Apicontent

“Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.” —1 Timothy 6:18–19

True faith involves knowledge and conviction of God’s saving grace and then acting on that knowledge. Doing good, being generous, and being willing to share are the fruits of true faith. They are an outgrowth of the seed of faith, just as an ear of corn is the outgrowth of a kernel of corn planted in the soil. Conviction moves us to do the good works that God has planned ahead for us to do as we walk on the path of faith. As God transforms us by the renewing of our minds, we will find ourselves transformed from being “getters” to becoming givers. As we become givers, we will be progressively more concerned with fulfilling kingdom objectives. Giving results in our laying up treasure in heaven.

When we fully understand the reality of this principle, we truly begin to accomplish great things for God’s kingdom! Businessman Phil Wiegand calls this kingdom approach to life “KingdomNomics.” KingdomNomics involves defining life from God’s point of view, as communicated to us through the Bible. This perspective helps us to determine how we invest our time, talent, and treasure in those things that will last forever.

The promise of eternal reward is a motivating factor as we consider the impact of what we do in this world. The decisions we make here on earth will echo into eternity.

Become More

In what ways are you able to use your time, talent, and treasure to echo into eternity? Is this a new concept for you? Think about some ways you can deposit to your bank account in heaven.

Further Reflections

“Because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” —2 Corinthians 4:18

“Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” —Colossians 3:1

[This article is from KingdomNomics.com by Phil Wiegand]

One thing that is true about the body of Christ is that we need one another!

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”—John 13:34–35

Loving one another involves accepting, instructing, serving, bearing with, submitting to, and encouraging each other. We need each other to help us grow in our relationship with God. We need each other for encouragement. But … we have a hard time getting along, let alone needing each other! God knows all about the difficulty we have at times with other people! We are tempted to gossip, judge, get angry, and accuse one another. We get annoyed. We get irritated. We get hurt. And yet, our heavenly Father truly desires for us to love one another … and to model His love to the world. Here is what Jesus told His disciples in one of His last conversations with them: “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” —John 13:34–35

Love is the key to good relationships in the family of God … but how do we get there? God gives us the answer in Paul’s letter to Timothy: “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” —2 Timothy 1:7

Paul told the Corinthians what Christ’s love looks like when we are controlled by the Holy Spirit: “Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” —1 Corinthians 13:4–7

The Corinthian church in the New Testament was full of “baby” Christians. They had accepted Christ’s love for them, but they treated one another selfishly, which resulted in quarreling and jealousy (see 1 Corinthians 3:1–4). They needed to learn how to love one another! Love is the key to good relationships in the family of God.

“One another” is mentioned more than thirty times in the Bible! God intends that we love each other, and the many facets of love are expressed in these “one another” commands. Loving “one another’ involves several key actions: devotion, accepting, instructing, serving, bearing with, submitting to, and encouraging. When we are able to do these things, then we truly will be able to show the world that as Christians we love one another. This love is not an emotional here today gone tomorrow kind of love. It is a tough, strong, knowledgeable, and lasting commitment kind of love. 

Devoted to One Another

“Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.” —Romans 12:10

When we are devoted, we are loyal, faithful, and dedicated. As God’s family we show concern for one another and are loyal to each other. Because we are the family of God, we need to love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Accept one Another

“Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory.” —Romans 15:7

Romans 14:13 says, “Therefore we must not pass judgment on one another, but rather determine never to place an obstacle or a trap before a brother or sister.”

To accept one another is to receive each other willingly or to give admittance to or approval of someone. Because of the sacrifice Jesus made for each one of us, we need to accept one another as the unique individuals that God has created.

Instruct One Another

“But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.” —Romans 15:14

Oh, how we don’t like to have someone telling us what to do! Instruction implies teaching and learning … and having someone tells us what to do!

Serve One Another

Galatians 5:13 says, “Serve one another humbly in love” (NIV). As a member of God’s family, with all its rights and privileges, every Christian is to be a servant to all the other members of the family. The needs of all those in the family are then met! Proud people use others; humble people are able to serve others.

Bearing with One Another

“Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.” —Colossians 3:13

What does it mean to when Paul says, “bearing with one another”? If we look at this same phrase in a couple of different Bible translations, we’ll get a very clear answer! The NLT says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults” and the CEV puts it this way, “Put up with each other.”

