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Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW022251S
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00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune, Let's Make a Deal, 00:28 The Price Is Right, game shows, 00:32 they got their start on radio and TV in the late 1930s. 00:36 And today, the commercial television landscape 00:38 features numerous game shows. 00:41 In 1940 a game show called Truth or Consequences 00:46 debuted on radio. 00:47 It aired on television from 1950 to 1988. 00:52 On April the 1st, 1950, host Ralph Edwards announced 00:56 that the town of Hot Springs, New Mexico, 01:00 had agreed to change its name from Hot Springs 01:04 to Truth or Consequences for the right to host 01:07 a 10th anniversary episode of the game show in their town. 01:10 It was a publicity stunt, and it worked. 01:14 We're still talking about it more than 70 years later, 01:16 decades after the program went out of production. 01:20 And Hot Springs--I mean, Truth or Consequences-- 01:24 saw tourism numbers go through the roof. 01:28 Truth or Consequences isn't the only town 01:32 to have changed its name. 01:35 In August of 2018, Mayo, Florida, temporarily changed 01:40 its name to Miracle Whip in an advertising stunt. 01:44 Get that? From mayo to Miracle Whip. 01:49 But other name changes have been permanent. 01:52 New Amsterdam became New York City. 01:55 Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City, 01:57 and Constantinople, Turkey, became Istanbul. 02:02 People change their names. 02:04 Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson. 02:08 Musician Elton John was born Reginald Dwight. 02:10 And actor John Wayne's given name was Marion Morrison. 02:15 Boxer Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali, 02:18 and basketballer "Lew" Alcindor became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 02:24 both men changing their names 02:25 following their conversion to Islam. 02:29 And there's an interesting point. 02:32 Some towns change their name on a whim. 02:35 Hot Springs, New Mexico, won a competition 02:37 for the purpose of publicity. 02:39 Some people change their name because, well, 02:42 because Judy Garland sounds a lot more Hollywood 02:45 than Frances Gumm, Garland's real name. 02:49 But notice with Kareem and Ali, they changed their names 02:52 because of a fundamental shift in their thinking to reflect 02:55 their new belief systems. 02:58 Which leads us to some of the most famous name changers 03:02 in history. 03:04 In the book of Genesis, 03:05 several people have their names changed...by God. 03:10 One of them was Abraham, who started life as Abram. 03:16 And this is important because, according to the Bible, 03:19 one day you are going to be given a new name by God Himself. 03:27 Why is God going to give people a new name? 03:30 Let's look at a few case studies and find out. 03:34 In Genesis 17, Abram is 99 years old. 03:39 The background: Abram and Sarai were unable to have children. 03:43 Abram tried to help God out of what was undoubtedly 03:47 a tough place, humanly speaking. 03:50 Sarai suggested Abram take Hagar, her maid, 03:53 and father a child, which happened. 03:56 But that child would never be the child of promise, 03:59 and the situation became incredibly complex. 04:02 You would hope that Abram would learn his lesson, 04:05 and evidently he did. 04:07 God renewed His covenant with Abram, saying, 04:10 "I will make my covenant between me and you, 04:13 and will multiply you exceedingly." 04:16 God then went on to say, 04:19 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, 04:22 "but your name shall be Abraham; 04:25 for I have made you a father of many nations." 04:28 His name was changed from Abram to Abraham. 04:32 Abram likely means something very much like "Exalted Father," 04:36 and while it's not easy to know the precise meaning of Abraham, 04:40 it's most likely something close to "Father of a Great Number." 04:45 So you see what happened there. 04:47 Abraham's experience changed, 04:49 and God signified that by changing his name. 04:53 There was a change in direction, 04:55 which followed a change of heart, 04:58 and then God changed his name. 05:02 So let's look at another case where this happened. 05:04 There are several in the Bible. 05:06 Abraham's son was Isaac. 05:09 Isaac's wife Rebekah was infertile, 05:11 but in answer to prayer Rebekah became pregnant 05:14 with twins, Jacob and Esau. 05:18 Esau was born first, Jacob second, 05:20 with Jacob holding Esau's heel when he was born. 05:25 The story is well known. 05:26 Esau, as the oldest, was entitled to the birthright, 05:30 certain responsibilities and privileges, 05:32 including a financial advantage, 05:35 along with the spiritual leadership in the family. 05:39 Jacob took advantage of Esau's extreme hunger one day 05:43 when Esau sold him the birthright for a plate of food. 05:48 Esau basically said, "I'm about to die of hunger, 05:52 so the birthright would be no use to me." 05:55 That was an expensive meal, 05:57 and it was a dirty trick on the part of Jacob. 