Tag Archives: bible

A Glaring, Daring Example of Intolerance

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This week we have witnessed one of the most graphic displays of the intolerance of the left-wing agenda in this nation. It all centers around an NFL football player – Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs – and remarks he made in a commencement speech at Benedictine College. During his speech, he made remarks concerning women, abortion, President Biden, Gay Pride Month, gender ideology, and the emasculation of men. In other words, he spoke concerning traditional Catholic values and beliefs. And for this he is being openly and publicly criticized. Calls for his dismissal from the Kansas City Chiefs have been ringing out ever since the speech was given.

Butker’s speech stands in stark contrast to so many others who publicly share their views espousing anti-Christian, anti-Biblical biases. Usually, those who stand in opposition to traditional Judeo-Christian values and beliefs are applauded in the public arena. Their views are heralded in mainstream media outlets as if they were speaking the voice of truth. But when what they say is compared to Biblical truth it becomes obvious that they are voicing error – at least in light of Biblical teachings.

For those of us who identify as followers of Jesus Christ, this should be yet another wake-up call. We are called to be witnesses to the truths of Scripture everywhere, and with everyone. We are to be ministers of righteousness, ministers of reconciliation, fishers of men, speaking forth the truth of God’s Word in sincerity, love and compassion for those who are outside the family of faith. We are to stand firm on the clear teachings of Scripture, striving to share the message of God’s grace in the midst of those who would demean that message.

Let’s remember who we are, and WHOSE we are, and to WHOM we owe absolute allegiance and commitment. We are children of God, having been born again through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. We now belong to HIM. We have been bought with a price, and because of that we are HIS possession. We are to herald the message of His grace to our part of the world – no matter how large or small our part of the world may be.

Harrison Butker used the stage he was privileged to speak from to share his beliefs. He had as much right to do that as anyone else. And now he is being vilified for speaking truth from his commitment to the teachings of the Catholic church. Whether we agree with him or not, we must accept the fact that he has every right to speak, and to encourage others to think seriously about the message he shared.

The world desperately needs to hear the truth of God’s Word. We are His heralds, propagating His message of salvation to a generation that is steeped in spiritual darkness. Let’s be the light that will lead them out of the darkness of death into the light of life – His life. And let’s use every opportunity given to us to speak forth the truth of His Word into a spiritually bankrupt generation.

Until next time:

Blessings!

How to Know God’s Will

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Having served as pastor for 40 years, and college professor for over 20 years, one of the questions I have been most often asked is, “How do I know God’s will for my life?” This is, indeed, a most provocative question. I have been asked this question in relation to so many different areas of life: marriage, college, career choice, ministry opportunities, and a plethora of others.

Let me say that it is always a blessing for me to hear someone ask this question, regardless of the area of life they are inquiring about. This is because it shows a desire to do what God wants the individual to do. I am always more than ready and willing to assist those who are genuinely interested in doing God’s will.

However, having said that, I must hasten to say that it is sometimes a demanding task to seek and find God’s will. And there is no one patent answer that can be given to the question, as God works differently in different individual’s lives. How one person determines God’s will does not guarantee that it will work in another person’s search.

So, having laid that groundwork, let’s dive into the question, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” I am going to look at the question in two distinct ways. First, let’s think of the question like this: “How can I know God’s will?” After giving consideration to that question, we will then ask the question as originally presented in this blog: “How can I know God’s will for my life?”

Henry Blackaby, in his phenomenal work, “Experiencing God”, says that to ask, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” is to ask the wrong question. He states emphatically that the correct question is, “How can I know God’s will?” Blackaby then says that to determine God’s will, all one has to do is to look around and see where God is working. Then, once you have determined where God is at work, recognize this as God’s invitation for you to join Him in His work.

This takes effort on the part of the individual. We must first put forth the effort to be observant. We can’t go through life wearing spiritual blinders. We must be alert and actively seeking to discern God’s activity. It may be in your child’s school, or in a neighborhood soup kitchen, or at a local chapter of crisis pregnancy center, or any number of places He may be at work. Some of these may be short-term, while others may be long-term or even permanent places of God’s activity. You then have the opportunity to join in the work as God gives opportunity to do so.

