When we are baptized, we are baptized with the name of a god. Then the question is: Who is that god? Are there many gods in this world, or only a few, or is there just one? There are many. Though they are invisible, gods are far more numerous than the human population. So we hear stories from people who have encountered these various gods.

But because those gods cannot be seen, their stories are often treated as absurd. Yet the Bible already contains many accounts about these gods. Those who believe in Jesus are not controlled one-sidedly by these gods. Instead, they can rule over them. They can rule over various gods. You are afraid of demons, aren’t you? But after believing in Jesus, you do not need to fear them. Now you can rule over them. You can command them and drive them out. This is not something only special people can do. Anyone who possesses the name of Jesus—that is, anyone who has been baptized—can do this.

Right now, we may know only a part of how amazing what we have received truly is, but the fact that we were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ itself is an extraordinary reality. Now we are coming to know this amazing thing. The more we come to know it, the more excited we will become. This is truly a joyful thing. This joy does not disappear no matter what happens in the world. Even when we are weeping, that joy remains as the foundation. In the past, when we did not know God, even if we were smiling, we were basically weeping inside. But after believing in Jesus, even if we are weeping, joy and happiness remain as the foundation. It is truly amazing. And when we think about the happiness and the glory contained in the name of Jesus and the wonderful things we will receive in the future, we may find ourselves suddenly smiling even when we are sitting alone. If such joy is not in us, then we are not fully enjoying the life of faith, and we do not know the value of His name.

There are many gods in the world, and each one has a name. For example, in the past, when a person died, people wrote a memorial tablet and offered ancestral rites. On it, they wrote something like “○○○ Haksaeng Bukun Sinwi (學生府君神位).” The word Sinwi means the personality of a god. So “Hong Gil-dong Haksaeng Bukun Sinwi” means that the name Hong Gil-dong is the name of that god. Next, angels also have names. They are gods as well, and each one has a name.

So think about this. What should we call the god we believe in—the god we have come to know through Jesus Christ as we come to church? Every time we speak, should we say, “You know, the god who raised Jesus Christ from the dead—I believe in that god!” Or, “About four thousand years ago, that god appeared to a man named Abraham, and because Abraham obeyed His words, many people are being blessed. I am now in fellowship with that god!” Saying it like this is complicated, isn’t it?

That god appeared to a man named Moses. He said to Moses, “I will deliver your nation.” At that time, the nation was living under colonial rule in Egypt. They were slaves. So he said, “I will go and deliver them. I will bring them out of Egypt. But I will not drag them out by force. Moses, you go and tell them to come out.” Then Moses had to go to Egypt and speak to the Israelites first. However, when he said, “A certain god sent me! He wants to bring you out!” the Israelites would surely ask, “Which God sent you? There are many gods—who is it?” So Moses asked that god, “When the Israelites ask me who that god is, what should I say?” because Moses himself did not know the name of that god.

Then that god answered, “I am the god who appeared to your forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!” In other words, he made it known that he was the same god who had appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob about four or five hundred years before Moses was active, and He added something amazing. He told Moses what he should be called. If that god had not told him the name by which he should be called, then every time Moses spoke about him—since there were many gods in the world—he would always have to say, “The god who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sent me!” Wouldn’t it always have to be like that? If someone asked, “Pastor Ki-Taek Lee, which god do you believe in?” and I had to answer, “The god who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who later appeared to Moses, and who later raised Jesus Christ from the dead,” it would be too long. So shouldn’t that god tell us something that lets us say it simply in one word? And what would that be? That is his name.

A name has various functions. There is a name used to call someone, and there is also a name that carries legal authority. For example, even if family or friends call someone Tom, the name that carries legal authority is probably Thomas. A name used simply to call someone does not carry strict legal rights and responsibilities. It is just a name used to distinguish or call a person among many people.

