THE PURPOSE AND POWER OF NAMING

THE PURPOSE AND POWER OF NAMING

We explore how God, as the source, holds the right to name, why names in the Bible indicate purpose and prophecy, and how a new name can signify a new destiny.

Chapter Markers

0:00 The Power And Purpose Of Names
3:30 Source And Naming Rights In Scripture
7:10 Mankind And Kinds: Identity Defined
10:50 Adam’s Authority To Name Creation
16:30 Woman And Eve: Meaning And Mission
22:20 Names As Prophecy In Family Lines
28:40 Leah, Rachel, And Competitive Naming
35:20 Turning Points: Judah And Joseph
40:30 Renaming To Align Destiny: Abraham
45:10 Cain, Abel, Seth: Names And Narrative
51:00 Peter: From Simon To Rock

Transcript

The Power And Purpose Of Names

SPEAKER_00 0:00

The purpose and the power of naming. The purpose and the power of naming. We're gonna look at personal names in the Bible. We're not gonna look at titles because titles are different from names. Like for example, the personal name of Christ is Jesus and his title is Christ. Sometimes we think that Jesus Jesus Christ is his first and last name, but that's not true. Jesus doesn't have a last name. Do you know why Jesus doesn't have a last name? Because usually Jesus should have taken the last name of who? Joseph. So Jesus Christ is not the first and the last name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Jesus is his first name. Christ is his title. Christ means the anointed one. So you can have a title that symbolizes a name, but you can also have a personal name. Most of us we have personal names, but God has given us titles. And these titles identify who we are in Christ Jesus. Amen. So who has the naming right? Who named you? Who has the naming right? I realize that the created thing cannot name itself. If you are created, you cannot name yourself. Because you didn't create yourself. So the naming right comes from the creator, comes from the source of that thing. So whatever is your source has the naming right, meaning it has the privilege and the power to name you whatever he or she decides. And we see the first person in action to start naming things is God. Because God is the creator of all things, God is the source. Only the source can name a thing that he creates. So you and I, we see in the Bible that the word father by definition, it means source. It means source. That is why God calls himself a father, meaning that I am the source of creation, I am the source of you and I. God was the first person to name, and we have an account in Genesis chapter 5, verse 1 to 2. I read, it says, This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. Okay, in that day, God created man, he made him in the likeness of God, he created male and female. Like I said, the source has the sole right and privilege and power to name what it creates. The source has so much power in naming your life. You see, when you look at the Bible, biblical names serve purposes. I know we randomly give our names, give our children all sorts of names. I was asking myself this morning while I was studying, in in the Caucasian culture, we have names like stone, wood, Mr. Woodenson. Why would you name your son Stone? I mean, why would I name my son Stone? I mean, stone is a thing, it's just a stone. And then in African culture, Nigerian culture, even though they have their typical village name, they always name their children blessing, patience, prudence, grace, gloria. Those names used to offend me. I said, Why would you name your your your your son, your daughter, blessing? These are the attributes, but then I realized that that's how God actually named people in the Bible. That's how people actually name their children in the Bible. When you translate the name of Jesus, it means savior, salvation. So your name has to signify something. So God created you and I in his image and likeness. Now look what God did in verse 2. And God blessed them and called them and called them mankind. That's key. He called them mankind. That mankind includes male and female. That is the generic name for the human race. Mankind. And the reason why God distinguish mankind is because you have the animal kingdom, you have the plant kingdom. And when God blesses them, he said, produce according to your kind. So why did God put the word man and kind? Because this human race is only from the kind of God. He says mankind, the word man means dust. So God specified both male and female under the name mankind. That these creations they are different from the animal and the plant. Amen. Now God said, Okay, I'm gonna take a break, and now I'm gonna pass on the naming right to Adam. Okay, that's why you, as a parent, you have the authority to name your children. Look what it says in Genesis chapter 2, verse 19. It says, Out of the ground, the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what He He will call them. That's powerful. So God now is the creator of creation, and He has assigned Adam to be the caretaker. He doesn't want to get involved when it comes to running the earthly realm. So one of the first responsibility that God gave Adam was the name it right. Whatever you name, it will stand. What it's like names are like prophecies. Ah, child of God. Names are like prophecies. So God said, Let me see what Adam will call the animals. God was trying to tell Adam, Adam, I want to see if you are my image and likeness, and if you have