Lost Hope Found

What I want to share in this blog is most important in this day and age.  I cannot, in a short amount of space, give enough information or help concerning lost hope.  I would highly recommend reading Philip Yancey's book, "Where Is God When It Hurts" to gain a better picture of just what pain and suffering are all about.  I do know this, God never intended for pain and suffering to be a part of our lives, but because of our free will and the choices we make in life we all will experience some degree of pain and suffering in our lifetime.  Not all pain and suffering comes from a decision we make, many times we experience it just because we are part of the human race in a fallen state living in a fallen world.  What makes the difference is how we look at our situation.

Are you sensing the world around you is caving in and there doesn't seem to be any escape?  Maybe you are in a situation where it seems that no one else cares about you or what you are going through, or your job has just been eliminated and your finances are gone.  Maybe you are the one lying in a hospital bed because of some dreaded disease and the doctor has informed you that there is nothing else that can be done.  You may be in some part of the world where there is nothing but warfare, destruction, and abuse and you are wondering if this is all there is to life.  You may be facing a family crisis where everything seems to be out of control and nothing seems to make sense anymore.  You have lost hope and faith in what you thought was the answer to your problems and now all you have left is depression, anxiety and possibly despair.  Let me take you on a short journey that may bring you back from the deep pit you are in and give you the hope you need to see your way out of your situation.  

You see it does not matter what you are going through, everyone can find themselves in what seems a hopeless situation.  What matters is how one manages the situation they are in.  You can either look at the dark side of things and focus on the pain and suffering or you can look for light and focus on that ray of hope that is there.  Lets look at a couple of people who found themselves in a very difficult place.  Like most, when faced with a difficult situation we all at times will begin asking questions like, "Why Me?," "What Is God Trying To Tell Me?," "What Did I Do Wrong?," or maybe we just blame everyone else, you may even be blaming God for what has happened.

Mary Verghese is a person that faced such difficulty.  Dr. Brand is a doctor who has worked with leprosy patients for years.  He is a leading person in the revelation as to why pain is so important.  You see, Leprosy is a disease that attacks the pain system, leprosy patients lose any sense to pain.  That is why they lose fingers, toes, and other parts, they feel no pain.  Mary Verghese was one of his most famous patients according to Philip Yancey who wrote the book, "Where Is God When It Hurts."  She did not have leprosy though, Mary Verghese was a patient from the result of a tragic car accident.  Mary was a promising young physician working with Dr. Brand when the accident happened. Here is the account given from Philip Yancey's book "Where is God When it Hurts."  

"After the accident Mary lay motionless at the bottom of a bank where the car landed.  Her face was slit in a deep gash from cheekbone to chin.  Her lower limbs dangled uselessly, like two sticks of wood."  Mary went through a long recovery time in temperatures reaching 110 degrees outside, "the hospital room was sweltering and she lay in traction, wrapped in a perspex jacket and plastic brace. She faced hours on end of physical therapy and nurses continually checked for sensation, each week she would fail, never feeling the pinpricks on her legs. Dr. Brand had observed her spiraling down and losing hope.  While visiting her room one day he said this to her, "Mary," he began, "I think it's time to begin thinking of your professional future as a doctor."   

To make a long story short, Mary began her journey towards accomplishing her professional career.  How did she do this?  It all started with her focus.  Instead of focusing on her condition, she focused on the 'how' she would be able to relate to other patients with a unique quality of sympathy and understanding.  Mary continued to work for improvement and eventually headed up a new department at the Physiotherapy School in Vellore, India.

Philip Yancey says this about Mary.  

"Mary stands as an outstanding example of a person who got nowhere asking why a tragedy happened.  But as she turned toward God and asked "to what end," she learned to trust him to weave a new design for her life.  Mary Verghese probably achieved more because of her accident than if it would not have occurred."

Lets look at one other individual and see how adversity affected him.  We will find this person in the scriptures.  From 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 we find Paul, a servant of Christ, relating to the Corinthians his hardships.  (please read his account by clicking on the above scripture).  Paul is one like many who suffered a great deal and had every reason to be depressed or even want to give up.  Like Mary Verghese, Paul had an outlook that focused not on his predicament but focused beyond his pain and suffering by asking  "To What End" is this time for.  Mary suffered because of someone else's mistake yet was able to overcome the suffering and help others because of her disabled body.  Paul choose to follow Christ and suffered immensely for that decision, yet he continually battled through the beatings, prison, shipwrecks, lost at sea, ridicule, etc. to continue spreading the gospel because he focused on the rewards and made it known that this life on earth is only temporary and soon the pain and suffering will not only be over, but forgotten.

You may be suffering from depression or maybe have found yourself in a hospital room facing the prospect of leaving this earth sooner than you expected, maybe you are struggling through some disease that has taken a toll on you physically and you no longer have the use of your body as you once knew it. Maybe you have reached a point where you feel hope has left you and there is just nothing left, no direction, no happiness, no one cares and you feel absolutely useless. If you have found yourself in a tough place and you just want to crawl in hole somewhere I want you to know that there is hope.  First, you must start telling yourself just that, there is hope, then take steps to find some positive things to focus on, stop asking "why me" ask "To What End."  Talk to someone that is positive and a good listener.  The one person I know that will not turn a deaf ear is Jesus Christ.  If you already believe in Him then turn to Him and share your hurts, get a bible and start reading some of the Psalms.  If you do not know Him then you need to right now.  Pray this prayer, "God, I need you, I ask for forgiveness of my sins.  I need Jesus in my life today, would you help me to know your Son.  Amen."  If you believe Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and believe He came and died for our sins then tell God this because Jesus is the only way to God. John 14:6, "Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  When you do this you are being born again and a new life will stand before you.  God will do a work in your soul and spirit to bring about that new life if you let Him.

