No Other Name

Only in Christ has God taken upon Himself the worst that could ever happen between God and man: He has allowed Himself to be rejected.

Is Jesus the sweetest name you know?

There are many aspects, reasons, facts, characteristics, and events that make the name of Jesus the sweetest.

There is no salvation in any other, there is no other name under heaven given among anyone by which we must be saved ( Acts 4:13) -paraphrased.

Philippians 2:10-11 says,

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under and earth.” And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Think about that for a minute, and this day and age of “tolerance” and “all paths leave to heaven” it is not popular claim such exclusively. Jesus is set apart by His inclusive and very exclusive no other claim the “every knee will bow to Him” and every tongue confess” that He is Lord and that only His name leads to salvation. Not exactly a recipe for popularity with the human race.

If you want to be hated and persecuted, proclaim that every person will bow and call Jesus Lord, in that hell waits for all who rejects Him.

Jesus must not have been informed that He shouldn’t force His religion on others, or claim to be the only truth. Ironically, Jesus won’t force anyone to accept Him during this lifetime. His grace, His mercy, His offer of eternal life is a gift for whoever believes (John 11:26). But, they will come a time when the name of Jesus will be forced on every person who did not embrace it willingly during their earthly life, not as a gift, but as a reality. And every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

Unfortunately, the name of Jesus will not be sweet for those forced to bow and forced to confess. The truth of Jesus’s power will be known and apparent even to the loss the moment they set eyes on the King of Kings, every time will confess because the reality of His Lordship will be known to all creatures on that day, the lost Will bow and compass, sincerely and with complete conviction, but it will be too late for them.

Those who reject the name of Jesus in this life, far from being sweet, the name of Jesus will be terrorizing, agonizing, and torturous. it will represent the Name at which a lost chance of salvation will be forever gone and a justified eternal condemnation will be imminent. Hell will be unavoidable and a single step away. The name of Jesus will be the last name uttered before being cast into the lake of fire for eternity. Every person entering hell will fool realize their only hope was in Jesus.

The name of Jesus will be finally and willingly uttered by every person, but for the lost, the sweetest name will forever remain the rejected name.

This is all kind of scary, fire, and brimstone stuff isn’t it? How does that make His name the sweetest to us now? Because in His mercy and through His sacrifice, we know His name now, while there is still time to accept Him, to worship, honor and glorify the Name of Jesus.

While we were still sinners, without hope He revealed to us the sweetest name, that through His sacrificed blood, we have the opportunity to be saved from God‘s righteousness and just wrath. We deserve death -eternal death. Well, I think about that, but I deserve eternal death and separation from the God whose holiness I have violated. But God has given us the complete and extreme opposite.

Jesus‘s name represent how God loves us, despite of what we deserve. Jesus, his name represents the only way to eternal life and because of God’s unfathomable love. He chose to reveal Jesus’s name to us, opening our eyes to the truth that saves us and set us free.

The name of Jesus is the sweetest because we can bow to Him now out of love and gratitude with no need to be forced to bow later. We can confess His name now because He so loved us first and through that great love has chosen to draw us to His sweet name while salvation is still an option.

Family Traditions

Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.

My family comes from Hungary. My grandparents came by ship to escape the holocaust.

Hungarians are known for their pride in their culture, language, and hospitality. Here are few things my family traditions I have valued growing up that I do to this day.

  • Always making eye contact with someone you’re speaking with. It is considered polite and sincere.
  • It’s polite to bring a small gift, like flowers, or chocolates, or food when we are invited to someone’s house.

When Pride Is A Sin

Pride, is viewed by many as the “core of all sin.” It is a complicated aspect of human nature that when left unchecked, can lead us away from our faith and purpose. For this reason, knowing the difference between healthy self-esteem and sinful pride is crucial.

The significant pride in the Bible cannot be overstated. The word is intricately tied to the concept of the seven deadly sins.

Satan viewed himself as glorious instead of what he actually was, a reflection of God’s glory. Proverbs 16:18 says,

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

So why is pride so strongly warned against in the Bible? Why is pride a sin? is it always a sand to feel proud of something you have a accomplished? It’s important to understand what precisely is the pride that God hates. God hates pride of self righteousness or conceit. God hates it mainly because pride hinders a persons desire to seek and find the one through God.

We cannot love God and be proud of the same time. He hates those who want to be higher than anyone or above Him.

The pride that turns us away from God and believing we can do everything independently. Human pride that thinks lives would be much better without God.

Satan’s pride caused him to desire to be higher than God. He rebuilt against God because he was not happy with the position God had entrusted to him. He wanted to raise his throne above the stars of God and become the Highest. (Isaiah 14:12-14).

