Ultimately, yes. But like so many other things, they can be used to trip and and destroy the faith of the weak if we aren't very careful.

One thing you have to realise is that modern Western man does not use names in the same way as the ancients did. In biblical times the meaning of the name was all important. When people named their sons and daughters in the scriptures they were given prophetic content. Names were not just chosen because they "sounded nice" or because it was the name of an uncle or some other family member. The name of a person conveyed something of his personality and mission in life. Thus Jacob (Yah'chov) means "usurper" or "cheat" because he stole Esau's birthright. But when he overcame his fallen tendencies, symbolised by his wrestling with an angel of Yahweh at Peniel, Eloah (God) renamed him Israel to reflect his new spiritual status, just as Abram was changed to Abraham, and Sarai to Sarah. Today people even name their children after football teams. Anciently they were a little more spiritual and careful.

When it comes to the Name of Deity, we have to understand this essential truth. The importance of a name is not its spelling or is sound but its meaning.

The same sort of fuss is made over the spelling and pronunciation of the Name of the Messiah (Christ). He is known as Yah'shua (Hebrew), Yeshua (Aramaic), Jesus (English), Iesous (Greek), and by a number of other spellings too. But they are all the same name, just as John is rendered in different ways in different languages (e.g. Johannes, Yochanan, Jean, Giovanni, etc.). There are some who say His name should be spelled "Yehoshua". Joshua and Jesus are actually the same name, which is of profound prophetic significance. There is even a mistake in the King James Version (KJV) where the translators confused the Old Testament Joshua with the New Testament Yah'shua/Jesus!

What happened historically is that Yehoshua, in the process of time, got shortened to Yah'shua and to Y'shua (hence the Aramaic diminuative Yeshua) just like "Thomas" is shortened to "Tom". Some even believe that originally Yah'shua was Yahwehshua and there is evidence that this was so, since Yah is a biblically recognised abbreviation of Yahweh. But all that really matters here is that Yah'shua means "Yah Saves" or "Yahweh saves". Such is a kaleidoscope of divine revelation for us that tells us what the mission of the Messiah (Christ) actually was.

Now it is perfectly true, as many messianics tirelessly remind us, that the Messiah (Christ) was never called "Jesus" by His disciples (though that can't actually be proved 100%) and that the word "Jesus" doesn't actually mean anything. You have to look at the Hebrew or Aramaic to get to the original meaning. And for that reason I think it is right to preferentially use the correct word. It is for that reason that He called the Messiah Yah'shua.

But where I do draw the line is where some Messianics then go on to try and prove that the word "Jesus" is actually a blasphemous contraction of a pagan deity "Ye-Zeus". The fact that the Name "Jesus", or names sounding like that (and there is a big difference between "Ye-Zeus" and "Jesus"), was used by the pagans is irrelevent as far as I am concerned. Our English language (and indeed every language in the world) is saturated with words derived from paganism. If one wants to be really pedantic, one could throw out half of our language and end up not being able to communicate. And some of the ultra-Messianic fanatics even say that Hebrew is corrupt and that we should not use words like "Adonai" (Lord) because the Greek pagans had a parallel one "Adonis" which also meant "Lord" and was a false god, not to mention the Canaanites who worsipped a deity/demon called "Baal" which also means "Lord". They extrapolate this by saying that we should not use the word "Lord" in English either!

It gets from bad to worse. These fanatics also claim that we should not use the word "God" either because it is derived from "El" which was one of the Caananite pantheon of false gods/demons. Where it becomes intolerable is where they accuse anyone who uses the word "God", "Jesus", "Christ", "Lord" or "Christian" of being unsaved and of the devil. Thus is cultism at its worse. And yet I guarantee that most of these self same hypocrites still use the pagans names of the days of the week (like Saturday = Day of Saturn)!

Whether they like it or not, language is language and we are stuck with it. And no matter what the origins of the language (and that is Babel ultimately), words have certain meanings. The English word "God" simply means "deity" - true or false - and "Lord" means "master" - good or bad. And you can't get away from them without denuding language of its meaning altogether and ending up with a kind of no-speak.

Then there are superstitious Messianics who, copying their Talmudic Jewish mentors, are afraid to use the vowels in the Names of Deity. A superstition arose amongst the rabbis that one should never pronounce the Divine Name or Tetragrammaton, YHWH, which in the original Hebrew, like the rest of the language, was unpointed - meaning that there were no vowels. In those days Hebrew vocabulary was small and everybody knew what the words were without having to write the vowels. Even in English it is not too hard to decipher a simple sentence lacking vowels: "Th ct st n th mt" (The cat on the mat). Nowadays Hebrew Bibles are pointed making it easier for us to read them, especially as ancient Hebrew is different from modern Hebrew. Hebrew has evolved too.

So we find some Messianics writing God as G-d and Lord as L-rd because they suppose this is showing more reverence to Deity. Though I think this is nothing more than superstition, it doesn't bother me if they want to do that. But I do object if they think everyone else should copy them, or start condemning them if they don't.

There is one commonly used name of Deity what I absolutely refuse to use, though, and it is the blasphemous word "Jehovah" which is common in many Bibles. Most Christians don't realise that this is absolutely not God's name. What happened was that some pious Talmudic Jews decided that in order to avoid uttering the sacred Name Yahweh that they would combine the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) with the vowels of Adonai (Lord) and so created a bastard word "Yehowah" which then became anglicised to "Jehovah". What is particularly obnoxious about this word is that the Hebrew hovah means "perverse". Coupled to Jah (Yah) it is accusing the Most High of being perverse. As such, then this name should absolutely NOT be used. In that respect I will go along with every type of Messianic who condemns it.

So what should we do about Divine Names? My belief is that we should start to learn to use them. And whilst I don't mind people mispronouncing my name, I do get a little irked when people know my name and it is well within their intellectual and gutteral ability to say it right. It boils down to respect in the final analysis. I really don't think that our Father in Heaven minds too much if we mispronounce His Name or use the Anglo-Greek version of His Son in ignorance but I do believe that when we know that Jesus is "Yah'shua" that out of respect we should use it. Furthermore, it is also useful (sometimes essential) to use Yahweh and not just "God" especially when, for example, you are talking with Muslims for whom God is actually "Allah", a pagan moon-god/demon. By using Yahweh instead of God in such a situation you emphasise in no uncertain terms that Yahweh and Allah are not the same and avoid falling into the trap of religious ecumenism.

Thus a believer who is growing in knowledge will, I am convinced, want to use the correct Names of Deity - Yahweh and Yah'shua (or Yeshua) - because he will want to honour Eloah (God). At the same time we should not bandy Divine Names like mantras nor repeat them vainly as some Christians and Messianics do. These are Names that should be used with respect and reverence and thus not be used as slogans. I am as troubled by those who endlessly repeat "Jesus, Jesus" as I am those who do the same with "Yah'shua, Yah'shua" and "Yahweh, Yahweh". There is a certain balance we should be striving for.

We must avoid fanaticism and legalism as much as we must avoid carelessness. It is right that we should use the Divine Names but equally we should not set up stumbling blocks before those weak in, or ignorant of, the faith or make such offenders for a word. Yah'shua (Jesus) reserves the strongest condemnation for those who destroy the simple faith of new or innocent believers:

As a deliverance minister I have used both "Yah'shua" and "Jesus" to cast out demons, and whilst I always inform my counsellees of the correct Names of Deity, I will always allow them to use the Names they are familiar and comfortable with until they have reached a point of inner stability where they can start making the changeover without endangering their salvation.

This is my view of Sacred Names.