Chronological: Rebranding 1

Rebranding. 

Over the years, Companies have been known to change their logos, and "rebrand" themselves. Sometimes with good results, sometimes it has an opposite effect. 

As I've been studying about Name Changes, (another rabbit trail from my Chronological Bible Study), I realized that often it was a "rebranding" of an individual. Sometimes for positive reasons, and sometimes for a negative reason. 

Names are important to us. We like to be addressed by our name. It's our identity. What happens when God gives you a new name? What are the effects of rebranding? What impact does the rebranding have on the individual and those around them? 

Rebranding: Who?

Let's first take a look at WHO is doing the rebranding. In the rebranding of Abram and Sarai, it was God doing the rebranding. 

The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God." Genesis 17:1

It's important to know Who is rebranding, as He has the authority to carry out the rebranding. 

Rebranding: Why? 

Abram. God changed his name to Abraham.

God changed Abram's name because of the promise God gave to Abram.

No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. Genesis 17:5

“No longer shall your name be Abram (exalted father), but your name shall be Abraham (father of a multitude); for I will make you the father of many nations. Genesis 17:5 (AMP)

God rebranded Abraham based on a promise — that God would fulfill in the future. Each time Abraham heard his name it would be a reminder of what God promised He would do. 

God changed Sarai's name because of the promise made to Abraham. She would be the princess of many nations. 

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai (my princess), but her name will be Sarah (Princess). Genesis 17:15 (AMP)

The rebranding of the Abraham's and Sarah's names were to signify what God planned to do through them. He created a covenant with them and their rebranding was to signify their role in that convent to future generations. 

Rebranding: Owning it

Even though God rebranded Abram and Sarai, to remind them of the covenant, Abraham and Sarah, did not fully own the meaning behind the rebranding. They were still in the mindset of Abram and Sarai. 

For when God told them what and how He would fulfill His promise to make them the Father and Princess of a great Nation, there was laughter and disbelief. They did not grasp the full implications of their names, nor the One who rebranded them. Both Abraham and Sarah's attitude and reactions, showed their disbelief in what God could and would do. They were looking at the rebranding from their point of view, rather than Almighty God's view. 

Rebranding: New Identity

As we continue reading throughout Genesis, we learn that God did indeed keep His promise to Abraham and Sarah. Their new identities matched what God did through them. 

Rebranding only works when it is done by one who has the Authority. And the rebranding does has an effect on each individual and those around him/her.

Rebranding.

If God would change my name—would my actions and attitude accept and be worthy of that new brand?

Chronological: Promises

Promises. 

What does the word promise mean? One dictionary defines as such: an express assurance on which expectation is to be based.

As we look at the life of Abraham beginning in Genesis 12, we see something that is no unique to Abraham nor the time in which he lived— his actions did not always reflect the belief that God keeps His promises. 

God is always faithful. God is truthful. God keeps His promises. Abraham's actions are often inconsistent with the characteristics of God. 

Genesis 12 begins with a command. "Get out of this place — (go) to another place. That command is followed by the following promises.

I will show you the land. 

I will make you a great nation. 

I will bless you.

I will make your name great—and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those that bless you.

I will curse those that curse you.

Looking at the list of promises, it covers everything. And then we look at Abraham's actions. Sadly, his actions do not convey faith or obedience in God's promises. 

Genesis 12:10-20

Abraham lied. 

Abraham was scared. He thought he'd be killed because his wife Sarai was beautiful and the Egyptians would want her. So, he said Sarai, was is sister not his wife. Due to that lie, the Egyptians were cursed and Abraham and Sarai were  commanded to leave. 

Look at which promises that Abraham forgot at he entered Egypt. Yes, all of them. That's not a good start to Abraham's journey. 

God's Word is full of promises. Do I act as I believe those promises? 

Sadly, too often I am like Abraham, thinking that God doesn't really mean what He says. Or I think that maybe I know better than God. Or that God needs my help. That's just plain wrong thinking—period! That's when I need to stop and remember WHO God is! For when I have a correct thinking and understanding of WHO God is—my actions will then be such that reveal that I do trust God and I want to obey Him. 

Promises. When the promises are made by God Almighty—you can be assured He will keep them! 

Chronological: The Who

Continuing to my Chronological Bible Study. I am stuck on Noah right now.... Genesis 6-8. 

"This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God." Genesis 6:9

Verse 8, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." 

Verse 9—tells us why: Noah walked with God. 

And the result: Verse 22, "Noah did according to all that God commanded him, so he did. Also, Genesis 7:5, "And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him."

Have you ever thought about what would have happened if Noah didn't obey ALL that God had commanded him? What if Noah decided that the dimensions of the ark just weren't right and recalculated them? What if Noah decided not use the pitch on the inside and outside of the ark? 

