JEHOVAH RAAH PART 2

In the bible’s narration of Christ being born, Luke 2:1-21, the first people that were told about the birth of Christ were the shepherds.   Verses 8-10 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.”

I believe God shared this news with the shepherds because they related to a particular part of God’s heart. The shepherds were constantly with their sheep feeding, guiding, protecting, and caring for the their needs, just as God (Jehovah Raah) does for us. God knew they would receive the revelation of Christ’s birth and understand the One True Shepherd was coming to earth in human form.

Verse 15-16 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

Their heart’s must have been filled with joy and excitement as the revelation of God’s love and mercy flooded them. They could not contain the news.

Verse 17-18 And when they saw it, they made known what had been told them concerning this Child, 18 And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them.

Verse 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

In John 10:11 Jesus declares, “I am the good Shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” Jesus gave His life so we could be reconciled with God.

I pray your hearts are filled with joy, excitement, and praise as we celebrate the birth of Christ.

ABBA FATHER Part 2

When I reflect on the heart of Father God, I think about God’s tenderness toward man. He is a forgiving, loving Father, intimately involved in every detail of our lives.

In my last post I mentioned the narrative of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32.   The younger son is asking for his inheritance and by doing so will break all ties with his father and family.  In biblical culture this request was considered a serious act of rebellion which would have resulted in refusing the request, anger from the father, and severe punishment toward the son.  In the story we see that the father did not respond this way, but instead gave the son his inheritance and allowed him to leave.  As we read further the son loses all he had, is truly sorry for his behavior, and desires to return to his father.  Verse 20. His father sees the son coming toward him and runs to meet him.  For the father to run and meet the son is completely against Jewish culture.  This was an act that never would be done in public. Jewish men did not run because that would require them to pick up their skirt and expose their bare legs.  In this situation,  it would be appropriate for a father to punish his son by making a public spectacle of him and not allowing him inside the city gate for several days. The father’s motive would to bring shame on the son. Also, when a son lost his inheritance to Gentiles, there was  a ceremony that the community would perform called “ kezazha”.  This consisted of the people yelling at the son, “you are now cut off from your people!”  Then they would totally reject him and not permit  him to come back into the city.  However, by running to his son the father allowed himself to take the shame, humiliation, and rejection that the son deserved.  Instead of rejection and unforgiveness toward his son, the father forgave him and welcomed him with unconditional love.  The desire of the father’s heart  was one of reconciliation.

The Pharisees were shocked as Jesus described the father’s unorthodox behavior. They did not understand that Jesus was introducing them to Abba Father.

Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39  For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Father, I thank You for Your desire to be our Father. I  request that as we seek You, our eyes are opened to Who You are and to Your unconditional love for us.

ABBA FATHER

Throughout the first four books of the New Testament, (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Jesus referred to God as Father.

When Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray He instructed them to address God as our Father. (Matthew 6:9).

In Mark 14:36 Jesus cried out to God and addressed  Him as Abba Father.  “And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.”  

This name Abba reflects a relationship of personal intimacy which also consists of our submission, dependence, and trust in God.

That same intimacy that Jesus had with God is available to all born again Christians. Romans 8:14-15 and Galatians 4:6 explain that when you accept Jesus as Your Savior, you become adopted by God and are entitled to all the advantages of His natural Son (Jesus). What a wonderful privilege we have as an adopted child of God to be able to call Him Abba Father.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult to know God as He really is. We may view Him based on our experiences with our earthly father. For example, If our earthly father was absent in our life, we could see God as not being there or not providing for us. If our father was abusive we might look at God as unloving. An authoritative father could cause us to form our relationship with God based only on rules rather than intimacy.

The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 expresses the unconditional love the father has for his sons. Not only did he accept the son who left home and squandered his inheritance, the father also reached out to the older son who was filled with anger. Both were rebellious and both received grace from their father.  This is a picture of God’s love for us

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Isaiah 30:18 gives us a beautiful description of the love that Our Father, Abba God, has for us.  “And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Abba Father, open our eyes to the revelation of Your heart for us, a Father’s heart. Help us to see the reality of Who You are.

JEHOVAH-ORI

GOD'S LIGHT PROTECTS, DIRECTS, REVEALS TRUTH, AND GIVES LIFE

The translation of this name is, “Lord light”, or “the Lord is my light.”