There have been times in my life in which I have felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit to join a particular work of God. The invitation was clear, and the work was obvious. It was a matter of me saying yes or no to this invitation of God. I’m sure you have had those occasions as well. This is God’s way of saying to us, “This is My will – I invite you to join Me in this work.” A positive response will result in seeing God work through us for the duration of time He chooses. This is determining God’s will.

But the question is most often worded as stated at the outset of this blog: “How do I know God’s will for my life?” And this is often coupled with a very specific question. “Is it God’s will that I marry this individual?” “Should I get married now, or should we wait a little longer?” “Is this the right career path for me to invest my life in?” “Is it time for us to make a move to a different location?” “Should I accept this invitation to change course and begin a new career?” “Is this the right time for us to start a family?” And a myriad of other questions, striving to discern God’s will for our lives.

It sure would have been nice if God had included an addendum to the Bible with a five-point plan, with action points to take which would help us come to a clear, unmistakable life choice that is dead-center in the will of God. But, alas, there is no such addendum. And, as I stated earlier, there is no plan that works for everyone. Seeking God’s will for our lives is an individual effort.

But, having stated the obvious, I will say that there are certain actions we can take as we strive to determine His will for our lives. I share these with the hope and prayer that they will prove to be of help as you seek God’s will.

Prayer is an indispensable ingredient in the search for God’s will. This one should go without saying, but for the sake of emphasis I put this at the top of the list. It is crucial that we maintain open lines of communication with the Father through the vehicle of prayer. And please remember that prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. We have a conversation with God by hearing Him speak to us through His Word, and then by responding to Him through prayer. Then, listen to His still, small voice to speak directly to our hearts as we get quiet before Him in that private place of prayer. And please remember this admonition from the Epistle of James: “If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and without reproach” (James1:5).

Second, I would suggest that to know God’s will we must surrender our will to Him. In the model prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” I have said many times that in order for His will to come in my life, my will must be done away with. I cannot sit on the throne of my life and have the Lord sitting on that throne at the same time. We must, as Paul says in Romans, present our bodies as living sacrifices for Him.

A third suggestion I would make is that we must be consistent in our walk with God. Our walk should be dictated by our staying in step with the Spirit of God. You have heard me quote Paul’s words on several occasions in which he encourages us to walk in the Spirit so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. That is the negative side of walking in the Spirit. But the positive side is that as we walk in the Spirit we will develop an ever-deepening fellowship with Him through which we sense His will.

Then, a fourth observation is that we should strive to live in obedience to the truths of God’s Word that we are already familiar with. We cannot hear His still, small voice through the clutter of a disobedient lifestyle. We must practice the truths of His Word, and He will then reveal more truth to us. As we learn more of His truth, we are able to more quickly and readily discern His will.

As a fifth suggestion I would make the observation that we must seek Godly input from fellow believers in whom we have confidence. We should be quick to ask for advice, counsel, and prayer from those whose walk with God is consistent, and from whom we can receive Godly advice.

A sixth and final suggestion I would make is to pay attention to how God has put into our DNA preferences for certain things, and a dislike for others. This is not to be put at the top of the list of priorities as we are sometimes deceived by our own personal preferences in life. But this does play an important role in seeking God’s will. He has wired us in such a way that we are naturally drawn to certain activities and actions, while others have no appeal to us at all.

There are certainly other suggestions that could be added to this short list, but if we would put these five into practice I feel it would go a long way in assisting us in discerning God’s will.

In closing, just remember that the question is two-fold: seek God’s will; and seek God’s will for your life. In so doing God will lead us into activities which we can join in as we observe His activity, and we can discern the broader scope of discovering His will for the long-term of our lives.

Hope this proves to be helpful.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Are We Reaping What We Have Sown?

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Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Psalm 33:12, NKJV

The verse above is a clear reference to the nation of Israel. The phrase, “the people He has chosen”, is a clear reference which takes the reader back to Genesis 12, where God called Abram and promised to make of him a great nation. Israel has always, from its very inception, been the chosen people of God.

However, even the very chosen people of God can lose God’s blessings if and when they choose to rebel against Him. We see this happen to Israel time after time in the pages of the Old Testament. The nation is, and shall always be, the chosen people of God by virtue of the fact that God made an unconditional covenant with Abram, and then another unconditional covenant with David. Unconditional covenants were those which had no binding component from the person(s) with whom God made the covenant. It was God’s promise to them, regardless of what they may or may not do.