Yet, even if Noah didn't understand the NEED for all that God commanded, Noah knew WHO was giving the orders! 

That the key in the story of Noah. Not the ark, or all the animals, but the WHO—God Almighty. 

God created the World. (God said)

Man sinned. (he said)

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (He listened to God said)

God is Holy. God is merciful. God is patient. 

The WHO is the key—from the beginning throughout all eternity. 

If you don't have a respect for WHO God is, the result is the vile and sin that was rampant in Noah's day, and we see again in our generation. It's time for us to focus on The WHO—and remember that God is holy. God is just. God is merciful. God is patient—but for how long? 

Do my thoughts, actions, attitudes, words—reflect that I know WHO God is? Does the truth of WHO God is impact my entire life? Are the choices I make each and everyday honoring to God? 

"Did according to all the Lord commanded him." Can that be said of me?

Trust Based on Sight

And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people [reverently] feared the Lord and trusted in (relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord and to His servant Moses. Exodus 14:31 (AMP)

The Israelites had just been led out of Egypt and WALKED across the dry land of the Red Sea. God had miraculously delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians. Exodus 14:31 is the response as they looked back at the Red Sea, and the dead Egyptians. They were now delivered. 

They SAW the GREAT WORK the did. And their response was REVERENT fear and TRUST in the Lord. 

There is something being said for SEEING and then trusting. That can be good as recognizing what God has done is very appropriate and it should be seen, recognized, and remembered. However, if trust is BASED on sight, then trust can be short lived. 

We see that with the Israelites. For in Chapter 15, three days into their wilderness journey, they could not find water, so the murmuring and complaining  started and DISTRUST set in among the Israelites. 3 Days into their journey..... (Exodus 15:22).... and they forgot what GREAT WORK the Lord had done. 

Trust based on sight is short-lived for as the scenery changes often the trust is misplaced as well. Trust is not to be based on WHAT as been done, but rather WHO is involved in the doing. Trust based on sight, is too often blurred by our doubts, our anxiety, our circumstances. Trust based IN God Almighty is steadfast, for He does NOT CHANGE! He is not only worthy of trust, He has proven Himself faithful for generations, and He is the One who knows what the future holds. 

Trust based on sight is not true trust. Rather it is short-sighted trust, based on ME and what I can see or have seen. And since my sight is limited to only what effects me, or the present, I do not get the big picture of what God is doing. 

Seeing what God has done and giving Him honor for it, is the respectable thing to do. Recognizing all that God has done is part of having a heart permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). However, if I truly have a deep sense of reverence for God, then my trust will NOT be based on sight, rather my trust will be PLACED in GOD—period.  When my heart is permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God, my trust will not be short-sighted. 

What? Who? Where? Why? How?

Throughout this year, each day of the month, I'm "Treasure Hunting" in a Psalm. I've created a "Ponder Every Morsel of Truth" Book to record the truths as I learn them. The Fourteenth of each Month, I'm studying Psalm 150. Here's what Treasure I found today.

What? Who? Where? Why? How? Five questions journalists include when writing a news report. What is happening? or What is about to happen? Or what should happen? Who is involved? Who is affected? Where does it take place? Why is it happening? Why should it happen? How does it happen? 

In Psalm 150 David, the Psalmist, answers the specific questions. 

What? The “what” is PRAISE. If you’ve been following the Ponder Morsel posts, the theme of many of them, have been Praise. 

Who? To Whom is our Praise directed? Psalm 150 begins “halelu-yah, praise ye Jehovah”. 

Praise God, or the strong God. Praise him who is Jehovah, the infinite and self-existent Being; and praise him who is God, El or Elohim, the great God in covenant with mankind, to bless and save them unto eternal life. Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Where? 

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his ·Temple [holy place; or holiness]; praise him in his ·mighty heaven [strong firmament; Gen. 1:7]. Psalm 150:1 (EXB)

God is to be praised locally, (in his Temple) and as far as the Heavens expand! Meaning  that everyone, and everything NEAR and FAR are to Praise God. The where, is literally “everywhere”. 

Why? 

First, for God’s “might acts of power”. The literal translation is “His mightinesses”. Just think of the strength and power used to create the world, and sustain it. On Jan 4, 2013 I wrote about the Ultimate Greatness of God. 

The fact the sun weighs Think about the Sun for a moment. Its diameter is about 860,000 miles. The sun weighs 4.4000000000000000000000000000000 pounds— that is 4.4 followed by 30 zeros pounds! And yet it “hangs” in space! (Ultimate Greatness, Jan 4, 2013.)

That one act alone displays God’s MIGHTINESSES! 

The second “Why?” is because of “magnificent greatness.”

