Sanity Available

Baruch Ha Shem(s)

Genesis 32:29-30

(AMP)  Then Jacob asked Him, Tell me, I pray You, what [in contrast] is Your name? But He said, Why is it that you ask My name? And [the Angel of God declared] a blessing on [Jacob] there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [the face of God], saying, For I have seen God face to face, and my life is spared and not snatched away.

(CEV)  Jacob said, "Now tell me your name." "Don't you know who I am?" he asked. And he blessed Jacob. Jacob said, "I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive." So he named the place Peniel.

(CJB)  (32:30-31) Ya`akov asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he answered, "Why are you asking about my name?" and blessed him there. Ya`akov called the place P'ni-El [face of God], "Because I have seen God face to face, yet my life is spared."

(KJVR)  And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

(YLT)  And Jacob asketh, and saith, `Declare, I pray thee, thy name;' and he saith, `Why is this, thou askest for My name?' and He blesseth him there. And Jacob calleth the name of the place Peniel: for `I have seen God face unto face, and my life is delivered;'

Exodus 3:13-15 KJVR  And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?  (14)  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.  (15)  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

Exodus 6:2-3 KJVR  And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:  (3)  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

Exodus 6:2-3 CJB  God spoke to Moshe; he said to him, "I am Adonai.  (3)  I appeared to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya`akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh ( י ה ו ה ) [Adonai].

Exodus 6:2-3 KJV+  And God^H430 spoke^H1696 unto^H413 Moses,^H4872 and said^H559 unto^H413 him, I^H589 am the LORD:^H3068  (3)  And I appeared^H7200 unto^H413 Abraham,^H85 unto^H413 Isaac,^H3327 and unto^H413 Jacob,^H3290 by the name of God^H410 Almighty,^H7706 but by my name^H8034 JEHOVAH^H3068 was I not^H3808 known^H3045 to them.

Hebrews 1:1-4 CJB  In days gone by, God spoke in many and varied ways to the Fathers through the prophets.  (2)  But now, in the acharit-hayamim, he has spoken to us through his Son, to whom he has given ownership of everything and through whom he created the universe.  (3)  This Son is the radiance of the Sh'khinah, the very expression of God's essence, upholding all that exists by his powerful word; and after he had, through himself, made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of HaG'dulah BaM'romim.  (4)  So he has become much better than angels, and the name God has given him is superior to theirs.

Hebrews 12:1-15 CJB  So then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us, too, put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us,  (2)  looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting, Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (3)  Yes, think about him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you won't grow tired or become despondent.  (4)  You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in the contest against sin.  (5)  Also you have forgotten the counsel which speaks with you as sons: "My son, don't despise the discipline of Adonai or become despondent when he corrects you.  (6)  For Adonai disciplines those he loves and whips everyone he accepts as a son."  (7)  Regard your endurance as discipline; God is dealing with you as sons. For what son goes undisciplined by his father?  (8)  All legitimate sons undergo discipline; so if you don't, you're a mamzer and not a son!  (9)  Furthermore, we had physical fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them; how much more should we submit to our spiritual Father and live!  (10)  For they disciplined us only for a short time and only as best they could; but he disciplines us in a way that provides genuine benefit to us and enables us to share in his holiness.  (11)  Now, all discipline, while it is happening, does indeed seem painful, not enjoyable; but for those who have been trained by it, it later produces its peaceful fruit, which is righteousness.  (12)  So, strengthen your drooping arms, and steady your tottering knees;  (13)  and make a level path for your feet; so that what has been injured will not get wrenched out of joint but rather will be healed.  (14)  Keep pursuing shalom with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  (15)  See to it that no one misses out on God's grace...

Being Written

Being Written

Essentially we are, are we not, often guilty of wanting to edit our life story rather than trust God to edit it as only He is able to do it and do it well. The final heavenly everlasting edition will be most glorious when we submit to Jesus who IS the AUTHOR and the FINISHER of our faith. I want to look good in the mirror. It is there that I fix myself up so others will not find me laughable or ugly. But what does God see IN me. He looks on my heart, He seeks truth there. He seeks an entrance into my heart that He may commune and ever dwell with me there. And He looks on all who trust in His Son as one body, as many individuals forever membered to Him as His One Body and Bride. Jesus is the one building His church and we need to let Him build it. Yes, we are called into His fellowship and partnership, but God establishes the rules. He does not allow us to put our square pegs into His round holes. As sinners our desires, lusts and prideful things are square pegs that do not fit into His Holy desires for our contentment, self control and humility. It is us, as persons and as His Kingdom citizens who must abandon everything unfit, everything that cannot fit what God is putting in place, building together.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away, and the sea was no longer there. Also I saw the holy city, New Yerushalayim [Jerusalem], coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, "See! God's Sh'khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. [and I heard a great voice out of the heaven, saying, `Lo, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them--their God, (Rev 21:3 YLT)] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away." Then the One sitting on the throne said, "Look! I am making everything new!" Also he said, "Write, 'These words are true and trustworthy!' " And he said to me, "It is done! I am the 'A' and the 'Z,' the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty I myself will give water free of charge from the Fountain of Life. He who wins the victory will receive these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:1-7 CJB)

