Soul Meds 4 Names of God 52 PDF

Exploring God
through
His names
52 short meditations on
God’s character
through His names
Disclaimer Changing your Community
The verses referenced in this work are from the NIrV. A copy and paste from the
Biblegateway.com website. Internally, single verses have been used most of the
time. The maximum is three consecutive verses. All other verses are referenced
as scripture to be read, not inserted. The author does not take credit for any
scripture or version of scripture quoted in this work.
There will be changes in the future. Some will be grammar, while others will be
in format. This is only the first half. Watch for the whole version.
List Names of God
1. `Elohim
2. Jehovah
3. Adonai
4. Jehovah Shammah
5. Jehovah – Jireh
6. JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM
7. JEHOVAH-RAPHA
8. Jehovah-Nissi
9. El Rohi
10. EL-Roi
11. EL-Shaddai
12. Jehovah-Kanna
13. Jehovah – Shalom
14. Jehovah – Shalom 2
15. Jehovah-Go'el
16. Jehovah Gmolah
17. Jehovah Uzam
18. Jehovah Chereb
19. Jehovah Tsidkenu
20. Jehovah-'Ori
21. Jehovah-Sabbaoth
22. Jehovah-Hashopet
23. Jehovah- Naheh
24. Jehovah-'Immeku
25. EL-Elyon
26. Jehovah-Yasha
List Names of God
27. Jehovah-Ma'oz
28. Jehovah-Adon Kal Ha'arets
29. Jehovah-Keren-Yish'I
30. Jehovah-Kabodhi
31. Jehovah-Bara
32. Jehovah-Hamelech
33. Jehovah-Hamelech Olam
34. El Chaiyai
35. Jehovah Ganan
36. YHVH O'saynu
37. Esh Okhlah
38. Agape
39. Haw-yaw'
40. Yehovah Echad the Complex “1”
41. El Berith
42. El-Beth-El
43. El Nekamoth- GOD
44. Jehovah-Hoshe'ah
45. Hē Megaloprepēs Doxa (Greek)
46. Ho patēr tōn pneumatōn (Greek)
47. ’Even Yisra’el
48. ‘Axios’ (Greek)
49. Eternal Immortal Invisible King
50. King of Kings
51. El De'ot
52. Our Response to God
Elohim Names of God
Thought
God is Creator. That’s what sets Him apart form other gods. Other
gods can take life but not create life. Worshipping any other is
because we want to control god.
Elohim Names of God
Read Elohim
Genesis 17:1 - 22 In these names of God, we find characteristics, applications
We underestimate the and questions.
power of God.
In a world which is fast becoming focused on anything but God,
We do this by not we need to return to the principles He set out at creation.
understanding His
character, separating Most of the time we read scripture, and do not really pay
God into three, often
attention to its translation. the name for God here is ELOHIM. El
ignoring God the Father,
who is the same as Jesus is the basic name for god.
and the Spirit. He is not
equal to the others – He ELOHIM is God the mighty. We find this written as Almighty God
is. or Mighty God.
When we talk about the true living God, this is the perfect name
for Him. He is not the only powerful person. Satan is also very
powerful and wanted to have that name but was rejected by the
more powerful creator God.
Remember Satan can do miracles too. In Exodus we read about

everything he did to convince Pharaoh.
We often forget the power of Satan, which is why we are

challenged, in the New Testament, to determine whose power
miracles are done.
Like Satan, Christians seek power in our culture. We want to be

the one who people look up to because of our success. This is
dangerous and can deny the power of Elohim, the Almighty God.
When we study the names of God, we want to use them so we

understand not only the nature of God, but the power of the
name of God.
Satan has no fear of us, but he does fear the name of God. By
using the name of the True God and His character we have
confidence to stand firm
Imagine Daniel and his friends in the furnace. All because the
power of Almighty God.
Elohim Names of God
God does not need us, but created us for His purpose. I think this is where we often get
confused.
Elohim is the ALMIGHTY God. He has no competition. He alone creates and controls the world
we live in. He is the One to be feared.
When we study God’s names, we will look at how Satan tries to emulate the name. His power
in us is what we should long for. His balance of character, in both justice and love should be
our life focus. His never changing commitment to His creation is our security.
Elohim is the One who made the promise to Abraham. He is the only one who could make the
promise last forever. He is the one who could promise to care of Ishmael and his seed. Ishmael,
the one who was born out of Abraham’s lack of faith.
Elohim is best described in Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord
of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
A mighty and terrible God.
We often do not think of God this way. We ignore the idea of God's wrath because it is
negative. It is not from the New Testament some say. People will reject us if we talk about
God like this.
All that may be true but to ignore it is to deny the power of Elohim and the majesty that comes
with this power. In the book of Revelation, we find Elohim, the Lord of Lords and God of Gods,
will come and destroy the earth. His patience with sin and selfishness running out.
It is this fear of God that should drive us to change. The fear of God’s wrath should cause us to
shout the message of hope and salvation from our roof tops.
The fear of this power gives us the confidence to expect miracles. Our Elohim is an awesome
God. Let us give him the reverence He demands because of His ultimate power.
Let us change our world with confidence because He alone can change the hearts of the men
and women around us.
Elohim Names of God
Reflection
1. How would you describe God in your life?
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2. How do people react when we talk about God?

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3. How would talking about the power of God change our relationships?
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Elohim Names of God
Prayer
Lord,
I use Your name to loosely. I need to bow and obey because You are the
Kong of Kings, Lord of Lords. There is none like You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah Names of God
Thought
To be needed is a comfortable feeling. When you are self -existent

you don’t need anybody or anything because you are inherently
complete. People seem to think God needs us to complete his psyche.
We need him to complete us not the other way around.
Read Jehovah
Isaiah 43: 7-21 Isaiah says the same thing here. In verse 7 God writes ~~
Everyone who is named by my name, and whom I have made for
Jehovah is the name my glory, who has been formed and designed by me.
used to talk about the
existence of God. Jehovah, the Creator of all things, also has a purpose for you and
me. Our purpose and design is to glorify Him. This is easy to
In the English bible it is understand but hard to practice.
written often as LORD
There many other We get caught in the worship of other things. This is the basis for
additions to Jehovah, the commandments to not have other gods beside Jehovah. (12)
but Jehovah is the basis I gave the word, and made it clear, and there was no strange god
of who God is. among you: for this reason, you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
We often think of God

Verse 10 follows this idea of who Jehovah is. He is the one who is
as only the Creator of
before and there is not an after.
all things. In these
verses we also find
some great things about We need to understand the power of using God's name right.
God. When we use God's name in our prayers, we use only one or two
names, like a two-dimension God.
We focus on Jesus Christ
and His work on the
When we see God as a 3D Person with a 3D character, we can see
cross.
Jehovah clearer.
Jesus pointed to His
Father who was the key
Verse 18 ~~ Give no thought to the things which are past; let the
person to every answer
in His life on earth. early times go out of your minds. This is hard to understand.
Our past experience is what we learn from. What is Jehovah saying

here?
The understanding of these verses it is what our salvation

experience is all about.
• It is what we forget when we see new Christians.

• It is what we forget when we become too critical of those
whom God is changing.
We see only the outside and ignore the inside.

God is doing an awesome work. What was the problem with Israel, God’s chosen people?
They kept focusing on their enemy’s lives and how fruitful and blessed they seemed to be. They
forgot about the reward they had for eternity.
Their Jehovah never changed but they had to play by His rules. His desire was for His people
Israel to give Him praise, not their kings or their priests. He wants Christians to do the same.
In the New Testament God created a new thing. A Church comprised of people who worship
Him. A people whom He can guide and empower personally. A larger nation of people who are
His witnesses to the world globally. Jehovah, the God who has no start and no end. Why do we
run after any other?
• As witnesses of His power to change lives we live lives driven by material things.
• As witnesses we look only on the outside not the inner struggle. We live looking
to the past, not the future.
Hindsight, or looking back is ok, it is the holding on to the past taking away our energy to change
into what God wants us to be.
Reflection
1. What do you focus on in your life; others or God?
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2. How many names of God do you use when you pray?

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3. How would focusing on God change your life?

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Prayer
LORD God Almighty,
There is so much to understand about You. I am often proud of who I

am, but I am nothing without you. I need to bow and obey because You
are the Kong of Kings, Lord of Lords. There is none like You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Adonai Names of God
Thought
The owner of our life determines the future of it. To be the solid
corner of a house we need a foundation that never changes. Adonai
is this foundation, but we need to choose Him or we will be building
on a shifting foundation.
Adonai Names of God
Read Adonai
Malachi 1:1-14 Adonai is different than Jehovah Jireh because it is in reference
to the position in the relationship with His people.
Meaning "Lord", a
reference to the The focus of the name Adonai is the absolute power and control
Lordship of God God has because of His position as Lord.
Lordship is a theme Lordship is possibly the most common problem in the Christian
found through scripture.
community today. It is key to the power, confidence, and peace
It is also a theme lost in we preach. Power because it is the source.
many church sermons
today. Because Adonai is the power source, if we do not have access, we
will not have the full strength of the power. It is like the full force
Recently I listened to a of a raging river or just the stream that trickles after the water has
pastor who began
been harnessed by a dam.
referencing scripture,
only to flow away from
it. Confidence, because when we know God is in control, we can
move forward in our life. When we understand our position, we
Many Christians want have no need to fear.
the power of Christ, but
not the Lordship it The question is asked ~~ Where is my honor? Where is the fear
requires.
of me? says the Lord of armies to you, O priests, who give no value
This leaves a person to my name.
with desire that can
never be adequately And you say, “How have we not given value to your name?”
filled.
7 You put unclean bread on my altar. And you say, “How have we
made it unclean? By your saying, The table of the Lord is of no
value.
Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. It was a time when
Israel had to make choices.
They could choose to fear the Lord of Lords and God of Gods or
follow the Priests who had defiled the sanctity of the Lord’s table.
A question was asked the other day. What does it mean to

honor your parents?
A good question because many parents are drunkards and

worse. I think the answer can be found in Adonai.
Adonai Names of God
The Lord in his position as Absolute Ruler. The Adonai we choose to serve. In these verses
tabernacle worship was physically done, but the requirements of the sacrifice were not met.
The problem was not a new one. Though Esau was the hunter he did pay attention to the
requirements of the sacrifice.
We do the same today focusing on the physical outer worship. We get all emotional in our
prayers and ask the same question when our god does not seem to answer.
What have I done to not give value to Your name?
God will reply with the same answer. You have not met the requirements of Lordship. You have
done the sacrifice in action but not taken care to make sure the sacrifice has met the standards.
Christians respond with -- We have Christ who is the perfect Lamb and sacrifice, which is true.
Christ is the perfect sacrifice, but that is only part of the problem here. Christ cannot make
Adonai Lord of our life. We must make that decision.
I think we take the idea of Lordship too lightly. We see only the sacrifice of Christ as the door
for our salvation. The blood of Christ as the cleansing power of our lives. The problem is we do
not give god honor.
The sacrifice that God wants is our whole life. Our every thought. Our dreams for the future.
He wants our confidence to be empowered because we fear only him and not our boss or
parents.
To give value to the name of Adonai there can be nothing that is ours. Adonai must have
total control. The hardest decision in our lives.
It is not always easy to give honor. We think honor needs to be earned. It may be true but
Adonai is the Lord of EVERYTHING. He desires to give us victory in our lives and in our nation.
We need to consider using God’s name, Adonai, when we pray.
The call to Lordship with every prayer, and incorporate it into our regular spiritual vocabulary
as a reminder of who God is in our lives.
Being a Christian is only the first step. The challenge is to have Adonai present in our, lives, not
Momentarily or on call, but at the front of every decision we make.
Adonai Names of God
Reflection
1. How often do we want to be the ruler of our lives?
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2. What have I done to not give value to God’s name?

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3. How would making Adonai Absolute Ruler change my life?

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Adonai Names of God
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
There is so much to understand about You. I am like Israel too often,

showing worship but not making decisions internally to worship. Enable me
to make choices based on worship, because you are King of Kings and Lord
of Lords. There is none like You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah Shammah Names of God
Thought
The owner of our life determines the future of it. To be the solid
corner of a house we need a foundation that never changes. Adonai
is this foundation, but we need to choose Him or we will be building
on a shifting foundation.
Read Jehovah Shammah

Revelation 21:1-11 If we were to read Ezekiel, we would find Israel coming out of
captivity. Ezekiel's experience with God was very special.
Jehovah Shammah is
but one of several Ezekiel starts his book with a picture of God he had in a vision
NEW NAMES by which which is very difficult to understand.
Jerusalem will be
known in the future We can understand he was with the people in captivity.
ages
(next age = Millennium; In the end he gives hope of a new city in which God lives which is
then the next age = the where we will find Jehovah-Shammah.
New Heaven and New
Earth...and New Jehovah Shammah (God is there) is understood to be the new
Jerusalem, name for Jerusalem.
Rev. 21:1,2). These NEW

The city where God is. It is a city made by God for God and His
NAMES symbolize both
a moral/ethical people. It is our hope, our reward, and our future.
reformation and a
change from misery to We find some interesting things here we do not often think about.
blessing. The first is found in the context of both Ezekiel and Revelation -
- there is a from misery to blessing line.
This time the New
Covenant promises to
be completely fulfilled This city of God comes from heaven, plus the trials and terrible
to the believing remnant Happenings from before.
of Israel.
In real life this is what we refer to as the essence of a relationship
Reference ** with God. We do not need to wait until the end to experience this
transformation.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/j
ehovah_shammah-the_lord_is
_there
We preach to the world this happens when you accept the gift of
salvation, Jesus Christ. We just need to give up control of our life
to experience it.
What do you think heaven will be like? Revelation 21 gives us the

best picture of what it will be like. The focus is on Israel as
children of the Bride, the new city.
The church is also considered to be the Bride of Christ. This can be

confusing, but don't be. God has given us the seal of the Holy
Spirit.
Chapter 21 and Ezekiel 48:35 are both about Israel. We can argue the different points of view
but the basics are not to be debated. We are saved by faith not works, and sealed by Holy Spirit.
Heaven, as described in these two chapters is for us as true Christians, as equals to the
inheritance of the nation Israel.
When we use Jehovah – Shammah we are saying the true God is there. Jehovah is the
name for God and Shammah together implies God lives there. In scripture it is related
to the New Jerusalem.
Today the Jerusalem we know is split into two pieces. Both sons of Abraham claim it as
their promise.
As Christians we can live victoriously. This does not mean we will not have days we cry
or feel sad. We will have days of struggle because there is a fight for our attention by
Satan. When the New Jerusalem comes Satan will not be there to distract our worship of
the King of Kings.
In verse 5 we read that God has made all things new. Jesus tells His disciples
this same thing.
When we become Christians the Holy Spirit lives in us as the new owner of our heart.
When our sins are forgiven the burden is let go and we are now free to serve God. We still
want to sin which is a part of us after Adam and Eve disobeyed in the Garden of Eden.
Sometimes in our life and circumstances it is hard to see that God is there. Life can be tough as
Christians. Culture, driven by money and position, we should be different because the true God
lives in us.
We need to remember God is there. He was in the beginning and He will be there in the end. His
desire is to create in us a new person. A body, which is so pure, that He can live in it. A body He
can empower to show the world what heaven can be like. There will always be false Christians.
There will always be people who want something for free. Christians are free to do only one
thing. Serve the true God. That is what is meant when say Jehovah Shammah.
Our hope is in the promise of our God Jehovah to create a city so pure He can live in it. We can
be so pure as to be invited to the wedding of the Lamb.
Are we making the choice to be made a new person with God as the head of our life, the
focus of everything we do? Are we being empowered by God or by our desire?
Reflection
1. How many of our life choices demonstrate God as the Head?
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2. How would using the phrase “God is there” change our conversations?
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3. How would empowered by God or by our desire change our life?

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
There is so much to understand about You. My hope is in the Jehovah

Shammah because He has made the future secure. Enable me to pure and
holy to enter the gates of heaven because you are King of Kings and Lord
of Lords.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah Jireh Names of God
Thought
People take pride in providing foe their family. Ignoring the Ture
Provider will give us nothing but stress. Try giving your needs to
the One who can provide absolutely everything.
Read Jehovah Jireh

Genesis 22:1-18 The second is softer, and more powerful, helping focus on who
God is. We study the names of God because it is the name of God
Imagine a friend phoned that gives us power.
you. They were having
trouble and needed some In this story we often focus on the idea God provided salvation for
money. Isaac. Or as a parallel to the salvation story of Christ.
You don't have enough

A ram was needed for an acceptable sacrifice. Abraham was tested
money and say, “Ask
God”. by God for his willingness to obey. We find this idea of testing in
both the book of Job and the life of Christ.
Imagine you used the
name of God. In the life of Christ, the three temptations were about Jehovah's
power to provide the needs of Christ.
You replied, Jehovah
Jireh will provide.
We can find Jehovah-Jireh is not only an Old Testament name but
What would be the the same in every generation.
response?
In the story of Abraham, the test was of Abraham's faith.
My first response is to
ignore the person In Job’s, the test was the same. Would their Jehovah provide for
because it sounds very
them when they had lost their most precious possessions?
shallow and uncaring.
We study the names of Jehovah – Jireh is also a place name in this story. A name Abraham
God because it is the gave to a place where God provided when Abraham was obedient.
name of God giving us A place name that describes God in action in response to a faith
power. challenge.
Many preachers tell us we need to expect health and wealth from

God. Though this sounds great it is only half of the truth.
God does say He will bless us with blessings. The question then is
whether the blessings are only in wealth and health.
The sacrifice required was not given until Abraham acted. He

followed God to the end and his God provide.
Job lost everything including health and wealth. His reaction was
not to curse the God whom he had faith in, but remained firm.
God restored double what he had lost.
We do not have Job making a name for a place where this blessing happened, but they
had experienced Jehovah - Jireh.
In the Old Testament we find Israel made place names and altars at every place they
experienced God.
In today's world we often forget how much God does for us. How often He provides for us. We
do not think this is important. Imagine you write the times God has provided when you have
been tempted to not follow God’s direction in a small diary.
We often do not know what God want. When God provides, we do not see Him. We see it as
luck.
We will have several places where we can bring testimony to the world around us about
Jehovah - Jireh. The place God provided when we were obedient to His command.
We give great testimonies, which sound great but are empty.
God has challenged us to do things, not because we can see the result but to prove
He is God in our lives. He wants to prove to us that He is the real Jehovah – Jireh.
There is none other like Him.

Reflection
1. What has God provided for you? Explain in detail.
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2. What have you lost that God has provided even more after?
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3. What is your view of health and wealth Christianity?

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
There is so much to understand about You. So many times, you provide for
me and I do not notice. Enable me to pay more attention to your provision
because you are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Amen
Jehovah-Maccaddeshem Names of God
Thought
Cleaning our lives clean is easy for a short while. When all the
hard work becomes too hard, we discover it has no value. It is so
much easier to have the Lord do the cleaning on a regular basis.
Read Jehovah-Maccaddeshem
Exodus 31:1-18 This name for God is important because it is what God does
throughout the Bible and today.
Sanctification is what
Yahweh does so we can We often think sanctification is only because God needs purity
stay empowered in our which is true.
relationship.
God cannot look at sin so he required a blood sacrifice. The
It is not something we
sacrifice was not only blood, but it had to be from a perfect
can do.
animal and the first born. He was very specific.
It is not something we
work for. Malachi writes about the abuse of the sacrifice. When we
discover why a sanctifier is more than just the sacrifice, we will
It is something God does discover a character of God we often do not associate with Him.
to show us how much He
really wants to do in our
We often think of God as the Judge, Christ as the door to heaven,
lives.
and the Holy Spirit as the seal.
It is His part of an
agreement He has with These are all true, but God shows Himself much more in these
his people. verses if we dare to look a bit closer.
We can argue which is the Sabbath day, or what to do on the

Sabbath. There are many other faiths and religions that keep the
stricter rules.
I went to College with a family who would not buy gas or groceries
on Sunday. It was the day of rest and they rested. They were
criticized but they wanted to keep the Sabbath.
In verse 13 we find God wants us to be reminded of the promise He

made between His people and Himself. He wanted us to see His
work of sanctification in a fresh way.
Remember the daily life of the Old Testament was not easy. Each
person or tribe had a job to do focused on the support of the
tabernacle.
The work needed to be done was never really done. The rest was
needed to become refreshed.
Today we find ourselves tired and worn out doing so many things
to keep ourselves looking spiritual.
We keep ourselves looking good and people think we are good, but God wants us to be
more than that. God wants us to remember not only who He is but what He has given to us.
To Israel He had given the Law. He gave us the gift of salvation.
For most Christians salvation is understanding Christ as the gateway to heaven and relationship.
Israel had to sacrifice regularly.
Each tribe had a gift to keep the tabernacle worthy of worship. It was a time for God to show
He is keeping his side of the agreement. He not only cleans the tabernacle of sin, through the
blood of Christ for us. He makes it worthy of His presence.
He has promised to live in us, but he can't live when it is not sanctified. He cannot effectively
empower us if there is anything taking away the focus from Him in our lives.
We clean our houses and work hard to stay clean in our lives. Weneed to not only be clean
but allow God to do the cleaning so He can fill His promises in our lives and Church.
• Are we working too hard to be clean and not letting God do the cleaning?
• Are we scared God will want to change things in ways we don't want to change?
• Are we holding on to things that God wants to throw out?
Sanctification is a big word, but it is allowing God to do the cleaning in our lives so we can
be empowered and experience His peace and power, giving us the confidence in times of stress.
Reflection
1. How clean is your life in comparison to what God can do?
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2. What do you hold on to that distracts us from keeping our life clean?
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3. What does God want to change that you find difficult?

