Tag: salvation

Calling on The Name of THE LORD – How?

NOT everyone who calls Me “Lord, Lord” will enter God’s Kingdom. The only people who will enter are those who do what God wants (every WORD out of His mouth).

Matthew 7:21 -25

One of the things that has bothered me since 2024 when I became sensitive to it is the prevalent deception roaming around and at large. Lately, I liken it to the thick, gross darkness described in Isaiah 60:2A. The expression of this deception that hits different and bothers me most of all is the one at play and on display in (what is popularly known as or so-called) “the church”, and no – I do NOT mean the true bride and body of Christ.

It is impossible to see the deception and not wonder, say, or question what then is true? Getting to this question, this place, this junction … this fork-in-the-road is inevitable, maybe even necessary, but dangerous. I call it a danger zone because this is where unbelief rears its ugly head and can take hold if care is not taken given to God –Psalm 55:22(NIV),1 Peter 5:7AMPC).

Unbelief is the sin that easily besets us (Hebrew 12:1). Deception is how the enemy (aka the father of lies) attempts to lure us down the path of feel-“good”-BUT-no-good. The enemy’s tactic is not merely to lie to us. It is more so to have the lie be overwhelmingly prevalent and convincing (seemingly close to or looking like the truth) so as to get us to the danger zone/place where we question The Truth (God).

When the enemy exposes the truth reality of a lie or the fact of a matter i.e. the exposure of false men and women of God, he is NOT being truthful (he can’t be). Instead, his intent in doing this is to unleash distrust and unbelief in what the sent ones (apostles) are called to do … preach (Romans 10:13-17). Infinitely more than the shame he wants to inflict on the false (lying, deceptive) prophets, preachers, or teachers, the enemy intends to get believers into the dangerous terrain of distrust/unbelief in the things of God … the terrain of questions like: What if it’s all a lie? What if the lie is true? What is the Truth? How do I know it’s true?

WHAT REALLY IS THE NAME OF THE LORD?

Recently, I came across a YouTube video where a handful+ of people claimed that the names Jesus, Yeshua, Yahweh, Jehovah are either man-made or made-up names with dark (satanic) meaning. Some of the professors of these claims (those professing these claims) had documented evidences. As tempting as it was, I didn’t go looking into them. The reason I didn’t go down that path (or rabbit hole) is the same reason I chose to go to God instead. Intentionally or not, any knowledge transfer by mankind inevitably gets diluted (watered down and/or muddied up) … something gets lost or added in transition and/or translation.

Whatever it is, howbeit well or ill intended, as long as it is passed down from one human to another human (no matter the means i.e. popular opinions, social media, a well-loved and respected preacher and/or close relative, or AI), it will always be a distance from the Truth even if it’s by just an inch. With this realization, and given the rampant deception at play, I couldn’t put it past the desperately wicked heart of mankind and the conniving influence of the enemy over said heart to concoct a lie of this magnitude – a lie about the Name of The LORD. So I went to God, the Source … the One Whose Name it is. He is the ONLY One Who truth-FULLY knows His Name. Moreover, God, MOST HIGH, is the ONLY One Who can never be distanced from the Truth because He Himself (His very self or essence … His fragrance – SOS 1:3, 2 Corinthians 2:14) is the Truth.

I went to God that night and I asked Him to tell me His Name (Aug 6, 2026).

A few days later (Aug 14, 2026), I came across another YouTube video – this time, it was a video of video of a man (perhaps a preacher) describing an experience where he heard a voice (he believed was God) tell him to go start a church. This was not an out-of-the-blue directive; it seemed very much in line with past interactions that he had had with God. The man started to make moves but with every move he made he felt awful. So he asked God why he felt awful doing what He (God) had told him to do. God’s response to him was that He (God) was NOT the one who told him to go start a church. This bothered me a great deal and at a personal level.

Here’s why 👉 howbeit few and far in between, I’ve had agonizing moments of questioning if my experiences of God were truly of God. This line of questioning tends to come up when I go in the direction I experience God lead me and then nothing seemingly happens. I’ve had questions like: what if what I experience God tell/show me is just my desire for God but not God? Could it just be in my head? Or worse, what if it was a lying spirit posing as God? This second YouTube video implied (if not confirmed) the possibility of this worse case scenario – I did not like the reality of this possibility one bit. I made a mental note to go to God about this too … and again (I had prayed to God about this a couple times in the past – I never want to be under the influence of any lying spirit posing as God, I also don’t want to be or live a lie – this won’t be living at all).

Before getting around to praying about it this time around, God responded to my concerns about what both YouTube videos implied – His response was Isaiah 52:6.

Therefore, My people will know My Name and that I AM He is speaking to them … My people will know My Name and what it means … they will know that I AM The One Who speaks. Here I AM.

Isaiah 52:6

In other words, God was/is saying: fear NOT, you will know My Name and what it means. Also, you will know that I AM speaking to you when I do. This gave me great comfort and eased my concerns. What a relief … a real ease!

