Declare Yahweh Mekaddesh

Matthew 6:9-13

 Pray, then, in this way:‘Our Father who is in heaven,Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done,On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

We live in a fallen world, and it is always more pronounced to us in the United States during an election year. We hear all the negatives about candidates, and never know who to believe, the accused or the accuser. It is frustrating.  But the one thing we must remember is that we must no matter  what the world is doing or saying, is that God has called us as Christians to BE HOLY. He is holy, therefore we are to be holy.
Too hard a task?  Indeed it is without Him!  It is impossible without Him. But we have a privilege as Christians!  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we have the Holy Spirit ready and willing to bring our requests right to the feet of God the Father through Jesus (Yeshua) We must remember that we have Him,  Yahweh Mekaddesh. He makes you Holy.  
Remember this:

"Holy is the way God is.  To be holy He does not conform to a standard.  He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is. Because He is holy, His attributes are holy; that is, whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as holy."

                    ~ A,. W. Tozer 

Remember you (we) are the bride of Christ. We have been bought with a price. We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us and to protect us and to comfort us. He is at work in us to to will and to work for His good pleasure. What He has begun in us, He will compete. Remember that someday soon we will see Him face to face! In all His glory we will see Him! We must remember that all that seems so important to us, now will soon pass away, and those who know Christ, and are saved through His grace will be have the wonderful privilege of declaring Yahweh Mekaddesh, singing in the throne room for all eternity, 
"Holy holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is  and is to come" ~ Revelation 4:8b

Revelation 4
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Scene in Heaven4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “ Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” ² Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. ³ And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. ⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.The Throne and Worship of the Creator⁵ Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; ⁶ and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. ⁷ The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,“ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”⁹ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,¹¹ “ Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Trusting In Yeshua As Your Sanctification

Lets start out our study today with a few short verses from the Word! Today I have used the New American Standard Bible (NASB) for most of the verses.
1 Corinthians 1:30-32

"But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “ Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

We learn in these verses that God's holiness demands His people to be holy The author, Catherine Martin points out to us in this lesson that we as n
New Testament Christians have actually experienced a greater rescue than those people in old Testament times. See the verse below:

Colossians 1:13-14

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

How exciting to know He has rescued us! And because He rescued us, we are to be holy because of the following verse:

1 Peter 1:16

"because it is written, “ You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Something very special happens when you become a Christian. Receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior:

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

 

You become SANCTIFIED. You are set apart. He sets you apart through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! All this because God sacrificed His one and Only Son as an atoning sacrifice for your sins!

Romans 8:9

"However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him."

Hebrews 10:10-13

"By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet."

 I am sure we all struggle with being holy, I know I do! But guess what? Sanctification is not just a singular work accomplished by Yeshua  on the cross, but also it is an ongoing process accomplished by Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit in you.

2 Corinthians 3:18

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

Hebrews 1:14

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"

What  an exciting thing it is to discover that you now belong to Yahweh Mekaddesh and you are a temple of the Holy Spirit!! 

1 Corinthians 6:19

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"

 Trust in Yeshua! Trust in Yahweh Mekaddesh! Know He is the one who will make you holy!

Yahweh Mekaddesh Be Holy Even As I Am Holy!

Kay Arthur has written a study book entitled Teach Me Your Ways
 She starts out the study on Leviticus  with the subtitle "Be Holy Even As I AM Holy"
She explains how this seemingly boring book can actually be used to bring about a
revival in your life.  She explains how you will come face to face with sin and the horrors that result from sinning.
She says that

"if you listen, you will come away with a holy fear of God, ~ a reverential trust and respect that will bring cleansing and new intimacy to your relationship with your Father God." 

The one who makes you holy, Yahweh Mekaddesh I like the word reverential meaning inspiring reverence. This sort of reverential trust can only come AFTER  you have put your trust in Christ. because BEFORE Christ, we do not  truly desire to be holy.  Catherine Martin, our Author for the study book we  are using Trusting In The Names of God Shares on page 188 of the book how we can learn from the Israelites in the book of Exodus.
She says

"sanctification follows redemption. We see this in the lives of the people of Israel, and their example, we have a picture of what God has done in our lives. after the people of Israel we rescued and set free by God from the cruel bondage of Egypt, they began their journey with God.  God wanted to be their God , and they were to be His people (Exodus 6:7) He had in mind for them a life
with Him in the promised land.  What would that mean for these people? They must be sanctified ~
holy and separate, like their God and not like the surrounding nations."Catherine Martin points out how God gave the law to Moses so His people would know how to live.  How to be holy. He is after all Yahweh Mekaddesh, He makes you holy. 

She continues to share how

"In  Leviticus, we see that Yahweh Mekaddesh sanctifies with purpose, influencing many areas of life, including keeping the Sabbath (Exodus 31:13), obedience (Leviticus 20:8), holiness (Exodus 22:8-9, 16), speech (Leviticus 22:32), and witnessing to the world (Ezekiel 37:28)." 

Holy means separate As it says in the Wikepedia

"Some consider that the Hebrew noun for "holiness," kedushah (Hebrew: קדושה‎), from the adjective kodesh, "holy," has the connotation of "separateness", although Hebrew has other verbs and adjectives to indicate separate, such as badal (בָּדַל). That which is holy in Judaism is set apart, and the separation is maintained by both legal and spiritual measures Certain places and times are intrinsically sacred, and strictures are placed on one's actions in those situations. However, holiness is not a single state, but contains a broad spectrum. The Mishnah lists concentric circles of holiness surrounding the Temple in Jerusalem: Holy of Holies; Temple Sanctuary; Temple Vestibule; Court of Priests; Court of Israelites; Court of Women; Temple Mount; the walled city of Jerusalem; all the walled cities of Israel; and the borders of the Land of Israel. Distinctions are made as to who and what are permitted in each area. Likewise, the holidays, including and especially the Sabbath, are considered to be holy in time; the Torah calls them "holy [days of] gathering. Work is not allowed on those days, and rabbinic tradition lists 39 categories of activity that are specifically prohibited."

