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He Knows My Name

I realize that someone might think it quite very proud of anyone to proclaim that “God knows me by name” — almost as if they were implying “God knows me but He doesn’t know you, so I’m better.” I can assure you, that is not the attitude of this song, my worship, or the attitude of anyone who truly knows God and is known by God. This is not a song of proud exclusion or self glorification — but one of utter awe and wonder that the creator or all cares about “even me” and “even you”. It is a declaration that the God of all the universe and all of creation is not a deadbeat, absentee father.

I’m not a professional artist like Tasha Combs who brought us “You Know My Name”, but these are the best ashes I can bring to the altar:

And you can hear this amazing performance by Tasha here:

Get Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s Latest Album Here: https://TCLeonard.lnk.to/HPPLiveYD Subscribe to Tasha Cobb Leonard’s Official YouTube Channel: https://TCLeonard.lnk.to/SubscribeYD See Tasha on the Bethel Tour! Get tickets now: https://TCLeonard.lnk.to/BethelTour Get Tasha’s latest single “This Is a Move” here: https://TCLeonard.lnk.to/ThisIsAMoveYD Connect with Tasha: Twitter: https://twitter.com/tashacobbs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tashacobbsl… Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTash… Website: http://tashacobbs.org

https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.43.1-13.NLT

Isaiah 43:1‭-‬13 NLT:

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord , your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’” Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. Gather the nations together! Assemble the peoples of the world! Which of their idols has ever foretold such things? Which can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are the witnesses of such predictions? Who can verify that they spoke the truth? “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord . “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God— there never has been, and there never will be. I, yes I, am the Lord , and there is no other Savior. First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord . “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”

This past year has been a challenge for me, but I’m so encouraged that He knows me not just by name, but intimately and personally. And I know this assurance is available for everyone who seeks Him humbly and earnestly.

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What do False Prophets/Teachers teach?

Curious about what the New Testament specifically has to say about false teachers?

Here’s my bulleted list with scripture references of the lies:

  • Lie #1: God’s grace allows us to live immoral lives (Jude 1:4)
  • Lie #2: Godliness is a way of making a profit/becoming wealthy (1 Timothy 6:5) 
  • Lie #3: Forbidding marriage (1 Timothy 4:3) 
  • Lie #4: Forbidding certain foods (1 Timothy 4:3) 
  • Lie #5: Jesus Christ isn’t God come in the flesh as a real man (1 John 4:2)
  • Lie #6: The Bible is full of errors and can’t be trusted (Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16)

A list of some of their types of corrupt character and bad fruit:

  • Claim authority from their dreams (Jude 1:8)
  • Live immortal lives (Jude 1:8)
  • Defy authority (Jude 1:8)
  • Scoff at supernatural beings (Jude 1:8)
  • Deceive people for money (Jude 1:11)
  • Grumblers and complainers (Jude 1:16)
  • Live only to satisfy their desires (Jude 1:16)
  • Brag loudly about themselves (Jude 1:16)
  • Flatter others to get what they want (Jude 1:16)
  • Arrogant/conceited and understands nothing (1 Timothy 6:4)
  • Has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes (1 Timothy 6:4)
  • They give rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, and constant bickering by people corrupted in their minds and deprived of the truth (1 Timothy 6:4)
  • Suppose that godliness is a way of making a profit/ becoming wealthy (1 Timothy 6:5)

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Stinking Thinking?

I’ve heard it said that:

  • If two people always think the same way about everything, it means that at least one of them isn’t thinking.
  • When you find yourself wanting your children, pupils, neighbors, or other people to think and behave like yourself — remember that God never meant for them to be that.
  • If you can look back a year and can’t recognize any ideas or opinions that you’ve abandoned as wrong, it isn’t likely because you were right then — or now. Living things grow. Don’t be dead.
  • If you can look back a day and can’t recognize any ideas or opinions that you’ve abandoned as wrong, remind yourself that complacency and ignorance are headed a different direction than repentance.

