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What’s in a Name?

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

By: LovetheSon

What is in a name? When we were born our parents chose what we would be called for the rest of our lives. No chose was given to us in the decision of what that name would be, some of us took on the names of our father, or our mother, and even our grandparents. In biblical times they would give names that had a real meaning. I remember sitting in church one day and in John 18:40- Then they cried again, saying ” Not this man (Yahshua), but Barabbas!” And at that time I was studying Hebrew and it was as if a lightbulb went off in my head, I had seen that name so many times but didn’t realize that if I placed a hyphen between the r and a we get the true meaning of his name “Bar-abbas” which means “son of the father.” So I started thinking that maybe alot of the names had meaning, which I quickly learned they did. Yet that one name Barabbas was the turning point for me.

We might not think that common names have any real meaning like Daniel, David, Abraham, or Adam yet they do:

  • Daniel- means “God is my judge”
  • David- means ” my beloved”
  • Abraham- means “many” or “multitude”
  • Adam- means “to be red”

These are just a few examples that I have ran across, the web is a good source for anyone researching names. Just remember that most names don’t have meanings except in their native tongue. Even places that were spoken of in the Bible had meanings to them, God was very prophetic in the names that were given to the people in the Bible, and if we fully research them we find true meaning behind the era in which they lived.

Names are used to identify as well as give identity. People identified God with different names as well;

  • EL- meaning mighty, strong, prominent
  • Elohim- meaning the plurality of God (though God is one)
  • El Shaddai- God Almighty or God All Sufficient
  • Adonai- Master, Lord
  • Yehovah- Yireh- The Lord will provide
  • Yashua- means “Salvtion of God

When we study the names of God we recieve a bigger picture and understanding  of who He is, I hope that all will come to understand the importance of the names that are given in Scriptures. Have fun exploring all the names and their meanings. And also God uses names for a purpose either to get a point across or to make a point.

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Teaching Jewish Roots

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Teaching Jewish Roots
By Rev. David McGee, Senior Pastor,
Calvary Chapel of the Triad, NC
We live in one of the most scripturally
illiterate generations in the history of
the Church. Many pastors don’t teach
the Bible. Christians aren’t reading
their Bibles, and lack a grasp of even
basic theology. Understanding God
and His Word is seen as unnecessary. I
disagree; I think we need to get to know
the Word of God and get to know the
God of the Word.
I have had Christians tell me that only the
back (New Testament) applies to gentiles.
Realizing now that the whole Bible reveals
the character and mind of God, I feel robbed
of the years I didn’t understand the Hebrew
Scriptures (Old Testament) or the Jewish
roots of Christianity.
Having been a Christian and a Bible
teacher for years, I was amazed at how
much I didn’t understand about these
Jewish roots. I am shocked when I
hear people say it is not necessary to
understand these things. God has a
covenant relationship with a people
for 3,500 years and we don’t want to
know more? Why not?
My study of Israel has revealed more
fully the character and nature of God.
My study of the seven biblical feasts
revealed much about the timetable of
God. Studying the Passover opened
up Communion deeper than I had
ever experienced.* Who would want
to keep us so woefully ignorant about
these things? It has to be the enemy.
You may be a pastor and wonder if
your people would be interested in
these subjects. About seven years ago,
I started a home Bible study that has
grown into a church of around 1,800
in weekly attendance. I took an expositional
approach—verse by verse—
and shared my passion for Israel. I
have found that people are hungry for
the Word of God and are hungry to
explore their Jewish roots.
We are being lied to by the media and
even by other Christians regarding
these subjects. We have a duty to speak
out against the ignorance, misinformation,
and darkness that the enemy
operates in. Growing up in church, for
example, I was told that the Jews killed
Jesus. That really is inaccurate, isn’t it?
Technically it was the Romans who
executed Him, and spiritually it was
our sins that caused His death. When I
say that Jesus was a Jew, some people
reply: “Well He was, but He converted.”
We obviously need to understand
better the Old Testament’s covenants
and feasts and the Jewish Messiah.
Though I’m not Jewish, I sincerely hope
that people get to know their Jewish
roots. What I have discovered is this: It
is impossible to get to know your Jewish
roots and not learn more about your
Bible. More importantly, as you get to
know the Jewish roots of your faith you
will get to know your Jewish Messiah more
and more. He is worth getting to know
better, isn’t He? Spread the Word.

I find this article a very interesting read, it doesn’t really surprise me at what has been said, in fact I have ran into many who say that they go to church to hear the preacher and to make up for lost time with the people who attend. I say we must wake up and embrace our Jewish roots, and become a full blown dedicated believer, who is well balanced in the whole of Scripture. What causes some to pursue what God wants all to know. Yahshua says before Pilate in John 18:37- “You say rightly that Iam a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” Let us not forget that Yahshua was a Jewish man who followed Jewish customs, He followed all the feast and festivals, and was a teacher of the true Law. And as Rev. McGee said “My study of the seven biblical feasts revealed much about the timetable of God. Let us not be ignorant of the fact that God gave to the Jewish people a message that to this day the enemies of God want nothing more than for us to be ignorant. Hunger for God and He will fill you, thirst for God and He will give you cool waters.

