Pam Schuffert