Satan was regarded as the most beautiful all God’s creations. The Bible describes Satan as the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. God anointed him to become a guardian cherub. He was blameless in his ways from the day he was created until pride got in his way. (Ezekiel 28:12-15).

God exile him and the other angels with him from heaven. But Satan did not stop his ambitions and tempted Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It was the beginning of having pride in humans. It started thinking we could be better than God.

Pride can only hurt us and steal the wonderful things that God has prepared for us. In other words, being humble before the God has more benefits than allowing Satan to instill pride in us.

when we humble ourselves before God and not let pride come our way, we experience real happiness. It is the kind of satisfaction that only God can give. The kind of happiness that nothing this world could ever offer.

Pride destroys our relationship with God and others. If we look closely we can see who are full of sinful pride in the world.

  • Pride is a secret fondness to be noticed
  • Pride is a love of supremacy
  • Pride is drawing attention to yourself in every conversation
  • Pride is enjoying, and being flattered
  • Pride is a swelling of one self
  • Pride is loving to have your name at the top of the list
  • Pride is when the praise of men is more important than the praise of God

Proverbs 8:13 tells us what pride God hates,

“ I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech.”

Proverbs 13:10 tells us,

“Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is with people who take advice.”

If you look carefully, you will realize that every single sin in the Bible traces back to one or all of the three activities of focusing on ourselves.

Self-reliance – “ if I have a problem, I don’t need you or anyone else to help. I can take care of myself. This is a superiority complex

Self-Centeredness – “ I will take from you to me all my wants and needs. I am more important than you are.” This is also a superiority complex

Self-Condemnation – “ I would love to do things for God, but I’m not worth much. I can’t do much. God‘s not interested in using me.” This is an inferiority complex.

Pride ruins our ability to fulfill the greatest commandment – to love God and love others.

C.S. Lewis wrote,

“There is one vice of which no man in the world is free, which everyone loathes when he sees it in someone else, and of which hardly anyone imagined that he is guilty.”

People admit that they are bad tempered, cowards, jealous, and bitter. But few excuse themselves of pride.

Most people do not consider themselves proud or vulnerable to pride. Yet it is one of the major categories of sin in the Bible. And it is in each of our hearts.

Leisure Time

What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?

My leisure time usually involves going for a walk or a drive with music or simply just reading a book.

Anything to help me recharge my physical and mental health. Anything that reduces my stress level, enhancing my creativity is good.

Leisure time is important because it usually involves the social, cognitive, and physical aspects of life.

Mind Renewing Truths About God

What are some of the truths about God that King David chose to mediate on and pray back to Him? we know that God is a God who wants to be thirsty after and who rewards those who seek after Him.

There are seven truths that come out of Psalm 63 for renewing your mind.

1. God is a God who wants to be thirsted after and rewards those who seek after Him.

“God, You are my God, I will earnestly seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water” -Psalm 61:1

“Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for He who comes to God must believe that He is and He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” -Hebrew 11:6

2. God is a God of all power and glory.

“So I have seen You in the sanctuary, watching Your power and Your glory” -Psalm 63:2

“Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever, and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen” -Psalm 72:18-19

3. God is a God of Loving kindness (grace) which is better than life itself.

“I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving kindness, for You have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities. You have not shut me up into the hand of my enemy. You have set my set in a large place” -Psalm 31:7-8

4. God is a God who satisfies our souls.

“My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness” -Psalm 63:5

“How precious is Your loving kindness, O’ God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house, and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is a fountain of life. In Your light we see light” -Psalm 36:7-9

5. God is our helper.

“For You have been my help. I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings”-Psalm 63:7

“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down into the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness? Hear O’ Lord, and be gracious to me, O’ Lord, be my helper” -Psalm 30:9-10

6. God is our strength, my defense, and our life support system.

“My soul stays close to You. Your right hand holds me up. But those who seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall be given over to the power of the sword. They shall be jackal food” -Psalm 63:8-10

“The Lord is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted! The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. I will not die, but live, and declare the Lord’s works” -Psalm 118:14-17

7. God is a God of truth and justice.

But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by Him will praise Him, for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced” -Psalm 63:11

“You have a mighty arm. Your hand is strong, and Your right hand is exalted. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before Your face. Blessed are the people who learn to acclaim You. The walk in the light of Your presence, Lord” -Psalm 89:13-15

Meditating on God will result in a heart filled with praise for Him. His gracious and faithful character, and Hid might works. It also fortifies our faith and gives us inner strength to press on in the midst of difficult times.

Fighting Your Fears

Everyone has fears. Some of them are very common, like spiders, heights, needles, or small spaces. Others might be unique. Some people find their fears interfere in their day to day lives. They might not do certain activities to avoid anything that frightens them.

For example, I have a family member who fears trains, and buses which sometimes interferes with her getting together with family.

