Thoughts from a Random Mind

“This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:

I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6)      

 

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brough us peace was on him, and by his wounds we area healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

 

“So, Jesus asked the Twelve, ‘Do you want to leave too?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.’”  (John 6:67-69)

 

                  So here we are. There is one and only one God and that is the One we are serving. He said He would heal us by virtue of the blood Christ shed on the cross. And there is nowhere else we can go to find truth (and healing). So why are some people not healed when they ask for it? They have the faith to be healed, they trust that God still heals today, yet they simply don’t understand why so many people are healed every day and they are not. 

                  I have no answer for this valid question. Some say it’s because you don’t have enough faith, but I don’t believe that for a second. If scripture says you only need faith the size of the tiniest seed in Bible times (the mustard seed - which is said to be the size of a pin head), to move a mountain, then to not be healed would mean you have no faith at all if you go by the thought that you don’t have enough. Does it mean your healing is resting comfortably in ‘the land of the not yet’? In other words, the answer isn’t yes, but it isn’t no either … it’s not yet. God’s timing is impeccable, yet we are impatient. God does as He pleases. One person I know walked away from his faith in God saying that God was a tyrant who must be stopped because He does what pleases Him. An odd way to look at it, but so be it. I suppose he thought God should do whatever we ask immediately or else. (??) 

                  Since God knows the beginning from the end, He knows when your healing will take place. Is there a sin that is keeping you from being healed? Hmmm, don’t know. Perhaps. Maybe you need to ask God if there is anything that needs to be given up to Him to allow the healing to come to pass? Not too sure about that, but it never hurts to commune with God regarding your spiritual well-being. We literally have nowhere else to go for no one else can do what God can do. My inclination would be to pray like this: Lord, I am seeking a healing from You. I know You still heal and I don’t know why You have yet to heal me, but whether You heal me or not, I will still love you and follow you and trust that there is a perfect reason why my healing hasn’t taken place. If there is anything that is impeding my healing, please reveal to me what it is so that I can do my part to remedy that situation. You are a great and loving God and I will serve You to the best of my ability with the help of the Holy Spirit as long as I have breath. I pray this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior … amen.

                  It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s what I felt that was the direction the Lord was nudging me this evening. Never let your situations dictate your mood or emotions, for that is exactly what the devil wants. Remain at peace and never stop trusting God. He has His reasons for everything He does. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.  

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Thoughts from a Random Mind

More & more each day the conversations I end up in with my co-workers are highly insignificant and truly nothing more than banal banter. Have we really sunk that low as a society that our conversations end up being mindless chatter? It certainly seems that way. Speaking or writing about the Lord in some fashion or another looks to be the only communication that is meaningful & worthwhile anymore.

            I feel somewhat of a kindred spirit with Solomon in that I too see everything aside from my allegiance to God as meaningless. This world holds no attraction to me. I have broken free from its' hold, but I mustn’t become complacent, because the enemy will never give up trying to trip me up. 

            Knowing who I am in the grand scheme of things and knowing whose I am as well goes a long way to bringing on a state of peace and contentment. I have been trying to take Paul’s advice and think on those things that matter most in this life.

            “Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].” ^{(Philippians 4:8 The Amplified Bible)}

                  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Great Exchange

2 Corinthians 5:21 ^“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin (or to become sin itself), so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

            This monumental event in history could be titled “The Great Exchange”.  God became man and dwelled among His creation for a time that He might ultimately and quite literally become sin to pay for all our sins. His blood satisfied the sin debt of all humanity. He took our beating and allowed Himself to be nailed to a wooden cross in our place. 

Some don’t like to focus on the bloody gore of that event, but without the blood there is no forgiveness. We certainly don’t need to belabor the point but visiting this scene at the very least once a year at Easter shouldn’t be asking too much. He took the 39 lashes for us so we wouldn’t have to. He trudged down the “Via Dolorosa” (literally the sorrowful way) carrying His own cross so we wouldn’t have to. His wrists and ankles were pierced with square Roman spikes that were on average 7-9 inches long so we wouldn’t have to have that done to us. Jesus Christ, Son of God, endured the pain and the shame of the cross, a cross reserved for criminals, so we wouldn’t have to. In reality, even if there were no spikes holding Him to the cross, His unconditional, undying love for all mankind would have. Our sin was washed away by the blood of someone we didn’t even know. Christ died for all of us because that was God’s plan.  Christ would have done it even if there was only one sinner that needed saving and He would do it again if it were necessary, but it will never be necessary again.