At a later day, God used a relatable illustration to help me understand a key aspect of calling upon His name – He reminded me of the first born son (AdeLeke) of a first born son (my uncle). I call my uncle Uncle Yomi because his name is AdeYomi. Thanks to Leke, all of my uncle’s kids call him Aito but that’s not his name … OR is it? 🤔💭🤭. My recollection of the story I heard was that when Leke was but a toddler, his dad (my uncle) called him Alekito. Leke probably thought this was the name by which mankind called each other, so in his attempt to call his dad by this name that he could not yet fully pronounce. Somehow, Leke landed on Aito 🙂. Six siblings later, all following suit and till this day, they all call their dad Aito. Whenever Uncle Yomi hears this name that’s certainly not on his birth certificate or on any legal document, he knows that it’s him being called or sought after by his kids. With this illustration, God assured me that He knows He is the One I call out for and to … He assured me that even if my pronunciation is off OR the name out of my mouth when I pray to Him is a wrong name that was unintentionally or ill-intendedly passed down to me, because of the love He continuously pours into my heart by His HolySpirit (Romans 5:5), my spirit-filled heart (Ezekiel 36:26A, 27A, 28B) always calls Him by the very Name He goes by and responds to. It comes across to Him as a sweet-smelling fragrance. Music (a sweet sound) to His ears! 💖

THE WORD OF GOD

… The Title by which He is called is The WORD of God.

Revelation 19:13

God’s Name is a like a fragrant, flowing Oil (SOS 1:3, Zechariah 4:6 AMPC). His Name is Good (Psalm 100:5). His Name is Salvation – Matthew 1:21 (AMP/C). Considering that everything God does is for His Name sake, then according to Ephesians 3:20, it is accurate to say that God’s Name is infinitely more over and above all that we can possibly imagine. His Name is above all other names (Philippians 2:9 … Psalm 138:2). This Name is The Word of God. Assuredly, The Word of God is God’s Name … The Word of God (THE WORD) is God Himself.

… THE WORD is God.

John 1:1

This connection between His Name and His Word can also be seen in Isaiah 52:6 – it’s no happenstance that God talks about His Name and Him speaking (or The One Who speaks) in the same breath (verse). His Name is The WORD or Truth that He speaks … the ever-present Word (Truth) that endures and remains even when all else fades. No matter how many attempts are made to water it down or muddy it up, His Name is eternal … forever … it endures even when all else fails or pass away. God’s Name is His Word – the Truth by which we address Him 💖.

I will give to the people a clear and pure speech from pure lips (the lips of Christ) which reflect their purified hearts … I will give them a language undistorted, unpolluted, Words to address God in worship, that they may all call upon the Name of THE LORD, to serve Him with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder bearing the yoke of THE LORD (Matthew 11:28-30)

Zephaniah 3:9

HOW TO CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD

Definitely not by merely saying the name or word: LORD LORD. Matthew 7:21 in the MSG translation puts it this was: knowing the correct password – saying “Master, Master”, for instance – does not get us anywhere with God. It is more than mere lip service, it is priesthood –1 Peter 2:9– priesthood is a service of gift … the gift of Truth, the gift of Trust in Christ – Philippians 1:29 (ERV), the gift of giving and having hope. Even God hopes for the Hope of HOPE – He expects the Certainty of the UNSEEN (the not-yet-seen, all that He keeps ready for us in Christ Jesus: The Hope of Glory – Colossians 1:27).

We call upon the Name of THE LORD by having HOPE. We have HOPE by actionably believing in the WORD of God – this is how we truly/truthfully call upon the Name of THE LORD, even without saying a word or with wordless sighs.

HOW are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed, in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance? HOW are they to believe in Him (or trust in and rely on Him) of Whom they have never heard? … What is heard comes by the preaching of the Message that comes from the lips of Christ The Messiah Himself (The WORD Himself, He Who was sent by The Father – John 17:8, 16:13)

Romans 10:14-15

Romans 10:13-17draws a truthful parallel between the Name of THE LORD and The Word of God. It tells us that it is impossible to call upon The Name of THE LORD without (receiving) The Word of God – one is the other. It also tells us HOW to call upon The Name of THE LORD: to truly call upon the Name of The LORD is to actionably believe (receive and act on) The Word of God – this involves trusting and relying on Him (His Word, Who He is). Each time this happens, we in effect are calling upon The Name of THE LORD. Each time you actionably recall God’s Word to you (each time you re-member or re-join God’s Word to you), you are taking His Name upon yourself (for your own). His Name is yours to have –Psalm 117:2 (VCE).

THE LORD alone is our radiant Hope and we trust in Him with all our hearts. He is everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own His Holy Name (because we trust in His Holy Name … because we depend and rely on Him).

Psalm 33:20-21

Each time we actionably and truthfully recall God’s Word, we have hope – Lamentation 3:21, 24. God wants us to always have hope. Having hope is the means to the end (Romans 5:3-5) and the promised end itself (Jeremiah 29:11).

Along the way, we will be confronted with many lies, many of which will seem like the truth. The resulting distrust is valid BUT do NOT trust the distrust. If/when you get to the fork in the road, lean NOT on your own understanding. Acknowledge God … acknowledge the One above Whom there is none and He will direct your path with His Word (Psalm 119:105) … with His Name –Isaiah 55:12(AMPC)

Jesus said: … IF you believe and rely on Me, you will see the Glory of God (God’s Glory is His Name – Isaiah 42:8).

John 11:40

Believe, keep believing in Who God is and you will see His Glory – His Goodness, His Name. The Psalmist said: “What, what would have become of me had I not believed that I would see THE LORD’s Goodness (Name) in the land of the living! Wait, hope for and expect THE LORD … Yes, wait, hope for and expect THE LORD” –Psalm 27:13-14(AMPC). Have Hope … keep on believing (Mark 5:36B). What a privilege it is to believe in (to truthfully call upon) the Name of THE LORD.

I’ll wrap up with this prayer point (the point to which The WORD leads me) 👇.

May the God of Hope so fill you with His very Own portion of Joy and Peace as you believe (and keep believing Him), so that by the power of His Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with Hope.

