Father God, our God, our Father, Your Son who made Himself the least said these three great things. First and foremost, that YOUR name be hallowed; that YOUR kingdom come; that YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, BEFORE we ask for anything for ourselves, He spoke of these three primary and overarching things. And right at the top of the list, as the first and foremost and supreme priority, it is that YOUR name be hallowed. That YOUR name be preeminent and prominent in all things, at all times, and in all ways. Not HIS own name, but His Father’s. Not OUR name. Not MAN’s name. He made Himself least and of NO REPUTATION so that YOUR name may be hallowed. And for that reason, now the least is the greatest.

And for all those who claim to follow Christ, for if they truly followed Christ, they would do as He did, which is what “to follow” means, which is to do all things that YOUR name be hallowed, but those who do things in the NAME of Christ so that THEIR names be hallowed, therefore do not follow Christ in both spirit and truth. They have become a stumbling block to those who they have been called to point TO the name above all names. Like the law POINTS to Him, as a light unto the world, we are all to point the hearts of man TO HIM, not to ourselves. For if we point them to ourselves, we have missed the mark. We have missed the calling and the faith and the hope that is love. And we have become a stumbling block. And the word is clear in what is says about being a stumbling block (Luke 17:2).

They have given themselves names so that man should look to them. So that they may be famous and "have a reputation". But it is Christ alone who will give us our kingdom names, when the time is right. It is not for ourselves to give ourselves a kingdom name. For whilst the first Adam gave every living thing its name before the fall, it is the last Adam who saved us from that fall who will give us all our new names in the kingdom of God (Revelation 2:17). It is to His glory that He be the one to give us all our new name. And only then will we be known. For it is not our time and season, but HIS. We are not to give ourselves names. Just as in the natural it is the parent who gives the child its name, in the spiritual, it is the Father who gives His own their kingdom names. If we look to the gospels, it was God alone who gave the disciples their new kingdom names. If you look to the account of Jesus in Philippians, it says "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name."

In all our labour of love, which is the greatest of these three, being faith, hope and love, our lives are to become the least so that He may become the greatest, so that HIS NAME may be hallowed. For it is only when people look to Him that they become what they look at. And if we make man look to man instead, which is to make ourselves an idol unto man, that is what he will become. Which is to become that which falls short of the glory of God. Which is to be like man, instead of like Him, like Father like son. For He has called us all higher, to rise from the rubble and ruin of the fallen nature into the resurrection glory that is available to all only through HIS NAME, which is only possible if, before anything else, HIS NAME is hallowed.

Our prayer for all those who seek their fame and the fame of THEIR NAMES instead of HIS NAME, that the grace of God wash over us all, and restore the hearts and souls and minds of all of us who are leading men to look unto themselves, unto man, that their name be hallowed, that man should be famous, that in this life that THEY should be known, where man is but a shadow of the One whose name is above all names, that Your glory and grace redirect and correct the hearts and motives of all, that like the Son who showed the way perfectly before all the sons, which was to be of NO REPUTATION that YOUR name may be hallowed (not man’s), that YOUR kingdom may come (not man’s), that YOUR will be done on earth as it is in heaven (not man’s). This we ask and pray and thank You for, for all brothers and sisters, for all of us who seek to take up our cross and follow You up the mountain, in the holy and hallowed name of Jesus, amen and amen.

“But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.” - Matthew 23:8

“ And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.” - Matthew 23:9