What is Your Name?

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Hadassah

Have you heard gospel singer, Tasha Cobbs-Leonard’s song, You know My Name? Do you believe it?

It’s true. It’s scriptural.

God knows the names of all who are His.

Early this morning as I read John 10, I saw verse 3 in a different light. It says: “To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.”

What was revealed to me was, he not only knows my government name – that name my parents registered me in – but he knows me by the name, “Christian.” That, is also my name.

I started thinking and questioning myself: Am I living up to my name? You see, once we are covered in the blood of Jesus and have a personal relationship with God, then are we truly Christians. Christian is not simply saying we believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit or we are Christian because we attend church and are affiliated with the Christian faith. It’s living out the Christian life in word and in deed from the way we speak to people to how we handle them, to whether we are putting God first…do we love Him and love our neighbours as ourselves?

*Don’t they look similar? You can barely tell the difference.*

Further, Exodus 20:7 speaks to not taking the name of the Lord our God in vain. That’s not only casually dropping His name as a swear word or in a joke. When we say we are Christian, but don’t live as Christians, that’s also taking His name in vain. It’s like pretending to be a part of the royal family, but not being blue-blooded. It’s easy to dress the part, speak the language and blend in. But when Jesus looks upon us, can He call us by the name, “Christian”?

Just as there is fake news, there are fake Christians. The sad thing is there are those who are tares, growing among the wheat, but the time will come for there to be separation. Let us ensure we are not among those who say in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” However, God responds: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23). Lord, God have mercy! For people to believe they are Christians…saved…but in the end, He never even knew them…this is sobering.

So are we living up to the name the Good Shepherd calls us? Let us examine ourselves to see that we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Growing in Christ,
Hadassah

Are You Missing Out on Your TRUE Love?

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Hadassah

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A line in a song by American singer, the late, Whitney Houston states: “Learning to love yourself, is the greatest love of all.”

I disagree.

Of course, we are free to have differing views and that’s fine. Maybe she was just singing the lyrics someone else wrote or perhaps that is how she truly felt. I believe self-love is important, but the GREATEST love to exist in my opinion is certainly the fact that the Great God of the universe sacrificed his ONE, DEAR Son to die on a cruel, rugged cross for your sin…and mine, so we can live a victorious life here on earth and live with him eternally.

Love is sacrificial. You know that if you are a mother, father…spouse. When we love, we give of ourselves. Some parents go without lunch so their children could get the resources needed to build that school project, parents sacrifice vacations to send children to college, wives have left their jobs to take care of an ailing husband or parent…the list goes on.

“True love is not hinged on what the other person does or does not do…what the other person can or cannot do. True love is sacrificial and unconditional.”

But imagine the sacrifice of literally sacrificing your child and doing so for a world which doesn’t deserve it? That’s what OUR GOD did.

The song which comes to mind right now is a line in my FAVOURITE HYMN in ALL THE WORLD, ‘And Can It Be‘:

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That line just AMAZES me! The thought of God sending His Son, who became God in the flesh, to die for ME – a human who came from dust and shall return to dust – is just AMAZING!!!! This love which God AND His precious Son, Jesus Christ has for us is beyond the chocolates, the perfume, the massive floral arrangements…the diamond ring, the date…it is indescribable. Really!

So my question to you on this Valentine’s Day when so many people pull out all the stops, is Are you missing out on your TRUE love? Do you have a relationship with the One who will NEVER leave you NOR forsake you, even when the flowers have withered, the ring needs cleaning and the spark in that relationship is very low?

If you don’t know the God, whom I know – the GREAT I AM that I AM – I encourage you to come into relationship with Him today. No big words are necessary. Start drawing closer to Him, letting him know that you wish to have a relationship. Trust me – you won’t be embarrassed! He won’t leave you hanging. Once you are sincere, he won’t turn you away.

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Wishing you a lifetime of love, with the ONE who loves you like no other!!!

Growing in Christ,

Hadassah

Did You Share Christ at Thanksgiving?

Posted on November 30, 2019 by Hadassah

We are officially into the festive holiday season. For many, it’s party time! Shopping, gift giving, eating, drinking etc. But have you ever wondered whether the King of all kings is being glorified?

I recently chose the word glorify for Bible study because it has hit me more than ever that ONLY God ought to be glorified and lifted high. The Word – through St. Paul – admonishes us to glory in nothing save Jesus and the cross (Galatians 6:14).

This wretched world will be gone someday and the flesh shall disintegrate and return to the earth. What profit had a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul (Mark 8:36)? Nothing in this life is worth our soul salvation.

Earlier this week, I thought: “If I don’t get the desires of my heart, will I still serve the Lord?” My answer was, and remains, a resounding YES! We must be prepared to give up the world and the flesh for Jesus. As Job says, “Naked I came and naked I shall return. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21).”

Let us be ready for the coming of the Lord. Let us work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Meantime, let our mission be to share AND show the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified to family and friends. Did you tell someone about Jesus at your Thanksgiving gathering yesterday? Did you give someone hope of a better life in Christ Jesus through His saving grace? In all of the eating and drinking, did you give thanks for the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross to redeem us from our sins?

Jesus said we ought to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13), but the eating and drinking, and the worldly achievements are for the here and now. They shall be gone someday. Let us not become so consumed that our vision becomes skewed. We must ensure we do not lose our souls with it all. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

My focus has recently been: Does it glorify God? From conversations to actions and even thoughts: Do they glorify God? My prayer is for more God in my life. My prayer is that He would increase and I decrease. More God. Less self.

Set your affections on things above and not on things of this earth (Colossians 3:2). His coming draweth nigh.

Growing in Christ,

Hadassah

Don’t Let the Door Close on You!

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Hadassah

Back in 2009, I remember having reason to go to Bahamian Paint to purchase some items.

At that time, I worked far from the paint company. To exacerbate that reality, the traffic on the highway was bumper to bumper. From where I was in the line, I could see the door of the company. I was praying and hoping I would make it there before the 5 pm closing.

Traffic continued to crawl at a snail’s pace. Time was drawing high for closing. The clock was waiting for no man – including me. My heart began to race as I finally was able to make it around the roundabout with much speed, but as I hastily made my way towards the compound, I saw the white shutter of the door sliding down.

My heart dropped and I felt awful. My first thought was, “So close…yet so far.” I hopelessly looked at the shutter. No amount of knocking or pleading to open the door would work. I didn’t even try. As I drove away, there was a sadness that enveloped me. I thought of the people who were caught outside Noah’s ark when the door was shut. I said, “Lord, I don’t want to be in that number in the name of Jesus!”

Are you in the ark of safety that will weather the floods of life? Or are you outside of that ark, caught up in the world and the flesh? Do you see the Christian life as boring and restrictive?

Well, like anything in life, there are boundaries. But God’s boundaries are to protect us. Imagine allowing a baby to play with the stove or giving a high schooler the option to come home at 5 o’clock in the morning. Likewise, God, through His Word, gives us boundaries to protect us. John 10:10 tells us that “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Satan has no good plans for any of us. He feeds us lies. But I encourage you to not believe his lies. Do not accept them. Reject his lies. Reject him! Get in the ark of safety while the door is open…while there is still time. It is better to be on stormy seas with Jesus than on dry land with the devil!

“…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2