Romans 15:13

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Thank You God, MOST HIGH, The One above Whom there is None. Thank You for the blessing of Truth – a gift that ONLY You can give. Thank You for giving us Your HolySpirit Who guides us into all Truth (John 16:13). Sanctify us with Your Truth – Your Word is Truth, Your Name is Truth, so is Your HolySpirit (The Spirit of Truth). Come O Come HolySpirit I pray in the everlasting, age-enduring Name and authority of The Word of God: my Lord. King, Xerxes, and Savior Jesus Christ.

When God Reveals His Name (1, 2, 3, GO)

This is part 2 of a two-part blog series, both intended for those to whom God is revealing His Name – you are in good company: a host of us! Yahweh, The LORD of the Host of us, wants us to know and trust His Name –Isaiah 43:10(VCE, AMPC).

you are My witnesses; you are My proof. you whom I chose for a special purpose, My servant, in order that you would know Me, believe Me (trust Me), and be faithful to Me …

Isaiah 43:10A (VOICE, AMPC)

In part 1 (Be a Babe), we saw that:

(A) God is the One Who reveals His Name.

(B)God’s Name is Yahweh (The LORD), andHis Son’s Name(Jesus) is Yeshua which means Yahweh saves. God’s Son is called by God’s Name – as it is with Jesus so it is with anyone to whom God reveals His Name or Self.

(C)WHEN God reveals His Name/Self to you, He is doing two things simultaneously: revealing His PRESENCE to you AND calling you. Who God presents His PRESENCE as to you is the Name by which He calls you.

(D)The humility of the HolySpirit (the FIRST LOVE humility) is the (our) expected response to the revelation of God’s Name and His calling. Hence, be a Babe – be a newcomer, one who humbly comes anew to God.

Here, in part 2, we’ll take a further look at (1)WHYGod reveals His Name to us, (2)WHAT HAPPENSwhen we respond as expected, and (3) whatTHE EXPECTED RESPONSEof being a Babe means in practice.

Therefore My people will know what My Name is and what it means; they shall know in that day that I AM He Who speaks; Behold, I AM!
Here I AM! I AM ready.

Isaiah 52:6 (AMPC, VOICE)

WHY?

Why does God reveal His Name to us? Why does He want us to know what His Name means? Here’s WHY:so that we can say His Name by calling upon Him again and again…

“Say My Name … Say My Name“, says The LORD

Backed up by Exodus 3:14 and Exodus 34:6, this 👆 was going to be the title of this series 😊. Both times, God said His Name twice! I increasingly believe that this is God’s name-calling style …

Furthermore, I believe that God wants us to call Him in like manner: again and again … this is the manner in/by which God comes.

In part 1, I likened God’s name-call repetition to the ‘Knock Knock’ on a door … an expression of the gentleManly nature of God’s PRESENCE. This is but one facet of God’s name-calling style. The emphasis (name-call repetition) can also be seen as an echo of God’s Voice (Psalm 62:11 NKJV), an assurance, a confirmation … it is the hearing and hearing effect by which Faith comes (Romans 10:17). It is a surety, a certainty (a HOPE).

Contrary to popular belief unbelief, HOPE is not a maybe. In Truth, howbeit unseen for a time, HOPE is a certainty, the evidence (substance) of which comes with God’s Voice … it comes when God calls you by His revealed Name.

Faith is the assurance, confirmation, substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen … Without Faith, it is impossible to walk with God and please Him. Those who come to God (Babes) must necessarily believe that HE ISand thatHE ISa rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:1, 6 (AMP/C)

Every Babe needs Faith … every Babe needs evidence of HOPE. This in part is why God reveals (and calls us by) His Name. His revealed Name is the evidence we need, our strong hold and foundation –Proverbs 18:10– our Strong Tower of defense against doubt, the sin that readily besets, attacks, or hampers us IF we respond in fear instead of Faith (the knowledge of God).

Isaiah 43:10tells us that God wants us to know and trust Him, and to be faithful to Him. To be faithful to God is to be FULL of Faith in our response to Him and all else. We can not be God’s Babe (we can not be humble, or come anew, or call on God again and again) without FIRST knowing and trusting Him.

To know and trust God is to know and trust His Name. This is what God wants and here’s WHY 👇

… SO THAT we may truthfully say His Name.

**************** A Quick Note ****************

While God wants us to call on Him again and again, it is important to note that not everyone who says LORD, LORD truthfully says God’s Name – Matthew 7:22-23. There’s a distinction … and it goes beyond merely repeating God’s Name. Those who truthfully say God’s Name are known by God because they bear and thus GO only by the Name God calls them: His Name. Case in point: Moses – God knew his God-given name. I think it was Beautiful (Exodus 2:2) and very likely why Moses had beautiful feet (Isaiah 52:7). In any case, God knew him by name(Exodus 33:12B)… Another example is Gideon – he was called by His God-given name: Mighty man of fearless courage(Judges 6:12)and so he was.

Everyone to whom God reveals His Name is given a God-given name … a name that expresses God’s Name. This God-given name is your calling (your purpose), a calling that happens when God presents His PRESENCE to you. Another reason to NOT take God’s Name-Reveal lightly – SeLaH.

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To truthfully say God’s Name is(1)to call upon His Name (Zephaniah 3:9) AND(2)to proclaim His Name (Psalm 68:11, 1 Peter 2:9, Matthew 5:14-16) in HUMILITY (Side Note:Humility is extravagantly Truthful– SeLaH).

How are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him (to trust in and rely upon Him) of Whom they’ve never heard? How are they to hear without a PREACHER?

