Who You Gonna Call?

by Pastor Bob Rasmussen

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms! I hope that you have a very blessed and peaceful day! Mom’s – you are so important for your kids, mostly as you have cared and provided for your children, because dad’s like me would have been lost without you. I think the most important thing is your spiritual guidance in bringing them to Jesus, sometimes no matter what. Getting kids to church on Sundays can be quite the exercise – but it is not just about the Sundays is it? It is how you live your life and what they see as they grow up. They see Who you relied on as you brought them up, they know Jesus because you know Jesus and you sharing your faith and living your faith.

And let us never stop praying for our children, amen? No matter what the circumstance. There have been so many situations that Diana and I absolutely know that some things in our children’s lives were changed only because of God. Amen?

Things have been busy as of late. Long days with lots of ladders! I did get to see a new pain specialist on Friday and he ordered some “Magical analgesic – $100 cost. Another procedure, different from the last – only have to wait 9 weeks to get in to have it done. So I am going to keep praying to the One who has the power to heal. I am going to keep praising His mighty powerful Name. And that got me to thinking about who you going to call?

If I need to have lawn work done or carpentry done, I know a guy – his name is Jeff Hanson – I know that he has experience, the tools, and skills. If I need new windows or door work done, I know a guy. His name is David Carper. I have seen his work. I know he will get it done and do it well. He has the experience, the tools, and the skills. If I need cabling done, I know a guy. His name is Doug Anderson. Doug is very, what’s the word – attentive to detail. I have seen this firsthand. He has experience and skills. And most of the tools. And if I need a modified, jet powered lawn mower so I can mow the lawn in 10 minutes, well, I know a guy! Wayne Wollslair! And I think I know what he is doing because he has not blown himself up!

Now, I call on the Name of Jesus more times in a day, than I can count – and it is a powerful name isn’t it?

The bible says so in Philippians 2.

Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hallelujah and amen! No other name!

But in God’s Word, we see that there are many names of God that show us who He is and what He is capable of. The first ones I would like to talk about all start with the name, Jehovah. Jehovah is how I pronounce it. It comes from the original text of the bible which is YHWH (PIC). Yeah, I have no idea how to say that – no vowels, it’s hard to say. People cannot agree, and that’s OK. I have heard it pronounced many different ways, Yahweh, or Yehuweh, and Yahawah, and Jehovah – but for today it’s Jehovah.

In Genesis 22 in the bible we that Abraham has been given a very hard request. He has been told by God to take his first born and take him to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him on a mountain. They did not have father’s day or mother’s day back then, but can we agree that this would be a horrible thing to have to do? Yikes! Because Abraham does indeed take his son to be sacrificed and just as he is about to complete the act.

Genesis 22:11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

The name is Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide.

The account of Abraham in the land of Moriah becomes more than an illustration of faith and obedience. It shows the Lord’s eternal grace, continual provision, and all-encompassing wisdom. Jehovah-Jireh is not “The LORD Did Provide,” but “The LORD Will Provide.” In other words, the name does not simply memorialize a past event; it anticipates a future action. Jehovah-Jireh provided a sacrifice to save Isaac, and that action was a foreshadowing of Jesus for the salvation of the world. The Lord will provide!

How about Jehovah-Rapha? The Israelites, wandering in the desert in Exodus 15. They had crossed the red sea and they were finally free from the Egyptians. They are in the desert of Shur. They are in desperate need of water, and in what had to be irritating situation, there is a body of water that is there, called Marah. But the water was bitter. The people were not happy and the bible says they murmured against Moses. I’d murmur too, I think.

Exodus 15:25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that health thee.

Jehovah-Raffa. Here I have another revelation of who God, who Jesus is – a healer. And He does not just heal one way, does He? Jehovah-Raffa does have the ability to heal physically.

2 Kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

I wish I would get that Word from the Lord right now, I would do it in a heart beat! Jehovah-Raffa can heal us emotionally.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Jehovah-Raffa heals us spiritually as well.

Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Jehovah-Rapha can also heal us mentally. We see this is Daniel 4:34

Daniel 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

The bible promises healing in Revelation.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

I believe that with all my heart. It comforts me when I think of my own mother on the Mother’s day. I HATE cancer. All of us have lost too many to this horrible, evil, rotten disease. Knowing that my Mom will have no more pain, especially having seen her go through so much, battling cancer 3 times, it brings peace to me. But God also healed back then on the earth, and when Jesus was in this world:

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

All manner of sickness, all manner of disease – He is Jehova-Raffa – that is what He said, not me, so I am going to cling onto the promise of His healing in this life and the next. For me, today would be good, but I trust in Him with all of my soul. There is no disease or any affliction that He cannot heal! God builds my faith by showing me His heart and His character in His mighty, and Holy Word. He builds it by telling me who He is in His names.

How about Jehovah-Nissi?

This reference appears only once in the bible. The background of the name Jehovah-Nissi involves the Israelites’ wandering in the desert, they seem to wander a lot! Along the way, they were attacked by the Amalekites, a strong and warlike group of nomads.

Exodus 17:8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

The rod he is referring to is the one that he smote upon a rock and water flowed a little earlier in the chapter

But do you ever look at the Word and say, wait a minute, you want me to go and fight these warring nomads, and your gonna just hang out here? Hold on a minute Moses, maybe you should just go with that rod thing-a-ma-jiggy and you fight them, how about that? Well, that’s not what happens:

Exodus 17:10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

Jehovah-Nissi – The Lord is our Banner

I see a few things here that I need to remember. We are all going to go through some things in this world. Let’s face it, people are what? Messy indeed. Not everyone serves the same God and wants to walk in His righteousness. But we are not alone, if we only lift up Jesus, our banner – I may not have that super duper water raising enemy beating rod that Moses had, but I have the name of Jesus that I can lift up. In doing so I am reminding myself and maybe others of what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do because of who He is, amen?

I notice that when Moses lowered that rod, the battle changed. I cannot let other people or situations cause me to take my eyes off of my banner, Jesus Christ, because that is when the battle can change, it let’s the enemy in. I also notice that although my Spirit may be willing , well- remember this verse?

Mark 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

Sometimes, like Moses I need help from a brother or sister. Maybe I am going through something and I am getting tired? Maybe the battle with a family member is getting really old and tiring, anybody? And I am getting pulled away from who God wants me to be or how I should be acting. That’s when I need to ask for help for a brother or sister to help.

I may need them to help hold up my Rod, so to speak. And maybe I actually need physical help. Maybe, what I need help with is a prayer partner to lift up the name of Jesus over a situation. I don’t think there is anyone here in this congregation that would decline an opportunity to join in prayer with someone – it’s what I love about our church.

Banners are very visible things. We have some here in church that are visible to anyone who comes here. We have quite a collection and they get changed from time to time, but the message of them is clear – this is a house of the Lord and we worship a great and wonderful Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ, amen? The whole point of a banner is to be seen, to be visible. Banners are for those who raise them. They are an act of celebration, remembrance and announcement. Jesus is my banner!

One of my favorite names of God is Jehovah-Shalom.

Judges 6:23 And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon is recognizing that it was the Lord who had brought peace to his life and would bring peace to the Israelites. The name Jehovah-Shalom signifies God’s desire to bring peace to His people, no matter the situation. Jehovah-Shalom goes beyond just the absence of conflict or fear. It’s a peace that brings wholeness, rest, and restoration, even during chaos and destruction. It is a peace that can surpass all understanding. It is the kind of peace that will make some people see you going through something very difficult, and they say how can you do what you’re doing? How can you function in this situation?

I remember when my father passed away. Man, that was hard. It was hard because of the loss; I had grown closer to my dad as did Diana who weekly went to Monroe for groceries and really some of the only socialization he had. It was hard as I no longer had parents. It was hard because it was going to be a funeral in a Catholic church – it’s what he wanted.

As the man in the cloth was eulogizing my father – he shared a conversation he had with my father on a visit. He shared that he had asked my father, are you afraid? Are you afraid of dying? And the answer my father gave was “no”. The priest asked him, why not? And my dad said “Jesus Christ”. That is a peace that can only come from Jesus, amen?

Also, going through the whole process, it was decided that I would speak on our family’s behalf. And I remember after that, after the funeral, my brother asked how did you get through it? My answer was the same as my father’s – Jesus. I asked for peace and comfort, and He is Jehovah-Shalom, and He answered my prayer. Thank You Jesus! And that is who Jesus is, He came to bring peace not only to our hearts but also to the world.

In John 14:27, Jesus says, ” 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

In times of distress and struggle, it’s easy to focus on all the chaos around us, but choosing, literally remembering that name, Jehovah-Shalom, can bring strength and faith that we need to move forward.

Psalm 29:11 says, “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

When we focus on the peace of God, we can find the strength to face our challenges with hope and courage. Jehovah-Shalom also calls us to be peacemakers ourselves, promoting unity and love in a crazy world that can often be divided and filled with hate. Just look at the protests that are occurring today. As Christians, we should try to follow Jesus’ example and bring His peace to those around us.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Jehovah-Raah means The Lord is my Shepard

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

I can’t say what His being a Shepard is any better than that, can I? Amen?

I like looking at the names of God, because, like I said it shows me the character of God, and what He is capable of. I have this image displaying many of the names of God. There is a lot, because we serve a very big and amazing God, amen? If I were to talk about all of them, Mom’s would not be able to enjoy their day today, but I do want to talk about some more in the future, I think.

Why? Because when I see some of the individual names of God it reminds me and encourages when I am going through some things. Jehovah-Raffa, the healer? Jesus, the healer? Knowing that He has a specific name as a healer, I need that right now. I’m not gonna lie, this rib pain drama has been going on for 485 days – 485 days and I have been pain free for maybe 6. I am losing faith in the medical system. I am pushing more, leaning more on the Word of God everyday to be healed by Him, amen? He put this mess, me, together. I truly believe that He is the one that can put it back together again.

So when I call on the name of Jesus, I can have access to all of Him! Jehovah-Nissi, Jehovah-Shalom, Jehovah-Jireh, and Yaweh – all the same God! If you want to call on the name of Jesus, we believe that you need to obey.

Acts 2:38 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.