Our author continues to explain how this holiness is extended to every area of their lives. Wholly holy. So as we draw near to Yahweh Mekaddesh, we must truly meditate on the wholly holiness of God, Yahweh Mekaddesh. He is indeed as she says in the book a cut above everyone and everything, and we need to start striving to be just like Him, a cut above.

We also need to NOT apologise when someone might taunt us and call us "holier than thou" We should explain that we are no better than anyone else, but that God has indeed called us to be holy, and that we are not going to apologize for being a "cut above" because God has called us to separate and become like Him. All this but saying He is humble and we must also be humble.

Fine line? you decide.

Yahweh Mekaddesh

Today I wanted to share what my husband Terry and I studied in the book The Names of God this past week on the road.  We really learned a lot and reflected on some mistakes we made raising our children, hoping our children do not make these same mistakes with our grandchildren.

Yahweh Mekaddesh 

 ~  "He makes you holy"  ~

Theme verse for the study this week is Exodus 31:13

“But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘ You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

As we read and thought about making the Sabbath holy we thought back on how we have celebrated the Sabbath during our married life. We did not make the Sabbath holy. We spent a couple hours "in church" doing maybe a Sunday school class, teaching children's church or sitting in a worship service, but we only spent that couple hours in worship mode, and then would either go home to dinner, go to a friend's or family member's home for lunch or go out to eat. Then the afternoon would be spent either working, fishing , tinkering around, napping or fellowshiping. But the key here is there was no further time spent one on one with our Creator.

We celebrate the Sabbath as do most evangelicals on Sundays. I am sure many have a real problem with this, but it is not an issue for us. Our issue is HOW we are celebrating, not WHEN. And the biggest part of this is the WHY we are celebrating this day once a week. God said the Sabbath was made for us, not for Him. I think this is where we got off track. It is FOR us to spend time in fellowship with our God. It is a time for us to fill up, reflect on our blessings, give praise to our Lord, and to learn to know Him more intimately it is a time for us to allow Him to Make us holy. So if we are off doing our own thing, we are not getting filled like we need to. We need to desire this total time with God, this time of fellowship. We need to desire more than anything else a sweet time in His presence. to reflect, to be thankful, to give our praise to Him. To sit and sing Holy Holy Holy to our gracious provider our Yahweh Mekaddesh, The one who sanctifies us or makes us holy.

Terry and I are going to commit more of our Sabbath to our Lord. We are going to commit time and fellowship. We want you to join us!  We know there will be no greater reward than to know Yahweh Mekaddesh  and to allow Him to make us holy.

PROVISION

Knowing that Yahweh Jireh is the Great Provider can give such perfect peace to a situation that would seem totally impossible with out that assurance of provision. Those times when a gigantic medical bill is looming over you, or when the IRS tells you that you did not pay enough in your taxes, but you have nothing left to give them. Or when you cannot find the faith that your cancer really can be miraculously removed from your body, or when you are on your last straw with a wayward child... These are indeed the time when Yahweh Jireh will provide for us the faith, the healing, the finances, the way out for that child. He is so awesome, and we need to rely on Yahweh Jirah.

Blame Maarylou!

LEAN ON YAHWEH JIREH

I posted this yesterday on my Facebook Names of God page:

The past few days have been a time for us to once again lean on Yahweh Jireh. Our grandson, Caedmon, age 5 woke up on Tuesday morning with a bloody sheet from bloody saliva, and he had bruises all over his body. We were on our way to their house to celebrate his baby sister's first birthday. Mark and Jordan took him to the doctor and they said he needed to go to St Louis Children's Hospital for testing and treatment. We spent several days not knowing for sure if he had one of two blood diseases, either leukemia, or ITP We have truly experienced knowing He is our provider. We will delight in Yahweh Jireh today! The lesser of the two evils, ITP is what Caedmon has been diagnosed with, and after getting platelet transfusions, he is on his way home today. ~ From TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD~ Page 146: "How do you delight in the Lord when Yahweh Jireh provides for you? When Jesus healed ten lepers, one of them stepped out of the crowd in his praise for the Lord. He turned back, glorified God, fell on his face before the Lord Jesus, and said thank You. Take time, when God provides for you to say thank You to Him." Today our family is saying thank you Yahweh Jireh for Caedmon! Thank you for seeing us through the past few days at St Louis Children's Hospital! Thank you Lord for Caedmon getting to go home today!

DEPEND ON EL SHADDAI

At the risk of doing this too often, I just totally love how our author, Catherine Martin talks about depending on El Shaddai, and think it is very much worth my just copy and pasting what she wrote today. I am not being lazy, I just love what she has to say and want to share her words with you. This book is so good, I truly encourage you to buy a copy if you have not done so already. Here is the link for the book: TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD FROM PAGE 135 OF THE BOOK, I QUOTE:

DEPEND ON EL SHADDAI
"Perhaps no other name inspires a greater faith and trust than El Shaddai. Knowing El Shaddai will light the fire of devotion in your heart. Drawing near to El Shaddai will make you a radical disciple in your generation. Loving El Shaddai will set you apart from many in your culture as you dare to do mighty things in His power and strength. You will be like Billy Graham, who loved God so much he dared to preach to stadiums of thousands. You will be like George Mueller, a nineteenth -century evangelist and philanthropist, who believed God for millions of dollars to build orphanages in England. You will be like King David, who as a young boy, dared to slay a giant. No obstacles will defeat you. Nothing will be impossible for you, because you know El Shaddai, the one who is greater than any difficulty.
When El Shaddai calls you to Himself, He will inspire you to great tasks and sometimes even great suffering and sorrows. Adoniram Judson, credited as the first American missionary to go overseas, was clear about his call to go to Burma. His task was a great one and included translating the first Burmese Bible, enabling those in Burma to read, and study God's word, changing their lives forever. But Judson's hardships were many, including the loss of children and two wives as well as devastating illnesses. He found God to be equal to the magnitude of  the task, loss, or illness. At the end of his life, within days of his death, he wrote this:

Lying here on my bed, when I could not talk, I have had such views of the loving condensations of Christ and the glories of heaven as I believe are seldom granted to mortal man . . . I am not tired of my work, neither am I tired of the world. Yet when Christ calls me home, I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from his school. Perhaps I feel something like the young bride, when she contemplates resigning the pleasant associations of her childhood for a yet dearer home ~ though only a very little like her, for there is no doubt resting on my future . . . I feel so strong in Christ.