Romans 10:14

The PREACHER is coming … FAITH (the knowledge of God) is coming … Yahweh, the Ever-Present One, is coming. For those wondering about how HE IS here and yet also coming, kindly note that coming in this context does NOT mean “not yet here”, instead, it means to unveil or reveal. Indeed, God is revealing His Self/Name to Babes across the four corners of the earth. WHEN this happens, LISTEN for and TRUST His Holy Name. Like Samuel, you will hear Him when He comes (Romans 10:17, Psalm 40:6 AMPC) … you will hear Him because what He says (Who He presents Himself as to you) is Who enables you to hear Him. WHEN this happens, LISTEN for God’s Name-Reveal to you … it is intimate, thus be intimate with Him. Welcome and honor (make space for) His Name. What a privilege it is to be God’s chosen dwelling place for His Name! Indeed, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar nation –1 Peter 2:9💖.

To TRUST God’s Name is to actionably GO by the Name that He calls you (to bear His revealed Name to you).Totruthfullysay God’s Name is to say His Name in THE Way that matters to Him: obediently… trustingly– this is what happens when we respond to God’s Name-Reveal (and calling) with the humility of our first love for God. Every time we respond in this manner, we actionably say: God can NOT lie … we actionably say: God is TRUTH … we (by our actions) meaningfully say His Name. Something happens when we truthfully (humbly) say God’s Name – I Peter 5:6-7, 2 Chronicles 7:14-16.

WHAT HAPPENS?

GOD HAPPENS!

This is what the The Blind Man in John 9 was saying to the people who would not listen – He essentially was telling them that God happened! That God came to pass … that God passed by –John 9:1(CJB).

When we trustingly know God’s Name and thus truthfully say His Name …

… GOD MOVES!

… a translation happens i.e. The Blind see – this is what transpired in John 9:38… a God-inspired translation from darkness to Light (to all things bright and beautiful) happens! When God moves, things shift … things move: heaven (God’s throne) and earth (God’s footstool) move. It is accurate to say then that when we truthfully say God’s Name, God effectively moves heaven and earth! No one else can do this … none besides Yahweh 🥰.

Still on what happens when we truthfully say God’s Name …

… SHILOH COMES!

The PRESENCE of God comes to pass … to make a move. In so moving, God makes the place of the feet of His Heart GLORIOUS(Isaiah 60:13, Isaiah 52:7)… oh! how BEAUTIFUL are the feet of His Heart! The feet of His PRESENCE! God makes them so because He moves … because God moves, His host move as well (on earth as it is in heaven, none missing a mate) …

… an EXODUS HAPPENS!

Like the Pillar of Fire by night and the Pillar of Cloud by day, the ANGEL of God’s PRESENCE goes to work! He is Mighty to save! As a result …

… SALVATION HAPPENS!

God reveals His Salvation (His redemptive Name), He reveals the Kinsman-Redeemer. God reveals His Name in His Son’s Name:Yeshua: Yahweh saves!He does it through the open DOOR-Way (HEY) of Salvation that His Son is –John 10:9. In other words, God reveals Himself!

As He did with Moses, God comes to show you His Way, His Glory – He lets His Goodness pass in front of you, right before your eyes. God Himself passes by and shows you Himself: Salvation(Psalm 50:23) Peace and Prosperity(Haggai 2:9) … Good Success (Psalm 118:25)… Oh the GLORY! Both that of the early and latter RAIN (Joel 2:23)

Deuteronomy 11:14,Isaiah 45:8(AMPC) – This RAIN of SALVATION and the bounty thereof (Haggai 2:19, Joel 2:19, Hosea 2:22) … this Righteous Gift of Salvation (Hosea 10:12) is what happens and what you can expect: The GLORY of God! His POWER and MIGHT … His PRESENCE! God in FULL view!

Look! Here is your God! Look at Him! Yahweh comes in power, ready to go into action. Behold (HEY), Yahweh comes with might, and His arm will rule for Him. Behold (HEY), His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.

Isaiah 40:9B -10 (MSG, CJB, AMPC)

THE EXPECTED RESPONSE

Rightfully put, the expected response is to be a Babe … always. Another way to put it is: One … Two … Three … Go! Always Go to God anew, with God and in God. Let’s take a look at what this means in practice.

(1)Respond with Thankful Praise

It is the praising life that honors Me. As soon as you set your foot on the Way, I will show you My SALVATION.

Psalm 50:23 (MSG)

Honor God with a response of Thankful Praise – this is exactly what Jesus did when God revealed His Name … when God revealed Himself (Salvation) … when God called Him by His Name. Indeed, Salvation is Jesus’ calling – Who and What He is called to be. A calling and revelation to which Jesus responded with overflowing JOY … the Joy of Salvation aka The Joy of The LORD.

Jesus, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit (the Ruach HaKodesh), said: I thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth,BECAUSEYou concealed these things relating to SALVATION from the sophisticated, educated … know-it-alls yet You revealed these things relating to SALVATION to Babes, to new comers, to those who humble themselves. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this Way.

Luke 10:21 (CJB, AMPC, MSG)

Jesus responded with Yahweh’s Joy –Psalm 16:11(AMPC), the Joyfulness of God’s PRESENCE (the FULLness of Joy found in God’s PRESENCE).

(2)Give God PRESENCE

Here I am

Genesis 22:1,11, Genesis 31:11, Exodus 3:4,
1 Samuel 3:4-10, Isaiah 6:9

This is the ULTIMATE RESPONSE … it is inclusive of both (1) and (3). I’ll elaborate more on this when I share on The Desire for PRESENCE. In the interim, it is worth noting that Abraham (Genesis 22:1,11), Jacob (Genesis 31:11), Moses (Exodus 3:4), Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4-10), and Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9) each said ‘Here I am’ to God when He presented His PRESENCE to them – in other words, each of them were present (in attendance, they attended to God’s PRESENCE).