 

1 Peter 3:18a “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.”

Romans 6:10 “When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.”

 

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

NOTE: The translation used for this post was The New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishing, copyright 1996, 2004 and 2007.

What's in a Name? - 22

EGO EIMI (e-GO ay-MEE) - “I AM”

This final name that I will share with you relates to both God the Father & God the Son or Jesus.

 

When Moses encountered Almighty God thru the burning bush for the first time on Mt. Sinai, he asked God to tell him His name. Moses wanted to know what to tell his people who had sent him to them with the stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments.  All God would tell him was, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” This did not answer Moses’ question, but perhaps did reveal exactly what God wished to reveal at that time; that He has always existed and that He is always present with His people.

In the gospel of John Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees who began to ask him questions, in an effort to trip him up. Jesus spoke of Abraham and the prophets of the Old Testament as if he had seen him and in fact, being the 2^nd person of the Trinity and one with God the Father, he had seen them and we was intimately involved in their lives as part of that Trinity. Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I AM!” This upset the Pharisees so much so that they wished to stone him for speaking what they considered to be blasphemy, but Jesus quietly slipped away from the temple grounds where they had been. (John 8:59)

This name for God is a powerful name that sums up all he is and ever shall be. I AM. Although I can’t say I understand what I’m about to write but, God was and is and always will be. He has no beginning and no end. I know that boggles the mind, but we are to either accept that as fact or not. It changes nothing if we don’t believe it. What will take place by God’s hand in the present or the future will transpire whether we accept it as fact or not. Don’t think too hard about it. Simply believe in God for who He says He is in scripture and trust that all things will turn out the way He has ordained them to. I hope you’ve enjoyed my series on “The Names of God”. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Names of God, Ann Spangler, Zondervan, 2009.

What's in a Name? - 21

EL CHAY (el HI-EE) - The Living God

“This title sets Israel’s God apart from the false gods of the surrounding nations.” ^[1]

            In Jeremiah 10:14, the prophet reminds Israel that “every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them”.  We know that at times it can be frustrating to serve an unseen God. Sometimes we just want to be able to see him and walk with him and have a conversation with him face to face, but that wouldn’t require faith. This is the way God set it up. So don’t you know that mortal man thought he would remedy this issue by created for himself his own gods made of wood, metal, or stone. They say nothing and can do nothing, but the clincher for these folks was that it could be seen and touched. They would also not oppose anything they deemed important to say or do. They were lifeless. 

What do you think it would be like to pray to a god that was deaf and dumb? Therefore, El Chay was continuously warning the Israelites about worshipping false. Not only was he wanting to be the only god Israel would turn to, pray to and worship, but he also knew worshipping idols would get them nowhere, but into trouble.

            Jeremiah 10:10a says what we all have come to trust and believe clearly and precisely: “… the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.” Matthew 16:16 says: “Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”  Daniel 6:26 says: “I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.” Though a spiritual being, not experienced with any of our senses, God is still very much alive as depicted in scripture. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his Name & for his Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] The Names of God, Ann Spangler, Zondervan, 2009, p.91.

What's in a Name? - 20

JEHOVAH TSEBAOTH (tse-ba-OATH) - The Lord of Hosts.

            “This name emphasizes God’s rule over every other power in both the material & spiritual universe. When you pray to Jehovah Tsebaoth, you are praying to a God so magnificent that all creation serves his purposes.” ^[1]

            This name is one of great power. We see it 240 times in the Old Testament. It reminds us that even in its’ fallen state, all of creation is ruled and reigned over by Almighty God. The Bible speaks of the Lord of Hosts leading a great army which can consist of every part of his glorious creation who are called on at times to fight on his behalf. We are speaking of cherubim and seraphim; the sun and moon; the stars and sky; rivers and mountains; hail and snow; men and women; animals, both wild and tame … literally all of creation worships him and stands at the ready to fight for his kingdom if required. The above statement shows us that he controls the winds and the weather itself.  Mortal man may be able to manipulate the weather, but the master of all is God and he is obviously and without question far superior to anyone or anything in his own creation. 

            It should be added that the New International Version (NIV) translates this title as “Lord Almighty”. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name and for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries                                     

[1] The Names of God, Ann Spangler, Zondervan, 2009, p.65.

Word for the Day

“The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.” – Matt Chandler

Thoughts from a Random Mind

            Today at work was like most other days. Walk thru the door, swipe your employee card, put your lunch bag in the fridge in the lunchroom, go thru the security check and amble off to your workstation. Today would end up being a little different.

