Celebrating the Excellencies of His Name -The Amen-

Read the whole series (the index is found here)

The Amen, Revelation 3:14

I thank you, O LORD, Perfect Amen,
that You are the fulfillment of every promise given by the Father.
When the fierce storms rage against your servants,
You never leave us nor forsake us,
You have spoken, Oh Amen,
and in Your Word we rest assured.

Temptations come and the trials are heavy on our shoulders,
but You have promised that we will not
be tempted beyond that which we can support,
Oh blessed promise,
blessed Words spoken by the Perfect Amen.

When our past hunts us,
and the sins of our youth gallop in our minds,
You speak Words of comfort:
“I make all things new”
You the Amen, have said so,
and we believe it,
and give thanks for such a gift.

Let the thirsty come and drink from the Living Water,
let the hunger eat the Bread of Life,
the Amen has promised to satisfy all our needs in Him.
He is the All sufficient,
We don’t have to wander and be in famine,
we can come to Him, to the Amen,
and be satisfied, always satisfied.

He is not a shadow,
but all substance;
He is not quicksand,
but a Rock, our Strong Tower;
He never changes,
He is the anchor of our soul;
He is not a liar;
He is the Truth,
He is the Great, the Perfect Amen.

Why are you cast down, O believer?
Let this Advent season,
be a time when you see Him in His Word,
when you mediate on Him,
In all of who He is.

The Alpha and Omega.
Our Wonderful Counselor.
Oh what a Might God He is.
The Prince of Peace that quiets the storms.
Our Mediator, the Way, the Truth, the Life,
Oh what a Savior is He!
He is Jealous because He loves us.
Emmanuel, God with us, God with us,
God with us. He is with me.

He is the Light of the World,
our Redeemer
who has broken all chains,
all fears.
He is our Healer, our Physician,
by His stripes we were healed,
by His death we live.
He was bruised for our iniquities,
He bore our guilt,
and gave us white, righteous robes.
He is the Amen.

Our forefathers longed to see this,
to live this,
to be able to the see the Amen fulfilling
all promises, all prophecies,
all shadows-
Oh, how blessed we are to have eyes to see,
and ears to see,
that He is the One,
the Messiah,
the Christ,
the Great Amen.

post signature

How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds -A Hymn to Celebrate the Excellencies of His Name-

How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds
based on Song of Solomon 1:3 “Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth.”

1. How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

2. It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
‘Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.

3. Dear Name, the rock on which I build,
My shield and hiding place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!

4. By Thee, my prayers acceptance gain,
Although with sin defiled;
Satan accuses me in vain,
And I am owned a child.

5. Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my life, my way, my end,
Accept the praise I bring.

6. Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.

7. ‘Til then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy name
Refresh my soul in death.

© Bill Moore Music.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This hymn is featured in the album Pilgrim’s Days: Indelible Grace II

Add caption    

post signature

Celebrating the Excellencies of His Name – Emmanuel, by Norma Tochijara-

Emmanuel, God With Us.

What a great comfort this glorious name is, what a hope to rest upon. It is God himself who is with us, not a mere human that sins and fails us, not an angel, not a force, not a perishable thing,  but God himself! God with us!

The same God, that spoke in the Old Testament to Moses though a burning bush, who delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace, who covered Elijah’s wet altar with fire; the same God who spoke to Noah and save him and his family from the flood; who delivered His people out of Egypt, who spoke through prophets; that same God made himself man, to come to this earth which He created, to take the form of sinful sinners like us, deserving nothing but God’s wrath.

God With Us. He came as a man and knows our every emotion, temptations, trials, He knows our needs and wants. He knows. He lived among us! What a blessed assurance it is that Emmanuel is His name. And with that, we know that He was with us, and He is with us, and He will be with us forever and ever. We can rest assured in this name, love it and worship it. We can and should adore this God who is With Us.

Jesus came, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, forgave sins, and raised people from the dead, all these miracles speak of who He is. He is God With Us giving us sight, forgiving our sins, giving us life. We can rest assured that He is with us and we can rest in His good and eternal plan for us. We can rest assured that when troubles come, tragedies hit us, and temptations come our way, He is with us. He will give us the grace needed at the time. He will not leave us or forsake us, because His name is: Emmanuel!

God With Us. Saving us! When he was suffering the death of the cross and our sins  were being paid for, there He was, God With Us, suffering the punishment reserved for us. He is our only hope for Salvation, our only garment to put on to present ourselves before our Father one day. And in that day, when we will present ourselves before the Throne of God, Christ will be there as well. The great Emmanuel.

“O beloved! what an assuring and comforting truth is this- God with us! Now we feel equal to every service, prepared for every trial, armed for every assault. Deity is our shield, Deity is our arm, Deity is our Father and our Friend. We deal with the Divine. Deity has died for us, has atoned for us, has saved us, and will bring us safely to the realms of bliss.” – Octavius Winslow.

What a blessed name. His Name is above all names.

May God make us feel the need of Him, of Him being with us. That we may not be content with thinking we are doing OK on our own. We need Him, we need Him to be with us. Let’s learn to live in an atmosphere of godliness, knowing that we can pray to Him at all times, that He hears our prayers. Let us practice being in His presence as we prepare our souls to be with Him forever! What a privilege to be allowed in His house and dwell with Emmanuel forever. What a privilege and an unquenchable desire to enter through his gates with thanksgiving.

“God, in the infinite counsels of His own mind, resolved upon the salvation of His eternally chosen and loved people. He saw that there was no eye to pity them, and no arm to save them. He resolved upon our salvation, embarked in it, accomplished it; and eternity, as it rolls upon its axis, will magnify His name, and show forth His praise.” Octavius Winslow.