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am an unclean person that needs cleaning. Sanctify my life every

moment because without it I am powerless. You are King of Kings and
Lord of Lords.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Rapha Names of God
Thought
Being sick is rarely a positive. Remaining sick leaves one tired

emotionally, often feeling helpless. There is a solution to all those
unresolved issues that keep us sick. Jehovah Rapha is the that
answer.
Read Jehovah-Rapha
Exodus 15:11-27
We cannot always be healthy and this scripture does not refer to
For some we should normal sickness. Remember Israel had just escaped from Egypt
never be sick. and endured the nine plagues.
For others we should not When Moses went before Pharaoh, God caused many sicknesses
take medicine. to come over the land. Israel was protected but because they were
slaves endured the anger of Pharaoh.
What does scripture
really say?
Though God had provided a way out they continuously complained
We look at one verse or because they had different expectations.
combination of verses
and make them fit an Isn't this what we do?
idea.
We love God when things go well, our health is good and business
This makes for good
philosophy but not good is booming. When it all falls apart, we question God’s wisdom. God
study of God’s word. is not the guy we think He is when we lose our health or business
God says keep focused on me. Worship only me. Be different

because I am a different God.
Korea has a tradition of shamanism and many still go to the

Mudang (shaman). Christians do it in secret because they do not
trust the Christian God to have the power.
Some Christians think Harry Potter is just a fun idea. Though there
are many fun things, when it comes to spiritual things, Harry
Potter’s magic is not one of them?
This scripture is to the Nation of Israel. We can also apply it to our

government. Will elections change a nation? We want to do things
different. We want peace with others but we don't know how to
achieve it.
God has written these down very clearly. If we want to be above

the rest; not only in finances, culture, or business, we need to
change our thinking.
Yes! God is the greatest. Who can challenge God and win? Jehovah
Rapha is not only the healer but the protector of our health. We
often do not recognize God does this.
I remember when HIV or AIDS was a concern in America. Some thought it was because
America had abandoned God and His principles. It was a sign of a rebellious generation.
The road the Apostle Paul had outlined as the fall of a nation is very clear. Though it is not
directed at America it is a blueprint to follow to national failure.
God has been taken out of the school system. We have gay priests and preachers, and the
slippery slope will continue until, like Canada it is considered a non- Christian nation.
God gives us three actions we need to follow if the power of Jehovah Rapha is to be in
our nation.
• The first is to give attention to the voice of the true God. This means leaders have
to make hard choices, choosing God over politics.
• The second is “Do what is right!” You cannot do this if you do not listen. Listening is the
hardest part because there are so many people who want attention. We can be
richer and more powerful if we do it their way which many be true. Is richer and more
powerful our goal? Imagine we let God be the power. Imagine the world around us,
like Egypt, suffering when we are not only healed, as Israel was in the desert with the
snake, but also protected from destruction.
• Third, we must continue in this path of change and obedience. It is hard to listen, but we
can follow the directions for a short while. Can we continue for longer periods? That was
Israel's problem. Israel changed for a short time and then went back.
For the promise, made in these verses, to be effective there needs to be a continuing life change.
This is the problem we have today and the problem Israel had. The commitment to be like Jesus,
in character is a lifetime commitment.
As we change, we will find Jehovah Rapha will keep our nation from those plagues around us. We
will stand out because of his protection and again He will get the glory and the honor.
Jehovah Rapha is more than the healer of our emotions and past. He is the protector against all
things Satan will try to harm us with.
In our commitment we should also look only into the eyes of Jehovah Rapha and accept not
only the healing but the protection only He can offer.
Reflection
1. How often do we listen but don’t act on what we hear from God?
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2. How easy is it to continue a path of change for extended periods?

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3. What are your goals and how does richer and more powerful fit?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am often sickly and in need of healing. Search my life and heal all things
from the past Which hinder the power of The Holy Spirit. You are King of
Kings and Lord of Lords.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Nissi Names of God
Thought
Being sick is rarely a positive. Remaining sick leaves one tired

emotionally, often feeling helpless. There is a solution to all those
unresolved issues that keep us sick. Jehovah Rapha is the that
answer.
Read Jehovah-Nissi
Exodus 17: 1-16
We forget we are at war against Satan not another nation. In the
Jehovah Nissi is often Old Testament it was often in the form of a physical war. Israel
thought of the banner of God’s. He had chosen it to show the world who He was.
love.
In the New Testament we have the same encouragement and same
This comes from the idea problem with small differences. It is more personal but not less of a
in The Song of Solomon.
problem.
This name is much more
than a romantic banner In the Old Testament Moses, God's chosen leader, was told to find
or covering. Joshua who would then lead them into battle.
This is where we often It was a battle with a stronger nation, Amelak, from Esau so this
forget about the
Was a fight against Jacob. This is important because God had
character and nature of
made a promise that Esau would not prosper.
God.
God is so much more It was a fight between brothers. What was Israel to do? They were
than two dimensions. weaker and had fewer people.
In this event we have If we see Jehovah – NISSI as just the romantic side of God we miss
Israel's God helping it
the point.
achieve a victory
If we go to Ephesians, we Thinking of a banner as protection is very simple. Jehovah

will also find Paul writes. NISSI is much more than this. If we see Jehovah Nissi as the
Eph 6:10 Lastly, be strong Commander whose colors we bear into our daily battle, we will
in the Lord, and in the understand him in a much better light. By colors let me give you a
strength of his power. better picture.
11 Take up God's
instruments of war, so
that you may be able to If you go to a sports event you can see the colors of the teams or
keep your position countries represented. Their clothes reflect the team colors of
against all the deceits of choice. In a war some people wear the same color of clothes and
the Evil One. use similar guns. The only way to know is by the flag at their
command post.
In the verses we read today we find Israel wandering in the desert

under God’s direction. They were going to the Promised land.
On their journey they had to trust God had the road map for their
journey. They had to trust God would provide for them. They
carried the Law but had no land which was theirs. In one way they
were homeless people looking for the hope God had promised.
Jehovah – Nissi is about carrying the colors of God to the world around us. When Paul writes in
Ephesians, he challenges Christians of every position to be different. He writes we should stand
firm, not fight. We should be the color bearer for the Commander.
Israel didn't always understand this idea. Amelak attacked their weaknesses. For Moses it was
age. He didn't have the strength and there were few leaders to choose from. There were lots of
men who wanted to be leaders, but not leaders who understood God well enough.
Jehovah – Nissi is the place name given when there was a victory given to us by God because we
were obedient.
It is the place where we carried the colors of our Commander and defeated the enemy. Amalek
doesn't go away. The children of Esau are waiting to take advantage of every weakness. They
care us into not moving forward in our life.
At a later time when Israel met Amelak again the spies went into the promised land and were
scared to move into it. Just the two spies, Caleb and Joshua, were ready. It took a generation
to die before Israel was able to claim the land of Canaan.
Today we all have weaknesses. We get tired because we are doing the fighting. We have all the
protection the Apostle shows us, but we find it hot and heavy. We carry the colors but find
ourselves bored and lazy.
We are in a spiritual war. We may even have to go to war physically, but most of the time we
have a choice. We focus on our life as wanderers in the desert complaining about what God has
given us.
Look at your life today. Where could you build an alter to remind yourself of Jehovah Nissi, the
God whose banner I carry to battle, knowing He has given the victory in my life.
What battles are you fighting that you need to give to God?
Reflection
1. Whose banner are you carrying into your battle?
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2. Whose battles are you fighting?

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3. Who do you see as your enemy? Explain.

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am proud and like to fight my own battles. Keep reminding me

You do a much better job because you are All-Powerful. You are
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Rohi Names of God
Thought
Who we follow will determine our state of mind. Peace and

tranquility come from following the only Shepherd that is able to
offer security and victory in any situation. David followed the
true Shepherd from the lowest job to the most powerful.
Read Jehovah-Rohi
Psalm 23
We find the character of God as Shepherd and the responsibility
A popular psalm and commitment He to us because He is Shepherd.
we have probably
memorized in our youth. It is this character and commitment that allowed David to be
patient as he waited to become king of Israel.
It has also been used for
therapy.
In the first verse David writes he lacks nothing. How can we
As we consider the interpret that? We need to understand this does not mean
names of God we can everything we want. It is everything we need.
this psalm as God’s
commitment. A missionary was asked why she wasn't married. Her reply was,
“The man was disobedient!” I think this is sometimes how we look
Our unchangeable God
at our life.
who created us, who
chose David to be King,
is described here in the When you look at the wars, famines, and all the bad things it is
role of Shepherd. difficult to see God doing a good job in the lives of those who are
in that experience.
David knew about
shepherding because it David was running and hiding for his life because Saul wanted to kill
was his job.
him. Saul had a large army while David just a few followers. God
It was this experience provided not only the food but also the security. David saw the
that made David able to power of God as controlling the world around him.
defeat the giant.
Understanding God as Shepherd helps us understand that God is in
Saul was taller and had control of everything around us and is able to provide for us. How
all the equipment does He do that? We find that in the rest of this chapter.
and training to be a
leader and soldier,
In verse two, God has gone before us to prepare a place of rest.
It was David who killed God not only knows the best resting places but He has already
Goliath. prepared them for us.
When we go to the mountain, we often find rest stops busy with pe

ople. They are often messy and garbage left by others.
When God has prepared something there is a sense of cleanliness

and purity. A sense of peace and security. There is no need for
fear.
Verse 3 allows us to see what happens when we live without fear and stress. We are
energized to change.
When we live in the confidence of God's security, we can change our lives. Not just change,
but changing a life to being tuned in to God's ways and laws.
When we experience the fresh breath of God in our lives, we will be energized to follow God's
directions much more.
In verse 4 we find where we are many days, in the valley of death. We get depressed Because
when we are in the valley, we cannot see which direction out.
In the valley the path is dark and we get scared of the noises we hear. Imagine David as
shepherd. Just a young teen having to listen to the noise of the wild animals all night. He only
had a shepherd's stick and a sling to defend himself and his animals.
We can relax because of His power. In our darkest and deepest depression God gives us a light
in the darkness, security for our fear, and hope the valley is not forever. Even in this valley we
can have rest.
In verses 5 and 6 follow the valley experience. These verses do not say that the valley
experience is over.
The psalm is about our response to events in our life when we are in a good relationship with
God. When we choose to make God our Shepherd, we get benefits our enemies can only
dream of.
We have the peace, power, and confidence when we are in the deep dark valleys in our life.
When life around us seems dark and hopeless we can be relaxed.
When others are worried and scared of things happening in their lives we can stay relaxed and
enjoy the security of Jehovah –Rohi.
Reflection
1. Whose banner are you carrying into your battle?
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2. Whose battles are you fighting?

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3. Who do you see as your enemy? Explain.

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am too often worried about the valley I seem to be in. I know

You are my protection and All-Powerful. You are King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. Thank you for being my protector and shepherd
when I feel so lost.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Roi Names of God
Thought
Imagine every thought was as if it happened in real life. Perhaps a

bit scary and we would try harder to think better. All the motives
would be exposed and the truth of our life laid out for all. Jehovah
Roi is that Person.
Read Jehovah-Roi
Genesis 16: 1 – 16 This disobedience has caused a lot of hardship and war between
the two brother, Ishmael and Isaac.
It is amazing what
fathers can see. Today we want to focus on the idea, God sees. This is what we find
Hagar calling God when He speaks to her in the desert - The God
We often think God who is seen.
cannot see our pain.
The translation in this version uses seen versus sees. It gives us a
We cannot see God in
our troubles when we are different view of who God is. If we use the word seen it infers a
stressed. God who we can see.
In this story a servant girl This is in contrast to the idea God sees everything. We know God
obeyed her master and sees everything but He we struggle with the interaction. He is seen
became pregnant.
to be just out there controlling things.
In fact, Abram was told
by God he was going to Hagar had the same idea. She knew and had heard the God of
have a baby at an Abram but never experienced this God Abram was committed to.
impossible age.
She also knew of the other gods people worshiped and carried
Not believing, Abram around with them.
tried to help God
achieve the dream of a
son. In her hurry she had no baggage to carry. No suitcases or
computers to connect wirelessly to the internet.
As a young servant girl, she had no rights or lawyers. She ran into
the desert to escape, hoping she found something better.
This is when she experienced God as a person who, not only sees,
but is also seen and can be experienced.
This is where the difference between doing and living Christianity

can be found.
We find several things here. First, God did not talk to Hagar until
she chose, or was forced out of her security, to run away.
Abram was responsible for everyone in his house, including the

servants.
God kept the chain of authority. When Hagar chose to run God told
her to go back.
God could have told her to go forward. This is the beginning of the story. Do you know the rest of
the story? This was the first experience. Her attitude toward Sarai was not good. The Bible says
she had no respect.
This is a problem when we try to help God make His promises come true. Abram disobeyed and
the attitudes changed. His wife, being a good wife, took responsibility for not believing her
husband, and she lost her respect. God could have stepped in and made Sarah patient.
He could have kept Hagar from getting pregnant. He could have done a lot of things; which He
chose to let go. If God had intervened, we would not see the character of God as the one who
sees. When Hagar had the baby, Ishmael, the same problems came and she left Abrams house.
This first experience was important for the next meeting. The problem did not go away and God
did not fix it. God allowed people to experience His character through tough experiences.
We like to think of God as the Love. The God who gives us riches and health. This is not the God
seen here. Like Abram we are asked of God to do something which seems out of the norm.
We can't understand God's reasons when God asks us to do the impossible. A truism of
Christianity. Doing the impossible in obedience to Gods commands. There are people who try,
like Sarah, to help us be obedient to God. In the end they lose respect and bring relationship
problems.
There are many Hagars who know followers of the true God. These are committed and have
respect but have never experienced the true God going through the motions, but never meeting
Him, God, personally.
It is only when they are put in a position and run, they discover God not only sees but can be
seen and experienced. It is this El- Roi experience the beginning of an ongoing relationship with
the true God. A relationship full of promises designed for us in our situation. El-Roi, the God
who interacts with people where they are.
Who are you today?
Perhaps you are Abram, following the true God but not believing the impossible things God has
asked you to do!
Perhaps you are Sarai who wants to help God do the impossible!
Perhaps you are Hagar, the servant girl, running away from her circumstances and relationships
which have lost their respect. You have no direction and have ended up in the desert. God wants
you to go back knowing the situation, wanting you to know the God who sees all is also a God
who wants to be seen by you.
Reflection
1. Who are you most like: Abram, Sarai, or Hagar?
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2. What situations are your running from that you should return?
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3. What do you think God doesn’t see? Explain.

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am too often like Abram. You have given promises to me, but I
have not believed. I have listened to others. You are King of
Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you for never changing Your
promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
El Shaddai Names of God
Thought
Imagine a person whose goal is to give you the desires of your

heart. What a find that would be. There are not many around
with that mindset. El Shaddai is the one you are looking for. He
is easy to find, but it will cost more imagined. It is still worth a
try.
Read El Shaddai
Psalm 91: 1-16 We must be careful when we think about God that our view is not
off balance. We see God as the one who provides or who sees and
When we think of the can be seen and experienced.
names of God, we find
they are mostly related When we read this Psalm, we can see how great God is. The
to the strength of God. question is why is our world so bad? Why can't we see this in our
lives?
El Shaddai is a name
showing us how much
God wants to do. We can see all these things, but must be careful as John writes in
Revelation about the end. (Revelation 16: 13 – 15)
When we read Psalm 91,
we discover God wants to Here we discover signs and wonders which can be seen, but not all
do for us. from God. How can we tell which is from God and which is not?
Some preachers use this

These are good questions because when we consider the nature of
idea to promote ideas
Christians don't get God, we must also be aware Satan will try to fool us by doing the
things like AIDS or other same things.
diseases which is not
true. First, there is no fear when you trust in the Lord. El – Shaddai is the
Lord who is able to provide confidence. When we seek to do
I know pastors who have
miracles and think God will keep everything away from us it is not
died from many diseases,
not because they did true. The opposite is true. Almighty God takes away the stress.
something wrong, but
just human. Satan, though he can do many things, cannot give you this
confidence. He can do awesome things, and they are attractive, but
they bind us not set us free.
Consider how free the person is who can stand and watch those fall
way, who would do harm to him. There is no sense of fear or stress
in the mind of this writer.
God wants to do so much more for us than we let him. The

character God desires for us is to rest and relax, having confidence
in who He is.
Israel struggled with this concept. They saw the nations around
them being successful but they were in the wilderness. God had
made promises but they never seemed to fulfill them.
Isn't this what we do sometimes?

We all know God is powerful and can do anything. We desire to see more of the ‘doing great
miracles God’.
A Korean at the train station wanted more spiritual gifts. Asked what gift he had already. He
replied, “Counseling!” The second question was how they used it. There was no time to answer.
Israel was chosen, by God, to show the world what a living God can be like. Different than the
dead idols that people worshipped.
We don't worship idols like they did. We do like this friend, seek for more miracles, more power,
more of the physical and not the relational.
When we have a relationship with El- Shaddai there is nothing God wants more than to show
us how much he cares.
• The key in these verses is repeated. The first is to rest in your relationship.
• The second is to commit your life to God by constantly reminding yourself.
• Third, focus all of our emotions on God. Emotions take away our focus on God.
We get angry because we see God as doing what we want and demand from God. In this psalm
we are to relax and rest. The difference between what is and what is not from God is we can
know and rest in His ability to get His job done.
When it is not of God, we find we get stressed because of our insecurity.
What is keeping you from the blessings of El-Shaddai?

Reflection
1. What keeps us from having confidence in God?
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2. What is a living relationship with God like?

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3. How often do you have to remind yourself of God’s care? Explain.

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I don’t relax enough in Your care. I get stressed because I

wander in the wilderness of my desire, while others seemingly get
ahead. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you for
never changing Your promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Kanna Names of God
Thought

try.
Jehovah-Kanna
Read I remember an older couple who bought a house. They loved their
Exodus 34:4-18 house when they bought it.
How often have we heard A big yard for the wife to enjoy, and a big garage for the husband
a preacher speak about to do his work. What a great buy. Then they found the inside of the
God and His love? house was not what they thought.
How often have we heard

about a God that hates to It was nice of course but it had secrets. This made the house not
share? what they thought. They had not taken a good look at the whole of
the house.
About love we hear all
the time. If we see God as a whole, we must look at things like jealousy and
anger. In fact, the Bible talks a lot about this part of God and not so
It makes us feel good. It is
much about God's love.
called it the “feel good
gospel”.
The reason is this -- God wants us to focus on Him. He wants
People love to feel good. everything we think and do in our life to be focused on Him.
If we talk about the other That is very tough. In these verses God is very clear about what He
side we get criticized and wants Israel to do when they enter the Promised Land.
ridiculed.
If we talk about the end He knew if they were to NOT do them (the Law), they would not
and God condemning to stay focused on Him.
hell, people will laugh at
us. In verses 4 and 5 we find God reminded Moses of His character.
Moses had to know when God brought bad things to Israel it was
not a decision made In a moment.
God does not do things in anger instantly like we do.
God wanted only the best for Israel His chosen people. He had
made many promises of protection and power. God had only one
concern. Now that Israel had escaped Egypt, they would lose their
focus.
When we use the name for jealous God, we say Jehovah – Kanna. It
is the reason we, as the chosen people of God, must come to
understand God is jealous for our love and attention.
Jehovah – Kanna is the reason we have lost power in our

Churches.
It is the reason many Christians live a life without the power God wants to give them. God
promised to do things people had never seen before. Miracles would bring attention to His
people, and to Him, but the rules were hard.
As the people moved into the Land of Promise they had to make no agreements with the other
nations. They were to destroy the images of worship and altars. This seemed so easy.
They were not to take the daughters of the other nations and their gods and marry them which
was the hard part because it was the custom to make slaves of the people they conquered.
This became the biggest problem. God had told Moses the reason was because it would take
away from their focus on Him. They did not have to destroy the people but they must remain
separate.
This is the hardest part of our generation. In America Christian students take a stand and do not
participate in what others do at graduation parties, and other social events.
Today, we find the same problem exists as with Israel. Israel had to conquer and stay separate.
Something that did not make sense to the military leaders of the day. To participate in the
festivals of the people was natural. To do things like all the other conquering nations was the
argument.
To God – Jehovah Kanna there was to be nothing to take the focus away from the power and
blessing of God. This principle is the same today. The character of God is the same today. God
has not changed.
The temptations to focus on bigger, larger, more powerful, stronger, higher position, etc.
The temptations to do things like the rest of our culture is the same as any other time in
history.
We all want to have more power in our lives, more wisdom to know what is ahead and to
make better decisions. At the same time, we want to do things the way our culture would
say we should do and get stressed if we are different.
Our reason for doing what we do is easy. From these verses we find we make decisions based on
only one question. That is, “Will it take my eyes off of Jehovah - Kanna?” If the answer is
“Maybe!”, then we should not do it.
Perhaps today we need to consider the character of God as jealous for our attention and love,
and in return He will empower us, protect us, and let us Relax because it is all He wants. He
wants ALL of you. What you do – think – want! EVERYTHING!
Are you ready to give it to HIM?

