Issue 16.1

Glad Tidings

But the path of the just

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

Proverbs 4:18 Volume 16, Issue 1

Januar y/ Febr uar y 20 12

Glad Tidings January/February 2012

Glad Tidings

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

by Vince Finnegan

is published six times per year by

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

Living Hope International Ministries

by Mary Ann Yaconis

458 Old Niskayuna Road,

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

Latham, New York 12110 USA

by John Cortright

Office

518.785.8888

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

Fax

518.785.1990

E-mail

info@LHIM.org

by Vince Finnegan

Website www.LHIM.org

Experiencing The Dead Sea Scrolls ..p.9

by John Cortright Congo Connection .............................. p.11

by Richard and Cheryl Elton

Glad Tidings is mailed free to anyone who requests it. Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.

Mark these important dates on your calendar!!

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

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Women’s Advance April 20th - 22nd Silver Bay

Teen Camp July 29th - August 3rd Silver Bay

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SOMETHING TO CONSIDER 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,

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Choose Life And Live

By Mary Ann Yaconis

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 commandments, 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 unmercifully, 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 “We can today, every moment, choose our freewill choice to love God first. As a reminder, to l for through some of the ways Satan cajoles us to go his ways Christ and the holy spirit.” and then how to remain faithful to Yahweh are:

ive

Yahweh

Matthew 13:18 – 23 “Hear then the parable of the sower.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom 4

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)

(Continued from page 4)

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: 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 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.

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.

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 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 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 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 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 temptations, do not worry. Romans 12:21; Matthew 26:41; 1 Corinthians 5

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 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 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: 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 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 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 doing good allows you to keep a few 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 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 on page 7)

Seek Yahweh

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 actually a name. It is the Hebrew name of God, hwhy (transliterated with the English letters “YHWH”). Most scholars 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 communication to the children of Israel about whom they were to worship and serve.

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

"You shall love the LORD [hwhy] hwhy]

By John Cortright

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

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

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 translated “Lord”). When the translators produced the King James Authorized Version, although they knew the name of God from the Hebrew Scriptures, they selected instead to translate the name hwhy with the English word “LORD” (in all caps) or in certain 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 Testament 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.

Malachi is the last book of the Hebrew Old Testament. In this last book, written somewhere between

As the New Testament bears witness, Jesus Christ never used Yahweh in his prayer, never taught his disciples to

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 [hwhy], hwhy], 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 [hwhy] hwhy] From this time forth and forever.

From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD [hwhy] hwhy] is to be praised.

The name of Yahweh is blessed forever; it is to be praised from the rising of the sun to its setting.

(Continued on page 7)

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Choose Life and Live Continued...

(Continued from page 5)

Sixteenth Rule: Never admit defeat 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 of action. Acts 26; James 1:5-7; Deuteronomy 20:1 - Our first defense is Yahweh.

Eighteenth Rule: Calm your passions 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 this way: If I do what I am (Continued from page 6)

Seek Yahweh Continued... 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 Michael Gilligan, Use of Yahweh in Church Songs, Copyright © 19992011 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 frequently 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

considering, would I want my family to know about it? Psalms 32:5; Isaiah 1:28; Luke 15:18-22 - Sins and secrecy run together. Light dispels the darkness.

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.

Twentieth Rule: Virtue has its own reward. Romans 15:14; Galatians 5:18; 1 John 3:5-10 - Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

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.

TwentyTwenty-first Rule: Life can be sad, difficult, and quick: Make it count for 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.

TwentyTwenty-second Rule: Repent your wrongs. Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19 - Be honest with yourself, 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 influence and culture influence this change? What was it like at the time of Jesus Christ and of the writers 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 anything 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 present a simple, succinct article that will provide insight regarding the 7

*Adapted from Appendix A. in Grossman. D., Christensen, L. W. (2008). On combat. United States of America: Warrior Science Publication. name of God. A variety of topics will be presented including historical, textual, and cultural studies which relate to the name of God. Each issue of Glad Tidings will provide 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 [hwhy] hwhy] 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.

THE ONLY GLORIOUS ETERNAL NAME

By Vince Finnegan

G

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 attempting to break their connection with their God and people. “Then the

commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, 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 recorded 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 insignificance compared to God’s greatness; they were humble.

The prayer that begins Ephesians 3:14 and 15 provides remarkable insight 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.”

Those who have their names written in the book of life will receive eternal life (Psalms 69:28; Daniel 7:914; 12:1 and 2; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelations 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; Malachi 3:16; Exodus 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 - Revelation 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 name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes 8

down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. name Revelation 19:12 His [Jesus’] eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name 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 overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it`.

People get your attention and influence your behavior by calling your name. Our new name will be hidden, 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 distinguishing mark, a label. In antiquity, the name was widely held to sum up whatever the man stood for. It represented 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 Caesar was born with the given name Gaius Octavius, and he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian) in 44 B.C. after (Continued on page 10)

Experiencing The Dead Sea Scrolls

By John Cortright

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 importance of this archaeological find.

We went searching for the name of God in the scrolls, and we were not disappointed.

This amazing compilation of manuscripts 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 extensive 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 containers 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 purchase.) 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 trailers. One of the relics I found interesting was a collection of Assyrian arrowheads discovered at the ruins of the city of Lachish. The historical 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. Sacrifice and incense altars are displayed 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 complete manuscripts were found in caves around the Dead Sea. The Israel Antiquities Authority releases samples of these manuscripts for exhibitions around the world. Ten, superb manuscripts 9

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 handwritten, with a discerning eye, you can find the name of God, YHWH, written 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 representation, 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 handwritten Hebrew script. Though difficult to see through the glass, the line by line translation helps (Continued on page 10)

THE ONLY GLORIOUS ETERNAL NAME Continued…

(Continued from page 8)

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 Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.”

Yahweh is God’s name forever.

God’s name has never changed and will never change. The unbelievers

(Continued from page 9)

Experiencing The Dead Sea Scrolls Continued... 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 identified. A good representation of the name can be found in the scrolls of Ezekiel 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 especially significant about these scrolls is

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

that they are written in Greek. However, 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 10

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, coming 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, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing 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 bondservants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

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

Congo Connection

By Richard and Cheryl Elton

E

Change to Change nter the Ark

Rev. Armel Ngo and the leaders of Living Hope Interna-

tional Ministries of the Congo have started a challenging seven-month program for believers 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 message of the Kingdom, the coming of our Lord Jesus, and the final judgment and destruction of the earth.

The program’s name is derived 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 physical 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.

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 fiveday seminar which ran in Kinshasa between Christmas and New Year’s. Over 100 believers attended.

“Let’s pray for God’s continued blessings and protection ...throughout 2012” Election Unrest Elections are an exciting time for any nation, but in Africa they can also be a time of tension and civil unrest. Such was recently the case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The month of December was a difficult time for the saints in Kinshasa, as curfews, closed shops, and violence made it difficult for them to go 11

about their normal activities.

Things have now quieted down.

The prayers of believers in the USA have been very much appreciated. 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 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 sober 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 cannot afford to celebrate, they prefer to enter the New Year in prayer, to avoid having concerns, worries, or distractions.”

Let’s pray for God’s continued blessings and protection over all our Congolese brothers and sisters throughout 2012.

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