The Power of Choice

Recently on a run, I heard someone quote Dr. Tony Evans, a pastor in Texas. Dr. Evans’ statement about freedom and choices resonated in my heart. “Freedom means you get to control the choice, but because God is the sovereign ruler over his creation, you don’t get to control the consequences.” Dr. Tony Evans People make a big deal about freedom. No one likes someone barging in on their freedom. I’m free, I’m free, I’m free! “Free” is the chant heard across humanity. “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do!” “You’re not my boss!” Free means you can control your choices. You can go where you want, eat what you want, drink what you want, smoke what you want, spend where you want, or say what you want. You are free! Dr. Evans correctly observed, “Freedom means you get to control the choice.” Because freedom is real, the scripture has a lot to say about choices. One of the key verses regarding choices and results is in Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” Galatians 6:7-8 (NLT) Paul was saying, you can choose whatever you want, but you’ll get what your choices produce. Dr. Evans said it a little differently. You can choose what you want, but “you don’t get to control the consequences.” You can choose to do anything you want, but the results are out of your control. You don’t get to control the consequences! There are few things more true in life. I can say what I want or write what I want, but once the words are out of my mouth, I have lost complete control of them. The only control I have over my words is before I say them or type them. If you are like me, there have been plenty of times in life when I wished I could take back my words. I have wished I could unsay them or untype them. Once they are gone from the cage of my mind, heart, mouth or fingers, they are in the wild. Be careful what you choose. You can’t control the consequences.

The Name That Is Above All Names

Years ago, when I first started following Jesus, someone gave me a poster of Jesus’ names. I had it hanging on the wall of my first apartment in Renton. After working and usually playing some basketball, I would lie down on my bed and there was the list of Jesus’ names. I read them over and over. Soon they became part of my vocabulary in worship and prayer. Over time, I located each of the names in the various books and letters in the Scriptures. Jesus’ names have become part of the inner framework of my soul. Here are some of those names. I encourage you to read them slowly. Don’t skim over them. Jesus, Christ, Emmanuel, Son of God, Son of Man, Wonderful, Prince of Life, Counselor, Almighty God, Savior, Lord, Master, Friend, Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, Author and Finisher of our Faith, the Good Shepherd, Shepherd and Overseer of our Souls, the Gate, the Gatekeeper, the Vine, the True Vine, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Bread of Life, the Way, the Truth, the Life, Lamb of God, AMEN, Beloved Son, Cornerstone, Creator, Deliverer, Everlasting Father, Holy One, I AM, King of the Jews, Light of the World, Man of Sorrows, Messiah, Morning Star, Passover Lamb, Living Stone, Prince of Life, Redeemer, Resurrection and Life, Offspring of David, Rock of Ages, Our Great God and Savior, Rose of Sharon, Root of David, Son of the Highest, Word, Nazarene, Word of God, Advocate, Lord of Heaven, the Physician, Bridegroom, Rabbi, Master, Living Water, High Priest, Teacher, Servant, Captain of our Salvation, Faithful and True Witness, Lily of the Valley, Fairest among 10,000, Living One, Ruler of God’s Creation, the Stone the Builders Rejected, Head of the Church, Mediator, Fountain of Living Water, the Bright and Morning Star, the Image of the Invisible God. Jesus has many other names and titles. I encourage you to take some time and meditate or think about the names and titles of Jesus. Looking up and reading each of the names and titles in their context in Scripture would encourage and feed you. Your thinking about Jesus’ names and titles will breathe life into you. There is no one like Jesus!

The All-Sufficient One

The Hebrew names of God reveal significant character attributes of God and how God works. The insights learned from considering the names of God feed and strengthen the soul. God revealed himself to Abraham when he was 99 years old, saying, “I am El Shaddai – ‘God Almighty.’” (Genesis 17:1 NLT) When God revealed himself as “El Shaddai” he promised Abraham he would be the father of nations. Abraham would be extremely fruitful. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. The Old Testament writers used the name El-Shaddai 48 times. El-Shaddai reveals God as “the All-Sufficient One.” God is sufficient to meet any need a person experiences. God provides, protects, guides, disciplines, heals, stabilizes, and anchors. Jesus’ brother James wrote, “God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens, … never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” James 1:17 (NLT) God never changes AND HE is bigger than any problem, challenge, or need. The great Jewish prophet Jeremiah prayed, “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” Jeremiah 32:17 (NLT) Nothing is beyond God’s ability. Nothing is beyond God’s care. God is more! Psalm 91 records Moses’ words about El-Shaddai: “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalms 91:1 (NLT) Moses declared, “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” Psalms 91:2 (NLT) Living in the shelter of the Most High brings peace! Even amid stress, strain, and struggles, God can breathe peace upon you. El-Shaddai actually uses stress, strain and struggles to strengthen those who are resting “in the shadow of the Almighty.” My PRAYER for you. “El-Shaddai, God-Almighty. Reveal your power, your love, and your care to every person who reads these words. Heal, set-free, strengthen, encourage, lead, provide, guide, discipline, and give peace. El-Shaddai, nothing is too difficult for you. Help us and teach us to surrender to you, El-Shaddai. AMEN.”

The Lord Is Peace

I have been writing about the Hebrew names of God. The various names of God reveal God’s character and His behavior. People don’t address God by chance, they address God in line with his character and actions. Gideon, and the people of God, were under the constant stress and fear of the Midianite army. The Midianites were terrorizing the Jews with violence and plundering. Many of the Jews were hiding in seclusion in the mountains and caves around their villages. Fearful of terrorist attack, Gideon was threshing grain in a winepress, hidden from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord visited Gideon with instructions to lead the Jewish people in battle against the Midianites. The angel reminded Gideon that the Lord had been with them and delivered them throughout their history. The angel also assured him that the Lord was with him, and He would deliver His people. Gideon was beside himself with awe because of the angel and his instructions. He worshipped God and named the place “Jehovah-Shalom” – “The Lord is Peace.” This is the first time that the name Jehovah-Shalom – The Lord is Peace appeared in writing. The truth that God is Jehovah-Shalom became a constant source of strength and stability to God’s people. God is not just Jehovah-Shalom – The Lord is Peace. He is and does more than that. The Messiah, Jesus, was to be called “Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) God promises “perfect peace” to those who trust Him and focus on Him. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) David declared: “Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.” Psalms 119:165 (NLT) The Apostle Paul gave these instructions to the believers in Philippi: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) Life is full of turmoil, uncertainty, instability that all create stress. Jehovah-Shalom – The Lord is Peace, is the solution for the stress. The Lord is Peace – is the Prince of Peace who promises perfect peace, great peace, and peace to guard your hearts and minds. Jehovah-Shalom’s peace “exceeds anything we can understand!” So, turn your gaze towards the Prince of Peace. Focus in on Jehovah-Shalom – The Lord is Peace.

The Lord Who Heals

I have been writing about some of the Hebrew names for God. Each name reveals a facet of God’s character and of how God interacts with people. It’s not possible for mere people to understand the myriad nuances of God’s character! But we can understand aspects of His character because He’s shown certain details about Himself. He revealed to humans only what they could understand. As Israel escaped Egypt and traveled through the wilderness, they couldn’t find a source of drinking water. When they finally found a water source, the water was undrinkable because of its bitterness. God told Moses to throw a log in the water and God would cleanse the water. Moses obeyed, and the people had water to quench their thirst. It was at the water hole that God gave the people a rule for them to follow. God gave them the command to “test their faithfulness to Him.” “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 (NLT) God revealed Himself as “Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals you.” In this context, God’s promise was to prevent the diseases the Egyptians had suffered if they (the Israelites) listened carefully to the voice of the Lord and obeyed. The Bible recounts various ways Jehovah-Rapha has healed people of sickness and disease (Psalm 41:3), mental affliction (Jonah 2:5-7), spiritual fatigue (Psalm 23:3), emotional suffering (Psalm 147:3) and anxiety or worry (John 14:27) A highlight of Jesus’ ministry was the healings and even bringing the dead back to life. The religious establishment was against Him because He was a “healer.” The mystery, of course, is why God heals who He heals and when He heals. I’d sure like to understand God’s thinking and actions. In the meantime, I will claim healing for myself, my loved ones, and the ones I lead. I will continue to “ask and keep on asking.” I will encourage anyone who is sick to have the church pray for them. Healing is in the hands of Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals. Do you need healing? Turn to Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals.