There are things that simply do not fit into the holy city, New Jerusalem. They are found in the next verse:

But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars — their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death." (Revelation 21:8 CJB)

We must face this reality. What God will not allow in the city of eternal Life where He will dwell with us, are those evil things which still exist in this world we live in but do not love, those things are from satan. He will steal, kill and aim to destroy any and all people… and how? By satan making them cowardly, untrustworthy, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, occultists, drug dealers and users, idol-worshippers, and liars.

We must allow God to edit out what ever evil characters satan has (if he has) managed to install in our hearts. God wants to be the only One (Three in One) writing on our hearts characters of Love. That is how He makes us like Jesus, and we must see and endeavor always to see Jesus, for then we will be like Him!

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1John 3:2 KJVR)

We do not see it all now as it will be always, but we seek that even as we journey Home to our Father. And by God’s grace we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit who is our Comforter now as we live in the world.

If we will pursue Life in Christ along the Spirit drawn holy guidelines we will be attract the attention of those who should be saved. We will also attract the attention of those who in and still of the world may or may not ever be saved. And we may attract the attention and presence of angels ! Faithfully following our Savior and Lord will expose us in ways we might not want to be were we to know in of it in advance. But church history and the Bible show the “possibilities” and the probabilities and even the guaranteed consequences of pursuing a godly life. See please: John 15:18-25; John 17:14-26 and 2Timothy 3:12.

Peter and Paul and their apostolic teams were well acquainted with and the consequences of following Jesus as His ambassadors of the gospel of God in Christ as the servants of the word of reconciliation.   

And indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted, (2Timothy 3:12 CJB)

Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. (2Timothy 3:12 CEV)

Am I willing to suffer for simply wanting to live as Jesus lived? If we really belong to Jesus and want to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength then we will encounter opposition from others. If we want to obey the greatest commandment we will also want to obey the second greatest which is so very much like the first: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus was not crucified by those who loved Him.

Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the temple police, and the leaders who had come to arrest him. He said, "Why do you come out with swords and clubs and treat me like a criminal? I was with you every day in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But this is your time, and darkness is in control."

(Luke 22:52-53 CEV)

Darkness in others will cause them to wittingly or unwittingly hate Christ in us and even seek to harm us.

When we obey God, we are sure that we know him. But if we claim to know him and don't obey him, we are lying and the truth isn't in our hearts. We truly love God only when we obey him as we should, and then we know that we belong to him. If we say we are his, we must follow the example of Christ. (1John 2:3-6 CEV)

But if we are willing to love God with all we have and are, we will love our neighbor enough so they would also know our Lord and God, Father, Son and Spirit. We will be joined in the Messiah with all His servants who carry the Word of reconciliation to those yet to be reconciled.

Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation — the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new! And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message [word KJV] of reconciliation. (2Corinthians 5:17-19 CJB)

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(Php 3:14 KJVR)

… we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. (2Co 12:19 KJVR)

God, does He not, does want to make of us LIVING LETTERS of His Love and Good News in Jesus the Messiah and Savior of all who believe Him. Let God edit your life. Give the Holy Spirit access to your wheelhouse, the control room, to the seat of your soul’s own government. God governs men and women better, better than they can govern them selves. Our sins and the struggles we have to stop sinning show how flawed is our own ability to govern our lives. Or are we content to be sinners? Or do we rejoice to be sinners?

Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected? (2Corinthians 13:5 AMP)

Am I one of Jesus’ own brothers?

But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God [to us sinners] He might experience death for every individual person. For it was an act worthy [of God] and fitting [to the divine nature] that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect [should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest] through suffering. For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren; For He says, I will declare Your [the Father's] name to My brethren; in the midst of the [worshiping] congregation I will sing hymns of praise to You. [Ps. 22:22.] (Hebrews 2:9-12 AMP)

Even amongst the unsaved brotherhood causes many to fierce loyalties. How much more should we, being offered brotherhood with Jesus our Maker and the Author and Finisher of our faith, respond with zealous desire and requite the Love and Loyalty of God, God WHO IS our Father, our Brother and our Holy Breath of Life and Love.