Empowered by Praise, Part 5

Thank you for joining listeners around the world for Leading the Way. Before we start today's Leading the Way, here's a note to our ministry team. You can hear the longing they have for a relationship with Jesus. Sandra writes from Tennessee saying, I've been attending various churches on and off since I was a teenager, never taking it seriously and or understanding the concept of salvation.

To be honest, I thought the whole thing was a joke. I have said a prayer of salvation many times and have been baptized but continue to live for myself and being pulled in all directions by worldly standards. I'm tired of getting nowhere. I'm very intent on living for God.

No more games. Pray for me. Praise the Lord. Leading the Way counselors connect with those requesting follow-up and many are led to follow Jesus. We are able to continue ministry because of you. Learn ways to stand with Dr. Yousef and Leading the Way when you call 866-626-4356 or online ltw.org.

Thank you. From the first words in Genesis to the last pages in Revelation, God reveals Himself through names, each name shedding light on a trait or characteristic of who God is. And today Dr. Yousef reveals several names that are sure to deepen your worship. This is part of his powerful series, Empowered by Praise.

Now listen with me as Dr. Michael Yousef begins this episode of Leading the Way. The first name and the most used name in the scripture of God is Yahweh. Say it with me. Yahweh means the God who is always there. Yahweh means the name of God and it's used more in the Bible than any other name.

In fact it's used 6,800 times in both Old and New Testament. And the translation literally Yahweh means to be or the ever living God or the self-existing God. All that means that God does not need anything outside of Himself.

He does not need anyone outside of Himself with His self-existence. And that is why I want you to yell with me Praise Yahweh. God bless you. The second name that revealed to us in the scripture is Yahweh Yara. Can you say that? In English we often say Jehovah Jireh and then the song the kids often sing here and they have to go and explain it, you know, my provider. Because I'm going to explain to you it's more than just a provider.

The word means a lot more than just being my provider. The word Yara is the one who sees ahead, not just the one who sees. Everybody can see. But it's the one who sees ahead.

If somebody up high up there he can see things you can't see. When was the last time did you thank God for going ahead of you and rescuing you even when you did not know it? Because he sees your needs before you do. Because he sees your needs before the needs arises. Because he sees the problem before it appears. Because he provides a solution to your impossibility before you discover them. Because he sees your difficulties and he helps you overcome them because he sees your temptations and he gives you victory over them before you face them. He is Yahweh Yara.

He sees ahead and prepares ahead even when you can't see it. Now I come to the third name that God reveals to us about himself and that's Yahweh Rafa. Now the word Rafa means to heal, to cure or to restore, more accurate. And beloved, God doesn't only heal and restores. Healing is his name.

Can I get an amen? Healing is his name. His name is synonymous with wholeness. His name is synonymous with power for our weakness. His name is synonymous with being a balm on our wounds. His name is synonymous with healthy self-image. His name is synonymous with mending broken hearts. His name is synonymous with the renewal of our degenerate minds. His name is synonymous with restoring shattered relationships. And the greatest wholeness of course we're going to experience when we see him face to face because the Bible said we're going to be like him.

And imagine that day. We're going to be like Jesus. And that is why we praise and we worship a door, Yahweh Rafa. We praise who? Yahweh Rafa.

And the fourth name God reveals to us about himself is Yahwanesi. God is my banner. Now beloved Hemorrhage please, when you're fighting under Yahweh's flag, let me tell you on the authority of the word of God, you are assured of victory.

Listen, you and I know from practical everyday life. We know that we honor and respect the American flag. And the reason we honor and respect the flag is because for those who have fought for that flag and died in protecting that flag, because of the freedom that we have, we owe to those who gave their life to defend the flag.

The very prosperity we enjoy, and we might not have it for much longer but at least we've got it now, the very prosperity we have is because people fought and died for that flag. In the same way when we praise Yahwanesi, we're waving. We're waving his flag. We are saying to the enemy of our soul, take this Satan.

We are waving and we are marching under Yahweh's flag. I am under Yahweh's magnificent oversight. I am under Yahweh's control and because Yahweh is Nessie and is my Nessie, Satan, you need to know that my victory is assured. Satan, you need to know that you cannot destroy me and you cannot destroy God's purpose in my life until he says so. You haven't heard me say this when people are worried about me going here or traveling or whatever and then they come and say, are you sure you're doing this? I say, listen, I am indestructible until God says so. Until he calls me home, I am indestructible and so are you.

So are you. Beloved, we need to fly the Lord's flag. We need to fly it in our lives. We need to fly it over our souls. We need to fly it over our families. We need to fly it over our homes and we need to fly it over our marriages.

We need to fly it over our church and that is the secret of victory. I don't know, only you do, what giants are you facing in your life? I don't know what giants are you facing right now? I don't know. I don't know, but you do. I don't know who you think ought to destroy you. I don't know who's trying to destroy your marriage or who's trying to destroy your family or who's trying to destroy your business.