Psalm 27:1 states, “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread?”

My first response to the question, “What is light?” would be, it is the opposite of darkness. When we are in the dark physically, we cannot see which direction to go and we may not be safe. If you have ever experienced a power outage it is common to fumble around until you can find a source of light. At this point you no longer fear which way to turn or fear bumping into some unknown object. The light has offered you protection and direction.  

1 John 1:5 says, “ And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him (Jesus) and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way]”.   

Because God is light, He gives us protection and direction.  

2nd Kings chapter 6 gives an account of  Elisha being surrounded by enemy soldiers. When Elisha’s servant saw the magnitude of the enemy he was frightened. Verse16, “ Elisha told his servant ‘Don’t be afraid! For there are more on our side than on theirs!’ 17 Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!’ The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.”  (this was an army of angels)

God’s light miraculously showed the servant that the army of the Lord was with them and it was greater than the enemy’s army. God’s light revealed the truth to the servant.

2nd Corinthians 4:4 states, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God”.

However,  Jesus told the people in John 8:12,  “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, (no longer be blind)  because you will have the light that leads to life .”

The light of God gives us life by revealing Who He is and the Truth of His Word.

In Genesis 1:3 God spoke light into existence. God desires today to speak light into our life, into our situations, into our hearts.

    

JEHOVAH Part 2

Another meaning for the name Jehovah is “the Revealing One.” It communicates God’s name in a very personal way. It is a supernatural disclosure of God as our intimate, personal God.

Romans 1:20 says,  “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

God reveals Himself to us in many ways:

His written Word: 2nd Timothy 3:16

His good works: Psalms 40:1-5

Works of believers: Psalms 9:1

Through Holy Spirit: John 14:26

His Creation: Psalms 19:1

The most powerful revelation of God to man was through His Son, Jesus. Because of God’s love for mankind, He was willing to send Jesus to take our punishment of death, so we could be reconciled with God. This sacrifice shows man the enormity of God’s love. Through the life of Jesus, we are able to see the character of God. John 14:9-11  If you have seen Me (Jesus), you have seen the Father.

In Exodus 19:4 God tells the Israelites He brought them to Himself. This is such a beautiful depiction of God’s desire for intimacy with man and it is still today, the desire of God’s heart.  I believe God is continually saying to us, “Here I am. Won’t You come to me?”

Many times I have asked myself, “why would God want a relationship with me?”  The answer is simple yet profound …..we were created for relationship.

God has given us a wonderful gift in the revelation of Himself.

JEHOVAH

Isn’t it amazing that there is no one single name that can completely describe the greatness of Who God is?  Yet God, Who is so magnificent, desires that we know Him intimately and in the fullness of Who He is. The more extensive our understanding of God’s greatness, the more we become in awe of Him.

One of God’s names is Jehovah. This name appears in the bible more than any other. The name Jehovah comes from the name Yahweh and has been considered by the Jewish people to be too holy to speak or to write. When scribes would translate the Old Testament manuscripts, they would remove the vowels and only write YHWH. This was a name that filled the Jewish people with awe because they realized the worthiness and holiness of the name. It saddens my heart when I see how today God’s name has been reduced to a slang phrase that is carelessly spoken and used almost in a comedic way.(OMG)

There are several dimensions to the name Jehovah. Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word that means “to be” or to become. He is the self-existent Creator Who always has been and always will be. He Himself was not created, He always was and is.  When Moses was going to speak to the Israelites in behalf of God, he asked God Who should I say that You are? Exodus 3:14-15

14 God replied to Moses, “I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is My eternal name, My name to remember for all generations.”  In essence God was and still is saying, “I am that I am. I am the self-sufficient One. I am everything you will ever need. I am with you. I am eternal. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. This name, Jehovah, declares the absolute existence of God and reveals Him as the dependable, faithful God Who desires the full trust of His people.

God is saying those same words to us today.  “I am all that you need. Won’t you TRUST ME?”

KNOW GOD'S NAME

Do you want to know God intimately and have  a personal, loving, close relationship with Him? As in any relationship, part of the process of becoming close to someone is learning who they are - their personality and character. This principle is the same in our relationship with God. One way to become more closely acquainted with God is by knowing His names. The names of God are a manifestation of His character. His names are synonymous with Who He is.

The Word of God encourages us to love the His name. Psalms 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread Your protection over them, that all who love Your name may be filled with joy.”

Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower ( a place of safety); The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil}

Psalms 113:1 declares, God’s name is blessed and encourages us to praise His name. “Praise the Lord! Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.  Praise the name of the Lord!  2 Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.”

Isaiah tells us our soul longs for God’s name and to trust in the name of the Lord. Isaiah 26:8, Isaiah 50:10

Isaiah 63:12 states, “ Who caused His glorious arm and infinite power to go at the right hand of Moses, Dividing the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name.”

God’s name is above all. Nehemiah 9:5

In Malachi 1:11 God says His name will be great among the nations.

God’s name is so holy that reverence of it is one of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn (dispute) the character of God].”

These few verses tell us God’s name is:

1. A strong tower
2. Blessed
3. To be praised and trusted
4. Everlasting
5. Great among the nations
6. Holy
7. Above all

Won’t you join me in discovering Who God Is?

ELOHIM Part 3

The next facet of God’s name Elohim, is the God Who makes covenants.  A covenant is stronger than a promise as we know it. A covenant is a binding agreement between two parties, a life long commitment, and a guarantee. God’s covenant, or promises, are between Himself and His people.

The name Elohim, first appears in Genesis 9:11-13.  God declared to Noah that He would never destroy the earth by a flood again. He gave us a rainbow as a reminder of that covenant. God also used the name Elohim when He promised Abraham that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars in heaven. (Genesis 15:2-6)  Abraham believed in that promise even though he and his wife were childless and well beyond child bearing years.

The greatest covenant God has given to mankind is salvation. Romans 10:9 “ If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Once we make the decision to allow Jesus to be Lord of our life, we are joined into a covenant relationship with God which gives us access to all of His promises.

When God makes a covenant with man, it is an agreement that He will not break. God differs from man in that He does does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever; and He cannot lie.

Numbers 23:19 says,  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent (change His thinking). Has He said, and will He not do it?  Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?”

  

Hebrews 6:16-18 states, “Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. 17 God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind. 18 So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.”

Think for a moment of the importance of these two truths...God can’t lie and He is faithful to His Word. God and His Word can be trusted in and through every circumstance. That statement gives me such a sense of security, knowing I can trust God completely and believe what He says is Truth.

Our faith grows as we begin to believe God’s Truth, His Word. We can depend on His promises and know that for every situation we face in life, God has an anecdote.

There is no situation that we can go through that God does not have an answer. God’s desire is always to be reconciled with His people and to bless us. Even when we feel we are alone God is saying: “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]. Hebrews 13:5

What an awesome promise. Just knowing God is always with me brings enormous peace and comfort.

I encourage you to stretch your faith, believe His Word and allow God to change your life.

Elohim Part 2

Let’s continue with God’s name, Elohim. We know that God created the universe and all that is in it. The most intricate, beautiful, and loved creation of God is you.  We were not only created by God, we were created in the image of God ( Genesis 1:26-27). We have the characteristics of God such as: intellect, reasoning, ability to hear, see, and speak and a personality. God created man to have dominion (rule) over the earth, to be His representative on earth, and to bring God glory ( acknowledge His greatness, give Him honor, and worship Him ).  Psalm 19:1 states “the heavens declare the glory of God.” If the rest of creation is glorifying (honoring, acknowledging, and worshiping) God, how much more should we, who are made in His image, glorify Him!

We are not here by accident. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own].”  The psalmist, David, spoke of this in Psalm 139: 13,15. “For You formed my innermost parts; You knit me ( together) in my mother’s womb, 15 my frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret, and intricately and skillfully formed.”  

We are created by God.

God, Elohim, the Creator of the universe not only created you, He desires to have a relationship with you. Scripture after scripture in God’s Word that expresses His love for us.

Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.”

Isaiah 30:18 “Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, and He waits on high to have compassion on you. The New Living Translation says “So the Lord must wait for you to come to him  so he can show you his love and compassion.”

Stop and think about that statement for a moment.

God, the Creator of the universe, desires and longs to have a relationship with you. He loves us before we are born and He loves us when we are at our worst.

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much,5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.”

The fact that the Creator of the universe loves and desires a relationship with each of us is overwhelming to me.  I am in awe of the magnitude of God’s love for us.