I am saying this because there is something other than a name used simply to call that god. You would agree that we need a name to call that god. If a name did not have that function, we would say, “That god! This god!” So God gave a name to be used when someone calls Him. Do you know what that name is? Some of you may have heard it. “Jehovah!” Have you heard it? Then what about “Yahweh”? These two are the usual pronunciations, but when it is written, it is written as YHWH. In this way, there is a name that that god gave to be used to call him or refer to him. But neither Jehovah nor Yahweh is the exact pronunciation. Because of God’s command, “Do not take the name of God in vain,” people did not pronounce that word at all. Whenever that word appeared, they simply read it as “Lord.” As hundreds of years passed, no one knew how to pronounce that word anymore. Later, some people tried to pronounce it by adding vowels to it. That is how the words Jehovah and Yahweh came to be. But even now, most Bible versions write it in capital letters as LORD. Anyway, the name written as YHWH was the name given to refer to God and to call Him. It is different from a name that carries legal authority.

For example, there is the American novelist Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He has a pen name. It is Samuel Langhorne Clemens. There are various reasons for using such a name, and one of them is this: when someone writes a novel, there are people who dislike the content. Some criticize or insult the writer. In the past, female novelists especially received such mockery even more. So people who did not want to receive such treatment under their real name often used a pen name. But if someone used a pen name to make a contract at a bank and signed “Samuel Langhorne Clemens,” would it have any effect? No, it would not. That is only a name used to be called by; it is not a name with legal authority. It cannot represent that person. To represent someone—there are rights that belong to that person, aren’t there? If there is money in the bank, how do we know whose money it is? We know it by the name. An account is opened under a name. Even if someone signs “Samuel Langhorne Clemens,” the bank will not give the money. One must use the legal name. That legal name carries responsibilities and rights. When that name is recorded, a person can obtain money with it and exercise authority with it.

A pen name and a name with legal authority are different. The name that contains all the power I have, all the glory I enjoy, and even all the criticism I receive—the name that reflects the rights and responsibilities that belong to me, the name that is completely identical with who I am—is the name used legally. So the name called Jehovah, or Yahweh, or written in capital letters as LORD, that is, the name written as YHWH, is not the name that contains God’s eternal glory and authority.

If God were to give someone the name He has had from eternity, it would mean He is giving all the rights, all the glory, and all the good things He possesses. Giving a name means giving everything. Long ago, there was a man named Joseph. Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob—the youngest son among the ancestors of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. At the age of twenty, he was sold and became a slave, but because he was very faithful and because God was with him and guided him, he became the prime minister of that nation. And because he carried out the work of a prime minister so well and was so trusted, the king gave Joseph all the authority he himself had. Then how was that authority given? Where was that authority? The king of Egypt wore a ring on his finger. It had a large jewel on it, and a name was engraved on it. Whose name was that? It was the name of the king. What was it used for? It was not a ring used for decoration. It was not one of many beautiful rings. Not all rings are the same. This ring had a name engraved on it, and in short, it was a seal. It was the king’s seal. At that time, it was called a signet ring. It was a ring used to stamp a seal. Without that seal—without the signet ring—the king could issue commands and write decrees to send everywhere, but if there was no seal on it, the people who received it would say, “How do we know this is from the king?” and ignore it. So the seal had to be stamped on it. In the past, people used wax. They melted the wax and poured it out in a circle, and when it hardened, it became firm. Before it was completely hardened, they pressed the signet ring into it. Then it was sealed. After that, it was used both for stamping and for sealing. If the seal was removed, it had no effect. If the seal was broken before the recipient received it, it had no effect. If they looked inside and saw no seal stamped, it also had no effect. So the signet ring had authority. All power was in it. If the seal was stamped saying, “Let the people live,” then the people had to be spared. If the seal was stamped saying, “Execute the people,” then the people had to be executed.

So the king’s authority was in that signet ring, but that is only a parable. All the rights are in the name. So think about it. How great is the authority God has? Where would God’s authority be contained? It is contained in God’s name. God’s authority is contained in His name. God’s happiness is contained in His name. God’s glory is contained in His name. God’s power is contained in His name. Does He give that name to just anyone? He does not give it to just anyone.

