POWER IN A NAME!
- RedemptaOburu
- Jan 7, 2019
- 7 min read
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
Did you know that at the mention of the name Jesus, demons flee! People are saved and sicknesses are healed! This is a powerful name! The Bible tells us in Acts 2:22 that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!
Looking back at the story on the birth of Jesus, we see an Angel appearing to Mary who informs her that she will give birth to a son and tells her what to name the child! Have you ever wondered why the Angel didn’t leave it up to Mary to name her child but rather went ahead to tell her In Mathew 1:30,31 that “Don’t be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God. You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and name him Jesus?” An Angel even went ahead and appeared to Joseph and told him that Mary will give birth to a son, and he was to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins! Mathew 1:21. This was a fulfillment of what God had told the Prophet; “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Isn’t he always with us? What does this prove? There is power in a name! It is not only for identification purposes but names are so powerful, they are prophecy!
Let’s look at proof of this from the Bible.
We see that Jesus is named Savior and He indeed is our Savior! Romans 10:9 states that, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Isn’t this wonderful!
Moses means “Drawn From water” When he was a baby, his mother placed him in the Nile to save his life and he was saved by Pharaoh’s daughter who raised him as her son. Don’t you think that this might have a connection with all the water miracles in his life? He turns water into blood, He parts the red sea through the Power of God, He turns bitter water sweet, and water even becomes his undoing! He was supposed to speak to the rock to bring out water but in anger he struck it twice and because of this, he did not see the promised land of Canaan! Thank God he still walked with God even after this disobedience.
Nearly all the names that we have today are given to us by our parents. This is unless you decide to change your name after baptism or as a plea to God to save you and bless you. Alternatively, other names that we have were given by God. Let’s look at a few examples.
God changed the name of Jacob to Israel! “He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said ‘Jacob.’ Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed’” (Gen. 32:27-28).This name was prophetic! Recall the twelve tribes of Israel? Well, it’s the name of the 12 sons of Jacob. Literally, Jacob became Israel!
Now, let’s look at Abraham. God changed his name to Abram in Genesis 17:4 because he wanted him to be a father of multitudes! And God kept his promise! The proof is you and I!
In the New Testament, Jesus prophecies over Peter’s life using his name! Peter means Rock and Jesus tells him that on this rock, I will build my Church! This is yet another prophecy! Peter became the foundation of the church as we know it today. He taught us so much about the Body of Christ!
Let us look at some God given names that were not very positive but were still prophetic…
And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. Hosea 1:4. This is what God told Prophet Hosea to name his firstborn! Shocked? It gets worse too!
For their daughter God said, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I would never forgive them. And for their third-born, the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not your God.” All these names are prophesies! This is because Israel had abandoned God for Idols! We should be careful to keep God’s commandments and walk in his ways lest we find ourselves in this predicament!
Sometimes we are lucky to discover our namesakes and the great things they did and so we declare the great things in our lives. Like someone called Paul could associate as a great epistle or disciple of God just as Paul was and etc.
But what if the name given to you by your Parents is causing pain in your life and you want it changed? Is this possible? Well, yes it is! Do you know about Jabez? In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, we find a short prayer uttered by an obscure man. His mother named him 'Jabez' saying, 'Because I bore him with pain.' Now, Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, Lord, bless me indeed and expand my territory. In effect, God changed his name by changing his nature. From that point on the name Jabez was changed spiritually to mean blessed, enlarged, and kept by God from evil and from causing pain! You can do this too! Do not allow the name given to you to determine your destiny! God wants what is good and perfect for you!
To finalize on reference texts from the Bible, Let’s take a look at Naomi. She changed her name Naomi (meaning pleasant) to Mara (meaning bitter) She said in Ruth 1:20 “Don't call me Naomi,” “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter”. This is quite sad. Do not allow the enemy to steal your joy! I much rather prefer the call of Jabez!
What is the relevance of all these reference texts to our discussion today? There are so many references in the Bible that show Power in a name! How a name is Prophetic! In 1 Timothy 1:18, we read, “ I commit to you this charge, Timothy, my child, according to the prophecies going before as to you, that by them you might wage the good warfare” What is the prophecy going before you based on your name? Use it as a weapon to fight the good Faith! Change it if you must! Use the name God has given you to be a soldier of God!
My name is Redempta! It is Latin meaning Redemption. I have always wondered what it meant in my life. Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, being “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). God has purchased our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin or to the Old Testament law. This metaphorical use of “redemption” is the teaching of Galatians 3:13 and 4:5.I have always been careful to stop anyone from calling me Redeemer. I did not die for anyone’s sins. I am merely a servant of God! But Christ died for you! I believe that I have been called to let people know the redemptive work of Christ! How he died to set us free! From a life of bondage! Refuse any bondage that comes with your name or any influences or words said about your life in Jesus name!
Another way to go about this is, if you do not know how to go about changing your name or are comfortable with your own but would love to give it some meaning, here is one way: REDEMPTA
R- Redeemed and purchased by Christ through his death on the cross.
E- Empowered to do the great work of the Lord!
D- Delivered from the Power of Darkness through the Blood of Jesus and Destined to win souls for Christ using the Gifts of the Holy Spirit- My Helper.
E- Established, perfected, confirmed, strengthened by the God of Grace
M- Made whole and holy and, put together - spirit, soul, and body - and kept fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ and called to Mentor People in the word of God!
P- Protected by the Blood of Jesus and Positioned to do Great Things for the Lord!
T-Transformed by the renewing of my mind and Thankful for the abundance in Grace and Favor in my life!
A-Anointed by the Holy one and filled with the Holy Spirit to do the work of Christ. Appointed for a time as this to show forth his excellence in this Generation!
Decide who you are In Christ and go forth and Fight the Good war of Faith! Glory to God!
References: The Bible. (Combinations of different versions)
If you don’t know Jesus, If you have not accepted him in your life, Run to the church near you and ask the Pastor to Pray with you! Find a new identity in Christ! If you are within Memphis, join us in Faith Fellowship Church 2941 Chandler Street, Memphis TN, 38127. 901.358.1000 is the number to call.
If In Kenya, Join God’s Heritage Ministries! +254 724220147. God Bless you always! Christ is waiting for you. Jesus loves you so much that he died for you and took away your sins! He gave you a clean slate! New identity! Don’t let anything cheat you of this!
Share this with your family and Friends, If you have any comments, contributions, questions or if seeking clarification, reach out to me. My number and email is available. Plus, you can just leave a comment. See you in the next topic!
Blessings! (Baraka!-Swahili)
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