Now let me share one last piece from Philip Yancey's book, "Where Is God When It Hurts?" (I would suggest getting a copy of this book and begin reading it).

Where is God when it hurts?  He has been there from the beginning, designing a pain system that, even in the midst of a fallen world, still bears the stamp of his genius and equips us for life on this planet.  He transforms pain, using it to teach and strengthen us, if we allow it to turn us toward him. With great restraint, He watches this rebellious planet live on, in mercy allowing the human project to continue in its self-guided way.  He lets us cry out, like Job, in loud fits of anger against Him, blaming Him for a world we spoiled.  He allies himself with the poor and suffering, founding a kingdom tilted in their favor.  He stoops to conquer.  He promises supernatural help to nourish the spirit, even if our physical suffering goes unrelieved.  He has joined us.  He has hurt and bled and cried and suffered.  He has dignified for all time those who suffer, by sharing their pain.  He is with us now, ministering to us through His Spirit and through members of His body who are commissioned to bear us up and relieve our suffering for the sake of the head.  He is waiting, gathering the armies of good.  One day He will unleash them and the world will see one last terrifying moment of suffering before the full victory is ushered in.  Then, God will create for us a new, incredible world.  And pain shall be no more.

Look at 1 Corinthians 15:51-55,  notice that there is something far greater than we can imagine coming soon.  We have hope in Jesus Christ, but, we must place our entire trust in Him alone.  He came to give us life and through His death, burial and resurrection He brought to us a way back to what we seek the most, a relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Whatever you do in this life, "look up, for your redemption draws near," Luke 21:28.

Click on the scriptures below or better yet, look them up in your bible and underline them, and read them over and over.  There are many more scriptures on hope so spend some time looking them up.  These are God's Word to you.

Romans 5:1, Romans 5:5, 2 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 1:18, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, Psalm 9:18, Psalm 42:5, John 8:12

There are different kinds of pain we may face in our lives, but no matter what kind of suffering we may go through, there is always hope.  When you are in a dark tunnel and the light has gone out on you, do not focus on the darkness, focus on that very small light way down at the end of the tunnel and take a step towards it, then, take another step.  Keep doing this until the light has grown in size and you can see your way clearly to the end of the tunnel.  The light you search for is Christ who said "I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark."  John 12:46

May God bless you richly and keep you in His loving arms through these difficult times.  God loves you to no end and He demonstrated it through His Son, Jesus Christ.  

Does God Love Me???

I just finished a book by Philip Yancey called "Reaching for the Invisible God."  This book I have to admit challenged me in considering not only my relationship with God but also brought to light some areas in my life that need some attention.  I titled this blog "Does God Love Me?" only because that is one of the areas that I face from time to time.  I am sure that most of you have asked that same question from time to time in your life.  It is my hope that I can encourage you to take some time and truly consider your relationship with our "Heavenly Father" then do something about it.  You and I both know that we can never get close enough to God.  You see, when we are dealing with an invisible God we lack the sensation that physical contact provides.

At the end of this post I have placed a link to an amazing woman, she is 107 years old and still going strong.  Please, if you do not read this post at least go to the link and watch the entire clip, it is only about twelve minutes long.  It may just inspire you.  It is called "Dancing under the Gallows."

When I am confronted with this worlds view of who I am it is easy to become self condemning and lower my value of who I thought I was.  When I hear the words like "middle class" it reminds me that I have not made the higher grade or received the triple 'A' stamp of approval.  Words of a condescending nature will always bring back those years when I had a low self esteem when thought I was unworthy or just unqualified to do anything.  It was many years later that I began to realize that my worth was far more valuable than the world made it out to be.  What I discovered over all is that the worlds way of thinking could not allow me to become what I was intended to be because then the world would be less valuable than me.  So, what does God have to say about my value?

When God created you and me He created us with a specific purpose in mind and He created man in His own likeness.  He gave us certain qualities and a unique personality that He desires to dwell with.  Then He made it possible for us to dwell together in a unique, physical body.  These bodies come in many different shapes and sizes.  We can work on our personalities and attempt to change who we are. A person who is angry can make efforts to change that anger to joy.  A person who is impatient can work on becoming more patient.  Some people are more easy going than others, some on the other hand want to live life to the fullest.  Some are born in different parts of a country and develop a personality that will reflect the influences of their surroundings.  Most however find that they are not pleased with who they are and make attempts to change their personality to fit the way they think people expect them to be.  In Galatians 5:22 we are told that the fruit of the Spirit should be shining through us.  The fruit of the Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and those who follow Him and put their trust in Him must walk in that Spirit.  So why would we think that God does not love us?  If we read a few versus before this we will find  a reference to walking in the desires of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21.  I believe that as we choose to walk in the flesh we feel guilty about the way we are living, hence, we reach the conclusion that God has stopped loving us because of the way we may live or not live.

When my children were small and coming to the age of learning more about life in general many times went against the guidelines that they were given.  They knew they were doing wrong but chose to do it anyway.  When they were disciplined they expressed their feelings of not being loved by us as parents.  What they did not realize is that even though they knew they were guilty, we still loved them for who they were.  They were still our children and as parents we wanted the best for them.  Sometimes for those lessons to be learned they had to face the consequences of their choices.  Depending on those choices we would determine the severity of the discipline.  Our love did not diminish even when they were walking in the flesh.

