Love HIS Name!

Jesus disciples asked him to teach them to pray and following a brief teaching He said, “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. ” (Matthew 6:9–10a)  Most translations render it "hallowed be your name."  May your name be kept holy, held in reverence, held in awe!  His name is one way that YHWY reveals Himself to His children.  Simply read and pray through the following scriptures where I believe HE teaches us how to hallow HIS glorious name. 

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name.” (Psalm 119:132)  “I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” (Psalm 138:2)  “the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.” (Psalm 69:36)  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7)  “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10)  “Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.” (Isaiah 26:8)  "The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.” (Psalm 91:14)  

“And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:11)  “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12)

““I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” (John 17:6)

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”” (Revelation 15:4)

How do we hallow HIS name?  One way that I know is that we simply come to HIM with a beautiful childlike faith completely trusting HIM in every area, every area of our lives.  That is simply said and may be difficult to live.
Pursuing HIM through HIS Name!

Enjoy Yahweh!

The Westminster Catechism first question is What is the chief end of man?  It very simply answers, Man’ s chief end is to glorify God, (1 Cor. 10:31, Rom. 11:36) and to enjoy him for ever. (Ps. 73:25–28)
One Pastor tweaked that by saying the chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying Him forever.  His point was simple, when we delight in and enjoy Yahweh we glorify HIM.  You hear this heart cry from the Psalmist in Psalm 90:14.  “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14)
Who is the King of Glory?  Who is the only one that can satisfy the craving of every human heart?  Jesus! 

"He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb 1:3). “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). When the Gospel shines in our hearts, it is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). When we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom 5:2), “our blessed hope [is], the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). 

   “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14)

Pursuing, enjoying Yahweh together with hearts ablaze!

m  

Yahweh-Shalom

I recently had the joy of watching Kung Fu Panda 2 with my family.  There is an early scene with Po and Shifu that sets up the plot of the movie.  The conversation is about"inner peace".  The rest of the movie is Po's quest for inner peace and the tension between inner peace and conflict.

[as he carefully handles a water droplet and lets it go onto to a leaf intact]Po: How did you do that?Shifu: Inner peace.Po: Inner piece. That's cool! Inner piece of what?Shifu: It is the next phase of your training. Every master must find his path to inner peace. Some choose to meditate for fifty years in a cave just like this, without the slightest taste of food or water.[Po's stomach makes a loud growling noise]Po: Or?Shifu: Some find it through pain and suffering, as I did. Po, the day you were chosen as Dragon Warrior, was the worst day of my life. By far, nothing else came close. It was the worst, most painful, mind destroying, horrible moment...Po: Okay.Shifu: ...I have ever experienced.[he shudders at the thought of it]

C. S. Lewis said, "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."  Lewis was right, there is no peace of any sort apart from Yahweh-Shalom!  The so called peace that people experience in this life apart from Yahweh is a delusion, it does not exist!  ““There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”” (Isaiah 48:22)  

 As we continue to pursue Yahweh through knowing HIM through HIS names I noticed something in 1 John, “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)  Psalm 9:10 tells us that when we know His name we trust Him!

Instead of looking at HIS names in the sequence they occur in scripture I want to try to look at them from how we experience HIM.  Simply meaning you cannot know HIS peace, HIS Shalom, before you encounter HIM as Yahweh-Jireh, providing a substitute for your sins.  You will never know HIS peace until you know HIM as Yahweh-Nissi, finding your identity and victory in HIM alone, your banner.  You must know that you belong to Yahweh-Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts, and that Yahweh-Tsidkneu IS your righteousness before you experience the Shalom of God.  The Hebrew word for peace carries so much more meaning than the way we use the word peace.   "šālômh includes everything given by God in all areas of life" Brown, C. (1986). Vol. 2: New international dictionary of New Testament theology (777). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

iWorship Yahweh-Shalom

“The Lord is peace” (Judg. 6:24). This was the name of the altar that Gideon built at Ophrah signifying that God brings well-being not death to His people.  

Young Gideon was a member of the weakest clan in Israel, yet God called him to lead the people into battle. When the angel of the LORD gave Gideon this message, Gideon was afraid he would die. But the LORD told him, “Peace! Do not be afraid” (Judg. 6:23).  Gideon built an altar and called it “The LORD Is Peace.” He then led the Israelites to victory against overwhelming odds.  Bright, B. (2000). God : Knowing him by his names (26). Orlando, FL: NewLife Publications.

iThank Yahweh-Shalom
“he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)  
iPray to Yahweh-Shalom
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”” (Numbers 6:24–27)  “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7)

iPraise Yahweh-Shalom

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)  “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:20)  ““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”” (Luke 2:14)  “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”” (Luke 1:79) 

 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”” (John 20:21)

 Here I am LORD, send me!

m

    

He is like a Tree--Transplanted!