“To bear” means to patiently endure the idiosyncrasies and weaknesses of others! It means we have a forgiving spirit. Patience and a forgiving spirit are nearly synonymous concepts. These are not automatic; they involve a deliberate act of the will. When you are impatient, angry, and unforgiving, you are choosing to be that way! It is only through the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power that we are able to bear with each other! It is only by the Holy Spirit’s power that you will be able to take on all of these “one another” admonitions! You can’t generate this kind of behavior on your own.

Submit to One Another

“Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” —Ephesians 5:21

Submission is a very important yet often ignored Biblical teaching. The Bible is very clear that all Christians are to submit to one other. All Christians are to submit to their leaders, and servants are to submit to masters. Children are to submit to parents, and Christians are to submit to government and authority, and husbands and wives are to submit to each other.

This is amazing because in the world there is no such thing as mutual submission! It is uniquely Christian. Christ brought a whole new approach to functional relationships between people. Submission has to do with servanthood, humility, respect, reverence, honor, and willingness to be teachable. All of this is rooted in our individual submission and obedience to Christ.

Encourage One Another

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us, “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.”

One of the ways we can encourage one another is by sharing scripture. We can also find many ways to build each other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says, ^““Two people are better than one, because they can reap more benefit from their labor. For if they fall, one will help his companion up, but pity the person who falls down and has no one to help him up.”

It is only by the Holy Spirit’s power that you will be able to take on all of these “one another” admonitions! You can’t generate this kind of behavior on your own. God’s love and the actions that come out of it are only the result of the Holy Spirit working in and through you.

Application

Ask God to show you how you can be a more Spirit-filled member of His family.

Sometimes it seems hard to pray. . . you simply don’t have the right words for God.

The Bible contains prayers written by other people that can help you talk to God. Many verses in the Bible, the Lord’s Prayer, the Prayer of Jabez, The Benediction, and the Prayer for Peace all provide models of prayers that can be used in our conversations with God. There are times when it may seem hard to pray or you simply don’t have the right words for what you want to say to God. 

One passage of Scripture to remember during those times is Romans 8:26–27:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.”

The Holy Spirit speaks for us in harmony with the purpose and plans of God! He provides constant, continuous, unchanging access and fellowship with himself, the Creator of the universe, available to every believer all the time. When you don’t have the words, rely on the Holy Spirit to be praying for you! There are also ways that you can use the words of others to help you as you pray. 

Here are some thoughts and ideas:

Use Scripture!

You can always pray Scripture! Praying Scripture directly not only will give you the words you need, but it will also encourage and bless you as well! Use the Psalms to praise God. Even if you don’t know them well, just open up your Bible to that book. It won’t take you long to find a praise or petition passage. You may find this spiritual discipline so helpful that you will start to use it on a regular basis! 

You can also use other passages of Scripture in this way. Choose a passage of scripture and insert your own name (or a pronoun) or the name of a family member or friend into the passage in the appropriate places. You can simply do this as you read or write it into your personal notebook or journal.

“For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves.” —Colossians 1:9–13

Here is an adaptation of this passage using a friend named Mary:

“For this reason, since the day I heard about Mary, I have not stopped praying for her. I continually ask You, God, to fill Mary with the knowledge of Your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so the she may live a life worthy of You and please You in every way: bearing fruit in every good work growing the knowledge of You, being strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so that she may have great endurance and patience, giving joyful thanks to You who has qualified her to share in the inheritance of Your holy people in the kingdom of light. For You, God, have rescued both of us from the dominion of darkness and brought us all into the kingdom of Your Son!”

Here is a prayer using the keywords and phrases from the same Colossians passage:

“Lord, fill my friend Mary with the knowledge of Your will.
Give her wisdom and understanding that comes from the Holy Spirit.
Lord, help her live a life worthy of You.
Give her a desire to please You in every way.
May her life bear fruit in all that she does.
Give her the strength and power that only comes from You.
May she experience the incredible endurance and patience that only comes from You.
Help to give joyful thanks to for all things in her life.
Remind her daily that she is part of the kingdom of light.

Praying the Scriptures directly not only will give you the words you need, but it will also encourage and bless you as well! Here are some other verses that you can use in the same way:

“And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” —Philippians 1:9–11

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” —Romans 15:13

“I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him—since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened—so that you can know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” —Ephesians 1:16–18

The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer is one of the best-loved and most spoken prayers on the planet. It is used in church services, schools, in small groups, and in many individual private times with God. The traditional Lord’s Prayer is based on the King James versions of the Bible of the 1600s. All the versions base the text on Matthew 6:9–11:

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”

The Prayer of Jabez

1 Chronicles 4:10 is a remarkable example of a prayer that God answered!

“Jabez called out to the God of Israel, ‘If only you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!’ God answered his prayer.”

