Conclusion

Posted on 12/29/2014 by Jason Ministries

Parasol of True Worship: Your Divine Covering

We have come to the end of our series. A series that began comparing our worship of God with a parasol, or umbrella. Why? Because just as a parasol, or umbrella, is used as a protective covering, so too is our worship.

As we stated in our introductory article: “Worship — true worship — is the covering that shields true believers from God’s perfect and pure holiness and allows us to linger in His presence. Worship — true worship — prevents true believers from being distressed when God tests their faith (a.k.a.: rain and storms). But again, worship can only do this if true believers take hold of it . . . open it up . . . make use of its matter.”

So, as we close out this series, I hope you have come to understand more completely how to linger in God’s presence. I trust that you will have more endurance for the hardships that come your way, and I pray that you will shine the light of God’s divine love to this lost and dying world that we live in. But before we say, “good-bye,” let’s review the various implements attached to our “parasol of true worship.”

In our first article, we discussed how the tube is basically the “backbone” or main support system of this device. We also talked about how the handle is yet another important part of this tool’s support system, as it allows the instrument to be embraced and put to use. In like manner, it is the truth of the divine Word of God (the tube) that provides the support system needed to experience real, godly worship, and it is only by taking hold of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the handle) that we can sit in the shade of the “parasol of true worship.”

In our second article, we learned about how it is the ribbing of a parasol, or umbrella, that provides the canopy with sustained form and the ability to protect the user from the elements. Our worship must also be reinforced in like manner, so that our acts of our worship are properly sustained and you, the worshiper, are also provided with adequate protection from various spiritual elements.

Article 3 finds us acquiring knowledge of the stretchers and runner. The purpose of these two implements, is to allow the user to extend the gadget’s ribs and expand its canopy to full capacity. Once the runner is locked into place, the stretchers also provide the final element of support needed for this tool to be used comfortably and correctly. In similar fashion, it is the Holy Spirit Who is the divine implement that connects our attitude, or spirit, of worship to the truth of God’s incarnate Word — Jesus Christ.

In our fourth article, we talked about the canopy and how it represents our godly acts of worship. You see, our acts of worship are a divine covering meant to benefit us and make a way for us to serve others. Our acts of worship also display our devotion to God, affecting our overall behavior. This allows us to become active participants in doting on, and glorifying our Creator.

In Article 5 we took time to gaze upon the most easily overlooked portion of our “parasol of true worship” — the top tube. Why was that small piece so important? Because it represents something that too many of us wrongly take advantage of — the grace of God the Father. Take the time to know how important the top tube is to our “parasol of true worship,” and learn just how majestic and marvelous God’s gift of grace is to humanity.

And in our final article, we learned about the ferrule, open cap, and triggers. You see, the ferrule sets at the very top of the tube, and its basic function is to act as a protective cap, while it is the open cap that sets just a few inches below it and keeps the top of the canopy in its place. The open cap also allows for tension on the ribs when the canopy is fully expanded. And lest we forget, it is the triggers that allow the parasol, or umbrella, to open and close. The significance of these final three components to our worship is summed up in one word — “faith.” Without faith, believers could not be certain of their future — a future based on the promises of God.

So the next time you reach for your parasol, or umbrella, take time to reflect on these various implements. Take the time to consider how they represent certain aspects of your worship. Doing so will allow you to understand more completely how to linger in God’s presence, better endure your hardships, and shine the light of God’s divine love to this lost and dying world that we all live in. So take hold of your “parasol of true worship” . . . open it up . . . and make use of its colorful and varied substance; may God’s blessings be upon you.

Parasol of True Worship: Your Divine Covering by J.Scott Harden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at jasonmin.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.jsnmin.org/.

The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

If your church or organization would like to talk with J. Scott Harden about a speaking engagement, or a writing project, please get in touch with Mr. Harden through Jason Ministries‘ Twitter account or Facebook page.

