THE NAME OF THE LORD IN YOUR HOME
Part 4

"His name shall endure forever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun ...
And blessed be his glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen."
(Psalm 72:17, 19).

GLORIFY the name of the Lord

Psalm 29:2 exhorts us to "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name." God's name is the greatest name in all the earth. Holy. Awesome. Excellent. Glorious. Although we want to give glory to His name throughout the day, life gets busy, we get taken up with things, and we often forget. That's why, in our home, we love to put aside time to have Family Devotions each morning and evening where we can give glory to the name of the Lord. I feel this is the VERY LEAST amount of time we can give to glorify His name each day.

Malachi 2:2. is a very challenging Scripture. It says that if we do not give glory to the name of the Lord that He will send a curse upon us, and even curse our blessings! We certainly can't take His name for granted, can we? Take time as a family each day to glorify His name. Read also 1 Chronicles 16:10, 29; Psalm 86:9, 12; 96:8;105:3 and 115:1.

HAVE FAITH in the name of the Lord

It is through faith in the name of the Lord that we receive healing. Read Acts 3:16 and 4:10.

KNOW the name of the Lord

It's one thing know about the name of the Lord, but the greatest thing is to really KNOW the name of the Lord. And yet how little we really know of the power and wonder of His holy name. If we truly know the name of the Lord we will trust Him. We will not doubt Him for we will know His character. We will know without doubt that if He gives another baby to us from His loving hand that He will provide for this baby. Psalm 9:10 reminds us that when we know the name of the Lord, we will trust Him. Read also Psalm 91:14 and Isaiah 52:6.

When Solomon was dedicating the temple he prayed, "Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel" (1 Kings 8:43 and 2 Chronicles 6:33). Solomon wanted everyone in the world to know the name of the Lord. This should be our longing and prayer, too.

LIFT UP YOUR HANDS in the name of the Lord

David exclaims in Psalm 63:4, "Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name." When your heart is overflowing with praise to the Lord, it is hard to keep your hands down, isn't it? It is an automatic response to lift your hands in honor and praise to His name. Let's never be ashamed to lift our hands. Let's do it as a family together each day as we pray and praise the Lord at our family worship times.

LOVE the name of the Lord

We are to not only love the Lord, but love the name of the Lord. A lovely thing to do with your family is to search out the names of the Lord and study them together. It is a great way for your children to come to know the Lord in a deeper way for He reveals Himself through His names. Read Psalm 5:11; 69:36; 119:132 and Isaiah 55:6-7.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Dear Father, please help me to get to know your name. Please anoint me to teach my children the character of your name. I know that the more I know your name the more I will be able to trust you. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

We are a trusting in the name of the Lord family.

THE NAME OF THE LORD IN YOUR HOME
Part 2

"Stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise"
(Nehemiah 9:5).

BLESS OTHERS in the name of the Lord

As believers who are blessed of the Lord, it is our privilege to not only daily bless the name of the Lord but to bless others in the name of the Lord. In the tabernacle days the priests of the Lord were chosen "To minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 10:8, 21:5 and 1 Chronicles 23:13). We have now been made "priests" and therefore we should see it as a responsibility to bless others in His name.

We will of course always start with our own immediate family. Ask God to give you words of blessings to speak to your husband and to each of your children each day. In our home we love to celebrate the Shabbat meal each Friday evening where my husband takes time to bless me, the children who are with us, and whoever else is at our table. This brings such richness and well-being to the family.

After David brought the ark of God back to Jerusalem he "blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts" and gave to every person and gift of "a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins" (2 Samuel 6:18-19). You can bless someone in the name of the Lord with words, food, or also physical gifts. Always be thinking of ideas of how to bless others.

CALL on the name of the Lord

It is a wonderful thing to pray. But, sometimes we come face to face with problems that are too big for us to handle. The impossible mountain rises before us. The troubles are overwhelming . The Psalmist was in this state when he realized it was not enough to pray; he had to call upon the Lord. Psalm 116:3-4 says, "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul." Two more times in this psalm he calls upon the name of the Lord (verses 13 and 17).

The word "call" is qara and means "to call aloud, to roar, to implore." In times of desperation you may have to find some place where you can get alone to really cry out to the name of the Lord. Yes, CRY OUT LOUD.

