I.   Getting   To   Know   Our   Heavely   Father

                                      learn how to enjoy being with Him!?!
                            is fellowship with God worth the time & effort?


           And this is eternal life,
          that they may know You,
          the only true God,
          and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
          John 17:3   NKJV


            God's Promises:

            "I am the Lord your God." Exodus 20:2

            "Fear not, for I am with you;
            Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

            I will strengthen you,

            Yes, I will help you,

            I will uphold you
            With my righteous right hand."
            Isaiah 41:10   NKJV


               
            • The Lord is God   [ Jehovah - Elohim ]
            • The Lord that Cares   [ Jehovah - Raah ]
            • The Lord will Provide   [ Jehovah - Jireh ]

            • The Lord is Peace Peace   [ Jehovah - Shalom ]
            • I Am the Lord Who Heals   [ Jehovah - Rophe ]
            • The Lord is My Banner   [ Jehovah - Nissi ]

            • The Lord is There   [ Jehovah - Shamah ]

        A. Goal

        • to lead us where T r u s t begins

        B. Introduction:

        • Do I know about God, or do I know God?
        • Is my God absent, distant, or impersonal? Or is He present,
          close, and personal?   David vol.i 129

        • You will notice, that the following names of God (about 80 of them)
          were given by His children, at places where they experienced Him!!!

        • After opening the door to Him, = ready to give Him also our keys
          we are ready to enter into our Father's presence
          tell Him that we really want to experience Him
          ask Him to help us to put first things first
          hear His voice

        • What is your source of real joy, that's deep and lasting?
        • What holds center place in your heart?

        • Hearing His voice!
          It is good to enjoy children, friends, a wonderful vacation;
          a powerful ministry, and an intimate friendship, or a meaningful job.
          But if all those good things (what I call "second things") have found
          their way into the center of your heart, if we are using them to fill up
          that empty space reserved by God, for God, then we'll not hear the
          voice of God. PAPA   142-145

        C. The Lord is God -- [ Jehovah - Elohim ]

          • "In the beginning, God Elohim created...." (Gen 1:1)
          • appears 31 times in the first chapter of Genesis
          • it is His creative power in you!

        D. The Lord That Cares -- [ Jehovah - Raah ]

        • God revealed Himself to His children as a Caring Shepherd
        • "Like a Shepherd," Jacob told his family, "God has led me
          all my life." (Gen 48:15)

        • Despite:
          he tricked his brother twice
          at least once he suckered his blind father, then
          he out-crossed his double-crossing father-in-law by taking
          off with anything that was not nailed down

        • BUT:
          the LORD never forgot him
          He gave him food in the famine
          He gave him forgiveness in his failures, and
          He gave him faith in his final years

        E. The Lord will Provide [ Jehovah - Jireh ]

        • Abraham calls Him Provider, since he was already
          established
        • lived in a split-level tent
        • attached was a four-camel garage

        • "Life will be better in Canaan", he told his family
        • when they asked, "Where will we live?"
          Abraham answered, "The Lord will provide." And God did.

        • When Abraham got caught in an Egyptian scandal, the people
          wondered, "How will we get out?" Abraham assured them,
          "God will provide."

        • When Isaac asked, "Where is the lamb?" He answered,
          "God will give us a lamb for the sacrifice, my son." (Gen 28:8)

        F. The Lord is Peace -- [ Jehovah - Shalom ]

        • The Lord gives us a wonderful gift:
          a spirit of peace:
          a peace before the storm
          a peace beyond logic = .... the peace of God, which
          surpasses all understanding ...." Phil 4:7

          He gave it to David after He showed him Goliath
          He gave it to Paul after He showed him the gospel
          He gave it to Jesus after He showed Him the cross
          He gave it to Gideon, who after built an altar, Gideon
          called it Jehovah-Shalom [ Judges 6:24 ]

        G. I Am the Lord Who Heals -- [ Jehovah - Rophe ]

        • the setting:
          the Lord lead Israel out of Egypt
          they walked three days and became thirsty
          they finally came to a lake, but the water was bitter
          Moses cried to the Lord, He showed him a tree
          (Exodus 15:25)
          the water is purified, Israel's thirst is satisfied,
          and God is glorified!

        H. The Lord Is MY Bannern -- [ Jehovah - Nissi ]

        • soldiers in battle feared in getting separated from their army
        • for that reason a banner was carried
        • if a fighter found himself alone, the raised flag would signal
          safety (Exodus 17:8-16)


        Assignment:   What is God to You? Give Him your own name!

        Assignment:   Spiritual Exercises - Answers to Questions

        • Identify the two names or images that are most powerfully at
          work in shaping your understanding of God.
        • What do these names reveal or conceal about the presence of
          God in the world?
        • Evaluate why they are so significant for you.

        • Should you nurture other names of images of God?
        • Identify some specific areas where you see God at work in the
          world.
        • How could you participate in what God is doing?

        • Experiment for a day with limiting the number of times you draw
          people into a conversation about your life.
        • Try instead to ask as many people as possible about their lives
          and the challenges they face.
        • In what ways does that kind of disciplined attention to the
          needs of others move your own conversation beyond a
          preoccupation with I-questions?   Schmidt chapter 1

        Also consider these questions:

        • Review the above by recalling major principles and ideas
        • Examine the above through critical thinking and questioning
        • Apply the principles to your life

        • Compare the principles with biblical examples and instruction
        • Think more deeply and in different ways about the above
          [ = this may be viewed as "extra" study for the serious student ]


      Readings - Going Deeper / Sources

        • The Name of God by Doug Bachelor. Amazing Facts, 2008.
              Amazing Facts, 2008.   ISBN 978-1-58019-281-1
              lists 56 names of God with their references!!!
        • The PAPA Prayer. The Prayer You've Never Prayed by Larry Crabb.
              Integrity, 2006.   BV 210.3 C73 2006   ISBN 1-59145-424-7
        • Lucado, Max.The Great House of God. A Home for Our Heart.
              Word, 1997.   BV 230 .L73 1997   226.9   ISBN 0-8499-1295-4
        • David, a Heart Like His by Larry Lichtenwalter. Vol. 1 Review, 2003.
              BS 580.D3 L53 2003   221.   ISBN 0-8280-1720-4
        • MSG - The Message Bible. NAVEPRESS, 2002.
              BS 195 .M47 2002   220.5   ISBN 1-57683-289-9
        • What God Wants for Your Life. Finding Answers to the Deepest
              Questions           by Frederick Schmidt. Harper, 2005.
              BV 4501.3 .S35 2005   248.4   ISBN 0-06-059821-2
        • The Names of God. God's Character Revealed Through His Names
              by Lester Sumral. Whitaker House, 1993.   ISBN 0-88368-224-9

        Wolfhard Touchard, M.L.S.   Retired Reference & Database Librarian
        Andrews University - February 2016