1 John 3:1 tells us that we are loved no matter how we act.  We have the freedom to live for God or rebel against Him, it is our choice.  God still loves us.  Now does that mean that we can just live a reckless life and avoid God without penalty?  Absolutely not.  Every loving parent will discipline their children, if you do not discipline them you probably do not really love them.  Discipline is meant to bring the best out in us and keep us on the right path.  The problem most of us have is that we think we do not need to follow the guidelines set before us.  We listen to the world around us saying that we don't need Christ.  We hear the flesh speaking to us from many sources and we begin to believe that is what we need to be accepted and/or loved.  In order for us to become better we must have better jeans, a better car, have more money, or maybe we should try this pill that takes you to places unknown.  The world's voice would have you believe that in order to be loved you need to change something about yourself.  What is it then that we need to change?  How much do we need to change?  It would seem that no matter what you do to change who you are, according to the world's ways, it is never enough.

Since I can never achieve perfection in the world's eyes, and since according to the world I am not good enough the question we need to ask then is "Why does God love me?.  After all, I smell of the world, I am unworthy, and I seem to fail all the time.  So how could God love me?  It is hard for most of us to understand this concept when throughout the Old Testament God required people to live by some very strict rules and guidelines.  Yet, here is a God that "con-descended to live within me and now loves me from the inside out."  (Philip Yancey, "Reaching for the Invisible God").

Another quote from Philip Yancey answers the question "Why does God love me?" this way.   The bible answers that profound question with one incomparable word: Grace.  God loves because of who God is, not because I have done anything to deserve it.  God cannot help loving, for love defines his nature.

 J.B. Phillips, a new testament translator says this about God's love for those who think they are unworthy and cannot find anything in themselves to love: (referring to 1 John 3:1)

"It is almost if John is saying, 'if God loves us, who are we to be so high and mighty as to refuse to love ourselves?'"

Since we are so willing to listen to the worlds view of us then we really cannot find a reason to love ourselves.  If we cannot love ourselves then how can we find it in us to love others?  It is only when we come to the realization that not only is God love, He loves us unconditionally.  The whole basis of the bible is showing us His love.  The problem is when Adam and Eve rebelled evil entered the world through them and it has remained since.  God's creation was done from love.  When He put man on earth He intended for His love to be expressed through Adam and Eve and spread throughout the rest of His creation.  When man's authority was given over to Satan through rebellion God did not stop loving any part of His creation, but He did out of love provide a way back to Him.  So from Genesis to Revelation we see the roadmap of God's plan to bring man back into relationship with Him.

Does the world have a claim on your life?  Do you hear the voices around you drawing you into the world's way of thinking?  If so you probably are having a hard time hearing God's Holy Spirit speaking.  Remember, He speaks in a gentle voice not a loud one.  If God did not love you, then why would He send His only Son to die in your place?  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.


Even though we cannot physically see God does not mean that God is not present.  God has never changed His ways but man has changed its views to fit what the world desires.  God desires you and wants more than anything to restore a close relationship with you, so why not take the steps to have a closeness with your "Heavenly Father" who definitely "Loves You."


(Please watch the video clip on youtube and pay attention to what the lady says about: bitterness, hate, anger, etc.)  If we could only learn to live our lives like that.


Link to "Dancing Under the Gallows:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlccsLr48Mw&feature=share

Names of God In Summary

For those who have been following the names of God with me I am at this point going to summarize the names we have looked at so far.  I will be getting away from "Knowing God By Name" for awhile to direct my attention towards some areas God has been speaking to me about.  I hope knowing these names has helped you get to know God in a more personal way.

There are times when I feel overwhelmed with life's daily struggle.  I find it so easy to push God, my Heavenly Father, aside and out of mind.  Usually this happens when my life is going well and the struggles are insignificant.  When I look back on the day or week the realization comes that I have neglected not only HIs word, I have selfishly neglected a moment in HIs presence.  It is when times are tough and the struggles of everyday living becomes difficult that I turn to God and ask for help.  It is in these moments that my spirit becomes a bit heavy and burdened because God seems so distant.  It is when I learn to call upon God not only in the worst of times but in the best of times that my spirit has a sense of His presence in my life.  Knowing God by name does help me to call upon Him in a different aspect than just hoping He hears me and answers my desperation.  Lets review the names we have looked at so far and while doing this allow Him to draw close to you and be the God you need Him to be at this moment.  (If you have not read any of the blogs on "Knowing God By Name" take some time and look at them.  (You can find them in my archived blogs).

The God I trust and believe in is the God who created everything and owns everything.  El Elyon, Creator and Possessor of Everything is this God according to Genesis 14:19-20, "He (Melchizedek) blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand".  Through the battles Abram faced he learned that Jehovah God or El Elyon would take care of him no matter what.  Abram learned to put his entire trust in El Elyon and depend on Him to not only deliver him from his enemies but also supply all his needs.

Now that we recognize God as creator and possessor of all we also need to recognize Him as the God who keeps His word.  El Shaddai brings us insight to a God that does not lie, but keeps His word and brings His promises to pass.  The name El Shaddai refers to God as--all-powerful, all sufficient, keeper of My promises, I guarantee My word.  Abram learned this valuable lesson when God promised Him he would be the father of a great nation.  It took about twenty five years before the promise came to pass when his wife Sarai conceived at the age of ninety years old.  Abram's eyes were opened to a trustworthy God who meant what He said.  Abram, "was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, he was able also to perform" Romans 4:20-21.  The Abrahamic covenant is found in Genesis 15:1, "Do not be afraid Abram.  I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."  This is a vow to Abram that his enemies could not harm him, and that God would be with him to deliver him no matter what the circumstances.  It is a vow that God would personally be his reward and that he was eternally God's.  God was going to maintain him, protect him and keep him for himself.  

When we put our trust solely in God we are saying that no matter what, I will trust Him.  In doing this we also invite God to lead us down the path He has chosen for us.  This path not only can be laden with trials, it will be.  We must expect our faith to be tested at times so that we can grow in our faith.  Abram found out that trusting God would bring him face to face with some hard decisions.  In Genesis 22:2 we find Abram faced with such a test.  "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of".  Abram did not hesitate to prepare by splitting wood for the trip.  Where did Abraham get the faith to obey such a hard word?  It came directly from the revelation of God's name.  By knowing God by name, Abram was able to continue with his faith without doubt.  Jehovah Jireh, a glorious new discovery of God's nature.  Here God reveals Himself as "The Lord who sees", Genesis 22:11-14.  This could be translated in todays terms as, "God will see to it."  This is a name that gives indication of provision.  

Isn't it odd or strange how we face so many trials or obstacles in our journey and we almost always forget what God has done for us in the past.  We find ourselves complaining or whining about our burden.  We blame others for our troubles, pick up the phone and tell everyone else about our day whether it be good or bad.  In the process of all this we push God aside and forget all that He has done for us.  We feel abandoned and left alone.  The presence of God is not felt any longer so we just drudge our way through the day or week having a pity party.  The Israelites faced such a problem after they crossed the Red Sea.  Read the account in Exodus 15 and pay attention to the joy and jubilation they experienced after such a great miracle.  Exodus 15:22-24 shows just how fast we forget and reject the promises of God.  "Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur.  For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.  When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter.  (that is why the place is called Marah).  So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"  You have to realize that the Israelites had witnessed mighty miracles just a few days prior leading up to their journey to the promised land.  The problem they had was that they carried with them a spirit of bitterness and that had to be dealt with.  So God led them to the brook "Morah" to deal with it.  God could not allow them to go any further because they would infect the whole land.  Morah was a place the Israelites had to face up to their problem and be healed of it.  Jehovah Rophi meant them at this place and healed them of their affliction.  God had just revealed another attribute about Himself to the Israelites, "I am (Jehovah Rophi) the God that heals thee."  We all will face things in our lives that we need God to heal us from.  Not just the physical ailments but the areas of our lives that have been contamimnated by a much worse affliction, a spirit of bitterness, jealousy, hatred, anger and so on.  You must face your enemy head on and let God bring you to His loving arms of forgiveness and heal you.  After all, He is Jehovah Rophi, the God who heals you.

When we fail to allow God to work in our lives we are in essence rejecting Him.  The God I trust in is a loving and patient God but He is also a God who disciplines His children.  If we do not allow God to heal us of our bitter spirit or jealous nature, then we as His children will experience Jehovah Makkeh, the God who smites.  Jehovah Rophi approaches us as the God who wants to heal us of our afflictions.  He comes to us with His arms outstretched saying to us that He loves us and wants the very best for us.  As Jehovah Makkeh He comes to us still with all of His love but with a different approach.  Since we do not turn from our sinful ways and hang onto those areas that not only harms us, but contaminates all those we come into contact with then He must reveal Himself as Jehovah Makkeh.  Ezekiel 7:9 and Ezekiel 39:26-27.  David Wilkerson says this about these passages:

"When you know me as Jehovah Makkeh---the God who smites to heal---then you will know deliverance, victory and restoration. I will smite you with discipline, to draw out your rebellion like poison from a wound." 

We will either know God as Jehovah Rophi, "The God who heals us" or we will learn of the God who "smites us."

Last in this summary, Jehovah NIssi, "The Lord Our Banner."  Here we find God raising up His standard in the midst of battle, His banner, the focal point of our faith.  When we keep our eyes focused on God and His ways we will be victorious in all that we set our hands to.  But, in order to be successful we must learn this valuable lesson about Jehovah Nissi; our focus must be on Him and Him alone.  When our eyes are focused on anything else we will drift towards what we are focused on.  Exodus 17:8-16 makes this very clear.  As long as the "Lords Banner" is over us we are protected from the enemy.

Remember this no matter where you are in your journey on this earth; we are in an ongoing battle with the enemy, a spiritual battle that will continue until Christ Himself returns to finalize the victory we have in Him. Paul writes, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Be encouraged when you have trials come your way, the enemy doesn't like it.  No matter what path you are on your Heavenly Father is on the path with you, but staying on the path He has set before you will undoubtedly bring you constant joy and victory.  Keep your focus on Him and He will lead you through your trial.  We all will have our faith in Christ tested.  Keep in mind, this is for our good and the strengthening of our faith.

God loves you and will never leave you or forsake you, so when you feel alone know that God is near and He will honor your trust in Him.  When you face the trials in life, God will shine a light at the end of the tunnel so you can find your way.  You must take the steps to reach the other end.



  

Jehovah Nissi

As we look into this particular name of God, I hope that you will not only take the time to read this blog, but to think seriously about your relationship with the Heavenly Father.  We are living in some very troubled times and it should be quite obvious that no matter what leader we have, they simply do not have the right answers to not only obtain world peace, they cannot bring you inner peace either.  So let's examine Jehovah Nissi for a moment and see just how knowing God by this name will help us.

First we have to understand where this name came from and why it was so important.  As we look deeper into God's Word we discover some very important truths that were established thousands of years ago.  Keep in mind that God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

When we read about the battles and wars in the Old Testament it may help to understand why these battles took place.  According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:11 these conflicts were recorded for us as examples.  We still face the same spiritual battles today as they did back in Moses' time. Now lets look at the battle that brought about the name Jehovah Nissi. We will pick this up in Exodus 17:8-16.  There are some important points that we need to pay attention to such as, 1.  Who were the Amalekites? 2. Why was God so intent on wiping them out?  3.  What implications does this have for us today?

