{"id":303770,"date":"2015-12-07T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-07T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/gods-names\/"},"modified":"2015-12-07T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-12-07T17:00:00","slug":"gods-names","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/gods-names\/","title":{"rendered":"God&#8217;s Names"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In biblical times, a name was more than just a way to address someone. A name revealed important information about the individual&#8217;s character. What then, can we learn about God by studying His names? Pastor Tony Evans talks about the various names of God and the powerful meaning behind them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In biblical times, a name revealed important information about the individual&#8217;s character. What can we learn about God by studying His names? Pastor Tony Evans talks about the names of God and their meanings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2015-12-07.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"26.44M","filesize_raw":"27724509","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[5893,5898,5897,5894,5896,5895,5892],"podcast_series":[8113],"cwp_profile":[9392],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-303770","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-characteristics","tag-god-the-healer","tag-god-the-provider","tag-jehovah-jireh","tag-jehovah-nissi","tag-jehovah-tsaba","tag-names-of-god","podcast_series-the-power-of-gods-names","cwp_profile-tony-evans","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/303770\/gods-names","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/303770\/gods-names","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"3jY1DSAL6w\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/gods-names\/\">God&#8217;s Names<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/gods-names\/embed\/#?secret=3jY1DSAL6w\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;God&#8217;s Names&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"3jY1DSAL6w\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In biblical times, a name revealed important information about the individual's character. What can we learn about God by studying His names? Pastor Tony Evans talks about the names of God and their meanings.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2015-12-07.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>There is great power in a family. It\u2019s a power that pastor and author Tony Evans has experienced first-hand.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> I was born in a non-Christian family; but when I was 11, my father accepted Christ\u2014his life was <em>radically<\/em> changed. When he came home with this new-found faith, he brought a fire into our house. He then led my mother to Christ. Then my mother and father took the four of us, as children, and put us around the kitchen table. He shared the gospel with us. I remember how I was like knocked over. I accepted Christ that day\u2014which changed my whole trajectory\u2014because my father, being impacted, affected me in that relational experience.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>for Monday, December 7<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Children often follow in their parents\u2019 footsteps. Where are you leading your children spiritually? We\u2019ll talk about that today with Dr. Tony Evans. Stay tuned.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today.<\/em> Thanks for joining us. We\u2019ve had engineers in here all morning\u2014they\u2019ve been working with the microphone trying to find a way to make sure it does not over modulate. There\u2019s just\u2014you know, where\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, there\u2019s a reason why you\u2019re saying that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You\u2019ve heard our guest today preach.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I\u2019ve heard him preach.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Tony Evans joins us on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Tony, welcome to our neck of the woods up here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Well, I\u2019m excited to be here. You know, this is my first time on your premises. It\u2019s pretty exciting to see what God has done with you\u2014your love for God, your love for the family, and how you are touching lives through this great ministry. So thanks for having me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, we\u2019re thrilled to have you. Tony and his wife Lois have been married for more than four decades. They have four children. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMany of our listeners know of Tony through his radio ministry, <em>The Alternative<\/em>, which is heard all across the country and in more than 130 countries around the world. But the thing that is most impressive about Tony\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Oh, here we go\u2014I know where this is going; yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> He is a graduate of THE Dallas Theological Seminary.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> A fellow classmate\u2014you had a class together.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I was in class with Tony. He sat up front, where he belonged. I was in the back row, where I was just glad to be in class.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Scholars in the front.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> No doubt about that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Steerage in the back.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> He has also authored a book called <em>The Power of God\u2019s Names<\/em>. This is a big heartbeat for Barbara and me, here at FamilyLife, Tony. Why don\u2019t you just share with our listeners why you wrote a book about the significance of God\u2019s names?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Well, first of all, when I began to discover the various names of God in Scripture and how tied they were to people\u2019s lives, circumstances, problems and needs, then I began to make the correlation that God had a name for our circumstances in life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, most of those names come out of situations that people were in. Then, I saw the significance of names in general\u2014God would change people\u2019s names \/ He changed Jacob to be Israel\u2014because of the situation, the circumstance, or the message He wanted to communicate\u2014then it becomes very obvious that God is into names. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tUnfortunately, today, we name names because we like them\u2014not necessarily because they have significance\u2014sometimes we do. But in God\u2019s case, His name and the names He ascribes have significance, meaning, application and transformation. Because of all that was involved with that, it was just a great study and a great thing to teach. It became a great thing to write about to get to know God better. The bottom line is\u2014God gives us insight into His character through the use of His names.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes, we get to know Him through His names.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And we find the importance of His name all the way back to the Ten Commandments.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Then, again, in The Lord\u2019s Prayer when the Savior taught us how to pray. He said, \u201cHallowed be Thy name.\u201d Unpack both of those\u2014what it means in the Ten Commandments about not taking God\u2019s name in vain and, then later on, in the Lord\u2019s Prayer.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Because God\u2019s names are a reflection of His person and His character, He wants His name to be honored for the person who stands behind the name. When we talk about people in our culture, whether they\u2019re the President, or whether they\u2019re the mayor, or the governor, their name reflects their position. That position has a certain level of authority assigned to it. We don\u2019t want people to call us out of our name, and God doesn\u2019t want to be called out of His name. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo to take the name of the Lord in vain\u2014the word, vain, means \u201cunto emptiness; without its meaning attached to it.\u201d There is a Person behind the name\u2014so don\u2019t mess with the name because you don\u2019t want to insult the Person. It has to do with the value of the Person. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe word, hallow, in the Greek text means to \u201cset apart as unique, special, one-of-a-kind, in a class by itself.\u201d So you don\u2019t treat God\u2019s name as\u2014certainly not profane\u2014but neither do you treat it as common. Holy is His name. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s sort of like in the kitchen\u2014you\u2019ve got the dishes in the sink. We\u2019ll call those the \u201cprofane dishes\u201d because they\u2019re dirty. [Laughter] Then you\u2019ve got the dishes in the cupboard\u2014those are the regular dishes\u2014breakfast, lunch and dinner. But then you\u2019ve got these dishes that are in the dining room\u2014they\u2019ve got their own room, they\u2019ve got their own glass cabinet, they\u2019ve got their own specialized silverware. You better not touch those because those are for guests or special occasions and birthdays; you know?\u2014because they have been sanctified as unique and are treated that way. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGod\u2019s name is unlike any other name. It is to be held special, unique, and separate from that which is ordinary, common, or profane\u2014which is really what the whole book of Leviticus is about\u2014separating God and treating Him like He\u2019s one-of-a-kind because He is.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And sometimes, when we think about God\u2019s name and taking it in vain, we typically think about not using God\u2019s name as some people do\u2014as a curse word.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Absolutely. But that\u2019s like the extreme. To use it in vain, in just common ordinary, is to attach it to something that does not have the value that His Person has. Whenever you use His name in an empty way\u2014it\u2019s a throw-in word without the Person standing behind it being honored for who He is\u2014then that means that you have used it in a way that\u2019s illegitimate, as far as He is concerned.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I was really fascinated by your observation that each of these descriptive names \/ these titles for God that we find in the Old Testament were born out of God identifying who He is in the circumstance that a person finds himself in. So that when God says, \u201cI am the Provider,\u201d\u2014when we learn about <em>Jehovah-jireh<\/em>\u2014it\u2019s in the context of people recognizing they needed provision and God saying, \u201cI take care of that for you\u201d; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Well, that\u2019s the fascinating point about the names of God\u2014is it\u2019s not esoteric, ethereal, and unrelated to the realities of life. In fact, that\u2019s how the Bible was written. It wasn\u2019t written as one theological document, where you can go to one place and find everything you need on any given subject. It was written in what we call \u201cBiblical Theology,\u201d where God was involved in and engaged in the reality of people\u2019s lives and, therefore, identified Himself in those realities. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>Jehovah-jireh<\/em>, which is probably a name everybody knows\u2014is \u201cGod is the Provider,\u201d\u2014comes in one of the most graphic events in the Bible. Yet, when you see what\u2019s associated with that \/ the contradictions\u2014God is telling him [Abraham] to kill his son \/ kill the son whom he loves\u2014He\u2019s putting him through all of these contradictory scenarios and then providing in the midst of contradiction. That way, you can tell people\u2014whose lives are in turmoil, or they feel like God can\u2019t be found, or they feel like God has placed them in a contradictory situation\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014those situations allow you to see the name of God break forth in the midst of your confusion.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This was Genesis 22; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Genesis 22 [verses 1-19]. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Abraham is told by God to take his son\u2014sacrifice him on Mount Moriah. It\u2019s in the midst of that where Isaac says to his father, \u201cWhere\u2019s the ram for the sacrifice?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And Abraham says, \u201cGod will provide.\u201d He declared\u2014Abraham\u2019s the one who declares, \u201cGod is our provider\u201d; isn\u2019t he?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Absolutely. It\u2019s a very interesting theme that comes out of this. The word, provide, means to \/ technically, it means \u201cto see beforehand.\u201d So God\u2019s pre-vision affects his <em>provision<\/em>. So when you see that connection\u2014what God sees you do affects how He provides for you in light of that\u2014and God makes a statement in that verse, where <em>Jehovah-jireh<\/em> is written \/ He says, \u201cNow I know that you fear Me.\u201d Now that\u2019s a weird thing for God to say because He\u2019s omniscient\u2014He knows everything past, present, and future\u2014so why do You know it now? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe answer to that is\u2014God likes to experience everything He knows. You see, God knows everything; but God hasn\u2019t experienced everything He knows. For example, God knows sin; but He\u2019s never experienced doing it. So God wants to enter into our experience of choosing Him. When He sees we choose Him, we see how much He can provide.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Speaking of experience, I really like what you point out in your book about how the Book\u2014that is the Bible\u2014begins in Genesis with God introducing Himself with a very special name.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> <em>Elohim<\/em>\u2014\u201cIn the beginning, <em>Elohim<\/em> created the heavens and the earth.\u201d <em>Elohim<\/em>\u2014we call it a majestic plural\u2014it speaks of the grandeur of the power of God. So, when God created, He created <em>ex<\/em> <em>nihilo<\/em>; that is, \u201cout of nothing.\u201d God, simply by the spoken word, creates the raw material out of which He does His own creating. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat means you don\u2019t have to see how God\u2019s going to fix something in your life because He can create something out of nothing. He can take barren wombs and create babies. I mean, God is <em>spectacular<\/em>! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen you understand that, it changes your view of God \/ your scope of God. Now, hallowing His name becomes a lot easier because He doesn\u2019t need anything you see for Him to work with to fix what you need.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I quote [A.W.] Tozer all the time on this broadcast, and it\u2019s what your book is about. Tozer said this, \u201cThe most important thing about you is what you think about God.\u201d What you\u2019ve helped us do here\u2014by going through each of these names and unpacking what they mean\u2014is thinking rightly about who God is\u2014<em>Elohim<\/em> the Creator, the Restorer \/ the One who rested on the seventh day. It introduces us to, not merely the character of God, but how He relates to us, as broken human beings today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> And that\u2019s what makes it so exciting because eternity is fundamentally the uninterrupted knowledge of God. Right now, in our temporal existence, we have the <em>interrupted<\/em> knowledge of God\u2014it\u2019s interrupted by circumstances, problems, sleep, work\u2014it\u2019s interrupted by a lot of things. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEternity is when God will remove all interruptions. There will be so much to learn about God\u2014He\u2019s not even going to let you have nighttime. He\u2019s going to give you a body that can\u2019t even sleep because this is going to be in perpetuity\u2014it\u2019s going to be, forever, God unveiling and exposing Himself and living on the high of that uninterrupted knowledge. The names of God give us <em>clues<\/em> to what we will see on a much grander scale later.