Hello, My Name Is El-Elyon) No. 6

Names are important. Most parents put a great deal of thought into naming a child.

After all, one day that child is going to grow up and tell them what they think about being stuck with the name they must live with the rest of their life.

Naming a child is such an important thing, that many parents go out and purchase a books that has thousands of names, telling how these names originated.

Some parents choose to name their child after entertainers.

Such as Rocky or Tammy

Illus: We are told of a pregnant woman from Virginia who was involved in a car accident, and while in the hospital, she fell into a coma. When she awoke days later, the woman noticed that she was no longer carrying a child, and asked, “Doc, what happened to my baby?”

• The doctor replied, “Ma'am, you've had twins! You're the proud mother of a handsome baby boy and a beautiful baby girl.

• Also, you should know that while you were in a coma, your brother named the children for you.”

• “Oh, no!” shrieked the woman. “Not my brother! He's not really all together!”

• “What did he name them?”

• The doctor replied, “Well, ma'am, your brother named:

• Your daughter Denise.”

• “Your son “The Denephew”

Names are fascinating, but the Names of Almighty God are the most fascinating of all.

We began to appreciate the name of El-Elyon when we look at the life of Abraham.

Abraham stands out among the Jews as the Father of the Jewish race. Before he became the Father of the Jewish race, he lived in what was considered to be the heathen land of Ur.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT UR?

It was a heathen land, but the city of Ur had the most PROSPEROUS, ADVANCED CULTURE IN THE WORLD during that time.

It was the Silicon Valley of that age.

God asked Abraham to leave the land of Ur to find a city whose builder and maker was God.

Illus: Israel is the only nation in the world that the Word of God talks about a nation whose BUILDER AND MAKER is God.

But God asked Abraham to leave this prosperous place called the land of UR.

Illus: This would be like asking an American who is blessed to live in this great nation of ours, to pack up and move to some impoverished country like India or Haiti.

God was asking a lot of Abraham to leave such a place. He was CONTENT to live there until the day he died.

Illus: This reminds us of the wise old gentleman who retired and purchased a modest home near a junior high school. He spent the first few weeks of his retirement in peace and contentment.

Then a new school year began. The very next afternoon, three young boys, full of youthful, after-school enthusiasm, came down his street, beating merrily on every trash can they encountered. The crashing percussion continued day after day, until finally the wise old man decided it was time to take some action.

The next afternoon, he walked out to meet the young noise-makers as they banged their way down the street.

• Stopping them, he said, "You kids are a lot of fun. I like to see you express your exuberance like that. In fact, I used to do the same thing when I was your age. Will you do me a favor? I'll give you each a dollar if you'll promise to come around every day and do your thing."

• The kids were elated and continued to do a bang-up job on the trash cans.

• After a few days, the old-timer greeted the kids again, but this time he had a sad smile on his face.

• "This recession's really putting a big dent in my income," he told them. "From now on, I'll only be able to pay you 50 cents to beat on the cans."

• The noisemakers were obviously displeased, but they accepted his offer and continued their afternoon ruckus.

• A few days later, the sly retiree approached them again as they drummed their way down the street.

• "Look," he said, "I haven't received my Social Security check yet, so I'm not going to be able to give you more than 25 cents. Will that be okay?"

• "A lousy quarter?" the drum leader exclaimed. "If you think we're going to waste our time, beating these cans around for a quarter, you're nuts! No way, mister. We quit!"

And the old man lived in contentment the rest of his life.

Abraham could have lived in the land of Ur the rest of his life content in this thriving country, but God wanted him to leave.

Look at Genesis 12:1-4, we read, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.”