If a stranger calls you and says, “Hello,” and he knows your name, how do you feel? You wonder, “How does this person know my name? I don’t know them…” and it feels a bit uncomfortable. When someone knows your name, it feels like something is being invaded, because knowing a name means, in a sense, having control over that person. Once someone knows your name, they can insult you. If a person insults you without knowing your name, that insult does not reach you. But if they know your name, the insult comes to you. It is the same with praise. If someone praises you without knowing your name, the praise does not reach you. But if that person knows your name, the praise comes to you. So if I possess someone’s name, I can completely grasp that person. Then would God teach His name to just anyone?

If God taught His name to anyone, that person could grasp God. That person could treat God’s name carelessly or honor His name, take all of God’s happiness, or use God’s rights. Therefore, He does not give it to just anyone. Everything God possesses, all of God’s beautiful things—life, God’s happiness, everything God has made—these include heaven, and they include the angels. And even the life, health, and happiness people need on this earth are all contained in that name.

But to whom would God give that name? If God were to give it to someone, is there anyone in this world He would want to give it to? Is there anyone who could give glory worthy of that name? Is there anyone clean enough to receive that name? No one. No one is qualified to receive that name. But God gave His name, His own name, to only one person. Who is that? His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to this earth two thousand years ago.

Jesus came to this earth and did many things, and the words He spoke as He worked made people angry. He said, “I have come in My Father’s name, and I do all these works in the Father’s name. The Father has given that name to Me.” Then people thought, “What? Are you saying your name is God’s name? How dare you call God your Father? How could God give His name to a person? How is the name of Jesus the name of God?” They treated Jesus as a blasphemer. But the strange thing is that the works He did while saying such things were works that no one could do unless God was with Him. The blind opened their eyes, the paralytic rose and walked, and even the dead came back to life. And when the wind blew and the waves rose, Jesus commanded them, and the waves became calm. So when people looked at the things He did, it seemed as if God was with Him, but they could not understand it at all. How could God, who is greater than heaven, give His name to just one person? That is why they killed Jesus.

But if He had died and everything ended there, people would have forgotten Jesus. But on the third day, on the day after three days had passed, His tomb was empty. He had risen. He rose just as He had said beforehand. And this is how we came to know the existence of the God who is invisible to our eyes. “Oh? It’s true! Jesus really rose! Someone truly raised Him!” Now we can believe the name of the One who raised Him. And what is His name? That very name of God is Jesus. Why? Because Jesus said that His name was the name the Father God had given to Him. And even though no one believed Him, He really rose from the dead just as He had said, and an impossible thing happened. So people came to know, “He really exists! And that name must really be true!” And so people confessed, “Wow, the name Jesus is truly the name of God!”

So God took the signet ring and gave it to whom? He gave it to His Son, Jesus. So Jesus carried out all His works with this name, and He gave us promises with that name. He said, “Until now you have asked nothing in God’s name. But from now on, ask whatever you desire in My name. Pray, and it will be done.” So when we truly ask in that name, our prayers are answered. Amazing things, unexplainable things, really happen. No one is an exception. Anyone who has been baptized can experience this. From now on, you can experience it.

What He commanded us with that name is this: “Be baptized in My name!” He called His disciples and said, “Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And teach them to observe all that I have commanded you, so that they may also be prepared to enjoy eternal life with Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom.” When Jesus gave this command, one important thing He said was, “Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Then of course they had to baptize. They went out, preached, and baptized in Jesus’ name. But when they baptized, what name were they told to use? They were told to be baptized in the name of God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit whom He would send—the name of God, that God. In whose name were you baptized? What did the pastor say when he baptized you? When he said, “I baptize you in the name of ○○,” whose name did he say? Whose name? That is important. Even if you forget everything else, you must remember that. In whose name were you baptized? You were baptized in God’s name—in the name of that God. But we said there are many gods in the world. Then among all those gods, whose name is it? It is the God who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who later appeared to Moses, and the God who raised Jesus from the dead. And we already know the name of that God. Why? Because of Jesus. Jesus said that His name was the name the Father had given Him. So what is the name of God? It is Jesus. That is why when we say we were baptized in the name of God, we are baptized in the name of Jesus. Then what is the name of the Son? Since God the Father gave that name to the Son, the name of the Son and the name of God are the same. God’s name is Jesus.