In order to fully understand this passage of scripture we need to understand the history behind them.  The Amalekites were descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau, who was Jacob's twin brother.  Look at Genesis 25:19-34 and pay attention to the last verse.  Esau despised his birthright.  Birthrights were extremely important as to who received the inheritance of the father.  God established the birthright of His Son Jesus Christ, who was his only begotten Son.  Christ inherited all that His Father had through His death and resurrection.  Esau sold His birthright for a bowl of stew.  The bible says that God despised Esau because of his wickedness:  I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness... They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, the border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.  Malachi 1:3-4.


Now we need to remember that God is a God of love and mercy, He does not change.  Yet God says emphatically that "My indignation will burn against this nation forever."  When we read about accounts such as this in the scriptures we need to look beyond the surface story.  According to David Wilkerson in his book "Know God By Name" he states this:

What exactly is happening here?  I believe that God is speaking of none other than Satan and his demonic powers.  You see, Amalek is a biblical representation of the devil's  hostility toward Christ and His Body on earth.  The margin note in an old Puritan Bible states the following as God's reason for declaring war on Amalek:  "Because his hand is against the throne of God."  This war continues today because Satan has never ceased his efforts to thwart God's eternal purposes.  Amalek represents the devil, the enemy of the Lord, whose "hand is against the throne of God."  Right up until the time of Jesus' birth Satan put his hand against God's throne by trying to destroy the lineage that would give birth to the promised Christ.  The enemy did everything he possibly could to wipe out God's people.

Saul was the chosen king after the people complained about not having a king like the other nations.  Saul received instructions from God through the Prophet Samuel to wipe out this nation.  Nothing was to be left.  Saul disobeyed those instructions and suffered the consequences of rebellion against Gods' Word.

Satan gained control of the Amalekites when Esau sold his birthright by despising God's instructions.  If Saul would have obeyed God's word I wonder how different our world would be today.  The battles that were fought in these days wasn't necessarily against the people or the humans, it was against Satan himself.  The problem was that the people followed the ways of Satan and were being used by him to thwart God's purposes.

So what does all this mean for you and me today?  When God gave man authority over this earth God did not hold back any portion of that authority.  Look at Genesis 1:26 and pay attention to the part about "let them rule over".  When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, God did not take back that authority.  God to this day works through man to accomplish His purposes.  When Adam sinned, he turned over this authority to Satan.  Satan is referred to as the ruler of this world, the prince of darkness, etc.  Look at Ephesians 6:10-12.  We are in a spiritual battle not a physical one.  In order for God to purge the land of His enemies He had to destroy that which Satan had control over, the Amalekites.  Rebellion is like a cancer that spreads throughout the body, or the in the case of Israel, the hearts of the people.  God's eternal purposes are much higher than our purposes.  Our purposes should come from God, but unless we submit ourselves to His ways we like the Amalekites are influenced by God's enemy, satan.  Satan is the "prince of this world" and he does control those who are not under the "Grace" of God.  Satan has never stopped being against the throne of God.  He still comes against God's people no matter where they live.  Satan will do everything he can to destroy God's eternal purposes.  As long as there is one child of God on this earth Satan will attempt to destroy that person.

If you are not living under the influence of God, you are being influenced by satan and his cohorts.  There is no middle ground, you are either for God, the creator, or you are for the prince of this world, satan the destroyer.  You can come under God's influence if you receive His Son as your personal saviour, place your trust in Him and follow His ways.  When Christ was crucified and shed His blood for us he ultimately paid the price for all our sins, or rebellion.  Before Christ ascended back into heaven He went to the depths of hell and took back the authority that man had given up.  Satan no longer has authority over you as long as you are under the blood of Christ.  This requires belief and faith in the person of Christ.  When we receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we also receive back that authority Adam lost in the beginning.

Our war is not with the physical, but with the spiritual.  When you see all the heartache in this world remember from where it comes.   The spirit that controlled the Amalekite's is still at large and looking for those it can control.  Remember, the Lord is our banner, our ensign.  Exodus 17:15 tells us that the Lord is our hope, the Lord will fight our battles if we will hold Him up above all else.  When we depend on Him as our Captain, He will lead the charge and fight the battle before us.

I leave you with this quote from David Wilkerson's book, "Knowing God By Name."

Satan has one simple strategy against you in this battle: He wants to convince you to give up on Jesus.  That is why he tries to terrify you, to cause you to faint in your faith--so you will distrust Christ and desert Him.  He wants to make you run from the battle, to leave the Lord's army and stop being His representative on earth.  This is how the enemy plans to destroy the seed--by killing off Christ's army one soldier at a time."

Satan's primary purpose in his battle against you is to totally discourage you.  He wants to get you focused on the awfulness of your sin, persuaded you are powerless to resist temptation and convinced that God has left you alone so that you will no longer look to Christ's victory on the cross."

"O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not our hearts faint, feat not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."  Deuteronomy 20:3-4

"King David always knew the battle was not his.  He knew it rested completely in God's hands.  That is why he could stand without fear as he faced the giant Goliath.  David said, "The battle isn't mine--it's the Lord's.  You have not defied me, Goliath--you have defied the living God.  You have put your hand against His throne.  And now you have to face Him on the battlefield."  1 Samuel 17:36, 47  (David Wilkerson, Knowing God By Name)

May God of heaven bless you in these troubled days.  I hope all will put their total trust in the one true God.

El Shaddai

As we look at the next name of God, El Shaddai, would you take the time to think about what is going on in your life at this time.  We are faced with many giants in our lives today and you know as well as I do that there are very few places that we can find answers to our problems.  The government certainly cannot solve your problem, they might be able to put a band aid on it but they cannot heal it.  Many are out of work or struggling to keep their jobs and maintain some sort of pay in order to meet their needs, so we cannot depend on our place of employment to save us.  Many of our church's today don't seem to offer the solidity they used to, many seem to have a watered down version of God, faith and hope.  So what do we have that will carry us through this day and the days ahead.  Take some time and consider where you are in your journey through this life and determine just what you are trusting in.  Let me share with you with whom many have already found to be the solid rock on which our trust is placed.  I like many others are learning about El Shaddai, God, all sufficient and all powerful.

