The following post is in reference to Pastor John’s book titled: After Jesus Died.
Hi Pastor Clark,
Just wanted to say thank you for your information. I have a question tho. I noticed that you had the star of David on your envelope, but that you are not using Yahshua’s real Jewish (Hebrew) name that Yahovah gave to him. You are still calling him by his catholic given nick name Jesus. He is our Savior and only his real name has power in it. Pray in the name of Yahshua and you will be blessed. His given name by the Father means Yahovah’s Salvation. Jesus has no meaning because it is not his real name. Your information is good, but call our Savior by His true and God given name.
In Yahshua’s name, be blessed and Shalom,
Diane B.
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Thank you for your letter, Diane. It is a blessing to hear from you.
It is understandable why the pronunciation of some names change as they pass from one language to another. It would be difficult, for example, for us who speak English to pronounce many Chinese names and words. As for other names, however, I don’t know the reason for changing the pronunciation. For example, how in the world did the Jacobus of the Greek NT text become “James”? As far as I can tell, no one really knows. At the same time, the God of the Bible revealed Himself to be a God concerned more with the heart than of proper form, with character rather than education. God suggested as much when He foretold through Isaiah of the day when “all have been cut off who look for wickedness, who make a man a sinner because of a word” (Isa. 29:20b–21a).
There is no sin, Diane, in using the English name Jesus Christ, or the name Yēsū Jīdū if one is Chinese, or Hisus K’ristos if one is Armenian. I know many people whom God has washed from sin and baptized with His blessed holy Spirit as they called on the name of Jesus. Real sin is to refuse to repent and receive the baptism of the Spirit, and instead, just claim to belong to God without His seal of approval, the holy baptism which Jesus purchased for us with his blood.
The disciples were born again on the day of Pentecost, not before. That is the point of the little book you received, After Jesus Died, and that knowledge is critical to a right understanding of this wonderful new covenant God has established through the death and resurrection of His Son. I pray that you will think on that, pray about it, and receive your own Pentecost if you have not done so already, because until that happens, Diane, you are not born again, either, your sins are not washed away, and you are not yet a part of “the Israel of God”, as Paul called the body of Christ. “One is a Jew” you will remember Paul saying, “who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit” (Rom. 2:29).
May God bless you richly as you seek to know Him more perfectly. We are praying earnestly for you.
Your servant in Yeshua haMessiach
Pastor John