We all remember the famous line Juliet spoke in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet as she asked what is in a name. Does a name matter? My name for example is an old Spanish name, I was named after my great grandmother whom I had never met. Growing up in NM it was not a big deal, many in my generation had ethnic names. I actually liked my name; it was different and unique... until I moved out of the state, out east. Then I got the same stupid question over and over, "Are you named after the onion?" What am I supposed to say, "yeah that is exactly what they named me after." I instead pray for patience and just shake my head "no" and try to change the subject. It is to the point that I decided to go by my nick name that my high school friends would call me, Vedel. It is simple and easy and still unique.

After coming to the conclusion that names do matter, I began to put much thought into what I was going to name my ministry. It had to be a name that was unique, powerful, but still communicated the love, grace and gentleness of Christ. Something that on the surface was good, but when understood the deeper meaning it was powerful. I would love to tell you it took me a super long time to come up with, but it actually came to me in minutes. Not that I think I am super brilliant, but rather that I believe it is what the Holy Spirit wanted. So, the name Crushed Olive Ministries is what was blessed.

What is the significance of the olive? We see olives mentioned throughout scriptures. Noah received an olive branch when he first sent out the dove from the ark (Genesis 8:11). It was a sign of peace after chaos, a sign that life was possible after death and destruction. In Leviticus God commanded that olive oil was to be used as an offering of submission to God (Leviticus 2:2). Further on in (Leviticus 24:2) it was to provide light continuously in an otherwise dark place in the tabernacle of meeting (Leviticus 24:2) *Remember that little battle that led to the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22) aka Hanukkah or the Feast of Light was because the oil in the lamp never went out. In Numbers 18:12 God states to Aaron and his son that God is allowing them to partake of the offerings including the olive oil. This shows that God is abundant in His love and goodness towards us that serve Him. Samuel was told by God to go and anoint David as the next King of Israel with oil over his head. The oil showed that he was anointed or consecrated by God for a purpose (1 Samual 16:13). Now there are many places in scripture that speak of olive oil, but just examining these few we see that.

1. Olive oil is a sign of offering/sacrifice and submission to God.

2. Olive oil is a sign of God's abundance of His goodness, love, mercy and grace.

3. Olive oil is what provided light in the darkness

4. Olive oil is a sign of being anointed or consecrated for a Purpose appointed by God.

5. Olive branch being broken off the vine was a sign of peace in chaos, life after death.

The interesting thing about olives is that in order for it to provide oil, it has to be crushed and pressed under immense pressure at different degrees. In Matt. 26:36 it states that the place where Jesus went to pray prior to his arrest, crucifixion and death was called Gethsemane. Gethsemane was actually an olive grove which the name means in all three languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, "Oil Press". In Luke 22:39-46 gives a detailed account of the distress and turmoil Jesus was facing knowing of all the pain he would be suffering. The pressure was real and all on different levels. Jesus knew he would suffer false accusations, arrest, disrespect, mocking, betrayal, denial, humiliation, beating, torture, rejection, abandonment, and a prolonged death, but the worst had to be the separation from the Father. The agony was so bad that in verse 44 we see that Jesus sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. This is a very rare, but real condition called Hematidrosis that happens during great anguish.

Looking at Jesus in a place called the Olive Press we can see how He was crushed and pressed under immense pressure to provide the sweetest offering.

1. Jesus showed His offering of obedience and sacrifice as a sign of submission to the Father.

2. Jesus showed His goodness to us sinners which he bestowed his goodness, love, mercy and grace in such abundance.

3. Jesus showed He is the Light of the world even in the darkest moment in history. His light can never be extinguished.

4. Jesus was the Anointed One who was called to the ultimate purpose.

5. Jesus show that He provides peace in chaos and is LIFE after death.

I hope this explains why I choose the name Crushed Olive Ministries (olive being singular, since Jesus was the only One to meet every aspect perfectly) to represent my ministry. I hope you learned the significance of the branch, the olive and the oil. As believers we too will experience crushing event from the Enemy, and pressures of this world that will try to break us. If it does, let the oil that it provides be an offering onto God that shows His goodness in being the Light of the World as appointed by the Father to bring us life after death.

Thank you for spending some time with me in this devotional that the Holy Spirit laid on my heart to share. If you enjoyed it, please share your thoughts with me, and share it with someone. I would like to ask for prayer for myself to be obedient in the things God has called me to. If you would like prayer, please let me know. You can contact me under the contact on this website. If any problems text me (719)200-6169, I am still trying to figure out running a website. God bless.

Because of Him,

Vedel