Gods sufficiency is always more than a match for our urgency.

El Shaddai will inspire us to great prayer.

I know the greatest joy of my life is my time talking with El Shaddai. I love prayer time. It is the best and most important time of my day. And I love that I can go through every day all day long just talking with God. I get my greatest joy, (and believe me, with all my kids, grand kids and the most amazing husband on earth, I have a lot of  joys), from my time spent with El Shaddai. Please join me in reading the following verses from Scripture:

Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Philippians 4:6-7
'Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'
Hebrews 11:6
'And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.'
1 John 5:4
'For whatever is ]born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world ~ our faith.'

When you trust in El Shaddai, you will learn never to give up as you watch God match your need with His sufficiency regardless of the depth of the challenge. ~ Catherine Martin ~

DECLARE EL SHADDAI

Have you ever known there was something you were suppose to do, but you felt inadequate to do the job? If you have doubt about your ability to fulfill the calling God has given to you, or the ministry He has prepared for you, or if you are suffering for some reason, then call on El Shaddai. He is all sufficient. He is there for you, able and willing to help you. Call out His name, and give Him the glory for being the all sufficient. He is all you need, and He wants you to share that fact with others.

2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;"

Declare El Shaddai today and give Him the glory for being the all sufficient God.

Trusting in Jesus as All-Sufficient

Today I will just quote from page 134 of the study book: "TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD":

"Trusting in Jesus as All-Sufficient"
"He has said to me. "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness' " (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul's thorn in the flesh prompted him to implore the Lord for removal of the torment. But Jesus proclaimed His all-sufficiency to Paul. He was enough for Paul's greatest weakness.  In fact, the greater the obstacle, the more Paul would experience the power of Christ. And because Jesus is the exact representation of God (Hebrews 1:3), all believers can experience the power of El Shaddai in their lives as Jesus now lives in them (Galatians 2:20) through the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9-10)

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me

Hebrews 1:3

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Romans 8:9-10

"However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

DRAW NEAR TO EL SAHADDAI

The best way to Draw near to God is to know and understand His names. The author of our study book "TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD", Catherine Martin, suggests that when we think of the name El Shaddai, we should think of the word power ~ the power of an all powerful God.
/ɒmˈnɪpətənt/ [om-nip-uh-tuhnt] an adjective

1. almighty or infinite in power, as God 2. having very great or unlimited authority or power

When I think about power, I think about thunderstorms, or tornadoes, or hurricanes. And this powerful weather is what God does! He is behind it all. He created the entire universe and beyond, and is in control of everything. Pretty hard for our finite minds to comprehend.

Paul said "God is able" See the following verses: Romans 16:25-26
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

And yet with all this power, God wants a relationship with each of us. And think about how He is able to do anything you ask.

Genesis 18:14
Is anything too [difficult {or wonderful} for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time {or when the time revives} next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Jeremiah 32:17
‘Ah Lord [a]GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,

According to our author,

"El Shaddai reminds us of God's unlimited supply of comfort, power, grace and more ~ in fact, a sufficient supply of anything you need."

Knowing ourselves, and our utterly insufficient nature, should help us to rely on our El Shaddai, Our all powerful God. We need Him, and He supplies all our needs ~ grace, goodness, mercy, kindness, strength, comfort; what ever your need might be. He is ENOUGH!

All I Need Is You, LORD

DISCOVER EL SHADDAI

Today I am just going to quote from the author of TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD, Catherine Martin,  from page 132 in the book. There is just so much in this little passage, I wanted you to read it all  just as she wrote it.

"WHEN  God revealed Himself  to Abram as God Almighty, He was also proclaiming a new name for Himself, El Shaddai. El Shaddai means "God, the powerful one" or "God the mighty one." As a divine name, Shaddai or El Shaddai is used 48 times in the Old Testament, 31 occurring in the book of Job. Shaddai comes from the Hebrew root, shad, meaning "breast," and gives us a precious metaphor, presenting God as  "the one who nourishes, supplies and satisfies."  In El Shaddai, we learn that God possesses all power,  unlimited supply, and infinite blessing.  He is the all-sufficient one, the omnipotent God who has never-ending bounty for His people.  G. Campbell Morgan calls El Shaddai the "God all-bountiful" or "God all-sufficient," derived from the literal meaning of  "the mighty one of resource or sufficiency." "

TRUSTING IN ~ EL SHADDAI ~ HE IS ENOUGH FOR YOU

Genesis 17: 1 "“I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless."

"Trusting in El Shaddai brings you to the place of abundance, where you experience overflowing satisfaction. El Shaddai
El Shaddai ~ He is enough for me! is the all-sufficient one who appeared to Abram and said “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless." The discovery of God as El Shaddai marked a new day for Abram. He realized God was more than he had known Him to be and that God was able to accomplish all He had promised. Knowing God as El Shaddai brought Abram into a more intimate relationship with God and gave him a bold and courageous faith. He believed God and became a friend of God."
~Catherine Martin page 131 Trusting In The Names Of God

Lets look at a verse in James:

James 2:23 " . . . and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God."

Do You want to be a friend to God?
Then by all means, RUN TO EL SHADDAI!
Remember El  Shaddai
~ Run to Him ~
Remember He is enough for Me!

DELIGHT IN ADONAI

Are you ready to take your little schedule book, tear out every page and sit and listen to God as He reveals to you what His schedule is for you today, tomorrow, next week, next year and on into eternity? Do you trust Him enough to let Him show you what He wants you to do, where He wants you to go, and where and how to serve Him? It is a scary thought to give it all up, to just let go of everything, all the preconceived ideas and plans, those things that make perfect sense to you in your little world. But Adonai wants to be in control. He wants to write your schedule, plan your days and show you who you need to meet with. He wants to direct your every path. I challenge you today to do just that!  Tear out those pages, and then sit and listen to Him as He reveals to you exactly where He wants you to be, doing exactly what He wants you to do and doing it on His time schedule, not yours. You might be surprised, and find that His plan is exactly the plan you are on.  But then again you might find out that through careful LISTENING, He might have a totally different path set out for you.  My question is this, are you willing to just give Him a try, give Him the chance to really be in control of your life?  It will take a lot for some of us to give it all up for Him, but I am convinced it will be worth the journey!

While listening to this song, Preformed by The Isaacs, take a few minutes to write a prayer to Adonai, and ask Him to show you how you can become totally committed to Him, to voluntarily become His slave, His servant, to Make Him the total Master, and Owner of all you are.
I Surrender All

DEPEND ON ADONAI

Who or what is your master?   You are loyal to your master above all other commitments.   So just think for a minute.  How do you plan your day?  Your week? Your month? Your year?  Where does Adonai fit into your schedule?  Is  He really your master?  Is  He really the Lord of your life?  If  He is not first in our thoughts as we plan out the schedule, the activities of our life, maybe we need to rethink our priorities. Recently, while talking with a young woman who has asked me to teach her how to love God like I love God, she said that everyone she knows who claims to be a Christian is a hypocrite. They all live their lives basically the same way she does, and she says she definitely is not living her life for God. So her comments, questions and concerns over how the rest of the world does NOT really live for Christ made me sad, and made me wonder if my life also is reflecting Him. If our priorities do not line up with God's will, then He really is not the Master of our life.


SUPPORT OF ADONAI

"Your trust and reliance on Adonai means you will support Him, submit to Him, serve Him, and act as a good steward of all He entrusts to you.. . .Your loyalty to Adonai includes a decision to respond to His call to follow Him above all others and say like it is written in Joshua ~ Catherine Martin~

Joshua 24:15 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” "

SUBMISSION TO ADONAI
God wants all of you. He wants you to give all you have to him He wants you to let Him be your supreme Master. Adonai, Lord of your ENTIRE life. Basically becoming a voluntary slave to Adonai. It is very simple, just like this verse in Scripture.

James 4:7a "Submit therefore to God."

It is indeed very simple, but perhaps not all that easy. But it is important that we do just that, SUBMIT THEREFORE TO GOD

SERVICE TO ADONAI
To each of us, God has given gifts so we can serve Him
And He has given you and me these gifts because He wants us to use them to serve Him. He wants you to dedicate your life to Him.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons."

If you have indeed said yes to Adonai, then your whole life is dedicated to serving Him. Please, when you wake up in the morning, take time out and sit alone and speak to Him. Hear what He has to say to YOU in His Word. Give service to Him. You need the quiet time alone with Him in order to hear His voice, and to be able to know how He wants you to serve Him.
STEWARDSHIP FROM ADONAI

1 Corinthians 9:17

"For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me."

If you would rely on Adonai, you would serve Him faithfully and regard everything you do as a stewardship entrusted to you.

Colossians 1:25 "Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,"

God has given you time, talents and treasures. What are you willing to do with them?
"If He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all." ~Hudson Taylor~
are you willing to say, "Adonai, You are my Lord, Master and Owner. Pierce my ear to signify that I am Yours forever!" ? Are you ready to surrender it all to Jesus?
Listen to the words to this song as you think on this lesson today:
I Surrender All To Jesus

DECLARE ADONAI

Yesterday we talked about making Jesus the Lord of our lives. And that is a very important choice we need to make. But along with and added to that choice of making Him the Lord of your life, is another important part of your walk with Him. I have often heard the comment that your silence is often a greater way to witness than to preach. And I think if we are not totally following God, being obedient to Him, then if we do preach, we are perceived as a hypocrite. So we need to make sure that our actions truly are speaking Jesus because as the saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." So let us get our lives first and foremost lined up in the will of God. Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him.

2 Peter 3:13-15 "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him."

. . . and then we can go on with our mandate for today,
to DECLARE ADONAI! 
First of all we need to Declare our love and obedience to Adonai.
And then we need to share our love for Him to the rest of our world.
Let everyone know that your allegiance is to Adonai.
Let them see you walking in His path.
Let them know that you are His servant,
Let them know that He owns you and all that you are.
Declare Adonai, your Lord to the whole world!
Memorize this passage of scripture today!

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 "You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

Enjoy hearing the words to this song as you think about how you plan to Declare Adonai today!
Awesome God

"Your very life, lived for Adonai , who leads and guides you, is the declaration of who He is and what He does." ~ Catherine Martin, page 126 Trusting In The Names of God

Trusting In Jesus as Lord

Remembering that Adonai translates to "Lord"  We will ask the question today "Do I trust Jesus as my Lord?"
Adonai is Master and Owner of all those who love their master so much so that they are His servants for life.
Read with me the following verses and Ask yourself this question:
"How do I see Jesus in my life?"

John 13:13 

"You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am."

Hebrews 1:3
"And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,"

To understand God we need to look at and listen to Jesus because as it says in the book of John;

John 1:18
"No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."

And this same verse in The Message says:

John 1:16-18 The Message (MSG)
We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, This endless knowing and understanding— all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day.

God taught us that we cannot serve two masters, we must follow Him if He is truly our Lord. Check out this verse in Matthew:

Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

And again look into Matthew and read the following:

Matthew 24:45-46
“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes."

Matthew 25:21
"His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’"

And in Luke:

Luke 12:37
"Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them."

And then skip back again to Matthew where we read the following:

Matthew 16:24-25

Discipleship Is Costly!
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

I think from these verses we can see making Jesus Lord of our life is pretty serious business, and we need to make sure we are committed to Him, and willing to give up all for Him. Am I ready to surrender all? Jesus was certainly willing as He was our example here on earth, to let God the Father be His Master and Owner. You see Jesus willingly bought us for a very dear price. Here are some verses to think about, and pray over.