Reflection
1. What in our life would make Jehovah jealous?
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2. What do we keep around that we should destroy?

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3. Are you ready to give everything to Jehovah? Explain.

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I know You are jealous and desire to be my only focus. I get

distracted too easily. Strengthen my mind and heart so I remain
focused only on You. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Thank you for never changing Your promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – Shalom Names of God
Thought

try.
Jehovah – Shalom
Read The lack of peace is what came when Israel disobeyed the Law of
Judges 6:1-24 God. Gideon was God’s chosen man to bring Israel back. Most of us
know the story of Gideon but have never focused on this idea of
We all like to have peace. peace in time of war.
It is part of the Christian A confidence to move forward when faced with impossible odds.
experience and what
sets us apart from other
religions. Israel had nothing because they had disobeyed God. We see how
little they had when we read God had let them move into caves,
Many others require lose their food supply, and live in fear for 7 years.
hard work and sacrifice
to achieve self-control, They had chosen a different god to serve and God let their god
but the peace we have supply them.
available is not about
self-control.
Of course, the other god was not interested in Israel's success.
We need self control Israel was God's. By making their life hard the power of the
because it is a discipline Midianite gods was high. Israel needed something to give them
of the mind and body. hope.
Peace is what we want as Possibly this never has happened to you. We need to see the truth
a nation because we hate
about God. Understanding God is Peace, and the One who alone
war.
can give us peace we can understand Israel’s problem.
Peace is what we need
when our world is full The lack of peace in our lives is because we may not be 100%
of insecurities. committed to God.
Peace is what was lacking

What we don't realize is this is not always true. Our emotions get
in Israel as they were
being attacked by in the way of our view of God. We struggle for many reasons.
another nation.
Not only because of sin, if you read the scripture, but also a test, as
you find in Job. The difference between Job and sin is his
confidence was never shaken. Only his friends had given up on
God.
In these verses it was because of sin. God never abandoned Israel,

but let the people choose their god and let it supply all their needs.
If you are God's, you have freedom to choose to worship other

gods, but you cannot expect God to enter your freedom.
Christianity is a choice. Once you choose God, His promises are never far. When we see God is
Peace we find our view of those who oppose us is not the same.
Instead of seeing them as challengers to our faith and who we are, we see them as God sees
them. They are a people without hope and insecure in their god’s ability.
Gideon made an altar and named it Jehovah – Shalom because He had witnessed the presence
of God and was not dead. The peace Gideon had, came from the hope God had not forgotten His
people, and had a plan to get out of the situation.
God will always give us choices. The last thing we find is God’s choice is not always our choice.
God chose a leader from Manasseh, the smallest and poorest of Israel. Israel depended on Judah
to provide the leadership because they were the largest group.
We often look to those who are famous and powerful to provide leadership. For Israel it was not
a good choice.
We need to look at those who are in the background. Like Israel we need to be in a difficult
situation to recognize the gifts of others.
We have freedom to choose our god. Will we choose the God who is Peace in times of stress
or the god who enslaves us and beats us down because we are God's?
Satan promises an illusion of peace that is goes quickly under pressure. God offers peace, giving
us hope in time of stress.
Do you have true peace?

Reflection
1. Is the peace we experience long lasting, or constantly short-lived?
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2. What choices need t be made to experience God is Peace?

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3. How would God’s peace affect our confidence? Explain.

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I know You are jealous and desire to be my only focus. I get

distracted too easily. Strengthen my mind and heart so I remain
focused only on You. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Thank you for never changing Your promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – Shalom-2 Names of God
Thought
Having begun a relationship built for peace, why not keep it. God’s
peace is just the beginning of renewed confidence. Don’t miss out
on other changes that come with peace.
Jehovah – Shalom - 2
Read We have considered this story before in a different character of
Judges 6:25 – 40 God. This is just a little bit farther down the page in the story.
When Christ was born Gideon, God's chosen leader, had a group of depressed people
the angels rejoiced and needing more than a pat on the back. They needed victory in
sang about Peace on their lives.
Earth.
Peace is part of our God promised Gideon victory if he destroyed the altars to Baal.
Christian message. He would have to face his family and the leaders of Israel to follow
God's orders.
Peace is what we all
desire, but seems hard How would you feel if you had to do Gideon's job? Would you be
to thing to find. nervous or scared? Would you continue if they rejected or
resisted?
Peace which gives us rest
seems to be an illusion.
I think most of us would not be able to do it, even if God had
Peace is what God told promised victory. We would not stand and face the rejection.
John the world would There was no glory for Gideon here.
desire and not find in the
end times. People would not love him or respect him for doing this. They
would ignore Gideon because their desire would be stronger.
This desire for peace
would bring the antichrist
to power. When Gideon built this alter to God, he named it Jehovah –
Shalom, or the Lord our Peace.
He needed the peace only Jehovah could give to achieve the

victory was promised.
This is significant to how we apply this to our life and culture.

Being in tune with God is important if we are to have victory in our
life.
At Christmas we focus on the idea of peace but forget Christ was

the Peace the world needed.
The Romans had control of Jerusalem and the people cried for
peace. Focusing on peace relationships is momentary at times.
Gideon needed peace to face the opposition with confidence.

Confidence knowing not only was he doing right but God would
give him the promised victory.
Peace does not mean we don't have doubts or don’t fail. Gideon did the first half
of what God wanted then doubted. Would God do what He had promised?
The armies had gathered around Israel, as if to crush the people. Gideon needed
reassurance to move forward. This is when we find the fleece experiment.
We often use the fleece idea to determine if it is God's will. This is not the purpose of the
fleece. The answer to the fleece was to provide the affirmation to Gideon as a leader. He
was about to go to war with a few soldiers against fully equipped armies much larger.
Gideon needed more than just peace. He needed the confidence that makes the peace
that comes from God. Many people are peaceful and seek to be at peace with people, but
many Christians lack the confidence and power that come with God’s peace.
They are scared to challenge the insecurities they have because the peace is not God’s
peace but peace from non-conflict. God has called those who are leaders;
• not to have large armies,

• not to fight battles uselessly
but to tear down the idols we have in our people’s lives, so people move forward in the
confidence and power to conquer the fears of those insecurities in their lives.
God has not changed what He does. God has promised that if we destroy the altars, we
have made to other gods for success and security we will have victory over any obstacle standing
in the way of God’s promises.
Peace is not real if it does not come with confidence to give us victory over our insecurity.
Reflection
1. What promises do we need to have peace in our life?
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2. What do we fear that makes us reluctant to move forward?

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3. What battles are you fighting that seem useless and energy consuming?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I need to clean my life of idols. They take away the victory You
have promised and my power as leader. Strengthen my mind and
heart so I remain focused only on You. You are King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. Thank you for never changing Your promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – Go'el Names of God
Thought
The commitment a redeemer must make is great. A redeemer must

bear the burden of all the debts of the redeemed. Then they must
secure the expense of their future and liabilities that come with the
commitment. Not many are willing and even fewer are able.
Jehovah Go’el is the ne person who is both willing and able.
Jehovah – Go'el
Read We often forget when we read scripture, we should follow the
Isaiah 60: 1 – 16 path, not look down at it.
The end of Isaiah focuses A friend told me if people looked down, they could find money.
on the rise of God's My father used to tell me to look down so I wouldn't trip.
chosen people.
All good advice. In our life we look down so we don't stumble.
It is a prophecy which
most Israelites at the We are so busy worrying about things we miss the blessings
time would never see. God has for us.
Most could only hang on Life around us may seem dark but God will shine on us. Many
to the hope they would people are in their dark moment. They are filled with insecurity
experience freedom once about the economy or the future.
again.
If you read the book of The newspaper is full of stories about how our economy and
Ruth the redeemer is the culture are moving in the wrong direction.
person who gives value
to those without. We, as God's chosen people will be able to see God's glory.
Another idea mentioned here is strangers will come and help build.
Ruth and Naomi had a
need to have a person of
Israel went from boom to bust with regularity. When they
authority give them
access to the benefits worshipped the true God, they were blessed and when they fell
of Israel. away, they lost everything.
In these dark times God wanted them to understand He would take

up their cause (be their redeemer) and bring them back.
Israel didn't have many friends, still God says there will be
strangers helping to rebuild. Israel will be raised above the others.
God is not limited to who and what we know. When God takes up
our cause He uses all kinds of people to help us get back on our
feet.
Isaiah is about the restoration of what is God's. Today Christians

are under pressure. The rise of Islam and other false religions
challenge the Church. We have not entered the dark of the night
yet, but it is coming.
When we face our challenges every day we need to look up and see God as Redeemer.
The glory of God shining on us.
God will take up our cause as part of His character. Don't look down at the problems finding only
a few pennies here and there. Look up to see God has heard your heart cry and changing the
world around you, building you up to a higher and respectful position.
There is no timeline but this chapter is a prophecy of things to come. Israel did experience
this building up and restoration when they became a nation. Korea experienced this when
the war stopped.
God does hear our cry takes up our cause as the Redeemer of His chosen. Look up to see
God working around us, rather than looking down at the darkness and insecurity.
• God will not always save you if you want to do it yourself.

• God will always save you when you allow Him to have ownership of your mind and
emotions.
It is the only way to peace and empowerment and the only way we can love our enemies in truth
Reflection
1. What keeps your eyes looking down and not up at the blessings God gives you?
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2. What keeps you from accepting the Redeemer’s commitment?

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3. What is the hope we hang to?

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I need to be restored in my mind. It has been damaged by a

“Doing it my way!” attitude. Strengthen my mind and heart so I
remain focused only on You. You are King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. Thank you for never changing Your promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – Gmolah Names of God
Thought
Revenge is often the hidden rust spot in our life. IF it not taken
care of, it will expand and destroy everything beautiful. Jehovah
Gmolah can do a much better job and the beautiful things in life
will remain. Letting another take the responsibility for re tribution
s empowering
Jehovah – Gmolah
Read Through their disobedience God had punished them by allowing
Isaiah 60: 1 – 16 them to be treated badly and longed for the day they would
conquer them.
As children we used to
yell, “I'll pay you back!” Do people really deserve getting our pay back?
It was not about money

The Pharisees and the Sadducees wanted to keep their power over
but about doing
something to your friend the people. We have Jesus, Jehovah Gmolah (the God of Payback),
equal to what they did to and the Apostle Paul. These saw man as not knowing God.
you.
Normal man knows about but have an incorrect view of God. It is
In this case not a unbalanced versus God is always balanced.
positive experience.
To understand this character of God we need to see people
We get angry and want
revenge. as God sees them. He is much larger and more powerful than they
are.
This is so different than
our standard view of We have discovered God is provider and our protector. The
God.. confusion comes when bad things happen to Christians and other
people do so well.
Revenge or retribution is
a natural emotion.
A constant theme in the Bible is God will repay those who
It is why we have road disregard His people. The when is the problem.
rage, family feuds, or
fights between families If we are normal, we want revenge quickly. God’s idea is there is a
for generations. best time which only He knows.
Israel had many reasons

for revenge. The key is in verse 7. We read, “… and rest with us”. Earlier we find
the Apostle Paul telling them to give praises constantly to
strengthen their faith.
To follow the thread praise - strength - rest - hope go in order.

When we follow this path, we find God completes the
character development in us.
If we follow this system, we will also participate in His purpose for

our lives.
We will see the world around us different which means our world
view will change.
How we see our circumstances will change. A question was asked of a friend about material she
was presenting. The question was whether the material she was promoting was against
religion.
In the beginning I had said no. It isn't against God or against the belief system God has outlined
to us. Rather the idea that we can change the world around us by ourselves is not in touch
with the God we say we serve. Her system actually says the same things we do.
Many preach you can do it if you come to my church. You can do it if you follow a set of rules.
This is not the God we are studying. This character of God has no schedule.
Recompense or revenge is mine says the Lord. How much or little, what kind, and when this
revenge should come is the Lord's choice. God is the one who saves us from destruction.
God is the one who forgives but He also punishes. We find this in Psalms 99:8. You gave them an
answer, O Lord our God; you took away their sin, though you gave them punishment for their
wrongdoing. We often forget there is a consequence for our sin.
We think God has just made good promises, but God wants a relationship. When we are told to
wait and we go forward we have the consequence of going ahead of God.
If we are told not to fight and we do we get hurt. God does not always instantly heal us. The
healing comes and God will take revenge on those who are against his people.
For Israel it was very difficult to wait for God to take care of the revenge they wanted. Imagine
the energy it takes to want revenge and not get it. It consumes you. It ruins other relationships
and we miss all the blessings. Did God not want to give us the blessings?
No! He wanted to but we were not focused on our relationship with Him. We focused on
the revenge we would get later, or hoped would happen.
Our mind is a powerful thing which is why we need to let God control our mind. When God
controls our mind He will also take the responsibility for revenge to those who hurt you.
God will not always save you if you want to do it yourself. God will always save you when
you allow Him to have ownership of your mind and emotions.
• It is the only way to peace and empowerment.

• It is the only way we can love our enemies in truth.
Reflection
1. How much energy do we spend wanting to payback someone?
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2. How much happier would we be if we let God have the responsibility for revenge?
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3. Are you experiencing the cycle of praise - strength - rest - hope? Explain.
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I spend so much energy trying to get revenge. I need to use my

energy more wisely and let You take revenge in Your time.
Strengthen my mind and heart so I remain focused only on You.
You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you for never
changing Your promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – Chereb Names of God
Thought
Life is never fair. Bad things happen to the best people while others
sail through without incident. Defending oneself seems so useless
and despair is just around the corner. Jehovah-Uzam has
committed Himself to taking up your cause. Hoping in someone
who has power allows the unfairness to happen while we rest.
Jehovah – Uzam
Read If God has made this commitment then He should have intervened.
Isaiah 49: 7-26 He should have set them free. Isaiah is a book written to Israel. It
is about Israel being freed in the end, the coming of Jesus Christ.
An older missionary
couple was taken captive The problem is we take one verse like this and apply it to our every
for several years. day lives without understanding God’s nature purpose.
In the end the man died

of age and disease while God's purpose in everything is to bring glory to Himself. Israel was
his wife survived. wondering if God has forgotten them.
Where was God in their This is what we think when things go wrong in our life, we can't see
trouble? God at all. We think God is too busy to consider our situation.
In these verses we find --

When things go right, we give glory to God. We praise God for the
Even the prisoners of the
strong will be taken from blessings. Then God responds in the following verses.
him, and the cruel made
to let go his goods: for I Israel has a history like many others. They had been under the
will take up your cause control of other nations for many years. The nation was small
against your haters, and I compared to the Empires around them, and struggled to survive.
will keep your children
safe.
God has not forgotten them in their struggle. This chapter is often
seen as a prophecy to the work of Christ on the cross.
This is true, but prophecy needs also to be taken as a message

to the people when it was written.
The people were tired of where they were in their lives. They were
keeping the Law but not experiencing the personal happiness and
the promised satisfaction.
God wants them to know He has “taken them to Himself”. He has a

Personal interest in them. The people of Israel had been taken to
many other countries as slaves.
There are many similarities to the promise to Isaac. God not only
made Israel a great nation, but the savior would be the aggressor
not the nations around Israel. They would give them respect, as
the sons of Israel lived in other countries.
Again, we find the words, “I am the Lord, and that those who put their hope in me will not be
shamed.” Hope is a word that denotes a future, and hope and rest go together.
We find the word “rest” (v20). We get tired of the struggles in our lives. We get tired of
fighting to gain God's blessings. We want a “resting place”.
The children of Israel also wanted a resting place. They were to be scattered around the
world. God had seen them and would provide a way for them to go home. For many
commentators this is a promise of Christ and the work of Christ to open salvation to the world.
I think we see first the character of God found in all of scripture or being “The Strong ONE”.
The One who takes the struggles of His people personally. This fits with the other parts
of His character we have already seen.
The themes of; our rest plus God's strength and control is seen here again. This is different
from what we usually do and what Israel usually did.
• We get stressed and want to help God out.

• We are impatient and choose other gods to worship.
• We lose focus on our mission which is to give praise to God.
• We lose the attitude of worship in every part of our lives.
God is reminding the nation of Israel that He is there for them. He is in control if they stay
focused, not only here and there but in the long term.
He will care for them in exile and bring them back to the land He had promised in the end.
God is not only there in the future, as we see here in this prophecy.
God is in every struggle. His character needs to be our hope and strength in the struggle.
If God was to use His influence what would we lose, or are too precious to bring under His
protection?
Reflection
1. If God was to use His influence what would we lose?
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2. How would our life change if God was to get personally involved?
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3. Are you keeping the rules but not experiencing the promised satisfaction? Explain.
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I worry about those in my care. Your name tells me You have

committed to caring for them. Strengthen my mind and heart so
I remain focused only on You. You are King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. Thank you for never changing Your promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Thought
Swords are highlights of science fiction movies. The power of the

sword, real or electronic, mesmerizes the imagination. The tongue
makes a great sword if not controlled. The damage it can do is
instant and long-term. Having a sword close keeps our mind at
peace.
Jehovah – Chereb
Read Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and full of power, and is
Psalm 27 sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making
a division even of the soul and the spirit, bones and muscles, and
We must be careful we quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the heart. Thinking of
do not confuse the word sword as character we have many ideas to think about.
“cherub” with this.
The sword is also part of the Christians soldier’s set of armor. Paul
Cherub is are angels
found on the Ark of the writes this in Ephesians.
Covenant.
The character of God is our strength in times of trouble. If the
Jehovah Chereb means Sword of the Lord (=) is the Word of God, He is the person who can
the God who is Sword. wield it the best
This is an interesting
A common theme is resting in Christ. When we discover we are
character because we
often do not link sword not to do the fighting, we can see the idea of sword as power in the
with character. character.
The Bible speaks of the God, our Sword, helps us respond better to our culture. It is
tongue and sword enabling to understand God’s job and responsibility is to protect us
together in character from Satan.
traits of God.
God wants them to know He has “taken them to Himself”. He has a

Personal interest in them. The people of Israel had been taken to
many other countries as slaves.
In Israel's time there were two swords. There was the heavy one
used in battle. The other was smaller and used in hand-to-hand
combat.
We like to give God the big one because He is the big guy. We keep
our little one. We like to give God our life but keep our tongue to
ourselves. God is the strength of our life. The sword of power
enabling us to rest.
Sword is also used as a block in a path. If we see God as the Sword,

He will guide our path into righteousness. He will stand in the way
with the sword of truth.
God as the Sword is an important part of His character to

understand as both a positive and negative idea.
Positive because it is defensive and enables us to live a victorious Christian life. It's the way
God uses the sword, cutting only the sin out of our lives. When we try to do it, we hurt so
many other people even ourselves. The character of God we find in this Psalm, is one of support.
We get lost in our lives choosing wrong paths and crying for help. God shows us the Sword we
have ignored. He is our support and security from all the dangers we find in our life.
God is Sword, defined by; our security in Him, guidance through Him, protection from all
evil if we obey.
We do not need to fight our battles and get stressed. We need to let Jehovah Chereb do the
fighting. He can and will do a much better job. He will care for us when we wander and bring us
back to the land He promised in the end.
God is there in every struggle. Our hope needs to be in His character and our strength in the
struggle. Are you afraid of God the Sword and what He will cut?
Afraid if God was to use it you would lose some things, which are too precious to bring under His
protection?
Reflection
1. How do you use the sword?
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2. How does Jehovah Chereb allow us to rest?

