GodandMe2theMax

Thursday Night - Coincidence? Not with God!

Coincidence?  Not a chance.  Not with God!

Today I have seen the providential hand of God over repeatedly.

I'll start with my very first visit of the day.  I was reunited with Christian, my translator from the last four years.  We've worked together so many times sharing the Gospel that he can practically know what I'm going to say next.  He knows his Bible and is passionate about sharing Christ.  Besides that, he's like my little brother.  I pick on him constantly and love him dearly.  I say all this about Christian, because God knew I needed him as my translator at this first home, someone who was bold and spoke with conviction. 

On top of Christian, the national we worked with from yesterday, Andreas, was with us again.  This guy was amazing.  Usually when we work side by side with the nationals, they're pretty timid.  Not Andreas.  I have never worked with a national like him, and I believe he'll be a pastor himself one day.  He walked over an hour from his home to the barrio, just to work with us.  How many of us would do that?  To tell you the truth, with the heat and humidity here, I don't think I would have.  That's commitment, and with tenacity like that, you know God had a plan to use him.

We went to a home where a mom, Nereida, was preparing lunch.  She had a son, Harrison, who was doing chores in the kitchen, and then another son Jorge was just hanging out.  We started to share Christ, and Nereida kept getting up and down, seemingly disinterested.  Then the father, Jorge Sr, walked into the house with another son, Oswaldo.  When Jorge Sr walked in, the mood changed.  He sat and listened intently as I shared the Gospel.  I talked about how Jesus died in the cross, suffered a terrible death for you and me, so that we could have a way to heaven.  I told them how salvation was a free gift available to all, and we couldn't work our way to heaven.

As I shared, as Christian translated, and as Andreas jumped into the conversation, it was clear God was in the house.  After about forty minutes of sharing, Jorge Sr, Nereida,  Oswaldo, Harrison, and Jorge Jr. prayed to receive Christ as their personal Savior.  They put their faith and trust in God and committed their lives to Him.  That was a miracle.  Salvation came to the entire house, and that is the experience I always long for when I go on mission trips.  So many times we lead moms or kids or fathers to the Lord, but rarely do we find the entire family at home at once. 

But the story doesn't end there.  Andreas, our national, has incredible discernment.  He could sense sadness in the home during our conversations.  After the family prayed to receive Christ, he told them that he knew the family had wronged each other.  They were holding bitterness against each other.  And just as God forgave them of their sins, they should confess to each other the wrongs they had committed to hurt each other.  He told them to demonstrate the same love of God that they had just experienced in their own lives with each other.

It was at least 100 degrees.  It was a humid.  I had beads of sweat rolling down my back.  But as I watched this family turn to each other, cry uncontrollably, embrace in an endless hug, goose bumps appeared on my arms and legs.  God not only took residence in their lives yesterday, but He was invited into their home to take control and heal broken hearts and open wounds.  He is the great Physician, and I saw Him in action yesterday.

We found out later that Oswaldo is leaving on Saturday for the police academy, and the family has been torn apart over it.  Nereida's heart is so fearful for him.  I was able to share with the family one of the verses I'd memorized earlier this year.  Zephaniah 3:17  "The Lord your God is with you.  He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you.  He will quiet you with His love.  He will rejoice over you with singing."  Nereida hugged me, crying.  I did the same. 

Nereida then invited the three of us to share lunch with them.  It was soup and rice.  Hmmm...this is something we're told to never do.  We have no idea how the food was prepared, and we can probably assume the water was not purified.  I prayed, but I knew the immediate answer.  There was no way I would insult this family and not eat with them.  "Lord, protect my stomach supernaturally; please don't let me get sick.  Bless this food and this family.  Amen."  So far, so good.

I trained the family on how to use the E-Card.  They were excited about sharing this Good News with others.  We also found out that have one more child, a daughter named Linda.  She was at school, but they were quick to assure as she would hear the Gospel from them as soon as she got home.  Three older boys and a baby girl.  There are four kids in my family, three boys and me, the baby.  No, God is not a God of coincidence.  He didn't need me there in that  house, but I'm sure glad He chose me to be there and experience His power.