(3) Bless The LORD … Bless Yahweh

What does it mean? What does it mean to bless The LORD? What does it mean to bless The One Who is Blessed … the One from Whom ALL blessings flow? How does one bless Yahweh? All VERY valid questions 🙂.

How about we start with what it means to bless …

(1) To bless is to give something of value to someone. The something given is of value to the recipient AND comes at a cost to the giver. The perfect example: God gave us redemption (His Righteous Gift of Salvation) at the cost of His Son –John 3:16💖.

(2) To bless is to speak good of someone or something. I found and thoroughly enjoyed seeing this definition in the AMPC version of Genesis 2:3 🥰👌.

God blessed (spoke good of) the seventh day. He set it apart as His Own and hallowed it because on it God rested from all His work which He had created and done.

Genesis 2:3 (AMPC)

We bless God when we speak good of Him in our thoughts, with our words, and by our actions … we bless God when we praise His Name – when we exalt His Holy Name above all else. We exalt God’s Holy Name when we actionably believe Him i.e. trusting and obeying Him. When we believe (accept, embrace, welcome, honor, trust, obey) His WORD: When we believe that HE IS Who He says HE IS … when we believe Who He reveals His Name as or Who He presents Yahweh as.

Keep in mind that this presentation may not always come in the manner that you expect. When God presented His WORD (PRESENCE) as Yeshua in the person of Jesus, a lowly man from Nazareth, many did not believe Him … they would not (they willed not to) believe Him.

In returning to Me and resting in Me shall you be saved; in quietness and in trusting confidence shall be your strength. But you would (willed) not. Oh, that you had hearkened to My commandments. Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river, and your righteousness like the abundant waves of the sea. Oh, that My people (Israel) would listen to Me and walk in My ways (not their wicked ways).

Isaiah 30:15 (AMPC), Isaiah 40:18, Psalm 81:13

Who are those who willed not? Those whose unbelief (whose unwillingness to trust that God has done what He said He would do) shut them out from stepping foot into all that God has in store and has prepared for them. They were given the Good News and the opportunity but they willed not to humble themselves … they willed not to receive it, welcome it, or honor it. This inevitably led to disobedience,Hebrews 3:7 – 4:7(AMPC). They did not say blessed is He Who comes in the Name of The LORD because they did not believe that Jesus (Yeshua) came from God … they did not believe that He was The Anointed (Blessed) One: they did not speak good of Him.

We bless (speak good of, praise, exalt) God when we obediently trust His WORD – this happens as a result of believing that God is Who He reveals Himself to be and that He has done what He said He will do. God values obedience … it belongs to Him – Genesis 49:10(AMPC). It is an integral part of believing and thus trusting God … it is an integral part of actionably, trustingly, truthfully, or meaningfully saying God’s Name – THIS is what it means to bless The LORD. We bless God by our welcoming (receptive) and humble (responsive) action of whole-hearted obedience.

As mentioned earlier, it is costly to bless … as such, blessing God will cost each one of the host of us something. Believing, trusting, and obeying God will cost us something … actually, it will cost us everything – everything we are and have within us. Blessing God will cost us everything just as it cost Him everything (Himself) to bless us with Salvation (Himself). Like Jesus too was broken or broke (and no, I don’t mean money-wise), we too must be broke in order to truly bless God. We must be all-broken-hearted or whole-heartedly broke, having poured out all of our heart before God … loving Him (giving God to God) with all that is within us.

It is from this place of costly broke-ness (or brokenness) that we trustingly and truthfully say: Yahweh! Yahweh! It is from this place of nothing-else-ness that we bless The LORD with all that is within us and thus meaningfully say God’s Holy Name: The LORD! The LORD! It is from this place of humility that we cry: Abba! Father! … here is where we call upon the Name of The LORD and are saved by Him. He does not despise nor forsake a broken heart. Like the fragrance of a broken jar of pure spikenard or spice, whose every costly content is poured out, God values and glories in our broken (humble) heart. He is blessed by the humility of our obedient trust. It is from this place of obedience that we GO with God and that we walk humbly with Him. This humble, obedient walk with God is key to what happens next … MORE! God! He is The MORE 💖. Oh sooo much MORE!

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The PREACHER (the One Who speaks) is coming – His Name (Yahweh) is near. The One from Whence He comes (and to Whom all obedience belong) says:

Now get yourselves ready. Look! I AM sending a Heavenly Messenger – My Angel (The Angel of My Presence – My PRESENCE) to pass before you – to protect you during your journey with Me and to lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. Pay attention to all that He shows you and obey whatever He tells you … He carries My Name in Him.

Exodus 23:20-21(MSG, VOICE)

HEY faithful … humble … Babe, The LORD your God is coming to reveal His Name to you … to present Himself to (and then through) you … God’s PRESENCE is coming. He is The Divine LORD (Rabbani) … The TEACHER (Rabboni) … The PREACHER … The Heavenly MESSENGER … He is The One Who speaks. Listen for Him (seek Him). Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving and His Courts with Praise. Bless Him with ALL that He is (deepest) within you –Psalm 103:1(AMPC).

His Name is in you (in your deepest, most intimate and private part – the secret place of The MOST HIGH). He truly is as near as the tongue in your mouth and the heart in your chest – a treasure chest. His Name is the weight of His Glory in you – His glorious inheritance. GO here-to-forward proclaiming the praise of His glorious Name (Grace). GO humbly forward with God and give Him what He values most: PRESENCE … a weighty splendor!

