This week’s name, Friend, is a 180-degree turn from last week–Lord. He is – Lord of All. ALL. Every knee WILL bow, and every tongue WILL confess it. But the Lord of All Creation is not some overbearing tyrant. He calls us “Friend.” Isaiah tells us Abraham was God’s friend. But you, Israel, My servant,…
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9 I grew up in a faith tradition that taught you could never be sure of your salvation. We did our best to follow the rules. When we…
For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father….
What’s in a name? I brought home a kitten last week, and the kids named him Leon Trotsky. “Why name him after a Communist who was murdered by a Russian dictator?” you ask. Well, we have a Babka, so it fits with the Russian theme. And the way the little guy trots is so cute….
But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7 Paul often speaks of mysteries–secrets or wisdom hidden until Christ came but are now revealed to us. The Greek word mysterion means a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding….