Mentoring Minutes

(Psalm 138:2)

El Qanna or Kanna – “The Jealous God” (Exodus 20:5; 34:14)

Prepare yourself for Today’s Name of God as it is a difficult one.  However, it will truly help you understand more fully His perfect Love for us and how we can grow in Christ from imperfect fleshly lust to His kind of selfless, self-giving Love.

Today’s Name of God is found in Exodus 20:5 and 34:14 and it means that He is “El Qanna or Kanna – The Jealous God.” See what I mean. Oprah Winfrey said she couldn’t accept The God of The Bible because of this name for Him.  So she along with many others now know who He is better than He does instead for being willing to work through this and more fully know and love Him. Because our love apart from Him is actually not love at all but rooted in our flesh…we love only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)…we see jealousy only through our fleshly emotions and experience.

God’s Jealous Love is actually rooted in the Hebrew word for “zeal or zealous” and because His Love is completely selfless and self-giving, His Jealousy is for our good! We see this in the first three of the 10 Commandments from both Exodus 20:1-7 and Deuteronomy 5:6-11 texts to have no other gods before us, make no idols, worship no others gods, and not take His Name in vain.

Why is His Jealous Love a result of His Zeal for us? Because He knows that any “love” that is rooted in or that we place in anything else will destroy us? Because His Jealous Love truly is for our good!

Paul describes His Jealous Love in Christ in 2 Corinthians 11:2 applying the selfless love of Christ for His people, The Church. That same pure, loving Jealousy extends to us through His Spirit given to us in Christ as we see in James 4:5 as well. It is for our good and anything else ultimately destroys us.

We must see this through the Truth of His Perfect Love and not our warped fleshly “love” that is really lust! Our fleshly jealousy is sin…His Jealousy is Perfect Love that we can know in Christ as His Love is that He is Jealous or Zealous for what it best for us!

God’s Jealous Love in Christ, unlike ours, which is for selfish reasons, is to keep us from all others that would destroy us! God jealously loves us far too much to allow us to chase after that which would separate us from His Love and be our eternal ruin.

PSALM 135:3…”Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.”

The above Scripture was one of my devotional texts recently! I couldn’t help but think of how The Holy Spirit was simply confirming a better understanding of Who God Is by looking at and getting to know His Names and all they represent about Him…and to and for us!

Jehovah Mekoddishkem – “The God Who Sanctifies You” or “The God Who Makes You Holy” (Exodus 31:13)

This Name for God is found in Exodus 31:13 in which God, in commanding His people to keep the Sabbath gives us His Name that explains the reason for the Sabbath…I AM Jehovah Mekoddishkem – “The God Who Sanctifies You” or “The God Who Makes You Holy.”

God in His own nature of Love has chosen to point us to Holiness in The Sabbath as we honor Him by keeping it, not just on a particular day, but also in principle and moment by moment.

But He didn’t stop there because in Christ’s finished work on The Cross and out of The Tomb, He has made holy all who will by faith submit to Him.

Through The Sabbath, God pointed to His Holiness and our unholiness and our need to keep The Sabbath in an obedient effort to recognize this. We could not do so because of sin. In Christ, we are made holy, sanctified, set apart and acceptable. Christ is Jehovah Mekoddishkem to us. (Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30)!

Christ is not only Holy, but He is our Holiness, and has made us Holy! Praise You Lord! May we live like it as Peter said repeating from Leviticus, “Be holy as I Am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16

El Rachum – “The God of Compassion” (Deuteronomy 4:31)

Our next Name of God for this post is one that we all will love for it is God revealing Himself in Deuteronomy 4:31 as “EL RACHUM – The God of Compassion.”

Throughout Deuteronomy 4 Moses is explaining very prophetically what the future of the Israelites will look like with regard to their running away from God after false gods, returning to Him and then seeking Him again with all their heart and soul (v. 29). God, “a compassionate God – EL RACHUM,” would hear them and would not abandon them but would remember His covenant with them.

He does the same for us in Christ! There are numerous Scriptures in the New Testament that reveal Christ as the Compassionate God – EL RACHUM. Here are just three:

1) Matthew 14:13-14 – Compassion and healing the sick in the multitudes.

2) Mark 1:40-42 – Healing the outcast leper.

3) Hebrews 4:15 – Our forever High Priest who empathizes with us with great compassion.

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – God as El Qanna/Kanna is a Jealous (Zealous) God but it is totally selfless in that it is for our good. He is for our good as the only way we thrive or flourish is in His Love. He is Jehovah Mekoddishkem – The God Who Sanctifies You or The God Who Makes You Holy. We can only stand before God as Holy and thanks to Christ He has made us holy or we would be forever lost. Finally, He is El Rachum – The God of Compassion that we all need and love to experience as we seek Him daily with all our heart and stay close to Him.

