What's In a NAME - pt 2

As a kid growing up, I was never overly into sports like my brother.  Oh, don’t get me wrong… I loved to play baseball and street football… but when it came to professional sports on TV and reading the daily sports page in our local paper, I could take it or leave it.  Although I did enjoy listening to the Giants games with my Dad while we worked around the yard in the summer months. 

I have many vivid memories of my Dad’s old transistor radio sitting on the fence with the Giants announcers calling the plays across the yard while we mowed the lawn, worked in the garden or barbequed chicken on the patio outside the living room sliding doors.

When a pregnant Piper and I moved into my Grandmother’s house in 1980, I found myself falling into similar routines as my Dad did and began listening to the Giants games on my transistor radio, as I busied myself in preparing the soil for our a large vegetable garden and tending to the spacious yard.  I also found myself listening to college football on the radio and following the 49ers.

With the addition of Joe Montana and the 49er’s growing success being the talk of everyone at work, I became a super fan and learned the details and stats on all the players.  But I began to lose interest in the team after moving out of state in 2014 when I felt that the team’s values and pregame antics was turning a little too political and WOKE for my conservative beliefs. 

But my interests were peaked again when the 49ers acquired Christian McCaffrey in 2022.  I had tried to follow the Carolina Panthers when we lived in North Carolina but was uninspired with the team.  The only bright spot was the Stanford University alumni Christian McCaffery… and when the 49ers traded for him in 2022… well… that along with the team’s less visible political bias… I slipped back into step with the 49ers! 

The only problem was that I had stopped following team and was totally unfamiliar with most of the players.  So, I had to begin to learn a whole new set of details and stats concerning those on the roster… in order to enjoy the full ambiance of the team!

I thought of all this earlier today, as I was studying on the NAME of Jesus.  I realized that similar to the level of the enjoyment of the 49ers play and the game of football as a whole, the more I know and use the NAME of Jesus in my daily walk, the more I not only enjoy my life but also, the more successful I am in helping others and in living according to my Christian worldview.

Philippians 2:9-11 declares,

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a NAME which is above every NAME:  That at the NAME of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth;  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (KJV) 

Did you know that the Greek definition of the word translated “NAME” in these verses, comes from “a derivative of the base word ‘ginosko’”* which describes a very personal and intimate relationship. 

When I realized this the other day, I had another “WOW!” moment and declared aloud, “So, that’s why the Lord sent the angel Gabriel to specifically tell both Mary and Joseph to name the coming child Jesus!”  For you see… the Father God has a very personal and intimate relationship and connection with not only that NAME but also with Jesus, the One who is the NAME!

That is why the writer of the book of Acts recorded so many examples of the miraculous events that occurred when the NAME of Jesus was spoken over a need.  When a believer evokes and speaks out the NAME of Jesus, it not only brings one into the favor of God… but also connects the outcome of the situation at hand, to the unlimited and miraculous power of the throne of God!

I’ll share a little more on how the NAME of Jesus puts the user in line for the favor of God and thereby release His power into the requested action in my next post… but until then… think about how the early church used the NAME of Jesus (throughout the book of Acts) in the daily walk and ministry of their Christian beliefs… and consider putting that same favor and power to work in your own life, in order to be a greater blessing to those around you!

I was wearing shorts yesterday and today we are back to jeans and a heavy coat!  This has really been an up and down winter and early spring… but as long as the sun is shining… I don’t mind!  I hope the weather is cooperating with you wherever you live!  Have a great weekend, keep EXPECTING God’s Best and put the NAME of Jesus to work in your life today!

 

*Strong’s