                  Eric Mathie is a Jamaican born security guard who used to work up front by where I used to work. Now he was handling security on the other side of the building. A lot of us would chat with Eric every time we saw him. He is a very upbeat, positive, jovial man who was around 40 years old. Married, with a 6-month-old child, he had another baby on the way. He was at his desk this morning like any other morning, but today would be different.

                  About mid-morning a rumor began to circulate that someone in security had suffered a heart attack. Being part bloodhound, I sniffed out details and found out it was Eric who had a heart attack. First, we were told he had died, then he was still alive and carted off to the hospital by EMT. We’d have to wait for clarification regarding any of this. All of us who knew Eric began to pray for him if we felt so inclined.

                  About 2 hours later the security boss, who had followed the EMT to the hospital to be with Eric, shared the details. Seems Eric was talking to the FEDEX man as he does every morning. The man turned and started back to his truck. A loud noise caused him to turn around. The plexiglass partition between the man and Eric had been knocked over by Eric when he did a faceplant on his desk. To make a long story shorter, those that worked on Eric surmised that he may have died instantly because during the efforts made to revive him, he was limp … even his eyelids didn’t move. This was not at all the way Eric had planned his day. He was a good man and now he was gone … no warning … no underlying medical condition as far as anyone knew. I don’t know his spiritual condition, but if he needed salvation, he had no time to ask for it. 

                  Why am I writing all this? Because you who are reading this may be outside of God’s family … outside His forgiveness. Waiting for the right moment is foolhardy because like Eric you may not have even a split second to make things right with the Lord.

                  Maybe you’re walking in both the spiritual and material world, gambling that you’ll have plenty of time to gets things straightened out with God before you pass away. Saying you believe in God means little. Scripture tells us Satan believes in God as well. If you don’t seek to imitate Christ in your daily life you are wasting your life away. Living in the world leads to a life filled with temporal things. That is not what God intended for any of us. 

                  If you reject Christ and all He has done for you on the cross than on the last day you will go to hell forever. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise found in scripture. You need not be a “holy roller”. Christianity isn’t a religion … it’s a relationship with the Creator of the universe and man’s first breath. It’s an intimate relationship with the One who knows you better than you know yourself. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Immerse yourself in God today … ask for forgiveness from every sin you’ve ever committed and turn 180 degrees from your old lifestyle. Don’t wait … do it now. 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

NOTE: FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE YOU THINK MAY NEED TO READ IT.

 

Word for the Day

“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion; it is like a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.” – Billy Graham

Word for the Day

“The spirit of complaint is born out of an unwillingness to trust God with today. … spending your time looking back toward Egypt or wishing for the future all the while missing what God is doing right now.” – Priscilla Shirer

What's in a Name? - 19

Here’s another compound name for God …

 

JEHOVAH-TSURI (tsu-REE) - The Lord is my Rock.

            To shine a light on God’s permanence, protection, and enduring faithfulness, what better word could you use than “rock”. When praying to God you know you can always count on Him to listen, hear and act on your behalf. The plans and purposes He has had and still has have remained steadfast throughout the ages. Jesus is the spiritual rock that went with the Hebrews during their 40-year wanderings in the desert. He was also the stone that was rejected by the builders yet became the cornerstone of God’s church.

            A key scripture verse is Psalm 144:1, which says: “Praise be to JEHOVAH-TSURI, who trains my hands for war my fingers for battle.” Another verse that reveals this same sentiment is found in 1 Samuel 2:2, when Hannah worships God in her prayer of praise: “There is no Rock like our God.”

            Rocks are very useful. They can provide shade, shelter and/or safety. They can also be used to construct various things such as, altars, temples, houses, and city walls. The very nature of a rock is one of endurance. God reveals his enduring quality by His actions, for actions speak much louder than words. Words can be powerful thru the tone and force by which they are spoken, but how much more powerful are those words when followed up by actions. Our Lord is a God of action. He is our rock, our fortress in times of trouble. A fortress back then was built with walls up to 4 feet thick. Now that’s protection. That's what God is for us. We truly have nothing fear when JEHOVAH-TSURI is with us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Word for the Day

“Faith doesn’t always mean that God changes your situation. Sometimes it means He changes you.” – Steven Furtick

Word for the Day

“Don’t be dependent on man, because they change like the wind. Depend on the Lord, and know that He is faithful to keep His Word.” – Matthew Hagee

What's in a Name? - 18

ESH OKLAH (AISH o-KLAH) - Our God is a consuming fire.