"Praise him according to his excellent greatness," or, as the words may bear, "according to his muchness of greatness". "God is great," that is, he is greatest, he is greater than all; so great that all persons and all things are little, yea, nothing before him. The Treasury of David

What am I to do? Praise. Who? God. Where? Everywhere. Why? Because of Who God is. He the mightiest. He is the greatest.  Next month, I’ll look into the HOW do I Praise Him. 

When I take notice of the mightiness and greatness of God, and acknowledge Him in my life, that creates a positive day!

Who & Actions

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 146. Here is what I learned.

Praise ye Jehovah.

Praise Jehovah, O my soul.

While I live will I praise Jehovah:

I will sing praises unto my God

while I have any being.

Psalm 146: 1, 2 (ASV)

This psalm is a general psalm of praise which might be used at any time, containing thoughts such as are appropriately suggested by a contemplation of the character of God, and his dealings with people. The idea is that of the blessedness of trusting in God; the security of those who do it; the superiority of this confidence and peace over any which is reposed in princes; and the evidence that it will be safe to trust in him, furnished by his merciful interpositions in behalf of the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, the bowed down, the righteous, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As I read through this Psalm, I realized it was packed with reasons God deserves my praise. I like alliteration outlines, so I created this outline of Psalm 146.  

The purpose of praise is God. (vs 1)
The plan of praise is all my life. (vs 1)
The practice of praise is in song. (vs 2)
The prolongation of praise is eternity. (vs 2)
The perverse direction of praise is to people. (vs 3)
The proof of inadequacy of praise to people. (vs 4)
The premium for praising God—happiness. (vs 5)
The principle of praise is that God is faithful forever. (vs 6)
The help for the pauperized is praise-worthy. (vs 7)
The penitent peoples’ reason for praise. (vs 8)
The love of God is provocation for praise. (vs 9)
The persistence of praise. (vs 10)

What I learned today from Psalm 146, are specific examples of God’s character—Who He is, is why He does what He does. And because of Who God is and His actions, He is worthy of praise and honor. 

To create a positive day, I need to recognize Who God is and take notice of His actions and care in my life. 

The Why's or The Who?

I'm reading the book The Upside of Down by J.M. Stowell. One statement that stood out is: "In the end God resolves the mental anguish by turning Job from the question why to the question who. Hope begins when we start with the right question: 'Who?'."

Often when something happens in our lives, we first go to the question "Why?". When we should be focusing on God and Who He is. God cares for us and when He allows something to happen in our life, it's for His glory. If we keep our focus on WHO, rather than why.... our spirits are calmed and we can move forward. 

That's the big difference between Christians and non-Christians... our focus should be on God, not us. God allows various things in our lives to bring glory to Him and accomplish His purpose. When we focus on "why me" rather than God (Who), Satan gets a hold and we start doubting, worrying, we become anxious, and fear takes over. If we keep our focus on Who... God... we trust God, we are secure, we are calm... we are at peace. 

As you go about your day, if you find your mind wandering to the 'why', stop and refocus on God. When we keep our focus on God, our day will overflow with positive aspects.

Person or the Job

The other day I said "I appreciate what you do" to someone. As I walked away, it got me thinking. Do I appreciate what they do? Or who they are? There is a difference.

Some people I don't know, so I do appreciate what they do.... but with other people...those whom I've gotten to know...I should appreciate THEM, not JUST what they do. 

If I just appreciate the actions, I can take the person for granted. "But it's their job." That doesn't mean I shouldn't appreciate the person. When I only see the job, the person becomes invisible. The more I try to get to know the people around me, the more I appreciate what they do and who they are. The more I get to know the people around me, my life is enriched. 

For example, I live in an apartment building, so there are many who keep the complex up and running. Living here 16 years, the owners have changed, and so has the staff. But as I get to know the individuals, I appreciate what they do, even more. By taking a few minutes to talk with the person, I learn about their vacations (that sure helps me not complain when something isn't done that week...they are gone!). I learn about the fun things they do, their struggles, and when they get hurt. As I talk with them, I learn to appreciate the person, not just when they complete their job.

If I am only grateful for what people do for me, I can become very selfish. I expect so and so to do "ABC" for me. Rather than thinking of the person doing the job, I think of only what's in it for me. That's not only just wrong... it's being very ungrateful. We all like it when people like our work, but we like it even more when people appreciate US.

I hope as I go about my life, I'll take a moment to SEE the people who do things around me, and get to KNOW each individual. Yes, I'll still appreciate what they do..... but even more WHO they are.

Each day, we meet a variety of people: a deliver person, the clerk at the coffee shop, a co-worker, a garage mechanic, doctors, the list continues. To honestly create a positive day, I must reach out to those people and share a smile and kind word.  At first, it may be about their work..but as I see that person every day, appreciating them....will make the day a very positive one—for both of us!