1 Corinthians 6:20 "For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."

How Paul described himself:

Romans 1:1
The Gospel Exalted
"Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,"

In this verse, the word "bond-servant" is "doulos" and refers to a servant who willingly chooses to serve his master, completely belonging to his master with no freedom to leave. So Paul has pretty much told us he is Jesus' servant. LOCK, STOCK & BARREL! Catherine Martin tells us in Her book, TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD, on page 126 "If you want to understand what it means to serve Adonai, look at the example of Jesus and how He lived His life on earth. check out this section of Scripture about Jesus:

Philippians 2:7-8 "but (Jesus)emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

And then in the book of John while talking to His disciples:

John 4:34 "Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work."

Hebrews 10:5-7 "Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”

Are you willing today to say to Adonai today, "Here I am Lord, I delight to do Your will." ? Here I Am

DRAW NEAR TO ADONAI

In Malachi we read about what God says to the priests who have dishonored Him. Adonai is brokenhearted. We need to strive to learn from this lesson, And truly make Adonai the Lord of our lives us.

Malachi 1:6
“ ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the LORD of hosts to you,. . . "

I have 7 kids, and so I know first hand how it feels when a child dishonors you through disobedience. You actually feel hurt through the actions of disobedience, feel that the act of disobedience is an act against you. Your heart is broken when something you have instilled in your child has been ignored, or blatantly disavowed. How much our Lord must feel this sadness when we choose to disavow His authority, leadership, and rule in our lives. Daniel had a wonderful "Adonai" ~ Lord and servant ~ relationship with God. This is shown in his prayer in the book of Daniel

Daniel 9:19 "O Lord,(Adonai) hear! O Lord (Adonai), forgive! O Lord (Adonai), listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Catherine Martin, author of our study book, TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD shares how the slaves in the Old Testament would serve for 7 years. They were then granted their freedom. If a slave loved his master, and chose to remain his servant, the master would take him before the judge, and there the slave would receive an earring in his ear to show he was indentured for life to the master, Oh how I desire that I can be so dedicated to my Adonai! I desire to love Him so much that everyone sees the mark of Adonai on me. I want to be His servant forever, and want everyone to know it!!!! The word Baruch means blessed Watch this video as you reflect on your relationship with Adonai, the Lord of lords!!!! Baruch Adonai!

DISCOVER ADONAI

Today I am just going to copy a quote from page 124 of our study book "TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD" by Catherine Martin.I would encourage you to buy this book, It is REALLY GOOD READING! DISCOVER ADONAI We see God revealed as Adonai for the first time in Genesis15:2 in the words of Abram, responding to God's promise to be his shield and great reward:

"O Lord GOD. what will you give me, since I am childless?"

The Hebrew word translated "Lord" is Adonai and means master and owner. In the Old testament, Adonai is translated "Lord" (initial capital only)in contrast to Yahweh, translated "LORD" (small capitals or all capitals) Adonai is almost always plural in form as (pointing to the Trinity as in Elohim) and possessive ("my Lord's") Closing out this study today with another beautiful song from You Tube:
Adonai
Tomorrow We will DRAW NEAR TO ADONAI

TRUSTING IN ADONAI ~ HE IS YOUR LORD

Lord is a deferential appellation or a title showing respect for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler. ADONAI means "He is Your LORD"
The author of our study book (Trusting In The Names Of God) points out on page 123

"trusting in Adonai determines our purpose and direction in life."

She goes on to explain that Abram discovered Adonai as his Lord and Master when he asked in Genesis:

Genesis 15:2 “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, . . ."

"We can choose which ambitions to pursue, which master to serve, and which agendas to respond to. When Adonai is the one we follow, He is our motivation, our Master and our mentor. To serve the living God, we must say yes to His lordship in our lives. We need to trust in the name of Adonai. Who determines our decisions, who guides our actions, and who commands our obedience? His name is Adonai." ~ Catherine Martin , page 123 "Trusting In The Names Of God"

A related verse in Scripture is found in the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 18:10 "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe."

Adonai is waiting for each of us to make that choice of making Him our LORD. Once He is truly the LORD of our life, the one who has authority, control, and power over us, the Master, Chief, and Ruler of our life, we will find peace knowing He is truly in control.
Listen to the words of this beautiful song today
Adonai ,
Tomorrow we will DRAW NEAR TO ADONAI.

DELIGHT IN EL ELYON

El Elyon is all powerful and protects us!

Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”

Decide now to live your life for El Elyon!

Psalm 83:18 That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

Rejoice in knowing El Elyon, your Sovereign is, as stated in Psalm 97, THE LORD MOST HIGH, El Elyon!

Psalm 97:9 For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.

Who is in control of your life?
Acknowledge that El Elyon is truly above everything else, and depend on Him.
Do you rely on yourself, or on El Elyon?
Think on these things.
If you have not already, I urge you to make El Elyon truly your Sovereign today!

Genesis 14:19-20 He blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,(El Elyon)
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Listen to the words to this song. El Elyon

DEPEND ON HIS NAME

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

"Depending on the Names of God determines the stability and direction of your life." ~ Catherine Martin page 85 of her book Trusting In The Names of God

Catherine goes on to say that dependence on God's names requires yielding and surrendering our own control to God. We wrestle with an inner need for control, as Paul explains in Romans:

Romans 7:23 "In my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members."

Dependence on God means surrendering yourself, your loved ones, your circumstances, and your future to the only One who is trustworthy ~ God. This kind of unabashed surrender is not easy because trusting on a human level has taught us that people and things can disappoint us. But you can know that God is not like fallible human beings ~ He is good, perfect, loving, and faithful.

Lamentations 3:22-27 From The Message (MSG)

"God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times."

I was reading through the lesson today in our study book, TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD, and I realized our family has actually lived through this lesson BIG TIME with our daughter-in-law Molly. I want to take the time right now for her to post her testimony on how she has truly depended on EL ELYON these past few years.

