issue 16.1

Glad TidingsGlad TidingsGlad TidingsGlad Tidings

Volume 16, Issue 1 January/February 2012

But the path of the just

is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 4:18

2

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Mark these important dates Mark these important dates Mark these important dates Mark these important dates

on your calendar!!on your calendar!!on your calendar!!on your calendar!!

Glad TidingsGlad TidingsGlad TidingsGlad Tidings

January/February 2012

Something To Consider ...................... p. 3

by Vince Finnegan

Choose Life And Live .......................... p. 4

by Mary Ann Yaconis

Seek Yahweh ........................................ p. 6

by John Cortright

The Only Glorious Eternal Name ....... p.8

by Vince Finnegan

Experiencing The Dead Sea Scrolls .. p.9

by John Cortright

Congo Connection .............................. p.11

by Richard and Cheryl Elton

Men’s Advance March 3rd - 5th Frost Valley

Women’s Advance April 20th - 22nd

Silver Bay

Family Camp July 1st - 7th Silver Bay

Teen Camp July 29th - August 3rd

Silver Bay

3

Paul found 12 disciples in Ephesus who knew only the baptism of John, so he helped them to be baptized in the

name of the Lord Jesus, after which they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Starting with these 12 men, Paul

spoke boldly about the Kingdom of God, so that in two years and three months, all who lived in Asia heard the

word of the Lord both Jews and Greeks. God performed extraordinary miracles, people changed their lifestyles,

those practicing spiritualism repented and destroyed their evil books. The result, according to Acts 19:20, was

“the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”

The apparent impetus behind this astonishing outreach was love. Years later, the Apostle John writes to the

believers at Ephesus encouraging them to return to their first love − that is the love they experienced when they

first got involved. To accomplish what they did in Asia with Paul, they were immersed in love − love for God,

love for the Lord Jesus, love for each other, and love for humanity. The Ephesians successfully maintained the

right doctrine, according to Revelation 2:2, but they lost their love. Jesus instructed them to repent and return to

their first love.

For all believers throughout the ages, the most important matter is love. Sometimes we drift from it and need to

repent, as the Ephesians did, and return to what should always be our primary concern. The beginning of living

lovingly is to acknowledge God’s love for you. John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16 remind us that love starts with God.

We love Him because He loved us. We love each other because He loves us and we love Him, which means we

are compelled to love our fellowman. As we enter a new year, focusing on love is very wise for it is indeed the

foundation of life.

Everyone has the need to be loved and the need to love. Both can be satisfied only by God’s supernatural love.

Knowing God loves us is the sole thing that will give us our identity and our security in this life. Our security

and identity do not come from the conditional love of others, from our accomplishments, or from our

circumstances, but only from knowing that God loves us personally and unconditionally.

God’s love is the very basis and the crucial foundation upon which we can build our lives. Have you lost the zest

for life? Have your passion, vision, and dreams faded, and has your life become humdrum? The great question to

consider wherein you will find the antidote to these issues is: “Is love foremost in my life?”

Only by loving as God desires will our lives have the meaning and purpose that we are all seeking. So many of

us have spent our entire lives trying to fulfill these two basic needs in every other conceivable way, rather than

the way God intended and designed them to be fulfilled. We have sought for our husbands, our wives, our

children, our families, and our friends to meet our needs for identity and security. We have looked to our careers,

our accomplishments, our prestige, and our wealth to meet our needs for meaning and purpose. Other people,

things, or accomplishments can never satisfy these two needs completely. Momentarily, on the outside, our

desires might be touched; but inwardly, lastingly, these needs will never be completely met.

Love can change your entire life for it is the most exhilarating, most meaningful, and most fulfilling experience

of life. Love is home for the believer!

God’s best to you,

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

4

A fter revealing the terms of

His covenant to Israel

while in the wilderness,

Yahweh provided a model of living for

those who desire to love Him.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.

Yahweh very clearly gives us the

freewill choice of loving Him by living

in His ways (told to us in command-

ments, statutes, and judgments), and

when we have the courage to live in

His ways, we will obtain a prosperous

life now and the promise of the

Kingdom of God at Christ’s return. The

prosperous life we can live now is well

defined in the book of Acts in which

Christians, although persecuted un-

mercifully, were joyous because they

chose to believe on the Son of God

and live in the power of the holy spirit.