I encourage you to pray Ephesians 3:19 over yourself.  By that I mean substitute your name (or “I”) in the blanks “ [that ____ may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that ____ may be filled up [throughout my being] to all the fullness of God [so that ____ may have the richest experience of God’s presence in my life, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].”

 

ELOHIM

Today we’re going to proceed with another name of God, Elohim.  This is the first name of God in the bible. The first part of the name, El, describes God’s greatness, glory, power, might and sovereignty. Elohim brings us a new dimension to the power of God. He becomes the God Who creates. Total power and complete creativity make up the name Elohim.   Genesis 1:1-3 states, “in the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and created) the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.”

What a picture this scripture paints for us! God took nothing and created everything by speaking a word. I cannot fathom the power that came forth from God. Not only are we in awe of the greatness of His power, but His creativity is really beyond our comprehension. Every living creature and every plant has been uniquely created. Each one is distinct in appearance, function, and purpose. All are intricately entwined together in perfect balance.

It’s impossible to look at nature and not see the beauty of God’s creation.Try closing your eyes for a moment and think of the most beautiful thing you have ever seen. Maybe it’s a sunrise or a sunset, a beautiful ocean, a flower or a mountain. Whatever you have thought of, we, as man, can only attempt to duplicate the beauty of this scene, but God actually created it from nothing.  I’ve asked myself,  “How can this be?” The only answer is because God is our mighty, all powerful Creator.  Hebrews 11:3 tells us, “By faith—by believing God—we know that the world and the stars—in fact, all things—were made at God’s command; and that they were all made from things that can’t be seen.”

Another distinction about the name Elohim is that it is plural. Elohim describes the divine Trinity of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three were involved in the creation process. I read this analogy once: God is the Architect, Jesus is the Builder, and Holy Spirit is He Who breathes the life of God into the structure.  Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 1:2-3, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish”. The Living bible says “where there is ignorance of God...” Learning God’s name and His character will bring us to a place of life and intimacy with God.

I pray that we will have revelation and be in awe of Elohim, the mighty Creator.

Revelation 4:11  “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created.”

EL ELYON PART 3

Today we’re going to continue with God’s name, El Elyon. During Wednesday night’s message at church, Apostle Byrd said, “we should have an appetite for the impossible.” I began thinking about things that seem impossible to me, but are NOT impossible to God the Most High. In Luke 18:27 Jesus said,” the things that are impossible with men are possible with God.” Two people in the bible recognized this aspect of God’s character.  One is Mary, mother of Jesus.

This is a familiar account for many. An angel approached Mary and told her she would become pregnant and that child would be the Son of God. Not only was this a physical impossibility since she was a virgin, but because she was not married, pregnancy would lead to disgrace and being stoned to death. Her response in Luke 1:34 was similar to what many of us have said in regards to God and His Word, “how can this be?” The angel told her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” He also told her in Luke 1:37  “with God nothing will be impossible.”

I believe at this point a revelation of Who God is came upon Mary because her response was, “ Let it be to me according to your word.” She saw the impossible become possible. She saw El Elyon, God Most High, as Who He is...Most High over the physical, Most High over the supernatural, Most High over every situation and circumstance.

Now let’s look at Daniel.  This historical account is found in Daniel 6. Daniel was taken to Babylon as a slave when he was a teenager. Although he was a slave, his intelligence, wisdom, and appearance secured him a high position in the king’s court. This caused men within the court to become jealous and they devised a plan to have Daniel killed. They tricked the king into signing a law stating whoever worships any god or man other than the king will be thrown into the lion's den.

Even though Daniel knew this law had been signed, he refused to dishonor God. Instead, he knelt down, prayed and thanked God. As a result Daniel was thrown into the lion's den which should have resulted in his death. Daniel knew the consequences of not following the law, but he chose to worship God.

I don’t know if Daniel was afraid, but I do know that he recognized God as Most High and would not worship another.

One thing I like about this story is in verse 16 when the king said, “your God Whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” Even the king recognized the power of God. In the natural there was no way Daniel could have lived through this torture, but God miraculously shut the lions’ mouths.

This took place thousands of years ago, yet today we are still facing the challenge of worshipping other gods. There are many things that can become a god  (anything more important than the God Most High) in our lives: money, lust, power, acceptance, fear, and the list goes on and on.

God desires to be Most High in each of our lives. When we recognize God for Who He is, the impossible becomes possible.