Article 6

Posted on 12/22/2014 by Jason Ministries

Parasol of True Worship: Your Divine Covering

We have come to the final elements of our “parasol of true worship.” Each piece of this divine instrument that we have disclosed has represented various essential parts of real, godly worship, and these last features are no exception. What are these conclusive components? They are the ferrule, open cap, and triggers.

The ferrule sets at the very top of the tube, and its basic function is to act as a protective cap. In some designs it is an ornate piece which brings character and uniqueness to the parasol, or umbrella.

Setting just a few inches below the ferrule is the open cap, which keeps the top of the canopy in its place and allows for tension of the ribs when the canopy is fully expanded. This is the third piece, briefly alluded to in our third article, that connects the ribs to the tube, or shaft. The other two being the stretchers and the runner.

The triggers (a.k.a: the top spring and bottom spring) are both located on the tube, as well. The top spring is located up high on the tube, just beneath the runner when the parasol, or umbrella, is in its open position. The bottom spring is located just above the handle. Both of these triggers allow the parasol, or umbrella, to open and close. So, what is the significance of these final components to our worship? I can tell you in one word — “faith.”

Scripture tells us: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) What is it that mankind hopes for? Generally speaking, most people’s hope evolves around a better future. Humanity longs to believe that their current circumstances will be replaced by more improved conditions in the future. It’s a sense of aspiration . . . a dream . . . a strong desire . . . want . . . wishful thinking, but for the believer it’s so much more tangible because it is a confident expectation.

You see, the believer’s hope is in the Person, power, and presence of our Creator, Almighty God. It’s not founded upon a wish, but on the promise that God will see His purpose fulfilled in us (Romans 8:28; Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 1:6). God is not an intangible belief; some universal, vaporous energy, or a lofty state of nirvana. No! God is our benevolent Creator; the “Author and Finisher” of all life. God is our self-existing, sovereignly divine, eternal LORD. Believers can depend on Him, and His promises.

Without hope — a confident expectation — humanity could not have real faith. And without faith, believers could not be certain of their future. A future based on the promises of God. Promises which assure the believer of abundant living, eternal life, and righteousness (John 10:10; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; Galatians 5:5).

Without faith in God, the Holy Spirit, we could not have an assurance of these divine promises (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:1&5). In fact, the Holy Spirit is the promised One of Almighty God (Luke 11:13; John 14:16-17; Acts 2:38). And we must have faith in God, the Son, or we could not receive salvation — our portal to abundant living, eternal life, and righteousness — and we would remain cursed under God’s law (Galatians 3:22-26; 1 Peter 1:3-9). More so, without faith in God, the Father, we could not receive His grace; the benevolent, divine gift that gains us access to Christ’s salvation — again, our avenue to abundant living, eternal life, and righteousness (Galatians 3:11; Ephesians 2:8).

So the next time you reach for your parasol, or umbrella, take time to reflect on the ferrule and open cap at the top of this useful instrument. Take the time to consider both the top spring and the bottom spring — our triggers. Think on how they represent your faith in the triune God.

It’s your faith in the Holy Spirit that will activate (trigger) your ability to rightly worship God. It’s also your faith in Jesus Christ that will gain you access (trigger) to divine righteousness. A righteousness that can only come from God and can restore humanity to a state of holiness. A holiness that will allow us to correctly worship God. And less we forget, without your faith in the heavenly Father (the ferrule and open cap), all of your attempts to worship Him would be in vain because it’s your faith in God that will lock into place all the divine implements of true worship.

So, as we close out this article on faith, I’d like to leave you with these words from the 1990, 4Him song entitled Where There Is Faith. The lyrics are from the chorus and they read as follows:

Where there is faith, there is a voice calling, “Keep walking; you’re not alone in this world.”
Where there is faith, there is a peace like a child sleeping; hope everlasting in He
Who is able to bare every burden. To heal every hurt in my heart. It is a wonderful, powerful place. Where there is faith.

If you want to use these lyrics, please contact the authors, artists or labs.

Article 4

Posted on 12/08/2014 by Jason Ministries

Parasol of True Worship: Your Divine Covering

We’ve explained how the main support system of a parasol, or umbrella, align with the main support system of our godly worship. The tube and handle being representative of the truth of God’s Word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the ribs representing our attitude, or spirit, of worship. Then we explained how the added support of the runner and stretchers represented the need for the Holy Spirit to be apart of our daily worship, especially if our acts of worship were to be fully expanded over our lives. Now we’ll look at the canopy and how it represents our godly acts of worship.

So what is an “act of worship”? Well, let’s begin by looking at the meaning of our two main words, “act” and “worship.” An act can be a law, formal record, or statute. It can also be a formal division of a theatrical performance, play, or opera. Performers, themselves, can be called an “act,” but the definition that applies in this case, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is this:

act (noun) — the doing of a thing: deed // something done voluntarily // a state of real existence rather than possibility // the process of doing: action (caught in the act) // the sum of a person’s actions or effects that serve to create an impression or set an example (a hard act to follow) // a display of affected behavior: pretense // into an undertaking or situation as an active participant.

Worship can be a bit more complex in its explanation, but this is not the first time we have disclosed its definition on this blog site. We originally discussed its meaning in The Joshua Project, and have done so in other posts, as well. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the word “worship” is defined as:

(noun) reverence, homage or honor paid to God // ceremonies or services expressing such reverence; public worship // an utterly devoted admiration for a person; ‘Your (His) worship’ (esp. Br.) a courtesy title used to (or of) certain magistrates, officials, etc.

By defining worship as a noun (person, place, thing, or idea), Merriam-Webster is indicating that the word has physical properties, parameters, substance — belonging.

But the word “worship” can also be defined another way. In the Life Application Study Bible (NIV) the word is defined as, “(verb) to express praise and devotion.” So this definition reveals activity . . . involvement . . . choices being made. Now let’s piece these various definitions together to reveal what an “act of worship” is.

Any time you or I focus our actions, or deeds, towards bringing glory, honor, and reverence to God, then we are participating in an act of worship. Though Philippians chapter two, verses ten and eleven, state that there will come a day when, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” right now our acts of worship are purely voluntary. They allow us to experience the various attributes of God in a very real way, and again, as we have discussed in The Joshua Project and other blogs, when we acknowledge God’s attributes and apply them to our lives, godly worship takes place.

Your acts of worship are a divine covering (canopy) meant to benefit you and to make a way for you to serve others. This enables us to set an example and make a godly impression upon this lost and dying world. Our acts of worship display devotion to our gracious Creator, and they affect our overall behavior; allowing us to become active participants in doting on, and glorifying, the triune God. And we can do this in so many ways, thus the multicolored canopy on our “parasol of true worship.”

We are called to worship God through corporate acts of worship (Hebrews 10:24-25), as well as individual acts of worship. When we gather corporately, we do so to proclaim our love and devotion to God the Father as one vast voice of humanity. We also gather as one spiritual body to honor the head of the Church — God the Son — Jesus Christ. And as we discussed in our previous article, this is made possible by the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit.

These gatherings are made up of acts such as Bible study, fellowship, giving, greetings of peace, serving, singing, partaking of the Eucharist (a.k.a.: the Lord’s Table), prayer, and testimonials. All of these acts, if presented to God in spirit and truth, are acts of worship. Too often church leaders mistakingly refer to the musical portion of a corporate worship service as the “worship portion” of the liturgy. This is a false representation of what godly worship really is, as true worship is any act presented to God in a devoted and loving manner.

As individuals we can worship God by taking care of our families, friends, homes, and strangers. Yes, this means that no task is too insignificant, menial, or small. Changing a diaper, cleaning toilets, cooking dinner, maintaining your job, mowing the lawn, etc. can all be acts of worship. When we present an action before our Creator in an attitude of spirit and truth, then we can experience worship on a daily basis. Read with me these words from Paul the Apostle, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Again, there are simply countless actions that we can participate in when worshiping God. Too many to list in this post, and several of our main acts of worship lead to other acts of worship. For example, showing love (an attribute of God) leads to serving, and serving leads to limitless opportunities for us to worship God and be an example of God’s love to humanity.

So begin looking for ways to learn about God’s many attributes (Galatians 5:22-23), and begin applying those to your daily life. Avoid thinking of music as your only means to encountering godly worship. As you do these things, you will begin to open up that colorful canopy on your “parasol of true worship,” and experience God in amazing ways. Your worship will not only become genuine — expressing your true devotion to God — but it will lead others to be devoted to Him as well. I’ll leave you with one last thought from Paul the Apostle:

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The Joshua Project by J.Scott Harden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at jasonmin.wordpress.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.jsnmin.org/.

Article 3

Posted on 12/01/2014 by Jason Ministries

Parasol of True Worship: Your Divine Covering

We’ve discussed how the truth of the divine Word of God represents the tube, or shaft, of our “parasol of true worship,” as this is the main spine of our worship’s support system. We also talked about how we must take hold of Christ (the handle) to gain access to the Father, and we examined how our attitude of worship, or spirit of worship (the ribbing), is a necessary extension of this godly device’s support system. Now we will look at the importance of this tool’s stretchers and runner.

The purpose of the stretchers and runner, on a parasol or umbrella, is to allow the user to extend the gadget’s ribs and expand its canopy to full capacity. Once the runner is locked into place, the stretchers also provide the final element of support needed for this tool to be used comfortably and correctly. These two pieces, from this device, are able to do this because they are two of the three elements which connect the ribs to the tube, or shaft. In similar fashion, it is the Holy Spirit Who is the divine implement that connects our attitude, or spirit, of worship to the truth of God’s incarnate Word — Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit keeps the believer’s worship centered on the truth of God’s holy Word (the runner). He also provides the godly worshiper with the necessary flexibility and strength (the stretchers) that they need to expand their acts of worship to full capacity and experience real, godly worship as a natural and normal part of their daily lives. We cannot worship God in “spirit and truth” unless the Holy Spirit calls us to know the truth and grows in us a godly attitude of worship (Isaiah 11:2; John 3:6-8, 14:26, 16:12-15; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:13).

Besides providing a way for us to know the truth of God, and to have an attitude of worship, the Holy Spirit provides the believer with other means of support. Join me as we read through a few of these divine provisions and their related Scriptures.

The Holy Spirit is our divine Counselor and Helper:

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17a)

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26)

The Holy Spirit is our source of power:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My [God’s] witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

The Holy Spirit is a conduit of God’s spiritual fruit:

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:5)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a)

The Holy Spirit is part of our redemption and a guarantee of eternal life:

“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11b)

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands . . . Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 5:1 & 5)

The Holy Spirit, Himself, is a divine gift from the Father:

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13)

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38)

Again, these are just a few of the provisions that the Holy Spirit brings into the lives of believers. But what every believer must realize is this: our worship of God must be supported by the Holy Spirit in order for us to be continually centered on the truth that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And our worship must be stabilized by the Holy Spirit, in order for us to experience a godly attitude of worship.

So as we close out this article, commit yourself to getting to know the Holy Spirit. Allow Him more control of your life. Act less on what your mind or emotions tell you to do, and do more from the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Once you begin this discipline you will be able to experience just how sweet it is to be in the presence of the Father. You will also encounter just how peaceful it is to be able to rest in the truth of Jesus Christ, and you will most certainly find yourself face-to-face with the most mysterious person of the trinity — our marvelous means of divine support — the Holy Spirit of God.

Article 3

Posted on 04/23/2012 by Jason Ministries

Robert “Bob” Hartman, is possibly one of the greatest songwriters to have graced Contemporary Christian Music over the last 40 + years. His ability to take a passage of Scripture from the Bible, or to take a strong lyrical story based on biblical content, and apply that to a melody that is both enjoyable and awe inspiring is uncanny.

