January 9, 2018 – Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11.

What does your name mean to others? Each name has a meaning, and the way we live gives our name more meaning, both negatively and positively. I remember one couple trying to choose a name for the child who was coming. One name was rejected immediately – because of the life the person had lived.

God gave Mary the name for her child…Yeshua (Greek). As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:23.

Without accepting Jesus, we cannot live without complaining and arguing. Becoming a part of the Kingdom of God and children of God, we desire to hold firmly to living clean lives without the ugliness of sin. We awake each day in the joy of forgiveness, longing to please our Lord Jesus in all we do and say; and how we respond to others with love. When we see others as Jesus sees them, with love, we are filled with joy and peace!

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. Philippians 2:14-16