"CHANGE YOUR NAME"

Romans 8:15-16: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. NLT

This week I want you to listen to the song I've included.

Matthew West - "Hello, My Name Is" with lyrics

Don't just read this; really listen to the words of the song. Some of you reading this need to change your name. You've given yourself names like, defeat, worthless, sick, poor, no good, depressed, angry, the list goes on. You see, we carry on the characteristics of our name. In the Old Testament, names were given according to their meaning. When someone was given a name it had a meaning behind it and everyone that heard the name immediately labeled that person based on their name alone. Some of you have labeled yourself with the names I've listed above, and maybe some others I haven't listed. It's time to change your name!

When you label yourself, for example, defeated, what do you become? Defeated! You carry with you the characteristics of your name. You've given yourself that name for a reason and everyone that comes in contact with you recognizes it. As this song says, it will drag you down until you've lost all belief. You need to believe those voices and lies for the last time. It's time to change your name to Child Of The One True King. When you start believing that you're the child of the King you start carrying those characteristics and as much as others around you recognize defeat, they will recognize that your name is Child Of The One True King.

In light of the Easter season, when you realize what happened on the cross it makes it much easier to change your name. All of those names you've given yourself, He took on the cross. He took defeat, worthlessness, sickness, poverty, depression, anger, all of it He took on the cross on your behalf. So, change your name! Don't let your past or current circumstances define who you are, let being a child of the King define who you are, no matter what you're going through. I'm a child of the King, I may be in a situation that looks like I'm defeated (or whatever your circumstance is) but I'm not because that doesn't line up with my name. You see, they thought they had defeated Jesus when they laid Him in that tomb but to the surprise of many He rose from that grave and the same way He rose from what looked like defeat, so will you! Colossians 2:13-15 says: "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."

All of these names you've given yourself, it's time to change them. All of these things you think you have to live with because of your wrongdoing, they've been canceled and all spiritual rulers and authorities have been disarmed. So, go before the court of God today and get your name changed. Child Of The One True King!

Blessings ~Steve