As I journeyed to SE Asia this past autumn, I was able to see, hear, and experience things that were amazing. I’ve been able to store these memories and stories in my heart and mind until the right moments to share some of them. They have been personal treasures, but on occasion, God allows me to share some of them with others.

One of my favorite experiences was on the Sunday we were there. The team and I were able to attend worship with a group of people from all around the world. In fact, there are two international churches that meet in the same hotel. One is more traditional, the other more contemporary in style.

We attended the traditional style church service and two of us on the team joined the “choir” for the morning. With new and unfamiliar songs under my belt, we led the congregation in singing praise to God. What a privilege to be able to do so.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon prayer walking through and around the churches in the city. We prayed specifically for the leaders of the churches, the people who were willing to love and serve God, and for those who might one day accept Jesus as their Savior.

We began our prayer walk with the international churches then proceeded to the Protestant Church. Our last stop of the day was at the Catholic Church. Each church was unique in its own way and the prayers lifted up were magnified because of where we were.

We were discussing our next course of action as we stood on the corner opposite the Catholic Church. It was a busy intersection. Restaurants and shops lined the square and each filled to capacity. This was definitely the social hub of this neighborhood.

Suddenly, I recognized a tune that was lofting from the Catholic Church belfry. It was “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” I stood on that corner and sang of my God, my King, and His Gift. I sang the Name of Jesus in a place where any mention of His Name is monitored and in most instances, unlawful. And even though I was unable to share the Gospel with others, God had made certain that His message and His Name were proclaimed.

This proclamation is not the first time God proclaimed Himself. There are plenty of instances throughout history where God has made Himself known. So let’s look at a few from Scripture to see how He accomplished it.

The Patriarchs of the Old Testament heard this proclamation the most. God needed them to understand who He was and how He would be working in their lives. Each generation received a new message from God.

Let’s start with the announcement to Abram. The word of the Lord came to Abram in Genesis 15. In verse 1, God told Abram that He was his shield. Later, God proclaimed, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” (Genesis 15:7 – NIV)

And again to Abram, God said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1b – NIV)

Isaac was given a proclamation by God in Genesis 26:24 (NIV). “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

In a dream, Jacob heard from God. “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.” (Genesis 28:13 – NIV)

In Exodus 3 we see God speaking with Moses. In the middle of their conversation, to prove who He was God said this about Himself. “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14 – NIV) This was the Name God had chosen for Himself and the one He wanted to be known by.

On another occasion with Moses, God proclaimed His Name, the Lord. Exodus 34:5 (NIV) tells us of this encounter. “Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord.”

Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, God proclaimed Himself to the Hebrew nation. There are many references to the phrase, “I am the Lord your God.” God repeated Himself so that the message would be heard loud and clear.

King David heard God’s proclamation. In Psalm 46:10 (NIV), we read these words. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

As we move into the New Testament, Matthew, Mark and Luke record the baptism of Jesus. At the conclusion of this event, each Gospel writer recalls the words of God. “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22 – NIV)

This proclamation from God allows us to understand that the proclamations Jesus made throughout His ministry were in fact, words from God. And Jesus did proclaim Himself to be many things, including:

I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35)

I am the Light of the World (John 8:12)

I am the Gate (John 10:9)

I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25-26)

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)

I am the Vine (John 15:5)

God proclaimed Himself throughout Scripture. We can see from each of these references that it is His desire for us to know who He is and what He desires in our lives.

The memories I have of my journey to SE Asia are very precious and like Mary, I treasure them in my heart. You may not be able to go on a service trip as I did, but you can still proclaim the Name of Jesus. You can proclaim His Name anywhere and anytime you please. I certainly can too.

Let’s make 2013 a year of proclamation! Proclaim the Name of Jesus proudly. Proclaim His message with boldness. Proclaim His grace with love. I for one, intend to do so!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna