ME, MYSELF AND I - Who I Am-Series

In the last teaching I touched on how a part of our identity is formed from our name. I also taught that everything has a name, unless it's a thing. Today I would like us to explore the idea of "name assigning" from a Biblical, Jewish perspective.

I find it interesting how parents during those times, named their children. A child was given a name based on the circumstances surrounding their birth. If they were a "wanted" child they had a name more endearing. But if there were difficulties at their birth, the name chosen was reflective of that difficulty.

This was usually how the naming process went, except for when God told the parents to give the child a specific name. His actions in doing this lead me to believe that what they were called was very important. Most of the names assigned in the Bible, were fitting to that person. However, we do see several places where a person's birth name was changed either by that person, another person or God.

Let's look at the first example of a name change.

Other's doing-
Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel (God is my judge), Hananiah (God has favored), Mishael (who is what God is) and Azariah (Jehovah has helped). Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar (lord of the straightened treasure), to Hananiah - Shadrach (royal, or the great scribe) to Mishael - Meshach (guest of a king) and to Azariah -Abed-(servant of nebo). (Daniel 1:6, 7)

Now let's look at the second example of a name change.

Self doing-
So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (my delight); call me Mara (bitterness), for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. (Ruth 1:19, 20)

Here's the third example of a name change.

God's doing-
Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob (he who supplants or held by the heel), but Israel (God prevails); for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:24-28)

Above we see three perceptions. How others see us, how we see ourselves and how God sees us. Let's call this the "me, myself and I" point of views. We are made up of body, soul and spirit.

The body: represents how you see me. It did not matter what Hebrew name Daniel and his three counterparts had, the commander of the officials was not going to call them by those names because who they believed themselves to be didn't mean anything to him. The only thing he was concerned with was his perception of the men.

The soul: represents how I see myself. Isn't it something that even though others saw Naomi as blessed she was unable to receive herself how they saw her? Unlike the previous example of how people see you, this time it goes a little deeper into self perception. Naomi saw herself through a different lens than those around her. She misjudged her circumstances as a bad thing and decided to change her name to create a person God never intended for her to live.

And lastly,

I: this represents who God sees. This is the person you really are. This is the person who God created with potential and purpose. Sometimes others can misname us and we can misname ourselves, so God speaks up and tells us exactly who we are. Jacob had to wrestle with the Angel in order to find out who he was. From his birth he had been known as supplanter. That night Jacob wrestled with the opinion of man and his desire to know what God felt about him and he prevailed. He had determined not to let the angel go until he blessed him. And the angel did just that...he blessed him- with a name change.

This is where many people are today. They know what they have been called by others and they know what they call themselves and yet they are still unsure of who they are. Is it possibly an encounter with Jehovah that is needed in order to achieve the desired answer? Yes, because He is the only one who really knows who you are. He created you!

So much has changed today from the traditional process of name assigning. I think it is safe to say that who you are cannot be determined alone by the name given to you at birth. Many of us have been given names that are total opposite to the desired end God has ordained for us. I wanted to change my name Lucretia (succeed, rich, rewarded, profitable) to Renee (reborn, rebirth) because that's who I wanted them to see. I was rebirthing the image of myself in my own eyes and the eyes of all who saw me.

Today I call myself by my full name because I know who God created me to be. And although, this was the name given me at birth, it still doesn't capture the essence of who I am. That is what I want you to get out of this blog. Yes, it is important how others see you, how you see yourself but more importantly how God sees you. Because His point of view is the only one that is an accurate point of view!

Next week we will study from the topic "If I am not my name - Who am I?"

Daily Declaration- I AM CALLED BY A NEW NAME
You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
Isaiah 62:2b

IDENTITY-Who I Am-Series

One day I asked my mother where she got my name from? She kinda snickered and said, "from a cat".  She explained how a lady who lived up the street from her, had a cat named Lucretia. She thought it was beautiful and decided to give me that name. Although she found beauty in the name, the people around me did not. In middle school the mis-pronunciation of my name became the dagger in which other students used to tease me. I was called everything from Lu-creda to lu-creature. I thought to myself, why couldn't she have named me LaShaun or Patrice, Karen or even Monica? Of all the names in the world to choose from- she picked Lucretia - the name of a cat (really?).

The average person today puts little to no thought into the name they give their child. Most choose a name based on cuteness, while others prefer the namesake of a relative or Biblical character.  Babies names are often chosen after cars, alcoholic drinks, states, countries, jewels and even seasons.  People have been known to close their eyes, flip through a baby name book and wherever their finger lands, that will be the name of the child.

Could it be that simple or that random? Is there something significant or important in a name, that we are unaware of?

The first time we see the act of name giving  performed on earth is in Genesis 1:3-5. Here God gives "light" the name "day" and "darkness"  the name "night". Any time we hear/see the word "day" we understand it's meaning to be "light". Whenever we hear /see the word "night",we automatically associate it with "darkness".  God took this matter of name giving so serious that He brought the animals in the garden of Eden to Adam, in order to see what he would call them (Genesis 2:19).  And whatever he called them that was their name.

Why was it so important that Adam named the animals? Naming the creatures was a demonstration of the authority and dominion he had over them. I believe, that naming them not only identified who they were but what their purpose in the garden was. When you are able to give something a name it signifies the power you have over how the thing named, perceives itself.  And like Adam did then, we are still naming people, places and things today.

Everything has a name.  A name is an identification card used to describe who you are. Identity is very  important.  When a person thinks or calls your name they don't see a bunch of letters that spell your name. They form images in their mind of your face, your stature, the sound of your voice and things about you that describe you. I know, it's complex how the mind works  but very interesting.

If we did not have a name -we would be a "thing". Much like the characters, "Thing 1 and 2" in Dr. Seuss's -Cat in the Hat. A "thing" can be described as an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to (google definition). God however, wanted everything to have an identity, especially mankind!

Most of the confusion, frustration and defeat operating in people's lives today is from the lack of IDENTITY. Either how we see yourselves or what we are identifying ourselves by. We have been given a name in which God identifies us and next week we are going to explore a little deeper into this topic of identity. This is one of several messages in the series I am compiling entitled-"Who I Am". 

Be sure to join me next week in this exciting teaching and be sure to invite a friend.

Daily Declaration -I AM A CHILD OF GODHe came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.  But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege,right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--    John 1:11-12 (Amplified Bible)

Valentine's Day

The day of love, chocolate, roses, cards, flowers, dinner reservations, diamonds, candy kisses and matchmakers. This is the one day many people all over the world designate to express their love to that special someone in their life.


I wondered where "Valentine’s Day" originated so I did some research. Much to my surprise the origin of this seemingly romantic day, is very different from what we have grown accustom to. Giving women chocolate covered strawberries was hardly the tradition of that day. The holiday was saturated in pagan worship and customs practiced by the Romans, that we wouldn't dare trade our diamond necklace for.

In the early days of Rome the people celebrated a holiday, in the month of February called Lupercia. This was a pagan festival to honor the mythological fertility goddess, Juno. Marriage was very important and every young woman desired to be married and pregnant. So during this pagan holiday men and women would participate in disgusting acts in hopes to be blessed by the fertility god.

Young men would go to a cave, sacrifice a goat and dog, and then they would run down the streets naked with the animal’s blood on their hands. The women would be waiting for them, in hopes to be slapped on their hand by one of the men. This was believed to cause the women to be pregnant or the pregnant to have a healthy child. After the fiasco in the streets the women would write their names on a slip of paper and put it in a jar. The young men would then pick a name and they would be with that woman until the next festival or the two would marry. This practice was mostly done by pagans but later became common practice among the Christians.

Talk about the luck of the draw. Now we can see where the swapping of valentine cards tie in.

One of the many stories of how Valentine’s Day (which is also called St. Valentine’s Day) gained its name was when a Roman priest named Valentine defied the cruel Roman Emperor, Claudius II's decree to cease marriage ceremonies. The Saint assisted Christians in secretly marrying young couples when this was discovered by the Emperor Valentine was beaten and executed. Later priests wanted to remove the paganistic holiday out of the church. They succeeded and moved the date of the festival and changed its name to St. Valentine’s Day, as a way to remember the martyr.

I don't know if this sounds romantic to you but I am certainly not finding anything tingly about it. The little cupid with the love arrow doesn't seem so cute anymore, when you find out where he came from. Oh, and I didn't even mention why the men were in the caves. You should go to the internet and look up the meaning of Valentine’s Day. It's not all roses.

So many singles dread the month of February because they have no one to share Valentine’s with. I certainly understand these feelings, especially when you are being flooded with images of what marketing experts want you to interpret this day to be all about. When you consider what the day really is; the temptation to soak in loneliness or self pity becomes less desirable.

I am not suggesting you shouldn't desire a mate to spend special moments with. That isn't it at all. The problem can be in your pursuit of one. There is no need to be desperate to attain the one that God has already created for you. It's all about timing. Our heavenly Father knows how important companionship is. He showed us this when He created Eve (Genesis 2:18). He created Eve, and Adam never even asked God to do it. It was just a part of His plan. It was also His plan from the beginning for women to be married and to have children (this was not an idea of the fertility god). Marriage was created by God to be a pattern for all mankind and He has a strategic plan for it.

In the scripture, we have seen the results of man trying to attain God’s blessings without His assistance. We have seen illegitimate children born, deception and even murder.

I have seen people tolerate ungodly behaviors from the opposite sex, for the chance of striking it lucky with that person. I have seen them camp out at Christian conferences, join all kinds of dating programs, spend way too much money and for what? Some would call this making themselves available. And I get that. You just have to be careful not to be so consumed in the task of soul mate searching that you leave no room for God to work.

I know that waiting for your mate can be tough, remember I wasn't always married. And trust me I did some crazy stuff in hopes to be blessed with a mate. I didn't go as far as being slapped on the hand with animal’s blood but still the stuff I did was crazy.

Valentine’s is celebrated once a year but God wants to give you a love to celebrate every day of your life. I want to encourage you while you are waiting for your mate to be presented, or for you to be presented to your mate. Not to let fanaticism, commercialism, desperation or just plain impatience cause you to do stupid stuff.

Trust that God is aware of how you feel and He knows it's not good for you to be alone. Find comfort in the Holy Spirit, as you wait for your mate to be molded into the image God wants him/her to be. I know you want more than just a Valentine. You want ALL God has created for you.



Daily Declaration - I AM VIRTUOUS
…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence (virtue). For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.  2 Peter 3:1-4 (NASB)

CAN GOD GET A WITNESS?

Psalm 40:1-3
King David

I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.


I was overtaken with waves of emotion as I looked at pictures that were posted on facebook of actors re-enacting parts of my life story. The Director Michelle Wilson is to be commended for her skillful work (of listening to the Holy Spirit) while selecting those who would attempt to capture the essence of a life so shattered.

Each picture evoked a different emotion as I thought back on the intensity of that moment.

In one picture, there sat a teen that felt so hopeless. She was full of rejection, hurt, insecurity and abandonment. In another picture I saw that same teen almost lose her life while so-called friends laughed and mocked her.

Not all of the pictures stirred painful memories, though they looked like they should have. Seeing yourself handcuffed and put in the back seat of a police car couldn't possibly be anything but disturbing-you would think. But this was actually one of the most freeing times of my life. It marked the point of an everlasting shift in my life.

I know it is not every day that we have a television network produce a story on us with re-enactments and all. But if you don't mind, could you to go there in your mind and imagine what pictures of your life story would look like if re-enacted? You might say, I'm not going back there, that's the past. Doesn't Lucretia know that we are admonished by the Apostle Paul to forget the things behind us and press forward (Philippians 3:14)? Yes friend, I am fully aware of that passage of scripture. Paul was telling us to let go of the things of the past and move forward to lay hold of the things that God has prepared for us.

I am not in any way suggesting that you fix your eyes on your former life with the intent of returning or to throw a pity party (like the children of Israel did after they left Egypt or like Lot's wife did while leaving Sodom and Gomorrah). Neither am I saying to do this to cause some type of arousal of the flesh, but simply as a chance to reflect on the mercy and graciousness of the Lord in your life.

Throughout the scriptures we see where altars were set up as places to remember what the Lord Jehovah had done. Men set up these altars as a declaration and other times as instructed by God. Joshua was told to have the children of Israel make a memorial of stones. (Joshua 4:1-7) This was so their children would know the miracles that the Lord had done. Sometimes we are caused to remember not only for us to give thanks to God but to help others be able to do the same.

The priests were instructed by Joshua to carry the Ark of the Covenant before the children of Israel. This represented God’s presence and power. And though we do not carry around the physical Ark of the Covenant (also called the Ark of the Testimony) as they did in Joshua's day, I believe that we do carry it spiritually. Every day we carry a testimony of the presence and power of God in our lives. When people ask us why we have such joy we should be able to tell them our story which is His-story. There is life-changing power in being a witness and testifying about the Lord.

One time I shared my story at a conference where men and women were present. After it was over I was approached by several men who had experienced some of the same things that I testified about. This one young man really wanted freedom and he needed me to listen to him as he shared his story. I listened and then told him what I believed the Holy Spirit wanted me to tell him. Some time went by and I received an email from him and he was totally free and sharing his story of Christ's love. Yesterday I was watching a video of him on YouTube as he ministered in the worship team of one of God's anointed generals. Praise the Lord!

What is it about your past that could help someone? Is it the pain of a broken marriage that God mended? Or a drug ridden life that was freed from bondage? Was it a life brought up out of depression? Or a soul saved from a burning hell?

It is possible to remember without remaining. Our past may be shameful and the thought of ever disclosing any part of it may be nauseating.

God may bring you into a situation (as He did with me) where He wants to show the pictures of your past to the world. I pray that you allow Him to, knowing that it will bring HIM great glory.

Tell of His goodness. His presence has been amazing in your life. BE HIS WITNESS!


Daily Declaration I AM-A WITNESS
The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony (witness) in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 1 John 5:10 (NASB)