And what Jesus promised us is this: “Those who believe in Me will receive the Holy Spirit.” People in the world receive demons. Demons enter into them and do the works of demons. But we receive the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit does the works of the Holy Spirit in us. So now we are to receive the Holy Spirit. From now on, you must receive the Holy Spirit. Then amazing things will happen again. You must not receive demons but must receive the Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit comes, He comes in the name of Jesus. What is the name of the Holy Spirit? It is Jesus. Jesus promised this.

So when Jesus told His disciples, “Baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” and sent them out, do you know what the disciples said when they baptized? What name do you think they used when they baptized? The very name just mentioned, the name of Jesus. They said, “I baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ!” If they were to baptize exactly as Jesus’ words sounded, since He said to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, they would have to say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!” Some Catholic churches or other churches do this. But that is like this: “What is your father’s name?” “Father.” “What is your father’s name?” “Father.” “So what is the father’s name?” “Father.” How frustrating would that be? Just as you would answer, “My father’s name is ○○○, it is Hong Gil-dong,” in the same way, the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is Jesus. That is why we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus places upon us the very signet ring He received from the Father—the ring that bears His own name. So we have now come to possess that amazing authority. The God who raised Jesus from the dead gave that amazing authority and power to His Son, and the Son has shared it with us. So being baptized means that we belong to the name of Jesus. Before that, we did not belong to the name of Jesus. Now, by being baptized, we have entered into the name of Jesus.

The Son of God is now in heaven, but He will come again to this earth. When He comes, He will take some people with Him to the eternal heavenly kingdom. For now, He sends the Holy Spirit from heaven, so we receive the Holy Spirit. Because He is working there even now, we cast out demons and our prayers are answered. The Son of God is there, though we cannot see Him. But when He comes again, He will call. Whom will He call? In one word, He will call, “Jesus!” Then all who belong to the name of Jesus will go. Those who had died will have their spirits rise. They will put on a new body and be resurrected. Those who are alive—while they are walking, the moment He calls “Jesus!” they will be instantly changed, and from the viewpoint of those on earth, the person suddenly disappears. And they will rise together into the air. The air means this space of the universe. They will go somewhere in the air. And that is not the end. After being there, they will come down to this earth again. And after coming down, they will go again to the heavenly kingdom.

But think about this. When we come down from the air, from outer space, we will be with Jesus in that space of the universe, and then we will come down. What would it look like? It would look like astronauts, wouldn’t it? Like astronauts invading. When people hear about such things, they should quickly repent and believe in Jesus, but instead they will not believe and will fight. When Jesus comes down with those people, they will say, “Aliens!” and they will fight, shooting at them. Such things are recorded in the Book of Revelation as the battle of Armageddon. So the devil is constantly working so that people will think in such a way. So when people suddenly disappear, they should say, “Wow! The Bible is being fulfilled!” But at that time people will think like this: “Oh? Aliens took the people away!” because people will suddenly vanish. And then those people will come down again, won’t they? Jesus and the saints will come down. Then people will cause an uproar trying to fight. But it will be useless, because He is the Lord of power. He is now the Lord whose power even death cannot overcome. So they will all be destroyed. The strange thing is that people will not believe until the very end. The world is already preparing everything in that way. Now with all this talk about aliens, aliens, they keep planting the idea of aliens in people’s minds. And strangely, when aliens supposedly take people, they lift them straight up into a flying saucer so that they float upward. This is to confuse people about what will happen in the future. In this way, our faith is not science fiction. It is something that will actually happen, and even if people do not believe, the world is moving in that direction. What is written in the Bible is not something to ignore.