“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees [trans]planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” (Psalm 1:1–3)  (emphasis added)

Behind the life of one who delights in and meditates on or ponders or thinks about God's precious Word is a heart, mind and soul that has been transformed/transplanted by that same Word!
As I was meditating on this beautiful Psalm I looked up the simple word planted and found that it literally means transplanted in the Hebrew.  "שׁתל štl transplant  [שָׁתַל] vb. transplant — Qal transplant (poet.); tree or vine, c. ב loc." Abridged BDB  In Romans 11 Paul teaches us that we Gentiles were grafted into the Vine that is Jesus Christ.  In John 15 Jesus teaches us to, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4)
In Colossians Paul tells us that, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” (Col 1:13)  

Peter tells us basically the same thing, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9–10)
How glorious to rest in knowing that HE has transplanted His children, HE has adopted us, HE has given us a new nature, HE has transplanted "us to the kingdom of his beloved Son."  Storms and drought visit every tree, but those transplanted by "the river of life" will bear "fruit each season."
Pursuing HIM together...drinking deeply from the river of life!
m

   “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1)  

  

What Love Does

As I have been praying through and meditating on the names and titles of God I was thinking about 1 Jn 4:8 where John says that "God is love."  It does not take long to know where our culture goes when it thinks about love.  However, in John 3:16 and in many other places love is a verb, love is an action word!  That sent me down the path of simply thinking about what love does.

In John 14:21 we hear a beautiful and bold invitation from Jesus.  “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”” The invitation is simple, accept His Lordship and His Word...revealing a love for Jesus, and in return He will reveal Himself to us.  How can we keep HIS commandments?  This is only possible because we are new creatures in Christ, as we see in 2 Cor. 5:17.

For God's children, those that have been born from above, we learn in 2 Peter 1:4 that we have become "partakers of the divine nature," and we are called by God to "put on" the "new self created after the likeness of God (Eph 4:24)."  

A brief survey of God's Word shows us what it means to be new creatures in Christ.  In this new birth, being born from above we have a new mind (1 Cor 2:16) to know Him, intimately know Him, and a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19 and Rom 5:5) to love Him and a new will (Rom 6:11-13) to obey Him.  Now when we look at John 14:21 we see how it is possible to walk in obedience to His commands and see Jesus.  The only way is by the indwelling power of Yahweh-Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts.  Zechariah received a breath-taking Word from God.  "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)  In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of his hard work but acknowledges that it was God working through him.  

“But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)

In Micah 6:8 God tells us what love does.  "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  Through the Holy Spirit Paul gives us a beautiful picture of what love does in 1 Cor 13.  Another place where the core of love is pictured is John 15:13,  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.”  Also in 1 John 4:10, “In this is love . . . that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  In Romans 5:8 Paul tell us that, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

I believe that at the core of what love does is love is a self-sacrificing, self-giving pursuit of the beloved’s greatest good regardless of the cost to the lover.  
As new creatures, equipped with a new mind to know Him, a new heart to love Him and a new will to obey Him...empowered and filled with His Spirit for His glory and our joy in Him.  What does love do?  “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16)

 pursuing Him together!

m

“Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” (Eph 6:24)  

Yahweh-Tsidkneu

Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, prophesied at a time of great pain and sorrow in Jerusalem—Babylon conqured the nation and city as God’s instrument of judgment on Judah’s sins.  It is here that God revealed Himself to Jeremiah as Yahweh-Tsidkneu, The LORD is our Righteousness!

For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.” (Jeremiah 23:5–6, NLT)

iworship Jesus who perfectly makes known Yahweh-Tsidkneu

 This side of the glorious Cross we know that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this promise.  In Revelation John teaches us that Jesus has freed us from our sins by His blood, “Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (Revelation 1:5)  We are clothed in His perfect righteousness (Isa. 61:10).  One day, He will return to rule in all righteousness!

We are commanded to “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.” (Ephesians 4:22)  “Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:23–24)

igive thanks to Yahweh-Tsidkneu

“We come into a right relationship with God when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins, the look of faith. The offer of a right relationship with God is open to "whosoever will" regardless of our past sins.  For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glory of God. Yahweh-Tsidkneu in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins” (Rom. 3:22–24).   

ipray to Yahweh-Tsidkneu who continues to cleans us from all unrighteousness

“If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).   “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.” (Romans 10:4)  “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.” (1 Corinthians 1:30)  

ipraise Yahweh-Tsidkneu

In Pilot we see a Pagan ruler recognize that Jesus was not guilty, but His own people cried out crucify him!   I praise Yahweh-Tsidkneu because “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)   ““What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime.” (John 18:38)  “Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.”” (John 19:4)  ipraise Yahweh-Tsidkneu because He took on human flesh, lived a perfect sinless life and was declared guilty knowing that the only way to free us from our sins was through His shed blood.  He took our place, He was proclaimed guilty that we, His children, could be declared NOT GUILTY!  Oh Worship, adore, love, pursue, seek the One who set you free!

Pursuing HIM together!