Here are some examples of men of God who called upon the name of the Lord;

Abraham called upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 12:8; 13:4 and 21:33).
Isaac called upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 26:25).
Elijah called on the name of the Lord and God answered by fire (1 Kings 18:24-38).
Moses and Aaron called upon the name of the Lord (Psalm 99:6).
David called upon the name of the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:8; Psalm 17:6;
Samuel called upon the name of the Lord (Psalm 99:6).
Jeremiah called upon the name of the Lord (Lamentations 3:55).

Did you know that the early Christians were also known as those who call upon the name of the Lord? Acts 9:14 tells us about Paul who was given authority from the chief priests "to bind all that call on thy name." Acts 9:14 and 21 tell us the believers were persecuted who "called on this name."

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he addressed them as those who "call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" (1:2). Paul wrote to Timothy encouraging him to "follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22). Read also Acts 2:21; 22:16; Romans 10:13.

The people of the world knew they were believers because of their calling upon the name of the Lord. Would our friends and neighbors know this about us? How do they know we are different if we do not call upon the Lord? Jeremiah 10:25 gives us a powerful challenge when it tells us that the families who do not call upon His name may as well be heathen! We read the same message in Isaiah 64:7.

CONFESS the name of the Lord

AT the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed, "When thy people Israel . . . have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house; then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel" (1 Kings 8:33-35). We must confess the name of the Lord in order for Him to hear us. We must confess the name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 10:8-9). We must confess the name of the Lord so that Christ will confess us before His Father in Heaven (32-33).

DO EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord

Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Make this a memory verse in your family. Encourage everyone in your family to make this their goal for every day, to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Whatever comes out of our mouth should honor the name of the Lord. Whatever action we do should honor the name of the Lord Jesus. No task is too demeaning when you do it in the name of the Lord. Washing dishes, doing laundry, scrubbing floors and tending to your children become sacred tasks when you do them in the name of the Lord. What an exciting way to live.

PRAYER:

Father God, please help me to be always blessing others in your name. Help me to realize that everything I do in your name becomes a sacred task, no matter how small or insignificant. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I'm tired of always stooping to moan,
Instead I'm blessing everyone in my home!

Blessings from Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

FURTHER SCRIPTURES TO READ ABOUT CALLING ON THE LORD:
Judges 6:6; 1 Chronicles 5:18-20; Psalm 105:1; 80:18; 145:18; Isaiah 12:4; Joel 2:32; Zephaniah 3:9 and Zechariah 13:9.

THE NAME OF THE LORD IN YOUR HOME
Part 3

"For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people"
(1 Samuel 12:22).

DESIRE the name of the Lord

Isaiah 26:7 says, "Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee." Is the desire of our hearts to His name? What about everyone in our family?

FACE THE ENEMY in the name of the Lord

We constantly face onslaughts from the enemy of our souls. We continually face battles. How, therefore can we face them? In the name of the Lord. There is no greater answer.

When David, a young teenager, faced the great giant Goliath who was fully clothed with strong protective armor, he faced him in the name of the Lord of Hosts. Read his powerful confession in 1 Samuel 17:45-47, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you and take your head from you . . . that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."

The Psalmist confidently confesses three times in Psalm 118:10-12 that he will destroy his enemies in the name of the Lord, "All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them."

Psalm 44:5 says, "Though thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us."

You have no power in your own strength, but you too, can face your enemy in the powerful name of the Lord of Hosts. Read also Mark 16:17 and Luke 10:12).

FEAR the name of the Lord

Isaiah 59:19 says, "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun."

We dare not take the name of the Lord lightly for His name is the most holy name in all the earth. Guard how the name of the Lord is spoken in your home. Do not allow your children to get away with speaking the name of the Lord irreverently. God Himself will not allow this. Part of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:7 says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." And don't forget to read this powerful story in Leviticus 24:10-16.

God judges seriously a son or daughter who makes light of their father and mother (Proverbs 20:20 and 30:17). What about God Himself? Read also Leviticus 19:12 and Deuteronomy 5:11.