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Everybody remembers that great scene, where Charlton Heston [portraying Moses] stood before the burning bush. God spoke to Him, and the name of God in that situation with Moses was?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> \u201cI AM THAT I AM.\u201d That\u2019s where God identifies Himself as the self-sufficient, independent One who can address all of your needs. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn this contradiction\u2014you know, a burning bush is a contradiction\u2014a bush that\u2019s staying green?\u2014that doesn\u2019t make sense. That\u2019s often how God reveals Himself\u2014in the contradictions. So Moses wants to know, \u201cWho are You?\u201d He says, \u201cI AM THAT I AM.\u201d In other words: \u201cI am defined by Me. I\u2019m not who you want Me to be; I am who I\u2019m declaring Myself to be.\u201d That\u2019s when you have to sit down, look, and listen, and let God define Himself to you and not make Him into the image you want Him to be because that\u2019s called idolatry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is the covenant name of God that\u2019s offered here in Exodus 3 [verse 14]\u2014the \u201cI AM THAT I AM.\u201d We get <em>Yahweh<\/em> or <em>Jehovah<\/em> from this declaration; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Well, let me walk that one through because that\u2019s pretty exciting too. We\u2019re introduced to <em>Yahweh<\/em> and <em>Jehovah<\/em> actually in Genesis, Chapter 2, beginning with \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tverse 4\u2014but we\u2019re not introduced to it until He creates man\u2014because this covenant name is a relational component of God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>Elohim<\/em> is His power, but <em>Jehovah<\/em> or <em>Yahweh<\/em> is His relationship. So beginning, when He creates man, He calls Himself the LORD God or <em>Jehovah<\/em> <em>Elohim<\/em>. In other words: \u201cIf you want to see My <em>Elohim<\/em>, you\u2019ve got to relate to the <em>Jehovah<\/em>. You\u2019ve got to have a relationship in order to <em>experience<\/em> the power that I possess.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, when He meets Moses and is getting ready to give Moses a direction for leading His people out, He wants him to know: \u201cI am the power \/ God is going to pull this off, but you better stay close to Me in relationship so that My power can be experienced by you.\u201d That\u2019s why you don\u2019t just want to know <em>Elohim<\/em> God\u2014you want to know <em>Jehovah<\/em> <em>Elohim<\/em> because you want the relationship with the God who has all the power.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Our listeners, who would be reading their Bibles today, anytime they see the word, LORD, capitalized in their Old Testament, that\u2019s that <em>Jehovah<\/em> name.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> That is <em>Jehovah<\/em>\u2014L-O-R-D. When people see the name\u2014LORD or God\u2014they think it\u2019s the same word; and it\u2019s not the same word, typically. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s a unique word. When that unique word\u2014when I say, \u201cI want a relationship with this God,\u201d God says, \u201cI want a covenant relationship with you, and I\u2019ll bring <em>Elohim<\/em> along for you to experience.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Okay; let\u2019s talk about how Tony Evans met the relational God, at that point. Let\u2019s move this from a name that we\u2019re learning here to an encounter with the living God in your life. How\u2019d that happen?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Well, it happened when I was 11 years old. I was born in a non-Christian family; but when I was 11, my father accepted Christ\u2014his life was <em>radically<\/em> changed. When he came home with this new-found faith, he brought a fire into our house. He then led my mother to Christ. Then my mother and father took the four of us, as children, and put us around the kitchen table; and he shared the gospel with us. I remember how I was like knocked over\u2014one, to hear the gospel\u2014but to see what was happening in my dad\u2019s life because I saw that relational transformation in him and I wanted that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo I accepted Christ that day\u2014which changed my whole trajectory and the trajectory of my family in the inner-city of Baltimore, Maryland, growing up. We weren\u2019t like any other family in our neighborhood because my father\u2019s life had been so transformed. That\u2019s why I know fathers are so important to reflect the character of God because my father, being impacted, affected me in that relational experience.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> How did his life change? You said it three times in that paragraph you just gave us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> It changed because he was going to divorce my mother. He said: \u201cNo, I\u2019m going to stay here. I\u2019m going to become a man of God and see if that changes my wife \/ [Tony\u2019s] mother.\u201d And it did. So his love for God\u2014it changed him \/ changed her. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, she came downstairs one night and wanted to know: \u201cI don\u2019t get this. The more I hate you, the more you love me. The more I reject you, the more you accept me. The more I lash out against you, the more you embrace me. I don\u2019t get this. But whatever it is you have, must be real. How can I have it too?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Wow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> And that\u2019s how he wound up leading my mother to Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And here you are\u2014a little boy.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Eleven years old.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You\u2019re radar unit is locked on your dad; and you\u2019re watching your family blow up, basically.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And then\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> You\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014\u201cI AM THAT I AM\u201d <em>invaded<\/em> your family.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> He invaded \/ He took over. It became something other than I\u2019d known up until that point. That created in me a hunger for the Word and a hunger to\u2014I used to go out on the street corners with my father, handing out tracks \/ I\u2019d go to the prisons with him, and watch him preach\u2014I\u2019d support him. One time, I got on the car and gave a little gospel message. All of that was preparation for what God is allowing me to do today.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Suppose there\u2019s a listener, right now\u2014they\u2019ve just heard what you described\u2014and they go: \u201cMy marriage is blowing up. My life is blowing up. My circumstances are out of control. I need an encounter. I need to know this God because I\u2019m lost.\u201d Introduce him \/ introduce her to that God who is the \u201cI AM.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> First of all, I would say: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tComing to know Him is a decision to place your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for your sins, in your place, in order to establish that relationship; but He can\u2019t do that unless the issue of sin is addressed\u2014so He died to address that issue. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen you come to Him and say: \u201cWell, Jesus, I\u2019m a sinner, and I need a Savior, and I choose to trust You as my personal Substitute, and I invite You to enter into my life to change me and to make me the person You want me to be in a relationship with the living God,\u201d He has to respond to faith in Him. When He does, that makes you justified; or God legally declares you in relationship with Him. Then, as you submit to His rule in your life\u2014it\u2019s called discipleship\u2014as you let Him call the shots in your life, the more He calls the shots, the greater the relationship will grow. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014and the more transformation occurs.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> The transformation is the result of the relationship. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes, some people feel like they have to clean their life up before they come to Christ. They get it backwards.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> When you invite the King in, He\u2019s going to clean it up.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> And boy; does He have a cleaning service! Sheesh!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I\u2019ve got a question for you. I like to ask guests, just to hear their answer. The question is this: \u201cWhat is the most courageous thing you have ever done in all your life?\u201d And the definition of courage is not the absence of fear \/ it\u2019s doing your duty in the face of fear.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> That\u2019s a fairly easy one to answer. I was in college, and it was during the Civil Rights Movement. I would go out on Friday nights and preach on the street corners at bus stops in Atlanta. There was a particular man who said, \u201cIf you don\u2019t stop preaching, you will never be able to preach again.\u201d He reached into his pocket. At that point, I faced a crisis moment because I knew he could have had a gun; and he had just told me to stop. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI remember whispering to the Lord, \u201cLord if this is it\u2014and I don\u2019t know if it is or not\u2014but if this is it, unto You I commit my spirit,\u201d and I kept preaching. After a while\u2014when he saw that I was not going to stop\u2014he took his hand out of his pocket, and he walked away. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut I remember the feeling of that moment. Since that moment, I have not hesitated to keep going in the face of trouble because I got security from God, in some unique way in that moment, so no matter what situation I\u2019m in now\u2014as long as I\u2019m convinced God wants me there and I\u2019m standing on His Word\u2014when I stand up, I\u2019m pretty fearless.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I think, too, the listener, who\u2019s just heard that story\u2014I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re facing, but maybe you need to be reminded of who God is. Perhaps what will help you be reminded of who God is\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014is getting a copy of Tony\u2019s book, and studying the names of God, and becoming more acquainted with Him because, once you know Him, He will make you courageous\u2014I promise you that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tony:<\/strong> He\u2019s good at that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It is a rich study to dig into the names of God. We\u2019ve got copies of Tony\u2019s book in our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center\u2014called <em>The Power of God\u2019s Names<\/em>. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com for information on how to order a copy of the book. Or call us at 1-800-FL-TODAY. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOf course, many of our listeners are familiar with the fact that your wife, Dennis, is working on ornaments\u2014Christmas tree ornaments\u2014that display the names of Jesus. This year\u2019s ornaments have Jesus\u2019 name in different languages. You see the name of Jesus displayed in Spanish, one in Russian, one in Hebrew, one in Arabic and one in Mandarin. We\u2019ve had a lot of people who\u2019ve been ordering these ornaments to place on their Christmas tree this year. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve also created a resource designed for children to help them understand the names of Jesus. This is called \u201cThe Twelve Names of Christmas<em>\u2122: <\/em>Who Jesus Is to Me\u201d\u2014a dozen ornaments for kids. This is designed for preschool- and elementary-age children. A dozen ornaments\u2014one that Jesus is the Living Water, the Lamb of God, the Bread of Life, the Bright Morning Star, the Good Shepherd. Along with the ornaments, there is a storybook so you can read the stories to the kids as you hang these ornaments on your Christmas tree. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, find out more about these resources, designed to talk about the names of Jesus during the Christmas season, when you go to our website FamilyLifeToday.com. Again, it\u2019s FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can call to order these resources at 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You know, what Tony has reminded us today, Bob, is the truth about God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s why <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> exists\u2014to remind people about the truth about God and who He is\u2014but also the truth about how He wants us to live our lives and our marriages and families. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019ve got a letter here from a listener who listens to us at 6:30 in the morning. She\u2019s had quite a run of years\u2014she said:\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYour radio program helped me: Year one, when I gave my life to Christ, and my husband was an unbeliever, and we had a newborn baby. Year two, when my husband had an affair, it helped me choose reconciliation instead of divorce. And it was there again when my husband surrendered his life to Christ. It was there in year three, when health issues became worse; and then in year four, when we faced possible foreclosure on our home.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe concludes her letter by saying this: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cMy point is this\u2014I want you to know I play your radio broadcast on my tiny FM radio in my kitchen. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I strain my ears to hear every word through the screams of kids, barking dogs, and the rumble of clothes being tossed in the dryer. It has been my lighthouse\u2014<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>\u2014my tiny light leading the way \/ my hope that I can finish the day. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob, that\u2019s why we exist\u2014to give people help and hope that they can finish the day. When people give to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>, they are standing with us to make this kind of ministry possible.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, of course, right now, when you make a donation to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>\u2014this is a critical time for you to do it, at yearend\u2014each donation that is given during the month of December is going to be matched on a two-to-one match. We\u2019ve got some friends of the ministry who have agreed that, if you make a donation of say $100, they will match it with an additional $200. That means the total value to FamilyLife is $300. They\u2019ll do that up to a total of $2 million. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are hoping to take full advantage of this matching-gift opportunity. To do that, we need to hear from you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGo to FamilyLifeToday.com\u2014make a donation online\u2014or call 1-800-FL-TODAY\u2014make your donation over the phone. Or you can mail your donation to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; and our zip code is 72223.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe hope you can join us back again tomorrow when we\u2019re going to explore more about <em>The Power of God\u2019s Names<\/em> with our guest, Dr. Tony Evans. Hope you can be here for that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with the entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2015 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/303770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303770"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=303770"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=303770"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=303770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}