In August of 2009 God blessed me with the opportunity to face a life threatening illness. Yup, you got it... I said blessed. Let me start with a little back ground information. This journey started with a not so routine colonoscopy. I was in some major pain from what I thought was normal hemorrhoid issues for a woman with 3 kids. I was only 30 and my youngest was 1. The surgeon I went to see insisted I have this procedure done before she went any further fixing them. On August 12th 2009 I went in to humor the doctor and came out a stage 4 rectal cancer patient. No I did not feel blessed that day. I only felt total fear. Mainly I feared what my husband, children, family, and friends would have to watch me go through. I knew they wouldn't leave my side (and they never have). I feared my husband having to work even harder than he already did just to pay the bills. I feared my children seeing me look like " a bald cancer ridden skeleton mom". I feared not being able to continue my church ministries. I feared having to sit still all the time. This list will go on and on if I let it. The rest of the day was kind of a blur, My blessed feeling came the next day when I had my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th procedure done. I met a lady in her 70's who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She had been fighting for 6 years and was now bound to a wheel chair. We talked for a while in the waiting room and by the time my name was called she began to sob. I turned and asked if she was in pain. Her reply was the beginning of casting out fear in my life. She was crying because of me. She was so sad that I was so young and a wife and a mother and she knew my prognosis was grim. That terrible wall of fear built out of bricks of lies hand made by the devil fell away from my mind. I knew darn well that God had never let me go in my whole life. He has fought for me when I wouldn't even acknowledge His name. He saved me when I didn't think I deserved to be saved. He loved me when I didn't love Him. His plans for my life are always for good and not evil and I knew I would trust Him always. I told her not to cry for me. God will only allow me to go through what I could handle. And if He chose to bring me home into His kingdom and accept me as the sinner I was, then I would go through it and speak His Name with honor and glory to all that would listen. I went through a lot that year and a half. 25 radiation treatments and 5 weeks of oral chemo followed by a hysterectomy, appendectomy, part of my colon removed, three fourths of my rectum removed, a tumor, blood vessels and lymph nodes removed and part of my intestine brought out through my stomach so that I could pass waste into a handy dandy bag while I healed.. Then came 10 rounds (20 weeks) of chemo infusion that lasted for 3 days each, and another surgery to put my insides that were outside, back inside! Yes I had some really hard days. Days that I really felt sorry for myself and all the people taking care of me. But at the end of the day God was always El Elyon! He brought me through all of it and allowed me to use His strength when I had none. He allowed me to share my story with those around me so that they to might understand His love for them. He's given me wonderful family and friends that worship Him too. Jesus died a cruel and painful death so that He could bless us with eternal life. I tried to remember that when I was hurting. It helped me realize,if you trust in His sovereignty in all that goes on in your life (bad or good, hard or easy) everything that happens can be a blessing in disguise. Now I'm blessed with being cancer free!

Dear God, As always I pray that You use this testimony you have allowed me to call my own and use it to touch the heart of someone who is facing fear of the unknown. Give them the peace that passed all understanding that only You can give them. Give them strength to get through it. Show them your will for their life and the wisdom to follow it. Thank you for the gift of eternal life. Amen

To call upon the name of God is to turn over every aspect of your life to Him; to yield all that is within you to Him, and to allow Him to truly be your EL ELYON. Are you ready to take that step? Are you ready to make God your Sovereign? Please meditate on the words in Psalm 116 as we close out our study today.

Psalm 116 Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death. 1 "I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications. 2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. 4 Then I called upon the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!” 5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. 6 The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. 7 Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 8 For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling. 9 I shall walk before the LORD In the land of the living. 10 I believed when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” 11 I said in my alarm, “All men are liars.” 12 What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? 13 I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the LORD. 14 I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people. 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones. 16 O LORD, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid, You have loosed my bonds. 17 To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the LORD. 18 I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people, 19 In the courts of the LORD’S house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD"

DECLARE EL ELYON

1 Chronicles 29: 11-12

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone."

Whenever you have that little twinge of doubt that El Elyon is there for you,that He is indeed YOUR SOVEREIGN, reflect on this prayer of David to YOUR El Elyon! And when you are discouraged because you are not hearing the answers to the questions about your life, Declare in your mind, in your heart and in your spirit this verse from the Psalms:

Psalm 57:2

"I will cry to God Most High, (EL ELYON) To God who accomplishes all things for me."

And when those around you question the ways and works of God, DECLARE the ways of El Elyon as in the book of Daniel:

Daniel 4: 34-35

“But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High (EL ELYON) and praised and honored Him who lives forever;

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’

As you close out your study time today, reflect on this verse from the Psalms"

Psalm 47:2

"For the LORD Most High (EL ELYON) is to be feared, A great King over all the earth."

TRUSTING JESUS AS SOVERIEGN

I love the song Holy, Holy, Holy.
Notice there is not just  one Holy, but three.  Just like in the scripture verse in Revelation:

Revelation 4:8
And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night ^[they do not cease to say,
“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

2 Peter 1:16 "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

Do you trust Jesus? I mean REALLY REALLY TRUST  Him?
Do you believe who He is?
Do you know who He is?
Jesus is the Son of God. He is God the Son. He is your Creator. He is your Savior. He is God. Jesus is not just some fictitious character in a fairy tale. He came to earth for you and for me. He was a real blood, bone and flesh man. He became man so we might know Him, so we might accept Him. He died a horrendous death, suffered the humiliation of bearing our sins, our guilt and our pain so we could live eternally with Him in heaven. There is no accomplishment, nothing that will make you feel complete like Jesus can. There is nothing on this earth worth more than the love of Jesus Christ. No person can love you as much and especially not more than Jesus. Nothing can give you more pleasure than Jesus. And nothing can give you the joy and peace you can feel through Him. If you have not made Jesus Your Sovereign, Please take the time to do it right now! He is waiting for you! And He has made a way for you to become part of the family!

John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,"

So the next step is up to you. He wants you. Will you make Him your Sovereign today? He will never leave you! He has made that promise to us. And nothing can keep you from Him and His perfect love.

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

He is your SOVEREIGN.
He wants you to come to Him. Revelation Song

DRAW NEAR TO EL ELYON!