GATHER together in the name of the Lord

Don't you love the promise of Jesus in Matthew 18:20? He says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This means that when you gather your family around your table in the name of the Lord, He is with you. When you gather your family to pray and have devotions together that He comes right into your midst. Isn't that wonderful? You certainly won't want to miss gathering together when you know that He is waiting to be with you, will you?

GIVE A CUP OF WATER in the name of the Lord

Mark 9:41 says, "For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward." This is speaking of more than a cup of water. It means that anything you do for one of His saints, even the lowliest saint, is noticed by your Heavenly Father. But, remember to do them in the name of the Lord.

GIVE THANKS to the name of the Lord

Why does God save us from the heathen and make us His saints? Psalm 106:47 tells us, "Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise." We have been saved to give thanks to His name.

How often do you give thanks? When everything is going well? When you feel happy? Ephesians 5: 20 encourages us, "Giving thanks ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." This doesn't give us one tiny excuse, does it? In everything! And for all things! Do you think you could start making this a habit in your life? And let's encourage everyone in the home to make it their habit, too. What an exciting home to live in. Can you imagine the atmosphere when every person is thanking the Lord in every situation and at all times?

Read also 1 Chronicles 16:35; 41; Psalm 105:1; 122:4; 140:13 and Hebrews 13:15.

Blessings from NANCY CAMPBELL
www.oboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Holy God, whose name is Holy, please help me to sanctify your great name in my home. Help me to teach my children the awe and wonder of your name. Help us to always be thanking you for everything. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am facing all challenges and temptations of the enemy in the name of the Lord of hosts.

THE NAME OF THE LORD IN YOUR HOME
Part 1

"His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace"
(Isaiah 9:6).

How much does the name of the Lord feature in your home? Is He the most talked about name? Or are other names more prevalent on the lips of you and your children? Are praises ringing to His name throughout the day? The answers to these questions reveal the true essence of our Christianity. If His name is rarely mentioned, rarely praised, rarely honored, and rarely spoken about we have to wonder if we really belong to His name.

Let's look at the Scriptures to see what our response should be to the name of the Lord. We should...

ANOINT with oil in the name of the Lord

James 5:14-16 says, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed."

It is natural to want people to pray for us when we are sick, but often we forget that God tells us to ask the elders of the church to anoint us with oil in the name of the Lord. It's good to go about things God's way, isn't it?

EXALT the name of the Lord

David exclaimed in Psalm 34:3, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." To exalt His name means "to lift up on high" for His name is above every other name in heaven and in earth. Let's do this together as a family each new day.

BELIEVE in the name of the Lord

I am sure that John 1:12 is a Scripture you have memorized. It is an important Scripture for all our children memorize. It says, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." It all starts with believing on His name, the only name through which we can receive salvation. Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Another important Scripture for you and your children to memorize. Read also John 2:23; 20:31 and Acts 10:43.

BE BAPTIZED in the name of the Lord

Acts 2:38 says, "And Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Read also Acts 8:;16; 108; 19:5 and 22:16.

BLESS the name of the Lord

Psalm 113:2 says, "Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore." Blessing the Lord should be the habit of our lives. Not only in the good times, but in the hard times, too. Job's example is such a challenge to us, isn't it? When God took away the hedge of protection He had put around Job and allowed Satan to get at him, in one day he lost everything he owned. His oxen, asses, sheep, camels, All his servants. And most heart-wrenching of all--his beloved sons and daughters. Only he and his wife were left!

What did Job do? "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away; BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD" (Job 1:20-21).

Psalm 103:1 should be our daily testimony, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Read also Nehemiah 9:5; Psalm 96:2, 100:4, 72:9 and 145:21.

BUILD your home to the name of the Lord

In 2 Chronicles 2:1-4 we read how "Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the Lord . . . Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him."

Solomon had a burning passion to build a house to the name of the Lord. This should also be our burning passion, to build a home that is a dwelling place for God and to the honor of HIs name, as well as for our husband and children. Keep this vision before you as you begin each day. Your life has purpose. You are in a great building program. There is nothing more awesome that you could do than build a home to the name of the Lord. Make everything you do in your home worthy of His glorious name.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:
"Oh God, I acknowledge that your name is above every name. Help me to honor an exalt your name in my home. I want your name to be spoken about more than any other. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:
I am in the greatest building program of all time--building a house to the name of the Lord.