Shavuot demonstrates that we need to make time for God regularly, remembering what He gave to us not only through the Bible but through His son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. As we set aside these special times with God, we grow to know Him more personally and experience Him on a deeper level than we ever had before.

You can spot it anywhere: on someone’s shirt, in a newspaper advertisement, even on the back side of the car in front of you in traffic. It is the recognizable Christian Fish symbol, which resembles a hand-drawn fish that sometimes includes a cross for the eye or the name Jesus in its middle.

He is our Lord and Savior, the One who achieved His purposes of representing God to us in life, then dying on the cross for our sins and redemption. His life has led to several experiencing spiritual transformation and accepting God as our eternal Father in heaven.

any know Him as Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, but many others know as “Yeshua,” a name prevalent in Hebrew and Aramaic languages. If Jesus is most prominently known for the name found in several current translations of the Bible (King James, New International, etc.), why should “Yeshua” be viewed with the same honor and respect as that of Jesus or even Yahweh?

The answer lies in the fact that the origins of “Yeshua” and where it is used most to describe Jesus draws believers closer to the realization of what He came to do on earth and in heaven. It’s a name that represents His Hebrew identity and establishes a stronger connection with believers of all generations.

It is likely that most Christians have heard God referred to as “Abba Father” throughout their lives: in prayers, at church, while reading the Bible in quiet time, etc.

However, God’s title of “Abba Father” is only found referenced in the Bible three separate times, in the passages of Romans 8:15, Mark 14:36, and Galatians 4:6, which are all in the New Testament. Only two speakers utter these words in these passages: Jesus and the apostle Paul.

So why would a title mentioned so sparingly in the Scriptures be so monumental in describing not only Jesus’ and Paul’s relationships with God but our relationship with God as well?

This name of God is rich with meaning and implications for our lives. Read on to learn more about the meaning of Abba Father and why this title of God is so important for our theology and relationship with Him.

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Jezebel is known by many as the name representing a woman with dangerous and harmful intentions in mind, who never hesitated to create the downfalls of others in order for her plans to work. Jezebel wasn’t a figment of people’s imaginations, but a real woman who was possibly one of the first feminists in our history.

Typically, you might see the scriptural verse "as for me and my house" adorning someone’s doorway at home, or as a plaque they keep in the kitchen or on their mantle in the living room. It’s a recognized verse of the Bible that many attribute to their belief in how they should live individually and as a family.

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15, NKJV) were the concluding remarks given by Joshua, one of the two spies who encouraged the Israelites to proceed into Canaan, despite the giants that lived there, and who was appointed the Israelites’ new leader after Moses’s death.

It’s a bold proclamation made that many Christians even today seek to follow in their daily lives, but what should be realized is that a meaningful declaration made centuries ago can be lived out today as though it were just spoken yesterday.

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Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, our 26th president of the United States, said it best about comparison when he exuberantly stated: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” How can comparison be a thief of joy? Well before Teddy spoke these iconic words, the Bible was (and still is) the manual to shine a light on comparison pitfalls and ways we can avoid comparison to appreciate what we have now.

Who here likes change? Okay, who here really likes change that comes from being humbled? Hmmm, not as many hands up and cries of “Hallelujah”.

Though everyone would say that they love change and that it is so good for you, especially when directed by God, it is not an easy path to travel. Just look at the countless examples in the Bible of when people were in their comfort zones and all of a sudden, God brought about a humbling change that guided their lives onto a complete new path.

Why this change? One possible reason might be pride, as expressed in Proverbs 13:10, because pride brings struggle while humility brings wisdom: “By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom” (NKJV). Pride causes us to be set in our ways, and pay the consequences for it later, but being well-advised (humbled) allows wisdom to become a new viewpoint to us.

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Think back to the time when you first accepted Jesus into your heart and life: you might say you had a renewed sense of purpose within you, wanting to see what God had in store for your life and sharing with others the Good News you had recently learned.

Then, that fever for Jesus starts to subside as years pass on, as life gets in the way, as tragedies turn your world around. Maybe you share Jesus with others from time to time, but it’s not as readily apparent in daily conversation; or maybe you talk about Jesus but don’t have that fire inside that you once had for the Lord.

What also might move forward into your mindset at this time is a feeling of unworthiness, that what you are experiencing now is more of a distancing of God from you. You start to feel you have done the ultimate error and God has washed His hands of you, taking away all the blessings He was planning to give you in the future.

However, nothing could be further from the truth, for John 3:16 shares what God’s love is to us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Sweet reader, God loved you so much that He sent Jesus, His only son that loves you too, to offer the ultimate sacrifice so we could see His love and know it was eternal. Though it is hard to picture now, it is possible to regain that fire for God again and know He still sees you as worthy of His love.

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It happens to the best of us: someone has hurt you in some way and you have to chart that long, complicated path toward forgiveness.

Getting to the point of forgiveness can be a journey in itself; one that is rewarding once you can honestly say to the person, and yourself, that you have forgiven him or her for the offense that person did to you.

With forgiveness, we are instructed by Jesus in scripture that “if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matt. 6:14, NKJV). He reiterated the importance of forgiveness again when Peter asked how many times to forgive a brother in Christ. “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:22, NKJV).

But the real question is…now what? What do you do now that you have forgiven the person but don’t want a repeat of history with him or her? By forgiveness, does that mean you are only setting yourself up to be hurt by this person again, to be his or her doormat?

It is possible to move forward after forgiving someone, while still protecting yourself from getting hurt again. It takes an evaluation of the relationship, setting boundaries, and finding true and lasting peace. 

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Serving God is one of the greatest things we have been given by the Lord to do. So, our attitude to serving God should be one that is reflective of Psalm 100:2 (NKJV): “Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.”

However, when it comes to serving while single or serving while married, the gladness and singing might be drowned out by excuses for why we can’t serve God than why we can (and should). For singletons, the hindrance to serving God comes in the form of loneliness, too many other non-church activities, and letting one’s marital status block the fruitfulness of serving with ample free time. Married people, on the other hand, have their own laundry list of reasons they can’t serve as much as single people: spouse/kids at home, household chores to do, not enough activities for couples.

But we forget that God created us with the sole purpose to serve and if Jesus found ways to serve God when He was traveling, by foot, to several faraway cities to minister, then it is possible to serve God in our busy, phone-driven, car-accessible lives. So, let’s dive into ways that single and married people can put their statuses aside and make the time for the Lord in several aspects of ministry.

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