“Esh Oklah is literally translated from the Hebrew ‘to eat by fire’.” * 

When we think of God, we normally think of him in terms of love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion; however, there is a wrath side of God that folks don’t much like to talk about or for that matter hear about. But if we’re going to truly know God as we are known we must look at the condemnation side of him, full of anger, fire, and judgment. Generally speaking, born-again believers do not need to concern themselves with this side of God as long as they seek to emulate Christ with their life. However, those who habitually sin without remorse or conviction will one day feel the wrath of God as a consuming fire.

            Here are three portions of scripture that speak to the subject of God being a consuming fire. Deuteronomy 4:23-24, “Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” 

Jeremiah 4:4, “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My wrath go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] and burn so that no one can quench it because of the evil of your doings.”  

Hebrews 12:28-29, “Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe; for our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.”

Our lives are not our own. We were bought with a hefty price, one we rightfully should have had to pay ourselves, but God, in his infinite wisdom, love and compassion, sent his only Son to pay our sin debt for us. The beating he took was meant for us. The Roman spikes he endured were meant for us. The cross on which he hung and died was meant for us. He willingly took all that for us so that we wouldn’t have to. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Translation used is the Amplified Bible

* Taken from the website: https://mbentham.wordpress.com/

What's in a Name? -17

EL KANNA (el kan-NAH) - The Lord God is a jealous God.

            The Bible compares God’s jealousy to a husband‘s feelings when he finds out his wife has been unfaithful. This probably explains why the 1^st Commandment forbids the worship of other gods. Our God cannot tolerate unfaithfulness in his children. Being jealous, God’s love for us is so complete that he expects and even demands our wholehearted response. 

            In the Gospel of Matthew we find the Pharisees coming to Jesus to question him regarding the law. As a means of trying to trap him, Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” In other words, we are to love God with all our being. 

            To further accentuate the meaning, we read Deuteronomy 6:13-15a, where it says, “You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name. You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God.” Verse 18 concludes the matter, “Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you”; for our God is a jealous God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Names of God, Ann Spangler, Zondervan Publishing, 2009.

What's in a Name? - 16

The Compound Names of God … 

 

JEHOVAH-SABAOTH (sah-bah-OATH) - The Lord of Hosts or the Lord of Armies.

            “The Lord of the hosts of heaven will always fulfill his purposes, even when the hosts of his earthly people fail.”^[1] Many of the English translations of scripture refer to Sabaoth as “Almighty”. Therefore, Jehovah-Sabaoth would mean “The Lord Almighty”.

            This name for God appears 270 times in the Old Testament. The first time we see this name for the Lord is in 1 Samuel 1:3 & 11, when childless Hannah cries out to the Lord for mercy and compassion. She makes a verbal commitment to God by saying that if He grants her a son, she will give him over to the Lord for as long as he lives. Verse 11 reads like this: “O Jehovah-Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts), if You … will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.”

            This particular name emphasizes God’s power & might. The name tells us God is the Lord of all the multitudes in heaven and earth. The amazing thing about God is that while He is the Lord of the multitudes, He is also the Lord of the individual as well. When things are at their worst in your life God knows all about it and is there to comfort and guide you if you allow Him to. When you need help, do as Hannah did and cry out to the Lord. He hears you and cares enough to act on your behalf with just what you need exactly when you need it. Praise be to the great and mighty Lord of the hosts of heaven! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Names of God, Rose Publishing, 2021; www.bibleinfo.com.

^[1] Quote from The Names of God, published by Rose Publishing, 2021.

What's in a Name? - 15

EL ROI (el ROY) - The God who sees me.

            There are no circumstances in your life that escape your Heavenly Father’s gaze. He’s aware, cares and knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your many troubles and carries you to the other side of them.

            Curiously, this name for God appears only once in scripture. You are no doubt familiar with the story of Abram & Sarai*. Sarai was unable to give her husband a son, so she told him to sleep with her maidservant Hagar that she might provide him a male heir. It was common practice at that time for infertile women, such as Sarai, to have their husbands sleep with a slave woman who was with them, however, the child would legally be considered Sarai’s. Once Hagar was pregnant with Abram’s child Sarai began to despise her and treat her harshly. At one point Hagar ran away. An angel of the Lord came to her and told her to go back to Sarai and submit to her and God would bless her mightily. 

            “She (Hagar) gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are El Roi (the God who sees me),’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi (the well of the Living One who see me).’”

