The Name of JESUS

750 years before His birth the prophet Isaiah said, "... Unto us a child is born and unto us a Son is given and the government will be upon His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. 

And you will call His name Jesus . . . because He will save His people from their sins !!!"

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The right to determine a child’s name belongs to the parents. God, the Father, decided to give the name Jesus to His only Son. It was indeed a suitable name.
It is no accident that this is the name conferred upon the Messiah. Though many others carried that name in His day, God did not hesitate to use it. The name Jesus would encompass all that Jehovah is, and all that He planned to accomplish in the life of mankind. The angel was told that the purpose for calling the child, Jesus was because He would "save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
The name Jesus is short, easy to pronounce, and sweet in sound. Since it speaks of salvation, this name brings to God’s mind those He has saved. Therefore, each time He hears or uses the name it requires that He remember us and how He has saved us. Without a people saved He could not rightfully carry such a name. It is the only saving name given to man. (Acts 4:12)
Though this name was bestowed upon Him before birth, it did not reach its full potential and purpose until His death and resurrection. He was to do more than teach us of God, He was God. He must do more than teach us the way of salvation, He became our salvation, bearing the name Jesus.
Throughout the Old Testament God used names descriptive of His various attributes. The Jehovistic titles were among these. 

He was Jehovah-Jirah because he was a provider, 

Jehovah-Ropheka because He healed, 

Jehovah-Shalom who brought peace, 

Jehovah-Mekaddishkem as the sanctifier of His people, 

Jehovah-Zebaoth (hosts) and 

Jehovah-Nissi (banner) because he led in battle, 

Jehovah-Zidkenu as the righteous God, 

Jehovah-Shammah because He is ever present, and 

Jehovah-Elyon because He was the was the Most High. 

These and other Jehovistic titles exemplify the various traits of Jehovah in saving His people.
Through the Bible, Jesus Christ is called the Just One, the Holy One, the Holy and the Just, the Holy and Righteous One, the Holy One of God, the Faithful and True Witness, the King of Israel, the King of the Jews, the King of saints, the King eternal, immortal, invisible. He is called the Righteous Judge, the Judge of all the earth, the Desire of Nations, and Ensign of the People.
He is called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. He is Teacher, Master, Rabboni, Governor, Law-giver, Redeemer, Messiah, Savior and Immanuel. He is the Deliverer, Mediator, Intercessor, a Prince and a Savior, and Mighty to Save.
Many of His names depict His position in this universe and show Him to be exalted above creation. As the Daystar He is the forerunner to all that begins in creation. When He is called the Sword, Shield, and Buckler, He is shown to be the greatest in battle. When He is spoken of as the Most High, He rises above every king and potentate, throne and dominion that is or has been. As the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world, He has prevailed to open the seals to the title deed of this earth. As the Bridegroom He carries away the most glorious bride, taken from the clutches of His rival who was the previous suitor of this bride. As the Head of the Corner, Head of the Church, Head of every man, the True Light that lighteth every man which comes into the world, He takes the highest place of authority possible. As our great High Priest, our Passover, the Firstfuits of them that slept, the First Begotten from the dead, and the Resurrection and the Life,
Christ has brought to us the hope of eternal life, an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, which does not fade away and which is reserved in heaven for us. But the name of Jesus Christ includes all of these and more. Jesus is a name which encompasses the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last. Jesus is the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords.
God’s greatest contribution to man has been a name greater than prophets and kings, higher than men or angels. Everything we do or say can be done in that name above all others. In a sense we "gave" Him that name for it involves salvation, and we are the ones He saved. When He hears the name Jesus, He must be reminded of those who have been purchased through His great sacrifice. There should be in our hearts continual thanksgiving and appreciation for the privilege to use such a lovely name. He has allowed us to apply that name to our lives in baptism, use it when praying for the sick, and lift it up in worship and praise to God!
The name Jehovah is a name which describes God as the self-existent One. It reveals His all-sufficiency and His presence among His people. It is the name by which he has entered into the salvation scheme and purposed to restore the marred estate which Adam lost.
The term salvation with all the various words associated with it brings us our greatest hope. If such terminology were not in our vocabulary, we would be of all creation most in despair.
When we add that great name Jehovah to the concept of salvation, we obtain the name of Jesus, a name which has brought every blessing possible to our sin-torn hearts. Though the world spurns the name of Jesus Christ, and to the angels it holds no redemptive reality, yet to the church of Jesus Christ, the blood-bought bride of Christ, it is the most meaningful and powerful name in existence.
The name of Jesus means everything to us and to Him as well. This is because of all the name does for us. It is the means of our salvation; it brings His presence; it supplies our needs. Thinking upon that name brings revelations of His glory and goodness and transforms into His image!

(from WORLD AFLAME)

In Our Words

God's Greatest Gift

If our greatest need had been information,God would have sent us an Educator.
If our greatest need had been technology ,God would have sent us a Scientist.

If our greatest need had been money ,God would have sent us an

Economist

.
If our greatest need had been
pleasure , God would have sent us an

Entertainer.
But our greatest need was Forgiveness,so God sent us a Saviour!

"Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift!" 
2 Corinthians 8:15

The Next Time He Comes ...

The next time He comes, He won't have to die for me;

The next time He comes, there won't be a Calvary;


The next time He comes we'll begin eternity.  


The next time He comes, He'll be coming for me!

                                                                                          The Speers

Each Christmas when we are so often reminded of how Christ came to earth the first time, I can't help but think of how much different his Second Coming will be from the First. 


While preparing for a recent Revelation Bible Study, I mentioned just a few of the contrasts an observer might notice.  Are you ready for His Soon Coming?

First Coming	Second Coming
Born in a simple stable; Rode a donkey into town in meekness and lowliness	On a white horse with power & glory
Few disciples waving palm branches	With ten thousands of His saints
Crowned with thorns for a short time	To wear a Royal diadem forever
Died in shame on a Roman Cross, falsely accused	To reign forever in glory
Foretold in prophecy	Also, Foretold in prophecy

  Isaiah 9:6  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

•  Behold, he comes with cloud, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.  Rev 1:7

His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

God's Christmas Gift to you.

Over the years, the legendary Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog has featured some pretty extravagant gifts.

The 1963 catalog offered his-and-her submarines for $18,000. In the 1964 catalog, you could buy a hot air balloon for $6,000. In 1967, the catalog's offerings included a pair of camels for $4,000. And in 1971, an actual mummy case was selling for $16,000. But in 2006, Neiman Marcus upped the ante with a trip to outer space for $1.7 million.

Maybe a ticket to space isn't at the top of your wish list this year, but perhaps you have certain expectations of what you hope to find waiting for you under the Christmas tree. If you put your hope in what Christmas offers, however, you will be very disappointed.

But if you can get past that to what Christmas is really all about, it truly can be "the most wonderful time of the year."
 by Greg Laurie
The wise men brought the rather unusual gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. But the first Christmas gifts were not gifts to the Child. The first Christmas gift was the gift of the Child.

Christmas, at its best and purest state, is a promise of something else, something that no holiday or experience or earthly thing can satisfy. Galatians 4:4–5 says, "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons" (NIV). Isaiah 9:6 offers a description of what God has given to us:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (NKJV)

Each of the above names of Jesus deals with an important area of our lives. They are like five Christmas gifts that we can open, and each is special and unusual.

First, His name is Wonderful. That takes care of the dullness of life. "Wonderful" comes from the root word "wonder." The word used here could also be translated as "amazing, surprising, astonishing, or awe-inspiring." And as I contemplate the fact that the Almighty God made this sacrifice for me, it will produce in my heart a sense of bewilderment, awe, and, finally, worship.

Second, His name is Counselor. That takes care of the decisions of life. We all have very important decisions that we have to make. The God who is Wonderful wants to give us counsel and direction. God has a plan for each of our lives—an individual plan, not a one-size-fits-all plan. When you are overwhelmed with the decisions of life, remember that there is a God who wants to counsel you.

Third, He is the Mighty God. That takes care of the demands of life. We need to be reminded that Jesus was not just a good man. He was the God-man. And this God who is Wonderful, this God who wants to be your Counselor, will give you the strength to live the life He has called you to live.

Fourth, His name is Everlasting Father. That takes care of the destiny of life. We believe in an Everlasting Father with no beginning and with no end. It reminds us that life on Earth is temporal, that heaven is so much better than anything this world has to offer.

Also, this hope of an Everlasting Father resonates with those who have never had an earthly father. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can now refer to the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, as our Father who is in heaven.

Fifth, His name is the Prince of Peace. That takes care of the disturbances of life. Life is filled with disturbances and, quite frankly, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Old problems are often brought back to the surface. Friction, stress, and problems that you are having with various family members can be at the forefront of your life at this time of year.

But here is One who is the Prince of Peace, One who will help you with the disturbances of life.

Whatever gifts you may have waiting for you this Christmas, they pale in comparison to God's gift for you. It is better than anything the Neiman Marcus catalog can offer. It is the only gift that truly keeps on giving: the gift of eternal life.