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3. Has the Sword ever been a block to your chosen path? Explain.
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am proud and fight my own battles. You want to be the sword

bot as protection and to use a s a block to paths leading me
astray. Strengthen my mind and heart so I remain focused only
on You. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you for
never changing Your promises.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – Tsidkenu Names of God
Thought
Conduits are powerful because of their focus and strength. When

we let its power flow through us it is safe. When it stops it can be
dangerous.
Jehovah – Tsidkenu
Read In Jeremiah, Israel's only hope was God’s righteous and ability to
I Corinthians 1:10 - 31 keep His promises.
In the Old Testament
righteousness was Having neglected God and His Laws, Israel was going into captivity
achieved by obedience to which meant work was hard and worshipping God a challenge.
the Law.
Jeremiah 23:1 A curse is on the keepers who are causing the
The doing of the Law
included a lifestyle destruction and loss of the sheep of my field, says the Lord. So
focused totally on God's this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said against the keepers
rules. who have the care of my people: You have let my flock be broken
up, driving them away and not caring for them; see, I will send on
There were no you the punishment for the evil of your doings, says the Lord.
exceptions.
God, through Jeremiah, makes a strong statement to the
In return God had
promised victory and leaders who had been responsible for Israel's captivity, or God’s
blessing. discipline.
Righteousness was the God refers to Israel as His flock, not the flock of the kings or the
conduit through which spiritual leaders. These will be replaced. God considered Israel and
God could view His
the Church His people.
creation without
destroying it.
How can we understand God as righteousness?
Most Christians understand we have righteousness through the

blood of Jesus Christ. That is a promise made to Israel and
Christians.
To understand righteousness as character is much stronger.

Jeremiah says, (v6) “The Lord is our righteousness". To understand
God is righteousness means God treats us equally as Christ
experienced.
When Christ left his disciples, he promised that they would do

equal and even greater miracles than He did.
We are righteous because He, God is righteous. God did not have
to become righteous. Jesus did not have to become righteous.
We do not become righteous doing Christian things and obeying laws. Those give us
nothing but pride. Righteousness is an exercise in living out the character of God in our lives.
It is much more than just being perfect in the eyes of God. It is perfect access to God himself,
perfect wisdom by just asking, perfect living by becoming more like God with each decision
in every day.
Too often we focus on doing things to try and achieve when, because we are righteous,
we have the power of God to live victoriously.
We are righteous because God is righteous. When we, like Israel, understand righteousness
is not a lifestyle, but a character trait of and from God, we will understand what being a
Christian is all about.
Reflection
1. What are we doing to achieve righteousness?
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2. Is our life greater than before we began relationship with Jesus Christ?
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3. How would life change if we made righteousness a lifestyle? Explain.

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I try so many times to achieve righteousness through doing good

things. Only You can make me righteousness and make me a
flowing river of blessing changing Your promises. Thank you for
Your sacrifice so righteousness is possible.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – ‘Ori Names of God
Thought
Light and shine are similar ideas. If you have light something
must shine. At times the shine shines through, at others it shines
in. Shining is enabled because of light. The less imperfection the
higher the shine.
Jehovah – ‘Ori
Read
Psalm 27:1 – 14 David had almost given up hope. Then Jehovah ‘Ori is seen. The
light shone through the haze of his hopelessness.
This follows what we
said about Jehovah Goel, David writes -- when people came against him, they had
God the Redeemer! trouble. Isn't this what Jehovah Goel does?
The God who asked Israel

to look up and see how At the same time David had to fight with fear. King Saul was trying
He was shining on them. to kill him, so e didn't sleep well at night. David lived with fear not
in fear.
This Psalm opens with
who is a cause of fear. We all have fear, but fear does not need to control us, because
Jehovah-‘Ori -- God is my light. What kind of light is God?
We discover God's
character as Light. He is
my Light. Some people like to think the light is like a flashlight throwing a
small light for a short distance. We can buy a larger one but it still
gives limited light.
Imagine you are in the forest with a small light. Do you still fear?
Of course!
• Fear comes when you are not confident of something.
• Fear comes when there are shadows, and you think
something bad may be there.
When David asks who can cause him to fear? He understands God
is more than a flashlight. Light has power. When there is light
there is less fear. When God is light there are no shadows.
Therefore, nothing to fear.
We pray for confidence then look for shadows. What happens

when the clouds come and the world crashes around us?
We are not immune to bad situations, Look at our world: floods,

drought, wars and fighting. There is no immunity of the Christian
from the world.
What is the difference between Christians and non-Christians?
The difference is the response. In times of trouble David withdrew in

to the tent for protection. The tent God had formed to protect him
from those wanting to destroy him.
Almost daily there is a story of a disaster somewhere. People risking death to protect their
property. They live fearing they will lose even the small things.
It may not happen, but what would happen if they believed in a God who had already prepared a
future for them. A God who was the light that chased all these shadows of fear away.
When you read the history of missionaries who went to far lands, they had to believe in the God
who is light. If they had fear they would never have gone. It was a time when faith was ripe.
In today's world there is so little faith. If we have troubles, we can go our family, our church, or
our government. We are left to fight the fear of what may be in the shadows.
People are crying for direction, and fear the future. Our culture has become greedy and
the light we claim is there has become dim.
Christians have the answer. We just don't live it.
Can we say like David in the beginning verses, The Lord is my light and my salvation; who is then
a cause of fear to me? The Lord is the strength of my life; who is a danger to me?
• What are we scared of today?

• What shadows make us insecure?
Jehovah ‘Ori, He is light. With Him there are no shadows and there is no need for fear.
Reflection
1. How bright is our light?
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2. What causes fear when a brighter light would give confidence?

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3. How would life change if we had a stronger light? Explain.

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I fear so many things because of my insecurity. When You light

my way the path has no shadows. Thank you for Your sacrifice so
righteousness is possible.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – Sabaoth Names of God
Thought
Light and shine are similar ideas. If you have light something
must shine. At times the shine shines through, at others it shines
in. Shining is enabled because of light. The less imperfection the
higher the shine.
Jehovah – Sabaoth
Read
1 Samuel 1:1-19 The question can be asked, “Why am I here?” A question we all ask
quietly at one time or another.
The shepherds saw the
Hosts not the Lord of What is my purpose when God can do this? A question asked after
Hosts. God demonstrates His power in our life. We must understand He
enjoys demonstrating his power.
Imagine a God having
command and control
of armies to defend us. He chose Israel to demonstrate what a good relationship with Him
could achieve.
God the Redeemer, God
the One who takes up He chose you and I as part of His plan to renew His vision.
our cause help round out
the idea of this name.
Suicide rates are too high. Imagine Hannah being married to a
The God who commands man who ignored her because she didn't give him a child. We can
the hosts of heaven can say this was true to culture but this is not the character of God.
achieve all other ideas
studied before. Hannah had nowhere to run but God. In Israel, God was found in
the temple.
This is where we find Hannah; tired very sad having nothing to

live for trying one last place to get help -- GOD.
The Lord of Hosts who could do anything because of His position

as Commander of the Armies which could change the sadness into
joy.
To Hannah the world was against her and she needed a bigger
person to help. Eli the Priest did not offer any help at all. He didn’t
understand her. He couldn't understand why she would be so
depressed because she had a husband. Everything was right in the
culture but nothing was right in character.
In her prayer she committed, the son God would give her, to the
service of God. Hannah never gave up the idea God could do it. She
understood God's position, even as she tried to play her role in
culture.
Hannah committed her answer to God before she knew it. People
ask whether God has answered a prayer or prayers. How can any
person answer that?
The Lord of Hosts gave Hannah a calm spirit. As we read,” So the woman went away, and
took part in the feast, and her face was no longer sad. “
When we know the Lord of Hosts has answered there is a peace, we cannot explain. We know
God has answered. Hannah went home knowing God would give her a son.
She didn't have to beg her husband to come to her or continue crying. She had the peace
and power to continue her role as a wife, and the confidence in God's answer.
The Lord of the Armies puts a wall around us to give us three things; peace, power, and
confidence. We do not need to worry. We do need to commit to giving God the glory for the
answer.
For Hannah bringing Samuel back to the temple was her way of giving God the glory. When
we have money, confidence is not hard to have, but it is does not always bring peace.
With money, health, and security it is easy to have power in our community, business, and
Culture and again doesn’t bring the peace we desire.
The Lord of Hosts is the Person who can give us the peace to stay where we are in our
cultural roles, or in situations we can't easily get out of. It is this peace that made Hannah
attractive to her husband again.
It was peace that made her life shine brighter than the other who seemed to be more successful
in their role. She no longer had to compete for God's blessing because He had surrounded her
with a Host of Angels to make her prayer come true. The Lord of Hosts, the Commander of ALL
armies is in control.
• What are you struggling with today?

• Do you have the peace, power, and confidence that makes you shine?
• Have you committed all your answers to prayer to the glory of God?
Reflection
1. What brings sadness and depression in your life?
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2. How many hosts of armies is God providing you with?

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3. How would life change if we let the Hosts fight for us? Explain.
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I struggle with staying in my role at times. I want to escape

and run. Thank You for the Hosts of angels I am surrounded
with. Thank you for Your sacrifice so righteousness is possible.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – Naheh Names of God
Thought
Jealousy can be righteous, but envy never. Love is driven by

jealousy. Envy will kill any relationship, cause disease, even drive
people to crime. Committing to one relationship is difficult if we
are the center of attention.
Jehovah – Naheh
Read
Ezekiel 7:1-15 The fact is many people ask whether a loving God can punish
so harshly.
A prophetic book means
what is written will come. In real terms the idea is not found in the Bible. Jealousy, not envy,
is a character of God. We have nothing He could want to be
Ezekiel gives us a view of
envious of and He is jealous for our worship.
where Israel is in their
spiritual attitudes.
God is a Person who punishes His own people for the sake of
It is. not only a warning anything but correction. His desire to bless us as a result of worship
but a promise. is very important to understand.
Oft times we think God God is full of passion. A jealous passionate God, who judges all our
will punish only the bad.
actions and thoughts. We also find He does nothing halfway.
Those who rejected
truth. God believes in 100%. He wants 100%, and when we, our church,
nation, His creation continues to move away relationally, He will
We feel safe because we send punishment.
are Christians and should
always be blessed Romans 1:21 Because, having the knowledge of God, they did not
because we are
give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds
Christians.
were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense,
were made dark. 22 to be wise, they were in fact foolish, 23 And
by them the glory of the eternal God was hanged and made into
the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and
things which go on the earth. 24 For this reason God gave them up
to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies
with one another: 25 Because by them the true word of God was
changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honor
to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom
be blessing for ever. So be it.
Paul wrote about the fall of the Roman Empire, a pagan nation.
Israel was God's chosen Nation. Thinking of them as equals also
helps us view God as unbiased, not favoring one nation over
another.
God is able to punish harshly when He needs to. He did it to the

world in the time of Noah. He did it to Sodom and Gomorrah.
He did it to Israel, and He will do it again in the end of time.
We forget the end times warnings and feel secure in ourselves. What Ezekiel writes is about
the lack of spiritual awareness in the leadership.
We find this today as the Church seeks to keep its image. When we see churches who
acknowledge God, but deny God in their programs and actions, it is not hard to see the
end is so close.
There is no turning back or time to change in Ezekiel. Corruption is so embedded it would

not matter because tere is no more strength to change.
Sometimes we think when God returns, it is because of our evil culture. It is very clear it is not
the “other nations” that are the problem, but Israel herself.
When Jesus comes for His Bride it is because the wickedness of Israel once again. The time will
soon come when God will punish His creation once again.
We should not think God is only filled with love. It is this one-sided idea that has Christians not
taking their Christianity seriously.
It seems almost that people are more worried about their image in the Church, or the image
of the Church in the community, rather than their relationship with Christ.
Should we change our message? No! We need to become more aware of God’s character as
“the one who punishes”.
God's punishment is greater than we can imagine. The picture In Ezekiel is one of hungry
people who cannot access food. A people who live in fear of the violence in their nation.
More nations are experiencing this. The world is crying for peace which will bring the false
prophet and the anti-Christ.
We do not need to fear God's punishment like Israel, because of what we read in Revelation.
God will punish if we continue to deny Him the worship and glory, He is so jealous for.
Tell your neighbors God's punishment is coming. Be ready! Like Noah, Lot, Ezekiel, and
John wrote in their books.
Reflection
1. What ae you cared of most?
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2. What would God punish you for?

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3. How would life change if God’s punishment was to come soon? Explain.
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I make so many promises I don’t keep in my prayers. Enable me

to be more careful what I pray for. Thank you for Your
faithfulness even when I am foolish.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – 'Immeku Names of God
Thought
Independence is what drives many forward. Moving forward

with God in the sails accelerates the goal of success.
Success from a personal effort is even greater when
creativity is used. Too often people wait when they should,
“Go with God!”
Names of God
Jehovah – 'Immeku
Jehovah – 'Immeku
Read Gideon was creative in getting the food for his people. God didn't
need his strength. He needed Gideon's creativity. He was using a
Judges 6:6-26
wine press, to make flour for cooking.
The story of Gideon is
famous and shows the Imagine God had told Gideon to be the Commander of the whole
power of God when He is army. They would have rejected him as a leader.
with us.
God chooses to do things which need both faith and commitment.
We sing the song “If God It used to be when someone went away, we would say “God be
is for us who can be with you". Now we just say “Goodbye!”. We can mean the same
against us?”. thing but it is not as effective if we don't say it.
This is a perfect example Understanding God's character as being with us is important for
of this idea though there stability in our life.
were some problems
with understanding God For Gideon it was empowering to know he would go to war with
and His character. God behind him. It was his only hope of success and an answer to
the hearts of the people around him.
Gideon was not the best
warrior, but he was the Gideon asks some good questions.
best man in the sight of • if the Lord is with us why has all this come on us?
God.
• Where are all his works of power, of which our fathers
have given us word?
He was not only a
survivor but a vision • Did not the Lord take us out of Egypt?
maker. … Now he has given us up, handing us over to the power of Midian.
It is like asking God where He has been! Have you ever thought,
“Where was God when I was in trouble?”
Gideon asked if God teases His people with blessings, only to let
them go into captivity again?
The insecurity of who God is came from their personal history.

Now God is telling Gideon he should go and lead them out of it.
Gideon did not think he was a man of strength. He was trying to
survive. He had many excuses why he was not a leader.
God would not take “No!” for an answer.

He tells Gideon to use his own strength, and then He gives the reason. If God had just told him
to go in his own strength Gideon would not have responded very well.
He was insecure and the traditional leadership was not in his genetic lines. Like David when He
fought Goliath. God wanted him to use the creativity and thinking to fight the battle. It was like
God was saying, “Use your head!” and I will give you the strength to make it happen.
The reason Israel was in captivity was because they had started worshiping other gods. They had
lost their focus on their purpose and copied the gods of the nations around them.
God had sent Gideon and guaranteed success, but Gideon had to do one thing. Tear down and
destroy his father's alter to Baal with a sacred tree beside it. Not only tear it down, but sacrifice
on an alter built with the sacred tree.
It would have been easier to just build an alter in a private place. God wanted Gideon to show his
strength. To destroy a family altar, would challenge all the traditions the people held. It would
challenge all their spiritual practices and ran high risk of rejection.
In return God told him he should not be in fear because his life was in no danger. In today's
world most of us do not have idols in our houses. Most of us do not build altars to sacrifice.
We do however have the same problems. They looked at the success of the nations around
them and practiced their worship saw them as giving success.
We do the same in our Christian life. We see people who follow successful people. Though it is
ok we must be careful not to lose our focus of purpose.
We are designed to worship God. God is a jealous. He desires 100% of our worship, and in
return has promised to be with us.
God desires to empower us to tear down the idols around us so we can again worship God in
truth and power?
We have the strength but do we have the power to go to battle with so few resources? Are
we ready to challenge change, knowing God is with us?
Let us practice saying, “God is with you!” when we send people away. It is a reminder of the
character and presence of God. Sending people with that phrase invokes a sense of peace within
ourselves and empowered to continue through any circumstances.
Reflection
1. What challenges are you facing needing a confidence boost?
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2. What ‘idols’ do you have to tear down?

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3. How would life change if the idols and altars in your life were torn down? Explain.
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I don't always understand that You are always with me. It is a

promise You have made to me. Thank you for Your faithfulness
even when I am foolish.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah – EL-ELYON Names of God
Thought
Lifestyles are a personal choice. Children do not always make the

wisest choices. What may have been a good choice can turn sour
quickly. Most of the time because we ignore the truth about the
choices made. Waiting too long to move can get us into more
trouble than its worth.
Jehovah – EL-ELYON
Read
Genesis 14:8-23 Religions argue about Christ not God. They question why the
Christian God is above the others. It is because of his name.
We know about Sodom
Secondly, He demonstrated His power over other gods.
and Gomorrah.
Often preached from the Lot has been captured and Abram has gone to set him free. A
view of its sins. simple story really. We find a principle vital to understanding
the nature of God.
What we miss is the
standard we must set, as God had blessed Abram as promised. God chose him, not because
Christians, because of
he was sinless, but righteous. and commitment. He understood
who God is and His
character. his God wanted no intrusions in his worship.
The word El-elyon is not God does not like sharing the worship and praise due Him. He
used a lot today, wants to be the only person to provide for us. Actually, He wants
us to be slaves to him. As slaves He wants us to be free from the
El is the name for almost
stress of life because of who He is, El Elyon. The highest and most
any god.
powerful God.
Elyon gives the name of
God the status of MOST When Abram won the war, he negotiated food, animals, servants,
HIGH GOD. etc. they had taken from the fight. He could have had it all, but he
chose to take none.
The priest’s blessing was given to Abraham and tithes allotted. To

this point it sounds great. A big victory and a blessing with praise
given to El-Elyon because of the victory.
Then the King of Sodom wanted to give Abram something but

Abram becomes a bit stubborn. Was it wrong to give servants to
the King of Sodom and take home the rest?
In real life we can see nothing wrong. You win the fight and get
what the other person has. If you fight together you share.
For Abram it was different. It was a matter of giving God what was
God's. To take something from another king, or share the trophy
with the King off Sodom would take away the praise God desired.
To Abram the commitment to God was more important than the in

crease to his wealth.
God helped him understand how the King of Sodom could twist what was innocent into a
desire to have power. Many want the power of God. They want to be close to people of power.
When it comes to things of God there can be no sharing. You cannot buy God’s power or
success in your spiritual life.
Be careful, like Abram, not to get caught in the desire to increase what we have, to keep our
commitment to God. This must be a priority in our lives because there is no higher power.
Reflection
1. What challenges are you facing needing a confidence boost?
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2. What ‘idols’ do you have to tear down?

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3. How would life change if the idols and altars in your life were torn down? Explain.
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I don't always understand You are always with me. It is a

promise You have made to me. Thank you for Your faithfulness
even when I am foolish.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Yasha Names of God
Thought
God is rarely argued over. Yet, Jesus Christ and God are one. The
age-old challenge, from Adam and Eve to current arguments,
relies wholly on whose God is true. Most arguments have nothing
to do with God, but power and position.
Jehovah-Yasha
Read
Deut. 33:10 - 29 The word “savior” denotes this character of God. Moses
understood so well. He knew it was only Jehovah Yasha who
If you were to give your would be able to protect them from their warring neighbors.
last speech, your last
prayer, what would you It was the promises of Jehovah who would secure their
say? prosperity. In the character of “savior” we find Christ.
This is Moses last words

As Christmas never seems too far the word “Savior” is said
before he went to the
mountain to die. more often. We focus on Savior as Christ’s purpose.
His last words to Israel. What does Savior mean? For some it means to set free
which is what the people wanted in their leaders, if we
The people whom God consider the Old Testament.
chose him to lead.
It is also what people wanted of Christ in the New Testament.
People who complained
and continued to walk Christ was not meant to be the physical savior or physical king.
away from the true God. If we consider the God of the Bible to be true, we must see the
same in both Old and New Testaments, this character is perhaps
the strongest.
Kings were Israel’s traditional saviors and what people wanted. It

was a show of equality with the culture around them. They
struggled with being different so God gave them a king. This did
not change God’s plan or purpose.
The savior’s purpose is to lighten the load. What good is being a

Christian if we have to be under the same burden as we had
before?
The message of Christ is: He came to set us free from our burden
and give us new life.
When Moses named the character of God as “savior” he knew the

people would need to be reminded of God's desire for His people.
God's desire was to show His providence to His people. He wanted

to show the world how a true God would treat His people.
We celebrate the physical birth of a Savior, but the Savior was

there already. success in your spiritual life.
Though we consider Jesus to be the savior, it is only because we do not see God in the
same role. We often view God as the Father not the Savior. We separate God from Christ
in character.
From the time of Moses, we find the role and character God wanted to show the world
was Savior. The difference between Israel's God and the other gods, can be seen in
the idea of freedom to serve, the power to provide, and the confidence to promise great
things.
As Savior, He not only can do these things He will do. This is where we struggle.
We talk about God having the ability to do only things. We need to change our ideas to
God will do everything He says. His promise to be Savior, set us free from the bondage the world
will try to hold on us, and empower us through His providing us with everything good.
Yes, Jesus is celebrated as the physical savior men want Him to be, but God was there long
before Jesus was born.
He longs to be the Savior of not only our souls but our lives. He asks us to worship Him ONLY.
He asks us to give Him the praise and glory that He should receive because He is our SAVIOR.
God doesn't want us to change for a season, but set our life free every day. Free to serve
Him alone. Free to receive His confidence to face any trial or temptation daily.
Are you experiencing this kind of confidence and freedom in your life?
Reflection
1. What kind of savior are you looking for?
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2. How empowering does the idea of “savior make you feel?