Based on the fact that the Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant were unconditional means that nothing anyone does can alter the veracity of those covenants. God Himself guarantees that these covenants will always be secure and binding.

However, within the parameters of those unconditional covenants there is the possibility of the nation losing the conditional blessings of God. They don’t lose their status as the chosen people of God, but they experience the curses of God upon them for their national rebellion. We see this clearly in the pages of the Old Testament, the two major events displaying this reality being the Assyrian captivity of the nation of Israel in 722 BC and the Babylonian captivity of Judah in 586 BC. They were still God’s chosen people through the unconditional covenants with Abraham and David, but they were experiencing God’s judgment because of their breaking the conditional covenants of blessings and curses based on their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God.

My question is, can this be applied to the United States?

My question is, can this be applied to the United States? We are not the chosen people of God – only Israel fits that billing. No other nation that has ever existed can claim that designation. But the first part of the verse quoted above – “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” – could very well be understood to relate to any nation that chooses to follow the God of the Bible.

It is clear from the writings of our founding fathers that they envisioned this nation as a Christian nation. Not a religious nation, but a Christian nation. We have never been and can never be THE chosen people of God, but we are a nation that was formed with the desire to be a nation whose God is the LORD.

If that is true, then would not the same parameters and criteria that applied to the nation of Israel be applicable to our nation? Could the blessings and curses of God be based on the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of the nation toward God? Could it be that we have been blessed so greatly in the past due in large part because of our commitment to and friendship with the nation of Israel? God did promise Abraham that the nations of the world that blessed Israel would be blessed, and those that cursed Israel would be cursed.

It seems to me that the tide is turning (if it hasn’t already turned) from commitment to and friendship with Israel to growing dissension against Israel and growing agreement with Israel’s enemies. Watch the news and make note of the growing hostility toward the nation of Israel, and the growing affinity with Hamas. This is a dangerous change of attitude toward God’s chosen people that will result in losing the blessing of God and experiencing the judgment of God.

I know some would disagree with me, saying that this verse of Scripture has nothing to do with us. But when we consider the fact that we are a nation that began with the desire to adhere to Biblical principles based on the Christian worldview, then we can see how the first part of Psalm 33:12 does indeed apply to us. Our founding fathers envisioned us to be just that, a nation whose God is the LORD.

And a nation whose God is the LORD will be a friend to Israel, simply because of its desire to be faithful to God. I’m afraid that we are seeing a change in the attitudes of our nation that could result in us experiencing the judgment of God. Some would say that judgment has already begun. Why? We will reap what we sow.

Would you join me in praying for Israel? Would you lift them daily to the Lord, asking for His protection of, and His continual provision for, His beloved nation? And would you pray for our country, for our national leaders who play such a vital role in molding the mindset of the American people? And finally, would you pray for our nation to experience an outpouring of Holy Spirit power that will bring about spiritual renewal and revival across our land? God help us to be a friend to His people! And God help us to be faithful to our LORD.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Jireh

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Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

Genesis 22:13-14, NKJV

The story is very well-known. It is one of the most significant events in the life of Abraham. Imagine God speaking to you and giving you the command to sacrifice one of your children to Him as an act of obedience and worship. Imagine the emotional upheaval this would cause as you sought to be obedient to Him while at the same time trying to make sense of a command that stood in stark contrast to everything you had been taught about God.

The Old Testament made it clear that child sacrifice was part of the ritualistic practices of pagan peoples. They would sacrifice their children to their gods in times of difficulty as an act of pleading with their god for intervention. In 2 Kings 3 we have the record of the Moabite king Mesha offering his son as a sacrifice to his god because the battle with the Israelites was not going in his favor.

However, the Old Testament made it just as clear that this act of child sacrifice was an abomination in the eyes of God. Therefore, it makes this command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac all the more astounding. Isaac, after all, is the son of promise: the son through whom God had promised Abraham that his seed would be blessed, and ultimately be a blessing to all other nations. How could that be true if Abraham was to offer Isaac? Abraham’s bloodline would be cut off! God’s promises would be destroyed.

It is there, on Mount Moriah, that Abraham has now taken Isaac to fulfill this command of God. The altar has been prepared. The wood for the fire has been put in place. Everything is ready. Everything, that is, except the most important element: the sacrificial lamb. A few verses earlier Isaac had turned to his father, and the following exchange had taken place:

But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

Genesis 22:7-8, NKJV

Was this reply Abraham gave Isaac a desire to set Isaac’s mind at ease? Was Abraham trying to conceal from Isaac what was about to happen his attempt to keep Isaac from running away? Or, was this a sincere statement of faith on Abraham’s part? I guess no one can know for sure, but there is a pretty solid hint that this was indeed a statement of faith because earlier in the narrative, Abraham had given his servants who were traveling with them the following command:

And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

Genesis 22:5, NKJV

Again, is this a statement of faith, or did Abraham think that if he told them what was about to happen, they would try to forcefully intervene on Isaac’s behalf? And again, I choose to believe this was a statement of Abraham’s faith in God. He truly believed that he and Isaac would return from the place of worship.

And God honored Abraham’s faith. As he was about to drive the dagger into the flesh of Isaac, God graciously intervened!

But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” And Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.

Genesis 22:11-13a, NKJV

In the most horrific situation Abraham could have ever envisioned, God proved Himself to be the LORD who provides. And please, make sure you get the significance of the tense of the verb in this name of God. It is not, The-LORD-Did-Provide. This name of God is not only filled with importance for this event in Abraham’s life. It was not a one-time act of God providing. Rather, the name is, The-LORD-Will-Provide. It is the same tense of the name by which God revealed Himself to Moses: I AM! He is always and forever the present tense God. Yes, in the story of Abraham and Isaac the LORD did provide. This is an event that transpired in the distant past. But He is still The-LORD-Will-Provide for us today,

What difficulty are you facing today? Do you believe that right now, in your present situation, He is The-LORD-Will-Provide? He is with you, working on your behalf, providing your every need. He may provide for you by taking away the problem, or by giving you grace to live with the problem. But however He chooses to act, rest assured that He is still, and shall always be, The-LORD-Will-Provide.

Do as Abraham did: choose to believe.

Until next time;

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Shalom

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So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace.

Judges 6:24, NKJV

Are you ever uneasy? Do you suffer from bouts of anxiety? Does life cause you to be in a constant state of worry? Are there personal issues, family issues, financial issues, job concerns, national and international frictions and factions, etc. that constantly have you worrying about what’s going to happen next?

Well, if you answered yes to any of those questions rest assured: you are not alone. You bear a similarity to and are in company with multitudes of others who live day-by-day under a cloud of despair and confusion. We sometimes think that since we are followers of Jesus Christ that life should be a consistent state of peaceful bliss. After all, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. God is YAWHEH-Shalom – The-LORD-Is-Peace! Should not our relationship with Him guarantee that we will always be at peace?

The answer to that may be a bit misunderstood. If we think that it is an absence of all things that would cause worry and stress, then we are woefully mistaken. If we think it should mean that a relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the pathway to a peaceful existence in this life, then we are opening ourselves up to a life of disappointment and discouragement.

Consider, for example, the verse quoted above. In Judges 6:24, we are informed that Gideon built an altar to the Lord and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. But the context of this event is in a time of national crisis, conflict and warfare. Gideon is called by God to lead in battle with the Midianites and Amalekites. It was anything but a time of peace.

Then, as we move to the New Testament for more clarification and give our attention to the teachings of Jesus, we may be even more confused about this matter. Read carefully the following passages in which Jesus spoke to this issue.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.

John 14:27; 10:34-36, NKJV – Jesus speaking

Both of these statements were spoken by Jesus Christ. In one He says that He brings peace, and in the other He says that He did not come to bring peace. So which is it? Both statements can’t be true, can they?

Actually, they both MUST be true, or Jesus made a mistake, or, even worse, told a flat-out lie! So, if both statements must be true, then what did Jesus mean by these seemingly contradictory assertions?

The Bible teaches that we were at one time enemies of God. Our sin nature had set us in opposition to God, and there was no peace between sinful man and holy God. Jesus came into the world to be the means for man, steeped in sin and spiritually dead in those trespasses and sins, to be reconciled to God. It was through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord that He provided the means through which those who were at one time enemies of God and dead in sin, to be brought to life and become friends of God. Those who have accepted this gift of salvation are now enjoying being at peace with God. This is the peace Jesus came to bring.

However, for those who have never received His amazing gift of salvation, they are still living at enmity with God, and thus cannot enjoy the peace that Jesus offers. So, we need to understand that Jesus did come to bring peace for those who would accept His gracious offer, but for all others there is still a spiritual chasm between them and God. This is the root cause of such bitterness and enmity between believers and non-believers. This is the reason that there is such divisiveness between the ways of the world and the ways of God.

Also, an important note to remember, is that Jesus did not come to bring peace to nations. He spoke openly about the fact that there would be wars and rumors of wars as nation fights against nation and kingdom against kingdom. The things happening in the world today should not cause us to be overly distraught but should rather cause us to look to the eastern sky because they point to the fact that history as we know it is winding down.

Are you at peace with God? Have you accepted His gracious offer of salvation which has been provided by His Son? Do you know Him in this intimate way? This is the one and only means of experiencing real peace that will settle and establish you in the midst of a world filled with uncertainty. If you have not already accepted this amazing gift, then why not do so now!

Then, once you have accepted the gift of salvation which provides you with peace with God, you can then be the recipient of the gift of the peace of God. This is a gift which keeps us calm in the midst of the storms of life. Believers who are walking in intimate fellowship with the Lord are settled in their state of peace. The eventualities of life cannot rob us of this peace. It is, as Paul says, a peace that passes all understanding. You cannot understand, you cannot explain it, but thanks be to God that you can experience it! Hallelujah – what a Savior!

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Rapha

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In the Epistle of James we are invited, and even encouraged, to turn to God with our request for healing. James gives this word of instruction:

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

James 5:13-14, NKJV

What a grand and glorious word of instruction this is! We are told here that it is proper for the child of God to go to Him in times of sickness and suffering. And to this we could add the invitation found in Hebrews 4:16:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16, NKJV

These are encouraging, uplifting words for the believer to hear. As we learned from the study of the name YAHWEH-Shammah, God is our very present help in times of trouble. He is always there, by our side, bringing encouragement and hope, comfort and consolation, in times of need.

But the name YAHWEH-Rapha gets a bit more specific. It speaks directly to the matter of YAHWEH being our healer. It is found several times in the Bible, specifically in the Old Testament as God progressively revealed more and more about Himself through the descriptive names He used to make Himself known more fully to His people.

YAHWEH- Rapha – I am the LORD who heals, is found for the first time in the Bible in Exodus 15:26.

If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in HIs sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.

Exodus 15:26, NKJV

It is here that God is saying very pointedly and assertively to the people of Israel that they could depend upon Him, trust in Him, and turn to Him in times of difficulty. In this passage He is assuring the nation that He will protect them from all the diseases He has just brought on the nation of Egypt in delivering them from Egyptian bondage. But notice, please, the conditional word, “if”. This promise of divine protection was contingent upon their commitment to do what is right in the sight of God.

God proved Himself to be true to this promise time and again in the Old Testament. However, we need to understand that this name of God is used to describe God’s willingness to heal in manifold ways. Consider the following verses and the different ways His healing power was experienced in the lives of these individuals.

In 2 Kings 5:10, God healed physical needs; in Psalm 34:18 He healed emotional needs; in Daniel 4:34 He healed mental needs; and in Psalm 103:2-3 He healed spiritual needs. Clearly, the Bible attests to the fact that God is a God who heals.

When we come to the New Testament it is just as clear that Jesus proved Himself to be the God who heals. In Matthew 4:23 we are told that He went from town to town, “healing every disease and sickness among the people.” So many other places in the Gospels tell us that Jesus is the great healer. He is the God who heals.

This name of God should be great encouragement to all who call Him Father. He will be present with us in every situation, every sickness, every infirmity. He invites us to cast our cares upon Him because He loves us with an unconditional love. Let’s take time to thank Him for this amazing aspect of His being, and be quick to turn to Him in our times of need.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Shammah

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God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1, NKJV

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5, NKJV

Another of those amazing names of God is found in the verses above, and in so many other places in the Bible. God is known as YAHWEH-Shammah, “The LORD who is present.” We oftentimes hear someone speak of the omnipresence of God – a statement which means that God is literally everywhere, all the time. You cannot go anywhere that God isn’t. That is one of His astounding attributes.