Jesus Is My Righteousness

The last few weeks, I’ve been writing about different names that describe various attributes of God’s character and work. Names are significant in the historical account of the Jews and the historic church. Names often have a “prophetic” reality to them. God changed people’s names to describe their future. The prophet Jeremiah, speaking and writing God’s words, said this: “’For the time is coming,’ says the LORD, ‘when I will raise up a righteous descendant … He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right … And this will be his name: ‘The LORD Is Our Righteousness.’” Jeremiah 23:5-7 (NLT) The LORD is our Righteousness – Jehovah-TSIDKENU – (Sid – Ke – Nu) (I love saying this name of God – Jehovah-TSIDKENU. It rolls off the tongue, and it sounds strong.) Every person comes into this world with a “sin-nature.” We start out selfish. No one teaches an infant or toddler to say “No!”, “Mine!” Or “It wasn’t me!” No one need teach a child to be deceptive or manipulative. It comes with the sin nature. Sin-nature prohibits people from living “righteous” lives. It is not possible. Using a baseball analogy, no one has ever “batted 1000” or played the game of life “error free.” The best of the best of the best batting average is nowhere close to 1000. No one can live error free for even 24 hours. However, Jehovah-TSIDKENU! The LORD is our Righteousness! Jesus’s batting average is 1000, and he lived error free. Because of His death, His batting average and error free life becomes our Righteousness. Yeah, I’m a poor batter and I make too many errors, BUT Jesus’ death enables application of his batting average to my life and his error free life is applied to me. I’m far from perfect – But Jesus! I fail to do what I should – But Jesus! I do things I shouldn’t do – But Jesus! My batting average is something to be ashamed of, but His is worth boasting about! I rack up errors daily, but He is error free! I will brag about Jehovah-TSIDKENU, Jesus is my Righteousness! I’m sticking with Jehovah-TSIDKENU!

God Is Our Provider

If you’ve attended Sunday School, Young Life, a church or read through even a portion of the Bible, you’ve probably heard a few unusual Bible stories that made you scratch your head. One story that I have questions about happened to Abraham and his son Isaac. About 1,800 years before Jesus walked the earth, God gave Abraham and his wife Sarah a son. Abraham and Sarah could not conceive. In their old age “when they were nearly dead” Sarah conceived, and Isaac was born. Isaac was a miracle child. The story gets interesting and perplexing when Isaac was a young man. God instructs Abraham to take Isaac up on a nearby mountain and sacrifice him. Yep, you read that sentence correctly. Isaac carried the firewood up the mountain, while Abraham carried the fire. Isaac asked his dad where the animal for the sacrifice was and Abraham said Jehovah-Jirah, “The Lord will provide.” When they got far enough up the mountain, Abraham bound Isaac and prepared to kill him. At the last moment, God stopped him. In a nearby thicket there was a ram caught by his horns. I won’t try to explain what was going on. I can describe the event and details, but I struggle to make sense of what was going on. My list of questions would be substantial. I have way more questions than I have answers! But I do know one of the important lessons we can learn from this account. When Abraham found the ram in the thicket, he sacrificed it. Abraham named the place “Jehovah-Jirah” or “The Lord will provide.” Jehovah-Jirah is one of the important names of God. God was known as Jehovah-Jirah by the Israelites for 1,500 years and the name has been important to Jesus’ followers over the last 2,000 years. The Apostle Paul said: The “same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NLT) Jehovah-Jirah. Jesus said: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 (NLT) Jehovah-Jirah. God has been faithfully meeting the NEEDS of His followers since He created Adam and Eve. What is your NEED? He will provide. You can trust Him to meet your needs. Provision doesn’t always come the way we anticipate, expect, or want…but He WILL provide!

My Glory And The One Who Lifts My Head High

I’ve been pondering and writing about the Hebrew names of God. The names of God reveal important character traits and ways that God works. After the Israelites escaped slavery in Egypt, they ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. One day, as they were wandering through the desert, they were attacked by the Amalekites. The Israelite men took up arms to fight against their attackers. Moses understood the Israelites would only prevail fighting off the Amalekites if God came to their rescue. Moses climbed to the top of a nearby hill, raised his staff and called on God. As long as Moses could keep his hands raised and interceding, the Israelites had the upper hand. When Moses tired and struggled to intercede, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. Ultimately, the Israelites overcame. Moses led the people to erect an altar of worship and declared: “Jehovah-Nissi – Jehovah is our banner!” A “banner” of the King or the tribe was carried in front of troops as they marched into battle. The banner was also carried before victorious warriors as they paraded through the conquered land on their way home. Jehovah-Nissi is a statement of God’s victory, a declaration that God is the victor. Jehovah-Nissi – The “Lord is our banner” - is a reminder that GOD IS THE VICTOR and overcoming in life only happens when God intervenes. God is ready to be the victor for his children. He doesn’t want His children attacked, taken captive, imprisoned, and suffering. He desires his children to overcome temptation, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. “Everyone born of God overcomes the world.” 1 John 5:4 – because God is our banner. “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 – because God is our banner! “You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory and the One who lifts my head high.” Psalms 3:3 – Because God is our banner! I encourage you, if you are in a battle or going through a struggle to turn to Jehovah-Nissi! He is your “Banner” and he will give you victory! AMEN?

Keep In Step With The Spirit

At various airports I’ve been to, there are conveyor belts in the long hallways between gates that do the walking for you, aka “moving walkways.” A person can just stand on the moving walkway, look at their phones, visit with a traveling companion and in a few minutes arrive at the other end of the hallway. The moving walkways are somewhat slow but can be a leg-saver for tired travelers. I’ve observed that most travelers avoid the moving walkways or walk on the walkway so they can get to where they are going quicker. Speed is the name of the game! Most of the world is a speedway. Terms like rat race, daily grind, hamster wheel, treadmill, and vicious circle are used to describe the speed of life. People who don’t keep up with others are referred to as “slow-pokes,” moving at a “snail’s pace,” and “slower than molasses.” Is speed really better? Is there an advantage to speed? Is it inferior to live life slowly? Living in the fast lane may appear to be the only option. To slow down is to get run over or, even worse, miss out! FOMO is a term you may not be aware of, but it is real. Fear Of Missing Out - FOMO is a common emotional reaction that people experience in the 21st century world of social media. If a person doesn’t live life at the speed that those in the lanes to the left are traveling, they’ll miss out. Jesus traveled at 3 miles an hour. 3 miles an hour is the speed the average person can walk, and Jesus walked most places. Sure, he took boats across the Sea of Galilee, but only from one side to the other. There are no navigable connecting waterways to the Sea of Galilee. There is a recorded “ride” he took on a donkey, but mostly, Jesus traveled at 3 miles an hour. The Apostle Paul instructed believers to “keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25 ESV) Have you ever thought about the speed the Holy Spirit walks? Is it possible to go through life faster than the Spirit? I know there have been times I’ve moved faster than the Spirit and times I’ve moved slower than the Spirit. Those instances always end in regret. “If only I had …” After over 40 years of seeking to “live by the Spirit,” (Galatians 5:25 ESV) I realize I’m prone to move faster than the Spirit wants, not slower. I want to “keep in step with the Spirit” but too often I run ahead. Holy Spirit, teach me to keep in step with you!

The God Who Sees Me

Studying the names of God is interesting and enlightening. You ought to think about studying God’s names in 2022. Names in the Western world, rarely describe the characteristics of a person’s nature. Ancient languages often used names to describe a person’s nature and character, whereas the English language uses adjectives to describe or elaborate on a person’s nature and character. El Roi is one of many names used for God in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible. El Roi is the idea “the God who sees me.” Haggar, the handmaid of Sarah and concubine of Abraham, called God El Roi. Sarah could not get pregnant, and as a solution to her barrenness, she suggested Abraham use Haggar as his concubine. (Think surrogate mother.) Having Haggar as a concubine and surrogate mother would enable Abraham to have a son. Haggar became pregnant, and Sarah became jealous. Sarah demanded that Abraham send the surrogate away. Abraham obeyed his wife. Haggar became an outcast. Her relationship with Abraham was severed, and she felt abandoned by God. God came to her and her son’s rescue. He saw her situation and provided for her. He also promised great blessing upon Haggar and her son Ishmael. God truly is “The God who sees you!” Jesus spoke about His Father as the God who sees. Jesus pointed to the flowers in the field and told them, “God sees,” so don’t worry. When Jesus taught the crowds about prayer, He told them, “The Father sees and knows what you need before you ask.” He taught His closest followers “not a single sparrow falls to the ground without the Father “seeing it,” the Father “sees” every hair on a person’s head. God sees! God sees your difficulties. God sees your needs and your wants. God sees your struggles and successes. He is not like the gods made of wood, stone, or metal that have fake eyes and mouths. Father, thank you for “seeing.” Thank you for being the God who sees every detail of my life. Knowing that you see, gives me peace and sets me free from worry. Thank you.