It was not, and is not, for the faint of

heart to live as a Christian. Those who

love Christ and desire to live in line

with the Scriptures find the push and

pull of the world difficult to

withstand, and this evil may even

defeat us if we get lazy and idle in our

pursuit of a godly life. Christians

today can take heed to what Yahweh

explained as good to live by and what

evil to watch out for.

Deuteronomy 30:17-20 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish...So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him.…

During Jesus Christ’s ministry, he

reiterated the same principles of

obedience but also made very clear

that we have an enemy that wants to

steal, kill, and destroy each of us. The

message of the parable of the sower

and the seed makes it very apparent

that the afflictions of this world (i.e.

Satan’s evil) will try to inhibit us by

any means from exercising

our freewill choice to love

God first. As a reminder,

some of the ways Satan

cajoles us to go his ways

and then how to remain

faithful to Yahweh are:

Matthew 13:18 – 23 “Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom

and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

We live amongst evil (Satan) that tries

to steal our thoughts and ensuing

actions. This evil is depicted as tares

that the enemy sowed in the

following parable in Matthew 13.

Matthew 13:24 – 30 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

“But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your

(Continued on page 5)

Choose Life And Live By Mary Ann Yaconis

““““We can today, every moment, choose We can today, every moment, choose We can today, every moment, choose We can today, every moment, choose

totototo lllliveiveiveive for for for for YahwehYahwehYahwehYahweh through through through through

Christ and the holy spirit.”Christ and the holy spirit.”Christ and the holy spirit.”Christ and the holy spirit.”

5

field? How then does it have tares?’ “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. `Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”`”

For us to be the wheat that will be

ultimately gathered into the barn, we

must stand against the evil one. We,

by our freewill choice, determine

what we do, say, and feel. When we

think we do not have control over

ourselves, we are deceived. As

soldiers and athletes, we are taught in

God’s Word to train ourselves to be

strong in the LORD and in the power

of His might. We can today, every

moment, choose to live for Yahweh

through Christ and the holy spirit.

Ways to Remain Strong in the LORD:Ways to Remain Strong in the LORD:Ways to Remain Strong in the LORD:Ways to Remain Strong in the LORD:

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus

(October 28, 1466 – July 12, 1536),

known as Erasmus of Rotterdam,

wrote twenty-two principles for

Christian soldiers in Enchiridion Militis

Christiani or Handbook of a Christian

Knight (or Soldier) published in 1503.

One of Erasmus’ most influential

works, The Enchiridion is a plea for

Christians to act in accordance with

the Christian faith rather than merely

performing the necessary rites. These

principles provide insight into how to

be calm, strong, and virtuous in this

evil world.

The following rules are Erasmus’

rules. The verses and other sentences

are added by this author.

*First Rule: Increase your faith.First Rule: Increase your faith.First Rule: Increase your faith.First Rule: Increase your faith.

1 Corinthians 16:13; Galatians 2:20;

Romans 10:17 - Turn away from the

world, keep your eyes on Yahweh and

His promises. Being thankful also

increases faith.

Second Rule: Act upon your faith.Second Rule: Act upon your faith.Second Rule: Act upon your faith.Second Rule: Act upon your faith.

Galatians 1:23; Matthew 15:28;

2 Corinthians 4:13 - Acting on your

faith may seem costly in a worldly

sense. Pay attention to what is going

on around you. Be faithful to Yahweh,

no matter what appears to be the

worldly cost.

Third Rule: Analyze your fears.Third Rule: Analyze your fears.Third Rule: Analyze your fears.Third Rule: Analyze your fears.

Revelation 2:10; Matthew 10:28; Luke

12:6-7 - Face down your fears,

allowing Yahweh to deliver you.

Fourth Rule: Make virtue the only goal Fourth Rule: Make virtue the only goal Fourth Rule: Make virtue the only goal Fourth Rule: Make virtue the only goal

of your life.of your life.of your life.of your life. Matthew 6:33; Malachi

3:10-11; 1 John 2:17; 1 John 3:16 -

Have one focus in life: to live for

Yahweh and make Christ your Master.

Fifth Rule: Turn away from material Fifth Rule: Turn away from material Fifth Rule: Turn away from material Fifth Rule: Turn away from material

things.things.things.things. 2 Timothy 3:1-3; Hebrews

13:5; Matthew 6:24 - Loving the LORD

instead of the world will transform

your life.

