"It's NOT what they CALL you..it's what YOU...'ANSWER' to..!!"
Greetings beloved...!!
Greetings beloved...!!
A QUESTION: Did you know....that the greatest things GOD does...He does in the dark...
when no one is looking??.....? It's so true, beloved! The greatest changes He will perform in your life..He will do WITHOUT the discernment of "the crowd", or the gazing of...onlookers.
ABRAHAM'S story..beloved, is a very interesting one. Let's look at one aspect of it. *GOD..
ABRAHAM'S story..beloved, is a very interesting one. Let's look at one aspect of it. *GOD..
CHANGED ABRAM'S NAME! Read for yourself, Gen 17: 1-17. We see in this text..God CHANGING Abram's and Sarai's names (i.e. verses 5, 15,16).
The name ABRAM..comes from the Hebrew root Abar, which has several meanings. It means "to soar..or mount". This was illustrated by Abram's faith -- Heb.11:8; by his daring expedition into the unknown,..by his sojourn..in a land of promise; by his looking for a city GOD built. He.. transcended the average of God's people. Abram's name went FROM Abram, "father of altitude"..To AbraHAM, meaning..."father of a multitude"!! Church, he, Abram, was an honor to God, and a blessing to man! God changed Sarai's name too! Already meaning "Princess" (a good name!)..TO SarAH.."the mother of many nations"! Now..as to the PART of their names that was changed..what God had done..was actually inserted a portion of HIS OWN NAME...! The solemn pledge He gave to them..was ALL wrapped up and tied up IN the significance of their NEW names! The GOD part of their DESTINES, was identifiable..BY (listening??)..their NEW names!!! The part of their NAMES..that was the part of GOD'S OWN name..Waaaaas the very BREATH that gave LIFE (!!)..to the CERTIANTY of that pledge!! EVERY TIME they SPOKE their NEW names...they were REHEARSING the covenant..., the God-destiny! You see...their destinies...were "God-speak"! They..had A PROMISED DESTINY from God. How IMPORTANT is it., to no longer CALL your yourself, your LIFE..your destiny within THE MARGIN of old.., out-dated perameters?!!
GOD said.."you..shall no longer CALL yourself...!!!!!" My God!! GOD.., by RE-naming them
The name ABRAM..comes from the Hebrew root Abar, which has several meanings. It means "to soar..or mount". This was illustrated by Abram's faith -- Heb.11:8; by his daring expedition into the unknown,..by his sojourn..in a land of promise; by his looking for a city GOD built. He.. transcended the average of God's people. Abram's name went FROM Abram, "father of altitude"..To AbraHAM, meaning..."father of a multitude"!! Church, he, Abram, was an honor to God, and a blessing to man! God changed Sarai's name too! Already meaning "Princess" (a good name!)..TO SarAH.."the mother of many nations"! Now..as to the PART of their names that was changed..what God had done..was actually inserted a portion of HIS OWN NAME...! The solemn pledge He gave to them..was ALL wrapped up and tied up IN the significance of their NEW names! The GOD part of their DESTINES, was identifiable..BY (listening??)..their NEW names!!! The part of their NAMES..that was the part of GOD'S OWN name..Waaaaas the very BREATH that gave LIFE (!!)..to the CERTIANTY of that pledge!! EVERY TIME they SPOKE their NEW names...they were REHEARSING the covenant..., the God-destiny! You see...their destinies...were "God-speak"! They..had A PROMISED DESTINY from God. How IMPORTANT is it., to no longer CALL your yourself, your LIFE..your destiny within THE MARGIN of old.., out-dated perameters?!!
GOD said.."you..shall no longer CALL yourself...!!!!!" My God!! GOD.., by RE-naming them
..and instructing them that they were to NO LONGER to be IDENTIFIED or speak TO THEMSELVES (!!!)..by their OLD names was actually TEACHING them... to PROPHESY .... their GOD destines!! Beloved, I urge you to SAY.. what GOD is saying ABOUT YOU (be "an echo")! BREATH and verbalize..what GOD said!
(LISTEN now..) EVERY TIME Sarah called to her husband, "ABRAHAM!!"..SHE was PROPHESYING..his future! SHE had rightly located the man! He WAS.."the father of many nations"! OOOhhhh!..!! Every time Abraham called to HIS WIFE...she was PREGNANT...
(LISTEN now..) EVERY TIME Sarah called to her husband, "ABRAHAM!!"..SHE was PROPHESYING..his future! SHE had rightly located the man! He WAS.."the father of many nations"! OOOhhhh!..!! Every time Abraham called to HIS WIFE...she was PREGNANT...
with destiny (!!)..she WAS "the MOTHER of MANY nations"! THAT...(!!) and NO BUTS!!!
No doubt..there were STILL those around them...STILL calling them BY there OLD names, - unable to recognize the GREATNESS on the inside of them!! "They" were of the clan of the gainsayer's..and the NAY-sayers, who were...DENYING in their speech....just WHO..
No doubt..there were STILL those around them...STILL calling them BY there OLD names, - unable to recognize the GREATNESS on the inside of them!! "They" were of the clan of the gainsayer's..and the NAY-sayers, who were...DENYING in their speech....just WHO..
Abraham and Sarah were! But..AbraHAM and SarAH, ."MINDING" ..the THINGS of GOD!! (ooohhhhh!!! Hallelujah!!...we're to SAY and IDENTIFY themselves AND EACH OTHER (My God! MY GOD!!)..by what GOD said!! (did you KNOW that I SEE in YOU..the GLORY of our King..?!?)
It..goes on to say, GOD said..(verses 4 & 5), "As for ME (GOD) , behold (!!!!), My covenant (solemn pledge)!!!!!!" I have to stop right there..and remind you..about WHAT you are to be keeping before YOUR eyes!! "BEHOLD (GOD said!!)..MY COVENANT"!! KEEP the covenant of God..before your eyes! It goes on to say.."Behold MY covenant (solemn pledge) IS WITH YOU, and you shall be the father of many nations. Nor shall YOUR NAME any longer be Abram (high, exalted father); but your name shall be Abraham (father..of a multitude), for I HAVE MADE YOU...the father of many nations." - Abraham, beloved...was a "MADE"....man! FORMEDand called out of the bowels of God! PRE-destined for GREATNESS..and purpose. JUST..like you and I.
NOTE: when...was Abraham the father of many nations? I declare to you that it was in the moment that GOD changed his name! When God said.."Listen Abram.., I no longer want you to CALL yourself Abram (because..the name "Abram" was not connected to his GOD-destiny, God had to change..his name!!), but...call yourself Abraham" (paraphrased). God was saying to Abram, now...AbraHAM...."I don't want you to ANSWER to that old name anymore. I don't want you IDENTIFYING with that OLD name...anymore. I don't want you, AbraHAM...to commune with that OLD IDENTITY anymore. THAT is NO LONGER..WHO you are. You are to be MINDFUL of this, and call yourself..AbraHAM". He WAS.. at THAT MOMENT and TIME...calling (and not just speaking it..but "CALLING it FORTH!!") those THINGS in Abrahams life...that were not (YET)...as though..they INDEED were! GOD was saying..JUST like He called forth the light in the beginning "Light BE"..and light WAS, He was doing the same (can I PLEEEASE hear you say..'THE SAME!!??"), as if He said "ABRAHAM....BE"!! I submit to you..that He was calling ABRAHAM'S DESTINY forth..
It..goes on to say, GOD said..(verses 4 & 5), "As for ME (GOD) , behold (!!!!), My covenant (solemn pledge)!!!!!!" I have to stop right there..and remind you..about WHAT you are to be keeping before YOUR eyes!! "BEHOLD (GOD said!!)..MY COVENANT"!! KEEP the covenant of God..before your eyes! It goes on to say.."Behold MY covenant (solemn pledge) IS WITH YOU, and you shall be the father of many nations. Nor shall YOUR NAME any longer be Abram (high, exalted father); but your name shall be Abraham (father..of a multitude), for I HAVE MADE YOU...the father of many nations." - Abraham, beloved...was a "MADE"....man! FORMEDand called out of the bowels of God! PRE-destined for GREATNESS..and purpose. JUST..like you and I.
NOTE: when...was Abraham the father of many nations? I declare to you that it was in the moment that GOD changed his name! When God said.."Listen Abram.., I no longer want you to CALL yourself Abram (because..the name "Abram" was not connected to his GOD-destiny, God had to change..his name!!), but...call yourself Abraham" (paraphrased). God was saying to Abram, now...AbraHAM...."I don't want you to ANSWER to that old name anymore. I don't want you IDENTIFYING with that OLD name...anymore. I don't want you, AbraHAM...to commune with that OLD IDENTITY anymore. THAT is NO LONGER..WHO you are. You are to be MINDFUL of this, and call yourself..AbraHAM". He WAS.. at THAT MOMENT and TIME...calling (and not just speaking it..but "CALLING it FORTH!!") those THINGS in Abrahams life...that were not (YET)...as though..they INDEED were! GOD was saying..JUST like He called forth the light in the beginning "Light BE"..and light WAS, He was doing the same (can I PLEEEASE hear you say..'THE SAME!!??"), as if He said "ABRAHAM....BE"!! I submit to you..that He was calling ABRAHAM'S DESTINY forth..
JUST like He called forth the light..out of darkness! RIGHT outta the balance of time AND destiny.. ABRAHAM and SARAH..were BROUGHT...into being!! (You ought to tell yourself.. "GOD..is doing "THE BRINGING"!!) This is upon the same premise..that "the REDEEMED"
..of the Lord, are to SAY..so!! Same thing! And.. standing..upon the covenant of GOD! Yes! It was AT THAT TIME..it was decided upon..declared..AND decreed..by God's COVENANT, His OATH! And over in verses 15 & 16..we see God doing the same with Sarai..changing HER name!
How many people..are saying..it's OVER for you..? Saying..IT won't come to pass...and by in large..digging YOUR grave?? I declare to you beloved, that neither Abraham or Sarah's GOD-destinies..were predicated by anything LESS...than GOD!! God..didn't give this PLEDGE to "the crowd" but..to ABRAHAM! Not "er' body" (lol) ... HEARD what God said, but God said..."My solemn pledge..is with YOU Abraham!"
In CLOSING, let me just say to you Family...that they (the proverbial "crowd",) called Jesus
How many people..are saying..it's OVER for you..? Saying..IT won't come to pass...and by in large..digging YOUR grave?? I declare to you beloved, that neither Abraham or Sarah's GOD-destinies..were predicated by anything LESS...than GOD!! God..didn't give this PLEDGE to "the crowd" but..to ABRAHAM! Not "er' body" (lol) ... HEARD what God said, but God said..."My solemn pledge..is with YOU Abraham!"
In CLOSING, let me just say to you Family...that they (the proverbial "crowd",) called Jesus
...the the son of the carpenter..Joseph's and Mary's baby boy! For by HUMAN points of veiw and in terms of natural standards of value..DID people regard and estimate HIM! Yet..WE
know Him NO LONGER in TERMS of the flesh, but KNOW HIM...AS the SON of the LIVING God!! I want to encourage you today..to REMEMBER GOD. BELIEVE..., GOD!! And don't get all caught up..with the consensus of "the crowd".
