Johnny Cash: "A Boy Named Sue"

This song proves how important a person's name is. Some parents give their child a name which becomes a stigma for the poor child. Such is the case in this country hit which you can hear here.

Unlike the father in the song, our heavenly Father understands the value of a person's name. As he inspired Solomon to write in Proverbs 22:1 (Bible in Basic English), "A good name is more to be desired than great wealth, and to be respected is better than silver and gold."

And unlike that absent father, our Father doesn't deliberately anger his spiritual children. As Paul advised human fathers in Ephesians 6:4 (BBE), "And, you fathers, do not make your children angry: but give them training in the teaching and fear of the Lord."

God, with good reason, is protective about his name. Look at what Leviticus 19:12 (BBE) warns. "And do not take an oath in my name falsely, putting shame on the name of your God: I am the Lord."

Back when the scriptures were penned, children were given meaningful names. We read of one example in Genesis 27:36 (BBE) when Esau found out how Jacob swindled him out of his birthright blessing. "And he said, 'Is it because he is named Jacob that he has twice taken my place? for he took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing.' And he said, 'Have you not kept a blessing for me?'"

Johnny Cash: "A Boy Named Sue"Another example of a meaningful name was given by the wife of Phinehas when she gave birth. We read in 1 Samuel 4:20 and 21 (BBE), "And when she was very near death the women who were with her said, 'Have no fear, for you have given birth to a son.' But she made no answer and gave no attention to it. And she gave the child the name of Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has gone from Israel': because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband."

If the name above all names hasn't returned by Thursday, I expect to post about a reporter headed for Vietnam back in the seventies.

Donovan: "Catch the Wind"

Have you ever had a crush on somebody but that person wanted nothing to do with you? This is what Donovan sang about in this song of unrequited love. Check it out here.

When I was a teenager, an errant church taught me that if I just had enough faith, I could get what I wanted from God. They often quoted verses like Luke 17:5 and 6 (Bible in Basic English) as their proof text. "And the twelve said to the Lord, 'Make our faith greater.' And the Lord said, 'If your faith was only as great as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this tree, Be rooted up and planted in the sea; and it would be done.'"

what they didn't understand is that God is sovereign. In fact, it's blasphemous to assume that he's obligated to give us anything.

Luke 11:2 (King James Version) tells us who's will must be done. "And he said unto them, 'When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.'"

James 1:6 (BBE) was another verse the elders browbeat me with when my eyes weren't healed. "Let him make his request in faith, doubting nothing; for he who has doubt in his heart is like the waves of the sea, which are troubled by the driving of the wind."

That accusation stung. I did my utmost to quench all doubts. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed never to be enough for God. Consequently, I turned my back on him for nine long years.

Those wicked people never took Ephesians 6:4 (KJV) to heart. ""And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

If Christ hasn't returned by Saturday, I hope to post about John Lennon's painful childhood.

This also sounds like a silly question. What has God given us? In a word: everything.

This planet we live on is perfectly adapted for us to live on. As Genesis 1:29-31 (BBE) says, "And God said, 'See, I have given you every plant producing seed, on the face of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit producing seed: they will be for your food: And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and every living thing moving on the face of the earth I have given every green plant for food:' and it was so. And God saw everything which he had made and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."

God also gave us sex. Genesis 2:18 (BBE) reads, "And the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be by himself: I will make one like himself as a help to him
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But sex for sex's sake isn't what we were created for. Psalms 127:3 (BBE) explains, "See, sons are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the body is his reward."

Children are given to us to raise to be good and God-respecting adults. As Ephesians 6:4 )BBE) says, "And, you fathers, do not make your children angry: but give them training in the teaching and fear of the Lord."

But we believers aren't without future hope but have heaven to look forward too. Jesus promised in John 14:2 (BBE) that, "In my Father's house are rooms enough; if it was not so, would I have said that I am going to make ready a place for you?"

We know that Christ died to pay our sin debt. What a relief that we don't have to spend eternity in hell. And when Christ returns, we'll spend forever with him. As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 (BBE), "Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first; Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord."

What a shame that we Christians don't ponder just how blessed we are. Everything we have and are comes from God, even our salvation. I'll be writing more on this in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? We tend to forget the great privilege we have as adopted children in Christ's family. Many churches also fail to teach these wonderful facts. May the Lord help people believe through what I've written.

On Thursday, I'll post about how Christianity is unique. It's based on love, not fear and hate.