Those who follow The Way are not called to follow other men blindly like sheep. We are called to be Good Bereans. We are called to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Do not just accept the traditions and teachings of whoever raised you or preaches from your chosen pulpit. Your calling, dear Christian, begs more of you than this. Do not accept “the way that it is” as the way that it should be, but only settle for The Way, no matter how strong the tension it creates. Because The Way of Christ is worth your constant contemplation upon His Will and His Word, which are in perfect harmony.

And a trick of the enemy to get us most quickly out of step in The Way is to have us looking at others instead of looking clearly and firmly to Christ alone. When we compare our opinions of “them” or “they” to God’s perfect plan for these brothers and sisters made in His image — when we grumble (either to ourselves or to others) about “them” or “they” or “he” or “she” — it is agreement with that enemy, the great accuser, that is of greatest probable cause. And if one’s thoughts and words and actions flow from that polluted source, what a great need there is indeed for repentance and return to our first love, Christian!

Friends, we are called to die daily. We are called to take this sword of the Word of God and look upon ourselves clearly and honestly to see quite how different our perfect God is from ourselves. As we draw closer to the Lord, we do not look at ourselves and think, “Oh how worthy I am to be in the presence of God compared to those wretched sinners out there!” NO! GOD FORBID YOU HYPOCRITE! He resists the proud, and only a broken heart and a contrite spirit will our God not despise. The closer you come to God, the lower your penitent head will bow, even as the higher your forgiveness and love towards others is lifted!

Let us not be a stench in the nostrils of God with our stinking thinking, but let us be renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we are granted repentance and wisdom to walk in The Way.

Lord, help us in these things, that we may grow and walk more steadfast in The Way, closer to you each day, more and more aware of your presence in us and through us as your Kingdom comes, and your Will is done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.

Poop.

This has been the word of the day in our house. And unfortunately, my wife has been at the receiving end of most of the “poop” today. As I walked through the master bedroom this morning, I encountered one of our dogs, Olive, who had just left us a couple of brown treats in the master bathroom. As she walked past me, knowing that she was about to “get caught” for this transgression, she squatted and began scraping her behind along the carpet — leaving a long, thick, dark stripe in the bedroom before I could grab her up and prevent it. As I walked into the bathroom, I found the “nuggets” (as Mia and I call them for humorous effect), picked them up with some toilet paper and flushed them. I continued on to my own destination to participate in a much cleaner activity of bodily function than Olive had demonstrated, but I told her that it would be okay and that I wasn’t mad at her. But I had to quickly let the dogs out and get back to work, hoping that my wife would have time to clean up the new racing stripe addition to our bedroom carpet when she came back through the house. I had to hurry back to work in my office, because things were busy, busy, busy.

While all of this was happening, I had assumed that Mandee was somewhere nearby and would be leaving shortly for work herself. However, she was also already dealing with a cleanup situation. I won’t go into details, but sometimes elderly grandparents that are receiving caregiving in your home — well, they need cleanup. So she came upstairs from the downstairs apartment already running late because of a poopy situation, and I got to share with her what was going on up here. Cleaning up poop is not fun. I don’t like it. Mandee doesn’t like it. You probably don’t like it either.

Sometimes other people “poop on us” metaphorically speaking, with how they act towards us, how they judge us, how they treat us or exclude us. But just like I didn’t grab something and swat Olive, and just like Mandee didn’t gripe at or embarass Nana, and just like Mandee didn’t get mad at me because I couldn’t clean all of it up because of my meetings and work obligations — we don’t need to use “them pooping on us” as an excuse for us to return the favor.

And the famous comment about opinions being a lot like the exterior tip of our colons “that everyone has one and they all stink” is pretty accurate on this topic as well. It’s because none of us are perfect. We are all broken and imperfect. And even with some of us who are going through this process of sanctification by the power of the Holy Spirit, we’re still imperfect throughout that process on this side of eternity. So judging and comparing others is just as useless as blindly following others or as not seeking to grow and change ourselves each day. It’s maddening how easily we can aim the EXPECTATIONS of growth and improvement and change towards others while rarely using it in a healthy way ourselves to be humbled, repentant, and constantly growing.