When God reveals His Name (Be a Babe)

Who has ascended into heaven and descended? … What is His Name?andWhat is His Son’s Name?

Proverbs 30:4

The inspiration to share this blog came when the HolySpirit was writing Do NOT be Ruthless with, in, and through me. It also stemmed from the start of the year when God called my attention to His Name: El Shaddai and then Yahweh, both of which share a connection with the Hebrew letter: HEY … a letter whose number (5) and meaning are of great significance to me and in relation to 2025 (5785). I find it fascinating that HEY is represented twice in God’s MOST Holy Name: Yahweh 💖.

While He was writing on the tablet of my heart, the HolySpirit showed me that there is significance to the revelation of God’s Name. In hearing Him speak, Faith came … a just cause for another blog, so I drafted what He showed/told me – the essence of which is what I’ll be sharing in this two-part blog series by the ever-present help that the HolySpirit is.

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From Genesis and all the way to Revelations, we see God reveal His Name/Self to His lovers (loved ones) – a task that Jesus (God’s WORD), the One Who has ascended to heaven and descended(John 16:7)is entirely committed to accomplish by His HolySpirit (Zechariah 4:6), Who also is equally committed to the task of revealing God to mankind (John 16:13-15).

I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very Self, and I will continue to make You known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them (felt in their hearts) and that I Myself may be in them.

John 17:26 (AMPC)

Chronologically speaking and naming just a few of the loved ones to whom God revealed His Name/Self, there was …

(1)Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob … individually, God revealed His Self to them as El Shaddai – Genesis 17:1, Genesis 26:24, Genesis 28:13, Exodus 6:2-3 (AMPC). Something to note 👉 God’s revelation to Jacob (the one God loves) started with a dream of God’s angels (host of God’s messengers) ascending and descending on a ladder set up on earth, with its top reaching up to heaven (Genesis 28:10-19). Jacob called the place Bethel – the House of God … the gateway to heaven. Jacob experienced God’s PRESENCE 💖… Jacob experienced The PORTION OF JACOB: The PORTION of God-seekers: the generation of those who seek God’s Face – Psalm 24:6.

(2)Moses … God revealed His Self to him as I AM and Yahweh (The LORD). In other words, God revealed Himself to Moses as I AM Yahweh– Exodus 3:14-15, Exodus 34:6. God explicitly told Moses His Name💖- this happened when God made His PRESENCE known to him and in response, Moses turned to look … to behold … to see … to HEY (Exodus 3:1-4).

Seek The LORD … Seek His Face and to be in His PRESENCE continually!

I Chronicles 16:11 (AMPC, MSG) Psalm 105:4

(3)Speaking of God’s Face, Gideon … God revealed His Self to him as Shalom (The Peaceful One: Shiloh) – Judges 6:11-24.

(4) Samuel … God revealed His Self to him as THE WORD – 1 Samuel 3:3-7, 8-11A, 21. I 💖 verse 11A … it says: The LORD (Yahweh) said to Samuel: Behold (HEY) 🥰. I believe this was the point when THE WORD was revealed to Samuel. We are in the season/year of HEY … oh that, like Moses, we would turn to behold God WHEN He calls us to Himself by revealing His PRESENCE! That, like Samuel, we would say: speak LORD for Your servant is listening … that we would be present. This is the response that God wants us to have (Matthew 17:5).

(5) Isaiah … God revealed the Spirit of His Son to him as Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God (El Shaddai), Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Shiloh) – Isaiah 9:6. In addition to telling Isaiah about the essence (Spirit) of His Son and how He will be known by His people, felt in their hearts, and thus called, God told Isaiah His Name 💖 – Isaiah 42:8 .

(6) Jeremiah … God revealed His Self to him as Yahweh (The LORD) – Jeremiah 31:3. Also, God told Jeremiah His Name 💖 – Jeremiah 33:2.

(7) Joseph and Mary … individually, God revealed the Name of His Son to both of them as Yeshua – Matthew 1:21 (AMPC) , Luke 1:31. In telling them His Son’s Name, God actually also told them His very Own Name💖. YeshuameansYahweh saves. Indeed, God’s Name is in His Son’s Name (Exodus 23:21) … I wonder if this is what Agur was alluding to in Proverbs 30:4 🤔 – SeLaH

(8) Peter … God revealed to him that His Son is The Christ … The Messiah (Shiloh) – Matthew 16:15-17. What a revelation and a blessing!

(9) The Samaritan Woman aka The Good Samaritan … better yet, The Good News Samaritan 🥰. God revealed The Messiah to her as The One Who speaks – John 4:26 (AMPC). I 💖 that in His response and introduction to the Samaritan woman: “I … AM He”, Jesus also said God’s Name (I AM).

(10) The Blind Man … God revealed His Son to him as The One Who speaks – John 9:35-38.

(11) Paul, another blind man who saw God – Acts 9:1-5 (AMPC). Like He did at the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:5), God revealed His LIGHT, His VOICE, and then His Son to Saul-later-turned-Paul .

(12)John … God revealed multiple expressions of His Self, His Name, and His Son to John. No wonder John is called the beloved – God reveals things to His beloved. Chief of all the revelations that God gave John is THE WORD, the Name that God exalts above all His other Names. God revealed THE WORD to John at The Beginning (John 1:1), at The End (Revelation 19:13), and as both (Revelation 22:13).