Pastor Bruce Wilkenson wrote a book on this passage that sold millions of copies! It is a prayer you can pray for yourself, asking God to enlarge your “territory”—whatever they may be!

The Benediction

In Numbers 6 the Lord instructed Moses to have Aaron and his sons bless the children of Israel with this special prayer. This blessing is also known as “The Benediction.” This prayer is often said at the close of a church service to pronounce a blessing upon the congregation, or in a wedding ceremony to bless the bride and groom. You can use it to bless anyone in your life!

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Prayer for Peace 

(by St. Francis of Assisi [1181-1226])

There are many prayers that have been written and passed down. The Prayer for Peace was first used primarily in catholic traditions but has become widely known. It is a great example of a prayer that you can use word for word as you talk to God.

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen.

Application

You will be blessed in special ways by using scripture and the words of prayers written and shared by others to communicate with God. Use your own words and enhance your conversation with God with the words of others!

Choose one of the prayers/scripture passages included in this lesson and pray it for the next week.

Is there something specific that you need God to do on your behalf? Are you wondering what He is doing in your life? Are you trying to discover a specific direction to take? Is there someone in your life who desperately needs God? Have you tried to talk with God about this, but it seems that you can’t seem to get an answer from Him? There is a key verse in Matthew 7 that gives us a great framework for our conversations with God:

“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” —Matthew 7:8

Verses 9 through 11 go on to say: “Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

In another version of the Bible, The Message, these verses are translated: 

“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?”

God will answer our prayers!

It is very common for Christians to know about prayer, study prayer, memorize prayers, read books about prayer, and still not believe that prayer makes any difference. We prove we don’t really believe what God says about prayer when we don’t actually pray. God has told us in His Word to ask and seek and knock … He will answer!

Let’s take a look at those key action words in Matthew 7:7–8 … ask, seek, and knock!

Step 1: “Ask” God

Prayer changes things in the physical and spiritual realm when you ask according to God’s guidelines. But it may take time before a change becomes noticeable. Are you watching for God’s answer? You can demonstrate your faith and anticipation while you are waiting by “seeking” and “knocking.”

But first, you must ask. James 4:2–3 says,

“You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.”

John 14:13–14 says:

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

John 16:23–24 puts it this way:

“Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.”

Step 2: “Seek” God’s Answer

Seeking God’s answer means that we are looking for possible ways through which God may answer our prayer. With an attitude of expectation and a mindset of anticipation, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Stay alert, fully open to God’s direction. If you believe God will answer your prayer, you will be looking for His answer. As the Holy Spirit makes you aware of possibilities, be faithful to pursue them until you have checked them out.

Prayer changes things in the physical and spiritual realm when you ask according to God’s guidelines. Seeking God’s answer means that we are looking for possible ways through which God may answer our prayer.

Part of seeking God’s answer is actually looking for Him. Think about that for a minute. It fits in perfectly with the verses related to “asking” according to God’s will. In the Old Testament, nearly all of the scriptures using the word “seek” refer to seeking after God. Here are just four verses that represent many!

“But if you seek the LORD your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul.” —Deuteronomy 4:29

“The people of Judah assembled to ask for the LORD’s help; they came from all the cities of Judah to ask for the LORD’s help.” —2 Chronicles 20:4

“Seek the LORD and the strength he gives! Seek his presence continually!” —Psalm 105:4

“When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart.” —Jeremiah 29:13

Step 3: “Knock” on Possible Doors

When is the last time you knocked on someone’s door? You usually knock and then wait for that person to answer, right? So, have you knocked on God’s door, and are you waiting for an answer? As the Holy Spirit makes you aware of possibilities, be faithful to pursue them until you have checked them out. Knock on the door of a possibility and then wait to see if it will open wide or stay securely closed. God’s answers will present themselves clearly to you!

An Example

Here is an example of how the “Ask, Seek, and Knock” could play out in your life.

Let us assume you need a job. If you go job hunting without praying and asking God first for His direction and blessing, you will be at the mercy of the world system. In addition, if you ask God for a job but don’t bother to seek out possibilities, then you are not doing your part. Instead, you need to pray until you have the faith to believe God is going to grant your request. Then step out by faith, and seek options, trusting God to guide your steps. When you become aware of a possibility, knock and check it out. As you walk by faith continue to thank God that His answer is on the way. Although you do not know when it will arrive, the answer to your prayer will be right on schedule according to God’s timetable.

