What's In A Name?

What kind of thought do you give to your name? Does your name say anything about you? My wife and I gave a lot of thought to the names of our children. We didn't just pick names that sounded good together, or names that you couldn't make a silly nickname from, but we thought about the names we gave to each of our 4 children.

For example, our firstborn, Nathaniel, was given his name because Nathaniel means in Hebrew "Gift from God". We had been trying for nearly 3 years to get pregnant and it seemed impossible and then God gave us a gift. Our Son! Our 1st Daughter, Abigail, was name after Abigail the Carmelitess, King David's Wife. Scripture describes her as very beautiful and describes the great risk she took to save the life of her family. We have a son named Noah, Scripture says of Noah that he was the only righteous man on earth at the time. We have a 2nd daughter whose name is Rebekah, she is named for the wife of Isaac, Scripture describes here as very beautiful and describes her servants heart in Genesis 24.

I say all that to say there is value to our names. In the New Testament, the name of the Son of God was not left to chance. Mary was told to call Him Jesus because He would save people from their sins. I could go on.

This all leads me to our verse for today Psalm 9:10 says "And those who know your Name will put their trust in you; for you, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you."

Those who Know His name will trust in Him. Let me ask you this, do you know God's name? When people think of the names of God almost always we think of: Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Nissi, and a few others. But you know none of those are really the name OF God, they are merely names FOR God.

God gives us his name in Exodus 3:13-15 "Then Moses said to God, 'Indeed when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, "The God of your fathers, has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'what is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the Children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. Moreover God said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the Children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations."

We have a slight problem in our understanding here. You see God gives us His name here, but it is not translated into English. It is simply translated LORD. What God reveals to us here is His personal name.

You see the Hebrews felt this name far to holy to mention, so when God's name was written in Scripture they would pronounce the word Adonai, which means "My Lord" for fear that they would take God's name in vain somehow.

We have carried on this tradition. I believe we do ourselves a great disservice. You see God revealed His name to us for a purpose, because it reveals a great deal about Him. Let me retype this text again, this time using the Name God Gives Himself beginning in verse 14:

"And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM" And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. Moreover God said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, YAHWEH, God of your Fathers.....This is My name forever..."

His name is Yahweh. I wish I could take time to reveal all that this means. Let me just say this. This is important because it is how God chose to reveal Himself. He has a name. He is not just a God, He is not Just God, He is Yahweh (I AM WHO I AM). This name is used more than 6800 times in the Old Testament, more than 3 times as often as the generic word of God Elohim.

This says very plainly to us that God wants to be known...not as a generic, run of the mill, deity, but as a specific person with a name that carries His unique character and mission.

So here is my challenge, when you find the word LORD in all capital letters in the Old Testament, use God's name and see if that doesn't change how you read that text.

There is so much value to a name. Let's not forget that God gave us His.


By His Grace and For His Glory,

Bro. Chad

Merry Christmas!

In a day and age where saying Merry Christmas has become Taboo I say as loudly as you can in print MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

If you are like me Christmas is very busy. Very Busy! But what an amazing time of year! I am not a huge fan of Christmas Carols and the like, but believe me I am no Scrooge. What I love most about Christmas is Christ.

Now we all know that Christ was not born on December 25th. But it is the day that for centuries we have set aside to recognize the Incarnation of our Savior. What a great thought. I think the first chapter of John captures the spirit of Christmas the best. So let me just share that with you.

John 1:1-5; 14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (literally and God was the Word). He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

What a great truth. The Coexistent, eternal Son of the Living God, layed aside all the glory of heaven and put on himself human flesh so that He might redeem those who would believe.

I know it is cliche, but Jesus TRULY is the reason for the season! I pray that you would remember that simple fact this Christmas season.

From my family to yours: God Bless You This Christmas Season!


By His Grace and For His Glory,

Bro. Chad

My Thoughts about the World of Politics

Greetings everyone! I pray that all is well with you. In this edition of my thoughts, I want to share with you my thoughts about the world of politics. Particularly the race for President. Many of you who know me, know that I am very politically informed. If you do not know me, I believe the right to vote is a valuable right and it is my responsibility to be as informed as I possibly can be.

In my position as a Pastor I try to guard my opinions very closely. But this blog is all about my Opinions and thoughts.