06:00 And on top of that it demonstrated an utter lack 06:04 of faith in God. 06:06 Jacob already knew the birthright 06:08 and all that came with it would be his. 06:10 God had told his mother Rebekah, 06:13 "The elder shall serve the younger." 06:17 There was no need for Jacob to wrong his brother, 06:20 but he did it anyway. 06:23 And on top of that, Jacob and his mother Rebekah concocted 06:26 an elaborate plot to deceive the boy's father Isaac. 06:30 He was an elderly man in failing health with poor eyesight, 06:35 and they tricked him into blessing Jacob 06:38 when Isaac thought he was blessing Esau. 06:41 Isaac was disappointed he'd been deceived. 06:45 Esau was angry. 06:46 So angry the Bible says he hated his brother Jacob. 06:51 Rebekah advised Jacob to flee for his life, so he did, 06:55 traveling hundreds of miles to his uncle Laban's home. 07:01 Abraham occupied a very special place in the world. 07:05 He was called to be not only the father of many nations, 07:08 but the progenitor of the Messiah. 07:11 The Messiah would be his descendant. 07:13 Jesus would be his descendant. 07:16 Abram needed a change of heart, and he experienced it, 07:20 and God signaled that heart change by giving him a new name. 07:26 Now, here's his grandson, a complete scoundrel, 07:30 cheating his twin brother, cheating his own ailing father. 07:35 And yet God didn't give up on him. He gave Jacob 07:38 the beautiful vision of a ladder connecting earth with heaven. 07:42 God prospered Jacob when Laban tried to rip him off. 07:46 Then when Jacob later learned that his brother Esau 07:48 was heading in his direction, he cried out to God. 07:51 He believed he was in a tough place. 07:53 And then something interesting happened. 07:57 The Bible says, "There wrestled a Man with him 08:01 until the breaking of the day." 08:04 This was the pre-incarnate Christ wrestling with Jacob. 08:09 Hosea wrote that "he wept, and made supplication unto Him." 08:14 Jacob wrestled with the Angel all though the night. 08:17 The Angel said, "'Let me go, for the day breaks.' 08:21 "But he said, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me!'" 08:25 And then this: "So He said to him, 'What is your name?' 08:30 "He said, 'Jacob.' And He said, 'Your name shall no longer 08:33 "'be called Jacob, but Israel; 08:36 "'for you have struggled with God and with men, 08:38 "and have prevailed.' Then Jacob asked, saying, 08:41 "'Tell me Your name, I pray.' And He said, 'Why is it 08:45 "that you ask about my name?' And He blessed him there. 08:49 "So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: 08:52 "'For I have seen God face to face, 08:55 and my life is preserved.'" 08:56 That's Genesis 32, verses 27 through 30. 09:00 God changed Jacob's name that night. 09:03 Now, why would He do that? And how is that relevant to you? 09:08 I'll tell you in just a moment. 09:11 ♪[music swells and ends]♪♪ 09:20 >>Announcer: Today's free offer is a brand new resource: 09:23 "Victorious: Living a New Life in Jesus." 09:25 You'll learn how to move beyond the mistakes of yesterday 09:28 to experience victory today. 09:29 To receive "Victorious: Living a New Life in Jesus," 09:32 call 800-253-3000 right now. 09:35 That's 800-253-3000. 09:38 Or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 09:41 Get this new free resource now 09:43 and enter into the life of victory God wants for you. 09:46 800-253-3000 09:48 or iiwoffer.com. 09:51 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 09:54 Michael King's name was changed to Martin Luther King Jr. 09:59 Samuel Langhorne Clemens? That's Mark Twain. 10:03 Former president Gerald Ford was born Leslie Lynch King Jr. 10:08 And Jacob, the son of Isaac in the Old Testament, 10:10 had his name changed, except in his case, 10:14 his name was changed by God. And here's why. 10:18 The name Jacob means "supplanter, deceiver." 10:22 A supplanter is one who takes or usurps the place of another. 10:27 Israel means "He Fights" or "God Fights" 10:30 or "One Who Struggles With God." 10:33 Martin Luther King Jr.'s name was changed from Michael King 10:37 after his father traveled to Germany 10:39 and learned about Martin Luther. 10:41 Former president Ford was adopted as a child, 10:44 and his name changed then. 10:47 Samuel Clemens wrote under the non de plume Mark Twain 10:49 because--well, I don't know. 10:51 Sam Clemens sounds to me like a pretty good author's name, 10:54 surely. Maybe he thought it wasn't as catchy as Mark Twain. 10:59 But Jacob's name was changed to Israel 11:02 for very different reasons. 11:04 After all of the missteps and misjudgments and misdemeanors 11:07 Jacob had been responsible for, 11:10 he came to a point in his life where he was truly repentant. 11:15 And as evidence that he'd been forgiven, 11:17 his name was changed from one that was a reminder of his sin 11:22 to one that commemorated his victory. 