But here, we are speaking of a self-designation of God Himself. He is not only everywhere, all the time, but He is also with us, personally, all the time. We can never be separated from the presence of God. As we give thought to this amazing truth it causes us to experience certain feelings, certain emotions, that can be of great encouragement while at the same time being of great admonition. Let’s think about some of those feelings as we consider His eternal presence with us.

First of all, this name of God presents us with a challenge. To know that He is always with us – every moment of our lives – should be a huge challenge to live in accord with His teachings. It should be a source of motivation to strive to live lives of righteousness. We are commanded to put off the old habits of our pre-converted state of being, and put on the new habits, behaviors, actions, attitudes, etc. of the imputed and imparted righteousness of our Lord. His continual presence with us should be a constant source of encouragement when we are successfully striving to live that kind of life, and a constant source of challenge when we aren’t. Remember, it was the Lord Himself who instructed us to be holy, even as our Father is holy. The recognition of His presence should help us to maintain that level of commitment.

A second truth is that this name presents comfort to the child of God in times of pain and struggle. The presence of a friend in times of crisis can be so comforting, uplifting, and strengthening. They may not be able to alleviate the discomfort, but their presence means so much. It is the act of being there that helps so much. God is always there. His presence is a constant, comforting reality. We are never alone in facing the difficulties of life. The psalmist states that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” No matter how terrible the trauma, how difficult the situation, how unbearable the circumstances, He is there to help in the midst of the distress. Call out to Him, and He will manifest Himself by giving that peace of God that surpasses all knowledge.

This name is also a source of conviction for the child of God. Let’s be honest with ourselves: there are times in which we are not walking as closely with God as we know we should. There are times when we willfully, knowingly, choose to disobey God and engage in activities that are clearly denounced in the Bible. We choose to commit sin, to enjoy the fleeting pleasure that sinful behavior brings. For the child of God, this brings about an immediate quickening of our human spirit as the Holy Spirit drives a spiritual dagger into our heart. We are made aware of the fact that we have committed an action that clearly grieves the Holy Spirit. This aspect of the awareness of His presence is crucial for us, because the Bible teaches that if we are living in open rebellion to the teachings of God’s Word and don’t experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit, then we are not His children. This is truly an acid test of true Christianity. If we can live in sin, and enjoy it, with no sense of conviction, then we do not belong to His family. The presence of God in the life of the believer is one source of knowing beyond doubt that I belong to Him.

A fourth truth about this name is that it presents courage. A powerful example of this is found in the Book of Joshua. After the death of Moses, Joshua is appointed to lead the people of Israel as they enter the promised land. Listen to these encouraging words God spoke to Joshua as he is given this mantle of responsibility.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage…

Joshua 1:5-6a, NKJV

What a daunting task Joshua had ahead of him. But God encourages him with these beautiful words of reminder that God would be present with him as he had been with Moses. God is our ever-present help. He never leaves nor forsakes us. He is always by our side to lend assistance, to give us strength, to see us through.

Let’s not neglect to thank God for this amazing aspect of His relationship with us. Let us strive to live daily in the awareness of His constant and consistent presence. And let us share the love and light of His presence with us with others who are still living in the darkness of this world.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Rohi

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The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23, NKJV

It’s one of the most well-known and probably the most beloved of all the psalms. We have heard it countless times, and many of us have committed it to memory. It is used quite regularly in memorial services for those who have passed from this earthly life.

But there is so much in this psalm that we need to know if we would grow in our relationship with the Lord. And notice carefully that the word LORD at the beginning of the psalm is in all caps, showing that it is the name of God, YAHWEH. So, David is speaking of the relational aspect of his intimate knowledge of God. He is not just talking about God, but rather he is sharing his intimate relationship with God. Let’s take a few minutes to delve into understanding the many ramifications of this beautiful psalm.