For the first time in my voting life I have actually decided to get involved in a political campaign. I have contributed financially to this particular candidate and I have sent emails to some of my family and close friends introducing them to him. And now I sit writing a blog proudly informing all who read this blog of my total support for MIKE HUCKABEE for president.

I was initially interested in Mike because of his Southern Baptist Faith. He served as a Southern Baptist Pastor for 12 years. But as I began to research him as a political figure I came to find out that not only does he represent my believes on the very important social issues of our day (ie abortion, gay marriage, the significance of family etc) but he also represents my views on all the other major issues of our day (ie national defense, taxes, the economy etc)

I believe we have a candidate in Mike Huckabee, who not only can win the Republican Party Nomination for President, but can win the National Election for President. I believe he will be (if elected) a president of whom we can all be proud!

I don't want to banter on here, but I would just encourage you to give Mike Huckabee a strong look. If you don't find that He represents your beliefs or is what you are looking for in a President then by all means keep researching. But I believe you will find as I have, that Mike Huckabee is the man for the job.

I don't think Mike is the greater choice of several bad choices. He is a candidate that I can fully endorse!

I have a link to his website below. Please go check it out. But by all means regardless of where you come down on this issue. Be informed and Vote your Conscience!!!

Thanks for letting me delve into a very sensitive issue! I promise we will get back to the regular thoughts very soon!!

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Bro. Chad

In the Beginning............

It has been sometime since my last post. I am very sorry for that. I have had some thoughts, but have had no time to write them down. Today I am making the time.

I want to consider today Genesis 1. Genesis was written by Moses some 1400 years before the birth of Christ. The first chapter of Genesis deals with the creation of the universe by God. We all know the first words of Genesis 1:1 " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"

You may have noticed my title for this "thought" "In the beginning _________" I have left a blank, not because I doubt the creation. The truth is my very existence rests within those words. I believe them to my core. But my question and my point by leaving that space blank is simply this: DO YOU?

I have left that blank because I want you to fill in the blank. How you fill in that blank is going to have a tremendous impact on your life. The Scriptures say: "In the beginning God..." If you and I accept that fact, then our whole life will be affected.

Let me also tell you this, if Satan can successfully get you to deny "In the beginning God.." then he has done all he needs to do to destroy your soul.

I also know that if you are reading this blog then chances are you have already accepted the fact of "In the beginning God..." That being the case, then we acknowledge there is a God in heaven who is mighty and majestic and He demands our loyalty and obedience. And someday we will stand before Him. That should be the guiding force that shapes and molds our lives.

I don't have to tell you (but I will) that there are many people today who say "In the beginning God..." with the minds and mouths but say "In the beginning I..." with their lives.

I just wonder which are you? Which today am I? I believe to the very core of my soul that God created everything from nothing and He is the king of the universe. May I, may we live our lives in such a way that it reflects that belief. That in the beginning God created... the heaven and the earth.

Let me make that a bit more personal. In 1972 (my beginning) God created me, He is my ruler and my king. I pray that today He has my loyalty and allegiance and total obedience! I also pray He has yours.

How do you fill in the blank?


By His Grace and For His Glory,

Bro. Chad

It Is Very Good

Greetings everyone. My thought for today comes from my dear friend Pastor Peter Njuguna. Peter is pictured with me in the photos to the left. He is the Pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Kiambu, Kenya. He sent this today and I wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy.

It Is Very Good!

