WHAT NAME HAVE THEY GIVEN TO YOU?

WHAT NAME HAVE THEY GIVEN TO YOU?
In this part of the world, we easily give names of reproach to people and that is how it was in the Bible days. These reproachable names describe the situation they are in. For some, even after God had taken them out of such situations, they are still recognized with such names.
We shall see some cases in the Bible and see how they came out from such reproaches.

RAHAB – Joshua 6:17 “And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.”
Joshua 6:25 “And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”
That name they gave to RAHAB was not given by the parents but by the people. The name was given because of the shameful work that she was doing. She was highly professional to the point that when the spies came, they went straight to her place. When the king was looking for the spies, he sent to her house. These show that she was highly recognized as a harlot. Nobody expected that she could ever become a decent woman with a nice husband and nice children in this world again but she attached herself to the God of Israel and her lot was changed. She got safety, husband and a settled home and later, she was in the lineage of Jesus Christ. –Matthew 1: 5 “And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;”
The Lord who did it for her can do it for you. However dirty you may be, do not think that your case is over, that you are the greatest sinner on earth. It is because of you that Jesus came. I want to assure you that if you were the only sinner in the world, Jesus would have still died for you because He loves you. Just come to him now and confess your sins to God and promise to live for Him, the incredible things will start to happen in your life.

NAAMAN – 2 Kings 5: 2 “Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.”
This was a great BUT in his life. Nobody ever thought that he could be cleansed. A day came that God met him through the prophet in Samaria, Elisha. Your sickness is not a permanent case before the Lord. Your problems are not impossible where God is operating. He listened and obey what can be called a foolish command and the leprosy disappeared. How terrible is your problem? So, what name do people give you? The God who cured Naaman the Leper is still alive today because of you. If you will look to Him by faith your impossibility will become possibility in Jesus’ name.

ELIZABETH – Luke 1: 36 “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.” The angel of God made us to know that this woman had been name barren. Luke 1: 5 – 20 the Bible made us to know that the husband and wife were very old. It was very difficult for the priest to believe God even though he was looking and talking to an angel of God because of the age of his wife. So, the name look like a permanent name but when God walked into the case, impossibility became possibility. The name changed. What name do people call you? Hannah and Elizabeth were women that people would say “impossibility cannot be possible”. Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Barrenness of these levels is chronic cases but with God, there is no chronic case. Your case is simple for God, try Him now.

BARTIMAEUS THE BLIND MAN – Mark 10:46 “And they come to Jericho: and as he went out from Jericho, with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the way side.” For him, he was not an ordinary blind man but also a beggar. He case was very serious. Even when he was shouting to Jesus, people wanted him to keep quiet so as to accept his case as permanent. The Bible says that he shouted louder until his shout arrested Jesus. If you are quiet with your problem, your problem will be quiet with you. Shout to the Lord now, your situation will change.
Shout to the Lord now your history will change.