Tony Evans - The Power of Gods Names

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http://bit.ly/VictoryinSpiritualWarfareHH

http://bit.ly/VictoryinSpiritualWarfare

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HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scriptures in chapter 15 and all Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Back cover photo by Donald Fuller

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THE POWER OF GODS NAMES

Copyright 2014 by Tony Evans

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Evans, Tony, 1949-

The power of Gods names / Tony Evans.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-7369-3997-3 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-4136-5 (eBook)

1. God (Christianity)Name. I. Title.

BT180.N2E93 2014

231dc23

2013027754

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This book is gratefully dedicated to Doug McIntosh for his influence in my life ministry and biblical training.

I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power.

I SAIAH 52:6 NLT

C ONTENTS

W hats in a name?

A lot. Especially when we talk about knowing God through His names. Getting to know God by His names is more than simply learning a new word or discovering a new title He goes by. Learning to know God by His names opens up the door to knowing His character more fully and experiencing His power more deeply.

In Scripture, God reveals Himself to us through His names. So to fully grasp the significance and power of Gods names, we first need to understand the importance of names in ancient cultures. In Old Testament times, a name was more than simply nomenclature. Rather, it revealed important information about the individual or thing itself.

A name is so important in biblical settings that Scripture frequently mentions God Himself changing someones name to reflect a new reality. Abram, which means exalted father, was changed to Abraham, meaning father of a multitude. Jacob, whose name meant grabber of the heel and deceitful, received a new name after wrestling with God. His new name, Israel, means one who prevails. In the book of Hosea, God changed the names of Hoseas son and daughter to signify changes in His relationship with His people. Lo-ammi (not my people) became Ammi (my people), and Lo-ruhamah (not pitied) became Ruhamah (one who is shown compassion) (Hosea 1:6-9; 2:1,23).

Moving to the New Testament, we see Jesus telling Simon, His new disciple, You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas (which is translated Peter) (John 1:42). The significance was that the Greek word translated Peter is petros , which means rock.

In Scripture, a name often connotes purpose, authority, makeup, and character. In fact, a persons name is frequently seen as an equivalent of that person.

When Jesus said, I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known (John 17:26), He was referencing more than just sounds put together in a word. In Jesus, God came to earth in the flesh and unveiled His heart, mind, will, character, and being through the revelation of His name.

In the Bible name is a translation of the Hebrew word shem (in the Old Testament) and the Greek word onoma (in the New Testament). Together, name appears more than 1000 times in Scripture and routinely carries with it the idea of power, responsibility, purpose, and authority. A name not only expresses the essence and significance of what is being named but also, when duly authorized, accesses the quality it conveys.

Because of the depth of Gods character, He has various names that reflect the many ways He relates to humanity. For example, God is called Elohim when revealing Himself as the all-powerful Creator. He is Jehovah Nissi the Lords banner of victory (a name you need to know when seeking victory in your life). God is also known as Jehovah Rapha , or the Lord your healer. When you are in need of provision, get to know the name Jehovah Jireh God, the provider.

God has a name for every situation we find ourselves in. We need to learn the names of God because when we know His character and His capacity, we will find rest and discover peace and power in His covenantal care of us.

N ames are important. Place names often identify the historical significance of locations. For instance, you probably know that the name Philadelphia means the city of brotherly love. Jerusalem means the city of peace. Current events in these cities may not reflect the meaning of their names, but nonetheless, the names are significant when looking to the past or the future.

Likewise, peoples names can offer insight into their identity. When a newly married woman changes her surname to match the name of her husband, shes agreeing to align herself and the very essence of her identity with the man she loves. A child who is adopted assumes a new identity by taking on the new parents surname as his or her own.

Today, parents often choose baby names because of their sound rather than their meaning, so a nickname is often added later that reflects the persons character. If someone has a nickname of Slim, you can pretty much be guaranteed that this person is slender. Thus nicknames often reflect more about people than do given names.

Names are so potent that parents will avoid attaching some names to their children. For example, we dont see anyone naming their kids Hitler or Benedict Arnold because those names represent something so negative that no one would want to associate an innocent child with it. Names do matter. In fact, they matter so much that we will often feel dishonored or disrespected if someone calls us by something other than our name or fails to pronounce our name correctly again and again.