There are ways to help people, cope with their day-to-day fears.

It’s difficult to think clearly when you were scared or anxious. But if you can, take time out to physically calm down.

Try getting away from what upsetting you, staying away from certain situations for at least 15 minutes.

I used to have fear and panic attacks being around large groups and small areas. Almost like if I was claustrophobic. I left the room walked around until I calmed down.

When we are in panic mode because of fear our . Stay where you are and let yourself feel the fear, even though it is uncomfortable. Placing the palm of your hand on your stomach and breathing slow and deeply. Causes I said, get our mind used to coping with the panic which takes away the fear of feeling panicky.

Avoiding what we fear only makes them worse. Gradually exposing yourself to the thing you are scared of and help you maintain control and overcome the fear.

If you face the fear, you might find that it isn’t as scary as you thought. For example, if you panic getting on a bus is best to get back on a bus for next day.

The anxiety we get from fear isn’t harmful. Anxiety and fear can feel overwhelming. Someone may worried that the signs of anxiety and panic like a fast heartbeat our signs of a serious health problem. 

These concerns can make anxiety and fear worse.  so it’s important to remember that it’s our bodies response to fear and it’s normal. It’s designed to protect you from danger.

It sometimes helps to Challenge your negative thoughts. We have the power to change our thoughts. Negative thoughts can set us in a pattern of all-or-nothing mode. Seeing things in black or white. Such as viewing yourself as a total failure if your life isn’t perfect. And overgeneralization like seeing a single negative event as a never-ending defeat or pattern.

There is something called catastrophizing which is a cognitive distortion that involves exaggerating the negative consequences of events or decisions.

One of the biggest flaws I have found myself in is always trying to be perfect. I grew up always trying to please my mother, because of the negative consequences I would face if I didn’t. My thought pattern was focused on “must” or “should” thoughts constantly. Thinking this way only caused more fear and anxiety. I had no compassion for myself. I was downright brutal on myself. Which led to no happiness at all.

Learning to identify my negative thoughts, and even to challenge my thoughts allowed me to replace my negative thoughts with positive more realistic ones. Practicing acceptance and mindfulness helped me to build self-awareness.

Building a support network in your life can be a valuable asset to share your thoughts and also having someone who can listen without judgment.

Negative thoughts can become a defense mechanism that protects us from things not working out. But they can also prevent us from putting our best foot forward.

Being Sensitive To Hear God’s Voice

We should all be actively cultivating a heightened awareness and receptiveness to God’s guidance. Where we are intentionally open to perceiving subtle impressions, thoughts, or feelings that can be interpreted are messages from God. Hearing God through quiet reflection can lead to a close relationship with Him is essential for His direction in our lives.

Intentional listening is making a conscious effort to quiet our minds and focusing on what God might be saying through prayer, meditation on His Word or simply spending time in quiet reflection.

Regularly reading and meditating on the Bible is considered the primary way God speaks to us.

The more time we spend in prayer and communion with God, the better equipped we become to recognize His voice.

Paying attention to our emotions and impressions regarding feelings and thoughts that could be God nudging us, like a sense of peace, conviction, or a strong inclination can be God speaking to us.

I will never forget one day I had an appointment in the city that was 2 hours away. I was at the gas station filled up my vehicle, and I felt an overwhelming sense of dread that I should call and reschedule, but I brushed it off. I drove the two hours. As I was pulling into the parking lot of the office, my phone began ringing. I answered it and it was the office telling me they needed to cancel my appointment and reschedule. Right then I knew I missed God guiding me in what I should have done.

Listening to differentiate between our own thoughts and desires and what truly comes from God, often by aligning our potential actions with scripture and seeking guidance from God is key.

When our sensitivity is focused on hearing from God, we will hear words from Him that others will not pick up.

Attractions Near My Town

Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

I have lived near my hometown all my life. Mainly because it’s peaceful. I’m not saying there are not crimes or other troubles, but things are pretty chill here.

One place I haven’t got around to visiting is the Mormon temple. Mainly because only members can go there. And to be a member of their church, you have to dress the way they tell you to, and not drink coffee or tea. You must always and forever wear priesthood garment or underwear, if you want to enter a Mormon temple.

So, it looks like I won’t be visiting a Mormon temple in my life time. And that’s okay, that’s not what following Jesus and having a relationship with His is about.

I do not have any qualms about anyone or any religion, but if you read you’re Bible you will find Jesus was never about rules and regulations or clothing. It is about Loving God enough to follow Him and strive to to be a better person than we were yesterday.

Five Things I do For Fun

List five things you do for fun.

Having written about this before, these might be similar.

I enjoy walking in the hills. It’s very peaceful and helps me process my thoughts and ends my stress. When life gets too much for me, I head to the hills.