Robert’s songs are rarely so simple that you can disconnect your mind from what your ears are hearing, as a parent would be able to do with their child’s nursery music. No, Bob’s music commands your ears to take heed and listen. If music can make human ears stand at attention, then that is what takes place when one hears a Bob Hartman song. If you are unfamiliar with Bob Hartman’s name, you will most likely recognize his band’s — Petra!

Hartman originally was a member of the Christian rock band known as Rapture, but after the band’s break up in the early ‘70s and a move to Fort Wayne, IN, to attend classes at the Christian Training Center, Robert began to form the Christian rock band we know today as Petra.

Of all the songs that Hartman has penned, I think it is Adonai that stands as my all time favorite. It’s from Petra’s 1985 album Beat the System, and it helped to make that project one of the biggest Christian rock albums recorded at that time and the third-biggest Christian album of the 1980s (trailing only Amy Grant’s Age to Age and Sandi Patti’s Songs From the Heart). Allow me to share the lyrics of this Christian rock masterpiece with you:

Verse 1:
This thirsting within my soul
Won’t cease ‘till I’ve been made whole.
To know You; to walk with You.
To please You in all I do.
You uphold the righteous,
And Your faithfulness shall endure.
Chorus:
Adonai, Master of the earth and sky.
You, alone, are worthy — Adonai!
Adonai, let creation testify;
Let Your majesty be magnified in me.
Adonai, You are an endless mystery — Adonai!
Verse 2:
Unchanging, consuming fire;
Lift me up from mud and mire.
Set my feet upon Your rock;
Let me dwell in Your righteousness (repeat chorus).
Bridge:
When the storms surround me,
Speak the word and they will be still.
And, this thirst and hunger
Is a longing only You can fill — Adonai (repeat chorus).

Words escape me, as I try to describe how these lyrics call my soul to worship the Creator of heaven and earth. Hear them sung, and you will be hard pressed to deny your spirit’s desire to leap for joy and shout, “Praise Adonai!” But, why? What is it about this song — this lyric — that makes it so special? I believe it’s power to move the human spirit lays in the name “Adonai.”

“Adonai” is a Hebraic name for God (Elohim/Deity), and is the emphatic plural of the title “Adon.” Adon, which means “Lord” or “Master,” is generally the title given to men of authority or angels but at times was also used when referring to Yahweh. So, since Adonai is the plural form of Adon, its meaning is interpreted as “Lords” or “Masters.” When the emphatic plural is formed in Hebrew using a singular possessive ending (example: “my Lords” or “my Masters”), it always refers to God. Our Creator, the triune God, was recognized by the Hebrews as the “Lord of Lords” (Adonei ha’adonim) or Lord Yahweh — Adonai Adonai!

I personally get emotional — spiritually moved — over this particular name of God, but I also realize that most Americans, really most contemporaries of the western hemisphere, don’t quite grasp just how powerful a title like “Lord” or “Master” is, due to our democratic societies. So very quickly, I want to help you grasp just what this truly means. We’ll begin by defining “Lord.”

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a “Lord” as:

(noun) someone or something having power, authority, or influence: lord of the sea | lords of the jungle. A master or ruler: our lord the king.

(verb) act in a superior and domineering manner toward someone (lord it over).

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a “Master” as:

(noun) 1 – a man who has people working for him, esp. servants or slaves: he acceded to his master’s wishes. A person who has dominance or control of something: he was master of the situation. 2 – a skilled practitioner of a particular art or activity: I’m a master of disguise. A great artist, esp. one belonging to the accepted canon: the work of the great masters is spread around the art galleries of the world.

(adjective) 1 – having or showing very great skill or proficiency: a master painter. Denoting a person skilled in a particular trade and able to teach others: a master bricklayer. 2 – main; principal: the master bedroom.

Here, in these two definitions for “Lord” and “Master,” we see four key attributes to understanding why God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is Adonai.

First, our Lords, our Creator has power (Deuteronomy 8:17-18), authority (Matthew 28:18), and influence (Psalm 2:7-9; Jeremiah 28:14) over all of His/Their creation (Psalm 89:7-11). Yahweh is the ruler over all of it. Whether we accept His authority, or not, doesn’t matter — God is our Lord — Adoneinu!

Second, God is sovereign, superior, and does dominate over all (2 Chronicles 20:5-6; Psalm 89; Proverbs 8:15-17). Just because we are in a time of grace, and are not seeing God’s righteous wrath displayed in the way mankind saw it displayed in the Old Testament, does not mean that Jehovah isn’t in control. It doesn’t mean He is inferior, or weak — God is the Lord of Lords — Adonei ha’adonim! Which brings us to our third attribute, we are called by the triune God to serve Him.

Almighty God’s mercy allows us to choose to serve Him (Joshua 24:14-15; 1 Peter 4:1-11), for now, but make no mistake — there is coming a day — Yahweh will reveal the truth of His dominance, His control, and all of His majesty will be revealed (Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 20:11-15) to all of His creation! It’s on that day that every man, woman, and child will bow before their Creator and proclaim Him/Them as Lords, Masters — Adonai!

Lastly, our fourth attribute, God has great skill and proficiency over all people, places, and things. Creation is our Creator’s testimony of this fact (Genesis 1-2; Psalms 19, 40:7-11, 139:13), as is man’s ability to learn and improve his physical state (Exodus 4:10-12; Leviticus 1-27). For it is by Jehovah’s skill in creating and His ability to teach that empowers the creativity and ingenuity of humanity — God is the Lord Yahweh — Adonai Adonai!

Selah (Pause/Reflect).

Praise, Almighty God — Adoneinu — You are the master of the earth and sky. Only You, Lord God, are worthy of being called “Master.” Devine Creator — Adonei ha’adonim — let all of creation testify, and let Your majesty be magnified in the spirit of humanity; be magnified, especially, in me. Lords, Masters — Adonai — You are an awesome, majestic, endless mystery. Adonai Adonai!

His Name Is . . . by J. Scott Harden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://jasonmin.wordpress.com/.

If you want to use these lyrics, please contact the authors, artists or labs.

Article I

Posted on 03/05/2012 by Jason Ministries

Contemporary Christian music (a.k.a. CCM), which stems from the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s, has introduced many talented performers/singers over its 40+ year history. And like any of the other industry genres, there are only a few artists whose music has stood the test of time. Carman is one of those artists. Though he’s now primarily seen and heard on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (a.k.a. TBN), Carman’s music is still known for its varied styles and strong Gospel message.

When he was touring, Carman (full name: Carman Domenic Licciardello) was a charismatic sight to behold. His concerts were incredible experiences; more like a rock-n-roll, Billy Graham Crusade than a church event. After each concert, hundreds of people would work their way down to the counseling area to accept Christ; often as many as 5,000 in an evening. Amazingly, admission to a Carman concert was usually free and an offering generally was taken.

Carman could fill the largest of stadiums, too, and did. In fact, Carman holds the record for the largest Christian music concert ever. It took place in Dallas, Texas, at the famed Texas Stadium (former home of the Dallas Cowboys). But more than that, if you take the mega stadium acts that played the famed landmark (Pink Floyd, U2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Metallica, et al.) you’ll see that, as the newspapers noted, the one act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium’s history was Carman, with 71,132 in attendance.

Carman’s ability to cover any style of music, from Gospel/R&B to Rock-a-Billy, from ballads to Hip-Hop, made him appealing to all walks-of-life. The name “Carman” assured listeners that his albums would take its listeners on a journey that wasn’t just an all-American cultural trip through popular musical styles, but was also a deep walk into all things theological. Take the song Yahweh, as an example. It’s from Carman’s 1983 album Sunday’s On The Way:

Verse 1:
Call thy walls salvation,
Call thy gates praised.
There’ll be no moon to light the nights,
No sun to light the days.
For God shall be thy glory,
An everlasting light.
The Lord shall reign forever,
In power and in might.

Chorus:
His name is Yahweh.
The Lord is one. (repeat)
Alpha and Omega,
Beginning and The End.
The Word, Who reigns forever.
Yahweh. Redeemer. Friend.