First, think about the personal aspect of David’s words. He states in the most intimate of ways, “The LORD is my shepherd.” David can use this personal pronoun about himself because he knows God. He doesn’t only know about God, but he knows Him in the most personal way. He doesn’t have to speak of God in abstract, non-relational ways, speaking of His attributes out of his having learned those attributes, but out of his own personal experience with God. He can say “My Shepherd” because of his own personal experiences with God.

Second, David speaks of his confidence in his Shepherd. We see this clearly in the words, “I shall not want.” David has learned that no matter what his circumstances may be, or how serious his situation may seem, he can have confidence in God to care for him and to supply him with whatever is necessary to meet the demands of the moment. We are not to understand from this that God will always supply a super-abundance of the things we want, but He will always provide what we need. David had already learned this from the experiences through his many hardships in life, and now he trusts that God will continue to be with him.

A third thing we can learn from this beautiful psalm is that David believed God would protect him. He mentions two things that clearly illustrate this point: safety as he walks through the valley of the shadow of death, and having a table prepared for him in the presence of his enemies. The Shepherd always looks after his sheep! Philip Keller, in his book “A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm”, goes into great detail explaining how the good shepherd would put his own life in danger for the well-being of his sheep. Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd, did just that: He laid down His life for His sheep. Knowing Him gives us confidence and assurance as we walk through those dark valleys of life.

David closes this psalm by speaking of the permanence of his relationship with the Shepherd. He speaks of the fact that he will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Believers in Jesus Christ have the assurance that we will live forever in that wonderful place the Lord has prepared for us. He will come again and receive us to Himself so that we might enjoy His presence and provision forever. Hallelujah! What a Savior! What a great Shepherd of His sheep.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then take heart knowing that He is your Shepherd. He is providing for you, protecting you, and guiding you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Rejoice today in knowing Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH Maccaddeshem

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As we have noted in the previous two posts, God is identified in Scripture with two designations that are both translated with the word “Lord”. The first is the name of God – YAHWEH – and the other is a title of God – Adonai. Beyond these two we are then given further clarification on who God is as He relates to individuals in certain situations in which He identifies Himself with a designation which shows how we can trust Him and depend upon Him in all areas of life.

The name we will consider in this post is “YAHWEH Maccaddeshem” – The LORD who sanctifies. Read the following verses for a sampling of the usage of this name:

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.

Exodus 31:13, Leviticus 20:8, Ezekiel 37:28, NKJV (emphasis added)

The LORD, by His sovereign action, created the nation of Israel by choosing one man, Abram, and making of him the chosen people of God – the nation Israel. God set this nation apart for Himself, by His sovereign choice, to be the nation through which the entire world would be blessed. It was ultimately through this nation that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come to provide salvation for sinful man to be reconciled to holy God. God promised Abram (see Genesis 12) that those nations that blessed Israel would be blessed, and those that cursed Israel would be cursed.

In order for Israel to fulfill the designed plan of God they would have to be set apart for His purpose and glory. Thus, God says to them that He is the one who sanctifies, who sets them apart as His own. They were to be distinct from all other nations of the world because they were different according to God’s plan.

How does this apply to us, today? In the New Testament, those who call upon the LORD for salvation are then set apart – sanctified – in Christ. But what does that mean? The answer to that is quite simple, and yet extremely complex. Let’s think of it in two ways: we are sanctified positionally, and practically.

Positionally, when an individual is saved by an act of God’s grace, he/she is then positionally sanctified, set apart to God and for God. The example of Old Testament Israel serves as a good illustration. God sanctified them (reread the verses quoted above) by setting them apart for Himself. Positionally they were His, and He was theirs. In His covenant with Abram God made some astounding unconditional promises that are still intact today. Positionally, Israel, from its very beginning, has always been God’s chosen people.

But, sadly, even drastically, they have not always been practically sanctified. There were many times the nation rejected God’s clear teachings and embraced the worship of false gods. They failed to be set apart for Him and His glory, and suffered the consequences of their actions. God judged them by allowing them to be subjected to other nations.

Again we can see a clear parallel between the events in Israel’s history and the events in the life of individual believers in Jesus Christ. We are positionally sanctified when we are born into God’s family. As Paul says in Ephesians:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJV

We are set apart by God’s grace, through the expression of faith in the completed work of Christ. We add nothing to the miracle of salvation. It is all, from beginning to end, a work of God’s grace and that alone. When that happens, we are instantaneously positionally sanctified. God sets us apart for His own purpose and plan. When God the Father looks at us now, He sees us in the position of sanctification – we are in Christ.