I also enjoy photography. I like taking pictures of the beautiful landscapes I have seen. Both for keepsakes and to share with others.

Spending time with animals, their hearts are so much bigger than ours, and their souls so much kinder. Every chance I get to spend time with my daughter’s black mouth curr. He had a rough start in life. And ended up at a shelter for a year. Because his family before didn’t want him anymore. I am unable to have an animal at the time because of extenuating circumstances. So, I spend time with him as much as possible.

I enjoy helping others. There are so many hurting people. Simply helping people with a few groceries or giving them a hand up helps them tremendously.

I enjoy going to lunch with friends or having coffee with them and just forgetting about the stresses of life for a while.

Freedom From Worry

“Worry expects the worse, faith trusts God for His best.” -Shana Schutte

Can any one of us by worrying add a single hour to our lives (Matthew 6:27).

I use to worry all the time, overthinking every situation I could come up with in my mind. I told myself I wanted to be prepared for the worst.

There are seasons in life that are difficult. Troubles press on and threaten to steal our joy. In other seasons everything seems to be pretty well and put hearts are given rest from concern.

One day God brought Matthew 6:27 to my attention. I realized I had no control over most the things I worried about. All the things I worried about never happened.

We can’t add an hour to our lives by worrying. We can add any solutions to our lives by worrying. Worry paralyzes us, it immobilizes us, it’s a peace robber and a joy destroyer.

Worry makes what we focus on expand. It makes those things we worry about seem bigger than they really are.

Worry presumes on the future and assumes the worst. Worry rob our present moments, or joy and our hope.

God does not give us grace where our feet have not walked. He does not provide grace to moments that have not yet been or to our imaginations that have not yet manifested. He is in the business of working on the here and now, and not until our feet have touched the ground of tomorrow will He give light to our paths.

We cannot fix anything by worrying. So, keep your thoughts in the here and now and let gratitude for them moment by your companion. A little gratitude, prayer, and trust in the One who loved you, will shield your heart from fear.

God wants us to,

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” – 1 Peter 5:7

Give all your worries to Jesus and trust Him with your tomorrow and all that concerns you. God will not let you down.

Animals in Our Lives

If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?

Animals get more from our tone of voice and body language than our actual words. They observe our physical clues to determine what we want them to do. They watch our facial expressions, our posture and body movements. They listen to the tone of our voices.

Dogs are pretty in tune to their surroundings. So if we want them to know anything they would know from our actions not our words.

God’s Remedy For Emotional Exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion is a real thing that stems from having life draining you of your mental strength and not having the right source refilling you. I have always had multiple parts of my life running full steam ahead. Multi-tasking has always been at maximum capacity. I could keep it all together only by God’s grace. But a person can only go full steam ahead for so long.

I think about Elijah in the Bible and how God took care of him when we ran into the wilderness sat under the broom tree and was so tired that he prayed for death. He ran himself ragged until he couldn’t take anymore. Exhausted he falls asleep and an angel comes and feeds him.

Elijah was a mighty prophet for God during a turbulent time when Israel had turned away from God to worship Baal, and King Ahab allied with Sidon by marrying their princess, Jezebel. Elijah was sent to show Israel the evil of their ways and encourage them to return to God. When Jezebel threatens him with death he runs away. He had reached his limit, he was exhausted.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest” -Matthew 11:28

God helped Elijah in three distinct ways by providing him with food and water and offering him a message of reassurance and renewed purpose. Essentially, providing physical sustenance, a moment of respite and spiritual encouragement to continue his journey.

An angel appeared to Elijah and provided a meal for him, allowing him to regain his strength.

The broom tree offered a place for Elijah to rest and recover from his exhaustion.

God spoke to Elijah, reminding him that he was not alone and giving him a new perspective on his mission.

When Elijah sat under the broom tree he thought his task was done, he thought it was over. He was ready to meet God and asked for death. But God had other plans.

Elijah traveled 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb to a cave where God challenged him to return to his mission. During the 40-day walk, God gave Elijah peace, and His presence and restored his passion.

I think this 40-day journey helped Elijah reflect on who he was as a person, his skills, and his abilities. This is not in biblical teaching though, it’s just my opinion.

I know reflecting on my life helped me rethink why I started my journey to become a strong follower of Jesus.

When I’ve felt like I’m too exhausted to fight, God has helped me to realize my journey is not finished. There is still more to be done. Asking God to restore the joy of my salvation and everything else. Everything that had made my life, my life.

God’s peace, His presence and my passion are my three elements of a happy, fulfilled life.

If you’re feeling emotionally exhausted maybe it’s time to take a break. Stop, take a pause, relax, reevaluate, and recharge. Spend time with God and pray for His peace and strength to walk away from anything stealing your peace.