Verse 2:
His people shall be righteous,
They shall possess this land.
The branches of His plantings,
And the works of His hands.
For from a small beginning,
A mighty nation grows.
And in the fullness of His time,
The whole wide world will know (repeat chorus).

There, in simple melody, is a lyric so full of the truth of who our Creator is — Yahweh! Hear this song and you’ll have these words embedded in your mind. Meditate on them and you’ll grow in this lyric’s basic truth; Yahweh, is everything humanity needs and so much more. Let’s look deeper into the meaning of the name “Yahweh,” one of the three primary names of God (Elohim/Deity).

First, before we can understand the names of God, we must understand the nature of Hebrew names. Hebrew names are not meant to be just formal titles used to identify one person from another, as they are in our western culture. No, they are actually sentences within themselves. It’s very similar, in fact, to how Native-Americans named their children. You know, names like “Crazy Horse,” “Sitting Bull,” “Black Hawk,” etc. which weren’t exactly complete sentences, like the Hebrew names were, but descriptions of the individual’s perceived character traits. Our Creator’s name, Yahweh, is a full sentence and it’s the shortest sentence in any language. So, what is this short sentence? What does the name “Yahweh” mean, in English? The answer is, stated simply — “I AM.”

Let’s look back into the Old Testament book of Exodus when the Almighty first declared His name to be Yahweh — I AM. In Exodus chapter 3, Moses is seen on the mountain of God talking to the angel of the Lord, who is speaking from a bush that appears to be burning, but it’s not being consumed. It’s here that God tells Moses that He has chosen him to return to Egypt and command Pharaoh to let the Israelites go free. To which Moses immediately begins his argument with God that he can’t go for various reasons, one of which is Moses doesn’t know God’s name. We pick up in verse 13-14:

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His Name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM Who I AM [Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh]. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM [Yahweh] has sent me to you.’”

Many scholars believe that Yahweh, actually spelled YHWH in the Hebrew language, is the third person singular form of the ancient Hebrew verb “haya,” which means in English “to be.” The basic driving force of this verb describes a state of existence. As the third person form of haya, the name “Yahweh” literally means “He [God] is,” or “He [Elohim] exists.” It’s a description of who God Almighty, is. He is “The Self-Existing One.” Ponder that thought for a moment (selah/pause). He is “The Self-Existing One.” How’s that for a name!? God is “The Self-Existing One.” It blows the mind a bit, doesn’t it? God reveals to us in His name, the name “Yahweh,” that He always has been and always will be. God (Elohim/Deity) was not created or birthed, but exists. Allow me to reiterate this truth — God (Elohim) has always existed, and will always exist. Truly awesome!

Every name of God revealed to the Hebrews, as you will see throughout this study, was to reveal some portion of Himself and His nature to mankind. And in doing so, our Lord, Yahweh, calls us to be in awe of Him, of Who He is — to worship Him.

If you will recall from our study on worship, known as The Joshua Project, we learned that God has laid out a formula for calling His own into worshiping Him. The formula is simply this: if we will come to know the attributes of God, and also acknowledge those attributes in our lives, then God will produce the actions in us that equal true worship.

(Knowing the attributes of God + acknowledging and applying the attributes of God in us = true worship)

The same becomes true of knowing and understanding the meaning of God’s various other names. God (Elohim) is the Lord, Yahweh — “I AM.” The Self-Existing One. This name of God describes who He is, and discovering who the Almighty is will call us — even move us — to worship Him!

(Knowing God’s names + learning and understanding the meanings of God’s names = true worship)

When God revealed His name to mankind, it was not merely so we could know what to call Him (i.e. give Him a formal title), but it was to reveal to us all something about Himself, His nature, and His attributes and thus call His creation to worship Him, The Self-Existing One.

Once more, everybody — selah!

If you want to use these lyrics, please contact the authors, artists or labs.

Jason Ministries ®

Teaching the Church its Purpose – True Worship

Category Archives: trinity

Conclusion

Article 6

Article 4

Article 3

Article 3

Article I