We must believe that God will answer. In 1 John 5:14–15 Jesus said, “And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.”

“Ask” God for greater confidence!

Application

Ask God for something that you know is in line with his will for you.

Seek out God’s answer by staying alert to ways that He is working in your life.

Knock on the door of a possibility and then wait to see if it will open wide or stay securely closed.

Although you do not know when it will arrive, the answer to your prayer will be right on schedule according to God’s timetable.

Take time to “Ask, Seek, and Knock” and remember to thank God when He answers.

This lesson actually builds on the one previous to it. We learned in that lesson that God’s very nature is communicated to us through the names used for him in the Old Testament. Knowing who God really is and how He works in our lives gives us the confidence to fully trust Him. When we claim those names in our lives, we can depend on His character to sustain us through all of life.

Ten different names for God as “Jehovah” are included in this lesson. 

• Jehovah: LORD, I am who I am
• Jehovah-Jirah: The LORD provides
• Jehovah-Kaddesh: The LORD who makes you holy
• Jehovah-Nissi: The LORD is my banner
• Jehovah-Rohi: The LORD is my Shepherd
• Jehovah-Rophi: The LORD who heals
• Jehovah-Sabaoth: The LORD of hosts
• Jehovah-Shalom: The LORD is peace
• Jehovah-Shamma: The LORD is there
• Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The LORD is our righteousness

Study each name and its meaning, read the verses associated with each name, and take time to reflect upon how that specific name of God touches your life. God’s names reveal to us His very nature—He is waiting to meet you!

Jehovah: LORD, I am that I Am

Of all the names of God used in the Old Testament, Jehovah is the name used most frequently. It was also transcribed as Yahweh and is the proper name of the God of Israel. Anytime LORD appears in all capital letters in the Bible, it is translated from the word Jehovah, “I am”.

“This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created—when the LORD God made the earth and heavens.” —Genesis 2:4

“God said to Moses, ‘I am that I am.’ And he said, ‘You must say this to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.”’ God also said to Moses, ‘You must say this to the Israelites, “The LORD—the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.”’” —Exodus 3:14–15

“The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the LORD by name. The LORD passed by before him and proclaimed: ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.’” —Exodus 34:5–7

This is a very strong statement: “I am that I am”!

Jehovah-Jireh: The LORD Provides

In Genesis 22:8–14 we see a picture of God as provider:

“‘God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,’ Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together. When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter his son. But the LORD’s angel called to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ ’Here I am!’ he answered. ‘Do not harm the boy!’ the angel said. ‘Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.’
“Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place ‘The LORD provides.’ It is said to this day, ‘In the mountain of the LORD provision will be made.’”

Jehovah-Kaddesh: The LORD Who Makes You Holy

“You must sanctify yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.” —Leviticus 20:7

Jehovah-Nissi: The LORD is my banner

“Moses built an altar, and he called it ‘The LORD is my Banner.’” —Exodus 17:15

Jehovah-Rohi: The LORD is my Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” —Psalm 23:1

Jehovah-Rophe: The LORD who heals

“Then Moses led Israel to journey away from the Red Sea. They went out into the wilderness of Shur, walked for three days into the They traveled in this wilderness, and found no water. Then they came to Marah, but they were not able to drink the waters of Marah, because they were bitter. (That is why its name was Marah.) So the people murmured against Moses, saying, ‘What can we drink?’ He cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When Moses threw it into the water, the water became safe to drink. There the Lord made for them a binding ordinance, and there he tested them. He said, ‘If you will diligently obey the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the Lord, am your healer.’” —Exodus 15:22–26

Jehovah-Sabaoth: The LORD of hosts

“The LORD of hosts” actually represents the God of deliverance. The “hosts” are the angels of heaven. When there seemed to be no other source of deliverance, the children of Israel came to know God as Jehovah-Sabaoth. This term is used a great deal in the prophet books in the Old Testament of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. It seems that it was when God’s chosen people found themselves failing and powerless, they realized their need for the LORD of hosts.