At the next home we visited, we found an entire family who were already believers, but they had fallen away from the Lord.  They were not involved in a local church, and they had allowed circumstances in their lives affect their commitment level to God.  Sound familiar?  How similar is that story to Christians we know and have come across in our path.  Some of the family members were struggling with debilitating back pain, and we took time to pray for them.  Andreas did the praying, and I'm telling you, I don't have a clue as to what he said, but he prayed with such passion for them.  The Holy Spirit was moving.  The woman in the house had faith that she would be healed.  Only God knows.

In the afternoon, we had another national join our team, Evelyn.  She watched as we shared Christ with our testimony and the Evangecube.  I could sense her fear.  At the last home we visited, I handed her the cube and said, "It's your turn."  I have to laugh as the color quickly left her face.  I told her, "God has not given you the spirit of fear."  And I told her we were going home, but she would need to continue the work.  I watched at the next home and said nothing at all, only smiled.  Evelyn may have been scared, but it was awesome to see her share the Gospel - her first time ever.

At the end of the day, Pastor Roberto sat across from me in the van.  He has such passion for the Lord, and he wanted to share all these old pictures of people he's worked with in the past.  He used to live in Cartagena, but two months ago he moved his family here to Barranquilla to start a new church.  One by one I politely smiled as I looked at the pictures.  Oh that's nice, nodding my head as I listened to his stories. 

Wait!  I know that guy!  That's Jeff Smith!  Jeff plays the bongos on our church's worship team and is in my small group.  I knew Jeff had gone to Cartagena one time a number of years ago, but I quickly learned that Pastor Roberto was Jeff's translator on that trip! 

Next Pastor Roberto told me about his passion for evangelism and gave how this evangelist he met a long time ago him an idea of what to name his association, if he started one.  He pulled a weathered family picture of this evangelist from his Bible.  "Hey, that's Johnny Wilson!" I said.  His eyes widened...you know Johnny Wilson?  Dude!  I used to travel with his ministry on the weekends when I was in college.  Frank used to work with him in North Carolina!  Wow!  Colombia is a big country.  Pastor Roberto knew Johnny from quite a while ago from when he lived in Cartagena.  Who would ever think that me, living in Texas, would go to Colombia and find several mutual friends with this Pastor who has been in Barranquilla only two months?  God would.  There are no coincidences with Him.

I'm humbled.  I'm thankful.  I'm overwhelmed.  I'm forever changed.  I'm so grateful my coincidences are God's divine appointments.

 

Oswaldo, Jorge Jr, Nereida, Jorge Sr, and Harrison

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Hospitality -- Is it a lost art or are we just too busy?

I've decided that hospitality is a lost art these days.  When I was growing up, my parents were always asking people over to eat after church on Sundays or making plans to get together over the next weekend.  At least once a month, we either went to the Maier's house or the Maier's came to ours.  My parents sought out new people in church to get to know, and usually it was over a meal in the comfort of our own home.  Thanksgiving meal was never shared alone with our family.  There was always an extra seat or two for a family in need or a college student or missionary kid who had no family around.  We opened our home.  It's what we did.  It's who we were.

So when I became an adult, I just assumed that's what people do.   Correction, that's what my family has always done.  But I have come to realize that this form of "get to know you" interaction is a lost art.  It didn't take long for me to figure out that most people in life don't have this practice.  We have had countless people over to hang out with few reciprocal invitations.  In fact, you may actually have better odds at a horse race.

OK, let me clarify.  My feelings have never been hurt by someone not inviting me over.  I'm merely just talking about this lost art form of opening your home.  OK?  Let no one reading this think I'm talking about you!  Besides, my family has so many allergies to pets that we can't actually go to most people's homes.  End of subject.

So this morning I was reading in 3 John.  The entire book is fourteen verses long, so I can't even honestly say, "If you have time, go read it."  Seriously, you can read and finish this book quicker than you can toast and butter your bread.  Go do it.  No excuses.

I wish I could have known John.  I think he would be the kind of guy I could hang out with and be good friends with.  I already know he would be the kind of guy who would have us over to his home, and hopefully for my family, his pet donkey would not be an inside pet.  John specifically talks about hospitality in verse eight.  I love the fact that he calls Gaius "FRIEND."  Five times in this little short book he mentions that word - friend.  He's an encourager.  He's not afraid to call sin for what it's worth.  But mostly you can just feel the love and power behind his words.  Really, he's the kind of friend we all need in our lives.