Norma

About the Author: Norma Tochijara lives with her family in Montreal Quebec.  She and her husband have been married for almost 17 years.  They have 2 sons, and 1 daughter who, a few months ago, went home to be with the Lord.  Norma and her family attend a Reformed Presbyterian Church and  she is in the process of learning and being transformed to be more like Jesus. Norma blogs at Reduce Me to Love.

****make sure you enter your name in this week’s giveaway*****

Celebrating the Excellencies of His Name – Jealous, by Elizabeth DeBarros–

Cast but a Glance, a poem by Elizabeth DeBarros

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Century; panose-1:2 4 6 4 5 5 5 2 3 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:ChopinScript; mso-font-alt:Copperplate; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Texto de globo Car"; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:8.0pt; font-family:Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} span.TextodegloboCar {mso-style-name:"Texto de globo Car"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Texto de globo"; mso-ansi-font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt; font-family:Tahoma; mso-ascii-font-family:Tahoma; mso-hansi-font-family:Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:27.0pt 72.0pt 4.5pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>

Cast but a glance, not your pearls.
How do I rend my heart
When I’ve only ever given garments?
Far lesser things I might have afforded
If ‘twere not for chastening Divine.
Mourning dove,
covered in ash;
thy bruisings go deep.
O, Steady Hand, go before me,
Severe Mercy, perform your alien work.
When
 Despair set low her bolts and bars
She blinded my eyes, thrust me asunder.
My spirit flagged, the flesh gave out.
By taking strength from other gods,
—‘twas Thee I had refused.
Now
I am caught; shorn,
listless from the winds and damp.
These markings where did they come from?
Look away!
“It’s too hard, I must deserve this.”
But ev’n tears are cleansed of boasting
in Thy Presence.
Canst thou hear Me singing?
Peer through the lock,
Thy vigorous captors are no more.
Arise,
Heaven’s flames extinguished, Fury’s quenched at last!
Lift up thine eyes; look about
 ‘It is finished’
See!
—Cerulean skies; the temps are fair.
Thus
As My love, so My scars,
I AM
and ever shall be
Jealous
That My dwelling be found in thee.
Elizabeth DeBarros © 2011
For further meditation

About the Author: Between homeschooling and homemaking, Elizabeth DeBarros finds time to study theology, laugh with friends, and share the love of God to as many she meets. At Finding the Motherlode she writes to honor God by sharing her observations, meditations, and on rare occasion, her poetry. She resides in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains in Northern Virginia with her beloved husband, two sons, and their new kitten.

*****Have you entered your name for this week’s book giveaway? ****

Celebrating the Excellencies of His Name

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

This is the season of the year when we purposely meditate on the coming of this child, Jesus. It is a time of great joy because we know that He has come to save His own and our natural response as Christians is to praise Him. To celebrate all of who He is.

During this Advent season, we want to invite you to join us in considering and celebrating the excellencies of the names of our Lord. We want to see Him fully, closer as if to say; we long to know Him better, to worship and love Him more. And we will do this by studying His names. Each of His names, reveals part of Jesus’ identity; each name tells us something about the One who has come to us;  each one tells us of His majesty, His Divinity, His purpose. Each one of His names “possess profound significance and unfading glory” (1) . Oh that we may know Him more!

Octavius Winslow says,

“Each title embodies a distinct meaning and illustrates a particular truth, the significance and preciousness of which the Holy Spirit can alone unfold and the believing heart alone appreciate…. the titles of our Lord are wonderful.”

John Flavel says,

“The titles of Christ are so many motives or arguments fitted to persuade men to come unto him.”

William S. Plumer says,

“Jesus Christ is a wonderful, a glorious person. His names and titles are as important as they are significant. Every one of them is as ointment poured forth. His people sit under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit is sweet to their taste. To them He is altogether lovely.”

Dear friends, let us pray that this Advent we may be drawn closer to Him, that our faith may be strengthen as we see all that He is as revealed in the Scriptures, and in His names and titles; Oh that we may be drawn by the Spirit of God to praise Him even more.

And to open this series I would like to give you a book (I wish I could give each one you, dear Readers one), The Unexpected Jesus: The Truth Behind His Biblical Names by R.C. Sproul. Please leave a comment letting me know that you wish to enter this giveaway. (The winner will be announced Saturday, December 10)

Praising Jesus, our Everlasting King!

post signature

Thanks to my friend Rachel who has contributed to this series with her beautiful photography and creativity by making the beautiful header image. Thank you, Rachel!

Make sure to visit and follow her photography blog and her blog with yummy recipes.

Find the index of this series here.

Cultivating a Christ-Centered Christmas: Suggested Resources

Advent is around the corner (it starts the last Sunday of November) which is why today, as time approaches, I want to suggest to you several resources that have been a blessing in our home as we wait, as we sit around the family table, and read about His glorious coming.

Noël Piper says about Advent,

“For four weeks, it’s as if we’re re-enacting, remembering the thousands of years God’s people were anticipating and longing for the coming of God’s salvation, for Jesus. That’s what advent means—coming. Even God’s men who foretold the grace that was to come didn’t know “what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating.” They were waiting, but they didn’t know what God’s salvation would look like.” (source)

Please, continue to read over at Desiring Virtue. (and make sure to link up to your own recommendations!)

post signature


Related posts:

Celebrating the Incarnation of our Lord -part 1-
Celebrating the Incarnation of our Lord -part 2: Gifts We Bring a guest post by Elizabeth DeBarros- 
Celebrating the Incarnation of our Lord -part 3- For Little Souls
Celebrating the Incarnation of our Lord -part 4-
Celebrating the Incarnation of our Lord – Calvin, Sermon on the Nativity of Christ-
Celebrating the Incarnation of our Lord: Quotes that Nourish

Desiring Virtue