What's in a name? Solomon said that a good name is more desirable than great riches! The desire to have a good name is at the heart of our humanity! For many people, having a great name, is a worthwhile aspiration and can most often be found ever at the center of human endeavor. It was for the sake of making a name for themselves that the Tower Of Babel was built. It can often be found at the core of most everything we may find ourselves striving, competing, or fighting for.

And although, others of us don't necessarily aspire to such lofty motivations as becoming a household name, we still deeply desire to have a good name in the hearts of those in whom we love! We need and can often live for the honor and respect of our family members and loved ones. We require that they think well of us—that our name be good with them! 

What's in a name, indeed.

The hope for having a well-known name can often be found at the heart of human motivation. In Genesis when the LORD first called Abram, He didn't just promise to make Abram a great nation but, He also promised to make "thy name great"! A great name means to have a great reputation, status, position, or ranking. It is associated with one's power, authority, influence, popularity, and even fame. A name great enough can open doors for one's self and even his associates.  

The LORD Himself, is more than a little concerned about His own name or reputation, as reputation always equals influence. When David sinned regarding Bathsheba, the LORD brokenheartedly exclaimed through Nathan the Prophet that David "hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme". 

For as David represented the LORD, his actions reflected poorly upon the LORD's name...much as would the fall of a prominent Preacher might! Imagine, how that a great part of the LORD's grief with David's terrible sin, was actually, the harm it bought to GOD's reputation to the world, in which He was determined to reach...! The LORD always longed to reach those who considered themselves His enemies. And now David had dealt a blow to the LORD's ultimate evangelistic mission in his 'fall'!

In fact, in these modern times, so many of our prominent Ministers have fallen, that we have too often, given the world good reason to doubt Christianity and by default, the one we claim we represent. The unfocused example of so many of us has so hurt His name that we've made it easier for the name of other religions to compete with the name of Jesus in today's society!

The LORD is terribly mindful of a his reputation for the sake of His name, and desires that His children would be...more mindful of who we represent. 

 Both Moses and Joshua understood this and on separate occasions successfully interceded on behalf of the Israelites to save them from GOD's holy judgement against them by basing their intercession on GOD's reputation or His name! They understood the LORD and successfully dissuaded Him from His righteous judgement by appealing to Him for His own name's sake. 

The LORD provided these examples to show us how important His name is to Him! Therefore, by His decree, the move of His SPIRIT and His often mighty manifestations involved in His answering of our prayers is released unto us not just in His name but also, for the sake of His name—or His namesake! He has decreed that at the faith-filled proclamation of the name of Jesus, the knee of every other name, authority, and power must bow— and the tongue of every ruling entity, principality, ranking-spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, must submit and confess that Jesus Christ is LORD. For, Jesus is the preeminent KING of Kings and the reigning LORD over all Lord's.

He has given us His name with ALL the authority and and power it embodies, that we might bare strong and faithful witness to showcase for ALL the world to see the evidence of who Jesus is—the power that He has been given in the heavens and in the earth—through the exercising of the authority that comes in His name. We are in fact, called to be His witnesses to this end!

But, we in the Body Of Christ although, we understand the power that supposedly comes in the name of Jesus, invoke it as we often have—have only rarely been able to successfully tap into the matchless might made suppositionally available to us!

A great deal of the problems we have been having in witnessing the power that comes in His name, is that we have attempted to use the name of Jesus albeit, for our own name's sake!

Although, Today's Christian fervently loves the LORD, the understanding has often eluded us that—when I act, obey, or pray in His name, it must be done also for His namesake to be spiritually aligned or connected to the flow or influence of His name! My praying in Jesus name for my own namesake, no matter how loudly, fervently, or boldly I am praying or moving— is to do so outside or out of sync with the purpose, power, and precious move of the SPIRIT!

When I pray or obey for my own namesake, I am praying for the sake of my own name, reputation, respect, dignity pride, lust, greed, and even fear! My prayer or action is first-foremost, and mostly...about me! It is what the bible prominently refers to when it describes "praying amiss", which scripturally stands head and shoulders over most all other reasons for unanswered prayer!

As a result, I can be wanting, doing, or praying, for the right thing but, for the wrong reason! I can be praying for a sick unto death loved one and my motivation be mostly about my fear of losing them! Or I can find myself praying for my children's issues or punishing them for their shameful actions because of how their behavior reflects upon me! I could be striving for and praying for a promotion, a job, or a better higher paying job but, mostly from the pride of wanting to be honored as a good provider, or esteemed and respected for being successful! 