“This man would go up from his city year after year to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of Heaven’s Armies at Shiloh. (It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, served as the LORD priests.” —I Samuel 1:3

“Moreover, this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has said: ‘Pay close attention to these things also.’” —Haggai 1:7

“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is on our side!” —Psalm 46:7

Jehovah-Shalom: The LORD is peace

“Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it ‘The LORD is on friendly terms with me.’ To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.” —Judges 6:24

Jehovah-Shammah: The LORD is there

“The circumference of the city will be six miles. The name of the city from that day forward will be: ‘The LORD Is There.’” —Ezekiel 48:35

Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The LORD is our righteousness

“Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety and Israel will live in security. This is the name he will go by: ‘The LORD has provided us with justice.” —Jeremiah 23:6

Righteousness actually means to be right with God! It is more than goodness. It is to do what God says is right, to live according to His standards. God extended His righteousness to us when He allowed His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross. When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, we are made righteous before God. Jesus saves us from our sins. We do not earn it—God is our righteousness!

When we know who God really is and how He works in our lives, we will have the confidence to fully trust Him. By learning God’s names, we can depend on His very character to sustain us through all of life! 

Application

Here’s a great resource for learning more about God’s names as they are presented in the Bible: LORD, I Want to Know You: A Devotional Study on the Names of God by Kay Arthur.

You can also go to bible.org and read the article, Names of God.

What is your name? Does it have any special meaning or significance? Even if you don’t know something specific about your name, your name was chosen especially for you. Our names are precious to us … they are a part of our identity.

In Bible times names were even more important than they are today. A person’s name was considered to reveal his or her character. God’s name also reveals His character.

Unfortunately, when we hear the name God or Lord, it typically conveys little more to us than the designation of a supreme being. But throughout Scripture, we find that the names of God actually present to us miniature portraits of who He is. Throughout the Bible, a person’s name identified them and stood for something specific. This is especially true of God. Naming carries special significance.

God’s names actually reveal His character and tell us about His very nature. By knowing God’s names, we gain strength for times of struggle, comfort for times of disappointment, and wisdom for times of confusion.

Many Christians experience confusion in their lives because they don’t really know God—who He really is or how He works in our lives. You can know God more fully by knowing and studying His names which in turn will give you strength for times of struggle, comfort for times of disappointment, and wisdom for times of confusion.

Seven different names for God that were used often in the New Testament are included in this lesson. Study each name and its meaning, read the verses associated with each name, and take time to reflect upon how that specific name of God touches your life. Know that God’s names reveal to us His very nature—He is waiting to meet you!

• Emmanuel: God with us
• Adonai: Lord and Master
• Elohim: God, the strong, faithful One
• El Elyon: The Most High God
• El Olam: Everlasting God
• El Roi: The God who sees
• El Shaddai: God Almighty

Emmanuel: God with us

“For this reason the LORD himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel.” —Isaiah 7:14

To actually have the God of the Universe “with” us is a mind-staggering concept! Not just a God “out there,” but a God who is always with us! 

Adonai: Lord and Master

“Then both parties to the controversy must stand before the LORD, that is, before the priests and judges who will be in office in those days.” —Deuteronomy 19:17

When we have a relationship with God, He is our Lord and Master. The word “Lord” indicates a relationship, one in which we are submissive to God’s will over our lives. Sometimes this is a hard concept for people to accept. When God is “Adonai,” He has total possession of all that we are and all that we have.

“Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes will look to the LORD, our God, until he shows us favor.” —Psalm 123:2

Elohim: God, the strong, faithful One

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” —Genesis 1:1

God has been the consistent, stable factor in all of creation since the very beginning of time. He has proven himself the strong, faithful One again and again.

El Elyon: Most High God

El Elyon is the name the Bible uses to tell us that God is the Most High God; the sovereign ruler of the entire universe.

“Worthy of praise is the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” —Genesis 14:20

“The oracle of the one who hears the words of God, and who knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty.” —Numbers 24:16

El Olam: Everlasting God

“Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, the eternal God.” —Genesis 21:33

El Roi: The God who sees

“So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘Here I have seen one who sees me!’” —Genesis 16:13

El Shaddai: God Almighty

“When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am the Sovereign God. Walk before me and be blameless. Then I will confirm my covenant between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.’” —Genesis 17:1-2

Application

Reference the short JO App article titled “Names of God“.

A great resource for learning more about God’s names as they are presented in the Bible is Lord, I Want to Know You: A Devotional Study on the Names of God by Kay Arthur.

You can also go to this external resource, bible.org, and read the article “Names of God“.

Jesus fulfilled over three hundred scriptures that foretold of His coming to be the Messiah!

A “messiah” is an expected deliverer or savior of an entire people. In Jewish tradition, the Messiah is the expected king and deliverer of the Jews. In the Christian tradition, the Messiah is Jesus Christ—our Savior.

Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, a spotless, unblemished lamb was required for a sin offering. This offering pointed to the future spotless Lamb of God, the Messiah, who would be God’s perfect sacrifice for our sins. John 1:29 records:

“On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”

Here is that “sin” concept again! Yes, our sin really does matter to God! It separates us from Him and only a sacrifice can pay for that sin. It is important to recognize and accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, because without Him, we do not have a relationship with the God of the universe!

For centuries the prophets of Israel foretold the coming of the Messiah. Specifically, the prophet Isaiah wrote about the coming of Jesus the Messiah 700 years before Jesus was born. Over the span of fifteen hundred years, nearly three hundred specific references were made to his coming. All of these are recorded in Scripture.

The odds against one person fulfilling merely eight of these prophecies would be the same as a blindfolded person picking one special silver dollar from a two-foot-high stack of silver dollars over an area the size of Texas (greater than the entire nation of France.) Yet, Jesus Christ fulfilled over two hundred of them … exactly! And his sinless life qualified Him to be God’s perfect sacrifice for all of our sins.

Hebrews 9:11–15 explains,

“But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, and he entered once for all into he most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.”

The Message translation of the Bible presents these verses in this way:

“If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior, think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.”

Listed below are just a few Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah that were fulfilled by Jesus and are recorded in the New Testament.

Prophecy: “As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah –—from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past.” —Micah 5:2

Fulfillment: “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem” —Matthew 2:1

For centuries the prophets of Israel foretold the coming of the Messiah.

Prophecy: “For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Amazing Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His dominion will be vast and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will accomplish this.” —Isaiah 9:6–7

Fulfillment: “Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” —Luke 1:31–33

Prophecy: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.” —Psalm 22:1

Fulfillment: “At about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” —Matthew 27:46

Prophecy: “They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments.” —Psalm 22:18

Fulfillment: “When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice.” —Matthew 27:35

Prophecy: “For this reason the Lord himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel.” —Isaiah 7:14

Fulfillment: “The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.’” —Luke 1:35

Jesus’ sinless life qualified Him to be God’s perfect sacrifice for all of our sins—the Savior of the world.

Application

Check out the article, “Was Jesus the Messiah?” for more information about Jesus, the Messiah.

Jesus made several “I am” statements that tell us who He is!

• “I am the bread of life.”
• “I am the light of the world”
• “I am the good shepherd.”
• “I am the door.”
• “I am the resurrection and the life.”
• “I am the way … truth … and the life.”
• “I am the vine.”

There’s a lot of crazy information out there today about Jesus. Get it from the internet, or from a media outlet, or from some published resource … you can find almost anything out there that you want to believe! And even though there’s a good chance the information isn’t true, people will be spreading that information nonetheless! That’s why it’s more important than ever that you know what the Bible has to say about Jesus Christ. When you rely on the truth of God’s Word to ground you in your faith, you will be able to trust God in any situation! 

Jesus claimed to be God! He really did! And that’s one fact that can be proven in the Bible. Jesus actually claimed that He was the “I am” that God had called himself in the Old Testament. 

In Exodus 3:14–15 we read,

“God said to Moses, ‘I am that I am.’ And he said, ‘You must say this to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.”’ God also said to Moses, ‘You must say this to the Israelites, “The LORD— the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.”’

And then in John 8:59, Jesus said,

“I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!”

Jesus also made other “I am” statements of himself:

“I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.” —John 6:35

“I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” —John 8:12

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” —John 10:11

“I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture.” —John 10:9

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies” —John 11:25

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.” —John 15:1

The leaders of other religions are dead (Confucius, Buddha, and Mohammad), but Jesus is alive! Jesus continues to be the “I am” because of his resurrection from the dead. Because Jesus is the “I am” and is alive today, He is continually working in each one of our lives!

In John 1:1–5, 9–14 we read:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.

“The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children—children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.

“Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.”

In Colossians 1:15–20, we read, 

“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

Hebrews 1:1–3 tells us, 

“After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

“You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.  He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross! As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” —Philippians 2:5–11

The Message version of the Bible presents these verses in this way:

“Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.”

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end!” —Revelation 22:13

Sometimes it’s hard for people to accept the fact that Jesus is God because they can’t see Him. “Doubting Thomas,” one of Jesus’ Disciples, was like that. We find his story in John 20:24–29: 

“Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!’

“Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’

“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.’

“Thomas replied to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

Application