            We can be confident that the God of Abram & Sarai is the same One who created us and loves us just the same as the Patriarchs of the Bible. He sees our comings and our goings. He knows when we are in trouble and provides a way of escape. He leads and guides us by His Holy Spirit within us. He is El Roi, the God who sees us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* When God renewed his covenant with Abram (meaning Exalted Father) he changed his name to Abraham (meaning Father of a Multitude). Sarai (meaning My Princess) God changed to Sarah (meaning Mother of Nations). Jesus eventually came from their blood line.

What's in a Name? - 14

The Compound Names of God …

 

JEHOVAH SHAMMAH (SHAM-mah) - The Lord is there.

Also, The Lord is my companion.

            In the beginning God had a very intimate relationship with Adam & Eve. However, their sin fractured that relationship, causing them both to be cast out of Eden, and barred from returning. Though cast out, they are never totally abandoned by their Creator. God reestablishes His relationship with man by choosing the Jewish people as His own chosen race. He delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt “by His presence and His great strength”. ^{(Deuteronomy 4:37)}

            In Ezekiel 37:26-28 God gives the Jewish people hope, even after their rebellious nature caused continued fracturing of their relationship with their God. The Jewish people are brought back to a single land where there would be one king ruling over all of them. That king was none other than David, “the apple of God’s eye” & “man after God’s own heart”. In Ezekiel it says, “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put mu sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place with be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.”

Ezekiel 48:35 is the capstone of these verses in that it says, “And the name of the city (Jerusalem) from that time on will be: Jehovah Shammah (The LORD is there.) 

            Since gentiles (any non-Jew) were graciously grafted into relationship with God by virtue of Christ’s actions on the cross, the LORD is also with us. Only with us the LORD dwells IN us thru the presence of His Holy Spirit which entered in when we received Christ as our Lord and Savior. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name and for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Names of God, Ann Spangler, Zondervan, 2009; The Names of God, Rose Publishing, 2021.

Word for the Day

“If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look ‘little’ or ‘big’.” – Elisabeth Elliot

What's in a Name? - 13

JEHOVAH-ROPHE (ROH-fee) - The Lord Who Heals.

The Hebrew word "rophe" (or "rapha" or "rophecha") means "to restore", "to heal", or "to make healthful", and it appears alone, in reference to Yahweh, more than 60 times. *

 

            Almighty God heals … as a matter of fact He provided the final cure for spiritual, physical and emotional sickness when His Son Jesus went to the cross to pay for our sins. Regarding physical healing, Jesus heals those who are sick, blind, lame, dead and even casts out demons. Regarding our spiritual healing, Christ heals us of all our sins and all unrighteousness.

 

Here are some Bible verses that speak of Jehovah-Rophe: 

 

Luke 5:31-32 - Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

 

Exodus 15:26 - He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

 

Psalm 103:2-3 - “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases…”.

 

Psalm 147:3 - “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

 

1 Peter 2:24 - “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

 

Ann Spangler makes an interesting point in her book, The Names of God: “Jesus, the great healer, clearly indicated that sickness is not necessarily caused by sin on the part of the person who is ill. Rather, it can result from living in a sinful, fallen world.” When Jesus heals us it can easily be the healing of your entire body, encompassing everything that ails you, not just the sickness you are feeling at the moment. Meaning that you can be healed in both your mind and soul as well. Is nothing impossible for God? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Names of God, Rose Publishing, 2021; The Names of God, Ann Spangler, Zondervan, 2009.

* http://myredeemerlives.com/namesofgod/yhwh-rophe.html

All verses use the New International Version.

What's in a Name? - 12

The Compound Names of God …

 

Jehovah-Tsidkenu (tsid-KAY-noo) - The Lord is our Righteousness.

            Jesus is the King of Kings and the One who came from David’s family bloodline. He is also the One who passes on His righteousness to us as God’s children.

            Paul speaks of our righteousness being given to us by Christ in Romans 3:22-23, “All people sin and fall short of God’s glory, but God freely makes us righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.” Being righteous involves being in a right relationship with God. Once we become “saved” from our sins, we are then in right standing with the LORD. Listen to Ezekiel 36:26-27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

            When we pray to the LORD, who is our righteousness, we are speaking with the one who has stepped in on our behalf to restore us to His likeness and right fellowship with Him. Being ‘righteous’ isn’t just following God’s Law. Christ fulfilled the Law by virtue of his death. So, what is being said here is that being righteous isn’t merely a matter of our outward behavior, but a matter of the heart … of our thoughts, motives, and desires, of which only God knows. The goal isn’t only to do what God says, but to become like Him in everything we think, say, and do. Therefore, righteousness is primarily a relationship, not something we simply attain. It is a direction, thru loyalty, and commitment, resulting, in part, in hope. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Names of God, Ann Spangler, Zondervan, 2009; The Names of God, Rose Publishing, 2009.