But that is only the beginning. Paul also alludes to the matter of practical sanctification. Notice the second part of the quoted passage above: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Positionally, we are in Christ, sanctified in Him, set apart by HIm and for Him. Then we see the practical side of sanctification: we were created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Paul makes another statement in another of his epistles that might help shed some much-needed light on this matter. Read the following verse carefully:

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12, NKJV

The word “sanctification” does not appear in this verse, but this is actually the process by which practical sanctification takes place in the life of the individual believer. Please note carefully that Paul does not instruct his readers to work for their salvation, but to work out their salvation. In working out our salvation we are putting off the old ways and manners of life, and putting on the new as we walk in fellowship with the Lord. We become more and more like Him as we walk in His ways, obeying HIs commands, living true to His teachings.

In summary, God puts us into a position of sanctification once we have been born again into His faith family. He now looks at us clothed in the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Positionally, we are sanctified, and nothing can ever alter that reality. But in terms of practicality – living sanctified lives in the midst of a perverse generation – we are sometimes caught in a moment of spiritual weakness, and we commit acts that are contrary to being sanctified, at least momentarily. It is then that we go to the Father in a spirit of confession, seeking His forgiveness and restoration into His fellowship.

Do you know for sure that you are in a position of sanctification, having been set apart by God, for God? And if so, are you striving each day to live a life of practical sanctification, by which you are demonstrating a genuine and sincere walk of fellowship and obedience? If not, why not make this the day of a new beginning? Walk with Him, in His Spirit, and, as Paul says, then you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – Adonai

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In the first post of this series I focused on the question, “Do you know Him?”, and gave attention to the name by which God identified Himself in establishing relationships with certain individuals in the Bible. God is the great I AM, and there is so much significance in that name.

The designation of God that we will focus on in this post is actually not a name at all, but rather it is best understood as a title. Let’s begin by doing a comparison of the way YAHWEH and Adonai are seen in Scripture. They are both commonly translated with the word, Lord. However, there is a clear distinction of these two Hebrew terms that can be clearly and easily identified as one reads through the Bible. When you see the word Lord in translation of the name YAHWEH, all four letters will be capitalized: LORD. If it is a translation of the word Adonai, the only letter capitalized is the L: Lord. LORD is His name, Lord is one of His many titles.

Another distinction of these two terms is that YAHWEH is only used in reference to God, whereas Adonai is used in reference to God and to man. David calls Saul “Lord”, which shows that David recognized Saul’s authority over him as king of Israel.

In our relationship with God, we recognize Him as YAHWEH, the great I AM, and we also recognize Him as Adonai, Lord over all. It is a title that shows our submission to Him, and our recognition that He is the sovereign ruler of the universe. Rightly understood, if we call Him Lord – Adonai – we are saying to Him that we willingly submit to His rule over our lives.

Paul shows us how Jesus is the fulfillment of both of these names in his letter to the Romans. Read carefully the following words:

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.

Romans 10:9, 13, NKJV

Please note the words Paul uses: Lord, and LORD. He holds the title of Lord – sovereign ruler of all things – and He holds the name LORD, I AM. Individuals have a personal relationship with the eternal God of the universe who is always and forever present, and also submit to His Lordship by submitting to His authority. And from what Paul says in these two verses, the two go hand-in-hand. We know about Him as we enter into relationship with Him as the majestic I AM, and we grow in our relationship with Him as we consistently and progressively submit to His Lordship over us.

We learn facts about Him as we study His Word, but we grow in relationship with Him as we submit to His teachings, striving to live our lives in such a way that brings Him glory in all we do. So, our desire to know about Him is so that we can know Him more. And as we know Him more we love Him more. And as we love Him more we have more of a desire to please Him. And as we have a desire to please Him we systematically discard those things that He reveals to us that are displeasing to Him while at the same time putting into practice the things that He reveals bring glory to Him.

So, let’s ask ourselves, “Do I just know about Him? Or do I really know Him? And if I profess to really know Him, does it show in the person I am becoming?”

Until next time:

Blessings!