What is God's True Name?
Did you realize God has a personal name? Like your name may be Kendra, my cat's name is Snowy and my grandmother's Irene... God, too, has a name we can call him! God's true, personal name is Jehovah. Proof of that fact can be found in your bible at Psalm 83:18, which reads, "You (speaking of God) whose name is Jehovah..." Many people don't even know this truth. I know, I didn't. Many people I know didn't, either. The fact is, someone had to teach it to me... the same way our mothers and grandmothers taught us how to cook, or to garden or to sew.
I grew up a Catholic, so I never heard the name Jehovah before. I heard things like God, Father, Lord and other titles. Many people get TITLES confused with NAMES. God is not a name. Father is not a name. Lord is not a name. If one of my teachers, in elementary school, asked me my father's name, I wouldn't say, "Father." I would say, "Robert." That is, because... my father was given a personal name, and father is the title given for the role he plays in mine and my brother's lives. The same goes for the title, God. God is what our creater is, but it is not a personal name. In the same way we may call our earthly father, father, we can also call God, God. God has a name, though, and it is very important that we use that name. Why? Well... would you want someone to constantly refer to you as "mother," or "aunt?" I wouldn't. I would much prefer, out of respect for me and my personal name, they use the name I was given.
Many people say we shouldn't degrade God's name by using it whenever we feel like it. If we were not meant to use God's name, don't you think he would've told us that... maybe, through his word, the bible? There are many less important admonitions in the bible. Why not this one? In general... if names were not meant to be utilized, why name a baby in the first place? Just, to have a name? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. When it comes to the bible, many people don't think with common sense. They think, purely, with their hearts... and, that's o.k. However... we must, too, be able to look at these things logically. The bible proves that God is a very logical and organized father. Afterall, we were made in his image. If we weren't to use our abilities and our senses to the full, I don't believe we would be as intricately designed as we are.
People who call themselves christians... it's time to stand up and ask questions of the people who "teach" us religious things. If it doesn't make sense, there's usually a good reason why! God IS love, and you can find that in your bible, as well. If God is love, then... do you think it makes sense for him to want to mislead us or lie to us, in any way? Of course not! God is a loving god... to be honored and feared. God is not trying to trick his people into thinking dozens of different biblical teachings. On the contrary, he wants us to be smart enough and motivated enough to educate ourselves, through the pages of his word... not relying on other people to "teach" us things that we will rotely believe. This is not the way God wants it. On the other hand, there is someone whose very interest it is to confuse and mislead us. That person is, none other than, Satan the Devil.
If you are aware of the story of Satan, you will know... he has every reason to want to anger God and malign his good name. Satan sought God's position in heaven, because he was not satisfied being God's angel. He greedily desired more. If that wasn't enough, Satan began to recruit other angels who felt the way he did, about God and his position. So... Satan and these angels were cast out of heaven, down to the earth... where they have been roaming ever since. They are here doing the best they know how (and, booooy, do they know how!) to create chaos, misinformation and lies about God and his people. This is one, huge reason why people are so confused about things today... especially, regarding religion.
God wants us to seek the truth, but we have to be willing and open enough to do that, and to realize, that... the REAL truth may not be something we've always known, or accepted. You have to be open to GOD'S truth, and then you will be ready and willing to find it.
I think back on a time when I didn't know half of what I do now, about Jehovah God and his teachings. How misinformed and misguided I was! Now that I know the truths, though, I can tell you... it's like a bright light has been switched on! Talk about enlightening!!! Living, for so many years, in complete and utter, spiritual darkness... I thank God each and every day he sought me out to love, to mold and to teach everything he wants us all to learn. How blessed we are to have such a loving and gracious, heavenly father.
Thank you, Jehovah God! I'm so glad I've gotten to really KNOW you!!!