The details of each of the above referenced encounters is quite the intrigue, each one unique yet connected toIsaiah 52:6. Another common and important theme across the board is that God, not man, is the One Who does the revealing of His Name – His PRESENCE (His ever-present Self). It is a deep, intimate, and personal (DIP) revelation. It is the greatest honor to be given this revelation. I say so becauseWho God reveals His PRESENCE as to you is who He calls you to be– case in point: the ones who, instead of names, were givena honorable titlei.e. The Samaritan Woman and The Blind Man. God revealed Himself to either of them as The One Who speaks … and boy, did they speak! Like the Good News People mentioned in Zechariah 8:13 (MSG), they spoke good of God.

The Samaritan Woman turned many blind folks to God by saying “Come and See” (John 4:29,39-42). The Blind Man went toe-to-toe with the so called know-it-alls or “subject matter experts” who were blind like Paul once was before God revealed Himself to him on the road to Damascus (John 9:10-33) – he spoke Godfidently of God.

Another point worth noting is that, more often than not, God doesn’t out-rightly start His relationship with us by revealing His Name/Self. He seems to first have one or more interactions before this revelation happens – Abraham is an example of this. Genesis 12:1 is the first bible record of God speaking to him – he was 75 years old at the time. Genesis 17:1 is when God revealed His Self to Abraham as El Shaddai (The Almighty God … The Strong and Breasted One) – at this time, Abraham was 99 years old. I share this NOT to say or imply that it takes 24 years for God to open up – no, each person’s experience is unique. I share this to point out that God’s revelation of His Name/Self is as significant and intentional as the timing of it. It’s NOT mere happenstance.God’s Name-reveal is well-timed … it comes well or well-comes(it is welcoming) and can happen at any or multiple points in our journey HERE on earth. Never feel like or think that you’re too new (young) or too mature (old) in your walk with God for it to happen. Speaking in Joel 2:28, God says:

I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh (all mankind), and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your your young men shall see visions.

Joel 2:28

When God reveals His Name(He will), treat it as a big deal (it is). Treat it with humility …treat it withthe humility of your FIRST LOVE. DoN’T take it lightly. DoN’T be surface, or shallow about it. Instead, be DIP … yes, be deep about it. Make room for Him (honor Him). Treat Him as Holy –Leviticus 10:3(NASB). Go near … like Moses, turn to see Him, go deep into God’s revelation of His Self/Name to you: Seek Him … wholeheartedly, open-heartedly.

Seek The LORD (Yahweh) while He may be found (claiming Him by necessity and by right); call upon Him while He is near.

Isaiah 55:6

When God reveals His Name, He is simultaneously revealing His PRESENCE and calling you … it’s a two-in-ONE deal💖.

(1) Who God reveals His PRESENCE as to you is His Way ofcalling youby His Name. God name-calling you is NOT in vain, NOT even if/when He does it twice! Another note-worthy recurring theme 👇

God does NOT stutter. Moreover, I believe that the name-call repetition is like the Knock Knock on a door. It is a reflection of the patient, persistent, enduring, faithful, unrelenting, yet gentleManly nature of God’s PRESENCE. My personal experience of God’s ‘gentleManliness’ is waking up to find Him waiting for me to wake up … to open up, to open my eyes, to HEY, to LOOK UP, to open up the doors or eyes of my heart for Him to flood them with LIGHT and so that I can see Him.

(2)God revealing His PRESENCE to you is His Way ofcalling youto Himself. He has NOT, does NOT, and will NOT call anyone to seek Him in vain (Isaiah 45:19). This is true because He calls you by His Name, a Name that He Himself does NOT use in vain. Therefore, when God makes His PRESENCE known to you …when God reveals His Name, DoN’T be vain about it. Take His Name for yourself (Psalm 33:20-22 MSG) … and do it with the humility of the HolySpirit (your FIRST LOVE).

Through His HolySpirit, Who also is the Spirit of His Son – the Spirit of THE WORD, God is still revealing His Name to us today –John 17:26(AMPC). InLuke 10:21Jesus revealed that it pleases God to reveal things to babes … to newcomers … to those who humble themselves.

This newcomer (or FIRST LOVE) humility isthe humility of the HolySpirit’s FIRST LOVE or His LOVE for The FIRST (God, The Father). In other words: God, The Father, is the Holy Spirit’s FIRST LOVE and vice versa.

Jesus testified of the HolySpirit’s humility toward The Father in John 16:13B-15… the HolySpirit is ONLY ever ALL about glorifying The Father which in turn means glorifying The Son.

When the Truth-giving Spirit(The Giver of Himself, El Shaddai)comes, He will guide you into all Truth – the whole and FULL Truth. ForHe will not speak His Own Message or on His Own Authority BUT He will tell whatever He hears from The Father– He will give the message that has been given to Him, and will announce and declare to you the things that are to come.

John 16:13

Another testimony of the HolySpirit’s humble LOVE for the Father is seen inGenesis 1:2. With Him being the Spirit of God and ALL, the HolySpirit knows ALL and is ALL that is in God’s Heart (1 Corinthians 2:11) – the HolySpirit is the ALL in ALL💖. To know and be all that is in God’s Heart means that He knows all there is to know about what God desires and what gives God the MOST pleasure. Knowing this, He could very well just go do all these things BUT He waits for The Father to command it … He exalts God’s Command above all else. Even above His Own authority to get stuff done. Even above His Own passionate, zealous, unstoppable desire to please God … He waits –Isaiah 30:18 (AMPC)💖.

Let me try to describe what this is like for the HolySpirit in the way that He described it to me – it’s like the moment before a Kiss. He is ready, He is aroused (the AMP/C version of Isaiah 30:18 says He lifts up Himself on high) … in order words, He is high (aroused) like the rising of the Sun, He is ready –Isaiah 52:6(AMPC). He wants it … oh He wants this Kiss! YET He waits. In His “gentleManliness”, He waits. In His humility, He waits … expectantly, desirously, earnestly! Can you imagine the force it takes to hold an unstoppable force? That’s what the HolySpirit does when He waits.