Have you ever thought of something good? I was riding on a bicycle on a country road to visit one of my friends, who is a pastor. On each side of the road was a grassland and a few people inhabited the area. There were some people walking on the same road. As I was riding, I noticed that there were many birds in the area, and they were different colors and sizes. The birds and everything I saw on the road started sinking slowly into my mind. I started riding my bicycle slowly and it took me a longer time to reach my friends home.
This was one of the enjoyable moments of my life. As I was observing for a long time, I noticed that the birds were very beautiful. And also the environment was very good. One kind of the birds had a very long tail and when one of them flew near my face, the tail made it gorgeous. They had black shining color and a beautiful white round mark like an eye on it's tail. There were other birds which were singing and the air was filled with music. It was as if they were praising their provider who is their creator. There were others eating berries from the trees, shrubs and some collecting from the ground. All the birds were beautifully marked on their feathers. This reminded me of my time in Kakamega forest which is home of many types of birds and it's beauty in western Kenya.
I thought to myself; do other people see this kind of beauty? This led me to an answer that, God is the creator of every goodness. I remembered the garden of Eden and I asked myself; How beautiful was that garden? Aha!! God loved man that is why the Bible says in Genesis 1:31 "God saw all that He had made and it was very good." There was no sin in the created man. God had fellowship with man and the animals obeyed man till the time man disobeyed God.
God is ever loving and He sent Jesus Christ to reconcile man to God through His death. This was done so that man can gain hope, peace, love, happiness and eternal life. Man can become a new creation through Jesus Christ if he trusts Him (2 Corinthians 5:17) Man's life can be more beautiful than anything in nature if has Christ in his life. He can have eternal life and walk on the streets of gold when he goes to heaven. THIS IS WHEN YOU HAVE CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOUR. This is more beautiful that the area I was riding my bicycle"

Pastor Peter Njuguna
Liberty Baptist Church
Kiambu, Kenya.

I hope you have enjoyed Peter's thoughts. Kenya may be one of the most beautiful places I have been on the face of the earth. I hope you can hear the beauty that Peter describes, but more importantly look out your window, how beautiful is the land that God has created. God is GREAT and GREATLY to be praised, AMEN? Amen!!

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Bro. Chad

Do I Drive or Do I Motor?

My great epiphany for this thought, really isn't MY thought at all. I have borrowed it from a dear friend of mine. In fact he is more than a friend, he is in every way that counts (except biological) my brother. This thought is found on page 109 of a book that my "brother" Gary Taylor wrote titled "For Those Who Thirst: A Parched Worshipper's Journey". If when you read this thought you find that you would like to read more of what Gary has written, I think he has a few copies of the book left. Just get in touch with me and I can try to get you a copy. Anyway, this thought is titled "Do I Drive or Do I Motor"

" I'm intrigued and challenged by the difference between "driving" and "motoring" I never gave it a second thought until I began what I now believe to be motoring in my Mini.
I must be honest and say that the marketing folks for Mini know exactly how to grab the attention of a guy who changes vehicles every couple of years. In one of the Mini Cooper promotional pieces, the marketing geniuses explain that driving gets you from point A to point B. On the other hand, motoring is the drive from A to Z. The stopping point is not the goal.
It is during the experience on the road en route to a destination that one discovers hidden blessings, scenic overlooks, and visual treasures off the beaten path.
Realizing the difference between driving and motoring shifted the focus of my prayers. I used to pray for God to move me swiftly and efficiently from point A to point B. Not a bad prayer, but I was settling for less than the best.
Now I find myself asking God to allow me to partake of the treasures, blessings, and scenic overlooks discovered by those willing to motor by faith. It only makes sense that the God Who described Himself as the Alpha and Omega, the A and Z, would want me to choose the road named after Him.
Yep, I'm a convert. I once was blind, but not I see. I once was content as a driver, but now I long to live as a motorist.
Did you know that Jesus was an A to Z type of traveler? He modeled a life of dependence on the day-to-day, moment-by-moment guidance of the Holy Spirit who led Him along roads all over the map. That's why even those towns that He was just passing through ended up being the sites of such monumental and noteworthy events.
Driving straight from A to B, from the manger to the cross, just wouldn't have cut it. He was a motorist craving the open road. He recognized than any given moment could be scenic overlook or the sovereign detour of a precious opportunity to make an eternal difference in someone's life.
Open your Bible to Luke 18:31 and begin reading Jesus' motoring logbook. In this verse Jesus informs the disciples that He is going to Jerusalem. But the next several verses are spectacular accounts of motoring through Jericho before arriving at the "destination" in Luke 19:28.
In Luke 18:40 He pulled over at the request of a blind man. In Luke 19:1 He intended to pass through, but He parked at the house of a wee little man.
In Luke 19:11 we read that although Jesus was intent on going to Jerusalem, He felt there was time to drive below the speed limit so those confused travelers could catch up. We don't read that He even saw His greatly anticipated destination of Jerusalem until Luke 19:41.
In this passage, Jesus did what all good motorists do while traveling. he checked His blind spots, kept on the lookout for little children in the street, hit the brakes for lost and wayward travelers, and then joined in the parade.

