I have seen people that have changed either their first name or surname or both because of various reasons from cosmetic to religious considerations.
Without childrens approval, parents give children a name at birth. Sometimes the name would have already been agreed upon during pregnancy or even before marriage.
In certain cultures, a naming ceremony is held where the clan decides the suitable name. Your fathers surname usually becomes your surname too. Stage or nicknames usually end up being co-opted onto the birth certificate.
Some people have succeeded in life way above the rest of the clan and no longer want to be associated with their kinsfolk and have adopted new names.
Whatever the reason, you probably know people that have changed names. What really is in a name?
The dictionary defines a name as a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to. It goes on to give reputation as a synonym.
There is therefore an association between the name and the thing called by that name and the name will carry a reputation over time. A name will eventually mean something by carrying inherent characteristics by which the object will function, behave and perform.
Apart from names, people are also known by totems. Havent you ever seen people behaving according to what their totem has accustomed to over generations?
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Certain lineages are said to beat up husbands, some to have more wives and others not to stay long in marriage. Is your name limiting you and denying you who you should be?
Apart from the Levitical and royal priesthood that I belong to by accepting Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and the call of God upon my life, I come from a royal lineage.
Years ago, a family member was severely reprimanded and made to pay a heavy fine as punishment for having impregnated outside marriage.
Our elders are so strict about the reputation of our family name and dont want bad seeds to fall in the family thus tarnishing the name and bringing curses that those coming after us will have to deal with.
This tells us that there is a spirit behind names. Some names are good yet others spell disaster. People have inherited bad omens and misfortunes imbedded in names. The Bible records people who God had to change names such as Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah and Jacob to Israel.
There are people that had names set before they were even born such as John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus. Matthew 1:22-23 reads, Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
It is advisable for parents to give names that speak good not evil. Some people are living miserable lives because of the load that is in their names.
To appease evil spirits or to maintain witchcraft in a family there are names that are maintained generation after generation. Some names came up after evil sacrifices were offered and no matter how hard you try you still find yourself back to prostitution or alcoholism though you are a born again Spirit-filled Christian.
The reason why we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is that we get new identity and break every evil umbilical cord from our ancestors.
Let me show you how the spirit of a name can follow you. The Old Testament records the story of King Saul who was jealousy of David and spent his time in the jungles chasing and trying to kill David instead of sitting on the throne. David was to become king after Saul but the spirit of persecution was in Saul to destroy David. If we go to the New Testament we see the same spirit of persecution again resting on a zealous man called Saul.
Saul was busy destroying the early church and persecuting believers. Fortunately for Saul, he met with Jesus while on the way to Damascus to cause havoc to the church. After conversion Saul decided to change his name to Paul and he became arguably the greatest apostle ever.
I leave this to you; is your name, surname or totem advancing you or curtailing your full manifestation? Because of what Simon would become Jesus gave him the name Peter. Matthew 16:18 says, And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Decide for yourself so that you will be ushered into the fullness of your destiny, you are going somewhere.
All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
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