Let's examine the name El Shaddai for a few minutes and see just what this name entails.  Looking again at Abram's life we will find that he really had to go through some tough situations in his life and through these situations Abram was able to completely give his life over to trusting this God who said He would take care of everything.  Look at Genesis 15 (Click on blue to take you to verses) and read about how God made a covenant with Abram.  God said that Abram  through his heir, a son, would have offspring as many as the stars. Read Genesis 13:14-17 to get a glimpse of where God first told Abram about the number of descendants he would have.  This however is not where the covenant was made, but the fact that God told Abram what He would do should have been enough, Gods Word should have been sufficient.  So, many years later,  God, El Shaddai made a covenant with Abram by the shedding of the blood of some specific animals.  Once God makes a covenant He not only will not break it, He cannot break it. One fact that we must realize through the life of Abram is when God makes a blood covenant or He just gives His Word, they both are one and the same, either way God cannot go against His Word or promises.   Continuing on in the life of Abram you must realize that it took over 25 years before this promise came to pass.  In the meantime Abram and his wife Sarai were getting older.  In fact they were beyond the age of having children, way beyond before the promised son was conceived.  Abram as we learn even tried to take matters into his own hands while he was still capable of producing children.  He had a son, Ishmael, through a handmaiden Genesis 16:1-4, but as we learn this son was not the son of faith and promise.  In the Lord's eyes this child was illegitimate.  Abram had to wait for the promised son for a quarter of a century which took them both into the dried up stage of ones body.  God had to show Abram that if he was going to trust Him, he would have to trust Him with everything.  When God says that He will do something, then you and I must believe that He will do it, no matter what.

Now the time has passed and Abram and Sarai were ready to receive God's promised son.  Abram had gone through many battles that taught him just who God was, now he was going to learn another name or characteristic of God.  El Shaddai has brought Abram to that time when he must again totally believe in what God has said.  As stated earlier, Abram and Sarai had a son together and named him Isaac.  Through this son would be all the offspring that God had promised 25 years ago.   Yes, Abram's faith did waver at times.  We know that at least once it did when he had a son through the handmaiden.  Abram got impatient and did not fully trust God to deliver on His promise, so he thought he would help God bring about His promise.   Abram even questioned or challenged God at times wondering where was this promised son,  Genesis 15:2-3. So God made a blood covenant with Abram concerning His promise. Then not long after this covenant with God we found Abram giving his seed to the handmaiden, Haagar  had the son Ishmael,  Genesis 16:1-4.  It was not until Ishmael was thirteen years old that God's promise for a son would come about.  Yes, Abram faltered a bit at times and questioned God at times, but Abram was reminded again just who God was and that God will not break His promises or covenants.  Now Abram had his promised son through Sarai and raised him for several years.  You and I both know that as your children grow you become more and more attached to them.  You learn more of their personality and discover their character.  You learn what unique qualities and gifts they have.  The bond between you becomes extremely strong and you are united by virtue of a blood line that flows through your veins.  

When God says that you must obey me no matter what can place a fear in ones heart because this takes you into the unknown.  You realize that their just may be a test or trial you are eventually going to face.  Abram learned this as his son was now becoming a young man.  God was now going to reveal to Abram the character of El Shaddai.  Let me quote again from David Wilkerson's book, "Knowing God By Name."  I believe that this statement is so true and one that we must all come to realize in our own lives.

Discovering the secret that Abraham knew; Here is the secret to a godly walk: We are to receive, to acknowledge, believe, embrace and act upon--the revelation God gives us of who He is.  That is the secret, plain and simple.  We are able to walk uprightly before the Lord, but not because we have willpower, knowledge or even a covenant promise in hand.  We walk uprightly because we are fully persuaded that El Shaddai  will keep His promises to us.

Many situations took place from the time that Abram was promised a multitude of offspring and the birth of Isaac.  Battles, other covenants, parting of ways with Lot, moments of weakness and other trials that would shape Abram's faith in God.  God has now brought Abram to a place in his life where he needed to be tested with the ultimate test.  This test would determine once and for all whether Abram was going to completely trust El Shaddai or turn away and not accept God's plan.  Read Genesis 22:1-15 for the account of what took place.  Here we are going to find some amazing and yet hard facts of our life when we put our trust in this God, El Shaddai.  

This is where we will find in ourselves just like Abram had to whether we are trusting God to the fullest extent.  Abram after raising his son for several years and becoming more attached with each passing day found himself with quite a situation, obey God and maybe lose his son through his own hand or walk away.  In this passage we will notice that Abram did not falter in his response to God, why?  First we must realize that all through the battles, quarrels, weak moments, family parting ways, etc. God was preparing Abram for this test.  Abram had become convinced that God is who He said He is, El Shaddai, all powerful and all sufficient.  God had never failed Abram at any time.  God had never broken His word or went back on His promises.  Abram came to know God in an intimate way, nothing could cause Abram to doubt God again.  Abram was now asked to sacrifice his only son, the one through who all his descendants would come.  The one Abram came to love and cherish over the years.  The one who he became attached to not only by blood, but through those bonds you and I build with our own children.  Abram gathered wood for the fire, prepared for the long journey to the mountain with his son and servants.  Once Abram arrived at his destination, he took his son alone and went up the mountain to thrust a knife through his sons heart.  Abram did not look back, he just proceeded to follow the instructions given him by the Lord.  Isaac asked his father where the lamb for the sacrifice was?  Abram answered "God will provide the lamb."  As Isaac was placed on the alter and the wood was over him, Abram raised his knife and was ready to bring his hands and arms down with a force strong enough to cause the knife to penetrate Isaac's heart.  Isaac did not struggle or squirm with fear for he too knew that God was a God who kept his promises.  At that very moment God called out to Abram and told him "not to harm the boy."  God seen in Abram that he feared God because he would not even withhold his only son from Him.  El Shaddai provided all that Abram needed.  As Abram looked around he saw the ram that God had provided for the sacrifice.  So Abram and his son sacrificed the lamb to the Lord.