11:26 Jacob was a new man. He was God's man. 11:30 He'd been through his time of trial and, to a certain degree, 11:33 purification, and God acknowledged that 11:37 by changing his name to Israel. 11:40 The children of Israel were very literally the children of Jacob, 11:45 the descendants of Jacob. 11:48 Jacob had a heart change so remarkable, so impactful 11:53 that God changed his name to recognize that the man 11:57 with the new name was also a man with a new heart. 12:03 We're going to see in the book of Revelation 12:05 that God wants to give you a new name. 12:09 That's significant: a new name. 12:12 Abraham's wife Sarah was also given a new name. 12:16 Well, more accurately, Sarai was given a new name, 12:19 and that name was Sarah. 12:22 This name change was a sign of the covenant 12:24 God had established, a sign that the promise 12:29 would come through Sarah. 12:31 "God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, 12:35 "'you shall not call her name Sarai, 12:37 "'but Sarah shall be her name. 12:40 "'And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; 12:43 "'then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; 12:48 kings of peoples shall be from her.'" 12:51 Genesis 17:15 and 16. 12:53 God's way has been that there are times when a person 12:56 enters a new phase of their experience, 12:59 and that person's conversion or refinement or remaking 13:02 has been acknowledged by the bestowal of a new name. 13:06 Evidently, the devil works on that same plan. 13:11 About 600 years before the birth of Jesus, 13:14 the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel 13:17 and took the city of Jerusalem. 13:19 He took the king, Jehoiakim. He took valuables. 13:24 And he took "some of the children of Israel 13:26 "and some of the king's descendants and some 13:28 "of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, 13:32 "but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge 13:36 "and quick to understand, who had ability to serve 13:39 "in the king's palace, and whom they might teach 13:42 the language and literature of the Chaldeans." 13:45 You see that in Daniel, chapter 1, verses 3 and 4. 13:49 So they would be educated, or re-educated, 13:53 for the purpose of advancing Babylon, and they were renamed. 14:00 Daniel was named Belteshazzar. 14:02 His friend Hananiah became Shadrach. 14:05 Mishael was christened Meshach, 14:08 and Azariah was given the name Abed-Nego. 14:12 The name Daniel means "God Is My Judge." 14:15 Hananiah means "Jehovah Is Gracious." 14:17 Mishael means something like "Who Belongs to God?" 14:20 While Azariah means "Jehovah Helps." 14:24 Those are names given to remind an individual 14:26 of his or her purpose, of their blessings, 14:30 of their relationship to God, their dependence on God. 14:35 But their names were changed--and for a purpose. 14:39 While it's not 100 percent clear 14:41 what each of the four new names mean, Nebuchadnezzar said later 14:45 that Daniel's new name of Belteshazzar had been given 14:49 "according to the name of my god." 14:53 Abed-Nego is clearly a name that honors pagan deities. 14:58 They were wanting to make these young men Babylonian, 15:02 so they gave them new names 15:03 signifying that they were in the service of a new master 15:08 and should therefore honor new gods. 15:11 When Joseph was taken to Egypt, Pharaoh gave him a new name: 15:16 Zaphnath-Paaneah. 15:17 The kings were saying, "You're on a new team now. 15:21 You're serving a new god now." 15:24 And they changed their names to signify that. 15:28 The new name was to lead a change in the heart. 15:32 Only in the cases of Joseph and Daniel and his friends, 15:35 that change of heart never happened 15:38 because they were faithful to God. 15:41 Now, we see in Revelation something really significant. 15:45 In the letters to the seven churches, 15:47 Jesus addresses Pergamos and says this: 15:50 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says 15:53 "to the churches. To him who overcomes 15:56 "I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. 16:00 "And I will give him a white stone, 16:02 "and on the stone a new name written which no one knows 16:08 except him who receives it." 16:11 Revelation 2:17. 16:13 Isn't that interesting? 16:15 God intends to give you a new name. 16:20 So how does a person receive a new name from God? 16:23 And why? And what might it be? 16:28 We'll look at that in just a moment. 16:30 ♪[music swells and ends]♪♪ 16:39 >>Announcer: Today's free offer is a brand new resource: 16:42 "Victorious: Living a New Life in Jesus." 16:44 You'll learn how to move beyond the mistakes of yesterday 16:46 to experience victory today. 16:48 To receive "Victorious: Living a New Life in Jesus," 16:51 call 800-253-3000 right now. 16:54 That's 800-253-3000. 16:57 Or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 17:00 Get this new free resource now 17:02 and enter into the life of victory God wants for you. 17:05 800-253-3000 17:07 or iiwoffer.com. 17:10 >>John Bradshaw: The clock ticks persistently. 