Sixth Rule: Train your mind to Sixth Rule: Train your mind to Sixth Rule: Train your mind to Sixth Rule: Train your mind to

distinguish good and evil.distinguish good and evil.distinguish good and evil.distinguish good and evil. Romans

12:21; 1 John 2:13; Proverbs 15:3;

1 Peter 3:11-12 - Learn to abhor evil,

even what seems to be the “little evils.”

Seventh Rule: Never let any setback Seventh Rule: Never let any setback Seventh Rule: Never let any setback Seventh Rule: Never let any setback

stop you in your quest.stop you in your quest.stop you in your quest.stop you in your quest. Psalms 84:10;

Matthew 14:28-30; 2 Peter 1:2-11 -

Even though life will throw many

challenges at you – unemployment,

sickness, death of a loved one,

disappoint-ments, etc. – continue to

stay steadfast in pursuing the things

of God.

Eighth Rule: If you have frequent Eighth Rule: If you have frequent Eighth Rule: If you have frequent Eighth Rule: If you have frequent

temptations, do not worry.temptations, do not worry.temptations, do not worry.temptations, do not worry. Romans

12:21; Matthew 26:41; 1 Corinthians

10:13 - When we stop noticing

temptations, our hearts are hardened

to sin. Overcome the temptation with

faith in God’s deliverance.

Ninth Rule: Always be prepared for an Ninth Rule: Always be prepared for an Ninth Rule: Always be prepared for an Ninth Rule: Always be prepared for an

attack. attack. attack. attack. 1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 10:16;

Luke 4:13-14 - The devil is always on

the ready. Whether in times of calm

or storm, be on alert.

Tenth Rule: Spit, as it were, in the face Tenth Rule: Spit, as it were, in the face Tenth Rule: Spit, as it were, in the face Tenth Rule: Spit, as it were, in the face

of danger.of danger.of danger.of danger. 1 Samuel 17; 2 Corinthians

11:25; Matthew 27 - Keep Scripture in

your mind, and have faith in the power

of the holy spirit working in you.

Eleventh Rule: There are two dangers: Eleventh Rule: There are two dangers: Eleventh Rule: There are two dangers: Eleventh Rule: There are two dangers:

one is giving up; the other is pride.one is giving up; the other is pride.one is giving up; the other is pride.one is giving up; the other is pride.

Ephesians 6:10; Proverbs 16:18;

2 Timothy 3:10-14 - Never be weary

in well doing, and remain humble.

Twelfth Rule: Turn your weakness into Twelfth Rule: Turn your weakness into Twelfth Rule: Turn your weakness into Twelfth Rule: Turn your weakness into

virtue.virtue.virtue.virtue. Matthew 5-7 - If you are

judgmental, become less critical; if

you lie, speak the truth; if you lust,

become content and thankful.

Thirteenth Rule: Treat each battle as Thirteenth Rule: Treat each battle as Thirteenth Rule: Treat each battle as Thirteenth Rule: Treat each battle as

though it was your last.though it was your last.though it was your last.though it was your last. Ephesians

6:10-17; Joshua 1:1-9; 1 Corinthians

9:24 - Stay the course; finish the race.

Fourteenth Rule: Don’t assume that Fourteenth Rule: Don’t assume that Fourteenth Rule: Don’t assume that Fourteenth Rule: Don’t assume that

doing good allows you to keep a few doing good allows you to keep a few doing good allows you to keep a few doing good allows you to keep a few

vices.vices.vices.vices. Deuteronomy 4:9; Matthew

5:8; Philippians 4:8; 2 Timothy 2:22 -

Be aware of your thoughts, and keep

them stayed on the Scriptures. “The

enemy that you ignore the most is the

one who conquers you” (Grossman

and Christensen, p. 373).

Fifteenth Rule: Weigh your Fifteenth Rule: Weigh your Fifteenth Rule: Weigh your Fifteenth Rule: Weigh your

alternatives carefully.alternatives carefully.alternatives carefully.alternatives carefully. Romans 2:7-11;

Psalms 19:12; Hebrews 5:14 -

Proverbs tells of the importance of

having godly wisdom. Prayer and

understanding of the Scriptures will

assist in helping to decide well.

(Continued from page 4)


6

T he one true God has a

name. God called Moses

at the burning bush and

revealed Himself as the God of his

fathers − the God of Abraham, the

God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob

(Exodus 3:6). Shortly after this initial

encounter, God gave Moses great

clarity about His identity.

Exodus 6:2-3 (NASB Version) God spoke further to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.”

In the NASB, as well as most popular

English translations of these verses,

God’s name appears to be “LORD.”

However, in the Hebrew, the words

translated as LORD (in all caps) is ac-

tually a name. It is the Hebrew name

of God, hwhy (transliterated with the

English letters “YHWH”). Most schol-

ars agree that the proper rendering of

this name of God is “Yahweh.” This is

not one of God’s titles, but rather it is

His very name itself. God was very

deliberate and accurate in His com-

munication to the children of Israel

about whom they were to worship

and serve.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD [hwhyhwhyhwhyhwhy] ] ] ] is our God, the LORD [[[[hwhyhwhyhwhyhwhy] ] ] ] is one! "You shall love the LORD [[[[hwhyhwhyhwhyhwhy] ] ] ]

your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

There is only one Yahweh. This name

of God is never used of any other.

The terms of “god,” “lord,” “king,”

“ruler” are used of men and false

gods, but never once, in over 6,000

uses, does the name of God,

“Yahweh,” ever refer to anyone other

than the one true God.

Psalms 102:12 But You, O LORD [[[[hwhyhwhyhwhyhwhy], ], ], ], abide forever, And Your name to all generations.

God’s name is to abide forever. It is

His name to all generations.

Psalms 113:2-3 Blessed be the name of the LORD

[[[[hwhyhwhyhwhyhwhy] ] ] ] From this time forth and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD [[[[hwhyhwhyhwhyhwhy]]]] is to be praised.

The name of Yahweh is blessed for-

ever; it is to be praised from the rising

of the sun to its setting.

Malachi 1:11b “…for My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD [[[[hwhyhwhyhwhyhwhy] ] ] ] of hosts.

Malachi is the last book of the He-

brew Old Testament. In this last

book, written somewhere between

450 and 400 BC, the name of Yahweh

is used 39 times. At that time, God

said He wanted His name to be great

among the nations. Yet now, today,

few people know about the name of

God. Most Christians do not know His

name. Jews today will not write the

name of God, nor will they speak it.

In the ancient extant manuscripts of

the New Testament, the name of God

cannot be found. In most extant

Greek Old Testament manuscripts,

the name of God is replaced with a

surrogate, kurios (Greek word trans-

lated “Lord”). When the translators

produced the King James Authorized

Version, although they knew the

name of God from the Hebrew Scrip-

tures, they selected instead to trans-

late the name hwhy with the English

word “LORD” (in all caps) or in cer-

tain instances as “GOD.” Many

today do not know the name of

God, do not use the name of God,

do not speak the name of God, and

will not write the name of God. Is

this the will of God? When did this

practice start? Did the New Testa-

ment writers know God? Did they

speak the name? Did Jesus know

and speak his Father’s name? Some

believe that he did not use, teach, or

speak the name Yahweh – a view

expressed in this excerpt from the

American Catholic Press.

As the New Testament bears witness,

Jesus Christ never used Yahweh in his

prayer, never taught his disciples to


Seek Yahweh By John Cortright

7

Sixteenth Rule: Never admit defeat Sixteenth Rule: Never admit defeat Sixteenth Rule: Never admit defeat Sixteenth Rule: Never admit defeat

even if you have been wounded. even if you have been wounded. even if you have been wounded. even if you have been wounded.

1 Samuel 24 - No matter what is

happening around you or to you, stay

firm on the Word.

Seventeenth Rule: Always have a plan Seventeenth Rule: Always have a plan Seventeenth Rule: Always have a plan Seventeenth Rule: Always have a plan

of action. of action. of action. of action. Acts 26; James 1:5-7;

Deuteronomy 20:1 - Our first defense

is Yahweh.

Eighteenth Rule: Calm your passions Eighteenth Rule: Calm your passions Eighteenth Rule: Calm your passions Eighteenth Rule: Calm your passions

by seeing how little there is to gain.by seeing how little there is to gain.by seeing how little there is to gain.by seeing how little there is to gain.

Proverbs 12:25; Luke 12:25-27;

Galatians 5:24 - Generally, what we

worry about does not come to pass

anyway.

Nineteenth Rule: Speak with yourself Nineteenth Rule: Speak with yourself Nineteenth Rule: Speak with yourself Nineteenth Rule: Speak with yourself

this way: If I do what I am this way: If I do what I am this way: If I do what I am this way: If I do what I am

considering, would I want my family considering, would I want my family considering, would I want my family considering, would I want my family

to know about it?to know about it?to know about it?to know about it? Psalms 32:5; Isaiah

1:28; Luke 15:18-22 - Sins and

secrecy run together. Light dispels

the darkness.