Yesterday I sent a text to my son, Matthew, who is in Utah this weekend, doing work with Plant Utah. I asked him how Utah was treating him, and his reply was something along the lines of "The owner of Utah is treating me great! We are staying with one of the Owner's stewards." I loved that response, and thought how it fit in with our subject matter today, Draw near to El Elyon, the sovereign God, possessor of heaven and earth, yes the owner of Utah . How wonderful when we can think in terms of serving El Elyon, the owner of EVERYTHING! When we read Genesis 14, we learned how the two kings responded to Abram. Melchizedek, king of Salem, and a worshipper of the true God, brought gifts, food and praise to Abram and to El Elyon. On the other hand, the king of Sodom, attempted to bribe Abram. Abram responded as he should have, he gave praise to El Elyon and told the king of Sodom he would not accept anything from the king, because he would not allow that king to claim the glory for what God had delivered into his hands.

Genesis 14:22-23 "But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God Most High, (El Elyon) Creator of heaven and earth, (Elohim) that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’"

May we learn to always draw close to God, and give Him the praise and glory He deserves for everything in our lives. Draw near to El Elyon. Learn to depend on Him. Remember He is your sovereign! We saw in our Scripture readings in Genesis 39, how Joseph also drew near to El Elyon. How Joseph made sure everyone knew it was indeed God who gave him the interpretations of the dreams. Joseph gave credit where credit was due. And God indeed did bless Joseph.

Genesis 39:21-23 "the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did."

Genesis 41: 14-16 "So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

And then again when Joseph encounters his brothers, he gives the glory for all that has happened in his life to El Elyon.

Genesis 45: 4-11 "Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.[ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’

Joseph acknowledges that all his problems, all the bad things others have done to him were actually all worked out for the greater good by his Sovereign, El Elyon.

How very awesome is one of my favorite verses of Scripture, found in the book of Romans. Let's meditate on it as we close out this study today.

Romans 8:28 And we know that [God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:37 "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us."

DISCOVER EL ELYON

If you did not get to it yesterday, please take the time now for these Scripture Readings:

Genesis Chapter 14
Genesis Chapter 39
Genesis Chapter 45

They will help us to know El Elyon better. El Elyon is your Sovereign. He rules over all things. He is in control.
He is really the only one you can ALWAYS count on.
Yes, He is in control of your life, you can trust Him,
and His name is El Elyon, your Sovereign.
Abram discovered God as El Elyon through Melchizedek in Genesis 14:19-20.
But who is Melchizedek? From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Melchizedek Priest, King of Salem Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek — by Dieric Bouts the Elder, 1464–67 Melchizedek or Malki Tzedek (Hebrew מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק malḵ-i ṣédeq) translated as "my king (is) righteous(ness)") is a king and priest mentioned during the Abram narrative in the 14th chapter of the Book of Genesis. He is introduced as the king of Salem, and priest of El Elyon ("The highest God"). He brings out bread and wine and blesses Abram and El Elyon.

If you remember, this is our KEY VERSE for El Elyon

Genesis 14:19-20
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
"He blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be [c]God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
He gave him a tenth of all."

NOW LET'S TAKE TIME TO DISCOVER EL ELYON!

According to our study book, Trusting In The Names Of God by Catherine Martin, on page 116,

"The Hebrew words translated "God Most High" are El Elyon and mean elevated, high, exalted ~ the Supreme Being (the true God)
Henry Morris, founder of the Institute for Creation Research, says the revelation of El Elyon stressed "the absolute superiority of God to the multitude of gods and goddesses worshiped in Canaan." El Elyon is introduced into the life experience of Abram, who later was renamed Abraham by God Himself. The name El Elyon occurs 4 times in Genesis 14:18-22 and approximately 40 times throughout the Old Testament, including 20 times in Psalms and 12 times in Daniel."

We are on a really exciting journey!
Tomorrow we will learn how to
DRAW NEAR TO EL ELYON!
^{Genesis 14:22-24} But Abram told the king of Sodom, "I swear to God, The High God, (EL ELYON)Creator of Heaven and Earth, (ELOHIM) this solemn oath, that I'll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I'm not going to have you go around saying, 'I made Abram rich.' Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they're to get their share of the plunder."

TRUSTING IN EL ELYON ~ HE IS YOUR SOVEREIGN

KEY VERSE:

GENESIS 14:19-20
"Blessed be Abram of God Most High; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand".

Please prepare today for our lessons on El Elyon by reading the following sections of Scripture:

Genesis Chapter 14
Genesis Chapter 39
Genesis Chapter 45

And then read these verses:

2 Peter 1:16 "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

Romans 8: 38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,"

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone."

Psalm 57:2 "I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me."

Psalm 47:2 "For the LORD Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth."

Romans 9:20-21 "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? "

Psalm 83:18 "That they may know that You alone, Whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth."

Psalm 97:9 "For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods."

Jeremiah 18:3-4 "Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make."

In 1902, Adelaide A. Pollard, a Bible teacher and hymn writer, was hoping to go to Africa as a missionary but found herself unable to raise the needed funds to make the journey. Greatly discouraged, she attended a prayer service one evening and as she sat there, she overheard an elderly woman say "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your own way with our lives." The elderly woman inspired Pollard and she contemplated the story of the potter from Jeremiah 18:3 and, upon her return home that evening, wrote all four stanzas before retiring for the night. Five years later George Stebbins wrote a tune titled "Adelaide" to accompany the text.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.

Click HERE to hear Jim Reeves singing this song

My Response to Elohim

KEY VERSE:

Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

FOR FURTHER THOUGHT:

Page 114 of the book, TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD, Catherine Martin asks this question:

"What is the most important truth you learned about Elohim? Write a prayer to Elohim, expressing all that is on your heart. (As you read about God's names, you may want to summarize what you learn on the "Trusting in the Names of God " worksheet in appendix 2 by writing out each Hebrew name, English name, meaning and related Scripture."

MY RESPONSE: A prayer to Elohim
If you would like to share here, feel free to click the comment button and share, or if you would rather keep your response private, grab a notebook and write a prayer to Elohim, our creator.

Please give your response to the lessons on Elohim.