Love and Lordship…Action Item –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. Write down what each of the Names of God in this post mean to you. 
3. How does an understanding of God’s Jealous Love help you understand His Love contrasted with our jealousies? How might that help you in your relationships?
4. We are called to be holy and yet we can’t be apart from Christ. What does this Name of God do to help you desire to walk in His Holiness in Christ?

Contact us at Love and Lordship to find out more about how you can know God the Father, Christ His Son and The Holy Spirit and The Lord God.

Check out this week’s Love & Lordship Mentoring Minute Video

JEHOVAH NISSI – “The Lord is my Banner” or “The Lord our Banner.” (Exodus 17:15)

While I love every Name of God and what it reveals about His character this Name is one of my favorites as well as a favorite to many others. It is first found in Exodus 17:15. The Name of God here is JEHOVAH NISSI – “The Lord is my Banner” or “The Lord our Banner.”

The significance is found in the great story of Moses’ arms being held up by Aaron and Hur. Whenever Moses hands were raised the Israelites prevailed over the Amalekites. Over time he grew so tired he couldn’t hold them up so Aaron and Hur stood beside him and held them high until God gave Joshua and the Israelites the victory!

Upon seeing the victory Moses builds an altar for sacrifice and to honor God. As he makes the sacrifice he proclaims an incredible Name of God revealing His awesome character as Jehovah Nissi – “The God who is my Banner.” God’s Banner over the Israelites was their strength and ultimately gave them the victory.

That banner is called love in Song of Solomon (or Songs) 2:4 and is revealed in Christ in many texts in the New Testament but I believe most powerfully in Romans 8:37-39 – nothing can separate us from the Love (Banner of Strength) of God in Christ Jesus! Praise and thanks to The Lord!

The Israelites conquered their enemy under God’s Banner of Strength rooted in His Love for them and we are more than conquerors under His Banner of Love in Christ!

What are you facing today or in your life, specifically or generally, that you need to be reminded that God’s Love in Christ covers you, will be your strength and see you through?

EL ELOHENU – “The Lord OUR God.” (Exodus 8:10)

This next Name of God reveals such a wonderful and beautiful attribute of God that we all should hold very dearly. It is found in Exodus 8:10 when Moses is speaking with Pharaoh regarding the removal of the plague of frogs. Pharaoh stubbornly says to Moses to have God remove them TOMORROW!

Moses reply and use of the name of God here is powerful and personal – “that you may know there is no one like ‘EL ELOHENU – The Lord OUR God.'” The use of this name here should give us great encouragement and comfort because God is revealing through Moses, to all of Egypt and Israel, and to us today, that He Is our personal God, watching over and caring for every part of our lives!

Christ is revealed as our personal God in many places in the New Testament but I believe that John 3:16 is the most poignant and real to me and likely to you as this is the most well known verse in all of The Bible. I think this is because He is our personal Savior and Lord (look for yourself and find others that comfort you in your personal relationship with God in Christ)! I would add John 1:14 and 1 John 3:16 among others!

JEHOVAH ROPHE/RAPHA – “The Lord God Who Heals You” (Exodus 15:26)

As we continue, I would imagine that every one of us at some point in our life have prayed to God for ourselves, for others and/or have had others pray for us, as He is revealed in this Name. We often struggle with our faith to truly know God for Who He Is and today’s Name may challenge our faith as much as any…but I pray that it strengthens your faith to know Jehovah Rophe or Rapha – “The Lord God Who Heals You,” first found in Exodus 15:26.

God is The Only One who can heal our physical, mental, emotional, relational and spiritual brokenness, sickness and dis-ease and as we will see, in Christ, it has already been done…past, present and future! Do you believe that He is your Healer and has already healed you?

In the Exodus passage, God explains to the Israelites as they are coming out of Egypt and heading to The Promised Land of Canaan that He is The God Who Heals – Jehovah Rophe/Rapha! As is predominant under the old covenant, the conditions were that if they would keep His laws and do what was right in His eyes He would reveal to them that He is The God Who Heals.

In Christ and His Blood and Body in the New Covenant, the healing work is already finished and as Isaiah (53:5) and Peter (1 Peter 2:24) remind us that by Christ’s stripes or wounds we ARE healed…and the word ARE here means past, present and future!

Even as I struggle with back and neck pain and have been prayed over many times, stretch and exercise daily to help, I know by faith that I am already healed in Christ just as I know His blood has already completely forgiven me both now and every time I confess my sins. I will trust Him to reveal when it will be manifest, either in this life or in my new body with Him, ultimately for His Glory! PTL!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – God as Jehovah Nissi is our Banner of Strength and His Banner over me (us) is Love…and I can count on that in any and every situation. He is El Elohenu – The Lord My (Our) God, letting all believers know that He is a very close and personal God to each and every one of us. Finally, He is Jehovah Rophe/Rapha – The God Who Heals You and we can be assured of that even if we may still suffer in this present body! Walk in faith knowing He is Faithful!

