The Names of God

By Diane Russell
“For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20, NIV).

“And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you!” (Exodus 3:14, AMP).

So what did that mean back then and what does that mean for you and me today?

As a young man, Moses knew about God and His power; however, his zeal set him on a misguided mission to bring God’s people out of slavery. He failed miserably and ended up on the backside of the desert for 40 years.

After an encounter with God that brought him into a relationship like no other he had ever experienced, he became a vessel of leadership that God could use to lead an entire nation out of bondage to a land that flowed with milk and honey.

When God told Moses “I AM THAT I AM,” Moses began to understand that the “I AM” is more than enough! This explains God’s name
Jehovah and signifies that HE IS...

1. Self-existent: He has His being of Himself.
2. Eternal and unchangeable; always the same, yesterday, today, and forever.
3. Incomprehensible; we cannot, by searching, figure Him out: this name prevents all bold and curious inquiries concerning God.
4. Faithful and true to all His promises, unchangeable in His Word as well as in His nature;... . “I am, and there is none else besides Me.”

“El Shaddai, Elohim, Adonai... through His names, God reveals His character and His love. He is the Creator and the Everlasting God, the God Who Sees Me, the Lord Who Heals, The Lord My Rock, The Lord My Shepherd, and the Father who is calling us into [a] deeper, more satisfying relationship.”
(From Ann Spangler’s book, Praying the Names of God.)

To know Him is to love Him. To have that deep and intimate personal relationship with the Lord is to draw into a depth, a secret place that is set apart for you and God alone.

There is no reason nor excuse NOT TO know God and have that close personal relationship with Him. When the veil in the Temple was rent at the time Jesus was on Calvary, full access was granted into the very presence of God. He has given the invitation to you and me and it is our choice to draw close, to get to know Him, to accept His invitation. When you truly know Him, like Moses, you will become that vessel He can flow through to draw others to Himself also.

“For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:38-39, AMP).

The War on Fear, Part Four: Overcoming the Fear of What People are Going to Do to You

By Rachel Clothier
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” (2 Timothy 1.7).

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest,” (Joshua 1.9).

If you’ve ever been fired from a job, had to face a judge, or been surrounded by a bunch of people who were just “‘out to get you,” you know the fear of thinking about all the things that are going to happen to you.

David said, “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (Psalm 56.4). He was mighty confident in His God to deliver him. Several times in my life, I have felt like Elisha’s servant who saw the great enemy host surrounding them. I know that he must have felt and thought, “This is the end.” Terror can grip you and steal your ability to speak, move or even breathe. But Elisha said, “Lord, open his eyes.” The servant was then enabled to see that the host of God’s Army was surrounding them and ready to protect His children with horses and chariots of fire (see 2 Kings 6.17).

God always has us surrounded by His army, an army that we cannot see with our natural eyes. Not only this, but also, the things people mean for evil, God intends to turn around for our good (see Genesis 50.20).

REMEMBER:

1. FEAR is faith in the devil.
2. There is NOTHING that will come against you that you AND God cannot handle.

The War on Fear, Part Three: Overcoming the Fear of Lack of Money

By Rachel Clothier
With many people losing their jobs, this fear is all too real. It would be nice if we could find a man of God with a “Vessel Ministry”; someone who would tell us to go and get all the empty vessels we can find to fill with oil (2 Kings 4), so we could pay off our debts and live from the surplus.

Unfortunately, there is no man with this ministry.

Several years ago, my husband was laid off from work for a month without pay. It was then that I discovered that a man’s self-worth is tied to his job and ability to support his family. My husband went into a deep depression worrying about bills, how to put food on the table and gas in the car. There is nothing like seeing your husband weeping with fear for you to get in earnest with the Lord. After an intense season of prayer, God reassured us that He would take care of us. The Lord reminded me of Malachi 3:8-12. In these verses, He promised that if we paid our tithes and offerings faithfully, He would rebuke the devourer (the big bad wolf) for our sakes.

It was God who sustained us for those 30 days. He opened doors for us to work at a few odd jobs and we had a garage sale. He also told us to INCREASE our Sunday school offerings and missions giving. We never missed a payment, nor an offering at the church, even when we had a special speaker one Sunday. He was faithful to his Word and took care of us just like any good and loving Father would do.

He WILL BE faithful to YOU! Just follow these rules:

1. You must be a faithful tither and offering giver, not just a $1.00 giver in Sunday School and a $5.00 giver in the offering plate! (See Malachi 3:8-12.)
   
   
2. You must put God FIRST. Remember, the Lord sustained the widow because she baked a cake for the man of God FIRST. (See 2 Kings 4.)
   
   
3. You must be a good steward of what God gives you.
   
   
4. Believe that God can and will take care of you. David said that he had never seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging for bread (see Psalm 37:25).
   
   
5. God is your source of supply. He always has been and always will be.
   “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth... ” (Deuteronomy 8:18, KJV).