17:12 Every 60 seconds another minute passes, 17:15 every 24 hours another day. 17:18 Every 365 days another year is consigned to history. 17:23 Life is governed by time. 17:25 From the alarm clock that wakes you in the morning 17:28 to the bell that rings to announce the end of class, 17:31 there's no escaping the relentless march of time. 17:35 Given that our time on this earth is limited, 17:37 how can we best use our time? 17:40 How can we spend our time in a way that encourages 17:42 spiritual growth and draws us closer to the heart of God? 17:46 Don't miss "Time Well Spent." 17:49 Learn how God intends time to work for you, 17:53 to be your ally as you prepare for eternity. 17:57 How do you find time for the things 17:58 that you really want to do? 18:00 And how do you find time for God? 18:03 "Time Well Spent," 18:05 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 18:10 >>John Bradshaw: Thomas Mapother IV, 18:13 that's the given name of the actor Tom Cruise. 18:16 Nobel Prize-winning musician Bob Dylan 18:19 was born Robert Zimmerman. 18:21 And Peter, the brother of Andrew in the New Testament, 18:24 the man who walked on water, denied Jesus, 18:27 and once caught a fish with a gold coin in its mouth, 18:31 was Simon until Jesus named him Peter. 18:35 Peter means "a stone." You might say "a rock," 18:38 except that Jesus made the distinction between Peter 18:41 and Himself by saying, "You are Peter"--a stone-- 18:46 "and upon this rock"--meaning Jesus, the Rock of the Bible-- 18:51 "I will build my church." 18:53 Jesus the immovable rock. Peter the rolling stone. 18:59 Jesus gave Simon his new name of Peter 19:01 to say something about what Peter's character would be. 19:04 He'd be firm, but not the finished article, 19:07 not the mountain out of which his stone was taken-- 19:10 that's Jesus. 19:12 It's as though Jesus was saying, "Simon, you're going to be 19:15 "important, foundational to the church. 19:17 "You'll have qualities, but remember that you're small, 19:21 "a stone. Remember you are not the boulder. 19:25 You're not the rock of Gibraltar." 19:27 And it's when Peter forgot that he was small and not big, 19:32 that he fell. 19:33 "I'll never deny You," he told Jesus. 19:36 And then he denied Jesus three times 19:38 on the night before Jesus was crucified. 19:41 Now, more often than not, in the Western world 19:44 we don't name children based on the meaning of their name. 19:48 For example, I'm John, not because my name means 19:52 "God Is Gracious," but because my father's name was John, 19:56 and his grandfather's middle name was John. 19:59 I'm thinking that few of the little Liams running around 20:02 at the moment were named Liam because of the meaning 20:04 of the name, "With Gilded Helmet." 20:07 Something to keep in mind is this: 20:09 What a name means often depends entirely 20:12 on which baby name book you read the definition in. 20:16 But in the last book of the Bible we see Jesus say this: 20:21 "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar 20:25 "in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. 20:29 "I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city 20:34 "of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven 20:39 from my God. And I will write on him my new name." 20:45 Revelation 3, verse 12. 20:47 This is a repeat of the thought expressed in Isaiah, 20:49 where God says, "The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, 20:54 "and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, 21:00 which the mouth of the Lord will name." 21:03 Isaiah 62:2. 21:05 God was promising His people a new experience. 21:10 "For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace, 21:13 "and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, 21:15 "until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, 21:18 and her salvation as a lamp that burns." 21:21 That's still to be fulfilled in God's people. 21:25 And God says that's the salvation experience 21:28 when His people will be "a crown of glory in the hand 21:32 of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God." 21:38 A new experience and a new name signifying that experience. 21:44 In this context, a name represents or indicates 21:48 character, and what Jesus says to us here 21:51 is that when you surrender to Him, He'll develop in you 21:56 a character like His own. 21:59 You can manifest the character of Christ. 22:05 It's worth thinking this through. This is a high calling. 22:09 And God's not talking about something half hearted. 22:12 He isn't talking about cultural Christianity, 22:14 make-believe Christianity, 22:16 but real, deep, abiding faith in Him. 22:20 This isn't acting a part, but fully surrendering 22:24 your life to God so that your experience is new 22:28 and Jesus is living His life in you. 22:31 And that's the promise of Scripture. 22:33 Second Corinthians 5, verse 17: 22:35 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 22:39 "old things have passed away; 22:41 behold, all things have become new." 22:46 In fact, that's the privilege of Scripture. 