MAYBE YOU CAN RELATE...

We all have the tendency to ask God for the bottom line. "God, just tell me what your will is for my life and I'll go do it." You just sit with you engine idling at point A, awaiting that sign from God that directs you to point B. But God has so much more planned for you-A life from A to Z.
Could it be that in your drive to the destination you've missed motoring through the blessings of back roads and rest stops? Yeah, Jerusalem-or wherever God has called you to go-will be awesome. But don't overlook the opportunities off the beaten paths of Jericho.
Here's your motorist's tip of the day: Rather than asking God to transplant you safely to your desired destination, invite the Holy Spirit to guide you, prompting you to slow down for fellow motorists sharing the road.
Keep a written record of those merging onto the lanes of your life today, journaling the ways in which God moves in their lives through you. Happy Motoring."


My prayer for you as you have read this thought by my "brother" Gary is that you will become a motorist and not just a driver.

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Bro. Chad

Thank You God for My Dad!

Father's Day is Sunday. This is always a difficult time for me as a preacher, because just like every holiday I am expected to preach a sermon related to that Holiday. As I was thinking about this task, I began to think about the blessing God has given me in my own Dad. In fact as I write that statement I have developed that all too familiar "lump" in my throat. I can't think about what a great Dad I have without getting that "lump".

So for this "thought" in my blog I would like to write a short tribute to my Dad! Before I do that it must be said first because it is of utmost importance. Anything good I have to say about my Dad should merely be seen a reflection upon the awesomeness of "our Father" Scripture says that "every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights..." That is what I want everyone to understand as I seek to honor my earthly Dad. Any honor given him is really an honor due to our God!

With that being said let me tell you about my Dad. Believing in God as Father was an easy thing for me to do, because I understood very well the powerful love of a father. My Dad has always been an amazing example to me of that kind of love. That is not to say that my Dad has always been a "godly" example! It will be 20 years ago this year (November I think) that my Dad gave his heart to Jesus and began serving as an example not only of fatherly love but of godly fatherly love. I will be 35 this year so that means that for the first 15 or so years of my life, my Dad did not know God! But he did model the kind of fatherly love that made it easy for me to trust Jesus almost 19 years ago now.

My Dad and I have shared many memories and I pray that we will share many more. I remember one Christmas when I was 9 or 10 years old my Dad and I "burned" up, and I mean that quite literally, an Atari joystick playing Frogger together. I remember my Dad teaching me how to fish. How to hunt rabbits (without ever shooting at one I might add, that is a humorous memory!) I remember taking overnight float trips with my Dad (something we have done with my own sons) I wish I could say all the memories are filled with Joy.

You want to know the greatest thing about my Dad? He loved me enough to discipline me. He loved me enough to tell me the truth about what he saw happening in my life. He loved me enough to make me do things that I didn't really want to do. He loved me enough to ,for a short period of time, make me "hate" him because he knew I was making some mistakes. I will never be able to express what a powerful thing that is to me today!

You never really know love until you walk in and see or hear your Dad praying for you! I have done that on more than one occasion! WOW! What a humbling experience.

I sure wish I could say I have been the perfect son, but I haven't been. But my Dad was the best Dad not because he was perfect, but because he did his best with what he had to work with (namely me)! I have a sister and she turned out pretty OK too.

Anyway, today at almost 35 years old, my Dad is my best friend. Maybe that sounds strange to you. But to me, it is just natural. I have my own family now and my dad doesn't treat me like a kid, but like a man and we sit and talk on that level. We fish together and camp together. We talk about "business" together ( we are both preachers)

Anyway, I am sure I have bored you with talk of my Dad so let me just say this in case my Dad happens to read this. DAD, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for being the greatest Dad that any kid could have. I hope my kids can have the feelings for me when they are grown that I have for you. I know sometimes you don't feel like you have done enough, but I think your awesome!

And THANK YOU GOD for my Dad! None of us derserve even the slightest blessing, but you are gracious and kind. I will forever praise you because you are worthy to be praised!


Thank you all for reading my feeble attempt to express the powerful feelings I have for my Dad.


By His Grace and For His Glory,


Bro. Chad