Twentieth Rule: Virtue has its own Twentieth Rule: Virtue has its own Twentieth Rule: Virtue has its own Twentieth Rule: Virtue has its own

reward. reward. reward. reward. Romans 15:14; Galatians

5:18; 1 John 3:5-10 - Do the right thing

because it is the right thing to do.

TwentyTwentyTwentyTwenty----first Rule:first Rule:first Rule:first Rule: Life can be sad, Life can be sad, Life can be sad, Life can be sad,

difficult, and quick: Make it count for difficult, and quick: Make it count for difficult, and quick: Make it count for difficult, and quick: Make it count for

something.something.something.something. 1 Peter 2:22-23; Mark

16:14-20 - Each day, hour, and

minute are important. Live in the

present with a view to the coming

Kingdom.

TwentyTwentyTwentyTwenty----second Rule: Repent your second Rule: Repent your second Rule: Repent your second Rule: Repent your

wrongs.wrongs.wrongs.wrongs. Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15;

Acts 3:19 - Be honest with yourself,

and ask Yahweh to search your heart

and to cleanse you from all

unrighteousness. Then make the life

changes to line up with your new

man nature.

To train ourselves and our children to

live a righteous life in this day and

the days to come, we will have to

become more committed to living a

Christ-like life, even though it makes

us stand out from the evil of the

world. Those who are lukewarm will

not survive the onslaught of evil.

Love God first. Remain at peace, be

strong in the LORD, and be thankful.

*Adapted from Appendix A. in

Grossman. D., Christensen, L. W.

(2008). On combat. United States of

America: Warrior Science Publication.�


use this term, never would have

conceived of using it. In fact, Jesus

Christ and his disciples would have

been shocked and scandalized by

any use of Yahweh. The term had

been out of common usage for

three hundred years (Father Mi-

chael Gilligan, Use of Yahweh in

Church Songs, Copyright © 1999-

2011 American Catholic Press,

Downloaded from website American

Catholic Press on 11/18/2011 at URL

http://www.americancatholicpress .org/

Father_Gilligan _Yahweh.html).

Did God, Who so fervently and fre-

quently had His name expressly

written and declared throughout

the Hebrew Bible, simply decide His

name was now no longer relevant

and that using it was scandalous? Or

did something else happen? Did

changes occur in the texts and in

translations that are different from

God’s original revelation? Did both

Jewish and Christian traditions have

a part to play in the handling of

God’s name? Did Hellenistic influ-

ence and culture influence this

change? What was it like at the

time of Jesus Christ and of the writ-

ers of the New Testament? What

happened to Judaism in the first two

centuries of the common era?

What did the early church fathers

believe, and what did they know

about the name of God? What can

we learn from the Dead Sea Scrolls,

and how important is this discovery

in regards to the name of God?

What can we learn from early

manuscripts? Can we glean any-

thing from the New Testament texts

that relate to the name of God?

This column in Glad Tidings is called

“Seek Yahweh.” The aim is to pre-

sent a simple, succinct article that

will provide insight regarding the

name of God. A variety of topics

will be presented including histori-

cal, textual, and cultural studies

which relate to the name of God.

Each issue of Glad Tidings will pro-

vide a new article regarding this

vital topic in God’s Word.

God warned the children of Israel

that if they forsook God, they would

be scattered among the nations.

However, if they would turn their

heart and seek Yahweh and search

for Him with all their heart, they

would find Him.

Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the LORD [[[[hwhyhwhyhwhyhwhy] ] ] ] your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

May we seek Yahweh will all our

heart and soul and give Him the

glory He deserves. �


Seek Yahweh Continued...

Choose Life and Live Continued...

8

GGGG od changed Abram’s name to

Abraham as a guarantee, a

seal of His promise. "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you” (Genesis 17:5-6). “Abraham” means father of many

nations. In like manner, He changed

Sarai to Sarah which means mother

of the multitude. Nine months later,

barren Sarah gave birth to Isaac.

Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob.

In answer to Jacob’s prayer, God

had him wrestle with and defeat an

angel after which God changed his

name to Israel. “Israel” means with

God you prevail.

The four Israelite boys taken captive

to Babylon had godly orientated

names – Daniel means God is my

Judge; Hananiah, Yahweh has

favored; Mishael, who is what God

is; and Azariah, Yahweh has helped.