He knew about and was the one Who performed all that God commanded in Genesis 1 … He knew it was good and could very well just go do it, YET He waited … He hovered over the face of the waters UNTIL God said LET there be … What a right, willing, and Holy Spirit!

This newcomer humility is ALSOthe humility of our FIRST LOVE.The HolySpirit is our FIRST LOVE … our First Kiss. He is the very first knowledge of God that we had. His Kiss is what gave us birth – this is what happened at the beginning when we were created (Genesis 1:27), even at the beginning when Adam was formed (Genesis 2:7), before we were formed in our earthly mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5), and at the point when we became born again in Christ (John 1:13). He is the Womb in Christ that carries us(Isaiah 46:3-4)…The Womb Love that births usagain … anew … afresh.

Think about the moment you said YES (the welcoming word) to Jesus Christ … not when you responded to an altar call out of fear, no … not that time. I mean when you said YES with your heart, not just your head and/or mouth … the moment when you yielded to God and said YES to His Love in absolute surrender … the moment when you said His Name – Revelation 3:14 (AMPC, MSG) … think about that new-believer or newcomer moment. What you were responding or attracted to is the HolySpirit, your FIRST LOVE. What you were expressing is your FIRST LOVE – the HolySpirit’s LOVE for The FIRST through you.

The humility of our FIRST LOVE isan echo or an exact replica of the humility of the HolySpirit’s FIRST LOVE – it is the humility of new or little beginnings. We see the HolySpirit express this humility at the beginning when the earth was without form, empty, and void – an emptiness that exists when The WORD hasn’t been given or because God hasn’t commanded it otherwise – this was the case inGenesis 1:2, and what our lives is like BEFORE God reveals Himself (LIGHT) to us.

When God does reveal Himself to us, we become Lights that shine. The LIGHT that makes us Light … that makes us arise and shine, the Word/Truth entrusted to us and in our hearts, can only be guarded (kept from going into our heads) by the help of the HolySpirit(2 Timothy 1:14)– this requires humility (asking for and receiving help requires humility). We see David ask for the HolySpirit’s help in Psalm 51:10-12… like David, we all should be in this place of needing and asking for the ever-present help that the HolySpirit is and gives.

Unfortunately, many “grow up” thinking that “they’ve got it” and they start leaning on their own understanding. In the process, they lose the humility of their FIRST LOVE because they let the Light get into their heads instead of keeping it in their hearts (where it belongs) by relying on the HolySpirit. Inevitably, they become arrogant like king Saul, a man whose story simultaneously makes my heart break, frightens the hell out me, and puts the fear of God in me (now that I say this, I wonder if his story was written in order to have this exact God-intended effect … hmm 🤔).

Okay, back to the topic at hand 👉 these so called grown-ups or know-it-alls become arrogant about the fragrant knowledge of God (Truth) that they’ve been given – they use the Name of The LORD in vain and for vain glory (self-glorification and self-presence). This is NOT right … this is NOT of the right spirit that David was praying for inPsalm 51:10. What David was asking for is the Babe (newcomer) posture of awe-struck openness to God … the heart-posture of a newcomer in and to Christ… the heart-posture that humbly responds to God’s calling with YES … the response of a heart that says God’s Name with all-broken-heartedness, with whole-heartedness, with whole-hearted devotion.

God reveals things to His Babes … to those who always come anew to Him with FIRST LOVE humility. Therefore, understand this:

(1) God wants us to be FULL of Him … to be FULL of Faith (the Knowledge of Himself that He gives us). He wants us to grow in stature and in strength –Isaiah 40:31(AMPC, MSG, TPT)

(2) God, however, does NOT want us to outgrow or despise the humility of our little beginning of YES (Zechariah 4:10)– He instead wants to always see the humility of our FIRST LOVE response to Him.

God wants us to respond to His Name-reveal and Name-calling by coming anew to Him like the dew fresh out of the Womb of the Morning so that we can hear Him speak like Samuel did, like Moses did … like every newcomer (Babe) does.

[Definition] Babe – the one who comes anew (who comes well) in the Name of The LORD. The one who truthfully welcomes God’s PRESENCE by giving PRESENCE to Yahweh. The one who welcomes the Name of The LORD (Exodus 34:6). 🤍 The CHIEF of all Babes is God Himself 🤍. Like the Sun, He comes new every morning – Lamentation 3:22-23.

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HEY Babe, The LORD your God comes anew … in like manner, come anew to and with Him – always a Babe, God’s Babe! Always come in and to God with child-like innocence and humility … always be a newcomer, whose first-love burns increasingly brighter and does not wax cold. Indeed, blessed are you as you come into God’s PRESENCE under His Guardianship –Psalm 118:26.

HEY Babe, be loved. The LORD your God comes to reveal His Name to you, be receptive and responsive to Him. Receive God and then give God to God (love God) with ALL that He is within you(Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37)… with the right spirit within you, with the humility of your FIRST LOVE. To respond contrary to this is what it means to take The LORD’s Name in vain (Exodus 20:7) – please DoN’T. DoN’T be vain about God’s Name-reveal and Name-calling, always be God’s babe! He is your gentle HusbandMan – the One Who knocks.

Behold, I stand at the DOOR and knock; if anyone hears, listens to, and heeds My Voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will sup (eat) with him, and he will sup (eat) with Me.

Revelations 3:20