I don't know but you do. I don't know who or what is terrifying you and causing you to live in fear and in terror and anxiety and worry. I don't know what past experience that is haunting you and that's pulling you back.

Every time you want to go forward, that past experience pulls you back. But whatever giant you are facing today, you can yell praise Yawanessy. Praise who? He is bigger than any giant in your life. He is greater than any problem. He is mightier than any obstacle. He is higher than any mountain that you're facing. Say it with me, praise Yawanessy.

And the fifth one is Yawamakaddish. That's a Hebrew word which means to be set apart. Be set apart. Dedicated for a cause.

Set aside. Makaddish is used of people when they're being set aside for a task or sometimes actually used for utensils in the temple. When they put these utensils for holy use, for God's use in the temple, they're not allowed to be used for anything else.

That word is used. Makaddish. These utensils are Makaddish.

These people are Makaddish. And it's translated, yes in English, holy. Holy. I am told there are so many pastors and Bible teachers who do not want to use the word holy. They do not want to use the word holiness because they say it actually cause unreasonable restriction over their behavior. How far we've come.

How far we've come. Think about this. The word that means to be cleansed and set apart is now an offense. The Bible said without holiness no one can see God.

Say that with me, without no one can see God. What does it mean? It means to be separated from sin. It means to be set aside or dedicated.

Listen to me. When we say God is holy, it means that he's totally separated from sin. That he is totally set aside from all impurities. It means as he said and described himself in Leviticus chapter 20 and verse 7, I am Yahweh Makaddish. This is the way God describes himself.

You can't improve on that. God's holiness also means that he's free to act in ways that may not make sense to us but make perfect sense to him. And he goes to God, why are you doing this? Why is this happening God? I got this.

Not me. God is saying that. I got it. It's under my control.

Don't panic. Listen to me. When we try to put God in a box, I want you to remember that it is Yahweh Makaddish.

Say it with me. Yahweh Makaddish. He is totally free to act graciously when we expect judgment. He is free to manifest himself differently from what we expected but also God sets himself apart for his church.

This is the one thing that tears me up. I'm telling you and I'm going to explain to you what I mean by this. John 17, the high priestly prayer. Jesus praying not just for the disciples but for those who are going to come and believe through their message. You see God set himself apart for the believers. He set himself apart for their holiness. He set himself apart for their encouragement. He set himself apart for their empowerment. He set himself apart for us to be the totality of his focus. Think about that.

Think about that. When you begin to comprehend that, I'd rather everyone would get it. If you are his child, God is set apart for you to be the totality of his focus. And when that happens, when you get it, I pray to God you get it, okay?

When you get it, you want to be set apart totally for him. You can't help it. And so we praise who? Six Yahweh Shalom. He is our peace. He is our peace. In the book of Judges chapter 6 verse 24, Gideon builds an altar to the Lord and he called it Yahweh Shalom. Yahweh Shalom. Say it with me.

Why? Because at that time, God's people had no peace. They had no peace of mind. They had no peace physically.

They had no peace at all. I want you to remember this when Satan comes, especially in the days we're living in right now, and try to steal your peace. I want you to remember that, okay? Whatever you're going through right now, remember Yahweh is what?

Here you go. Yahweh. Back then the Israelites are being harassed by their enemies. I mean they could not get a decent night's sleep. They were harassed and harassed day after day and they come in as soon as their crops are ready to be harvested, they light a fire and they burn them and they become impoverished and they got in such a miserable situation. They were on the verge of death and one day, listen to me, one day they're faced up to the source of the lack of peace. This is the problem. We never go to the source. We always focus on the symptoms.

We stay with the symptoms but you need to go to the source. Find out what is causing that lack of peace and they're faced up to it. They're faced up to the fact that the reason for the lack of peace is that it's obedient to Yahweh. And so they cry to the Lord and the Lord sends an angel to a man, very ordinary man, in fact beyond ordinary, the name is Gideon.

As a matter of fact when the angels appeared to him he said, oh you mighty man of God and Gideon turned to be an Italian and he said, you talking to me? Are you talking to me? I'm the man of courage. You came to the wrong guy. This is the wrong address.

You need to go somewhere else. No, it was you. It was you because you plus God equal mighty power. Don't you ever forget that. And so the Lord gives them victory and they named the place Yahweh Shalom.

I want to tell you something you can take to the bank. Not literally but you know what I mean. If you do not experiencing genuine deep abiding peace.

It's two reasons. Either you have never given your life to Jesus Christ and never experienced his presence in your life or the vast majority of people who are listening to me right now come under the second category. It's that they're living in blatant disobedience to the Word of God. In either case God can change it today.

He can change it today. Yahweh Shalom. Praise Yahweh.

Yahweh Roy. Actually it's more than just the Lord is my shepherd. It really is. The Hebrew word is so tender.