Tomorrow we will begin TRUSTING IN EL ELYON ~ HE IS YOUR SOVEREIGN

DELIGHT IN ELOHIM!

read the words to this beautiful hymn! Holy Holy, Holy Lord God almighty! Our God, our Creator, Elohim! Is indeed worthy to be praised!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns
around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name,
in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

In the book of Job, chapters 38-42, we read about our wonderful Creator, Elohim. All He is, all He created. Please take a few minutes to read those chapters now. I have copied them for you here:

Job 38 God Speaks Now to Job 1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? 3 “Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5 Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? 6 “On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 “Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; 9 When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors, 11 And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop’? God’s Mighty Power 12 “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place, 13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? 14 “It is changed like clay under the seal; And they stand forth like a garment. 15 “From the wicked their light is withheld, And the uplifted arm is broken. 16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you, Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? 18 “Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. 19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place, 20 That you may take it to its territory And that you may discern the paths to its [f]home? 21 “You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great! 22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, 23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of war and battle? 24 “Where is the way that the light is divided, Or the east wind scattered on the earth? 25 “Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt, 26 To bring rain on a land without [g]people, On a desert without a man in it, 27 To satisfy the waste and desolate land And to make the seeds of grass to sprout? 28 “Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? 29 “From whose womb has come the ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth? 30 “Water becomes hard like stone, And the surface of the deep is imprisoned. 31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion? 32 “Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her satellites? 33 “Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth? 34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you? 35 “Can you send forth lightnings that they may go And say to you, ‘Here we are’? 36 “Who has put wisdom in the innermost being Or given understanding to the mind? 37 “Who can count the clouds by wisdom, Or tip the water jars of the heavens, 38 When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together? 39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, 40 When they crouch in their dens And lie in wait in their lair? 41 “Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food? Job 39 God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings 1 “Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer? 2 “Can you count the months they fulfill, Or do you know the time they give birth? 3 “They kneel down, they bring forth their young, They get rid of their labor pains. 4 “Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them. 5 “Who sent out the wild donkey free? And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, 6 To whom I gave the wilderness for a home And the salt land for his dwelling place? 7 “He scorns the tumult of the city, The shoutings of the driver he does not hear. 8 “He explores the mountains for his pasture And searches after every green thing. 9 “Will the wild ox consent to serve you, Or will he spend the night at your manger? 10 “Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with [n]ropes, Or will he harrow the valleys after you? 11 “Will you trust him because his strength is great And leave your labor to him? 12 “Will you have faith in him that he will return your [o]grain And gather it from your threshing floor? 13 “The ostriches’ wings flap joyously With the pinion and plumage of love, 14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust, 15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [q]them, Or that a wild beast may trample them. 16 “She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned; 17 Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding. 18 “When she lifts herself on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider. 19 “Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? 20 “Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrible. 21 “He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons. 22 “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword. 23 “The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin. 24 “With shaking and rage he races over the ground, And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet. 25 “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’ And he scents the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry. 26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south? 27 “Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up And makes his nest on high? 28 “On the cliff he dwells and lodges, Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place. 29 “From there he spies out food; His eyes see it from afar. 30 “His young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is he.” Job 40 Job: What Can I Say? 1 Then the LORD said to Job, 2 “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.” 3 Then Job answered the LORD and said, 4 “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. 5 “Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more.” God Questions Job 6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm and said, 7 “Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. 8 “Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? 9 “Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His? 10 “Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity, And clothe yourself with honor and majesty. 11 “Pour out the overflowings of your anger, And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low. 12 “Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him, And tread down the wicked [x]where they stand. 13 “Hide them in the dust together; Bind them in the hidden place. 14 “Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you. God’s Power Shown in Creatures 15 “Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. 16 “Behold now, his strength in his loins And his power in the muscles of his belly. 17 “He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together. 18 “His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. 19 “He is the first of the ways of God; Let his maker bring near his sword. 20 “Surely the mountains bring him food, And all the beasts of the field play there. 21 “Under the lotus plants he lies down, In the covert of the reeds and the marsh. 22 “The lotus plants cover him with [ad]shade; The willows of the brook surround him. 23 “If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. 24 “Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, With barbs can anyone pierce his nose? Job 41 God’s Power Shown in Creatures 1 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? 2 “Can you put a rope in his nose Or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3 “Will he make many supplications to you, Or will he speak to you soft words? 4 “Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever? 5 “Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you bind him for your maidens? 6 “Will the traders bargain over him? Will they divide him among the merchants? 7 “Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? 8 “Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; you will not do it again! 9 “Behold, your expectation is false; Will you be laid low even at the sight of him? 10 “No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him; Who then is he that can stand before Me? 11 “Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. 12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame. 13 “Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail? 14 “Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror. 15 “His strong scales are his pride, Shut up as with a tight seal. 16 “One is so near to another That no air can come between them. 17 “They are joined one to another; They clasp each other and cannot be separated. 18 “His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 19 “Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth. 20 “Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. 21 “His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth. 22 “In his neck lodges strength, And dismay leaps before him. 23 “The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immovable. 24 “His heart is as hard as a stone, Even as hard as a lower millstone. 25 “When he raises himself up, the [av]mighty fear; Because of the crashing they are bewildered. 26 “The sword that reaches him cannot avail, Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin. 27 “He regards iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood. 28 “The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are turned into stubble for him. 29 “Clubs are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rattling of the javelin. 30 “His underparts are like sharp potsherds; He spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mire. 31 “He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment. 32 “Behind him he makes a wake to shine; One would think the deep to be gray-haired. 33 “Nothing on earth is like him, One made without fear. 34 “He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.” Job 42 Job’s Confession 1 Then Job answered the LORD and said, 2 “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” 4 ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ 5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; 6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.” God Displeased with Job’s Friends 7 It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job. God Restores Job’s Fortunes 10 The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. 11 Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold. 12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man and full of days"

Just think about all His power, all His power as He created the earth and all that is in it! All that power, The huge mountains, the raging sea, The gorgeous, yet powerful tiger, The adorable little shetland pony, That beautiful baby, and all those intricate little details important to the earth and it functions. so small, so minute they cannot even be seen by the naked human eye/ All created by the amazing hand of God! Elohim. Take time now to meditate on all of His creation, and delight in what He has done for you and for me! He is an amazing God indeed!. What an AWESOME God!
Click on the link and listen to the words to this song as you meditate on Him!
Our God is an Awesome God