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Prophets

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

By: lovetheSon

Can we say that prophets walk among us today? How many of the ones that profess to be a prophet really are who they claim to be? The basic description given in Scripture from the Brit Hadasha is someone who edifies the body of Yahshua. In the ancient times from Scripture we can find in Deut. 18:15 -16; ( Moses to the people of Israel) The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet from among your own people, like myself him you shall heed. This is just what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb, on the day of the Assembly, saying “Let me not hear the voice of the LORD my God any longer or see this wonderous fire anymore, lest I die.” We know that Israel was a very rebellious group of individuals and they couldn’t face God Almighty, even though He had sent them a man to lead them out of captivity. I often wonder, we as believers, did we ask for the same thing, or did it really matter? Did what Moses say still remain true today? I would rather God speak to me directly than through someone else.

So what are we to say about prophets today? Do they speak the words of God or do they turn our ears to hear what we want them to say? I have had some experience with people claiming to be prophets yet they neither edified nor called to repentance. We are not to be judgemental or harsh towards those who claim this gift, for in Deut. 18:20 God says; “But any prophet who persumes to speak in My name an oracle that I did not command him to utter, or who speaks in the name of other gods- that prophet shall die.” We must remember that what a true prophet of God speaks will not go against what is written in Scriptures. All that we must know is already before us, in bold Scripture. The title of prophet is nothing to be taken lightly, for it is becoming the mouth piece of God. Look around at the prophets who speak in the churches today, are they speaking repentance? Are they calling God’s children to return? I remember a man claiming to be a prophet saying things that I would claim a palm reader would say. Do we seek our fortunes from these professed prophets, or do we not remember that we are called to be humble and as a servant?

I can’t say beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are not true prophets of God, that walk among us today. I remember when 9/11 happened the biggest Scripture that was thrown around was a call to repentance: 2 Chron. 7:14- “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” That to me was a real prophetic message given to all at one time. Prophets are men who don’t even claim this title, as Ezekiel said three times when the captain and his men were coming to him to summon him before the king; “If I am a prophet, then may fire fall from the sky and consume thee.” (my emphasis added)

I hope one day that we can all discern false prophets from real prophets. May God Almighty grant us all the gift of prophecy so as to edifiy and call to repentance the lost and dying.

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Who was Paul/Shu’al ?

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

By:lovetheSon

My hopes for this post is to inform those who are curious about one of Yahshua’s apostles who wrote an awful lot of what we consider to be the New Testament (which is really just a renewing of the first covenant)

Saul of Tarsus was born sometime in 2-3 AD, his father was a Roman citizen and his mother a Jewish woman, Paul says in Philippians 3:5- “circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee.” Romans 11:1(later part)- “For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” In the book of Acts 22:3- “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia (Roman Province) but brought up in this city (Jerusalem) at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our father’s law, and was zealous toward God as you are all today.” Saul was one of the Pharisee’s who had been blinded to the Messiah’s ministry and was given permission to arrest any followers of the “Way”, Acts 9:1,2- “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the LORD, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Saul was very adament about the strictness to the law and the observance there of.

Acts 9:3,4- (Saul’s conversion) “As he journeyed he came near to Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” Saul was on his way to round up those who believed in the Messiah. Saul was blinded for 3 days and he “niether ate or drank.” What was Saul mission after his conversion? Acts 9:15- “But the LORD said to him (Ananias) “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of MIne to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” Now Catholics will say that this man Saul was a Hellenistic yet why did he preach against Hellenism? Acts 9:29- “And he spoke boldly in the name of the LORD Yahshua and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.” Now what was the message that Saul spoke of, he spoke of the promises that were given to the Jewish fathers. Read Acts 13:4-40. Now what are we to say, that Saul spoke against what was written in the Torah, or the Prophets? No, Acts 13:39- “and by Him (Yahshua) everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

Saul/Paul spoke in the synagogues on the Sabbath. Paul had a mission from Yahshua to preach the promises that were given in the Torah to his children of Israel. In Acts 13:44-46, is were the Jews denied the message because of the Gentiles that were present. And Paul said in verse 46- “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” Paul, being a Jew and a Pharisee abided in the law of Moses. We must remember that God knows the heart of man and He alone discerns the matters of the heart, Paul is best known for being a man of the Law. We can’t ascert our own understanding upon Paul until we fully understand the measure of Paul’s character. He was chosen by Yahshua to bring the message of the promises to all who believe in the Messiah, whether Jew or Gentile. Paul preached no new message he preached what the Holy Spirit gave him to speak. In the synagogues he showed in Scripture where the promises made where fulfilled in the Messiah, never had he contradicted the word of God to his benefit or to that of the Pharisee. Paul is many times misunderstood and many times misquoted - 2 Peter 3:15, 16, if we believe on our Savior and the Holy Spirit is in us, it was not by law, but by grace. Paul was an avenue to both the Jew and the Gentile and he didn’t cause divisions it was the stubborness of mens hearts that brought division.

So in closing Paul who was a Pharisee, put no constraints on people and showed the love of Yahshua to all who believed. We are called not to the law, but by the law. We believed by faith and God showed his grace through the mercy of Calvary. You can say that Yahshua took Paul down from his righteous high and brought him to a repentant low. Paul was asked many times by his Jewish brothers to show that he still kept the law and he did just as they had asked. Paul was not a convert to Christianity, we were converts to Judaism through the belief of the Son of God.

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