What's in a Name? - 11

The ‘El’ Spin-offs … 

 

EL OLAM (o-LAM) - “The Everlasting God” or “The Eternal God”.

 

‘Olam’ is a Hebrew word that occurs more than four hundred times in the Hebrew scriptures (OT). It is translated as "eternal," "everlasting," "forever," "lasting," "ever," or "ancient". It refers to the fullness of the experience of time or space.

We find EL OLAM for the first time in Genesis 21:33, “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree* in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.” EL OLAM shows us that God is the God of all ages, everything that happens is under His control. Throughout human history EL OLAM has been manifested and has revealed his purposes to men. His utmost revelation and manifestation is found in his Son Jesus Christ.

            This name teaches us that God created time yet exists outside of and beyond it. Before the creation of the universe there was God with no beginning and no end. All things we know of change through time, yet our Father never does. This means the character of God, His Word, His Kingdom, and all He stands for never change and never end.

            Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* A tamarisk tree is a “very graceful tree, with long feathery branches and tufts closed clad with the minutest of leaves and surmounted in spring with spikes of beautiful pink blossoms, which seem to envelop the whole tree in one gauzy sheet of color”. - www.biblestudytools.com

Resources: The Names of God, by Ann Spangler, Zondervan, 2009; https://discoveringthejewishjesus.com/el-olam/; www.scripturalgrace.com

 

 

Word for the Day

"God doesn't give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best & straightest paths to Himself." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Word for the Day

"Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done."

CS Lewis

What's in a Name? - 10

The ‘El’ Spin-offs

 El Elyon (el-YOHN … pronounced like John only with a ‘Y’) - The God Most High or The Most High God.

He’s the Sovereign God in whom we can put our entire faith & trust. El Elyon is the God who is supreme* over all other gods (who would be considered ‘false’ gods - with a little ‘g’.)

 Melchizedek, king of Salem, and priest referred to God as “El Elon” 3 separate times when he blessed Abram. ^{(Genesis 14:17-22)} The name was also used in Psalm 78:35, “Then they remembered that God was their rock, that El Elyon was their redeemer.” El Elyon is used 28 times in the Old Testament; 19 times in the Psalms alone.

The term “Most High” simply means that God is above everyone and everything. This stands to reason because scripture is clear that Almighty God created everyone and everything that is in existence. There is nothing greater than God. He existed before time began and shall exist ad infinitum … there shall be no end to His existence. The word ‘preeminence’ is used in conjunction with Almighty God, for it means, “Superior to or above all others”. No one else in existence can match the wisdom, power, and majesty of our God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory, 

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* Means: Greatest in power, authority, importance, significance, character & achievement. (Taken from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language).

Resources: The Names of God, Rose Publishing, 2021; The Names of God by Ann Spangler, Zondervan, 2009; http://blog.theblueletterbible.org.

Word for the Day

 

What's in a Name? - 9

The ‘El’ Spin-offs …

 

El Shaddai [shad-DIE] > God Almighty - The God who corrects & disciplines.

This name can also mean “The All Sufficient One” or “The God of the Mountains”.

                  When God revealed Himself to Abram in Genesis, He used this name. “When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘I am El Shaddai (God Almighty); walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’” ^{(Genesis 17:1-2)} The Old Testament patriarchs considered El Shaddai to be the covenant name of God. When anyone prays in the name of El Shaddai they are declaring the name of the One for whom NOTHING is impossible. If you speak this name and there is no affirmative response, it doesn’t mean God is incapable of doing thus and so. What it means is that the wheels in heaven have begun to turn and just as Jesus tarried and arrived after Lazarus had already died, the delay was for a reason and that being to bring glory to God. ^{(John 11:38-44)}

                  The LORD is also referred to as “the God of the Mountains”, which speaks of His strength and unchanging nature. It also reveals that He is not only the creator of all things, but the maintainer of the entire universe. El Shaddai occurs 31x in Job and 17x in the remainder of scripture. So, when you pray to God it is more than appropriate to call Him El Shaddai.

                  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Names of God, Rose Publications, 2021; The Names of God, Ann Spangler, Zondervan Publishing, 2009.