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3. How would life change if the real savior was your focus? Explain.
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I need to be set free. The bondage I feel is too stressful. Thank

you for Your faithfulness even when I am foolish. You are the
Savior I need.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah- Ma'oz Names of God
Thought
Who we run to in times of stress determines the outcome of a

situation. The strength of the fortress, in which we hide, will
determine the confidence. Hiding in a fortress which cannot
defend an aggressor heightens insecurity.
Jehovah- Ma'oz
Read We can then understand the prophet Jeremiah. If we consider
Jeremiah 16:10 – 21 Israel was in slavery to Babylon, we can understand their desire to
be free.
What a great idea this is.
People viewed God as a vindictive person, at the time of Jeremiah.
Many countries have
A god who had brought evil to His own people. The people as we
great fortresses.
read never considered themselves to be the problem. They thought
Not castles but fortresses they were doing the right things.
built to protect the
people they controlled, God tells Jeremiah the people problem was with them and would
like farmers, from thieves respond negatively to his message. It didn’t start with the current
and other people who
generation, but the previous one. The new generation was worse
wanted to destroy the
kingdom. than the previous one.
This a transfer of power and corrupt spiritual behavior is found

throughout the Old Testament. We should not think this is only an
Israel problem because it is rampant in our culture today. It is
predictable as we see the time of the return of Christ approaching,
He will do the same.
Understanding the connection between the generations and how

God will respond is important.
Many prefer to ignore the Old Testament and view God as a buddy
or friend, soft on sin and accepting of all. This connection helps us
see how God sees the world today.
Jeremiah is not about the people around Israel but the nation of
Israel. These are God’s people, as much as the Church is God’s. His
passion for the Church is the same as
for Israel.
As we consider the time of Christ’s return is near and God will

withdraw. Though the Church may be gone the people behind will
not know why God has withdrawn. God’s response will be the
same. He will drive the people out of the land they were promised.
They will be attacked and will find no hiding place.
God knows every sin and there is no place to hide from God.
There is no person who can protect you from God. There is no
security without God.
After verse 18, Jeremiah writes that God is his fortress. What he has written before in so
many verses, closes with the purpose of God in everything is to show the people there is only
one true God.
The people had won military victories over their neighbors with God’s help, but had neglected
over time to continue giving God the glory replacing God with other gods becoming slaves to the
culture around them.
Does this mean they were not going to the synagogue, or not performing the sacrifices? Not at
all. They had added to their rituals for their own glory and profit.
Is this not the same as we see today? Christians are challenged to preach the gospel to the world
and. We cannot save souls, but we can be conduits for God’s power. The danger is here.
The danger is trying and merge our spiritual culture with the culture of the world. The Bible is the
standard and the principles it has in it work for everybody. When everybody is successful, we
follow them. As we follow them, we start moving away from God. Our worship becomes less
exciting and we focus on the money and the power, but we still do what Christians do.
Doing what others do gives us a euphoric sense of happiness. Doing what God wants brings us
peace, power, and confidence. The problem is we want both. We want the world to focus on us
and our success, while God’s blessing falls on us. When God is our fortress there is no need
for fear. A fortress is a place to be protected from the enemy. A place where you can rest
and not worry.
What God is saying through Jeremiah is though God will destroy the sin, we can hide in Him,
because He is the fortress and will never be broken or damaged. His fortress will demonstrate
who the real God is.
He wants Israel to know He is not sending attackers to chase them because He is a mean and
vindictive God. Rather, He is showing the world He is;
• the ONLY true GOD.
• the ONLY GOD who can save them in times of trouble.
• the ONLY GOD who can bring the peace and power they want so desperately.
Not only Israel but the world.
Today we must look at ourselves and consider our worship. Have we added other gods
which have become equal to the true God? Has our life become so full of desire our
worship has become a habit?
Reflection
1. How has your worship evolved?
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2. What is our view of God?

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3. How would our worship change if we focused on the one true God?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I need a strong fortress but always run to the wrong places or

people. When I view You as my fortress I can have rest to face
any enemy to your control of my life. Thank you for Your
faithfulness even when I am foolish. You are the Savior I need.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah- Adon Kal Ha'arets Names of God
Thought
The power of the title Lord can hardly be imagined. We use the
word “lord” without thinking about the power it invokes. As
created people of the Lord we desire to lord over others.
Jehovah- Adon Kal Ha'arets

Read The sequence in the Old Testament is important both then and
Joshua 3:1 – 17 today. We are often impatient and get anxious about God’s plan
and timing but God moves systematically and has a plan, but He
This is not Moses but still does miracles.
Joshua leading Israel over
the Jordan.
Being ready for miracles and following from a distance so the path
Two different people and is clear to follow are ideas we miss when we focus on the wrong
two different places, but things. Israel had a problem and God had the solution.
the same kind of miracle.
God had made a promise and the only thing in the way was a dirty
It is almost like Joshua river. There are several keys in these verses which are important to
was given the same
have when facing problems in life.
miracle magic.
In the beginning of this Remember this name of God tells us about who God is in nature.
set of verses, Joshua told We know God created the world and nature in 6 days. What we
his people to make find in this miracle is God went before the people of Israel with a
themselves ready. command to stay back from the ark.
Imagine the people wanting to run across the Jordan. To go ahead

before the Jordan was dry and safe to cross.
The second lesson is the people had to be not only ready but
obedient. The miracle didn’t happen until the priests touched the
water of the Jordan.
Imagine for a moment that people stood and waited for the Jordan
to move for them.
God wants us to not only be ready but obedient. God does not
want us to be timid because of physical limitations in front of us,
because he is the Lord of the Earth. He is not only the creator but
the controller of His creation.
Imagine now what Israel would have missed if they would have not
been ready, or gone ahead of the ark.
(V10) By this you will see that the living God is among you, and that
he will certainly send out from before you the Canaanite and the
Hittite and the Hivite and the Perizzite and the Girgashite and the
Amorite and the Jebusite.
The other side of the Jordan had all these nations which were not wanting Israel to enter their
land. Israel was a nation, not a just a couple of tourists needing food and pasture, and bring their
god(s) with them.
Israel had a lot to think about when they were on the safe side of the Jordan. To go to
the other side was dangerous. They could have chosen not to go and be safe. All the
obstacles they had were not problems with God.
With the Ark, God’s promise to the people, victory was promised. God would take care of the
nations ahead of them, but they had to believe their God was the true Jehovah-Adon Kal
Ha'arets.
This is hard for us because we like to feel safe. God tells us to go but we run ahead because we
are nervous. Then we feel defeated because of our fear. If we follow the steps found in this story
we can live victoriously. 1) Be ready to go. 2) Be prepared both spiritually and physically for God
to move. 3) Follow the Ark from a distance so we can see the path clearly. 4) Move forward with
confidence knowing God will take care of all those things which will keep us from the promise.
The biggest part of victory is obedience. Understanding God is Lord of the Earth helps us
understand that if He is before us, we have a clear path to walk and confidence in the future
challenges. There is nothing stopping God from making His promises come true.
Reflection
1. What stops you from having victory in your life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What is your response to obstacles to victory?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would understanding God Lord of the Earth change your life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I know You are the Lord of the Earth but lose focus when I see
obstacles. I need You to enable my eyes to see You as Lord of the
earth and any obstacle I stress over.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Keren-Yish'i Names of God
Thought
Horns were blown when salvation was at hand. Victory was on the
cusp of happening. Choosing the horn is to choose the volume of
our victory to the world around us. Once blown there is no turning
back.
Read Jehovah- Keren-Yish'i

Psalm 18:2 - 20 As our nation faces big decisions we are challenged to go into the
world and demonstrate God’s desire. When you hear news that
Studying the names of
people are scared now, or war will happen, we have the message
God we find the true
nature of God. for them.
We discover the true Peace has come and is available in your life, there is no need to
nature of His desire for fear. This is the Christmas message of course.
His creation.
Now imagine why you can have peace when the world around you
Christian tradition has
is full of fear. The reason is it is Gods desire to blow the horn of
focused on just a few of
His attributes and lost the salvation in the lives of al His creation.
truth about His character.
Salvation we do not have to work at achieving because God has
God is Love, not only our done it for us. Our confidence in God is what gives us the peace.
love.
God, our Horn of Salvation, is all about communication with His
We speak these words
but God desires to be the people. Traditionally horns were used to do two basic things. One
ONLY ONE in our life. was to hold liquids and the other blown to communicate.
A ram’s horn was often used when victory in battle was close. The
sound giving confidence or run in fear.
The horn was also used to hold the oil of anointing, often to anoint
a new king, as in David, or to set apart someone special.
In these verses we find David uses it as a part of a list. The list of

God’s names helps understand David’s view of God.
A quick search on the internet finds the names of God are also used
by spiritualists. In fact, some spiritualists have written on their web
pages using the names of God will bring miracles. There is power in
the name of Jesus (Acts 3:36)
In this Psalm David is free from King Saul. Sounding a horn would
mean victory was very close. Horn and salvation are a great
combination.
The horn is the sound of victory and salvation from oppression. Victory has come and there is no
longer an enemy to be fearful of makes this name very special.
If we consider this logic then salvation and freedom, from what has bound us, go together. In
David’s world the idea was physical. Nations controlling and making slaves of the people. This
freedom from slavery and fear.
In our world we are bound by our desires and our fears. There is a spiritual bondage because we
are fighting a spiritual battle. The problem is we are fighting the battle when God has already
claimed victory. We need to sound the horn of salvation; the victory is here.
It is the sound of the victory horn that will change our life and the lives around us. The
sounds of victory is what God wants us to hear.
It is this horn no other religion has. Other religions and many Christians work too hard for
salvation when it is already a battle won.
The Apostle Paul says, in Ephesians 6, we are to stand as soldiers. God will fight the fight and we
will stand in victory. This victory from the slavery of our desires, fear, and insecurity that bind us.
The freedom to serve God and let Him fulfill His desires through our lives. That is how David saw
and experienced God.
How do you experience God? What is binding you? What is keeping you from hearing
the victory horn of salvation?
Reflection
1. What stops you from having victory in your life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What is your response to obstacles to victory?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would understanding God Lord of the Earth change your life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I know You are the Lord of the Earth but lose focus when I see
obstacles. I need You to enable my eyes to see You as Lord of the
earth and any obstacle I stress over.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Kabodhi Names of God
Thought
What we put our glory in becomes the strength or weakness of our

future. When we us this name we acknowledge the strength of the
Lord and its affect on life. Words that follow are support and rest,
the outcomes of giving God the glory as the foundation of oure
response.
Jehovah-Kabodhi
Read
Psalm 3: 1-8 The difference between the Christian God and other religions’ gods
is just that. Everybody can pay their respect to a god. It is easy to
The angels sang, Glory to pay money and obey laws. To have an interactive relationship with
God in the Highest”.
a God whom we can truly say ‘God is my Glory’ which is much more
God wants the glory for personal.
what He does.
David was faced with his own son wanting to kill him. Though he
He wants our praise. was faced with people going against him he still writes “God is my
glory”. (v3)
Paul and Silas escaped jail
through praise
In today’s stresses we focus on the doing, becoming impatient with
This character name of God’s timing. We lose focus on the important things - making God
God is not about giving an integral part of our life. God is not just a person we give tithes
God the glory. to; anybody can do that.
David writes You ARE my We need to not only sing praises to God, angels do that, but live
glory. out the glory of God because He lives in us. Living the glory of God
is not a seasonal thing. It should be the breath of every Christian.
To the writers of
scripture God was an
integral part of life. We get stressed by the craziness that our culture has become but
love the gifts we get. We get caught up in the whirlwind of our
They didn’t give God the world when the wind of God is so much more peaceful. God has a
glory because God was personal plan for you so why try to do what others do?
looking down watching.
Deciding to live out the glory of God and not only give God the
glory will change our actions and reactions. We start acting out the
attitudes of God with confidence. We enjoy a less stressful life
because it is not about our image but God’s glory. “Who gets the
glory?” becomes the only question to ask in every decision we
make.
Glory is a state of honor and a condition or status. Honor is respect,

admiration, credit, reputation, and tribute. An example of honor is
the head of the table at a meal. It was always reserved for the head
of the house. When the seat at the table is given to a person, other
than the head demonstrating the respect a group or person has for
an individual. Along with thus position comes an awesome
responsibility. Every word spoken carries a sense of absolute truth.
Whatever the challenge, you should give God the respect He demands because of His power as
Lord. The presence of God in your life draws respect to you because you have value. Don’t allow
your situation status to be otherwise.
Limiting yourself with your current situation is a disservice to you as a person, but also
disrespectful of God. Joseph is a good example of facing a situation head-on, staying focused by
keeping respect for God. He went from the pit, his brothers but him in, to Prime Minister, saving
a nation from a food crisis. He became the most sought after and most respected human in his
days.
Challenges should be the impetus to develop an attitude of gratitude giving thanks for everything
that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something
bigger and better than your current situation.
Reflection
1. What challenges are you facing which are giving God the respect He deserves?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What keeps us from getting the respect we desire?

______________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would giving God more respect and glory change our world?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I don’t give You the respect You deserve. I try to but fail so
often wanting it for myself. Giving You the glory for everything
will enable respect to flow to me as a blessing.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Some help was gleaned from;
http://www.thesureword.org.uk/component/acymailing/archive/view/listid-1-daily-
devotion/mailid-815-the-name-of-the-lord-jehovah-kabodhi-part-1/tmpl-component
Jehovah-Bara Names of God
Thought
The ends of anything seem to get frayed, bent, or become a

problem over time. Controlling the ends of anything is a challenge
to any project. As soon as we cover the end of something it has to
be undone to access the rest.
.
Jehovah-Bara
Read
Isaiah 40:18 – 31 Listening to a debate between Mr. Blair, former Prime Minister of
England, and an agnostic can be interesting. The topic was
Christians like to quote “Religion and its role in society”. The token winner argued; to be
verse 31 of this chapter,
born imperfect, with sin, and be dictated to by God, was not as
but do not understand
how it is possible. exciting as the quantum science of creating a new Sun, or exploring
space.
How can God do this?
Viewing God as only the Master genius and controller is not what
How can we rise above we see here. God is the Creator and Lord of all.
our stress?
We see God differently in this chapter. In the Old Testament
The answer is very clear
when we understand this people forgot God knows everything. The story of the defeat at Ai,
name of God. Jehovah- right after the victory of Jericho is a case in point, because of one
Bara is Lord the Creator. person hiding his disobedience from God. It affected everybody
around him including the Nation of Israel.
It is easy to understand
God as Creator. When we consider not only does our God know everything but He
is able to help us rise above our circumstances because He is the
In this chapter a much
more personal God is One who created it..
described making the
Christian God different We get stressed because we lose sight of who God is. God does not
than all the others. always take the circumstances away because He has given us a free
will.
God not only creates but
interacts with His
We cannot control everything around us, but we can control our
creation.
reaction to them. Trying to control loose ends saps energy leaving
us listless in direction and lackluster in life.
Isaiah is reminding us God is the Creator and Lord of everything. He

does not stand outside and look in, but an active participant in His
creation.
God made people to have free wills so it is our prerogative to Him

as controller of our lives. He desires to have us rise above our
stress, like eagles rise above their prey.
For an eagle to fly lower takes much more energy than rising higher
and soaring. He empowers us because He never tires of us asking
for help.
Having a free will means the responsibility for our situation lies on our shoulders. God the
Controller of both ends enable a focus on important things. How often do we hear, “I have to tie
up loose ends? Filing our lives with so much activity the ends are left undone.
Loose ends leak energy if not taken care of. They create worry and stress we don’t need.
Stopping the stress and focusing on strength is easy when God controls the ends. The middle also
gets worn and needs attention. Keeping the distance between the ends short in any relationship
will increase the value of the communication. Letting the distance increase lessens not only
communication but weakens the core.
Reflection
1. Why do we hold on to our stress when we can rise above it?
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What loose ends are we chasing?

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______________________________________________________________
3. How would giving God the loose ends change our world?
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I have a free will and chase loose ends too much. I feel tired and
worn-out spiritually. Enable me to let You have control of the
ends and the distance between short. This will energize my life
and those around me.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah- Hamelech Names of God
Thought
The ends of anything seem to get frayed, bent, or become a

problem over time. Controlling the ends of anything is a challenge
to any project. As soon as we cover the end of something it has to
be undone to access the rest.
.
Jehovah- Hamelech
Read
Psalm 98:1-9 During the life of Jesus Christ, we discover He was Lord over all of
creation through His miracles and through the hope He gives, His
We do not often think of Kingship.
Psalms as Christmas
season chapters, but I
this psalm talks about a Many people have lost hope in today’s world.
character of God
Christmas is all about. • People give up looking for jobs because they have not been
able to find any for a long time.
The angels had the same • People give up hope for a future because they are too far in
attitude as others
debt.
surrounding the birth
of Christ. • People give up hope because there is no longer hope for
peace.
Christ coming to Earth
was part of God’s design. All these things are prophesied in scripture. Christmas is about a
beginning, and with each beginning there is an end.
It is all because Jesus is
KING and LORD.
Ends scare people and we see the end of our world coming. As
Often these two ideas are Christians we should not be fearful but rejoice because God is KING
considered separately and LORD.
but here they are
together. A King who reigns with ultimate and unchallenged power. Just
saying those words stirs up fear. A king who is perfect and
We find them together in
unbiased. Who would want a lesser king to rule?
how people viewed
Christ.
What is there to fear? We should be rejoicing because He is King
and Lord in one person. What scares us is we will not be able to
focus on ourselves and will lose the free choices we now have.
What King offers us peace, power, and confidence like this God
whom we have chosen to worship. We talk about Jesus and God as
separate when they are one. They are not one of 3 but one in
totality.
Yes, Jesus was a human baby in form. That is how we often see
Him. A baby and a great teacher. To view Jesus as God is hard for
many Christians, but a crucial concept.
If Jesus just came to shed His blood, He did it well, but if He came
to give hope why are so many Christians giving up?
If we are to look at our world, and look at scripture, we will find that the end is coming
sooner than later. What do we do?
The celebrations and rejoicing at Christmas are short-lived and the pressures of life come again.
If we celebrate Christmas, as this Psalms suggests, we should focus on the King who is coming!
We should shout like the angels ‘The King has been born and we are celebrating His return’.
Christmas is not a celebration of a birth but a victory from a challenge. It is this victory
of Christ’s birth, over Satan’s constant desire to not let it happen, allowing us to
celebrate His return.
He proved through His birth He is King. Throughout the rest of His life He proved to the world He
is not the Master, but Lord of everything He created.
Years come and go. The highs and lows will pass as we celebrate a New Year a week later. The
question is whether Christmas changes our lives like it did the first one.
After Christmas, do you shout with joy louder and longer than before? We soon forget what
Christmas was and is about. We should be shouting with joy that Jesus is coming. We should
rejoice that our pain and suffering is soon to be over because the King and Lord of the universe is
coming. How long will Christmas affect you?
Reflection
1. What is your focus at Christmas?
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______________________________________________________________
2. How long does the celebration of The King of Kings last?

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3. How would celebrating the King every day change our world?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I think of You as King but often remain a pauper in the kingdom.

The celebration of Your birth is lost in the stress of my New
Year plans. Enable me to let You have control of the year ahead
because You are the King.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah- Hemlech 'Olam Names of God
Thought
Forever is a long time. What we do today will last forever in the

minds and hearts of those we touch. Thinking like this will
change our core actions, speech, and reaction. Selling our soul for
a day will have an everlasting effect.
.
Jehovah- Hemlech 'Olam

Read
Mathew 13:1-13 The word “Olam” means – of secret or hidden things. (Lev 5:2)
Olam also means an indefinite time or age when expressing God’s
This is a familiar story in beginning and end. Discover God as having knowledge of all the
Christian churches today.
secrets of the world.
El Olam is about a God
who is not only the Alpha This character of God is important to understand our world. God’s
and Omega, the interactive control of our circumstances is challenged, even the
beginning and the end, idea is criticized. God really does care about the little things.
but the one who has set
the time of things to When we read this parable, we find ourselves like the people to
happen.
whom Jesus is talking. We read and do not understand. We see and
We celebrate the birth of cannot see clearly.
Jesus Christ and later His
death. We find God wants us to understand about Him. A relationship
with Him allows us to see the way He sees thing. He has given
This was not just a birth Christians the secrets of our world. We have scripture which
and death of a special outlines the present and future of our world.
baby, a time determined
by God.
In the Old Testament the secrets of God were transmitted through
prophets and priests. They were the communication channels to
the secrets of God. Christians have direct communication with God
through Jesus Christ.
We are like the disciple who were close to Jesus but not focused on
the ministry of Go, but the desired physical king. Desire had
blocked the mysteries Jesus wanted to unveil to them.
Christmas is about two basic things. The first is the victory over
Satan allowing Christians to live with peace, power, and
confidence.
The same victorious God then gives us victory through the Holy
Spirit who lives within us.
Second, there is no better time than God’s time. The problem is

we need faith to do this and relax in God’s power.
We are like the disciples. Jesus speaks in parables and stories so people could understand
knowing they wouldn’t. The disciples didn’t understand why the truth was not easily
understood.
Jesus responds with, “It is easy to understand for you but not for them.” Jesus used the
culture of the people, but still they could not understand. Jesus knew the time He was to die
even at this time.
He is El Olam, knowing the mystery of everlasting time. The disciples could understand the story
but not grasp the mystery. Their view of Christ was a physical birth with all its limitations, not the
vision God had.
Christmas is about understanding El Olam. El Olam has set in time the accidents in our world, the
time it will end, and the time the world began. The Christian God is different than others because
He not only has no beginning and no end, but controls the beginning and the end.
When Christmas is understood as God’s victory and control, we can relax knowing He wants to
empower us. God wants us to have inner peace, power and confidence only available because
we understand the mysteries of God deeper than those around us.
Christmas is not the beginning of something, but a victory opening the door to a world of
empowered people, not just Israel. Do you have the peace, power, and confidence God wants to
give you because of who He is?
Reflection
1. What is your view of Christmas?
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What keeps you from having peace, power, and confidence?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would understanding the timekeeper mystery enable you?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I think of You as King but often remain a pauper in the kingdom.

The celebration of Your birth is lost in the stress of my New
Year plans. Enable me to let You have control of the year ahead
because You are the King.
In Jesus name,
Amen
El Chai yai Names of God
Thought
Habits can be hard to break. With prayer as breathing our souls to

the god of our life. the choice of who rules our life determines the
blessings and mercy received. The god chosen should bring
singing to our soul as it relaxes in the shadow of the Almighty.
.
Read El Chai yai

Psalm 42:1 – 11
David had been running from Saul and not been to the Tabernacle.
Many people think a new
This lack of worship caused him to express his dry soul and
start or new year will
bring happiness. depression from a lack of seeing God.
People think of decisions In the Old Testament God lived in the Tabernacle, though people
they make. worshipped God with altars events, Tabernacle worship was where
you met God.
Their family’s finances or
other unseen stresses.
In this Psalm, David says several things we can take in to a new year
As Christmas is when we or circumstance. A comparison to the deer’s desire for water. A
focus on the poor and natural need which was equal to the need to worship for David.
needy, then forget them
as we move forward. To not go to the Tabernacle for David caused him to ask, “Where is
my God?” Why would God, who chose and anointed David deny
It is also when depression
him the worship he needed.
hits the hardest.
More people commit (V2) David’s emphasis is on the “living God” separating his God
suicide at Christmas than from those around him. When we have a living God, we develop an
any other season. interactive relationship, unavailable with other gods.
For David, the closeness of God he found in the Tabernacle, the

place where God lived, was his primary desire. In the culture of the
Old Testament and even today people carry their gods with them.
It doesn’t have to be a physical idol but a god nonetheless. Since

the crucifixion gentiles have had the blessing of the Holy Spirit,
God, active and alive in us.
A living God is so exciting and instills confidence. A God who has

power and control over all other people’s gods lifts us above our
problems because He is over them.
For many, church is not a place to worship but a place to socialize

or do business, not a place to meet God. In fact, many church
people are so busy worship is not a priority.
For David, God was not only living but the God of his life. He was
not the God of Israel only. He was the God of the Tabernacle.
David was consumed by God, not a person to consult or the winner in battle. He was David’s
purpose to live and not kill Saul. David understood God as He wants us to understand. (V5)
David asks himself a very honest question.
5 Why are you crushed down, O my soul? And why are you troubled in me? Put your hope in God;
for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God.
The answer is simple but it works. It worked in David’s life and it works today. We make many
resolutions which change continuously. Most don’t question ourselves like David. We need to
question ourselves as to why we do not have the peace, power, and confidence that God wants
us to have.
David was sensitive. He was frustrated at God’s seemingly inability to take Saul out of the picture.
Even his own men questioned David’s choices at times. This lack of insight in his leadership hurt.
There was only one answer to David’s stress. Give praise to God. How simple a solution to what
we think is a complex problem. Change may bring stress and uncertainty. We look at the
problems and try to find solutions. Solutions like more money, time, study, and the list goes on.
Does giving more praise to God as a solution make sense to us?
Giving praise to God was not one of many solutions it was the only solution for David to keep his
balance under stress. As a leader he needed to understand the mind of God. Though he could not
go to the Tabernacle he could maintain his relationship with God through praise.
Reflection
1. What is your response to stress?
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What frustrates our relationship with God?

______________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would giving more praise to God empower your relationships?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I miss worshipping You in the tabernacle of my life. I am so busy

with life I do not see the dryness so apparent. Enable me to let
You have control of the stress ahead because You are the King.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Ganan Names of God
Thought
Bullying is on the rise in the news. Fewer and fewer are defending
the defenseless. Choosing to defend a weaker person or entity
requires confidence to overcome. Once intervention has been
realized there is no turning back. The same runs true with a
relationship with Jesus Christ. Once begun there is no turning
back. He will be our defense if we allow Him the right.
.
Jehovah-Ganan
Read
Psalm 89:1 - 18 Our glory, pleasure, and victory, will be guaranteed if we link these
ideas together.
A great Psalm of praise if
you want to learn about
The breastplate is important in worship and in war. In worship the
God’s character.
precious stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel were worn on
Focus on God as our the breast of the priest. in war it was to protect the most vital part
defense. of the body.
Defense is a plural but as our defense God is more than a personal defender. He is the
there is only one church’s defender. To think that He not only knows about every
breastplate.
hair on your head but protects each person under His care,
God is a personal God, demonstrates the largess of His role as defender.
and also our defense.
In worship the priest wore the breastplate as a representative of
The use of breastplate God’s chosen nation. When Christ was crucified and resurrected
follows the statement in God put on the responsibility of wearing the breastplate.
the previous verse
referring to God, “... you
When we sing the song “… When God is for us who can be against
are the glory of their
strength, in your pleasure us ...” the idea of the breastplate is clearly understood. The idea of
will our horn be lifted up. the breastplate as a defense is important.
God knows Satan is never far away. He also knows we are often
weak in our humanity. Satan would love to keep people away from
the protection of the breastplate.
Isaiah writes “we like sheep have gone astray” and this is where
God, our defender, is strongly portrayed. We do make wrong
choices and ignore God.
We do take God’s glory for ourselves at times, but the breastplate

is big enough to defend any intruder to our safety.
That is why our God is different than all other gods. The true living
God takes care of His children.
The physical power of the breastplate is really nothing. It gives

limited protection but is good in close combat.
God is so big, so awesome, so impenetrable we can have confidence that NOTHING can harm us
that is not allowed by God. We do not have to get stressed because God is our defender and in
control.
Isn’t that a great character to have in our God? He is not only for us in a personal way, but for us
so we can feel secure.
Many Christians are insecure because they get stressed from a misunderstanding of God for who
and what He is. We then are no different than other people who worship other gods.
We have the same stresses and goals as others, but we should have different reactions to them.
With God as our defender we do not need to fight but believe. We do not need to sacrifice
because He has sacrificed.
We have the answer for our world. Our God will give us the security we need, not only to live in
our world, but impact it toward a deeper knowledge and relationship with the true God.
Reflection
1. How does God defend You? Explain.
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______________________________________________________________
2. How powerful is the breastplate in your opinion?

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______________________________________________________________
3. How would having God defend you empower your relationships?

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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I like to fight my own battles. Though it is nice to have a

defender larger than I and do not always see it as necessary.
The truth is Your defense is so much larger than I can imagine
and stronger than any attack. Enable me to let You have control
of the stress ahead because You are the King.
In Jesus name,
Amen
YHVH O'saynu Names of God
Thought
Bullying is on the rise in the news. Fewer and fewer are defending
the defenseless. Choosing to defend a weaker person or entity
requires confidence to overcome. Once intervention has been
realized there is no turning back. The same runs true with a
relationship with Jesus Christ. Once begun there is no turning
back. He will be our defense if we allow Him the right.
.
YHVH O'saynu
Read
Psalm 89:1 - 18 This is especially important today. We live with the pressure to
achieve and be successful. We pray our desires are to be God’s, but
Why should other people we are not happy with God gives us.
change gods?
Too many Christians are stressed out because they are not happy
‘Because ours is the true
God’, is not a real answer with their God. In this psalm we see a God who is angry with His
to someone who thinks creation. God who is our maker and giver of blessings allows us to
they are worshipping the make our own choices.
true god.
We see ourselves here as being hard hearted, not listening to God.
David takes a different
Not worshiping like we should.
approach.
David calls us to worship What does God want from His creation? Does He want praises
the Lord our Maker. and worship only?
In most religions, gods We focus on this and do many things to show our worship. In
are not creators, but Africa, our school hired help used to ask “Why do we do the same
manipulators.
things that we used to do we worshipped idols?”.
When we understand
God is our Creator, we Our worship is not far from what we used to be. The modern
should worship Him. Church has moved close to culture to attract people.
David says our God not The answer to the question is a listening ear. An ear tuned to His
only created us but
voice, which is connected to the rest of our body, so we can act on
provides for us.
His voice.
We pray for forgiveness and cry for mercy. We pray for things we
need, not understanding the power in which we pray.
We are the people God takes care of and why we do not give Him
the worship he asks for seems unreasonable.
Israel wanted to be like all the other nations. Though God had
chosen them they begged Him for a King. They wanted more
variety than God was giving them.
As our Maker, God is our source of power, peace, confidence, and

hope.
The answer to the first question is easy and we do not have to argue with anyone. Worship one
God who has the power of all the other gods and more.
God desires our worship and praise, even when I talk about the car it is God’s gift to me.
Changing how we talk enables our belief that God gives and takes away for our benefit.
To rest in God’s presence is to understand God is our source to everything. He wants us to

worship Him, praise Him, and give Him the glory. A fundamental to understanding who God is.
God is in total control, all the time. Even when we are out of control!
Reflection
1. When have you questioned God’s control? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What does God want form His creation?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would viewing God as our Maker empower your relationships?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I know you are my Maker, but I struggle with how You control
my life. You know the future and my struggle but don’t intervene
enough. Enable me to rest in Your control through praise and
worship, which is what You desire.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Esh Okhlah Names of God
Thought
When something is consumed there is nothing left. A consuming

fire must be hot enough to burn without residue. This is the
intensity of the fire considered. Moses saw a fire that burned and
consumed nothing. The one is cleansing the other communication
of a message. We need to respect the fire that comes from the
mouth of God.
.
Esh Okhlah
Read
1 John 4: 1-21 In reality, God is more than we can imagine. Ezekiel had a hard
time to describe the vision he saw of God, but when we tap
If you were to draw a into His power, we will have nothing to fear. He, God, will
picture of God what it
empower us to give Him the glory in everything we do.
would look like; beautiful
or ugly?
A consuming fire as a character trait is hard to describe. To be
If you were to read consumed by something is to either be destroyed totally, or totally
Ezekiel’s version you driven.
would think he had a
problem. In God we have both in perfect balance. In ourselves we find
unbalance.
Imagine God with 4 faces
with wings, etc.
Look at a few other places where we find God’s glory described as
Our view of God is often a flame. Exodus 24:17 ‘And the glory of the Lord was like a flame
a portrait of Jesus with on the top of the mountain before the eyes of the children of
long hair and a beard. Israel.’
A gentle face wearing

A gentler fire can be found when Israel left Egypt. God led them
simple clothes teaching
beside the sea. with a fire at night. Fire provides security, warmth, and at night a
light to cast away fear.
When God is the fire within, we find ourselves secure with peace
and confidence.
Deuteronomy 9:3 ‘Be certain then today that it is the Lord your God
who goes over before you like an all-burning fire; he will send
destruction on them, crushing them before you; and you will send
them in flight, putting an end to them quickly, as the Lord has said.’
We find God as a fire destroys our opposition. This also provides

security because we don’t have to fight, but God fight for us. For
this fire to be in effect we must follow God’s directions.
Malachi 4:1”For see, the day is coming, it is burning like an oven;

all the men of pride and all who do evil will be dry stems of grass:
and in the day which is coming they will be burned up, says the
Lord of armies, till they have not a root or a branch.”
This verse gives us a picture of God using fire to cleanse all impurity. As an all-consuming fire we
need to understand that God cannot look at any impurity. The fire must leave no residue. That
was the purpose of the blood. There is nothing that purifies like fire because there is no hiding
from a fire that is all consuming.
Hebrews 4:24, 25 describes God as an all-consuming fire. In verse 25 we have some good
encouragement. -- See that you give ear to his voice which comes to you. For if those whose ears
were shut to the voice which came to them on earth did not go free from punishment, what
chance have we of going free if we give no attention to him whose voice comes from heaven?
As humans we want to be free to make our own decisions. We don’t like to be tied down, or have
pressure to do things. Most of all we like to be free from the guilt of not doing what God wants.
To experience this freedom, we must listen to God.
The key is found in verse 28, “If then, we have a kingdom which will never be moved, let
us have grace, so that we may give God such worship as is pleasing to him with fear
and respect.”
We want to have the fire of God to consumes us. The problem is we are consumed by our needs
and desires and don’t listen to God’s voice. The voice which shakes the mountains but not our
hearts.
When we are consumed our ears are closed and our eyes become blind. To see God as a
consuming fire is to experience God as the only person is worthy of our worship.
Is one of our goals to be consumed by evangelistic fervor, or to give God our worship so we can
experience the freedom we desire, and the hope of a world cleansed by God’s fire?
Reflection
1. What consumes your time? Explain.
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What needs to be consumed by God in our life?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would being consumed by God’s fire empower your relationships?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am consumed by my own desires. They take up so much of my

time it is hard to fit You in. I need Your consuming fire to burn
all the clutter. I need Your fire to cleanse my heart, to be a
flame on the mountain, a light to world around.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Agape Names of God
Thought
Love makes the world go ‘round. Discussing what true love is can
take hours, coming up empty of any effective definition. Except
for romantically driven love ideas like longsuffering and patience
are characteristics enabling demonstrations of ‘love’.
.
Agape Names of God
Agape
Read
1 John 4: 1-21 The problem is we are not as balanced as God is. Studying the
characters of God we find God is in balance.
Valentines arrives and
love fills the air.
When we consider love as an emotionally driven trait, we are in
love our out of love. It is possibly the most emotional of all feelings.
‘God is love’ mixes the
emotion of romanticism
with the purity of God. When we are in love we are energized. We fixate on the person or
the thing like a possession. This is a bit how love operates and how
We mix them and then God’s love reacts so differently.
we make laws to help
understand them.
First, because God is love, His feelings or emotions do not change
This is where we get into in the wind. It is who He is. True love, emanating from God,
trouble. through us, does many things.
God is so pure we cannot (v 16) We find God’s love give us security of relationship. This is
imagine. important because love should be a part of who we are as
Christians. It should be part of our character not just a romantic
The idea of mixing these
feeling we have on valentine’s day.
two ideas leans to our
romantic bone.
Why are Christians so unloving then if this is a truth? The answer
Though we are made in lies in our understanding if God’s relationship with us, His chosen
the image and essence of people.
God these two ideas
need to kept separate.
Second, love casts out fear. Living in a world which is full of fear of
war, failure, and so many other things, we find love driven by God’s
character drives out fear. It is stronger than the fear we have.
‘God is love’ is the core of evangelism. People take notice because

live is an attractive message.
Most wars have a religious undertone, Christian and non-Christian

but Buddhists rarely cause war, though they have defended their
faith like all others.
Love for a leader drives many of these crusades. The difference is

perhaps the love Christians have, stems from one God not many
things.
Agape Names of God
The last thing we find is God loved us first. Most love relationships are not love at first sight
equally. Our God not only loved us, he created us. His love caused Him to desire a relationship
with His creation.
We are not Pinocchio or factory-made but personally crafted individuals with different
personalities purposed to reflect God to the world.
God is love; therefore, we love. When we choose to not love Him, or recognize His love we get
stressed. God’s love never changes, but human-based love changes seemingly with the wind.
When we understand God is love not just having love, we will choose to give Him our love. We
do this by giving Him the glory in everything we do.
Agape Names of God
Reflection
1. What is our love based on? Explain.
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. How does love change our relationships?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would a love based on God’s ideals change our reactions?

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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Agape Names of God
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am consumed by a love for my desires and image. Your love is

more balanced and unwavering. I need to apply Your love to all my
relationships.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Haw-Yaw' (I AM) Names of God
Thought
Who your the emissary for can be the respect needed to accomplish
your goal. The person must already have a reputation to exude
confidence in your position and authority. Anything less
negates any power to effect change.
.
Read
Haw-Yaw' (I AM)
Exodus 3: 11-21 We don’t often tell people, “because God said so”. Moses was told
to use it when he was questioned about his authority to speak for
This name shows the the people.
power of who God is.
The problem was Moses was not a strong leader, fearing the
Because I said so it will
happen, demonstrates challenge because of his past mistakes.
the authority of God.
When God chose him to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt he
There are not many gods asked for a helper. He didn’t need one, but had no confidence in
here. the authority of his sender.
Only one God who leads

God gave him Aaron as the speaker, who also created issues in his
us.
leadership. Meeting with God he needs confirmation because he
I was asked in China if fears the people.
Christians had three
gods. I AM is a powerful name which is understood to have ultimate
authority. Moses needed confidence to demand Pharaoh let his
As we were in a Buddhist
slaves go. He needed confidence because he felt caught in the
temple the idea of many
middle of obeying God and rejection by Pharaoh.
gods was an honest
question.
A ‘catch 22’ perhaps in Moses’ mind. He knew God wanted him to
How different is Christian go and Pharaoh would reject the idea outright.
to Buddhism?
Imagine you went to the President and told him God has sent you.
My reply was because we
What do you think he would say? Would he welcome you with
worship one God who
can do everything. open arms?
Probably not!
Have you ever done something people think is not realistic, but you
know God is the authority behind it? Maybe not!
When I moved my family to another province with no money or

job, people asked me a lot of questions. My answer was God had
told me and I have peace only He can give.
A relationship with God is essential to speak with this amount of

authority. It is a relationship giving confidence and motivating a
person to move because God has already moved the problems
ahead of us.
In my situation, we bought a house 2 months later with a part-time job and no money.
In a Facebook entry one church opened as a street front for the poor. Poor people view God
differently because they depend on God for everything to live. Most of us have an income and
get stressed when it is interrupted.
Like Moses we are not confident in God’s power. We need something to give us confidence.
What better idea than to say, “God said so!”
Today the Christian church is losing attendance, respect, and authority. Many Christians are
losing confidence in God and the Church. We seek confidence in an unstable world. We prefer to
create our wealth and fortune.
I hear so often how Christians are worried about their future. We plan our future with a vision of
how much we can make. Then we get stressed when the plan changes.
As Christians, we need to be the holders of confidence in our culture and community. As

Christians can say, with every decision, “The I AM has sent me”. The I Am is my guarantee of
victory.
We do not say this enough perhaps because we see this as only for Moses. Perhaps because we
do not have confidence in the authority of the God we claim to serve. Perhaps our experience
with God has not been what we expected.
Let us make a habit of saying this “because the I AM has said so.” This means just because God is
who He said He is; Creator, Controller, and Designer of all things. Therefore, we can be more
confident in everything we do. We can help our neighbors understand God better by helping
them gain confidence.
God does not want Christians to be stressed but confident because He has ALL authority. There is
no person or circumstance able to stop Him.
Reflection
1. In whose authority do you speak? Explain.
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. How does speaking with authority affect your level of confidence?

