You Get a New Name by Dr. Kluane Spake

By Kluane Spake

You Get a New Name

by Dr. Kluane Spake

 

icon"My name is Judy, J. U. D. Y.!" I insisted to my kindergarten teacher  on the first day of school. I snickered behind my missing front teeth...  while some of the other kids were crying about being left at school, but I had a big plan! And so "JUDY" is what they called me. Nobody ever questioned it.

 

Judy was my favorite name from my mostest special childhood book, "Judy and Jiggers." That book went along everywhere with me -- it was about a cute little girl who lost her little white dog.  Of course, my Maltese Terrier dog was "Jiggers" and I was Judy. Anyway...

 

It all went smoothly until months later when my mom came to pick me up after school. She asked for her little four-year-old, and no one knew whom she was talking about... because Mommy didn't know that I had changed my name! Everyone at school accepted it. I became a different person with that different name.

 

So then, I had to train my folks to call me Judy. And surprisingly, they thought it was funny that a four year old would go to such subterfuge to change her name.  After all, I really didn't have a name before that. It was always, "Honey," "Sweetie," or "Sugar!" My mom thought my name was too long for a baby to use. After awhile, after continued insistence, they went along with it. It wasn't until going to college that I desired to use my real name. And, life and identity changed again.

 

The discovery of the meaning of my real name unwrapped identity and destiny. In the early days, my dad went to Alaska to mine for gold. In the summertime, he would mine and in the winter he delivered mail by dog team up into the Yukon. My dad packed a stove on his sled and went out for weeks at a time through the forsaken wilderness of ice and snow.  The end of his route was Kluane Lake. This lake and mountain range (the largest lake and highest mountains in the Yukon) was his favorite place in the whole world! My real name (Kluane - Clue-ah'-nee) means "deep blue water" in Athabaskan Indian. Or, "Fisher (of) men in deep blue water.

 

Shaping Your Identity

 

Discovering why he gave me that particular name changed the aspect of my life and my goals.  I've always been extremely thankful that my dad didn't like Klukwan lake as well!

 

Your name has great meaning and helps to shape your identity. Many studies show that your first name determines much about your interactions with society.

 

 

Far more impacting than our earthly name, is the fact that the Lord gives us His covenant name. We must not take it lightly! We have a NEW name! We become Christians or "little Christs." Of course, the word Christian is derived from the word Christ that means the "Anointed One." It's our Christ-like name that changes our concept of who we are - little anointed ones - like Him! Declaring His name over ourselves reshapes our IDENTITY and reveals our legacy.

 

Right now ask the Lord to give you the revelation of what being a Christian really means.  Adam was given the ability to name all the animals (Gen. 2:19). This action shows authority and creative dominion.

 

In the Fall, the first couple lost many things - one of them was that they lost their ability to name and define creation.  In the Old Testament, God's NAME was so precious and holy that it was not ever spoken.

 

In the New Testament, we know that if we believe in His NAME, something wonderful happens. (John 1:12-13)!  "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become CHILDREN OF GOD- ......BORN OF GOD." NIV

 

God calls us by NAME - it is the name of Christ that is called.

 

Our new God given name stands above all names. Incredibly, He gives to those who bear His name, the right to use it everyday. We can boldly approach the Father because we bear His  Name. This is an EXCHANGE of identity. This miraculous interchange presupposes that we've given up our old autonomous life. In finality, we discover what our new name delivers every promise. Because of Jesus, we become heirs of all things along with Him. Christ-ian. Our partner is the Person who opens the heavens and gives us everything that pertains to life and Godliness.

 

There's unlimited power in that most precious name. Jesus said that whatever we ask the Father in His name, He'll give it to us (Jn. 14-26). In honor of this exchange, we promise to represent Him here on this earth. His name opens the treasuries of heaven for this dying world.

 

Teach us Lord, to understand and to apprehend this privilege of bearing Your awesome name.

 

Dr Kluane Spake

kluane.org

the-Q.org

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