Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a poignant video of Marshall Hall singing … Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, … There’s Just Something About that Name, proclaiming reality and Glory of the Name of “Jesus!”
Highlight Passage: Exodus 20: 7 [NKJV] …
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. …”
… We must not take the Name of God in vain.
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Highlight Context – Exodus 20:1-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s Name is Holy!!
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Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 24: 4-5 [NKJV] …
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
… The ultimate offense of using the Lord’s Name in vain.
Reference Passage #2 - Acta 9: 20 [NKJV] …
20 … Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
… Paul declares that Jesus was/is THE CHRIST, … the Son of God!!
Reference Passage #3 - Philippians 2: 9-11 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul declares that Jesus’ Name is “LORD” … “King Jesus!!” … “Messiah” … “Son of God!”
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Randy Kilgore, used a teaching from a mentor to illustrate his teaching about how we use the Name of God. Kilgore wrote … One afternoon I was having a discussion with a friend I considered my spiritual mentor about misusing God’s name. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,” says the third commandment (Ex. 20:7). We may think this only refers to attaching God’s name to a swear word or using His name flippantly or irreverently. But my mentor rarely missed an opportunity to teach me about real faith. He challenged me to think about other ways we profane God’s name.
Kilgore went on to describe several ways, besides using swear words, God’s Name is often misused (i.e., taken in vain), … such as [1.] saying that “God told me [something,” … or [2.] using Scripture out of context, … or [3.] when we teach or use Scripture carelessly or selfishly. And he quoted John Piper that we misuse God’s Name when we “speak of God in any way that empties Him of His significance.”
God’s Name is HOLY! Or the Name of “Jesus,” when referring to “The Lord” as Paul did, as “THE CHRIST,” in either Acts 9:20 or Phil. 2: 9-11, puts God’s name in His proper context of holiness or lifts His Name above all other names.
But as Randy Kilgore and John Piper teach (see ODB for 12/16/15), we take God’s Name in vain any time we refer to our Lord and Messiah in any way that lowers His Holy Name to anything less than “LORD,” … or “MESSIAH” … or “SON OF GOD!” So, today I’m praying that I will never lower my reference to my God to anything less than He deserves.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … You are my LORD!! And Your Holy Name is to be revered above all other names. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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