6/12/2008 8:46 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Honoring God’s Name
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Exodus 20:7
Message of the verse: “7 ‘You
shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not
leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.’”
I looked up
in the Online Bible Program how many times “in My name” is found in the NT
using the NASB version. The results were
seventeen times it is found and sixteen of those times it is spoken by Jesus
Christ. Jesus said to pray in His name,
and so many people end a prayer in Jesus’ name.
Whenever a person has a bad name they have a bad reputation and whenever
a person has a good name they have a bad reputation. Since God is the greatest being anywhere He
therefore has the best name of anyone, and when one reads His Word one can see
that names are very important to God.
John writes in Revelations 19:12 “His eyes are a flame of fire, and on
His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows
except Himself.” This verse is speaking
of Jesus Christ when He returns to earth on a white horse to conquer all evil
on the earth and set up His 1000 year kingdom.
His name was so important that no one knew it. Yes names are important and God’s name is the
most important and He states in this the third commandment of the Ten
Commandments that He does not want anyone taking His name in vain. This goes far beyond one just cursing by
using His name in vain; I think it covers doing something in His name that is
wrong. I am thinking of those of the
Muslim religion who say that they are killing people in God’s name when God
would not be a part of this and therefore they are taking the name and
reputation of God in vain. It is because
of this commandment that the Jewish people will not speak the name Yawah
thinking that they might use it in vain.
I am sure that this not what this commandment means. I will close with a couple of verses from the
High Priestly prayer of Jesus Christ in John 17 and verses 6, and 26: “I have manifested Your name to the men whom
You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they
have kept Your word.” ‘And I have made
Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You
loved Me may be in them, and I in them.’”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I can praise the Lord that one of the first
things that He did in my life was to clean up my mouth for before I was a
believer in Jesus Christ my mouth was filthy taking the name of Jesus Christ
and God the Father in vain from the time that I was probably ten years old
until I became a believer at age twenty-six and for this I am truly thankful.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
- Give myself to the Lord for service and worship today.
- Yoke up with the Lord Jesus Christ today.
- Seek the Lord to guide my path today.
- Seek the Lord to make a way of escape when temptations come my way.
- Pray like Epaphras.
Memory verses for the week: Colossians
4:12-113
12.
Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave
of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring for you in his
prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
13.
For I testify of him that he has a deep concern
for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis
6/12/2008 9:26 AM
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