The Name of God Eternal

It seems to me that the Name of God is the distinguishing marker on men, that sets some apart from the rest.

Revelation 22:4 "They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads"

2 Chronicles 7:14 "if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Isaiah 63:19 "We are yours from of old; but you have not ruled over them, they have not been called by your name."

Acts 15:17 (Which is a quote of Amos 9:12) "that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' "

It's no wonder, then, that the "NAME" (The identity) of God is the focal point of doubt for so many. Satan, the enemy, has one goal; the destruction of God's people whom He has loved from before the foundation of time. He wants to steal God's worship. The Name of God is what we are called to love and worship. We are sealed with His Name. But Satan, for all eternity has continually brought into question God's word and identity, creating doubt about who He is and what is truth.

When Moses asked God what His name was, God answered, "I Am that I Am".

Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM".

When Jesus is denied, the Great I AM is denied. They are one and the same.

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."

It is by His name that we are saved.

Acts 4:12 " Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."

Proverbs 8:17 "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me."

When we worship Jesus, we worship God Eternal, The Creator of all that is. There is no other name by which we can be saved. He loved those who belong to Him since before the creation of the world.

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Psalm 89:11 "The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it."

Psalm 102:25 "In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands."

Nehemiah 9:6 "You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

Colossians 1:16-17 "For by him (Jesus) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

John 1:3 "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

Parents, Regarding God's Will and His Laws

Deuteronomy 11:19 "You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." --God "The Holy Spirit’s hands are not tied; our children can live holy lives, despite the culture—and despite their hormones. It takes a lot of love and a lot of support and a lot of faith in Jesus."--John Stonestreet Teach them right from wrong by your example and with your words.

Will the Real Foe Step Forward

In the face of adversity, it can be easy to fix our eyes on someone or something, especially when it seems there is a personal assault upon our lives or character. But choosing to wrestle with our earthly adversaries without first doing battle in the heavenly realms is a mistake believers often make.  All believers have a common enemy. And he often uses the ungodly to rise up against us. He has also been known to use and influence earthly situations in ways that will hinder our spiritual growth or the success of our efforts to minister to others. But we must keep our eyes fixed on God. We must keep our hearts in humility, seeking HIS will rather than our own, which would sometimes lead us to grasp for, or chase after things in our own power. It is God who will establish us. It is God who will give us the victory. We must remember that in our own strength and by our own will we will not succeed. So instead we pray...and put on the armor of God...and commit our ways to Him. He will direct our paths. He will. Ephesians 6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Knowing who the real enemy is, enables us to confront him with the proper perspective.  God has given us the the victory.  And it is He who holds the power of our enemy in check.  It's no different than it was for the Israelites.  The Servants of God need not fear Him as the wicked do.  We are not left to chance or to wicked schemes. Isaiah 54:15-17 "'If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you.  Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy; no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.  This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me,' declares the LORD.” The Lord holds all the power. And the Enemy, though he is given a temporary and limited rule, is subject to God's sovereignty. We need not wrestle with those who seem to be in his clutches. In stead, we wrestle with the powers that bolster them, but we do so in God's strength and power, not in our own. And we trust that God holds those powers in check, and has the victory over them.   Our struggles are not so much about us as they are about Satan's vendetta with God, to crush and ruin all things beautiful and good. Though Satan would destroy us, God has redeemed us. Though Satan would kill, God has given us life through His Son.  Those who work to destroy, are acting in the strength of the Enemy who has been rendered powerless in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is Everything!

Your beauty. Your wisdom. Your wealth. Your intelligence. Everything good you can say about yourself...it all comes from Jesus. No room for pride in your high circumstances. No room for condemnation toward others in their lowly circumstances.

JESUS IS EVERYTHING!

1 Corinthians 4:7 "Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?"

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

A Stench

Today we cleaned the barn. The kids worked very hard forking and hauling the manure out. It took all day! When we were finished and showered up we called a "fun night" and went to Cool Stuff for supper and treats. YUM! What is bothering me now is...I can STILL smell the manure! The kids insist that it gets "stuck" in our noses. I don't know, it could be just a memory, but every once in awhile I get a whiff of the nasty smell and we can't find a source. I wonder what would happen if the "stench" of sin hung around and haunted us like the stench of manure does after cleaning a barn. I wonder how many of us would go back to it. I want to keep that mental image in my mind...and in doing so, maybe the "stench" of sin will help me choose to obey God rather than my flesh. I'm thinking that it would make a difference.