So back to this lost art form.  How do you think John and Gaius got to be so good of friends?  I think it was by hanging out.  You don't have to "entertain" to have someone over.  Some people don't invites others because it's such a burden to get the house clean, etc.  Let me tell you, once you let your hair down and drop pretenses, heck, you don't even have to clean your house anymore.  Just go make sure the toilets are flushed and you're good to go.  You just need to have a place to sit and chill out together.  Maybe a deck of cards or dominoes, if you're a game player.  It really doesn't take much to offer hospitality to others. 

I believe "Community" is lacking in our churches.  We go to church, see our friends, say goodbye til the next week.  If we're lucky, we may see them again on Wednesday in the halls of church or some time during the week at the grocery store.  "Hey, we need to get together!" is said more times than you can count...but it rarely comes to fruition.

I know I have far too many surface friends in my life when what I really want is deeper friendships.  I'm convinced this happens only by interaction...and not just once.  Maybe I'm old fashioned.  Maybe it's how I grew up.  Probably both.  Either way, know that if you ever need a friend, my home is always open.  If you ever want to laugh and have an evening of games, give me a call.  I'm almost always up for the competition.  If you haven't ever had people over on a regular basis, try it.  Break out of your comfortable shell.  Make it a priority in your life.  Make a goal to have a family over once a month.  Surely you can fit an evening a month into your busy schedule.  Start practicing "community".  You might just discover an art form that you actually love!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Psalm 65 - The turmoil of the nations

With the healthcare debate in this country,  I think everyone would agree that we are a nation filled with turmoil.  Recent action in Washington DC has everyone expressing varying degrees of extreme emotion.

Psalm 65 is a song of David, thanking God for His many blessings and provision.  It was good for me this morning to just focus on the power and provision of my sovereign God.  As I read, God gave me a peace and reminder that He is in control.  There is no law passed in this country and there are no leaders appointed that God is unaware of.

When we were overwhelmed by sins, God forgives our transgressions.  (v. 3)  
Regardless of the healthcare debate, I believe we are a nation that has turned away from God.  But I am encouraged this morning that even though we are headed down this road, it doesn't mean that all is doom and gloom.  God forgives.  I am reminded of 2 Chronicles 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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

God answers us with awesome deeds of righteousness.  He's the hope of all the earth. (v. 5)
I'm reminded of the so "Mighty to Save" when I read these words.  "Everyone needs compassion, a love that's never failing, let mercy fall on me.  Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Savior, the hope of nations!"  I'm reminded to focus on God's righteousness, not man's sinfulness.  The only HOPE is in God.

He formed the mountains by His power.  (v. 6)  He calmed the roaring seas and waves, and THE TURMOIL OF THE NATIONS. (v. 7)  As morning dawns and evening fades, God calls for songs of joy. (v. 8)
God, the creator of the universe, has it all under control.  He calms the seas. He can surely calm the turmoil of our nation.  I will choose to praise Him, in the good and in the bad, in the morning and in the evening.  I will focus on praying for our nation and for our leaders.

Verses 9-13 of the Psalm focus on God's provision through nature.  He cares for the land and waters it so that we have grain to eat.  The grassland and desert overflow.  The meadows are covered with flocks. 
God certainly cares about every detail here on earth.  He is a generous God who gives me more than I deserve or need.  Yes, physically, he 'cares for the land', but I think so much more "HE CARES FOR THIS LAND."  He cares about every detail of our life, every law that is passed.  He loves us and wants what is best for us.  Sometimes we get in the way of that, but I am reminded that God does care!

Will you commit to pray with me for this country each day and for our leaders?  Yes, there's turmoil in our nation right now, but God has it under control.  The Master knows the master plan!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

"Attitude Check!" from Psalm 55

Excerpts from Psalm 55 

 "Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea.  Hear me and answer me.  My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the snares of the wicked...My heart is in anguish within me...Fear and trembling has beset me; horror has overwhelmed me...I said, 'Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!   I would fly away and be at rest -- I would flee far away and stay in the desert.  I would hurry to my place of shelter far from the tempest and storm!' ...If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him.  But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God...But I call to God, and the Lord saves me.  Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.  He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.  God, who is enthroned forever, will hear them and afflict them...Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.  He will never let the righteous fall...But as for me, I trust in you."

Have you ever had a time you wanted to just run away?  When the pressure of the world and the problems you are facing are so great, you become numb and can't even function?  I have been there many times.  There's been times when the weight on my shoulders seems so great that I can't possibly take on or do another thing.  I'm pulled in so many directions that all I want to do is escape from LIFE itself.  There's been times that I have had a spiritual meltdown because I just don't feel like I can take the pressure any longer.  David, the great King, mighty warrior, and friend of God experienced the same thing.  He said in Psalm 55 "I wish I had wings and could fly so far away - to a place of shelter away from the storm!" 

I love the fact that David was honest with God.  His approach to God in this passage was with pure vulnerability.  He didn't say, "Oh dear God, please give me strength as I face this mountain in my life."  On the contrary, he told God exactly how he felt.  He said he wanted to run away!  As I think about this, I am convicted that sometimes I approach God in my prayer time without vulnerability.  Sometimes I put on the "spiritual" Beth when I'm talking to Him, telling Him what I know He wants to hear.  But God wants honesty from me.  It's only when I'm honest with Him and myself that He can start to work on me and change me. 

After David pours out his heart to God about how he really feels, it seems the Lord gives Him peace.  The Lord didn't take away the problem, but David's attitude toward the problem seemed to change.  Verses sixteen and seventeen says, "But I call to God, and He saves me.  Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice."  Do you see the attitude change in David? 

When my kids were little and having a problem with their attitude, all I had to say was "Attitude Check!"  I taught them that their response when I said that should be "Praise the Lord!"  I think David had a similar reminder from the Lord.  He had an attitude check.  At one moment, he's telling God that he wants to grow some wings and fly far away from the problems he's facing.  Then he realizes the truth.  God is there, and He's going to help him through the problem, no matter how big it is.  Not only does he realize the truth once, but he continues in the truth.  He didn't just call out to God about the problem once, he called out evening, morning, and noon.  He kept talking to God about it!  God doesn't want us to bear our burdens alone.  Only God has the strength that can sustain us and help us get through, but we have to do our part to bring it to God faithfully - morning, noon, night!  As long as it takes!

Then finally, in verses 22-23, David says "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall...but as for me, I trust in you."  I love that we see the human David here.  We see how God changed his heart of distress and turmoil to be a heart of peace and trust.  God didn't change the circumstances, only David's response to them.

I can sure learn a valuable life lesson from David this morning.  Call out to God with pure honesty, without pretension.  Tell him exactly how I feel. Continue to seek Him constantly.  Accept His peace.  Make a choice to trust.  Trust that God is in control and He's going to help me through this and every situation, no matter how difficult it might seem at the moment.  Sometimes I just need to ask God to give me an 'attitude check!"

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

REST...is it eluding you?

Matthew 11:28-30  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

When I went to bed last night, late into the evening and exhausted from a crazy schedule this week, I prayed.  I begged God to give me a good quiet time with Him this morning so that I could be refreshed and renewed.  He never fails, and His timing is perfect.  He led me to these verses in Matthew.

Do you ever feel like you're on a leash, being yanked around by someone else?  Go here.  Do this.  Call me back.  I need you to help me...  That's how I've felt all week.  As I rolled out of bed this morning, I could hardly read the Bible because my eyes were so dry and blurry.  I've put in a lot of hours at work and a lot of hours at home, and the sad thing is that I'm not nearly even caught up in either location!

Jesus says, "Come to me, and I will give you rest!"  It's another formula found in God's Word, and I just love simple and straightforward things like this.  What kind of excuses do you give God for not spending time with Him each day?  "I'm too busy."  "I'm too tired."  "My day was so full from start to finish that I forgot and by the time I remembered, I was too exhausted."   "I planned on doing it after the kids went to bed, but then..."   We all can come up with the best excuses, at least they sound good to us!  A lot of them surround being too tired or too busy.  But what we fail to remember (or perhaps failed to learn in the first place) is that Jesus says all we have to do is come to Him, and that's where we are going to find the rest we need. 

The verse says to take His yoke on us and learn from Him.  When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, He takes our yoke -- our sin and the demands of this world and replaces it with His yoke, filled with love, healing, peace, and REST.  It's only by spending time with Him that we learn from Him and get 'energized' with enough rest to face the day.  God always reminds me of truths I've learned in the past just when I need it the most...like today!  I'm thankful that even in busy weeks like this, REST is not an elusive thing.  All I have to do is run to Him and find it. 

-Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

A Lesson from a canvas up in a tree...

A few years ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to take an all expense paid trip without our children to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  One afternoon, we were able to go out shopping in the village.  As we walked up and down the crowded street, watching people selling their wares, something struck me.  Up in a tree, was a canvas of a Haitian woman.  I walked by it several times until I couldn't get the image out of my mind.  I walked back and looked up in the tree again.  The artist portrayed the Haitian woman's eyes as full of despair and literally the gateway to her soul.  I couldn't help but think of the verse in Psalms 42:11 "Why are you cast down, O my soul?  Why are you disquieted within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God."  Of course I bought that canvas, and until the movers broke the glass I had framed it in, it hung on my wall, a constant reminder of this verse.

As I read in Psalm 42 this morning, I'm reminded of that story, but I'm also struck with the end of the verse...one that perhaps I've never paid so much attention to in the past.  "...for I will yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God."  I am enamored by that phrase - God is the health of my countenance!  When I am walking with God and spending time with Him, it shows on the outside!  I look healthy, vibrant, full of life.

I'm thankful I don't struggle with depression, but there are so many people in this world that do.  Some truly have a bio-chemical medical condition.  (End of subject - no debate!)  Others, however, struggle because of a heart condition.  They are so downcast about their life struggles that they just can't give it over to God.  They know He's there, but somehow it's just too hard to let God carry the burden for them.  Do you know those kind of people?  You can see it in their eyes - their pain and sorrow, much like I saw in the canvas of the Haitian woman. 

No, I may not struggle with depression, but I surely struggle with other sins in my life, and this verse speaks just as loudly to me.  The closer I walk with God, the more He points out areas in my life that require change. 

I want people to look at my eyes and my countenance and see that I'm different - because of Christ and what He's done in my life.  In order for that to happen, my eyes need to be fixed on Him and not on me. I need to allow Him the key to the inner places of my heart so that He can begin to bring about "health" and change me as He wants.  I pray for 'change' every day, and not the political kind, the personal kind!

Lord, let my eyes be the gateway to my soul so that others can see you clearly in my life!

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Free to forgive...

I think it's safe to say that we are who we are today, in part, because of our past.  Now, I'm not saying we are slaves to our past, but what happened to us throughout our lives has shaped us into the person we are today.  The decisions we make today are either because we've not broken free from our past or we make decisions to be the kind of person we are today because we don't want to be like we were in the past. 

I was challenged this morning in my quiet time to dialog with God.  Not just pray, but listen to what He has to say about my past, especially in the area of forgiveness.  Now, I am a confrontational person; I like to think it's a strength of mine.  I can't stand for conflict to take root in my life and not be resolved.  But this morning I asked God to show me if I needed to forgive anyone in my life, and if I needed to ask forgiveness of anyone.  I asked God to dig deep into what I've buried, deeper than I wanted to go.  Deeper than I've allowed my thoughts to visit in a long time.

God showed me a situation that happened long ago, and He convicted me that I have let it shape who I am today.  At this point, I can't go confront the person, he is no longer alive.  But, I can choose to forgive.  I can choose to no longer be gripped by the pain of the past.  I can choose to allow Christ to heal the scars in my life, and like a Potter, mold me into the creation He wants me to be.  (Isaiah 64:8)  I made the choice.

It doesn't matter how badly a person has hurt you.  When Jesus died on the cross, what were some of His last words? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  When people hurt us, sometimes they have no idea how deep the wounds go.  Yet, Christ, in all His glory, came to earth and suffered a terrible death for you and me so we could have forgiveness.  Those wounds went pretty deep, wouldn't you say?  He still has the scars in his hands to prove it.  With that perspective, I'm convicted that there's nothing so bad in my past that I can't forgive the offender.  Jesus died for that person, too.

The Bible says to 'put off' bitterness.  It says in Matthew 6:12 that we should ask God to forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  Remember the parable in the Bible of the master who forgave the debts of his servant?  What did that servant do?  Instead of going to the people who owed him money and forgiving their debts, he went and tried to collect.  When we harbor bitterness, it's just like holding on to the debts that people owe us. 

God is telling me today that I have to make the choice to forgive, once and for all.  I can't do it without His help.  It's painful...to let go of those angry feelings, especially when I've held on to them for so long.  I'm still going to have the scars from the past, but it's only when I let go of the bitterness that God can move in and heal.  This morning, I've made the decision.  It's a done deal, and I'm not looking back. 

I am free to forgive!

I love this song by the Newsboys...I Am Free!

Through You the blind will see
Through You the mute will sing
Through You the dead will rise
Through You all hearts will praise
Through You the darkness flees
Through You my heart screams, I am free!

I am free to run
(I am free to run)
I am free to dance
(I am free to dance)
I am free to live for you
(I am free to live for you)
I am free
(I am free)

Chorus:
I am free
I am free
I am free to run
(I am free to run)
I am free to dance
(I am free to dance)
I am free to live for you
(I am free to live for you
I am free
(I am free)
Yes I am free

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

The perfect remedy...

Proverbs 18:10  The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and they are safe.

I have some friends that are hurting so deeply in the pit of their soul right now.  They can't see God at work.  They are grieving.  Some are literally fighting for their life.  Others are struggling with deep depression.  why? Why?  WHY?... 

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7:6 that God uses indivudals in our lives to comfort us, and when we allow ourselves to be used, God in turn comforts us.  It's times like this I realize that the only time I will be able to offer comforting words to my friends who are reaching out is if I know God and the Bible more.  Yes, it's a 'theme' of mine, as of late.  Know him more.  Dig deeper.  Memorize.  How else can I be the friend I need to be?  How else can I be a reflection of Him if I can't share His promises with others?

But what do you say to a teenager who just lost her mom and best friend?
What do you say to a friend who has been told she has less than a year to live?
What do you say to a friend whose husband isn't living for the Lord?
What do you say to a friend whose household is in utter distress due to finances?

I don't have the answers.  But I know someone who does.  Run to God.  When you feel like you're at the end of your rope and all hope is gone, don't give up.  Make a knot and hold on tight.  Don't let go.  God holds us with a two handed-grip. (John 10:28)  He promises He won't let go. 

Proverbs 18:10 says the "name" of the Lord is a strong tower.  What do we need when a storm is hitting?  A safe place to run.  That's exactly what God is, in so many ways.  All of life's answers are hid in Christ - Philippians 2:3.  Hid.  Sometimes we have to go looking for them...but He is the only one who can provide the answers!

I searched for an exhaustive list for the names of God and found the list below.  It is pretty incredible, to say the least.  How can anyone say that God is not the remedy for anything they might encounter in life!

*************

Used with permission, from http://www.smilegodlovesyou.org/names.html

THE NAMES OF GOD

OLD TESTAMENT NAMES FOR GOD

ELOHIM......Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1

meaning "God", a reference to God's power and might.

ADONAI......Malachi 1:6

meaning "Lord", a reference to the Lordship of God.

JEHOVAH--YAHWEH.....Genesis 2:4

a reference to God's divine salvation.

JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM.......Exodus 31:13

meaning "The Lord thy sanctifier"

JEHOVAH-ROHI......Psalm 23:1

meaning "The Lord my shepherd"

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH.......Ezekiel 48:35

meaning "The Lord who is present"

JEHOVAH-RAPHA.........Exodus 15:26

meaning "The Lord our healer"

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU......Jeremiah 23:6

meaning "The Lord our righteousness"

JEHOVAH-JIREH.........Genesis 22:13-14

meaning "The Lord will provide"

JEHOVAH-NISSI.........Exodus 17:15

meaning "The Lord our banner"