Indeed, I can desire, strive after, and pray for the right thing but mostly, it can be about me!

Therefore, whenever GOD's blessing is given, it is for His namesake. It cannot be for my own sake...for, I am not my own! I am a temple of the HOLY GHOST..! I am the Body Of Christ! Therefore, it is when I take possession of something He has entrusted me with, I may be doing so at the expense of being plugged into the power that comes in His name in my life, regarding that thing. 

For once, I've taken ownership, I am in effect saying, that the thing is MINE— when I myself, am not even mine! I was "bought with a price." For I was "crucified with Christ. It is no longer I that live but Him that liveth in me". To go outside of His divine order here is a mis-fire or an 'amiss' prayer or action, as I have fallen from my position of authority in Christ of being seated with Him in heavenly places— and have resurrected from my crucified with Christ state to be risen back into the powerless and profitless, flesh!

Therefore, at the point I take ownership of something...anything or anyone—whether it be, spouse, kid, finances, health, business, or ministry, etc...although, I may be saying, praying, and doing, in Jesus' name, really and truly, it's in my own name because it's first and foremost for my own sake! As a result, I will remain disconnected from the power and authority that comes exclusively in His name, regarding all things entrusted to me!

So, these aren't my kids first...but, His! Therefore, I will treat them, raise, and even perceive them, as His first and foremost—for the sake of His name, regarding their lives...not mine—but His! He gave me the job for a reason! Therefore, I am going to treat it, see it, and work it as unto the LORD because it belongs to Him—for the sake of His name! This marriage, this spouse, is not mine but His—therefore I will respect, honor, esteem, and care for the spouse He has given me to steward or manage—for the sake of His name regarding the marriage!

But, as I lift up His name...for the sake of His name, then I am faithfully fulfilling the Great Commission in my life...in all areas of my life—openly showing Christ crucified, resurrected, alive, and ruling! The LORD wants the world to clearly see through my witness the night and day difference in a Christ changed, charged, and blessed life of the children of the light—compared to those that are unknowingly lost and hopelessly captive in and to the darkness! 

O' that the people of GOD would one day realize the power that comes through the exclusive purpose of learning to lift up the name of Jesus...in all things...! 

Of course, this is not to say that even as I am lifting up His name that the motives of my flesh won't be be present! But although, those fleshly desires may be present with me...they are not prevalent in me! Paul said it this way: "when I would do good, evil is present with me." Paul goes on to say that my spirit and my flesh are at war with one another, and with my mind I choose to follow after the spirit and it's desires and motivations or the flesh and it's desires and motivations. 

Therefore, even though my flesh's motives may be present as I am praying or obeying in His name, Paul is saying that because I have been given a reborn spirit, I now have the power to set aside my flesh and it's desires and to focus in on my spirit...specifically His SPIRIT within my spirit—and His desires!

And even though the flesh's feelings may be present, but since I am choosing the Spirit, the flesh's motives are no longer prevalent! As a result, I now have been given the power to not only lift up the name of Jesus, but to do so for His namesake!

And once this transition takes place, transformation is the result! And my eyes will witness first hand just how lifted up the name of Jesus really is over ALL other names!

And whether the other names be cancer, aids, depression, rejection, addiction, mental illness, or even mental retardation...Jesus' name is greater! Or whether the names be poverty, homosexuality, divorce, war, famine, and even death itself...Jesus' name is greater, still! 

His name is emptied of its power only when it has been emptied of its purpose! And His purpose has always been about the lifting and establishment of His name!

As we in the Body Of Christ attempt to relearn this important truth, let us become more mindful of our own names—especially if we profess to know Jesus! Many of us to our credit, have successfully learned to not care about what people think about us...to not allow ourselves to be controlled by the opinions of others, lest we find ourselves snared by the fear of man! It has taken those of us who have managed to finally learn to overcome this particular captivity— many years and even decades to finally be free from what others think. 

And while this settled attitude or conviction may be Important, praiseworthy, and evidence of precious character, long time in development—let us not forget that every person still has a name that represents...something. And that, even as we may be free from the opinions of others, it is still considered important to be mindful of one's name!

After all...what's in a name?