The Babylonians stripped away their

names and replaced them with

pagan meaningless names attempt-

ing to break their connection with

their God and people. “Then the

commander of the officials as-signed new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shad-rach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abednego” (Daniel 1:7).

Jesus changed Simon’s name to

“Peter,” which means a small stone.

Although no specific incident is re-

corded about changing Saul to Paul,

the change is apparent in the book

of Acts. “Paul” means humbled one.

Both Peter and Paul benefitted

greatly in understanding their insig-

nificance compared to God’s great-

ness; they were humble.

The prayer that begins Ephesians

3:14 and 15 provides remarkable in-

sight regarding our names. “For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”name.”name.”name.”

Those who have their names written

in the book of life will receive eter-

nal life (Psalms 69:28; Daniel 7:9-

14; 12:1 and 2; Luke 10:20; Philippi-

ans 4:3; Revelations 3:5; 13:8; 17:8;

20:12, 15; 21:27; Malachi 3:16; Exo-

dus 32:32 and 33). Those whose

names are not written in the book of

life or have been erased from the

book will forfeit eternal life and be

thrown into the lake of fire - Revela-

tion 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; and 20:12-15.

God selected His Son’s name and had

the angel tell both Mary and Joseph

that his name would be “Jesus,”

which means Yahweh is salvation.

The book of Revelation tells us that

Jesus receives a new name.

Revelation 3:12 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the namenamenamename of My God, and the namenamenamename of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes

down out of heaven from My God, and My new namenamenamename.

Revelation 19:12 His [Jesus’] eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a namenamenamename written on Him which no one knows except Himself.

Those who stand faithful unto the

end and have their names written in

the book of life will receive new

names also.

Revelation 2:17 `He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who over-comes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new namenamenamename written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it`.

People get your attention and influ-

ence your behavior by calling your

name. Our new name will be hid-

den, so only our Lord and our God

can call and influence us.

Our new name will correspond with

our new beginning, our new life.

Today, a name is no more than a dis-

tinguishing mark, a label. In antiquity,

the name was widely held to sum up

whatever the man stood for. It repre-

sented his character. It stood for the

whole man. Here then, the new

name represents a new character.

The Jews had one name like Jesus of

Nazareth, James the brother of

John, Simon the tanner, etc. The

Roman emperors had many names,

and often name changes took place

with their rise to power as Caesar.

Augustus CaesarAugustus CaesarAugustus CaesarAugustus Caesar was born with the

given name Gaius Octavius, and he

took the name Gaius Julius Caesar

Octavianus (Octavian) in 44 B.C. after


THE ONLY THE ONLY THE ONLY THE ONLY

GLORIOUS GLORIOUS GLORIOUS GLORIOUS

ETERNALETERNALETERNALETERNAL

NAMENAMENAMENAME By Vince Finnegan

9

O ver Christmas vacation,

my son Brad and I took a

journey to New York City to visit

the exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls

at Discovery Times Square. Since

a very young age, I had heard of

the Dead Sea Scrolls, but only

recently, with my interest in the

name of God, YHWH, did I truly

come to appreciate the impor-

tance of this archaeological find.

We went search-

ing for the name

of God in the

scrolls, and we

were not disap-

pointed. This

amazing compi-

lation of manu-

scripts contains

the oldest known

copies of Scripture.

The entire collection comes from

the Israeli National Treasures

Department and is provided by the

Israel Antiquities Authority.

Besides displaying ten manuscripts

found in caves around the Dead

Sea, the exhibition boasts an ex-

tensive collection of other artifacts

from the land of Israel.

When you first enter, you are in a

room surrounded in black panel

screens. Three large clay jars are

on display, and a guide gives a

brief introduction to the exhibit.

As the guide makes a presentation,

large images from the land of Israel

are projected on the screens

around the room. One of the jars,

located at the doorway to the ex-

hibit, is one of the actual clay con-

tainers found near Qumran, which

held some of the scrolls. Through

the doors, you are then led into

the main exhibit hall where you

are free to roam self guided for the

remainder of your time. (There is

also an audio tour you can pur-

chase.) You can stay as long as you

wish until the museum doors close.

The first part of the exhibit is a

time line of artifacts dating from

the time of Abraham through

Israel’s history to present day.

Various pieces of Israeli history

follow and include a variety of

items. Displayed are enough clay

pots, pans, and jars from ancient

times to fill a couple of semi trail-

ers. One of the relics I found inter-

esting was a collection of Assyrian

arrowheads discovered at the ruins

of the city of Lachish. The histori-

cal event of the siege of Lachish is

briefly mentioned in Isaiah 36:1-2.

Also on display are items found

from Northern Israel in Dan. Sacri-

fice and incense altars are dis-

played from about the location

where Jeroboam had set up golden

calf worship (I Kings 12:26-33).

Going down a set of stairs, you

then come to the main event. A

large rotunda sits in the middle of

the room displaying the Dead Sea

Scrolls. Over 900 partial or com-

plete manuscripts were found in

caves around the Dead Sea. The

Israel Antiquities Authority

releases samples of these manu-

scripts for exhibitions around the

world. Ten, superb manuscripts

are on display at Discovery Times

Square. A part of the Community

Rule, the War Scroll, and an

Aramaic Targum are on display.

Also, several sections from Old

Testament books are presented.

Each manuscript displayed

includes: a description of the

scroll, the actual manuscript itself

encased in glass with low lighting

to help in preservation, an English

line by line translation, and an

enlarged picture from a section of

the scroll.

Although the scrolls are handwrit-

ten, with a discerning eye, you can

find the name of God, YHWH, writ-

ten over 2,000 years ago. To see

the name on the actual scroll, set

several inches below the glass in

dark lighting, is difficult. However,

if you know what you’re looking

for, with the help of the line by line

translation and the enlarged repre-

sentation, you can find God’s name

either in the manuscript itself or in

the enlarged photograph. In the

descriptions with the translation,

the tetragrammaton is mentioned,

rendered by the translators as

“LORD.” It also mentions whether

the name is written in Herodian

style Hebrew script from the first

century era or if it is presented in

the ancient Paleo Hebrew script.

(Examples are shown below.)

A selection from Isaiah 11:1-5 has

a use of the name of God in hand-

written Hebrew script. Though

difficult to see through the glass,

the line by line translation helps


Experiencing The Dead Sea ScrollsExperiencing The Dead Sea ScrollsExperiencing The Dead Sea ScrollsExperiencing The Dead Sea Scrolls By John Cortright

10

the murder of his great uncle, Julius

Caesar. Perhaps our new name relates

to our reigning with Jesus as kings and

priests (Revelation 2:26 and 27).

When God first introduced His name to

Moses in Exodus 3:15, He stated,

"Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, The LORD [Yahweh], the God of your fathers, the God of Abra-ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My me-morial-name to all generations.” Yahweh is God’s name forever.

God’s name has never changed and

will never change. The unbelievers

with their names will be destroyed in

the lake of fire. The faithful, along

with Jesus, will receive a new name.

However, the name of God, Yahweh,

will always remain unchanged.

Psalms 72:17 and 19 May his name endure forever; may his name increase as long as the sun shines; and let men bless themselves by him; let all nations call him blessed…blessed be his glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Psalms 135:13 Your name, O LORD, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations.

In the end, the only glorious eternal

name, Yahweh, will be written on our

foreheads.

Revelation 22:1-4 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, com-ing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yield-ing its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the heal-ing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His namenamenamename will be on their foreheads. �


identify the name. Next is a section

from Leviticus 23:22-29. We couldn’t

find the name in this section of the

manuscript itself, but with the help of

the translation, the name can be identi-

fied. A good representation of the

name can be found in the scrolls of Eze-

kiel 37 and Deuteronomy 32:37-41,

written in the Herodian Hebrew script.

Psalms 12:1-8 is probably the best

among this sampling of manuscripts

where one can recognize God’s name.

While the verses are handwritten in the

Herodian Hebrew, the name of God,

YHWH, stands out as it is distinctively

written in Paleo Hebrew. Additionally,

because the name appears frequently in

these verses, even through the glass

case with dark light, one can find the

name in this manuscript. Finally, there

are manuscripts containing sections of

Habakkuk and Zechariah. What is espe-

cially significant about these scrolls is

that they are written in Greek. How-

ever, the name of God, YHWH, is not

written in Greek; rather, it is written in

Paleo Hebrew and not replaced with the

Greek word Kurios, as was common in

later Old Testament Greek manuscripts.

Also, on the bottom floor of the exhibit,

is a ten minute documentary which is

worth watching about the discovery of

the scrolls. At the end, you exit into a

gift shop where there are plenty of

things to purchase for those interested

in shopping. The cost to see this exhibit

is $27 per person, plus fees and taxes.