the power to call things into existence. Ah, child of God. That is why the Bible says, Life and death is in the power of the tongue. You don't know how powerful you are. God said, Let me see what Adam is capable of. Let me see if Adam will exercise his creative power. He said, What Adam will call them, and whatever Adam called each living creature, each living creature, the ones in the sea, the ones in the air, the ones on the ground, the ones that creep. Adam named each of them. That was its name. And then I realized that Adam named them according to their type, according to their personalities, according to their nature, according to your purpose. That sums up naming in the scripture. You name according to the type, you name according to the nature of that thing, you name according to the purpose, the reason for existence of that thing. The reason why Jesus is called Jesus is because his name signifies his purpose. Jesus means savior. He said he will save all mankind. So your name is not just for people to pronounce, your name itself carries power. Your name is your purpose in life. Don't just call your children any name, call them based on your destiny, call them based on what God has called them to do on this earth. God gave Adam the responsibility to name the animals. That was not enough. God said, You know what? Adam, you know what to do now. If God was trying to showcase Adam, you have what it takes now. I have given you the power and the privilege to call things into existence. Now look what Adam did. In Genesis chapter 2, verse 21 to 22. He says, And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his rebs and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the reb which the Lord had taken from the man, he made into a woman, and he brought her to the man. Now look, how God? First, what God did, God brought the animals to Adam for Adam to do what? To name them. Okay? Now, God has created the physical woman. The physical one because God already created Eve in a spiritual sense. And God presented this physical one to the man. Now look what Adam said. Adam looked at this woman. You see, because while Adam was naming things, Adam realized that none of these kinds are humankind. Remember what God said. God said God called them what? Mankind. So while Adam was naming the animals, none of them were mankind. None of them were mankind. They were birds of the air, fish of the sea, creepy things. So Adam was frustrated. Even God said there was nobody comparable to Adam. Even though, in the spiritual sense, Eve was already present. But God was trying to let Adam know that Adam, someone is coming who is like you, who is suitable, who is oh my God. That is why when I look at a woman, she is the image and likeness of God, she carries the same essence. The only difference is our role and responsibility and our physicality. That's the only difference. But we live in a world where oh men can be woman, women can be men. Physically, we cannot. In a spiritual sense, there's no gender. That is why God said, God said, Okay, Adam, I brought this woman to you. Now let me see if you're wise up, if you're smart enough. Look what Adam said again. He said, Wow, this is bone of my bones. You see, he is laying out how he's gonna name this woman, he is naming oh God, he is telling us how the process of how Adam is gonna call the female image bearer of God, woman. He is explaining to us how he's gonna do that. Okay, he says, This is the bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, this is my substance, this is this is the because God made Adam from the ground, okay. He made Adam from the ground, man means ground, so Adam is saying that wow, this woman looks like me, but different, and that difference is womb man. So God, we look like each other, and we do know why we look like each other because we came from the same source. We look, men and woman look like each other because they came from the same source. You don't look like a monkey, you evolve from a monkey because you don't look nothing like a monkey. Monkeys don't originate from God, and then Adam said, She shall be called woman, and then he states that word because that gives us the reason, the meaning of that name. Woman means taking out of a man. That is the name, woman means taking out of a man. Now let's go to another responsibility of Adam as a father, okay? That is Adam representing the the human race. Now, when it comes to family structure, God has given the man the authority to to have the naming right, he has given the man the authority for the naming right. Look what it says Genesis chapter 3, verse 20. And Adam called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living. So Adam called the female image bearer of God. Now Adam personalized his wife's name. He called his wife Eve, and Eve means mother of the living. That is a prophecy, that is a name based on prophecy. Oh God, Adam was saying that wow, you woman, you woman who became my wife. Eve was not a wife, it was a woman first. And then oh god, that is why Adam said that your name will be called Eve. Adam didn't just choose a random name for his wife. No, no, names are very prophetic. If you read this Bible, numbers have served symbols, names are symbolic in the Bible. Oh God, there's if you okay, when you have time, study the word, like for example, Ishmael, Elisha, Zedekiah. Any name that's that starts with that ends with E L, God, it means God. Any name that ends with AH, it means God. So if you look at the biblical names with Elisha, Elijah, their names have God in it. So names in the Bible serves a purpose. So Adam was trying to tell his wife that your name serves your purpose as a wife. You are a mother of the living. Ask yourself, does your name serve a purpose? You might not change your physical name right now, but God wants to change your name spiritually. And Moses was able to do that for Joshua. He changed Joshua's name as a man of God. And guess who else changed somebody's name? Jesus changed Simon to Peter based on his commission. Oh God. So God doesn't just change your name for the sake of changing your name. When he changes your name, he changes your destiny. When he changes your name, he changes your future. So our names carry power, it carries so much potent. Now, you might ask yourself, how do we go about naming people? Like I said, you can give a specific name, which Adam did for his wife Eve. But realize that if you look at the Bible, most times people give names based on situations, based on condition. For example, Naomi means pleasant. She's changed her name from being called Naomi to Mara. Mara means bitter. How can you change your name from Naomi to Mara, from pleasantness to bitterness? Do you know what? Based on situation, circumstances. You might not change your name, but you might call yourself words, and you might claim those titles, you might claim those labels. Naomi, her name is pleasant because of conditions. She changed her name. She changed her name. God didn't change her name. Satan didn't change her name. She changed her name based on the situation that don't call me Naomi anymore. Don't call me pleasant anymore. Call me what? Mara. Because my life is bitter. I hope you guys are with me. Be careful what you say to yourself. Be careful what you say to your children. Because the Bible says, Life and death is in the power of the tongue. Now, another example of a person that just gives name to their children, anyhow. Aigar. Ishmael means God hears based on situation. Isaac, for example, means laughter. Based on situation. God said, Abraham, you and your wife, you're gonna have a you're gonna conceive. Sarah said, No, that's a joke. I'm too old. She was laughing. And God said, the angel said, Yes, you laughed. She said, No, I didn't laugh. So as a result of her unbelief, she laughed. But guess what happened? She named her son Isaac. So, oh God, another person that baffles me, it's Leah and Rachel. Let me just quickly give you guys an example of all the names of the 12 sons of Jacob. So the first son of uh of Leah is Reuben. Okay, so she came about naming her children based on situations. So I'm just trying to advise you as a church, don't name your life, don't name your children based on your current conditions. It's gonna backfire. So Leah said in Genesis chapter 29, verse 31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Okay, God saw that Leah was unloved, so God opened her womb. Okay, now the first son, Reuben, means see. Genesis chapter 29, verse 32 says, So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben. Why? Why? The Lord has surely looked upon my affliction. So she named her son based on her affliction. Number two, Simon means heard. Look what it says in Genesis chapter 29, verse 32. It says, Now therefore, my husband, the Lord has surely looked upon my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me. Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved. So she named the first son. See, she named the second son, add that God has had that I am unloved. Why would you name your children based on your situation? Leave the children aside. And now, this is the thing that baffles my mind. Now the third son is Levab. She said, She conceived again and bore a son and said, Now, this time my husband will become attached to me. So Levi means to attach. She's saying that my third son, your name will become attached because my husband will be attached to me. Oh God. Now let's go to the fourth son. That is Judah. This is what this is the only son named that glorified God. All of them did not glorify God. That is why Jesus came from the tribe of what? Of Judah. Look, look, and she conceived again and bore a son and said, Now I will praise the Lord. Therefore, she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing. Because God was saying that Leah, I'm the one that opened your womb. And you're naming all your children after your husband. No Leah, come on, you can do better. So you're naming your children based on being unloved. No, no, no, no. Be wise. And then she said, You know what? God, you're right. She said, Okay, now I'm gonna name this child Judah. Judah means what? Praise. Okay? Now, racial two jealousy came in place. So, ha, woman. Hey, that is why God did not give women the naming right. I'm not saying that woman cannot name. Don't get me wrong, oh, don't get me wrong. If the dad is not around, woman can name. But when the man is around, let him name because he will use his head to name, he will not use feelings, he will not use situations. Amen. Because look what happened. This is what we see in the Bible. Rachel saw that Leah, we have conceived what children. What about me? Now, when Rachel saw that she bought Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister and said to Jacob, give me children, or else I die. Ah, you will die. In the she ended up dying, anyways. She said that if you don't give me a child, I don't know. If you don't give me a child, I'm gonna die. Okay, then look at Jacob. Jacob said, Jacob got angry. Jacob's anger was arose against Rachel and said, Am I in the place of God who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb? The difference between Jacob and Isaac is that the same thing happened to Rebecca. What Isaac did what? Isaac prayed for his wife. But Jacob is a madman. He got angry at his wife. He said, Am I in the place of God? No, but God is so good. Amen. So, Rachel, instead of Rachel to go to God, ah God, when you're naming your children, consult God. Because that name signifies the destiny and purpose of your children. Remember, when Jesus was conceived, the angel said, His name shall be called this. He gives so many titles of Jesus. God will instruct people, name your children this, name your children this. Because that is especially we as believers, we want to dedicate our children to God. We want to dedicate our sons and daughters to God. Allow God to give you direction to name. Rachel could not conceive. She said, You know what? Take my maid, take my maid. Okay, and then the fifth son was called Dan from Rachel's uh maid Bellas. He said, Then Rachel said, God has judged my case. So she named her maid son Dan because she said that God has judged. God did not judge, it was not God's business. God did not judge, she's just using her feelings, her situation to name this child Dan, meaning God has judged. And then the other son, Naftali. Naftali means wrestling. Hey, because she said, with great wrestling, I have wrestled with my sister. Why would you name your son wrestling? Because you wrestled with your sister, and then that was not enough. So racial mates conceived. Two sons for Jacob. Now, Leah too, she's in competition. She said, When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zephyr, her maid, and gave her to Jacob as wife. I love Jacob. Jacob was enjoying the Bible. I mean, these are God's people. These are God's people, child of God. The Bible is so real. Now, she said, and God listened to Leah and she conceived and bought Jacob a fit son. Leah said, God has given my wages. Leah could not learn again. Why are you naming your children based on competition? Sometimes we name our children based on competition. And then another another name, Zebalon, dwelling. The name means to dwell. And then Rachel now did the wise thing. Then the ninth son, that is Joseph. Joseph means God will add. Genesis chapter 30, verse it said, She conceived and bore a son and said, God has taken away my reproach. Now she's going back to God. God, I'm trying my own way to have a child. I'm using my maid to conceive a child. God, I want it your way. That's why Joseph became a what a special child. You see, whenever you present, you see the difference between Judah, Judah and Joseph, they are key people. Judah was named Praise. Leah learned that this child that I have will praise God. Rachel now, name Joseph, that God will have. And Joseph became an outstanding young man because of their names. Now, this is what's funny, okay? When it comes to Benjamin, look at this. This is why. If the man is in the house and the man is spiritual, allow him to name that child. Okay, let me read this account. Listen to this carefully. This is the tenth son of Jacob. Then they journeyed from Bethel, and when there was when there was but a little distance to go to Ephraim, Rachel labor in childbirth, and she had had labor. Verse 18. And and and so it was as her soul was departing while she was dying that she called his name Ben Oni. Ben Oni. While Rachel was dying, she called Alason Ben Oni. And Ben Oni means son of my sorrow. She called Alason son of my sorrow. You are starting well by naming Joseph. You started well by naming Joseph. Now you are you are you are saying that your last son is called son of your sorrow based on situation. But you know what Jacob did? You know what the man did? Look, it says, but his father called him Benjamin. You know what Benjamin means? Son of my right hand. Son of my right hand. When the man took oh God, oh God, oh god. Rachel called her last son Ben Ome. Meaning son of my sorrow. She was a rebellious wife because she took the gods of her father. She didn't follow the God of her husband. And when Liban asked, Who took my gods? She denied. And Jacob did what? Jacob actually cursed his wife. Leah that was unloved, at least she had faith with God. That is why the Bible says, Leah and Jacob they were buried in the same grave of Abraham and Sarah, not Rachel. The only thing that Rachel had was beauty. Woman, your beauty to God does not matter. Your beauty to God does not matter because Rachel was. I'm not saying beauty is bad because Sarah was beautiful, Rebecca was beautiful. But what makes them more beautiful is because of their fear of God. The Bible said, Oh my God, a woman who fears God shall be praised. Rachel could not use her beauty to serve God. Jacob changed the name to son of my right hand. When it comes to naming your children with purpose. Okay, naming your children with purpose. The first person here is Abraham. Because God appeared to Abraham and he said, Abraham, I'm gonna make a covenant with you. The name Abraham means exalted. Look what it says in Genesis chapter 17, verse 4 to 5. As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. Okay, no longer shall your name be called Abraham, but your name shall be Abraham. So Abraham means exalted father. Abraham means father of many nations. So Abraham's name serves a purpose and a prophecy. His name serves a purpose and a prophecy. Now, Sari, her name is princess. Her name is Princess. This is what God said about changing Sarah's name from Sari to Sarah. It says, as for Sari, your wife, you shall not call her Sari, but Sarah, why, she shall be her name, and I will bless her and give you a son by her, and I will bless her, and she'll be mother of nations. Just as Abraham is father of nations, Sarah is also mother of nations or princess of nations. So God changed their names to signify their purpose and a prophecy. And that prophecy came to pass when the children were in Exodus. The Bible says they became many and mighty. Don't forget that they only had one child. How could me having one child become a nation? So his name serves a purpose. Okay, so that's Abraham. So now let's go to um Adam and Eve and their sons. Okay. So you have Cain, you have Abel, and you also have Seth. So the name of Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, Cain means to acquire, to produce with the help of the Lord. Because Eve said in verse Genesis chapter 4, verse 1, he said, Now Adam knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain and said, I have acquired a man from the Lord. So the the the name Cain means acquired from the Lord. We're getting somewhere, okay? And then the second child is Abel. Abel means breath, nothing, vapor, mist. Now, the second son is Seth. Set means appointed. Okay? Now, if you look at these names, they are all prophetic. What do I mean? Cain was the first recreation from mankind. Adam and Eve were created by God. God allowed Adam and Eve to create another image bearer on their own without without him. Yes, he helped, he helped Eve because Eve acknowledged that I this is this is this is he said, I have I have acquired a man, meaning that I have acquired someone that looks like God from the help of God. Physically, I have acquired a man physically. Now, the second child is Abel. Remember when God was creating Adam physically, Adam was full of dust. There was no breath in Adam. Adam was a living dead. But the Bible said, God breath into his nostril, and Adam became a living soul. So Cain is that dust, and Abel is that living soul. Because Abel means breath. But this was the same breath that was taken, that was taken by Cain because of their service to God. Cain represents the physical man, the man without God, the man without God, Abel represents the spiritual man, but the man without God killed the spiritual man. Because how is the seed of the woman gonna come? The seed of the woman is not gonna come through Cain. Who God has cursed? Oh God. The seed of the woman is not gonna come through Cain, who God has cursed. Abel, breath, air was killed. And then Eve said, For God has appointed, so the name of Seth came about this. For God has appointed another seed. The Bible is prophetic. So Eve was naming his children based on prophecy. He was naming his children based on prophecy. Cain, you are a man. Abel, you are breath. Seth, you are appointed. He said, God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed. And as for Set, to him also was born, and he named him Enosh. That is when the Bible said, then men began to call upon the name of the Lord. Oh, child of God. Ah Cain killed Abel. Because the devil was trying to stop the seed from coming into existence. Eve knew about the prophecy. Because God said the seed of the woman. Oh God. You see, just as Mary knew about the prophecy of Jesus, the Bible says she kept it in her heart. That is why Mary was so faithful from the conception of Jesus all the way to the crucifixion of Jesus. Why? Because the angel said, Your son shall be named Yeshua, he shall be called Emmanuel God with us. She kept that name. Eve also kept that promise that your seed shall bruise the serpent. When she realized that my good son is gone, Abel. God, what do I do? Adam did his thing, they conceived, and she said, God has appointed a seed instead of Abel. And the Bible says, that's the first thing the Bible said, men started walking with God. How one of his sons started walking with God. The power of your name continues. Your name is a covenant. When God changed Abraham's name, it's not just God. That is why we say we are children of Abraham. Do you know why? Because his name carries power. We as believers, we are children, we are the seed of Abraham. Because he said, From you, many nations will be blessed. Not just the Jew, many nations will be blessed. Just a name, Abraham. And Jesus said, At that name, every knee shall bow. Do you know the name that you carry? Do you know the name that we have in Jesus? Do you know your name? You might not change your physical name right now, but God wants to change your name spiritually. He did that for Abraham. The thing that baffles my mind was Peter. Let's look at Peter. What happened to him? John chapter 1, verse 42. It says, Now when Jesus looked at him, he said, You are Simon, the son of Jonah. Okay? Jesus knew his name, his family name. Say, I know your family name. I know the family that you came from. If you read the Bible, sometimes when you read the names of people, they will say, Oh, this is the wife of so-so-and-so. This is the son Joshua, the son of Non. Moses. Because he's trying to relate to your family. It says, Oh, God. It says, Simon, you are the son of Jonah. I know your family background. I know the name that you carry. But you know what? Look what it says. You shall be called Cephas, which is translated Peter. It means stone. Okay. So Simon means God has heard. That's what the name means. Simon, God has heard. Peter, that is the Greek word. It means rock or stone. Jesus didn't just call Peter stone. No, no, no. You might think, ah, that's some foolish name. Why would you call me stone? Nathan, why are you calling me stone? No, no, no. It goes beyond that. Names are very symbolic, they are very spiritual as well, and they are very significant. Okay. Now he's gonna tell us why he named Peter Stone. Simon, God has heard Peter Stone. And then look what it says in Matthew chapter 16, verse 18. It says, And I also say to you that you are Peter. Jesus, before Jesus changed Peter's name, he said, Peter, I know your former name, I know your past, I know your family background. Just like before he changed Abraham's name, he kept calling Abraham Abraham, Abraham. Even when he called him out, he mentioned his name Abraham, Abraham. He decided to change Abraham's name when he was making covenant with Abraham. So when God is about to do something new in your life, when God is about to do something great in your life, expect a name change. Child of God, expect a what? A name change. When God was trying to make covenant with Abraham, he changed his name. Now, you know what Jesus is trying to do to Peter? He's trying to commission Peter, he's calling Peter to his divine destiny, he's calling Peter to his purpose. But before he does that, he has to change Peter's name. Sometimes for you and I, God has to change our name so that we can enter into our divine assignment in life. Because you cannot carry that name. You don't know where that name has been. Do you know? You see, where there's altar covenant names appears. Do you know why you have your last name? When they called the cologne, all the colognes were present. That's why Jesus said, Simon, fool of Jonah. And then he stopped calling him Simon, son of Jonah. He called him Peter without the last name. Because he does not want Peter to associate with his former name. He said in verse 88, I also say to you that you are Peter. He stopped calling him Simon. He stopped calling him Simon because he has changed his name. He said, I say to you, you are Peter. He was looking at Peter. Peter, do you believe the name I'm calling you? That you are stone? Do you believe the name I'm calling you? He said, You are Peter. Why? On this rock, he's saying that Peter, your name means rock. So on this rock, on this name that you carry Peter, which means stone and rock. Look what's gonna happen. He said, Upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. He, what a responsibility of Peter! Do you know Peter can eat? Oh, lake. Listen to what happened. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Jesus said, Peter, Satan is trying to sift you like a wind, but I have prayed for you. Wow, Jesus was saying that Peter, you don't have what it takes, but for me to make you have what it takes, allow me to change your name. Because he said, With that name, Simon, Satan said, Jesus, allow me to shift this man. I will shift him like a like wind. Guess what? He's gonna deny you. Jesus said, Okay, I know that name, Peter, because sometimes your name carries your character. Certain names you call, you run away. Certain names you call, they are respectful names. Peter's name, Simon, carries certain attributes of him. He is a talkative. Every time he's acting. That is why, that is why Satan, Jesus, this man always is always proactive, is always stepping up. Let me shift this man like wheat. Let me tell you how how soft this man is. Let me tell you how weak this man is. Let me tell that this man will deny you. Jesus said, Okay, I have prayed for you. This is the same Peter that God used. When Jesus said, Who am I? He said, You're the Christ. This is the same Peter that Satan used. He said, Jesus, you're not going to go to the cross. How can you build a church on this type of man? How can you build a church on Peter? On Simon? Today God will speak to him. Tomorrow the devil will speak to him. Hey. Today he is for God. Tomorrow is against God. What do you do? Jesus said, Let me change his name. It's not just a proper noun name, it's not just a personal name. That name carries, it carries your discarries your character. It carries your purpose. It carries everything. Do you know why we have the name of Jesus? Do you know why Jesus gave us his name? His name carries his power. His name carries his presence because it says where two or three are gathered in my name. There I shall be. His name carries his power. His name carries his presence. His name carries his power that at the name of Jesus every nation shall bow. Do you know the power of name? Peter, I'm gonna make your name strong. He said, Your name shall be called Peter, meaning stone. That upon this rock the gate of hell should not. Oh my god! Because Satan requested to shift this man. Now oh my god, remember there are two men