Names:

There are a lot of different names in the bible and in the real world today. God gave people names and changed names based on their meaning. Names were very important in the bible times, and are still important today. Names showed a person’s heart or character, they corresponded with that person’    s personality and what they were like. Some examples in the bible are Sarah: Princess; she was gonna be the princess of many nations. Abraham: Father of many; he was gonna be the father of many nations. My name is Kate, and the definition of Kate is Pure. I try to live up to that, I try to think pure thoughts, and do pure actions. One of the definitions of pure is: “free of any contamination.” In my life, that means to live a pure life, without any sin (contamination,) and try to live purely, not with sin. I picked a picture of a water/pure heart because that’s how God wants us to live our lives; with a pure heart.

Covenant:

The definition of a Covenant is an agreement between two people. There are two types of covenants, conditional covenants, and unconditional covenants. A conditional covenant is like if you do this… then I will do this… A conditional covenant has conditions, and you have to do your part. An unconditional covenant is when you don’t have to do anything, there are no conditions. One example of an unconditional covenant is when God sent the rainbow after the flood. God said, “I will never flood this earth again.” There were no conditions, it was a promise that God was gonna keep, no matter what. I have a picture of shaking hands, because it reminds me of a conditional covenant, like a contract for a job or something like that. If you pay me this amount of money, then I will work for you.

Call:

God calls lots of people every day, whether it’s to move, to get a new job, to help someone; we just have to listen. During class, we watch a video by Harold Heering, he explained to us the 7 ways to recognize God’s calling on your life. Here they are: There are 7 ways to recognize God’s calling on your life, you have to know that God does the calling, you have to listen to God’s voice. You have to read your bible and do what it says, you have to seek the Holy Spirit. You have to create a Godly inner circle, you have to exercise your faith, not fear. Finally, you have to trust and obey, cause there’s no other way. God called Abraham and Sarah to be the parents of many nations. But, Abraham and Sarah didn’t always trust God’s call, they wanted to control it, but God always kept his promises. God still calls us today, you just have to listen (the 7 ways to recognize God’s calling on your own life.) You have to listen and look for God’s clues, even though it won’t always be easy. My family has had a few callings. When I was about 1, my dad had a calling to go to Michigan, so we moved there. We also had a calling to get 2 exchange students from China. My mom always felt like she should adopt, so when we found out we could get exchange students, we jumped on it. I have a picture of a boy calling for someone or something, like when we call to God, God hears our calls, and is with us. God also calls us, but it isn’t always clear or easy to hear, so we have to always be listening for that moment when God calls us.

Slavery/Salvation

There are many examples of slavery in the Bible and even quite a few today. One example of slavery in the bible, was when Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, yet Joseph helped his family to survive the famine. Another example in the Bible is Moses, he was born into slavery, but he leads Israel out of Egypt. There are also many examples of Salvation. God says: “I am who I am.” God is unchanging, faithful, and present today. God is a “verb.” By saying that He was “I am,” God showed that he is alive and demonstrated himself to his people. Also by saying He was “I am,” He revealed yet another name to us, He also demonstrated that God will be with us forever. He is Past, Present, and the Future. I have a picture of handcuffs because whenever I think of the word slavery, it reminds me of a jail, you’re trapped in, and there’s no way out. Like when you’re a slave, you’re probably going to be a slave for the rest of your life, and there’s no way out of it.

Sent to the Promised Land:

Definition of trust: a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. There are many examples in the bible where people had to trust in God. Some examples are: When God told Abraham and Sarah that they were going to have a baby, they had to trust that God would protect them and watch over them. They also had to trust that this was true because at the beginning they didn’t believe God. Another example was when Noah had to trust that there was actually going to be a flood and that God would watch over him when he built the ark; also that God would keep him safe during the flood. Mary and Joseph had to trust that God was going to give them a son named Jesus, and Moses had to trust that God would take care of him. The walk to promise land was a long journey, and it had a lot to do with trust. They had to trust that God would provide for their needs, and God gave them manna. When they crossed the Jordan, they had to trust God, when they marched around the wall 7 times, they had to trust God. Then, when they made it to the Promised Land, they put a standing stone there and 8-grade stones to represent what God had done for them. God told them that if they obeyed, they would be blessed, but if they disobeyed, they would be cursed. So, we need to always be asking ourselves, “Choose this day… whom will we serve?” Will we serve electronics and magazines, or tv and adds? Or, will we serve God, who loves us more than anything, and who sent his one and only son to die for us. The God who keeps all His promises and who is trustworthy. If I had to trust anyone, I would trust Him, because He gave his life for mine, He took the pain for us. It’s kind of like choosing someone to do a trust fall, you have to really trust that person to fall on them, and trust that they will catch you. I have a picture of some manna, because they had to trust God that he would provide them food, and God did.

Salute to a King:

This is the cycle of the Judges: Everything would go well, then people would sin, so God would send enemies to attack as a consequence. Then they would cry to God, then God would send a judge. Then, everything would be going fine, until the people sinned again, then God would send enemies to attack as a consequence… and the cycle kept on happening. People would look around and they wanted a king like the other nations. “Everyone did as they saw fit.” So, we have to ask ourselves, do we do what culture wants or what God wants? Culture wants us to own all the newest toys, video games, clothes. To have a big house, an expensive car, lots of money. God wants us to go to church, help the poor, He doesn’t care what we own, or how much money we have. He just wants us to love Him, serve Him, then love others, help others. So, for my symbol, I have a picture of money, because culture wants us to have lots of money, even though that isn’t what God wants.

Symbol of a Lamp:

God uses a symbol of a lamp because that was the only source of light for the people of that day. Another reason was that it symbolized a light in the dark times. God promises to send a savior through the line of David, whose line leads to Jesus who is the biggest light of the world. David was also a man after God’s own heart, even though he made many mistakes. David had many wives, he once put a husband in the front of a war, so that David could have his wife, he had too much pride, and he didn’t obey the Lord’s command. But, God does not only use perfect people, because nobody’s perfect, and everyone sins and make mistakes. But, David was also described as a faithful follower of God and a man after God’s own heart. I have a flashlight as my symbol because when it’s dark you use a flashlight to guide you. Like when Jesus came to earth he guided our hearts through the dark. So, when your ever in a dark time, look for the light that will guide you out of the dark times, and the light that will guide you toward a cleaner life, and out of the tunnel of sin.

A Savior:

The people could not keep the Sinai covenant, so God gave them a new covenant. The new covenant would not be written on stone tablets but on their hearts. It did not need animal sacrifices because Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. What that is saying, is that Jesus would be their lamb, they would no longer have to sacrifice an animal because Jesus would be the greatest sacrifice. God, as always, longed for a relationship with his people, and he promised a new covenant with them. Jeremiah gave the people the new covenant, an unconditional covenant, and it was based on grace and forgiveness. Isaiah also gave the people pictures of the new Savior that they could relate to. Some examples are a light that has dawned in the darkness, the wolf would live with the lamb, the cow would feed the bear, a servant, a helping hand, a holy mountain, and many more. My symbol is a baby because that was what was going to save them. The baby would die for their sins. The baby would make the earth clean, whole and good again. The baby would love us and care for us more than anyone ever would or will. The baby is our Savior. The one and only.