______________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would confidence in God’s authority affect your relationships?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I waver when I need to speak with authority. I believe in your

power to do things, but lack understanding or Your authority. I
need help to grow my confidence in Your authority.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Yehovah Echad (Yehovah is One) Names of God
Thought
Who your the emissary for can be the respect needed to accomplish
your goal? The person must already have a reputation to exude
confidence in your position and authority. Anything less
negates any power to effect change.
.
Read
Yehovah Echad
Deuteronomy 6:1-15 The word ‘Echad’ means one, but not just a simple “1” but a
complex 1. The meaning suggests there are more pieces to the “1”
The idea of one God or than the simple “1”. The is demonstrated in verse 4; “the Lord our
three gods is an God is one Lord”.
important part of
Christian understanding.
This was important and vital to Israel’s success as a nation, and as a
We have God the Father, Christians. There is only one God.
Holy Spirit, Son.
It was God who sent His Son.
The idea of the three-in- It was God who sent the Holy Spirit.
one can be confusing in a It was God who created you and I.
world where there are
It is God’s character you and I have, because of His creation.
many gods to worship.
It is God who gives us hope for the future.
Too often we argue over It is God who empowers us.
the role of each person.
In the God-head. To consider tht God is three gods in one is false. This is what makes
us different than any other religions.
The key is Jesus is God,
but when on earth He
Look at these verses. The writer is showing us how God interacts
went to the Father for
the power. with His people. God gives them things which they would never
have in their own strength.
The Holy Spirit was the
gift and seal of the When we read this, we should also read Psalm 23. God, the one
Christian and stabilizer in and only true God, wants to show the world, through us, what life
the world we live in.
should be like.
It doesn’t have to be driven by stress. It doesn’t have to be full of

insecurity. It doesn’t have to be driven by fear.
The key to ALL of scripture is found here. It is not a list of rules, or a

list of works to achieve.
It is just one rule. One rule for one God; Love God 100%. Let Him be
the first on the list of people to meet in the day. Let Him be the
first one to ask when you have a problem.
What is the downside when God is not the first person in your life?
God will withdraw from you as Israel found.
When we treat God as the person to go to when we have messed up, we do not treat God right.
The idea of a complex “1” is to define God as more than just one side of a diamond.
While chatting with the Chinese lady about Buddhism, the idea of one god with1000 incarnations
demonstrated how different our God is from theirs.
Our God does not need reincarnate himself because He is everything already. No improvements
needed because he is all inclusive. We can see how complex when Ezekiel, the prophet, tried to
describe Him.
Because God is our creator, we have the character of God in each of us. The problem is we are
unbalanced. We are complex individuals but we are still one person.
God is the same. The difference is God is unlimited in everything, while we are very limited. It is
when we understand the oneness of God, and tap into it, we understand the auhority we have
available to us.
This oneness allows us to have the quiet confidence, peace, and power in our lives. This oneness
should draw us together versus arguing about which God is greater. It is this oneness attracting
our neighbors, and change the world around us.
The key is not to understand the complexity of God, but let the simplicity of loving Him with all
our mind, soul, and spirit, demonstrate it through our lives.
Reflection
1. How do you explain the God you claim to serve? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. How would viewing God as “1” change your speech?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would confidence in God as ‘1’ affect your community?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I waver when I need to speak with authority. I believe in your

power to do things, but lack understanding or Your authority. I
need help to grow my confidence in Your authority.
In Jesus name,
Amen
El Berith - God of the covenant Names of God
Thought
Promises are promises and should not be broken. The problem is

they are because we make them with frivolous abandon. Making a
covenant is not only a promise but a commitment having risks
one or both parties will fail leaving one holding the commitment.
There si no divorce in a covenant.
.
Read
El Berith
Romans 11:13 – 33 In the Old Testament, God made many covenants. In the New
Testament we find a new covenant for the Church.
Making a covenant is like
making a promise. If we understand covenant to be an unbreakable promise, we must
consider the person who makes the covenant.
It isn’t just any promise.
It is an unbreakable If I made a promise to you, I may not be able to fulfill it due to

promise. many factors. When God makes a covenant, He is able to keep it.
The challenge has been This is what makes this name so important. It is because of this
to discover the Christian covenant we have hope of forgiveness and for our future. It is the
God as superior to
cornerstone of faith.
others.
We have not challenged Paul writes, (v22) “See then that God is good but his rules are
other religions because fixed… God does not change the rules as we do. God knows the
that is not the nature of future so His rules have already considered the present and the end
God. of time.”
Rather we have
We face many things today and we need to recognize God is the
discovered our God is
different from cultures maker of our faith covenant. That is to say our salvation is not
and religions around us. dependent on me. God made the rules of the promise, and we
accept the rules when the covenant is started.
We don’t need to
challenge the world In the case of Israel, God chose Abram. God gave the covenant to
around; we need only to
him and Abram died, but God kept his promise.
believe in the one true
God.
In the case of Noah and the flood. God made a covenant with
Noah, and to all who followed that there would never be a flood as
big again.
Covenants found in the Bible are very specific Most are God’s
promises to people, but not limited to Israel or the Church.
The Covenant to Israel did not disappear or is less effective now

the Church has been grafted in.
Considering we are grafted into the vine, we cannot be cut off

without the vine rejecting us.
This picture of a vine shows how strong the covenant is. First, the vine doesn’t choose the new
branch, but the vineyard owner does. The Covenant of the graft is not changeable. The nature
and nurture of the graft is under the care of the vineyard owner.
The vineyard owner also chooses to cut the branches off. The vineyard owner is God, El Berith.
He is the only God around who can make this covenant. He not only makes the covenant, but
cares enough to make the graft work. Grafting a vine takes care and time. Which god will do that
for you?
Too often Christians focus on other gods and argue about then. This is not what God wants us to
do. God wants us to understand His nature, because our relationship with Him is most important.
When we have the peace, power, and confidence only El Berith can give us, people will be
attracted to Him, not us.
Reflection
1. What promises have you made to God and not kept? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What covenants has God made to you?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would claiming the covenant promises enable your spiritual life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I promise so much without thinking. I even forget many of

them. This takes away from recognizing Your power to answer
my prayer. Empower me to be more mindful of what I promise to
recognize Your care and power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
El-Beth-El God of the house of God Names of God
Thought
The house of God is often used for other activities. We do many

things in our house, but we always want respect. Taking off your
shoes is just one of the many things we do. A dirty house is seen
as a lack of discipline. So too with our body, the house of God in
today’s terms.
.
Read
El-Beth-El
Genesis 31:1 - 29 God is committed to us, even when we make bad decisions. In this
story Jacob chose Rachael and got Leah. His father-in-law was
When we think of the continually trying to deny him of animals he had promised. Laban
house of God, we usually was cheating Jacob. What would you do if you were Jacob?
think of the tabernacle.
The New Testament talks It is a good question because many times we are cheated. I have
about our bodies as the been cheated and lied to by so many. It is possible you have
house of God. experienced the same things.
This story shows how Cheating is normal, because we are driven by selfishness and
sees our commitments to greed. It is our nature from the days of Adam and Eve.
Him.
We make promises to In Jacob’s day there was no big nation of Israel as we see in later
God when we are Old Testament books. The covenant to Abraham was passed to
stressed. Jacob. There was no tabernacle in which God had to live. Rather
there were personal commitments, altars erected, and then
God is the One who remembered. It was these names of places that show us the
makes covenants and we
character of God.
will find God in His house.
What does “God of the house of God” mean? In this story we find
Rachael did a very simple thing which could have affected Jacob’s
future.
It also shows the religious life in the time of Jacob. Rachael stole
her father’s idols which is where we find the problem.
Jacob had made a promise at Bethel earlier. God now reminds him
of the promise.
Christians do the same things We don’t steal other people’s‟ idols,

but we do not always keep God as the only God of His house.
Laban had tried to take away from Jacob, he always failed which is
a repeated action and outcome. God had fixed everything so Jacob
would be the victor.
When Jacob had God as the only God in his house, God made him
successful and protected him. God was the God of the house.
Now consider Laban, who had tried to cheat Jacob in every way. Jacob upset Laban because he
wanted to return to his country secretly.
Having been married a few years I understand Jacob’s thinking. It is not always easy to live close
to the in-laws all the time when there is lack of trust. We see the conflict between a house full of
gods, and a house with God as one.
We see again that what Jacob did was maybe not a good strategy. He saw only one way
out, and that was to go in secret. God saw a better way.
In the beginning of this story God told Jacob to go. Jacob made the choice of how to go,
secretly, and God not only opened the door but protected Laban from interfering.
In the Ten Commandments, we are commanded to have only one God. In the Tabernacle there
was to be only one God. In the New Testament we are to consider ourselves ‘Temples of one
God’.
When God is “God of the house of God” there are so many benefits. Our God cannot live happily
together with other gods in the house.
Many Christians are like Jacob today. Their house has more than one god. They don’t have idols
but they have put other things equal to God. It can be money, career, health, or children. The list
goes on.
Reflection
1. How many ‘gods’ are in your ‘house of God’? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. Who is the God of your house of God?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would making El-Beth-El the only God empower your spiritual life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I forget my body is Your house. You are wanting to empower me

by living in it, but there can only be You. Show me the other gods
I hold close so I can destroy. Them. You are my God. Empower
me to be more mindful of what I promise to recognize Your care
and power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
El Nekamoth God that Avenges Names of God
Thought
Avenge is a more neutral idea than revenge. It lacks the emotional

response which unbalances the reaction. We always want respect,
taking off shoes before entering a house is just one of many
things we do. A dirty house is seen as a lack of discipline. So too
with our body, the house of God in today’s terms.
.
Read
El Nekamoth
Psalm 18:39-50 An avenging God can be seen in most religions. For Christians the
idea God is our avenger should bring peace not stress.
Many people are
depressed or lack energy. This is a hard to achieve because we feel responsible carrying this
guilt around and looking for a place to put our anger. It takes away
Anger or the desire for
revenge is a major from the peace power and confidence that we desire.
reason.
Another reason why Christians do not experience the peace power
Looking at various and confidence is the desire to get achieve position or power. We
religions around the want to be bigger, richer, and have higher status than others.
world we see two very
different ideals.
We are sinful human beings as a base, like all the others around.
Neither give balance. The difference is God is our avenger and we do not have to be
chained to these desires. Looking closer at this psalm we discover
On the one hand people clues of how God works as an avenger.
think an eye for an eye is
the way to live. David explains his situation in the beginning verses. God enabled
him to assert a higher position than his opponents. David does not
On the other the people
say he is fighting the battle. Rather God has cut his opponent off
peruse to have peace you
should not kill anything. from His help.
For many, disasters or Another clue here as to what an avenger does. David writes: (48)
bad things are caused by He makes me free from my haters; I am lifted up over those who
God’s revenge on our sin. come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man.
We often do not understand what it means to be free from those

who hate us. Most of us rarely experience this kind of emotion. For
many Christians, especially in other-religion based countries this is
a real reality they face every day.
Freedom is something we all desire. Freedom from those who hate

us is to be free physically. This is where David was, being chased by
Saul.
The freedom from Saul’s hatred was his desire. There is not much
hatred for Christians, in Korea, but we do have people who hate
foreigners.
Perhaps hate is too strong a word, but we are often the one who hates or holds the anger
causing hatred.
The avenger, in this psalm, not only kept the haters away but lifted David to rule over them. This
is very important. It is a key to our hope and message of peace. There is no peace if we keep the
emotion of anger.
God will avenge those who persecute us. This does not mean we will have a happy life or that it
will be easy. It does mean we get stressed when web don’t have to.
People feel depressed because they are not getting ahead in life. They get depressed because
they don’t see God as their avenger. Many people stay angry and want to take revenge.
God’s desire is for us to have a peace that attracts other people. A peace so secure in our
position it empowers us and gives us confidence. When God is the avenger, not us, we feel
confident and secure. We can depend on Him to do a better job. Giving God our emotion allows
God to be the avenger and we, in turn, have the peace we desire.
Finally, if God is the avenger, He will lift us up above the people who are against us. Our God is
not only a God of love, but our protector and avenger. Why should we worry about our enemies
when God’s character is to avenge them?
To answer the question, “Why would anyone change their God for mine?”, the answer is very
clear. My God takes my worries from me so I can not only feel secure, but be empowered in my
life and live in confidence.
Which other God can give their followers the same?

Reflection
1. How many times do I want revenge? Explain.
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2. What should God do to be your avenger?

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3. How would letting God be your avenger affect your relsationships?

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I like to fight my own battles. I want You to be my revenger,

while You are the avenger. You see the future while I react to
my situations. Open my eyes to see Your avenging power.
Empower me to be more mindful of Your care and power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Jehovah-Hoshe'ah Lord Saves Names of God
Thought
A savior has the strength, stamina, and resilience to lead from

slavery to freedom. Saviors often demand service for the effort.
Jesus is the Savior enabling a freedom of choice. The choice is to
continue the slavery currently in force or enrich your life with
security and hope smothered with blessings.
.
Read
Jehovah-Hoshe'ah
Psalm 20:1-9 This psalm is a good prayer to say every day, focusing on God’s
power and total control. It is the one thing we most often miss in
If you think Jesus Christ is our salvation experience.
different than God, it
would be in conflict with
What salvation is brings forward the idea of doing something
scripture.
resulting in salvation.
It does fit into the idea
we serve one God not Though this is true, we find salvation is God’s response to a
three. desperate human situation.
If we think this way it fits The basic idea of salvation is based on a need for it from a difficult
the salvation Christ offers
situation. From this salvation we attain a sense of power because
us.
the resources of the Savior are far greater than our adversity.
The blood of Christ is the
door which opens to a A few years ago, someone asked me if nothing happened when
deeper and more they became Christians it was real.
effective relationship
with God.
For some the burden of sin lifts and the weight changes life
instantly. A feeling of total cleanliness creates new choices.
Continuing the new path is like a honeymoon. When real
challenges face us, we must make choices based on our salvation
experiences.
Salvation doesn’t always change your life instantly. It is a growing

relationship that is constantly challenged to change.
In the Old Testament we have a rescue situation. Israel was in

trouble, they prayed, and God brought salvation. For some
salvation is only about being rescued. Longer term benefits are
ignored or denied the power to change.
We pray and do what we are told to do. The only difference is

going to church on Sunday instead of engaging in our desires.
For others, the decision to accept salvation is on their death bed.

Knowing they have no time left to live and the salvation experience
is challenged.
This psalm is very clear that the offering of salvation is God’s choice. In the opening verse the
author uses the word “May”. The hope God would give me value for my work. In the early verses
it is a hope that God would remember. If this is what our Christianity is about, we are the same
as all the other religions around.
In the last verses there is confidence in this salvation. People feel secure if they have money,
power, or secure job. When any of these weakens, or is lacking, insecurity fills the soul and our
energy flows into finding a savior.
In war there is security if you have better technology or more soldiers. This confidence, as we
find in this psalm, is a false hope of salvation. A Salvation in physical entities which fail all the
time, or are inferior.
True salvation is found in the one true God. He alone can offer it and has the power to secure it.
His salvation is the only salvation giving us not only hope but confidence.
Why then are so many Christians insecure? Not having the peace which flows from hope or
confidence in their God of salvation. The needed relationship is not there. If we are not sure God
will bring us salvation, we need to think about the God we serve.
Reflection
1. What is our salvation based on? Explain.
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2. What do we need to feel secure in our salvation?

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3. How would letting God be savior affect other relationships?

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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I need a savior because I stumble and fail so many times. I

want You to be my savior, not only for the predicaments I make
for myself, but for the confidence I need in my life. Empower me
to be more mindful of Your care and power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Hē Megaloprepēs Doxa (Greek) Majestic God Names of God
Thought
A savior has the strength, stamina, and resilience to lead from

slavery to freedom. Saviors often demand service for the effort.
Jesus is the Savior enabling a freedom of choice. The choice is to
continue the slavery currently in force or enrich your life with
security and hope smothered with blessings.
.
Read
2 Peter 1:1-21
Hē Megaloprepēs Doxa
This is so opposite to the way we think in today’s culture. We want
God, the giver of Glory to gain glory and honor through our own work (giving of money)
Japan was the target of a
tsunami. Not only is God really wants us to have honor, and glory, just like the honor
there death and and glory Christ had.
destruction, but a
humbling of a Nation. We get caught up with our culture and follow its gurus. They are
rich and offer us so much. God offes us so much more.
In this passage we find
two things about God.
Peter was the disciple who wanted to defend Christ. He wanted to
He is Father and step in and do it right. Later, as leader of the Church, Peter was
empowers the blood of challenged again to recognize what God wanted to do in the world
Christ. around him.
He is one who gives us We can link what God did for Christ and said about Christ, to what
honor and glory.
God wants for us as His children and Church. Peter was coming
close to death and wanted his image to be lasting and pure. It was
Ref. his desire that God give him the same honor Christ had been given.
https://namesforgod.net/maje
stic-glory/
One item of note here is the reference to the prophets and their
message which was directly from God. As leader, what I say is
considered as from God.
There is some skepticism in culture of the idea God speaks to us

individually. That God takes a personal interest in our glory is a
hard sell.
.
For us to receive the honor and glory we desire, we need to do as
Christ did. He took no honor to himself. This is very hard to do
because when we get it, the honor, and respond, we are often
criticized of hubris. If we try to give God the glory, we are criticized
for arrogance.
When we understand God is the One whose glory we should seek,

and not others, we will be given glory and honor. For Peter, this
was the goal of his life. Not to be worthy of God’s honor but hear
the words from God himself.
When I was a young preacher people would shake my hand and say how good it was. The truth
came from a frail older lady. Her comment was the one that mattered, stimulating change.
In the Bible we read we are all given a gift and are to use it. The problem is that we often don’t
have opportunity to use it. God wants us to use the gift He has given us, not our strongest point
at times, but something we do powered by God.
Culture dictates we should drive towards money and the power it can give us. The expectation of
honor from power is not always the result.
At the same time God is in the background waiting to empower us. He waits to show us where
we could be if we would give Him the glory He desires.
Peter was not a perfect man struggling with the idea of gentiles being offered salvation. He did
learn that to hear the words of God was most important.
We make choices every day with each we must choose to whom the glory will be given, us or
God.
• How do you make your choices?

• Do you make choices because God is the giver of honor and majesty, or because others
will give us the honor?
Reflection
1. Who we give the honor to when we are successful? Explain.
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______________________________________________________________
2. What honor do we desire and from whom?

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3. How would giving God the honor and glory affect other relationships?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I love honor and glory. I am driven to achieve by the power they

give me, especially those over me. I need to reset my thoughts
about glory and honor. Empower me to be more mindful of Your
care and power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Ho Patēr Tōn Pneumatōn (Greek) Father of spirits Names of God
Thought
Spirit is translated as wind most times. When we think of spirits

as little demons, it does not do it justice. The Holy Spirit uses the
same core word. If God is Holy Spirit, the creation of spirits is not
difficult to imagine. Anything that breathes has spirit created by
God.
.
Read
Ho Patēr Tōn Pneumatōn
Hebrews 12: 4 - 15 As a parent I can understand the pressure to be restrictive and
overreact to my children’s poor decisions. God, different than
Is God responsible for the other parents who punish their children, but also gives life.
evil in the world?
This is God’s power over not only the weather, our future, etc., but
This is a good question
because God is Creator of also, spirits trying to move us in directions which are not from God.
all things.
Tradition says when someone goes through tough times, the
We live in a world when person has gone against God, or God is making them stronger.
punishment is frowned
on. These are the verses most often quoted in such situations. The
result is emptiness or powerlessness in our lives ending in
Culture has reacted to
the abuse of a few, depression. God is in control of ALL things even spirits is the focus
swinging to no discipline. of the verses.
There is a of Child We separate spirits into two camps. God’s and Satan’s spirits. In
Buddha Syndrome in Genesis we find God created Satan, a leader of the angels until his
Korea, meaning the child
desire caused his fall.
has the power.
We, as parents must God did create the spirits, but the spirits also have a choice. Satan’s
submit to their wishes as spirits are bound by him. They have given up their choice, to be
a priority. mastered by him.
God’s spirits have also made the choice to be mastered by the God
of spirits. They have chosen peace, power, and confidence versus
greed and death.
As the God of spirits there is discipline. We make our choices and

we must bear the consequences. We often do not know what we
are asking of God when we pray. We pray for things that God
answers with what we think is discipline.
In our culture of no discipline we live contrary or opposite to the

model God has given us. Why then do we discipline? We discipline
because of disobedience. A child who has experienced the
consequence of disobedience does not need to be disciplined but
mentored.
parents fear their children too often today. Scared their children will hate them if they don’t give
them what they want. This is where we need to understand God’s discipline, design, and control.
Because God is the God of spirits, He can do what He says and does not threaten to do anything
He is not serious to enforce. Second, because God is the God of spirits, when he disciplines it is
not out of anger resulting in peace. When we discipline there is often conflict and disharmony.
Third, because God is the God of spirits, the end goal is a closer mentoring relationship. This is
not a relationship based on fear or boundaries. It is a true mentoring relationship because God is
in control of ALL spirits.
(v11) At the time all punishment seems to be pain and not joy: but after, those who have been
trained by it get from it the peace-giving fruit of righteousness.
The resulting Fruit of the Spirit is the outcome of God’s discipline. When people get into trouble
it may not be discipline, but because God is in control. We need to help them refocus on who
God is in the situation.
We are so busy getting ahead in life, securing our future, having all the answers, but not the
relationship willing to respond discipline.
Are we willing to accept the Father of Spirits discipline which results in a demonstration of the
Fruit of the Spirit?
Reflection
1. What is the result of discipline in our family? Explain.
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2. What is our response to discipline?