What caused Abram to have a trust in God that he would not even withhold his only son from Him?  One thing of course were all the tests Abram went through, but Abram also learned that God is who He said He was.  God was all powerful and Abram fully believed that if God allowed him to go through with the sacrifice, God had the power to raise his son Isaac back to life.  Abram did not doubt God and He was fully persuaded that God, All Sufficient and All Powerful, would deliver on His Word.  Abram knew that no matter what happened El Shaddai would keep His covenant concerning his offspring.

Where are we now in our walk with God?  Are we where we need to be that we too would sacrifice something or give up something that is dear to our heart in order to follow Him no matter what?  This would be a good time for us all to take a good look at our walk with the Lord and see if we may be lacking in some way concerning our trust in El Shaddai.  

Here are some lessons Abram learned during this part of his life, lessons you and I must also learn.  "David Wilkerson" says it this way in his book "Knowing God By Name."

1.  God was saying to His servant, "Abram, you already know I have power over every condition in your life.  I have convinced yoiu that I am in control of all things, that there are no accidents in your life, no situations that are merely fate or luck.  I am the head, the chief, the boss of all creation, and My word is eternal."  

2.   "I am not only in control of all things, but I always keep My word.  No obstacle can keep My word from coming to pass.  I am not bound by the laws of nature or fettered by any man.  I can do any thing at any time.  There are no mountains too high for Me, no valleys too low, no rivers or oceans too wide.  When I say something is going to be done, it is already done.  Nothing can stop My promise.  I am El Shaddai, all-powerful, all-sufficient keeper of My promises.  I guarantee My word.

3,  The Lord revealed Himself to Abram specifically as the God who gives life to the dead.  He opened Abram's eyes to the part of His nature that performs the impossible.

4.  Abraham believed what God said: that he was safe from all harm because the Lord was all-sufficient to keep His servant victorious over every evil

Only by learning and embracing the revelation of God's covenant names will we be able to lead godly lives. Have you discovered your El Shaddai, all-sufficient God? (David Wilkerson, Knowing God By Name).  Is it not time for us to stop focusing on the impossible and focus on the God who specializes in the possible?  We all need something firm and solid in our lives, so why not at this time make God, the creator of the universe and owner of all things, the God who is all-sufficient and all-powerful your focus while we journey through this troubled world.

In Whom We Trust

Remember what God told Moses to tell His people?  Tell them that "I AM" has sent you (Exodus 3:1-14).  In this name is the very essence of God.  Here God is saying that I am everything you need me to be.  When you are faced with an enemy I am there to deliver you and fight for you.  when you are lacking in something I am there to provide for you, I am the creator and possessor of everything.

El Elyon: God Most High, Creator and Possessor of Heaven and Earth.  El Shaddai: God All-Powerful and All-Sufficient.  Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Who Sees and Who Provides.  In Genesis 14:1-22 we find the first war ever recorded in human history.  In this war we find Abram rescuing his brothers son, Lot.  Two recognizable names occur here, Sodom and Gomorrah.  There was a confederation of kings that came against these two cities and overtook them.  They pillaged the cities of all their goods and took many people captive, including Lot and his family.  Abram was given word of this war and the capture of Lot.  Abram took his servants and traveled 140 miles before they overtook the invaders.  Abram and his servants defeated the invaders with little problem.  Abram regained all the wealth and goods of the two cities plus all the captives including Lot and his family.  

After Abram had defeated and captured these confederations of kings, Abram was meant by Melchizedek, who was referred to as The "King of Salem" and the "Priest of the Most High God," Genesis 14:18.   This dual description tips us off as to who Melchizedek was a type of.  "Having both descriptions of king and priest alerts us to Melchizedek's role as a type-a living picture-of Christ Himself", According to David Wilkerson's book "Knowing God By Name."  We find in this portion of scripture how Abram came to put his full confidence and trust in El Elyon. First we find that Melchizedek served Abram a covenant meal of bread and wine.  Then as King, Melchizedek accepted a tithe, a tenth of all that Abram had.  Abram during this encounter came to understand that God, El Elyon, was all he needed and therefore did not need anything from the King of Sodom.  

After the encounter with Melchizedek, Abram was approached by the King of Sodom who made this very generous offer to Abram. Genesis 14:21 says this "Give me the persons and take the goods to thyself."  Quoting from David Wilkerson's book the "The Names Of God" we will find the reason why the King of Sodom made such an offer;"

To gain the full impact of the King's offer here, we need to examine the scene more closely.  Here was godly Abram, leading home all the freed captives of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Satan must have been enraged at the sight.  His plan, I suspect, for spreading Sodom's wickedness had been demolished.  He was probably seething!  I can imagine his thoughts running along these lines: "This holy man has become the people's hero and deliverer.  Worse, I just saw him communing with Melchizedek, the priest of God!  The Lord must be planning to convert all of these Sodomites."

At that point, I believe, the devil filled Sodom's king with a spirit of jealousy.  You can almost hear Satan's scheming voice speaking through this vile king:  "Keep all the spoils, Abram. You can have everything we possess.  Just give me back my people."  In reality, the devil was pleading, "Please, Abram---take everything you want.  Just don't take these souls away from me.

