The Name of Jesus for this week with Ann Spangler at Crosswalk.com
Hope you will join us each Friday(or anytime during that weekend)sharing from what we read or would like to share about the Name of Jesus for that week.
Just as Yahweh is God’s personal name revealed in the Old Testament, Jesus is the personal name of the One we call Redeemer, Lord, and Christ. His name is intimately linked to the God of the Hebrew Scriptures because it means “Yahweh is salvation.” Indeed, Jesus is Yahweh come to earth. If you have ever pictured God as a distant, wrathful Being, you will have to reconsider that portrait in light of Jesus Christ, who is God bending toward us, God becoming one of us, God reaching out in mercy, God humbling himself, God nailed to a cross, God rising up from the grave to show us the way home. Jesus, name above all names, beautiful Savior, glorious Lord!
Key Scripture
Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
...The name “Jesus” (in English ) or “Iesous” (in Greek) is the equivalent of the Hebrew “Yeshua,” itself a contraction of the Hebrew name “Yehoshua,” translated “Joshua” in English Bibles. The name Joshua is the oldest name containing Yahweh, the covenant name of God, a name so sacred it was considered too holy to pronounce. Both “Jesus” and “Joshua” mean “Yahweh is help” or “Yahweh is salvation.” Yeshua is also related to the word yeshu’ah, which means “salvation.”
“Soter” is the Greek word translated “Savior.” Its Hebrew equivalent is Moshia. In Greek, “Jesus the Savior” is rendered Iesous Soter (yay-SOUS so-TAIR). Through the centuries, the church has affirmed the belief of the earliest followers of Jesus that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved”
(Acts 4:12).
Yeshua, my Savior. You are God forever. Thank you for saving me from all my sins. You reached down from on high to rescue me. Help me to live with the continual awareness of my need for your saving grace, now and always. Amen.
SCRIPTURES this week:
(T)
Luke 15:1 – 7 and 19:8 – 9
Pray today for the grace to know how much you still need Jesus. Ask him for the grace to see beyond your wants to the things you really need — more compassion and less harsh judgment, more generosity and less fear, more patience and less irritability, more faith and less doubt. Pray that Jesus will enable you to move beyond the kind of selfish praying we all do so that you can pray in a way that reflects his heart, letting whatever moves him move you. Then pray for the privilege of joining him as he seeks out and saves those who are lost.
(W)
Philippians 2:9 – 11 and Acts 16:16 –18
(TH)
Luke 2:11 – 14 and 2 Thessalonians 1:11 – 12
(F)
Promises in Scripture
Acts 2:38 – 39
John 20:30 – 31
Continued Prayer and Praise
Believe in the power of Jesus’ name. (Matthew 12:15 – 21; John 3:16; Acts 3:1 – 10; 4:1 – 12; Romans 5:9 – 11)
Rejoice when you are found worthy to suffer for the sake of the name. (Acts 5:40 – 42; 21:10 – 14)
Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Colossians 3:15 – 17)
Preview of this week's study... Ann Spangler's words will be (in green)
The Name
In the last book of the Bible, Jesus reveals himself as “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Present at the world’s beginning, Jesus will also be present at its end, when he and his work are finally and fully revealed. When you pray to Christ as the Alpha and the Omega, you are praying to the One who is, who was, and who is to come. He is our all-sufficient Lord, who will not fail to complete the good work he has begun in us.
Key Scripture
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
The title “Alpha and Omega” occurs only three times in the Bible, and all three are in the book of Revelation. Because Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, Revelation 22:13 could be paraphrased: “I am the A and the Z, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” These verses in Revelation probably allude to passages in Isaiah in which God identifies himself as being both the first and the last (Isaiah 44:6; 48:12).
Lord, You are Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, First and Last. You are the source of all life and the fulfillment of all desire. You made the world from nothing and then remade it through Your love. Help me to be so rooted in You that I never lose heart. May every beginning and every ending in my life be something that glorifies You.
The Name of Jesus for this week with Ann Spangler at Crosswalk.com was
IT'S TIME TO SHARE from our study this week of "Praying the Names of Jesus"
Remember, however you want to share; from the e-votional this week with Ann Spangler, from what you read in her words, or in God's Word; a song; a poem; a prayer; a graphic or photo ... whatever you desire to share about JESUS as FRIEND; perhaps even some of you may like to share how Jesus is Your Friend or became your friend in your life, a brief testimony - the only requirement is that it is about the Name of Jesus for the current week. You have until Sunday, when the new Name will post for the next week.
Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was sharing the song "what a friend we have in Jesus"... followed by many other songs. Since I have known Jesus in a personal relationship, it was easiest to relate to Him as a friend, until you realize what this "friend" has done for you and how valuable this friendship is... it's then that Jesus as my friend becomes much more.
How about you? Would you like to join us and share about Jesus as your friend?
Share on your blog however you choose about Jesus as Friend then link up HERE
MckLinky is now Linky Tools so it's new and I'll be here to check on it, but if it does not show up and you want to leave your link, just do so in the comments and I'll add it. Thanks!
Reading Ann's devotional in my email this week, and reading the scriptures, reflecting on all she shares ... I thought I should share a prayer to Him. Each day this is at the top of the e-mail to remind us...
"When you pray to Jesus your Friend, you are praying to the One who loved you before you were loveable and who links you together with His many friends throughout the world..."
...and with this being "Praying the Names of Jesus", it only makes sense to apply what we read on Tues.- Thurs. But beyond that these words really struck me. I knew this, of course, but to read daily that Jesus loved "me" / "you" before we were loveable and knowing Him and sharing in that friendship links us together and with His many friends worldwide... WOW!
Anyways... I say Jesus Name often in my prayers. I usually close with "in the Name of Jesus," and that comes up in my prayer once in a while. I say "Praise You Jesus" and "Thank You Jesus" but I don't think I very often start my prayers...Dear Jesus... or dear Friend... nor do I talk with Him like a friend. But that's gonna change today!
When I need a Friend, He is the BEST One FOREVER and how many friends do you know that would give up their life for you?
And as you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you surrender too and give up your life more and more for His way, which becomes your way and soon you are At one. Hopefully, if the time ever comes that you would have to loose your life to defend your faith in Jesus Christ and not to deny knowing Him, like Peter did but repented... may you be strong enough in your faith and courage to be ready also as He was to obey His Father for us. That's what His friendship means... eternity!
I love these words of prayer from Ann Spangler from Monday's evotional:
Jesus, You valued my friendship more than you valued Your life. How can I begin to understand that kind of love? Help me to be among those You count as faithful friends, living in a way not that repays Your friendship, because that is impossible, but in a way that reflects my gratitude. Thank you, my Friend. Amen.
Dear Jesus,
I praise You and thank You for being the Greatest Friend anyone could ask for or have... You are the Best! You became my friend when I was not loveable. I praise You for loving me and taking that first step toward me and our friendship! It was not based on shared interests or mutual admiration like most friendships. Yet I admire You greatly! I cannot imagine my life without You as my Friend. You have been my Friend through so many problems and messes. You have always been right beside me to talk and share my thoughts, feelings, concerns, heartaches and trials. Our friendship is based solely on Your love for me that beckoned me and now my love for You. Praise You Jesus for drawing near to me. I praise You Jesus for revealing Yourself as my Master and also my Friend.
Words cannot express ALL it means to me to have You as my Friend! Thank You!
Strengthen me to show my friendship to You the same way You did for me, if ever a time comes when I must choose my life or You as my Friend! May I easily choose You!
Continued Prayer and Praise Recall that God speaks to his friends. (Exodus 33:7 - 11) Pray for Christ to watch over you. (Job 29:2 - 6) Consider that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9 - 12) Remember that it is possible to betray Christ's friendship. (Matthew 26:47 - 51) Consider how Jesus befriends sinners. (Luke 5:17 - 20) Recognize Christ as your Friend. (John 21:4 - 7) Act like Christ's friend. (James 2:20 - 24)
Please take the time to listen to this song for TSMSS (Then Sings My Soul Saturday) that I posted on Word Filled Wednesday (WFW), I was going to share it here... but I couldn't wait when I found it so since I already have it posted... I hope you can go hear "I WILL BE YOUR FRIEND" sung by Amy Grant, from Jesus to us!
* This was for Word Filled Wednesday so the SONG is near the end... for Then Sings My Soul Saturday
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
from
THE GREATEST PASSAGE EVER WRITTEN FROM OUR BEST FRIEND...
John 15:9-17
""[9] As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
[10] If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
[11] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
[12] My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
[13] Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
[14] You are my friends if you do what I command.
[15] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
[16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
This week in "PRAYING THE NAMES of JESUS" here at The Power of Your Lovewith Ann Spangler's e-votional available through Crosswalk.com, from her book entitled the same, we are looking at scriptures of Jesus, Friend (Philos).
*Consider coming here this Friday-Sunday and linking up with us, sharing about Jesus, as your friend in any way you'd like to share with a song; poem; teaching; testimony; graphic; we're pretty open with how you share as long as it has to do with the Name of Jesus for that week...
This is meant for all our friends,and I would not want any of you to miss out on the
BEST FRIEND we have in JESUS.
I plan on sharing what Ann wrote on this Friday but it's worth sharing here as well
"When you pray to Jesus your Friend, you are praying to the One who loved you before you were loveable and who links you together with His many friends throughout the world..."
That is what the internet world has allowed us to connect whether through blogs, Facebook or Twitter...or just emails but were it not for JESUS... what would be our common link?