JEHOVAH-SHALOM........Judges 6:24

meaning "The Lord is peace"

JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH......Isaiah 6:1-3

meaning "The Lord of Hosts"

EL-ELYON..............Genesis 14:17-20,Isaiah 14:13-14

meaning "The most high God"

EL-ROI................Genesis 16:13

meaning "The strong one who sees"

EL-SHADDAI............Genesis 17:1,Psalm 91:1

meaning "The God of the mountains or God Almighty"

EL-OLAM...............Isaiah 40:28-31

meaning "The everlasting God"

MORE NAMES OF GOD

ABBA.............................Romans 8:15

ADVOCATE.........................I John 2:1 (kjv)

ALMIGHTY.........................Genesis 17:1

ALPHA............................Revelation 22:13

AMEN.............................Revelation 3:14

ANCIENT OF DAYS..................Daniel 7:9

ANOINTED ONE.....................Psalm 2:2

APOSTLE..........................Hebrews 3:1

ARM OF THE LORD..................Isaiah 53:1

AUTHOR OF LIFE...................Acts 3:15

AUTHOR OF OUR FAITH..............Hebrews 12:2

BEGINNING.........................Revelation 21:6

BLESSED & HOLY RULER..............1 Timothy 6:15

BRANCH............................Jeremiah 33:15

BREAD OF GOD......................John 6:33

BREAD OF LIFE.....................John 6:35

BRIDEGROOM........................Isaiah 62:56

BRIGHT MORNING STAR...............Revelation 22:16

CHIEF SHEPHERD.....................1 Peter 5:4

CHOSEN ONE.........................Isaiah 42:1

CHRIST.............................Matthew 22:42

CHRIST OF GOD......................Luke 9:20

CHRIST THE LORD....................Luke 2:11

CHRIST, SON OF LIVING GOD..........Matthew 16:16

COMFORTER..........................John 14:26(kjv)

COMMANDER..........................Isaiah 55:4

CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL...............Luke 2:25

CONSUMING FIRE......................Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29

CORNERSTONE.........................Isaiah 28:16

COUNSELOR...........................Isaiah 9:6

CREATOR.............................1 Peter 4:19

DELIVERER..............................Romans 11:26

DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS.................Haggai 2:7

DOOR...................................John 10:7(kjv)

END....................................Revelation 21:6

ETERNAL GOD............................Deut. 33:27

EVERLASTING FATHER.....................Isaiah 9:6

FAITHFUL & TRUE........................Revelation 19:11

FAITHFUL WITNESS.......................Revelation 1:5

FATHER.................................Matthew 6:9

FIRSTBORN (3)........................................Rom.8:29,Rev.1:5,Col.1:15

FIRSTFRUITS............................1 Cor.15:20-23

FOUNDATION.............................1 Cor. 3:11

FRIEND OF TAX COLLECTORS & SINNERS.....Matthew 11:19

GENTLE WHISPER.........................1 Kings 19:12

GIFT OF GOD............................John 4:10

GLORY OF THE LORD......................Isaiah 40:5

GOD....................................Genesis 1:1

GOD ALMIGHTY...........................Genesis 17:1

GOD OVER ALL...........................Romans 9:5

GOD WHO SEES ME........................Genesis 16:13

GOOD SHEPHERD..........................John 10:11

GREAT HIGH PRIEST......................Hebrews 4:14

GREAT SHEPHERD.........................Hebrews 13:20

GUIDE..................................Psalm 48:14

HEAD OF THE BODY.......................Colossians 1:18

HEAD OF THE CHURCH.....................Ephesians 5:23

HEIR OF ALL THINGS.....................Hebrews 1:2

HIGH PRIEST............................Hebrews 3:1

HIGH PRIEST FOREVER....................Hebrews 6:20

HOLY ONE...............................Acts 2:27

HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.....................Isaiah 49:7

HOLY SPIRIT............................John 15:26

HOPE...................................Titus 2:13

HORN OF SALVATION......................Luke 1:69

I AM....................................Exodus 3:14, John 8:58

IMAGE OF GOD............................2 Cor. 4:4

IMAGE OF HIS PERSON.....................Hebrews 1:3 (kjv)