I wish I can explain it. It's so tender and we don't see sheep, we don't see shepherds and we don't even relate to that to begin with. But the word does really mean more than just the Lord is my shepherd. Roy means that his grace is perfect for me. That his peace endures in my life. That his leading of me is most thoughtful. That his comfort to me is superior than all others. That his companionship is eternal and forever. That his assurance banishes all my fears. That his provision makes my enemy flee. That his anointing is my abundance and that his goodness and mercy is overflowing. Can I get an amen? Praise Yahweh Roy. Say it with me. Okay I come to the eighth one and it's found in Jeremiah 23 verse 5. Yahweh tazdiknu. I know it's hard to get your tongue around it.

Don't worry about it. Yahweh tazdiknu. The Lord our righteousness. In Jeremiah 23 5, Jeremiah prophesied of the coming of Jesus the Messiah. Now Isaiah and Jeremiah probably gave us more detailed prophecy about the coming of Christ hundreds of years before he was born. We saw Abraham gave us a prophecy 2,000 years before he was born. In fact Jesus said Abraham longed to see my day and he saw my day.

But here's what he said. Let me read the scripture to you. This is the name by which he will be called. This is a future prophecy.

That he will be called the Lord our righteousness. Remember during the time of the prophecy this prophecy came as a nice glass of cold water to a thirsty and parched people. Because during that time of Jeremiah there were many prophets who are false prophets. They were prophesying falsely.

This sounds familiar. So many of the priests were just busy feathering their own nests. They're feathering their own nests.

Those who preach prosperity gospel, they're the ones who are prospering not the congregation. Violence was rampant. Bloodshed. I can never understand and I don't get into politics as you know but I will speak the truth.

I could never understand anybody can vote for anyone who is pro-abortion. When God said bloodshed is abhorrent to me. I know you know this and it's not because I nearly was aborted that this is significant to me. It's significant to me because God said I abhor bloodshed and a person who doesn't have his or her compass right on life they got it messed up everywhere else. The spiritual leaders in the time of Jeremiah were confused. They were uncertain and here comes the word from the Lord.

The day is coming. The day is coming and I'm sending my Messiah who be called my righteousness. And you know not long ago when I was preaching from the Sermon on the Mount I told you we have no righteousness if we live two million lifetimes.

If we would do a lot of good work that lasts million years. We have no righteousness. We have no right standing with God the Father. Only through the righteousness of Jesus Christ are we righteous before God.

In fact the word literally means testicnu means an upright or straight or an arrow sometimes referred to. No wonder the Apostle Paul could say first Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30 he said Christ is our righteousness. We have no righteousness without Jesus. Praise Yahweh testicnu.

Say it with me. Praise finally for now anyway. Ninth name is Yahweh Shammah. Actually literally can be the God who hears me but the one who hears me is because he's there all the time. The God who's always there or God who always hears me.

Beloved listen to me. He is there for you every moment of every day. He never puts you on hold to take another call. He never turns you down. He never ignores you. He never says oh no not you again. In fact the Bible said he rejoices over us with singing. He's delighted when you come to him. He loves it when you genuinely want to fellowship with him.

He loves it when you want to be in intimacy with him. In Matthew 28 20 Jesus said lo I am with you how often? Always.

How many times? Praise with me Yahweh Shammah. I'm almost at the end but I want to give a word of testimony. I have never begun to praise the names of God without being engulfed in the presence of God.

Now one time I don't know what I'm giving away family secrets but I was up at four o'clock and in another room of course praying and I was praying loud my wife jumped out of bed said are you okay? I said yeah just praising God. Listen the more I know God the more I want to praise him and the more I see him working in my life the more I see his power and sovereignty surrounding me. Now what I want you to do as we come to the end I want you to go through the list with me.

All the nine names. Praise. Praise. Praise. Praise. Praise. Praise. Praise. Praise. Praise. Praise. Praise.

Father I pray in the name of Jesus teach us in these tough hard days. Teach us to praise your names. That is the secret of our power. That's the secret of victory. Lord I pray that we would develop intimacy with you.

That regardless of what happens all around us we know that we have power where power really belongs. You Lord Jesus in your name I pray. Amen and Amen and Amen. This is Leading the Way featuring the Bible teaching of pastor and author of more than 50 books Dr. Michael Yusef. In fact Dr. Yusef has just released a very timely book that you're gonna want to get in your hands right away.

Here's more information. In times of trouble where do you run? When bad things happen where do you find comfort and assurance?

In times of national uncertainty personal crisis or devastating news how can we manage our fears for the future? Whenever we're frazzled whenever we're frustrated whenever we're flustered the only safe place to return to is where we have housed the Word of God. In his newest book My Refuge My Strength Dr. Michael Yusef takes you on a 60-day journey towards a deeper understanding of the peace God offers us through Christ. 192 pages full of encouraging devotions that explore powerful biblical examples and life-changing truths about our faithful God. For a limited time for your gift of any amount Leading the Way will send you your very own hardcover copy of My Refuge My Strength. Speak with a ministry representative about this timely and encouraging book. Give us a call 866-626-4356 or visit ltw.org. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Yusef