Genesis
17:1-8 When Abram was
ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am
God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will
make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your
numbers.” Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this
is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No
longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have
made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I
will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish
my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your
descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the
God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where
you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to
you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
This
last Sunday, Pastor Kyle continued in his sermon series through the book of
Genesis on the above bible passage. Today, rarely do we live by our vocation or
title, but it was not always that way. Many surnames originated by a family
title or vocation. The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “surname” as:
An
additional name; a name or appellation added to the baptismal or Christian
name, and which becomes a family name. Surnames, with us, originally designated
occupation, estate, place of residence, or some particular thing or event that
related to the person. Thus, we have the last names
of Smith, Turner, Carpenter, Taylor, Cook, Baker, Thatcher, Butler, Hunter, Butcher,
et cetera. Some many be appointed, born, or elected into a position which adds
a title in front of their baptismal or Christian name, such as Chairman, Governor,
Senator, President, Prince or Queen. Others, though years of study and practice,
may earn a title that precedes their first name, such as Pastor, Professor or
Doctor.
Genesis
17:15-16 God also said to
Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her
name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by
her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings
of peoples will come from her.” Abraham fell
facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a
man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”
God may start something in you today that may take years to
come to fulfillment. God has new things ahead for you and I. But, is anything
too difficult for the Lord? God has a plan and a new work for you and His
church. A new day, a new walk, a new year. We need to overcome the mental awkwardness
attached to change. The meaning of the name “Abram” is “many, or multitude”. But,
the name Abraham
meaning "father of many" in Hebrew. Sarai means "my
princess" in Hebrew. Sarah means “woman of high rank”, often simply
translated as "Princess". Think more about your new identifying name/title
as “Christian”, “devoted and faithful disciple” and “child of God”.
Pastor
Kyle three things to know about spiritual names: (1) There is weight attached
to them. Weight implies a heaviness, a load and a burden to bear, but worthy. It
doesn’t mean that things are going to be easy; freedom isn’t free. Walk before
God blameless. (2) There is a promise connected to them. Forgiveness/Salvation/Hope
is God’s medicine for our soul. The reward may be delayed, but is profound. (3)
They are a sign of God’s covenant faithfulness. A ring is the symbol of a
covenant … a reminder of the reality of faithfulness. We can trust, believe and
lean upon the promises of God because He is loving, merciful and faithful. Bottom
line – Live by your new name.
In
Christ, Brian
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