22:49 I wonder if a lot of people aren't selling themselves short 22:52 by not coming up to the experience 22:54 God wants them to have-- 22:56 not in church when they could be, 22:58 not reading the Bible, not sharing their faith, 23:01 not experiencing a meaningful prayer life, 23:05 just not taking all God wants to give. 23:08 And it's an experience anyone can have. 23:11 Look how God puts it: 23:12 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; 23:16 "I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you 23:20 "a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you 23:23 "and cause you to walk in my statutes, 23:26 and you will keep my judgments and do them." 23:29 That's found in Ezekiel, chapter 36. 23:31 This is what God does in a person's life: 23:35 "I will give you a new heart. I will put a new spirit in you. 23:41 "I will take away your heart of stone. 23:44 "I will give you a heart of flesh. 23:46 I will put my Spirit within you." 23:48 God wants to work in your life so fundamentally 23:52 that you have a new character. 23:55 Christianity isn't just learning to live by a new set of rules. 24:00 It's a heart change, a mind change. 24:04 It's a character change. 24:06 God doesn't want you living in this world 24:07 bound to the old person you used to be. 24:11 He wants you to be free from that old life, 24:13 free from the old bad habits, 24:16 free from the people who dragged you down, 24:18 the thought processes that dragged you down, 24:21 the old ways that dragged you down. 24:23 God wants you free from all of that. 24:27 In Paul's day there were believers who insisted 24:29 everyone had to follow the Jewish beliefs 24:32 that were made obsolete when Jesus died on the cross-- 24:35 the ceremonial feast days and so forth. 24:37 But Paul wrote, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision 24:41 nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation." 24:48 Jesus spoke to a man named Nicodemus and said to him, 24:51 "You must be born again." 24:53 And that's the work God can do in your life, 24:57 the work He will do in your life 25:00 when you open up your heart to Him. 25:04 So what would that new name be that God promises to give you? 25:09 Well, we can't possibly know, 25:11 but no doubt it'll be a name that you're happy with, 25:14 most likely tailored to suit your experience 25:17 and your character. 25:18 It's one of those things we'll have to wait until heaven 25:20 to find out. But this side of heaven, you can have 25:24 the experience in faith that God wants you to have. 25:28 You can live with integrity. 25:30 You can live with your head held high. 25:32 The old life doesn't have to define you. 25:36 And the person you were can be just that, the person you were. 25:42 Like when Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said, 25:44 "And such were some of you." 25:47 Notice that? "Such were some of you." You were a certain way. 25:53 But you're not now--because Jesus has entered your heart 25:56 and brought His righteousness and His peace and His grace. 26:03 Is it time to let God do that new work in you? 26:07 To take away the old and bring in the new? 26:11 You can make a decision right now to receive a new heart, 26:14 a new character, 26:16 and, eventually, a new name. 26:19 We're gonna pray about that in just a moment. 26:22 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:24 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:27 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:31 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:35 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:36 to the address on your screen, 26:38 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:42 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:45 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 26:49 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:53 >>John: Let me pray with you now. Let's pray. 26:55 Father in heaven, I thank You today for Jesus 26:58 and that He died so that we could be changed so thoroughly 27:01 that our character is made new, 27:04 that one day You'll give us a new name, 27:07 recognizing our new experience. 27:10 Friend, do you want that? 27:11 Do you feel like there's something missing? 27:13 Something lacking? 27:15 You've seen the cracks in your experience, 27:18 your lack of faith perhaps. 27:20 You're wanting to be all in with Jesus. 27:23 Father, I'm praying for that person right now 27:25 who wants a new life, a new heart, a new experience. 27:31 Connect us with Your heart so inextricably, 27:35 fill us with Your Spirit so completely 27:38 that the character of Jesus and Jesus only is seen. 27:42 This is our prayer in Jesus' name, amen. 27:46 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:48 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:50 Until then, remember: 27:52 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:56 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:01 ♪[dramatic theme music]♪ 28:25 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2022-09-15