Love and Lordship…Action Item –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. Write down what each of the Names of God in this post mean to you. 
3. List ways that God has shown His Love to you and His personal walk with you.
4. This is a little more difficult but with Christ as Your Savior, Lord and Healer, begin walking by faith in that healing even if you are still in pain…He is Your Healer!

Contact us at Love and Lordship to find out more about how you can know God the Father, Christ His Son and The Holy Spirit and The Lord God.

Check out this week’s Love & Lordship Mentoring Minute Video

Jehovah Jireh – “The Lord God Who Provides” (Genesis 22:14)

As we continue looking at the incredible Names of God, we’ll look at one that we all love to call upon whether we do so in the Hebrew Name or simply by our own asking. That Name is Jehovah Jireh – “The Lord God Who Provides” found first in Genesis 22:14.

It’s an incredible story of faith and the unbelievable testing of that faith of Abraham by God. God asks him to make a sacrifice on Mount Moriah to Him. The catch is that God asks that the sacrifice be his son, Isaac, the son of the Covenant that God clearly promised and seemingly had fulfilled to Abraham in Isaac.

Now when you go to make a sacrifice you go in preparation and provision with what is to be sacrificed. When Abraham and Isaac arrive at the mountain to make the sacrifice, Isaac asks his father, “where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

It is in Abraham’s answer that God reveals Himself as Jehovah Jireh – “The Lord God Who Provides” in verse 14…”The Lord God will provide.” This is something we need to remember even as it continues in that verse, “on the mountain of The Lord it will be provided.”

Now let’s look at how completely Christ has fulfilled that provision as Jehovah Jireh – “The Lord God Who Provides” in Philippians 4:19! All our needs are provided out of God’s glorious riches in Christ…no matter what the circumstances or needs may be!

El Olam – “The Everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33)

Our next Name of God comes from Genesis 21:33, “EL OLAM,” which means Everlasting or Eternal God…no beginning and no end! He has always existed and always will and we can count on that faithfulness just as Abraham did when two other family or tribal leaders in Beersheba recognized that God was with Abraham in all that he did. Abraham called on the Name, EL OLAM – The Eternal God!

We also see His everlasting nature in His never failing strength in Isaiah 40:28-31 who works His purposes at all times and gives strength to those who are weary! Thank You, EL OLAM, for Your strength and power to go on even when I’m weary!

We also know that we have El Olam as the Everlasting God in Christ…Christ is the Eternal God as we find in John 1:1-5, 14…Jesus was God and existed eternally with and as God even before creation. God in Christ has made a way for us to live eternally with Him and for that we must be ever grateful!

He also provides us with never ending strength to handle any and every situation that we may face, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Jehovah/Yahweh – The Lord (Exodus 6:2)

In Exodus 6:2 we find the most commonly used Name for God in all of Scripture… Jehovah The Lord – Yahweh! We spoke of this in our previous article (Names of God – Pt 2) but I wanted to return as this is the text where God reveals Himself as such so we can better understand Who He Is as Lord and why this is the most used Name by The Holy Spirit in Scripture.

God not only gives Moses His Name as LORD but also explains that He did not fully express His Name and character (always the same in Scripture) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). Now however, He was fully expressing His Name and Character as LORD because the Exodus is the central theme around which everything revolves with the people of Israel pointing to The Law of the Old Covenant and to Christ in the New Covenant.

It was and is imperative throughout Scripture that God continually revealed Himself as Lord pointing to the reality that we must know and walk with Him as Lord…there is no other!

With this in mind we look then to Christ as Lord (found in so many places in the New Testament) but in particular we look to Thomas’s moving from doubt to his declaration captured in John 20:24-28, “My Lord and My God.” All those who believe by faith and not sight are blessed (John 20:29). This again points to the priority importance that we, as believers, must recognize and walk with Christ as Lord over every part of our lives.

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – God…and Christ…Jehovah Jireh – “The Lord God Who Provides,” and we must learn to trust Him not only to provide, but also to provide what he knows we need that is best. We can trust Him because He is El Olam –  “The Everlasting or Eternal God.” His preeminence in existence and all things assures us that He will always provide us strength in Christ to accomplish what He has called us to do. Finally, we are reminded that He is Jehovah/Yahweh – “The Lord God” and is by far the most frequently used name for God in Scripture points us to the His provision in Christ to make a way for us to be in relationship with Him…and that relationship must be with Him as Lord! Do you claim to or live as though He’s just your Savior or do you walk with him as Lord?  Christ paid it all to restore our relationship with God. Don’t miss that this relationship can only exist with Him as Savior and Lord!

Love and Lordship…Action Item –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. Write down what each of the Names of God in this post mean to you. 
3. List ways that God has shown Himself to you by His provision and presence.
4. What do you need to do to know that you are walking with Christ not just as Savior but also as Lord?

Contact us at Love and Lordship to find out more about how you can know God the Father, Christ His Son and The Holy Spirit and The Lord God.

Check out this week’s Love & Lordship Mentoring Minute Video