“J” – Blogging A to Z

April 11th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Jesus

 

jesus_shepherdToday’s Name of the Lord seemed to be an easy one to share until I sat down at the computer to write about this Name. The Name Jesus is familiar. The Name Jesus holds so much. The Name Jesus says it all. And yet, I’m at a loss for words.

 

In the Philippians 2 passage of Paul’s description of Jesus, we find this line. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” (Philippians 2:9 – NIV) The Name is Jesus.

 

The name Jesus was a common name when Jesus was born. It is the Old Testament equivalent to Joshua and means “Jehovah is salvation.”

 

When Jesus was eight days old, He was taken to the temple to be circumcised and named. During this outing, Jesus and His earthly family met two faithful believers. Simeon was faithful and devout and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

 

Simeon took Jesus in his arms and spoke beautiful words of praise to God. Simeon knew that in this tiny babe the salvation of the world could be found. Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph as well as foretold what would occur during Jesus’ lifetime.

 

Mary and Joseph were amazed at what they heard. Oh they knew that Jesus was from God. But perhaps this was yet another sign to them that Jesus would be the One who would change their world (Luke 2:25-35).

 

On this same visit to the temple, they encountered the prophetess Anna. She had never left the temple since becoming a widow at a young age. Now, very old, she worshiped day and night, fasted and prayed.

 

When Anna saw Jesus, she praised God. She knew Jesus was the salvation God has promised. Anna told everyone who would listen about Jesus and how He would be the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38).

 

Simeon and Anna were given the opportunity to gaze upon Jesus and as they looked upon this tiny child and spoke His Name, they knew exactly who Jesus was. The Savior of the world.

 

I suppose there is much more I could say about the Name of Jesus. But instead, I’ve decided to pull a piece of music that has been sung by hundreds of thousands, if not millions since it was released in 1959. “His Name is Wonderful” is a beautiful melody, but the lyrics are what melt the hearts of those who sing it.

 

Below you’ll find these beautiful lyrics about the Name of Jesus. Perhaps these were some of the sentiments shared by Simeon and Anna. Or even Mary or Joseph. Speaking (or singing) the Name of Jesus is so precious. What a beautiful, wonderful Name!

 

“His Name is Wonderful”

 

His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord;
He is the mighty King, master of everything,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus, my Lord.

He’s the great Shepherd, the Rock of all ages,
Almighty God is He;
Bow down before Him, love and adore Him,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus, my Lord.[i]

 

Click here to listen to this praise song.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] “His Name is Wonderful,” Words and Music by Audrey Meier, Manna Music, Inc, 1959.

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“I” – Blogging A to Z

April 10th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Immanuel

 

DSC03935DSC03935mWhile studying to write April blog posts on the Names of the Lord, I read this interesting fact. Throughout the pages of Scripture, there are over 100 names and titles given to Jesus. I don’t know about you, but that was exciting for me. For each situation in my life, I can be assured that there is a Name for Jesus to which I can call upon!

 

The Name I have chosen for today, Immanuel, is probably one that Jesus is most known by. And yet, it is only mentioned three times in Scripture. Two were Old Testament prophecies and one in the New Testament when Joseph was told of the coming baby.

 

What comfort Joseph must have felt when told that the baby Mary carried was God’s own Son. And that this child would be called Immanuel, “God with us.” Joseph knew from that moment on that God would be with their family. God would provide for their family. God would protect their family. Why? Because God was with them.

 

The first use of this Name of Jesus is found in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah spoke words of prophecy to King Ahaz (king of Judah) telling him not to join forces with the coalition. Ahaz refused to listen. Isaiah urged Ahaz to ask God for a sign, but Ahaz refused. So Isaiah spoke these words.

 

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14 – NIV)

 

Oh there is more to this prophecy, but this is the part that Ahaz needed to hear. This is the part Joseph needed to hear. This is the part each one of us needs to hear.

 

As it turned out, the coalition fell under the siege of Assyria. Judah was saved from destruction at this time. And God’s Word held true.

 

Sometimes we are tempted to join forces with others who may be able to help us, but the truth is, we have God with us. If God is with us, then who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

 

You see, the words spoken to Ahaz hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth were not just words for this particular king at that particular time. They were spoken for all of mankind. God is with us.

 

Another interesting piece to this beautiful Name of Jesus is that Matthew begins with words of comfort and encouragement to Joseph. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him ‘Immanuel’—which means, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23 – NIV) These words of God were His promise that He would not leave us at any time.

 

Matthew ends with Jesus’ words of assurance that He indeed would be with us. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b – NIV)

 

Recall some of the ways God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit has been with our biblical friends throughout history. God was with Adam and Eve. God was with Abraham. God was with Moses. God was with Daniel. God was with Peter. God was with Paul. God was with John.

 

In the same way, we have Immanuel. God is with us. He is with us to encourage and strengthen us. He is with us to stretch and spur us. He is with us to counsel and guide us. He is with us to help fight our battles. He is with us.

 

I pray that you will find comfort in this singular Name of Jesus. I pray that you are able to trust in this Name. I pray that you will run to this Name when you feel lonely. I pray that you will cling to Immanuel, because He has chosen to be with you.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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“H” – Blogging A to Z

April 9th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Holy One

 

Daytona Beach 021mThrough my study of the Names of the Lord, I haven’t found many that can cross over between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Today’s Name is one of the few. So let’s look at this Name of the Lord in relation to each.

 

First, we must define holy. What does it mean? Holy “signifies to be set apart for God, to sanctify, to make a person or thing the opposite of ‘common.’”[i] Holy can be applied to a person, place or thing because it’s been made different, sacred, or special. So now let’s look at God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in relation to the word holy.

 

Holy One – God

In Genesis 2:3, God called the seventh day holy. We find holy ground in Exodus 3:5. God’s dwelling was holy in Exodus 15:13. Mount Sinai was made holy in Exodus 19:23. The nation of Israel, its people were called to be holy in Exodus 22:31 and Exodus 31:13.

 

But here’s the difference. In all of these cases God made these people, places or things holy. God, by His very nature is holy. If we use the definition above, set apart, we can understand that God is set apart. Set apart from what? Set apart from sin. Holiness is what God is.

 

I love R. C. Sproul’s take on God’s holiness. “The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It says that He is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory.”[ii]

 

Holiness is not one attribute of God but the totality of God. Isaiah 43:15 (NIV) says, “I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.” Our Lord is holy and we can find our holiness in His Name.

 

Holy One – Jesus

It’s interesting that Jesus is called by this name by an evil spirit in Mark 1. Jesus traveled to Capernaum and on the Sabbath went to the synagogue. While teaching, a man stood up and the demon within him said, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24 – NIV) Evil cannot compete with holiness. This demon knew it.

 

We also find this Name given to Jesus in Acts 3:14 (NIV). In this verse, Peter is speaking to a crowd after a beggar was healed. Peter calls Jesus by this name to contrast His holiness and the utter unholiness of Barabbas. “You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.”

 

The Holy One of heaven was given over to authorities to be killed…and a murderer was given freedom. That’s exactly what Jesus does for each one of us. He offers His holiness (separation from sin) to cover our unholiness. Yes, there is great power in the Name of the Lord.

 

Peter goes on to write more about Jesus’ holiness and how it affects our lives. In the first chapter of first Peter, these words are penned. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:13-16 – NIV)

 

As believers, we are called to reflect the holiness of Jesus.

 

Holy One – The Holy Spirit

Holiness is woven throughout the Name of the God’s Spirit. We refer to God’s Spirit as the Holy Spirit and this is the exciting part. God’s Holy Spirit dwells within me, which means, I am holy. Now I’m not perfect, but I am set apart from sin. I understand the difference between holiness and sin and how sin in my life will cause that separation from God.

 

1 John 2:20 (NIV) says, “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” One duty of the Holy One is to offer wisdom to determine truth. The Holy Spirit assists us when we are faced with a falsehood. The Holy Spirit keeps us from having false thinking about Jesus. The Holy Spirit also convicts us when there is unchecked sin in our lives.

 

The Holy Spirit enables us to imitate Jesus through God’s grace.

 

The Holy One. There is so much more to this Name than can be discussed in this blog post. Please know that when you pray to the Holy One, it’s all inclusive. Also know that it’s only through God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that we are able to be holy and live holy lives. I pray that you will find strength when you call upon this Name of the Lord.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] Holy – http://gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?search=hagios&dict=vine&lang=greek

[ii] The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul, Tyndale House Publishers, 1985.

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“G” – Blogging A to Z

April 8th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Great High Priest

 

There are some interesting families in this world, would you agree? Some that share great wealth from generation to generation. Some into which princes are born. And others that are known for generational feuds.

 

My family is kind of boring. There is a rumor of a murderer, but who really wants to be known as an ancestor of such a person. There is Native American blood in our family line, but we don’t follow that line in our heritage. And like many out there, we’ve followed our blood line back to the Mayflower. Nothing exciting.