You must understand: The goods that Sodom's king offered to Abram were more than just a wagonload of groceries.  These were the spoils of two prosperous city-states: thousands of cattle, sheep, camels, donkeys, weapons, clothing and furnishings---treasures of gold, silver, diamonds, jewels and precious stones.

Yet Abram refused the offer without hesitation.  He told the king,  "I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich" (Genesis 14:22-23).

In other words Abram was saying, you can have all the riches and people, I'm taking Lot and his family with me.

What mattered to Abram most was preserving God's reputation.  During his meeting with Melchizedek Abram came to the realization that God, El Elyon, was the creator of heaven and earth and everything in it belonged to Him.  He had no desire to receive anything from a mere earthly king.  God, the creator was now the most important aspect in Abram's life.  Nothing else mattered except to please Him.  Abram had his eyes opened to the fullness of God and he wanted nothing else.  Read Genesis 14:19-20, He (Melchizedek) blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand."

Embedded in these verses is the name for Jehovah God: El Elyon.  It means literally, "God Most High, creator and possessor of heaven and earth."  Melchizedek was declaring to Abram not just the greatest of all the gods.  He is the creator of the entire universe.  Everything in it belongs to Him.  (David Wilkerson, Knowing God by Name).

Every devoted Christian has discovered the Lord as his savior from sin.  David Wilkerson ask these questions:  "Yet  have we also discovered Him as El Elyon, God Most High, creator and possessor of all things?  Have we begun to see Him with new eyes as Abram did?  Are we convinced that He holds our entire lives and well-being in His hands?  Hebrews 13:8 says that "He is the same yesterday, today and forever."  Are you persuaded that God is in absolute control over all things in your life? Are you able to face the storms, tests and trials in your life,  calmly testifying, "My God, El Elyon, has everything under control?  Do you trust His power to help you resist every temptation the devil throws at you?  Can you trust that if God has created a new heart in you, He also has the power to create in you a hunger and thirst to know Him more intimately?

We obtain this kind of power only by laying hold of the revelation that our God is El Elyon.  This means, in contemporary terms, there are no accidents in my life, no such things as fate, happenstance or luck, either good or bad.   Every step I take is ordered by the Lord.  Everything in my life, in fact, everything in this universe, is under HIs control.  His Word tells me that Satan cannot tempt me any more than I can bear.  My boss is always faithful to show me the way of escape."  (David Wilkerson,  know the names of God).

I hope this has been helpful in coming to know the one and true God.  We will look at more names soon, but until then take the time to understand your position with El Elyon. 

If you would like to see a more detailed look at this name, click on the following link for further insight.

God Most High, El Elyon

Names of God

I would like to take some time and write about the names of God.  Names portray ones background, character and attributes, and in some cases ones desires.  When our parents named us they either picked a name from our ancestors such as a great grandparent to give respect and remembrance for that person, or they named us after some famous person because they were so captivated by them.  Some pick names because of the meaning of the name.  Others name their children after biblical characters in order to maintain a spiritual connection to the family heritage. Others picked names just because they liked them and it distinguishes us from others.  But have we ever considered the names of God, or for  that manner why God even has names?  Names can and do give meaning to the one who holds that name.  There are several names of God but I would like to only look at a few.  I hope each who read this will take some time and reflect on these names, for in these names lies the very essence, character  and attributes of God, the creator of the universe and all that is. 

First let me say this, in all the scriptures God only refers to Himself by one name, "I AM."  "God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exodus 3:1-14).  Take some time and read the rest of the story.  Now the question would be, what did God mean by this name "I AM"?  David Wilkerson in his book "Knowing God By Name" wrote this: 

"He is telling us that He is the everlasting one, the true God, with no beginning and no end.  He always was, He is right now and He always will be.  As He explained to Moses, "I AM whatever you need, at any point in your life.  That is My nature, to be for you whatever you need at any given time.  My name is I AM-and I want my people to remember it."

Even though God gave Himself only one name, "I AM", the ancient Hebrews referred to Him by several names in order to describe His nature and character.  In these names we can better understand who God is and what He is like.   So why is it important for us to know the names of God?  Here's just a couple of reasons the bible gives us.  Various Psalms tell us that we receive deliverance through knowing His name.   "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth"  (Psalm 124:8).  "Because he has known my name...I will deliver him" (Psalm 91:15).  "I found trouble and sorrow.  Then called I upon the name of the Lord...I was brought low, and he helped me" (Psalm 116:3-4, 6).
Another reason we find is in Isaiah.  "Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of his servant, that walks in darkness, and has no light?  Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God" (Isaiah 50:10).


Here is a list of the names given to God to describe Him according to how the ancient Hebrews experienced His presence.  


El Elyon------------------------El Ely-OWN
El Shaddai---------------------El Shad-DI
Jehovah Jireh----------------Je-HO-va JI-rah
Jehovah Rophi---------------Je-HO-va RO-fee
Jehovah Makkeh-------------Je-HO-va MA-keh
Jehovah Nissi-----------------Je-HO-va NEE-see
Jehovah Tsebaioth----------Je-HO-va Se-baw-OT
Jehovah Shalom-------------Je-HO-va Shaw-LOME
Jehovah Tsidkenu-----------Je-HO-va Sid-KAY-noo
Jehovah Shammah----------Je-HO-va SHAW-mah
Jehovah Rohi-----------------Je-HO-va RO-ee


In following blogs I want to give the meaning of each of these names and a brief summary of how the name came about.  I believe that if we all begin to recognize and apply these names to our lives we will experience a closeness to God that we may have never experienced before.