A person who is baptized in the name of Jesus owns the signet ring God has given, so that person possesses God’s authority. That is why He says to ask for anything in that name. “God, for my spiritual life, I truly need this. Not so that my flesh may prosper and I may live well and die comfortably on this earth, but so that my soul may prosper and the things You desire may be accomplished—God, I need this and this. God, please give this to me!” We must clearly stamp the seal. If we do not stamp it, it will not work. We must stamp it firmly, and that is the name of Jesus. So the reason we always say at the end, “In Jesus’ name I pray,” is that we are acknowledging this again ourselves. Even if we do not verbally say, “In Jesus’ name I pray,” it does not really matter. But when we pray, we should always pray acknowledging, “The name of Jesus is in me. I rely on the name of Jesus, and the authority God gave to His Son is also in me, so I use this to ask God.”

And we cast out demons with the name of Jesus. But even if I do not insist, “Go out in the name of Jesus!” the demons recognize the name of Jesus that is in me. So even as they come, they tremble. I have often seen that when trying to cast out demons in church, the demon trembles and leaves even before being cast out. Sometimes, even when nothing is happening, a person sitting nearby suddenly trembles. When Pastor Ki-dong Kim was young, he prayed much and God worked greatly through him. One time, as he was passing by, a shaman in the countryside was plowing a field. The shaman saw Pastor Kim Ki-dong and immediately rolled over and fell. The demon left. After that, that person could no longer work as a shaman. The demon recognized the name of Jesus in Pastor Kim Ki-dong. And this also happened two thousand years ago to a man named Paul. Paul was traveling to preach, and a demon-possessed woman said, “You are a servant of God!” The demon recognized Paul. “The name of Jesus that is in you is truly the Most High!” So Paul said, “Be quiet! Go away!” and the demon left. When the demon left, the woman could do nothing. She had been a fortune teller because of the demon. But when the demon left, she had no spiritual power. So her master’s business failed, and the owner gathered people from the town to seize Paul and try to kill him. In this way, the name of Jesus that we have is amazing.

So we must clearly understand that when we were baptized, you were baptized in the name of Jesus. So now I belong to the name of Jesus. I am Pastor Ki-Taek Lee, and when Jesus comes and calls, “Ki-Taek, come!” each personal name may be important, but before God, we are all inside the name of Jesus. When He calls, “Jesus!” do not say, “My name is Ki-Taek Lee, so that has nothing to do with me.” I have already become one with Jesus through His name. So when He calls, “Jesus!” you must be able to answer, “Yes!”

So this is why we must not leave the church. A finger cannot come out by itself and say, “I alone am Ki-Taek!” It must stay attached to my body to be Ki-Taek. If it is separated, it is not Ki-Taek. In the same way, if I leave the church and say alone, “I am Jesus,” that becomes heresy. But inside the church, inside Jesus Christ, acknowledging, “Ah, I am receiving the same love as Jesus! I have the same authority!” — acknowledging this is faith. That is the life of faith.

So from now on, you must carefully look at what Jesus did, what He went through, and what glory He received. Why? Because whose is all of that now? It is mine. It is not someone else’s. Everything Jesus experienced is what I will experience, and the glory Jesus received is my glory. If you think it belongs to someone else, you have no faith. If you think, “All of this is mine!” then you have faith. So to obtain the glory Jesus obtained, I also run toward it, and if Jesus suffered, then I also suffer for that. Therefore, clearly know how precious the name of Jesus that you possess truly is, cherish it, use it fully, and give glory to that name. I bless you in Jesus’ name. And when you do this, Jesus said He would give the Holy Spirit as a gift. Now I will continue to speak to you about the Holy Spirit.

Since you personally possess the name of Jesus, now expect that the Holy Spirit—who had worked only for God—will also come into you, rule over you, and work in you. I bless you in the name of Jesus that it will be so.

God our Father, we thank You for not only saving us, who were originally destined to hell, but also for uniting us with Jesus Christ, allowing us to share in God’s authority and glory. We pray that Your great love may fill the hearts of our souls with Your happiness and joy. As You have promised, pour out the Holy Spirit upon them, that the Holy Spirit may be with them forever. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen!