Namesake Week 5 Day 5, A First-Name Basis

Today's Scripture Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 1:20-21, Luke 1:26-33, Numbers 13:16 and Revelation 2:17

Throughout this study we have learned how a name is much more than a name, its a legacy, the dreams of our parents, and the prospect of our life path. In almost every Christian ceremony a person's name is extremely important! From baptisms to funerals the personal intimate nature of stating the persons first name is the heart of the ceremony. During the time of Jesus' birth so many babies didn't make it that the parents held off naming their boys until the circumcision ceremony, so receiving a name was a momentous occasion. Most boys also received the same name of their fathers, I would imagine that when Jesus' parents shared that their babies name would be Jesus most would have been very surprised since his fathers name was Joseph.

Both Mary and Joseph received a visitation from an angel who told them that the babies name was to be Jesus and He would be the son of the Most High. The surprising part of Jesus' name did reflect the name of His heavenly father. In Numbers 13 "Hoshea son of Nun" was given a new name Joshua. Hoshea means "salvation", but Joshua means "the Lord is salvation" or  "God Saves". The Hebrew name Joshua in Greek translation becomes Jesous or Jesus. Jesus' first name was Joshua.

The new letter YOD as in Jehovah "I AM" and by adding the same letter to Hoshea's name - "The Desire for Salvation or Rescue". By speaking Joshua's name Moses was naming aloud Jehovah. So God's people went from never saying God's name aloud so as not to commit blasphemy to now calling on his name for help, saving, and salvation. We are now on a first name basis with Jesus.

Through Jesus we are also on a first name basis with God, a more approachable relationship! God wants to be close to us, He wants us to approach him personally, intimately. Our names represent the essence of who we are, it embodies our lives. Its special to us and describes who we are.

In Revelations 2:17 God has a new name for us, an identity that comes from knowing Him the one that created us. God named us and sends us an invitation out of love to be on a first-name basis with Him. We can be His namesake, He is waiting with a beautiful name just for us!

-Namesake


I hope you have enjoyed following along with this Namesake study. It has been full of challenge, reward and getting to know myself and God's word better. I am currently looking for a new study that is more mother / parent based, so if you have any suggestions please comment below! I would also like to know what are some of your Thanksgiving traditions and how you decorate for the season in between Halloween and Christmas.

Namesake Week 5 Day 4: Grace and Truth

Today's Scripture: John 8:10-11, and John 1-14


After Jesus stood up and and diffused the crowd by making the women's accusers look into their own hearts, He could have simply stopped there. But as the women stood before him waiting on a verdict, wanting to know what this man / leader had to say about her actions, she knew that she was guilty of the crime. Jesus responded with grace "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." Jesus forgave her, set her free from her past, and set her on a new path of change. Jesus' whole ministry in a nut shell is a fine balance of offering grace and giving people the truth.

Jesus wants more for our lives, but we have to take responsibility for thoughts, actions, desires and temptations. We will always be given forgiveness, but that doesn't mean that we can continue on in our sin and make the same mistakes over and over. God sent Jesus to the world to save His people from sin. Because of His love for us He wants to protect us from the damage sin causes in our lives.

There are two main topics that I really wanted to talk about in this chapter Conviction and Condemnation. Many many Christians (especially those who are new to Christianity) struggle with differentiating between the two.

Conviction: An internal voice of God gently calling us to a better life accessible through change.

Condemnation: An internal voice (a combination of the voices of others, our selves, and the devil) that breaks up down, strips away our worth and condemns us to fail over and over.

There are two versus that can really help us during these times of conflict where we might be struggling with conviction vs. condemnation.

John 3:17

Romans 8:1

Jesus offers us the freedom from condemnation, a change to break free of rut and have a new future. It's up to us to take the offer and through God receive the knowledge and help to move toward that future!

10 Years Together and You Still Get To Me

Today is our 10 year wedding anniversary. Its hard to believe that it was only 10 years ago that we got married! We are going away for the weekend and staying in a beautiful suite in Reno, NV. I cannot wait to get there.

I will finish up the Namesake Study at the beginning of next week and post some other fun stuff to.

See Y'all later!

Namesake Week 5 Day 3: Casting the First Stone

Today's Scripture: John 8:7, Matthew 7:1-5, and John 8:31-36

When the unnamed women was at her lowest and most vulnerable time it was followers of God who wounded her most. In their efforts to uphold God's laws they forgot to remember not to hurt God's children in the process. Many people who are suffering and struggling with sin fear the judgement and harsh reactions they might find in church. Christians and other religious groups aren't always the most gracious. I have shared how these were my exact feelings after I become pregnant as a teen. I feared the judgement of my church family and so turned away from them and God for many years.
We as sinners and as followers of God have to remember that grace is God shows his children and so we need to show this to each others.

When Jesus told his followers that "If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone." God was the only one in the crowd that was free of sin and he wasn't picking up or throwing stones. He didn't condemn the women He showed her patience and compassion.

When was the last time you found yourself judging others and what did you judge?

I find myself judging people's intentions before taking the time to learn or ask the person. I also strongly judge the way that others spend money or handle finances when I am just as guilty of spending or shopping.

We judge other's actions more because they are visible while our sins are hidden away in our hearts.
The story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14 is a great example of judging others. When we take the time to look within ourselves it teaches us how to look within the heart of God and compassion and grace. It also shows us where we need to make improvements. When we take the time to do this it not helps us but allows us to forgive others. If we stop judging and start offering grace it will help us change the way we view ourselves and others.

Namesake Week 5 Day 2: Writing in the Sand

Today's Scripture: John 8:6-11, Jeremiah 31:31-34

When we look at what Jesus was doing when the Women Caught in Adultery was brought before Him for judgement, we see that Jesus was bent down writing something in the dirt. I have heard this story before and the bible does not say what Jesus was writing but we know it was words. One of the ideas (the one I love the best) is that Jesus was writing the women's name. The men that brought the women forward was just a pawn to the undoing of Jesus, so if Jesus had written her name the men would have had a very hard time continuing to see her as an object. By writing her name Jesus was saying this women is more than her sin, more than her mistakes, She has a name.

One of the other ideas that I like is that Jesus was writing a message of love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. A message that would have brought comfort to the women who's fate lied in Jesus' hands. The message must have been important for there is only one other time that Jesus (through God) wrote something and that was the 10 commandments. God wants a relationship with us that is made of love not obligation to obey a set of rules. God writes this desire to be obeyed on our hearts and wants our desires to match His desires.

One aspect of this story is the bible never questions the women's guilt, but she is as guilty of breaking God's laws as the men who accused her. If you are free of sin cast the 1st stone. The men who brought her to trial had to then look into their own hearts and one by one walked away. God longs to write His love on our hearts and wants our obedience to be willing.

Jesus,

Help me to fall in love with you. Please help my actions to flow out of my heart and have this love be reflected in my outward obedience. Come and write Your words on my heart. Show me how to desire what you desire and how best to follow your will.

Amen

Namesake Week 5 Day 1: Unnamed, But Not Unknown

 This image was found @ dreaminsoul.com

Today's Scripture: John 8:2-6, 2 Kings 4:1-7, Matthews 9:20-22, Mark 9:17-24, Psalm 139:13-14, 2 Timothy 3:16

From an early age we are taught to say "Hi my name is _____" when we want to meet someone. And we as adults would never ask personal intimate questions of someone without first making introductions and knowing someones name. Yet in the bible there are many important stories of people unnamed.

These unnamed people are more often than not given title that described their situation or a nickname based on their actions. The story that we are booking at in this chapter is that of an unnamed women who is "named" based on a moment of mistake, she is known as "The Women Caught in Adultery". Can you imagine if someone went through your passed and instead of using your name labeled you based on some bad action? None of us wants to dwell on the mistakes of our past, so it would be damaging to be constantly reminded of some bad choice by others judging you and labeling you like the scarlet letter.

Read the story of "The Women Caught in Adultery" in John 8:2-6.  A group of men brought the women before Jesus and they thought there were only two options (for they did not know that Jesus was unlike any other man) to stone her which would take power away from Rome or to pardon her which would do against the laws of Moses potentially losing respect from his followers. The men that brought this women before the temple were not concerned with her as a person, but wanted to set a trap for Jesus to discredit him and potentially get him killed. This damaged women must have been used to men using her for their own purpose, not knowing her heart, her hurts or even her name.

As she stood before "this man" Jesus he held her fate and life in his hands, this man who she could find the love she was missing and the healing that she needed. This man was her creator and "could love her more than anyone ever could". One thing is for sure her life was never the same!

Why are these stories of people who's names are never revealed in the bible? Namesake lists 4 reasons.

1. They are to show that every life no matter how small has great significance to God. 

Psalm 139:13-14

2. Their struggles and triumphs are shared so that we may learn from them. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

3. To remind us that God is the main character in our stories and it's His name that should be lifted up not ours.

Psalm 8:1-4

4. These stories may have been written without names so that we can insert our own name in the blank. 

2 Timothy 3:16

This unnamed women may have been unknown to most and still remains unnamed to us, but Jesus knew her and loved her. I sometimes feel unnoticed, insignificant. I wonder what it is that others see and love about me. What do I mean to others? I have to remind myself that God knows my heart, every dream, stumble, and joy. 

"Before I were born He saw me. Before anyone spoke my name, He knew me. According to Him, I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Namesake - The Last Week

I must confess that Namesake has been a difficult study for me. But I have learned a lot about my views of God and how to strengthen my relationship with Him. I'm on the look out for a new study, if you have any suggestions please let me know. Otherwise I will post which study might be next in the coming days! I hope you follow along for the last few days of this study!