The Titles of God

By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 29 Dec, 06 - by Benedicte Bahjejian)

To start, we’ll talk about our daily Bible reading program.

• For some people it appears to be too much, so I thought we could break it into 2 years. But God said : because people are complaining and don’t have the courage to read everyday, I’ll break the program into 3 years. Blessed are those who have been reading their Bible for the last 6 months, because they’ve already read ½ of it. If you feel strong, you can carry on with the program in one year, but if u feel it’s too fast, u can do it in 3 years, but make sure that at the end of the 3rd year, u have finished it all. Please, take it really seriously and encourage yourself to do it. The main thing is to read your Bible regularly. Do not wait for Sunday to be fed!

• Knowing the word of God enable us to overcome temptations and pressure of this life, it is the best weapon in your Christian life. If u neglect to read your Bible, you neglect your soul. Reading other things will not help you as the Bible does, so please make an effort to read it. We have to work hard in order to discipline ourselves. Nothing is more important than to have self-discipline in your life. Without it, you cannot succeed. God is not always behind us with a stick to push or force us to do what is good to do.

• The Bible says that through you, your family will be saved (Acts 16:31). So how will you help them if u don’t read the word of God?

• Satan uses strategies to distract us when we pray or when we work on our spiritual duties. He can use for example a weak Christian to mislead us. So how will you react if you’re not strong enough? But if you are strong, not only you will escape Satan’s traps, but also you will be able to help the weak in his faith.

• When u prepare a Bible study, make sure you study all the aspects of the character or the topic you want to talk about, not only just the verses you like or know very well.


God’s titles

Do you know how many names does God have in the Bible? 100

God likes so much to be glorified. If u want something from God, you have first to give him glory. Example of Hagar: She named God, EL ROI, God who sees, because He saw her bitterness when she was in the desert and told her to go back to her mistress’ place.
We, people of God, need to know who is our Lord.

How to use God's titles?
Look at all the names of God and find the name of God that matches with what He has done in your life. Examples: One day, a danger was coming up to me and God protected me in my workplace, while driving or anywhere else. God saw me; He is EL ROI (God who sees).

You went to church and felt satisfied with the word of God preached in this place. You can tell God: You are EL BETHEL, God of the house of God because you have fed me.

God is JEHOVAH BORE , the Creator because he always creates new opportunities, a new life, a new spirit, new challenges or new ideas etc.

You can even glorify God when you walk in the street and say: Thank you God for this, I glorify your name for what you have done.

• God is my banner, what does it mean? A country is represented abroad by a flag. If you know the flag, you know what country it represents. When we walk as children of God, signs will go with us (miracles, healings, conversions, peace etc.), and the powers of darkness will see it, these signs represent where we come from and who we represent.

• Every aspects of your life are found in these names. When u go through a problem, tell God: I read in Psalms chapter 4 that you are ELOHE TSEDAKI- God of my righteousness, and I remember that you helped such person in such situation. I call out to the same God and to same Name, please sort out my problem.

What does the Bible say about God’s name?
I quoted 5 verses on top of the 1st page saying that His Name is Holy and we have to praise it. So why does the name of our Lord have to be honoured? – Because it is Holy – Because He is God- Because it’s a command from Jesus- Because it must not be minimised.

How to praise the name of the Lord?
When we say: Praise his name! Do we actually praise Him? Yes, because Him is His name.

When we praise God, it sometimes become like a slogan. Ask yourself: How many times today did I praise God? And why for? ¾ of Christians today praise God and they don’t know what for. If you are not sure of what he has done for you, and you still praise him, you praise him in vain. The Bible says we have to praise him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).

- Praise him in spirit: Sit down and think of what he has done for you, look in the spiritual mirror and ask yourself: Did this really come from God? If yes, Lord, let your name be glorified!

- Praise him in truth: The praise has to come from the heart, when you really feel that ‘Yes, God deserves glory’. If u say Halleluiah! in a congregation because other people are saying it, and you know very well that your mind and heart are thinking of smth else, you are not praising him in truth, you are lying because you tell God of what is not in your heart.

People can say, for example: I praise God because he has given me life. But in their heart they think: I hate my life because of this and that.

• God is not only good, He can sometimes get angry. For example, He attacked physically Jacob in a dream. When you have trouble in life, remember that your life belongs to God & that He is your EL SHADDAI- Almighty God or JEHOVAH SHALOM- the Lord our peace, and then don’t worry. Every morning, tell yourself: don’t worry, and Lord, take control of my life. It is the only way you can give him glory.

But if you start to get impatient and angry, that’s when you will sin; as Moses for example who lost his temper and patience when he hit the rock to find some water for the people of Israel. Because of this very act of disobedience, he would never see the land of Canaan.

• Jesus takes the pressure of this world away from our shoulders, if we trust in him. If you have the Queen of England as a friend, of course, you will get what you want, you will not be in need; she will support you and protect you. But how will you do when she dies? ‘Woe to he who trust in men’ (Jer 17:5). If u are a simple person without any friends of influence or any support from anyone, it will be hard for you and painful. But if you remember that the Most High God is with you and is looking after you, your heart will be stronger, you will take courage and you will not perish. If you lose your brother or your money, glorify God for that. If you put your trust in men, that’s when God becomes jealous, try to please God, not men.

CONCLUSION
Tell God who He is for you according to the titles of God. ‘What name should I call You oh, my God?’. He is not a human being, but He is God to be praised. When you need righteousness, peace, to be sanctified, His presence, when you need him to provide, call on the Name of God, trust in Him and he will sort out your problem.