IMMANUEL................................Isaiah 7:14

JEALOUS..............................Exodus 34:14 (kjv)

JEHOVAH..............................Psalm 83:18 (kjv)

JESUS................................Matthew 1:21

JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD................Romans 6:23

JUDGE................................Isaiah 33:22, Acts 10:42

KING.................................Zechariah 9:9

KING ETERNAL.........................1 Timothy 1:17

KING OF KINGS........................1 Timothy 6:15

KING OF THE AGES.....................Revelation 15:3

LAMB OF GOD...........................John 1:29

LAST ADAM.............................1 Cor. 15:45

LAWGIVER..............................Isaiah 33:22

LEADER................................Isaiah 55:4

LIFE..................................John 14:6

LIGHT OF THE WORLD....................John 8:12

LIKE AN EAGLE.........................Deut. 32:11

LILY OF THE VALLEYS...................Song 2:1

LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH............Revelation 5:5

LIVING STONE..........................1 Peter 2:4

LIVING WATER..........................John 4:10

LORD..................................John 13:13

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.....................Revelation 15:3

LORD JESUS CHRIST.....................1 Cor. 15:57

LORD OF ALL...........................Acts 10:36

LORD OF GLORY ........................1 Cor. 2:8

LORD OF LORDS.........................1 Tim. 6:15

LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS..............Jeremiah 23:6

LOVE.................................1 John 4:8

MAN OF SORROWS.........................Isaiah 53:3

MASTER..................................Luke 5:5

MEDIATOR................................1 Timothy 2:5

MERCIFUL GOD............................Jeremiah 3:12

MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT................Malachi 3:1

MESSIAH................................. John 4:25

MIGHTY GOD...............................Isaiah 9:6

MIGHTY ONE...............................Isaiah 60:16

NAZARENE.................................Matthew 2:23

OFFSPRING OF DAVID.......................Revelation 22:16

OMEGA....................................Revelation 22:13

ONLY BEGOTTEN SON........................John 1:18(kjv)

OUR PASSOVER LAMB........................1 Cor. 5:7

OUR PEACE................................Ephesians 2:14

POTTER...................................Isaiah 64:8

POWER OF GOD.............................1 Cor. 1:24

PRINCE OF PEACE..........................Isaiah 9:6

PROPHET..................................Acts 3:22

PURIFIER.................................Malachi 3:3

RABBONI (TEACHER)........................John 20:16

RADIANCE OF GOD'S GLORY..................Heb.1:3

REDEEMER.................................Job 19:25

REFINER'S FIRE...........................Malachi 3:2

RESURRECTION.............................John 11:25

RIGHTEOUS ONE............................1 John 2:1

ROCK.....................................1 Cor.10:4

ROOT OF DAVID............................Rev. 22:16

ROSE OF SHARON...........................Song 2:1

RULER OF GOD'S CREATION..................Rev. 3:14

RULER OVER KINGS OF EARTH................Rev 1:5

RULER OVER ISRAEL........................Micah 5:2

SAVIOR...................................Luke 2:11

SCEPTER OUT OF ISRAEL....................Numbers 24:17

SEED.....................................Genesis 3:15

SERVANT..................................Isaiah 42:1

SHEPHERD OF OUR SOULS....................1Peter 2:25

SHIELD...................................Genesis 15:1

SON OF DAVID.............................Matthew 1:1

SON OF GOD...............................Matthew 27:54

SON OF MAN...............................Matthew 8:20

SON OF THE MOST HIGH.....................Luke 1:32

SOURCE...................................Hebrews 5:9

SPIRIT OF GOD............................Genesis 1:2

STAR OUT OF JACOB........................Numbers 24:17

STONE....................................1 Peter 2:8

SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.....................Malachi 4:2

TEACHER...................................John 13:13

TRUE LIGHT................................John 1:9

TRUE WITNESS..............................Revelation 3:14

TRUTH.....................................John 14:6

VINE......................................John 15:5

WAY........................................John 14:6

WISDOM OF GOD..............................1 Cor. 1:24

WITNESS....................................Isaiah 55:4

WONDERFUL..................................Isaiah 9:6

WORD.......................................John 1:1

WORD OF GOD................................Revelation 19:13

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com