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3. How would demonstrating the Fruit of the Spirit affect other relationships?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I know You are the creator of all things. I wonder at times

about the spirits Satan sends to distract my worship. I need to
have more confidence in Your control of all my circumstances.
In Jesus name,
Amen
’Even Yisra’el God the Stone Names of God
Thought
The word ‘stone’ conveys so many ideas. One is of strength and

reliability, as in the cornerstone. When building relationships
there needs to be a solid unchanging base up on which to build. If
a relationship is built on anything less solid it will change a nd
crack with time.
.
Read
’Even Yisra’el
Genesis 49:1 - 28 Joseph, a key person in the ancestry of Christ, is linked with this
stone and a special son of Jacob. He was not one of the crowd, and
These are the last words did not fit in because of his dreams.
of Jacob as he prepared
or his death.
God as the Stone reflects several personality traits. The first is the
Each child had grown into immovableness of it. The stone at the tomb was immovable except
a tribe and a personality. by the power of God. This stone was set in the door and sealed. No
man could open it. Yet it was put aside when Christ arose. The
God is referred to here as power to open the tomb and break free from the bondage
the Stone of Israel. of death is a great truth.
In Isaiah 28:16 we find

This power to not be moved by man’s force should give us strength
Christ portrayed as the
cornerstone of the to live our daily life. God is not only the cornerstone; He is the
coming Church. stone we came from. In English we use the idiom, “a chip of the old
block”.
Stones were also used to
knock out the giant, Imagine an image made of stone as seen in many countries and
Goliath.
religions. Hard stones to be worshipped having no life or power to
effect life’s circumstances. They are carved by man from lifeless
Stones were used to
build memorial altars. stone.
This stone is different. We come from God the Stone not the stone god. God is making
This stone is not one we us, carving us, into people of power. The problem is we worship
would throw or build the carving not the original. We do not see how immovable the
with.
original stone is. God as the stone is not a lifeless block of granite,
It is not the cornerstone. but a stone which gives life.
It is the one stone that Ruler is another word is linked to this stone. God is the Ruler of all
can give us power. and as The Stone does not want us to carve idols of Him. That is
what our culture and traditions want us to do. That is why we have
the 10 commandments, of which having no other god is so
important.
Recognizing God as the Stone not only gives power but an outflow
of blessings. After verse 24 we find the blessings Joseph and his
children would have from this Stone of power.
Remember the story of Moses and the stones that gave life to Israel in the wilderness. The one
he was to speak to and the other to strike. God could have given Moses and the people water
and food without the stone, but Stone is an important motif as a demonstration of who God in
scripture.
God the living Stone from which all blessings flow. The Stone, our protection to hide behind,
when we are exhausted. It is where the springs of living water flow from when we are dry and
thirsty. The Stone which breaks the arrows coming from so many directions at times.
We spend our time trying to be better for God trying to chip away at our image making our
‘stone’ carving to gain His favor with God.
God is more interested in freeing you from the bonds holding you from worshipping Him. God is
concerned the arrows Satan will throw will discourage you from experiencing His peace and
power.
God, the Stone from which everything is and was made, is waiting for you today. Waiting to bless
you, take your concerns, and empower you far beyond what you could ever imagine.
Reflection
1. How firm is your relationship foundation? Explain.
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2. How often do you throw stones and not invoke blessing?

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3. How other ‘stone’ themes can you imagine which affect relationships?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am hard like a stone not wanting to change. I am deaf and

blind like the idols I try and carve. I cannot do anything to be
more acceptable except to admit You are the living Stone and
worship. I need to have more confidence in Your control of all my
circumstances. Empower me to be more mindful of Your care and
power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Ἄξιος (Axios – Greek) God Who is Worthy Names of God
Thought
God is worthy needs an object. Determining what is worthy of our

respect, time, effort is different for everybody. It is very personal
and demands a trust relationship. Not many people fall into this
category of worship. Choosing who to put this trust into
determines our thought patterns and energy focus.
.
Read
Ἄξιος
Revelation 4:1 – 11 In the news I heard a man stabbed a former partner in the after
being for 30 years. Some people would give him praise and
To be worthy means a honor because bullying is not a good thing.
person impressed you.
Worthy of honor is not a prize or award you give out easily. In
In Korea a person older
than you is given honor. Revelation, John is called to write what is to come. In this early
chapter we find the four beasts take off their crowns and give
A rich man is given honor honor to the One who is Worthy.
due to his status.
The 24 elders give worship to the One who is Worthy. In John’s
After her death Mother world, glory and honor was demanded by the Emperor in Rome.
Theresa is honored for
her sacrifice.
When Jesus was born, the rulers of the day said they wanted to
We give honor to those give honor to this new born king.
who have died as a way
to cherish their memory. The day Christ was to be crucified people the guards gave mocking
honor. We focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ during
We bow down to people
the Easter season
because we want to keep
our job.
The one idea which is most often missed is honoring the One who
That is not honor nor is Worthy. When the season passes, honor gets lost in our work
respect. and daily stresses.
It is becoming a servant God deserves our honor. If we answer the questions, I had asked
for our own gain.
Earlier we will find God is older, richer, more powerful, and
deserves more honor than any man. Yet we do not give Him the
honor He deserves.
God, the only One who is worthy of our honor. The One who can
empower us because it is His desire that created us. Though we
have hope of heaven do we really understand what it is to give
honor to God?
We think of heaven and focus on the gold streets and reunions

there may be, but do we give honor to God, like the four beasts
and 24 elders?
Giving God the honor, except on Sunday, is not out life focus. Sadly, we can all say no. Easter
comes and we celebrate the power of God every year. We should find ourselves resetting our life
goals to focus on giving honor to the One who is worthy.
When we give honor the God who lives forever. The God who never sleeps, and by his own
desire creates all things. The God, from whom comes the power to heal nations, and gives us
peace in times of stress.
Reflection
1. Why would you give honor and glory to someone? Explain.
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______________________________________________________________
2. From whom would you consider yourself worthy of honor and glory?
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3. How would giving gory and honor to the One who is worthy affect relationships?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am not worthy of anyone’s honor. Though I am good at what

I do, I fail too often to require honor. I do like respect, because
I think we need to respect each other. I need to have more
confidence in Your control of all my circumstances. Empower me to
be more mindful of Your care and power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Eternal Immortal Invisible King Names of God
Thought
The more adjectives added to a name the more important the

person. When all the adjectives are based on an infinite it
strengthens the name associated with it. Try to describe someone
using adjectives. It is not hard but the values associate with each
are far from infinite or adequate.
.
Read
Eternal Immortal Invisible King
1 Timothy 1:1-17 Our doing is not what God wants. When we think of God, we see
Him though worldly eyes.
There is no one name for
God because God is too We are so focused on doing God’s will, it is lost in the doing. We
limiting.
are so anxious building our image God’s image is lost.
We need many words to
indulge ourselves in The Bible study “A Second Look at First Impressions” focuses on
knowing God. these ideas. It challenges why we do things, and then discovers if
scripture really teaches what we hold true.
Paul, the worst
of people, being not only Through the study of God’s names, we discover His personality,
a murderer, but a
power and position. God is truly the Eternal Immortal Invisible
promoter of hatred, was
still given the life King. If God is this, why are we so lacking in what we do?
empowered by God
through Jesus Christ. Many people feel abused by spiritual overseers. This happens not
because of ignorance, but of a lack of responsibility. A lack that
Paul sums the names of comes from doing and not having Godly character.
God up in these few.
If this was a one-time issue it is not. It has happened all around the
We see things so
shortsightedly. world. One response is to fight among ourselves and fear the cults
and false religions around us.
We seek God but can’t
seem to find Him. We have no need to fear when we worship the King eternal, ever-
living, unseen, the only God. Our God is able to take care of these.
We DO so much to earn
He did in the Old Testament and can do it now.
God’s favor still feel
insecure.
There is a new idea being taught that God is love and therefore hell
can’t be true. There are theologies taught that God cannot do
something because of who He is. These are not true.
God is both defender and aggressor and able to give victory over
slavery or death.
There is no limit to the God I serve. I often don’t see Him physically,
but that doesn’t mean He is not there. I am His servant, as well as a
son. This means I have the freedom to make my choices and must
bear the consequences.
Paul’s experience with God is not the same as mine. Still, He is the same God. Through our short
simple study of the names of God we have found God really wants only one simple thing from us:
To give Him the glory in everything.
We should focus our lives on Him, listen to Him, respond to only Him. The Bible is very clear that
when you do this there is power, peace, and confidence in our lives.
The responses to the Easter event are many. We find fear and excitement, insecurity and
personal interest. Easter is a victory over Satan! Proof that our God is the ONLY One worth giving
our life to.
The character of God never changes. He never changes His promises nor His character. He does
not evolve into something better. Rather, we evolve into a limited likeness of Him.
God promised to come again and we can see this coming closer and faster than any other time in
history. God wants only our worship which is the key to keeping our balance in a culture
becoming increasingly secular. We do not need to preach harder.
We don’t need to do more, but give more glory to Him;

The God of miracles and power.
The God of lasting peace in a world of fear and war.
The God who will give us confidence to do things others are too scared to do.
The God who empowers His people.
We give Him glory through our living, attitudes, and demonstrating peace when others are
insecure. People crave peace more than anything and pursue it through money, power, and
position. Still it eludes them.
We are to be conduits of peace, power, and confidence to those God brings into our lives.
Reflection
1. Does the peace you desire elude you? Explain.
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2. How like Jesus Christ am I?

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3. How would focusing on God’s infinite adjectives affect relationships?
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Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am not worthy of anyone’s honor. Though I am good at what

I do, I fail too often to require honor. I do like respect, because
I think we need to respect each other. I need to have more
confidence in Your control of all my circumstances. Empower me to
be more mindful of Your care and power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
King of Kings Names of God
Thought
The King who maintains their position for an extended time is

known for power. It is not always through gentleness the position
is maintained. Most kings will abdicate the throne or die passing
it on. There is one king able, not only to maintain the top
position, but never pass the position to another. The king yo u
choose to serve may demand more servitude than your ae
comfortable with. The choice is yours.
.
Read
King of Kings
Revelation 19:9 – 21 The picture of the final horse coming from Heaven is not pretty, as
the judgment of the people on earth is given out. It is however tied
Easter Sunday is a special to the Easter event.
day when we celebrate
the risen Lord.
The resurrection begins the return of God as Ruler. He is currently
For some it is full of Ruler, but allows us to make our choices. He let the people make
pomp and circumstance. their choices in Noah’s day, and then brought the flood.
We sing songs or triumph Easter celebrations bring boiled eggs, chocolates, and candies
over death and Satan. almost forgetting the event.
Then we go about our

When He returns our choices will come to an abrupt halt. There will
daily lives and the
celebration will repeat be nor more chance to change. I edited a letter of a Korean friend
next year. lamenting the culture driven by greed. This is possibly the way
Easter has gone.
The name ‘King of Kings’
is the right name to use. Easter is the event changed the world. When we acknowledge the
power of the resurrection, we will understand King of Kings better.
We celebrate Jesus rising
from the dead to reign
with His Father. Yet they Easter is a celebration of the great love and sacrifice God made for
are one. us. We forget there is an awesome force and power the King of
Kings wields, not only with power but with a rod of iron.
We serve One God, the
King of Kings, Lord of We like to focus on the streets of gold and the sinless atmosphere.
Lords, Ruler of all.
Imagine a world ruled by a God who controls everything and
cannot tolerate even one bad thought. It doesn’t sound like
heaven.
At the same time, we find what God wants most of all is our praise
and glory. We will do exactly that in heaven; give him praise and
glory.
The secret to living a life of peace, power, and confidence is to

worship God with every breath, thought, and decision we have. He
does not ask us to be perfect but to focus on Him.
We do not need to worry about the outcome of our life, for we are
sealed with the blood of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Easter was the beginning of a new relationship with God. What new beginnings are we starting
with God?
It may not be a new relationship, like a new Christian, but perhaps a new relationship that is
empowering, focused on the worship and praise of the King of Kings.
Reflection
1. How you live the effects of Eater every day? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. How is your relationship with Jesus Christ growing?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would a new start with the King of Kings change relationships?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I am an old Christian. I need to have my relationship with You

rekindled and empowered in so many areas. I want to have a
living powerful relationship beginning now. Empower me to be
more mindful of Your care and power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
El De'ot The God Of Knowledge Names of God
Thought
Knowledge is power in our culture. It can also tear down the most
powerful if not held close. The one who holds all the truths about
you should be revered and feared. Knowledge can also be our
salvation because it judges the true motives of the secret soul .
.
Read
El De'ot
1 Samuel 2:1 -12 Looking at the story a different way would have Hannah
acknowledging God as all-knowing and therefore coming to the
The joy of Hannah as she Temple to seek His wisdom and comfort.
dedicated her son to
God, demonstrates the
Hannah’s song, as we often call this section of 1 Samuel, is full of
idea of God as all
knowing. acknowledgment of God’s knowledge.
Hannah did not have the It is because God is all-knowing those in opposition to Him will
same view earlier when never win. God’s total control of the world, in which we live, is
she went to the Temple. because God is all knowing.
She pleads with God to

In English we say, “What goes ‘round comes ‘round”. This means
give her a child, almost as
if He had wanted her to what we do today will affect us in the future. If we can imagine
beg for it. every thought or choice we make is known by God it is too true.
It is this fear of God’s knowing everything we lack in our lives. We

can live as we choose knowing God already knows.
In these verses we have two different people. The first being

Hannah of course. A dedicated woman recognizing God for His
knowledge and power by keeping her promise to God.
The second are Eli and his sons. The power Eli as a priest had
become a position and job. He performed his duty well but ignored
the disobedience of his sons.
Hannah, in her purity, had found the pleasure of God, while Eli had
sons found God’s wrath. God knew what was going on in the hearts
of the sons.
The sons thought they could just do their job in the temple and no
one would notice. Eli had not done his job as their father, and God
had not killed them.
A similar situation is when Jesus cast the money changers out of

the temple. If we are to look at bible history we find repeatedly
God knew the future.
When the people got tired of the priest, God gave them prophets. Then they begged for a king.
God said it was not good because they would not be obedient, but the people insisted. God knew
their hearts, even as they begged for different leadership.
Hannah acknowledges God’s knowingness that brought the promise of a son. God had seen her
purity of heart and blessed her with the promise she had asked for. Does this mean that we
need to beg for things from God?
I do not think the Bible encourages this. God is all-knowing past present and future. We do not
need to beg Him. What He does want is for us to acknowledge His control and knowledge in
every situation. God knows your heart and struggle and that you have to make decisions.
As we have looked at each name of God the one common thread is God wants us to
acknowledge who He is. His all knowingness should give us peace. Peace because He is in
control. Peace because He has already planned our course, if only we will follow. Power because
we do not need to be stressed out.
Reflection
1. What is the best way to receive our desires from God? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What seems to come around in your life?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How would acknowledging God is All-Knowledge change relationships?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
I feel like I have to beg for blessings. I only have to reflect on

my decisions to know they are not coming as a consequence to my
sin. I want to have a living powerful relationship beginning now.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Our Response to God Names of God
Thought
Responding makes a conversation enjoyable. Responses imply an

active relationship. When it comes to God every decision, we make
is couched in our view of our relationship. The more open we are in
our responses reflects the closeness and strength of a relationship.
.
Read
Our Response to God
I Corinthians 10:11- 31 in everything we do we should do for the glory of God, which
should be our response in any situation, positive or negative.
As we conclude the
Series on the Names of Throughout this series we discover God wants the glory in
God what is most
everything. The names we discovered were names people used to
important is the peace,
power, and confidence demonstrate God’s intervention power.
God promises.
People often ask me about tithing. Tithing is a good question
Using the name of God because we find it supported the tribe go Levi. The tribe of Levi
has the power to could not own land or work outside of the tabernacle and needed
overcome any trouble we support. It is a part of worship and the principle works when God is
may have.
acknowledged to own everything. The tithe is our obedience to His
Scripture speaks we blessings.
should not use it in vain.
In the Old Testament we also find God wanted the glory and
When we use the name worship for everything. In return He promised to supply every
of God it should bring a need.
sense of power to us.
In the New Testament we have this same teaching. Paul writes he
This power makes the
name of God different knows the secret to power is integrity flowing from an attitude to
than all the other gods do everything for the glory of God.
we can serve.
This does not mean appease, as some religions would ask of their
followers. God is not interested in appeasement, but worship.
People ask about prayer before meals as we often pray only a

short-memorized prayer at meal times. As we found in our names
of God it is the attitude of worship in everything that is most
important.
Doing everything for the glory of God was important for the
Corinthian Church. The problem was some meat in the market was
offered as food for the idols. This meat then had spirits attached to
it and was the stimulus for this teaching. Paul did not want the
Church to be burdened by possible spiritual oppression.
We do not always know what is the mind of someone who gives us

something. I am often given something, only to have the same
person expect something in return.
It can be a dinner out, or something else. If we accept the gift, we must do it in the freedom God
has given us.
God’s glory is the key to these verses. As we have seen in previous weeks God is all-knowing and
therefore knows our heart. If we try to please both those who worship idols and God we will run
into problems. Perhaps the people around us do not have idols.
What the apostle is writing here can be applied in the statement, “Be what God wants you to be,
not others.” This is so hard in a culture which tries to determine the direction of people. The
pressure is enormous. If we are to understand the nature of God through His names, we must be
controlled by God. We must do everything for the glory of God.
We desire so much to have personal freedom. The freedom to choose our own future and
direction; who we are and who we become. The freedom to lead our communities in ways of
God through being different.
We as Christians do not worship a dead idol or a god who wants to just correct our mistakes. We
worship a God who lives, and because He lives, we are free to serve him.
God has given us the Holy Spirit, not only to live in us but to empower the gifts given to us to
demonstrate who the real God is.
As we conclude this series, I would like you to do what Israel did. They created names of God as a
result of the power of God. We can do the same. God interacts in our lives all the time, or at least
He should. At these times when it is still fresh in our minds. We need to make a note about the
character of God. These notes are reminders of who God is in our lives and how He has
interacted in our lives. Reminding ourselves of who God is important for us to move into an
empowering relationship with Him.
Reflection
1. How has your response to God changed through this series? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What changes would you like to make in the future?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How does understanding God through His names change relationships?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prayer
Almighty Lord,
Many of my ideas and thought about who You are have changed.
My responses may be slow but with Your help they will constantly
change toward worship. I anticipate a more powerful
relationship with better direction and fewer distractions. Than
You for the patience You show and unchanging commitment to my
spiritual growth.
In Jesus name,
Amen

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Exploring God

Remember Satan can do miracles too. In Exodus we read about

We often forget the power of Satan, which is why we are

Like Satan, Christians seek power in our culture. We want to be

When we study the names of God, we want to use them so we

2. How do people react when we talk about God?

To be needed is a comfortable feeling. When you are self -existent

We often think of God

Our past experience is what we learn from. What is Jehovah saying

The understanding of these verses it is what our salvation

• It is what we forget when we see new Christians.

We see only the outside and ignore the inside.

2. How many names of God do you use when you pray?

3. How would focusing on God change your life?

LORD God Almighty,

There is so much to understand about You. I am often proud of who I

A question was asked the other day. What does it mean to

A good question because many parents are drunkards and

What have I done to not give value to Your name?

2. What have I done to not give value to God’s name?

3. How would making Adonai Absolute Ruler change my life?

There is so much to understand about You. I am like Israel too often,

Read Jehovah Shammah

Rev. 21:1,2). These NEW

What do you think heaven will be like? Revelation 21 gives us the

The church is also considered to be the Bride of Christ. This can be

3. How would empowered by God or by our desire change our life?

There is so much to understand about You. My hope is in the Jehovah

Read Jehovah Jireh

You don't have enough

Many preachers tell us we need to expect health and wealth from

The sacrifice required was not given until Abraham acted. He

We give great testimonies, which sound great but are empty.

There is none other like Him.

3. What is your view of health and wealth Christianity?

We can argue which is the Sabbath day, or what to do on the

In verse 13 we find God wants us to be reminded of the promise He

3. What does God want to change that you find difficult?

I am an unclean person that needs cleaning. Sanctify my life every

Being sick is rarely a positive. Remaining sick leaves one tired

God says keep focused on me. Worship only me. Be different

Korea has a tradition of shamanism and many still go to the

This scripture is to the Nation of Israel. We can also apply it to our

God has written these down very clearly. If we want to be above

2. How easy is it to continue a path of change for extended periods?

Being sick is rarely a positive. Remaining sick leaves one tired

If we go to Ephesians, we Thinking of a banner as protection is very simple. Jehovah

In the verses we read today we find Israel wandering in the desert

2. Whose battles are you fighting?

3. Who do you see as your enemy? Explain.

I am proud and like to fight my own battles. Keep reminding me

Who we follow will determine our state of mind. Peace and

When we go to the mountain, we often find rest stops busy with pe

When God has prepared something there is a sense of cleanliness

2. Whose battles are you fighting?

3. Who do you see as your enemy? Explain.

I am too often worried about the valley I seem to be in. I know

Imagine every thought was as if it happened in real life. Perhaps a

This is where the difference between doing and living Christianity