Live in Honesty

2 Corinthians 13: 7-8 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

 When we live in honesty and truthfully, we live in freedom. Your story doesn't change even when you tell it to several people. You don't have to try hard to tell it as you did the first time, the truth remains the same. You don't have to worry about who is looking over your shoulder or who might be watching you because the truth has nothing to hide. There is no fear in having someone check up on you. Truth and honesty are beautiful character qualities each one of us can possess.
As they used to say in the old days - Honesty is the best policy! 

Psalm 51:6  Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

The Hebrew Names of God

As Christians we know and believe that there is only one true God. His Name is above all names. Salvation is found only in the LORD our God. When we study our English Bibles we do not see the Names of God as they do in Hebrew so it is interesting to get a handle on some of the Names of God that are used in Hebrew in order to better understand and  remember the character of God.The name Jehovah which we are more familiar with is found in  Exodus 6:3 where it says - And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.  My pastor at church will often use the Name Yahweh when he blesses the congregation at the end of the service. You will find that where the Hebrew text has Yahweh, some translations use the Name Jehovah.

 At the bottom here I posted the lyrics to a beautiful song called  HE IS JEHOVAH. It is sung by Kathleen Harris but I am do not know who penned the lyrics. May you be blessed as you draw closer to the LORD through this study.

A Study of some of the Names of God
1) JIREH - the LORD our Provider
Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. ( KJV )
Genesis 22:14  Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” ( NASB )

2) TSIDKENU -  the LORD our Righteousness
Jeremiah 23: 5-6 says Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.

3) ROHI - the LORD our Shepherd
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want

4) M'KADDESH - the LORD our Sanctification
Leviticus 20:8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you.

5) NISSI -  the LORD our Banner
Exodus 17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: ( KJV )
Exodus 17:15 Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner ( NASB ) 

6) SHAMMAH - the LORD is there
Ezekiel 48:35  It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.

7) SHALOM - the LORD our Peace
Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. ( KJV )
Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.( NASB )

8) ROPHE - the LORD our Healer
Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

The Song:
  He is Jehovah
He is Jehovah, God of creation
He is Jehovah, Lord God Almighty
The balm of Gilead, the Rock of ages
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee

Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
He is Jehovah, Lord God Almighty
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee

He is the great I AM, the God of Abraham
Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace I am
The God of Israel, the everlasting One
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee

He's your provider, Jehovah Jireh
God of salvation, God of Messiah
The Son He sent to you, He testified of Him
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee

Grandpa Peter and Grandma G...Opposites Attract!!

Today I would like to tell you about my Grandparents that is my Mom's parents. I have hesitated to write about them but here is some of what I know. They were my favorite Grandparents even though they did not ever make an effort to know me by name.  They only referred to me as 'that girl there'. I believe they knew the names of a couple of my sisters though. Grandpa Peter was born in 1904 and passed away in 1985 at the age of 81 years. Grandma G was a bit older than Grandpa. She was born in 1901 and passed away in 1998 at the age of 96 years. They were married in June of 1923.  Life was a little rocky for them in their early years of marriage with Grandpa even moving back  home to live with his family for a bit but with the help of Grandma's great patience he returned to her and they were married for about 62 years. I believe Grandpa's love for Grandma was strong and enduring right up to the very end. It seemed like a sort of jealous but sweet love in that he was proud that she belonged with him.
Grandpa Peter made a living by farming though I only ever knew them as a retired couple. They lived in a small  old two story country house with a few large trees on the property. There was an old barn on the yard as well as an old shed and an outhouse.
Grandpa Peter had a mind of his own and was not easily persuaded. He did not like plants and flowers and therefore did not allow Grandma to have any in the house, nor did she have a garden. He loved the outdoors and preferred to sit outside under the shade trees rather than spending time in the house. He didn't much like green vegetables like lettuce but with a twinkle in his eye,he referred to it as "rabbit food". He insisted that he could not use a regular size tablespoon to eat soup, so in order to please him, we always set a serving spoon by his plate for dinner. Grandpa enjoyed telling a good joke and get everyone laughing.
Grandpa Peter and Grandma G often came to visit our home. Every time they came they would bring a treat for my sisters and I. Often it would be a pan of cinnamon buns that Grandpa had purchased at a store on the drive over. Grandpa would often be driving a different car than the time before. It seemed he liked to trade in his car for another used one just to try something else.  Grandpa and Grandma would make frequent trips to Alberta to visit their children there. Grandma would bake waffles and pack them up to take along as meals for the trip. They were quite adventureous in their old age really and made the trip from Manitoba to Alberta many times.
Grandpa and Grandma never had a telephone but they would come to our place to phone to Alberta to visit with their family there. They would both take a turn talking so phoning to each of the three families out in Alberta usually took the better part of an evening.
Grandma G was sort of a quiet and patient person. You could always tell when she was about to say something - you could see it in her face but she would wait till there was a longer silent space in the conversation, she would take a deeper breath, then if still no one was talking, she would add her thoughts to the conversation. She was always very generous in her compliments when my Mom would have my sisters and I  show off our new dresses to her. She spoke German as she would say -"Oh my, that is beautiful, now the boys will notice you". 
Grandpa and Grandma really enjoyed my Mom's fried fish. There was only one problem. The fish were not filleted so all the small bones had to be picked out as you ate. But Grandpa Peter didn't care and never took any of the little bones out. He would just eat it as if there were no bones at all. This made my Mom a bit scared and she would say " Papa, Papa, the fish have bones!!" but he would pay no attention. Then Grandma would say to my Mom - "Just leave him alone, he is a grown man, that is his problem". She just was so unbelieveably calm.
Grandma G could make the best Jam cookies ever. We would try to make her recipe but the cookies we made didn't taste nearly as delicious as Grandma's. She also made the best Plumi Moos ( a sweet fruit soup) and homemade buns for family gatherings. Her specialty for family gatherings was her cake though. She would make many many cakes and top them with bananas and whipped cream. She made sure there was extra food left over of everything she made so that every family could take home a whole cake, a half gallon jar of Plumi Moos as well as some cookies. She was so very generous.

