Leading The Way

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Thank you for making time in your day for Leading The Way where you always hear Dr. Michael Youssef passionately proclaim uncompromising truth straight from God's Word. Beginning with the very first pages in Genesis all the way to the very last pages in Revelation, God reveals himself through his names.

Each name highlighting more about who he is. Today Dr. Youssef reveals several names of God sure to deepen your worship as he continues his series called Empowered by Praise. Before Dr. Youssef begins, a quick reminder that Leading The Way is a listener supported gospel ministry.

You can learn ways to stand with Dr. Youssef in prayer and in generosity when you call 866-626-4356 or go to ltw.org. Listen with me now as Dr. Michael Youssef begins this episode of Leading The Way, continuing the life changing series, Empowered by Praise.

Dr. Michael Youssef: The first name and the most used name in the scripture of God is Yahweh. Say it with me: Yahweh. Yahweh means the God who's 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.

The translation literally, Yahweh, means to be or the ever-living God or the self-existent God. All that means that God does not need anything outside of himself. He does not need anyone outside of himself for 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 of God is Yahweh Yireh. Can you say that? Yahweh Yireh. In English we often say Jehovah Jireh, and then the song the kids often sing here and you have to go and explain it, "my provider." Because I'm going to explain to you it's more than just a provider.

The word Yireh 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's up high up there and 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 need arises. Because he sees the problem before it appears. Because he provides the 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 Yireh. 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 Rapha. Now the word Rapha means to heal, to cure or to restore more accurately. 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 worship adore Yahweh Rapha. We praise who? Yahweh Rapha.

And the fourth name God reveals to us about himself is Yahweh Nissi. God is my banner. Now beloved, hear me right 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 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 may 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 Yahweh Nissi, we are 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 Nissi and is my Nissi, 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've even heard me say this when people worried about me going here or traveling or whatever and they come and say, "Are you sure you're doing this?" I said, "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 you're 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 out 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 Yahweh Nissi." Praise who? Yahweh Nissi. He is bigger than any giant in your life. He's greater than any problem. He's mightier than any obstacle. He's higher than any mountain that you are facing. Say it with me, "Praise Yahweh Nissi."

And the fifth one is Yahweh Mekoddishkem. That's the Hebrew word which means to be set apart. Dedicated for a cause. Set aside. Mekoddishkem 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, Mekoddishkem. These utensils are Mekoddishkem, these people are Mekoddishkem. And is translated yes in English "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 causes unreasonable restriction over their behavior. 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 holiness 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 seven, "I am Yahweh Mekoddishkem." 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 you go, "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 Mekoddishkem. Say it with me: Yahweh Mekoddishkem.

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 why I mean by this.

John 17, the high priestly prayer, where 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. When you begin to comprehend that, I pray that everyone will 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? Yahweh Mekoddishkem.

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: Yahweh Shalom. 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? Yahweh Shalom. There you go. Yahweh Shalom.

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'll light a fire and they'll 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 faced up to the source of their 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's causing that lack of peace.

And they faced up to it. They faced up to the fact that the reason for the lack of peace is their disobedience 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 by 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, "Are 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 name 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 are come under the second category, is that they 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 Shalom.

Yahweh Ro'i. 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 is really mean more than just the Lord is my shepherd.

Ro'i 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 Ro'i. Say it with me: Praise Yahweh Ro'i.

Okay, I come to the eighth one. And it's found in Jeremiah 23 verse 5. Yahweh Tsidkenu. I know it's hard to get your tongue around it, don't worry about it. Yahweh Tsidkenu. 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. That 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 will 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 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 Tsidkenu means an upright or straight or an arrow sometimes referred to. No wonder the apostle Paul could say 1st Corinthians chapter one verse 30, he said "Christ is our righteousness." We have no righteousness without Jesus. Praise Yahweh Tsidkenu. Say it with me: Praise Yahweh Tsidkenu.

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? Always. 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. Not one time.

I don't know if I'm giving away family secrets but I was up at 4:00 and in another room cause 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 Yahweh! Praise Yahweh Yireh! Praise Yahweh Rapha! Praise Yahweh Nissi! Praise Yahweh Mekoddishkem! Praise Yahweh Shalom! Praise Yahweh Ro'i! Praise Yahweh Tsidkenu! Praise Yahweh Shammah!

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.

Guest (Male): Thank you for taking time in your day for Leading The Way with Bible teacher, author and international culture expert, Dr. Michael Youssef. In fact Dr. Youssef is offering his book complementing this teaching series in a very special offer right now. Here are the details.

Several years ago I wrote a book that literally came out of the crucible of my own experiences that I was going through at the time and it literally changed the lives of countless thousands of people around the world. It's called Empowered by Praise. God taught me how to praise him in the midst of tough times and I continue to even use that book now.

And you know you can praise God in the midst of your circumstances today no matter where you are and they will give you a great and vibrant walk with the Lord. Speak with a ministry representative about Dr. Youssef's encouraging book, Empowered by Praise. Ready to ship to you as his gift when you give a gift of any amount to Leading The Way.

Give us a call 866-626-4356 or you can visit us online at ltw.org. And write to us at Leading The Way, Post Office Box 20100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30325. That's Leading The Way, Post Office Box 20100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30325. This program is furnished by Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.