 

My husband on the other hand comes from a family with some substance. Professional baseball players and umpires and Russian revolt escapees fill his family tree. And then, there are the Russian Orthodox Priests. My husband’s grandfather was a priest right here in Denver. How exciting!

 

20090924163803157_0015This is a picture of my husband’s family. The priesthood was a family affair.

 

We see this same importance to the priesthood through Scripture. When God set up the workings of the Hebrew nation with Moses, the family line of Aaron, known as the Levites would produce the priests of the tabernacle and later the temple.

 

Those whose were direct descendants of Aaron could be priests and from among that group a high priest was chosen. The remaining Levites held positions within the tabernacle/temple. This group would care for tabernacle/temple.

 

The priest’s role was to represent the people God by offering sacrifices, prayers, and praise on their behalf. Sacrifices were offered to atone for the sins of the people.

 

The high priest was the only one authorized to enter the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. The high priest wore an ephod (a garment with an attached breast plate) with twelve stones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel. This was a physical reminder that the high priest bore God’s people into His presence.

 

As we look to the New Testament, we see that the Jewish priesthood was destroyed. Jesus received the name Great High Priest and took on this role. We find this name in the Book of Hebrews. “Therefore, since we have a Great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” (Hebrews 4:14 – NIV)

 

Jesus was appointed to this position by God (Hebrews 5:5, 10). Jesus had no sin (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus offered His own blood as atonement for human sin (Hebrews 9:12). And Jesus has an eternal priesthood that lives forever (Hebrews 7:24-25).

 

As Christians, we have no need for someone to be the go-between. Jesus is our Mediator, our Advocate, our Great High Priest. We are able to be in God’s presence through Jesus.

 

Perhaps today you are in need of the Great High Priest. If so, there’s no better time than the present to ask for your sins to be taken away. For your past mistakes to be removed from God’s memory. And Jesus, the Great High Priest is the One who is able to do so.

 

I didn’t grow up in a faith with a priesthood, so I don’t understand all of the importance that goes with that term. But what I do know is that Jesus fulfills everything for me. If I need a priest, Jesus fulfills that need. Jesus fills in the gap and I am made whole because of Him. And that is exactly as it should be.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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“F” – Blogging A to Z

April 7th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Faithful and True

 

When someone asks to describe the words faithful and true, some might share a story or two about a faithful dog. I read a story of a nameless sheepdog that lived with a sheepherder in New Mexico. This sheepdog continued to take the flock of sheep out to pasture and cared for the flock every day…even after the rancher died. When visitors discovered the man two years later, they found that that not only had the sheep survived, but that they had thrived.

 

1340158443410This faithful and true dog had proven his worth. He knew his job and he did it, without being told.

 

While we see glimpses of faithfulness and truth in our world, there seems to be more unfaithfulness and untruth. So where can we turn when we are overrun by unfaithfulness and untruth? We run to Jesus.

 

Jesus’ Name is Faithful and True

Take a look at Revelation 19:11 (NIV) “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.”

 

When we run to this Name of the Lord, we can trust that Jesus will do what He says He’ll do and that His words hold no untruth. Jesus came to earth to fulfill a mission…to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus followed God’s plan to bring people into His kingdom of grace. That meant, going to the cross.

 

When Jesus returns, the Name by which He will be called is Faithful and True and with that Name Jesus will judge the world. It’s in that moment that I long to hear these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you I n charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:23 – NIV)

 

Jesus’ Character is Faithful and True

According to vocabulary.com, faithful describes someone who is reliable and consistent and true as things that are accurate, honest, and correct. Yes, these definitions describe Jesus, but so much more can be found in Him.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV) says, “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” These twelve words pack a punch! Jesus is faithful. Jesus calls. What Jesus calls me to will be accomplished. Jesus is able to do it. Now that’s faithful.

 

Jesus also spoke truth. If you recall reading His words, Jesus said “verily” a lot. Verily means “I’m telling you the truth” or “Truly” or “Certainly.” And not only did Jesus speak truth, He was and is truth. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 – NIV) You can believe everything Jesus said and did.

 

Jesus is Faithful and True because God is Faithful and True

Jesus followed the example of His Father. Faithfulness and truth flow directly from God. And here are a few examples to prove it.

 

“For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” (Psalm 33:4 – NIV)

 

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 115:1 – NIV)

 

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 – NIV)

 

“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (1 Corinthians 1:9 – NIV)

 

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 – NIV)

 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 – NIV)

 

Faithful and True. That is His Name. It is the Name to which we can run and be safe. Rejoice with me and let’s look forward to the day when our Faithful and True Savior returns!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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    "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19


    I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in southwest Ohio.

    I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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