                        This is a picture of Grandpa and Grandma on their wedding anniversary!                        

Grandma G wanted things to be just and fair and when it wasn't she was prepared to make things right. One time when they came to visit, Grandma brought $300 for my Mom. Apparently she knew that my Mom's brother owed my Mom that amount of money from many years earlier. Grandma figured that my Mom's brother would never pay the debt he owed, so Grandma took it upon herself to pay her son's debt. Over time she had secretly saved up the $300, always taking a small amount out of her pension check every month. She kept it a secret from Grandpa in case he wouldn't approve of her idea.  My Mom was very surprised that her Mom did that and it certainly was not something anyone would have expected of her or wanted Grandma to do. Grandma G insisted that my Mom take the cash.
Grandpa and Grandma were people of faith. They fully supported my Dad in his calling to be a preacher of the gospel. Regularly Grandpa and Grandma would drive to extra distance required in order to hear my Dad preach in the church. I remember they came to my baptism and I was glad to have them come. I know God works in all of our lives in various ways and He is not limited in His ways to encourage, lead and teach us. Grandma believed that God had prepared her for the stillborn birth/death of one of her babies through the song of the mourning dove. The mourning dove has a very distinct and sorrowful sounding song.
As the years went on Grandpa Peter's health started to fail.  He had troubles with diabetes and then a stroke that took away his ability to speak. It was very sad. He could not accept the failing condition of his health and did not cope with his struggles very well.  He passed away early one snowy December morning and since they did not have a telephone, Grandma G had to walk through  the snow to get help. But God was faithful to Grandma G and slowly with time she gained strength to move on with her life. She was 84 years old when Grandpa passed away and she lived to be 96 years old. She wasn't really sick when God called her home, she just passed on in a calm and peaceful way, very similar to the way she had lived her life.

Sports and the Bible

It may come as a surprise to some of you to hear that in the Bible we find passages that compare our life to sports. My family enjoys sports. Right now the NHL hockey playoffs are going on, so my boys have their teams that they cheer for. The Vancouver Canucks are out so will we become Ottawa Senators fans? Maybe, or maybe not.  My husband and  my boys have played as a team curling for several winters at our local rink and quite enjoy it, and everyone here enjoys a round of golf now and then. In high school, the younger of my twin sons  played pretty much every sport he could - in track running the 3 kilometer race provincially, also playing varsity volleyball, basketball, etc  and now in college continues to play team sports there. He has also enjoyed reffing hockey for the kids playing hockey locally. Playing sports is not only fun but it builds  many good qualities in person such as to persevere in difficult situations and to look out for others on the team, to be fair, and honest, to do your part in life and to encourage other people in the game we call life.   In 1 Timothy 4:8 it says  ⁸For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
We know that in order to keep our bodies healthy we need to eat healthy foods  and get some exercise but as the verse reminds us that our bodies are temporary - our bodies are for this life only here and now. Our soul is what will live on for eternity so that is why we are encouraged to focus on godliness.
We know that any person doing well in his chosen sport is a person of discipline, spending many hours practicing and working very hard to reach their goals. There is the need to eat right, stay hydrated and get plenty of rest and sleep.
 We see the influence that sports figures play in the minds of kids and people. An example of one who is using his influence to reach others in a positive way would be Tim Teebow.  He has been able to share the gospel very publically with the gift to play football  that God has given to him. Of coursewe can also  think of a few sports figures who have become a negative influence to others and become disgraced publically.
Let's consider what 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 says -
 ²⁴Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
 ²⁵And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
 ²⁶I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
 ²⁷But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
In the game of life, we seek to win. It says in verse 24  "so run that ye may obtain". So just as in sports, we also need to discipline ourselves in our daily lives in order to win in our Christian life.  The prize is to be in the presence of God with the Lord Jesus for all eternity. After we have made the choice to enter the race - that is we have chosen to become a Christian, we then seek to live to please Christ in all we do and say in our everyday life.  Just like an athelete  needs to stay well nourished with healthy food and water, we need to be in the Scriptures daily, reading the Bible and thereby  taking in Spiritual food and drink.  We need to be in communication with our Heavenly Father in prayer and filling our minds with wholesome God honoring stuff.  These disciplines help us to be strong and to win over sin in our daily life. We have no desire to live in the pleasures of the sinful nature because we seek to win the prize and it is our goal to  " break through the tape" at the finish line in Christ's strength and in victory.  Our crown as refered to in verse 25 is incorruptible which means it is a reward that will last forever throughout eternity. How long is eternity you ask - is it a million years? No a million years into eternity will be only the beginning of it. It will be forever and ever and ever. So it is definitely worth all our time and energy to run this race of life with eternity as the goal!