Friday, December 25, 2015

…and he was named Jesus. Luke 2:21

Merry Christmas to you and your families and thank you for stopping by for a moment for the conclusion but not the end to “What is in a name.” I’m sure you’re already comfy and cozy  so grab your favorite Christmas morning beverage and enjoy the savoring presence of Jesus; there is no other name. 

Often times when we hear a name there’s always an association or picture we form in our minds. Especially a famous name; for instance when you see or hear the name Walt Disney what do you picture? Of course, Disneyland and all the wonderful moments you spent riding every theme ride in the park.  And how about Tom Cruise, of course I think of all the Mission Impossible movies.
Now don’t get me wrong I’m not comparing these people to Jesus, but you see how quick your thoughts and images come to mind when you speak a name.

We concluded yesterday with the first two names; Wonderful and Counselor and now for the remaining three. My prayer is that each name as you speak them out loud will bring a sense of hope and empowerment that as you do speak His name you have a greater understanding of why His name is called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.

So here we go; that name Mighty God means that Jesus has unlimited power for us. What does Mighty mean to you?

As we encounter the demands of life it can seem overwhelming and we at times feel defeat and weakened by the days end, but when we know He resides within us when we call upon His name as Mighty God His power for us is just that; unlimited!
I think it is impossible to be a Christian apart from the help of the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful that the name Mighty God is there for us to give us strength to do what He wants us to. Next, He is called the Everlasting Father. Christ came to die on the cross and pay for our sins He rose again from the dead, in that, means we have an Everlasting Father, One who will be with us forever. He will never forget about us and He will always be there to guide and help us in every aspect of life. We then must allow Him to do so. Yes we must give Him permission to do so because He’s not going to override or overrule our will.

Oh how I love this particular name. This name gives me such great comfort when I’m in need of harmony and the next name Isaiah called Him is the Prince of Peace. Certainly we live in frightening times and how we all are in need of peace in our lives.
 If you look at the unsettledness of these times our minds can lead us to fear quite the opposite of peace. John 14:27 encourages us “My Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” God will bring peace to the mind of all those who call on His name. What a powerful name “Prince of Peace!”

What's in a name? That all depends on whose name it is. Jesus can be your Prince of Peace. He can be your Counselor. He can be your Mighty God. He can be your Everlasting Father. You can experience life to the fullest because His name is Wonderful.
If it had not been for the manger there certainly would not have been the need of the cross. This Jesus who was born in a manger, who walked this earth, who was crucified, and who rose again, is not some mere historical figure, although He was that. He is alive, and He is still changing lives, today. That’s the reason He came: to put us in touch with God and to give our lives purpose and meaning. 

God’s riches blessings to you on this sweet day and remember you don’t have to wait till next year to speak His name for every day is the greatest opportunity to speak His name!!

Merry Christmas
Love Debbie

Thursday, December 24, 2015

What is in a name?

I love the smell and the sweet savoring scents of Christmas. I know many of you will be scurrying around getting those last minute gifts or even Stocking Stuffers, so thank you for taking a moment out of your busy schedule to join me. Let us take a look into the character of a name. 

When we as women become pregnant, usually the very first thing we, and everybody else, want to know is what the gender is. The excitement sometimes is more than we can contain, although back in my day, that was not an option. Isn’t today’s technology amazing? The ability to find out whether we’re having a boy or girl is so available and for the most part when we do find out, we start the hunt for a name. Yet, for some, they want to wait and see the baby before they pronounce their given name.


We can find ourselves inundated with so much information about a name. We can buy books; we can Google a name and even search for the meaning and the origin of where and how that name came about. More and more we are discovering new names from those who like to make up names; and there are those who still love those good old-fashion names.
There are traditional names that have been passed down from generation to generation and what a treasure that little one is that carries such a precious name.

No matter what your name may be, it has been chosen especially for you! Yes, there is something about your name that identifies who you are. Now if you were to call me by a different name, you would get no response. Why? Well, the answer is simple: because you didn’t call me by my given name. When you mention a person’s name, don’t you think of them and their personality? Their name depicts who they are and how you know them!! Your name describes…just that… who you are!

There is a name that is above all names, the name of Jesus. The prophet Isaiah tells us some important things, not only about the name of the Messiah that was to come, but also about His character:

For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Each of these descriptions gives us a different aspect of the work that God wants to do in our lives. His name is Wonderful, which means “a sense of awe,” and He wants to bring a sense of awe and wonder to our lives.  Next is Counselor; He wants to give us His personal counsel and direction.  Psalm 73:24.  No longer do we have to be perplexed by our problems because with Jesus as our counselor we can know He will reveal His will to us.

Oh, how awesome are these two names given to Him that we might find peace in them.

I’m not going to leave you hanging with just these two names! Join me tomorrow on this special day for the remaining names of Jesus: Mighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace.

Continue to make His name personal this Christmas and remember, keep Him close to your heart!
His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Love Debbie