Saturday, September 7, 2013

He Knows My Name


Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

Have you ever been to a family reunion, or a high school reunion?  It is good to re-connect with loved ones and friends.  But, it is embarrassing if someone says, “Hi,” and we forget their name. 

 

This past week I have had 3 people come up to me and greet me.  I knew their faces but I did not remember their names.  Some of these folks even asked about family members by name, and talked about recent events in the life of our family.  So, these people knew me, and they knew my name, but I had forgotten theirs.  This is embarrassing for me, in part because I have a ‘reputation’ of remembering people’s names.  But, I didn’t remember these three times.

 

This Sunday is a “Family Reunion” of sorts.  Sunday School starts with a full schedule of Adult Bible Classes.  For those who have been occupied elsewhere with summer vacation, or with fishing, or even with the Alaska State Fair, we get to return through worship and Sunday School more fully to the presence of the Lord, our Heavenly Father - the one who loves us most.

 

And, while we may forget the names of others, God never forgets our names.  In fact, He takes the personal relationship He has with each of us very seriously.  Just consider what the following verses mean.

 

In Isaiah 43:1 God tells the Israelites, “But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” Your friends and acquaintances may forget your name, but God calls us, by name.  He knows us and cares for us.

 

In Isaiah 49:1 God tells the Gentiles, the non-Jews, (that’s us by the way.)  “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.”  God has called us before we were born, and known our name.  He does not forget us.  He knows us and cares for us!

 

And, in John 10:3, when talking about being the Good Shepherd, Jesus talks about how shepherds treat their sheep.  “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”  God knows us individually and calls us by name.  What a blessing!  The Lord of the Universe knows each of us personally.

 

The amazing thing is that God does know us.  He knows who we are and the special people He made us to be.  He also knows where we have failed to live up to our promise and have turned out backs on Him and others.  But, God still cares.  He cares so much He sent His Son to pay for our rebellion and to save us so we can have an eternal reunion with God in Heaven.  In spite of our sin, God still keeps calling us to repentance and faith, and to His eternal love.

 

We may forget the names of others.  Others may forget or ignore us.  But God always remembers and cares and calls us to Himself.  And, tomorrow we get to attend that reunion, to begin the process again of growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  May you find joy that God Himself knows you, and calls you by name back to Himself in Jesus.

 

A Child of God, Thankful for the Personal Love of God,

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  Fishing has been good this year.   Here are some pictures from August Silver Salmon trips.  https://plus.google.com/photos/114993745799525883148/albums/5921001414319839281?banner=pwa

 

P.P.S.  We have recently had some new challenges in our family.  Thank you for everyone who has kept us in prayer.

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am always adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one of these e-mails, please send me their e-mail address.

 

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