name

Name- The word by which a person, place or thing is called.
Psalm 8:1 O Lord our Lord how excellent is your name in all the earth, who have set your glory above the heavens!
As Christians we should be excited to hear the excellent name of our Lord. Why is it that when we are watching TV and find out that the IRS is giving away a second check to some families, or ears and eyes are glued to the TV? However, when we pass a preaching station, we click through really fast, and pretend that we didn't see it, so we won't feel guilty. God promised us a mansion and he is giving us gold to walk on....Human nature truely amazes me. If we could just stop for a minute and realize just how excellent His name is, then we will be more persuaded to stop and listen when we hear a man preaching the truth.
John 15:16 says that "you did not chose Me but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask in My name, He may give you.". That scripture is saying that we are supposed to be bearing fruit, and feeding the people around us with that spiritual food. The most amazing thing about that, is that he will then replenish our fruit so that it will remain to feed us too. Maybe there are to many spiritual couch potatoes feeding of other Christians, and enjoying the works of their harvest...(Oh, I don't feel the need to fast for Church this Sunday, someone else can do that.....Boy the Lord sure did move in our Church today...but you never had anything to contribute.) We should stop and think of what fruit we are feeding those around us....last time i checked couch potato wasnt in the fruit group! Also that is telling us that all we need to do is ask in His name and our needs will be met, It is inconcievable to us as humans the power we have in His name...
So how do we go about a name change? Are you tired of being you? Do you need a makeover? Lets look at some people in the Bible, and how they got their new names.....
Genesis 17:2-6 And I will make a covenant with you and I will multiply you exceedingly. Then Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying, as for me behold my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations, no longer will your name be Abram, but you shall be Abraham for I have made you a father of many nations. That scripture tells me that some times we have to humble ourselves to get our names, Abram fell on his face before God, and asked him to make him a father. There was no hope for Abrams future, he had no one to leave his land too..God changed him.
Genesis 32:22-29 And he arose that night and took his two wives and servants and his 11 sons, and crossed the ford on Jabbok. He took them and sent them over the brook and send over what he had.. Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of day. When He saw that he did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of Jacobs hip and it was out of joint as he wrestled with Him, and He said let me go for the day breaks, but he said I wont let you go unless you bless me! So He said to him what is your name? and he said Jacob, and He said no longer shall your name be called Jacob but Israel because you struggled with God and with men and have prevailed! Sometimes to get a name changed we wrestle through the dark times, when the light finally comes and the break of dawn, we see the light and accept God. Jacob was struggleing, but he would not let go of the one who could change him. We could learn alot from that story.....When the battle is over we get our new name...
In the book of Acts chapter 9 we also learn about a man named Saul who went around killing Christians. Saul beleived that the Christians were false , because of the way he had been raided, God later blinded him and after Saul was able to see the "light" and turn from the old doctrine, God then changed his name to Paul. That tells me that we need to turn from our wicked ways, and sometimes even things we feel are Ok, but in Gods eyes really arent. We have to search the scriptures and ask God as Saul did "Lord what would you have me to do."
God always answers right on time!
Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches, To him who oversomes i will give him some manna to eat (revelation knowledge) and i will give him a white stone and on the stone a new name written which no one knows evcept him who receives it. When these three peole received their new names people sometimes called them by their first name, but they themselves knew that there was a difference in them. When we became Christians people may still think of us as the old man, party animal, addict, lush, thug....etc...but we are able to feel a change inside and we know the new "us", eventually everyone else will start to notice too. All of the people I mentioned were doing what they beleived would help but they didnt follow exactly what God had planned, somewhere along the line they messed up by getting in the way. In some aspects we to are like them, we try to help God along, when we just might be interfering with His plan for us.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, they are plans for good and nor for disaster, to give you a future and a hope!