While this seems a bit pricey, when one

considers that today, in New York City,

you are looking at historical artifacts

over 2,000 years old from the land of

Israel across the ocean, it doesn’t seem

too unreasonable. Plus, with a $5 online

coupon, the price is a little easier on the

pocketbook.

This Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition at

Discovery Times Square is located at

226 W. 44th

Street in Manhattan

and will be on display until April

15th

, 2012. If you want to visit, I

suggest you get your tickets online

with an entry time stamp at http://

www.discoverytsx.com/exhibitions/

dead-sea-scrolls. Online, you can

get a coupon code, DCOUP, at

http://www.destinationcoupons.com/

new_york/nyc/Discovery-Times-Square/

dss-coupon.asp.

The name of God, YHWH, Herodian

Hebrew Script from First Century era

The name of God, YHWH,

in Paleo Hebrew Script


Experiencing The Dead Sea Experiencing The Dead Sea Experiencing The Dead Sea Experiencing The Dead Sea

Scrolls Continued...Scrolls Continued...Scrolls Continued...Scrolls Continued...

THE ONLY GLORIOUS ETERNAL NAME Continued…THE ONLY GLORIOUS ETERNAL NAME Continued…THE ONLY GLORIOUS ETERNAL NAME Continued…THE ONLY GLORIOUS ETERNAL NAME Continued…

11

E nter the Arknter the Arknter the Arknter the Ark

Rev. Armel Ngo and the lead-

ers of Living Hope Interna-

tional Ministries of the Congo

have started a challenging

seven-month program for be-

lievers called Enter the Ark.

It’s designed as an intensive

program for spiritual growth

for disciples who are willing to

commit to proclaiming boldly

in their neighborhoods and

communities the gospel mes-

sage of the Kingdom, the

coming of our Lord Jesus,

and the final judgment and

destruction of the earth.

The program’s name is de-

rived from the record in

Genesis 6 in which God told

Noah to build an ark to save

himself and his family from

the destruction of the

world. In Armel’s words, “…We

read of Noah in the Scriptures.

Today, it is up to us to play the

role of Noah as a preacher of

righteousness. Now God asks

us to build an ark, not a physi-

cal one, but a spiritual one…

keeping the faith until the end

and inviting others through

preaching to be saved by the

gospel of salvation.”

So far, about 20 believers in

several cities are dedicated to

this great project.

Change to ChangeChange to ChangeChange to ChangeChange to Change

The book Change to Change by

Rev. Vince Finnegan is now

available in French. Rev. Kael

finished this translation work

in the fall and has sent copies

to Rev. Armel Ngo and Rev.

Kennedy Kutukwa.

With the help of this work,

Kennedy put together a five-

day seminar which ran in Kin-

shasa between Christmas and

New Year’s. Over 100 believers

attended.

Election UnrestElection UnrestElection UnrestElection Unrest

Elections are an exciting time

for any nation, but in Africa

they can also be a time of ten-

sion and civil unrest. Such was

recently the case in the De-

mocratic Republic of the

Congo. The month of Decem-

ber was a difficult time for the

saints in Kinshasa, as curfews,

closed shops, and violence

made it difficult for them to go

about their normal activities.

Things have now quieted down.

The prayers of believers in the

USA have been very much ap-

preciated. Regarding prayers

from the outside, Rev. Kael

said, “It is edifying very much

during this troubled time … I’m

so thankful to God for His

blessing and protection. It is

certainly because of your

prayers and acts of love.”

Praying in the New YearPraying in the New YearPraying in the New YearPraying in the New Year

While many in the western

world bring in the New Year

with celebration, in Africa it is

customary to approach the

upcoming year in a more so-

ber fashion. Kennedy shared,

“The night of December 31 to

January 1 is planned to be one

of prayers, exhortations,

praise, and testimonies with

all believers in our fellowship.

Other churches here also do

the same. For it is part of our

culture here, since people can-

not afford to celebrate, they

prefer to enter the New Year in

prayer, to avoid having con-

cerns, worries, or distractions.”

Let’s pray for God’s continued

blessings and protection over

all our Congolese brothers and

sisters throughout 2012. �

Congo Connection By Richard and Cheryl Elton

“Let’s pray for God’s “Let’s pray for God’s continued blessingscontinued blessings

and protection and protection ...throughout 2012”...throughout 2012”

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