What is your Name ?

        Digested Bible Lesson given at the Praying Over our City Meeting by Hazel Moon

 

What Name do you Answer to ??

 

When a woman marries, she usually takes the name of her husband?  Her former name is now changed, and she writes her new name every time she signs a document.

When we accept Jesus Christ, we take his last name Christ and we are called “Christians.” 

 

Those who criticize enthusiastic believers for making “declarations,” anointing with oil and laying on of hands, often say flippant things such as “Those people think they are little Jesus’.  If they only knew that they speak truth.  We take Jesus Christ into our spirit and Jesus said, you shall do the works I do in the Father’s name.  

John chapter 14, Jesus said some amazing things about being one with the Father, and the Father in Him, and He and I in YOU.  For these words the people took up stones to kill Him, but they could not do so. 

God often changed the names of people in the Bible.  Abram became Abraham, Sari, became Sarah. 

Jacob the deceiver had a grueling and long experience wrestling with an angel and finally The angel changed Jacob’s name to Israel "A prince who has power with God"), and blessed him.  (One who prevails)  We need to be the one who will not let go. 

In Mark 3 Jesus calls twelve men to be His apostles. Among them are “James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder)”  (Perhaps after Pentecost they became loud, bold and bravely preached the Gospel.) 

Matt 16:18 Peter's original name was Simon bar Jonah; Jesus called Peter a Rock that cannot be moved.

Saul who persecuted and killed Christians, became a mighty believer and his name was changed to Paul. 

Revelation 2:17; 3:12  I will give him . . . a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.

I Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 

Jesus came upon a demon possessed man and asked:  “What is Your NAME?”  The man had such a host of demons all he could say was ‘We are many.’

As we go to prayer over our city, understand that many of our citizens have strange names.   

We meet people and friends who have been called worthless, no good, vile, wretched, lustful, drunken, and other names foul and ugly.  They have believed the lie that they could never change, and that God could not love them. 

We are praying that they will come to the place where they can understand that Jesus loves them enough to die so that they can be saved from all their sins, diseases and iniquities.  When they receive Jesus into their life - -their name will no longer be “Lost” but their new name will be “Chosen, Favored and Special.” 

God is the God of change and exchange.  He takes that which was shameful, inferior, broken and makes all things new.  Those who willing come to Jesus, He will  remove the Name “Heaviness” and bring the oil of joy, peace and gladness. 

Isaiah 61:3 “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

 

When God speaks to me, He calls me "Hazel,"  but he also has pet names for each of us; He calls us Righteous, Holy, Separated, Beloved, and Precious.    I am reminded that we are Called and Chosen to be - - - so may we answer to the name Jesus calls us.