Friday, November 20, 2015

November 21, 2015

"This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that that there is a God in Israel."
I Samuel 17:46

Do you think it is important for the whole world to know about our God?

David thought so and he though it was worth fighting a giant over it. There is time to get some courage and confront a giant.

Defending the Name of God is a cause for fighting giants.

Defending the Fame of God IS a cause for fighting giants.

The giant was cursing God and defaming Him. That was unacceptable to David because he knew God's Name and God's fame must be honored! David understood that if he remained silent his silence would join in the dishonoring of God. David knew that either Goliath would define God's character to the world or he would. He refused to allow an ungodly Philistine to defame the God of Abraham! 

David's courage arose from the cause of defending his God.

Confronting Starbucks over their cup design is not a cause for fighting a giant. Retail stores refusing to say, "Merry Christmas is not a cause for fighting giants.

Giant attacks on the Name of God and the Nature of God are a call to war. 

You must be courageous to speaking the truth in the face of political correctness.

You must be courageous to live godly lives in an ungodly culture.

You must be courageous to preach the Gospel in a world that is often offended by it.

You must be courageous to reach out to hurting people in the Name of the Lord and offering help, hope and healing.

You must be committed to supporting the ministry and message of your local church as it seeks to make Him known in your community!

You must be committed to sending and supporting missionaries to declare God's fame around the world!

Courage arises as you love God's Name and God's Fame more than you love your own life.

Giants can fall when God's people stand in His strength and courageously declare the truth about our God!








November 20, 2015

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”  I Samuel 17:45

One thing you love more than just about anything else is your name! You love to see it written, you love to hear it spoken, you get happy when you are complimented by name and get angry when someone insults your name.

When you are a Christ-follower the One Name you need to remember above all others is the Name of God! His name is the Name above all Names!

Salvation is in the Name of the Lord!
Power is in the Name of the Lord!
Authority is in the Name of the Lord!
Victory is in the Name of the Lord!
Hope is in the Name of the Lord!
Healing is in the Name of the Lord!
Peace is in the Name of the Lord!
Joy is in the Name of the Lord!
Life is in the Name of the Lord!

No wonder the first three commandments have to do with the reverence of God and His Name.

1) You shall have no other gods before Me.
2) You shall not make idols.
3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

David’s Name is remembered because He was jealous and zealous for the Name of his God!

For David, when someone disrespected the Name of God those were fighting words no matter how big the guy was! David found courage when He took up the cause of defending God’s Name!

In the Hebrew mind, and most of that ancient culture, a name was the essence of a person’s identity and being. So, when Goliath mocked and blasphemed the Name of God David took it so personally the giant had to die!

We know how highly David esteemed the Name of the Lord because of how he referenced it so reverently and majestically in His Psalms!

Rabbi Harvey Minkoff writes:

The Psalms contain about 100 references to the "shem" of God. Careful attention to the context indicates that the correct interpretation of “shem” varies, including, most significantly, essential nature, power, and reputation. Moreover, comparison of different translations often reveals contrasting implications of this word for "name." The issue is one of interpretation, not translation.

The English word name, too, has various applications: "reputation" as in "ruin his good name"; "fame" as in "made a name for himself"; "authority" as in "I arrest you in the name of the law." Since “shem” has all these connotations, and more, it is accurate to translate “shem” as "name" so long as we exert ourselves to understand what the translation connotes, which may be multiple senses in a single occurrence.

The Name of the Lord is a REAL BIG deal because God is a REALLY BIG deal. So, holding His name in reverence is a big deal. Not reverencing His name is also a big deal.

So, here’s the bottom line, as a follow of Jesus Christ you are expected to love God’s Name above all other names.

Do you? Do you love the Name of God more than you love your own life?

Are you living to make a name for yourself or making a name for God?

How do you speak of His name?

How do you honor His name in your daily living?

You won’t find courage until you commit to the cause of God’s Name and love Him more that life itself.

I’m thinking what it would look like if a church, let’s say FredWes for example, decided the cause of God’s name was more important than making a name for ourselves? What if you and I decided that we loved the name of God more than life itself?

If we are going to take up the cause of “Loving People to LIFE” should that begin with loving God more that life?