in the Bible that Satan requested to challenge Job and Peter. He said, God, do you know why Job is faithful to you? Take off your edge of this man, he will curse you in your face. He said, He will curse you in your face, God. Take your edge off his wealth, take your edge off his children, he will curse you. That's one of the things that baffles my mind. God, why would you listen to the devil? You know he has nothing good to say. Why would you listen to the devil? God said, Okay, he did. Instead of him cursing God, he cursed the day of his birth. And guess what? He used his woman, his wife. Ha! He said, Are you still gonna hold on to your integrity? Just curse God and die. The man said, No, you're a foolish woman. He couldn't curse God. So Jesus was saying that, Peter, I'm gonna change your destiny. You are. That's why he said, You are bitter. He emphasized, he said, You Peter, I want you to believe your name. You are bitter upon this rock. I will build my church, and the gate of hell shall not be the in the pentacle in the book of Acts. The first person that opened his mouth to give a sermon about Jesus was Peter. He was so bold as a lion. He was so bold. Why? Because Jesus has changed his name. If your name is not changed, you cannot be bold. If your name is not changed, you cannot serve your purpose. Your name has to change. Now, another person is Paul. Okay, his Hebrew name is Saul. His Roman name is Paul, Paul of Tatus. Okay, I'm like, okay, why his name is Saul? That's an Hebrew name because we have another Saul in the Bible. His name is Paul. Then I realized that that name, Paul, because it's a Roman name, God allowed him to carry the Roman name in his ministry because his ministry was assigned to the Gentiles, to the Nodu. Oh God. Okay, his name was Saul, very fanatic. He persecuted the Christians in the name of who? Of Saul. In the name of Saul, he persecuted the Christians. But God allowed him to use that name, Paul. Look what it says. In Acts chapter 13, verse 9, he says, Then Saul, who also is called Paul. Oh my god. He said, Then Saul. See, then Saul, that Pharisee, that religious fanatic. The Bible says, Who is also called Paul? Look what happened to him. Oh my God. Filled with the Holy Spirit. A name changed. A name change because he had an encounter with Jesus Christ. The Bible said his name was changed from Saul to Paul. And then the Bible said he was filled with the Holy Spirit. And God assigned him to the gentles. To the gentles. Now, another person when it comes to their names being changed. Solomon. Solomon means peace. Okay. That's the name that David and Bathsheba gave him. Do you know why? Oh God. Ha ha. All his life he has been fighting, David. All his life he has been fighting. God said, David, you're not gonna build a temple for me because your hands are full of blood. So he named his son Peter. Because he wanted peace for his nation, he wanted peace for his kingdom, so he named his son Solomon. The word Solomon means Shalom, peace. So he named his son out of his desire to have peace in his life, to have peace in his nation as a king. That's exactly what happened. So Solomon's name was prophetic. See, two things if you're gonna learn from this message today, that your name serves a purpose and your name is prophetic. If there's anything that you're gonna remember today, remember that your name serves a purpose and your name is prophetic. Look what it says in our Samuel chapter 12, verse 24 to 25. It says, Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went into her and lay with her. So she bore a son and called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him. That word loved is very key. Now the Lord loved him, and he sent a word by the hand of Nathan, a prophet. Now look what God is gonna do. He sent a word by the prophet Natan. So he called, so Nathan, the prophet that God assigned, called Solomon's name Jedihar, because of the Lord. And that word Jedihar means loved of the Lord. So God spiritually changed his name as well. Jediah means beloved of God. So Solomon is do you know why? Do you know oh my god, do you know why God called him that? Beloved of God? Because David and Bathsheba they have lost their first child. So the name somebody sink based on situation. David and Bathsheba, they have lost their first child. David was praying and fasting. That's what the Bible says. David comforted Bathsheba. David comforted Bathsheba. Now the Lord loved Solomon, and God changed Solomon's name to something else, beloved of the Lord. To do what? To comfort Solomon, to comfort David. So the name of Solomon serves two purposes for David. Number one, peace, number one, comfort. God was trying to remind David before you die, before you die, there's going to be peace through the sun. And I and I and I love the sun. The way I love you, the way you love me. You're a man after my heart. I love the sun. All because of what? Names. All because of names. Now look at the the fulfillment of Solomon's name in reality. His name means Shalom. Peace. Look what it says in 1 Kings chapter 4, verse 25 to 24 to 25. For he had dominion over all the region on the side of the river, from Tisha even to Gaza, namely all over the kings on the side of the river. And he had peace on every side around him. Solomon had peace on every side around him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of who? Solomon.

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Wow.

Peter: From Simon To Rock

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His name, Solomon, signifies peace. There was indeed peace in the land all the days of who? Solomon. According to your name, so shall your life be. According to your name, so you will serve your life. If your name is peace, your entire life will be peace. If your name is pleasant, your entire life will be pleasant. Don't allow situations to make you change your name like Naomi, from Naomi to Mara, from pleasantness to bitterness. That's the only person in the Bible that changed their name from positive to negative. Most times God will change people's negative names to positive names, except Naomi. Because of frustration. She said, Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara. Be careful, child of God. Calling yourself names. And lastly, your name can serve as a covenant, and your name can also continue. And an example is Abraham. The children of Israel carry the same name for Abraham. And we as Christians, we also carry the same name of Abraham. Do you know why? Because God said, I will make your name great. God made Abraham's name great for the children of Israel. He also made Abraham's name great for us as Christians. The verse that I was looking for initially is in um Galatians chapter 3, verse 29. It says, And for we and and and if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. Do you see the connection? Okay, that word seed, oh God. The first person that was so anxious, anticipating the seed was Eve. It was Eve. And then from Eve now, Abraham. From Eve, now Abraham. So Paul is saying that if you are Christ, you are what? You are Abraham's seed, because Christ came from the seed of Abraham. So because of the name of Abraham, father of many nations, and through Abraham's lineage, the seed will come. And through Abraham's name, all nations will be blessed. We are all nations. So the name of Abraham carries covenant. The name of Abraham continues. Look what it says in Genesis chapter 35, verse 11 to 12. It says, And God said to him, I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations. Wow, a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from who? From you. That is why we are the seed of Abraham. And Jesus is also the seed of Abraham. And kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, I give to you, and to your descendants after I give this land. And close up. Your name carries your reputation. Your name carries your recognition. Your name carries your remembrance. Ensure you have a good name. Solomon said a good name is better than anything else. When you have a good name, when people hear that name, Madame Teresa, when people hear that name, Brother Paul, what comes in mind? Immediately, when I hear the name of my pastor, everything that she has done for me, I'm able to recall. When we hear that name, Jesus, what comes in mind? God has a personal name, Yahweh. But do you know the names that God has given you? Do you know the titles that God has given you? Do you take that name seriously? Do you put an honor on your name? Child of God, I'm here to encourage you this this afternoon that God wants to change your name. And God has what it takes to change your name. He did it for Simon, calling him Peter, saying that upon this rock I'll build my church and the gate of hell will not prevail. Some of us were coming from a family, a family with some demonic name. Every time you go to bed, altars are calling out your name. You see your spirit in that altar. Why? Because your last name connects you from your past. That's why Jesus doesn't have a last name. Do you know why Jesus never associates himself with the physical family? Because he doesn't know the family of Joseph or Mary. The only family that he knows about is the kingdom family. And because you and I we are born of God, we're not born of the flesh, we're not born of the will of man, we are born of God, and as a result, we have a new what? A new bloodline. And as a result of that, we carry a new name. Holy generation, royal priesthood, overcomers, conqueror, first not the last. All because of what Jesus accomplished on earth. And he said he has given us his name. But do you know how powerful that name is? Do you know the power of Jesus Christ? His name, just his name when you call him Jesus, demonstrated. That's the name that he has entrusted you and I with. When we call on that name Jesus, his presence shows up. When we call upon that name Jesus, his power shows up. I know today I did not focus on the name of Jesus another time. But just to share with you guys that God wants to change your name. Don't be afraid if you have a bad name. That name Jesus itself is enough.