TWOSDAY

On November 13th, 2021, God communicated to me through this passage. I'm posting it on my blog so that everyone can read it and be blessed.

ACTS 13:9 (KJV)

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.

In the New Testament, a man named Saul was later known as Paul. This individual has two names.

The following is some background information on this man of God:

Paul was a Jew who was born in Tarsus, a Roman city. Paul was proud of his Jewish heritage, as described in Philippians 3:5: "a Hebrew of Hebrew origin, circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, in observance of the law, a Pharisee." He was so enthusiastic and devout that persecuting Christians was an obvious method for him to demonstrate his devotion. Until he began to believe in and proclaim Christ, he opted to go by his Hebrew name, Saul. After that, he used his Roman name, Paul, as "the apostle to the Gentiles" (Romans 11:13).

Let's look at the meanings of both of these names.

Saul's meaning — "asked for" (True to his name, he had "asked for" permission to persecute Christians).

Paul's meaning is "small" or "humble". (Paul has matured into a "modest and humble" individual).

When you are in Christ, you are truly humble and exalt God rather than boasting about yourself.

Some of the people in the Bible who were given new names by God include:

·        Abram (the old name) means "exalted father" in Hebrew. The new name Abraham, on the other hand, signifies "father of many."

·        Sarai (her old name) means "princess," whereas the new name Sarah means "my princess," implying a queenlier or more exalted status among the Promised People.

·        Jacob's name means "supplanter," which can be translated as "one who takes, circumvents, or usurps." After his battle with the Lord at Peniel, Jacob was given a new name, Israel. "Because you have struggled with God and with humanity and have overcome," God said (see Genesis 32). Later, in Bethel, God appears to Jacob/Israel again, reaffirming the name change and giving him the same covenant as Abraham (Genesis 35:9–12). As a result, the "heel-catcher" was renamed "one who wrestles with God."

Why does a person have two names? Why is the old name being changed? As we progress through this blog, you will understand why a person has two names.

Take a look at the two examples below to see how God has changed situations:

Bitterness is turned into sweetness.

In the land of Marah, the Israelites arrive (see Exodus 15). They travelled south of the Red Sea, north of Sinai, into the Shur wilderness, which was located between Egypt and Palestine. It's not surprising that the water in this location was unsafe to drink because the land was uncultivated. At this time, Israel must have felt utterly helpless. They'd travelled a long distance and would perish from dehydration if they didn't find suitable water quickly.

But, as reasonable as their concern was, they erred by permitting it to become a complaint. Rather than grumbling, we should use such challenges to pray.

To quench their thirst and put an end to their whining, God sent Moses to a tree that, when cast into the waters, purified them. It reminds us of Christ's Cross, which sweetens the bitter rivers of grief and allows the faithful to rejoice in adversity. As a result, the bitter can only be rendered sweet by trust in Christ.

Water was transformed into wine

The first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John is the change of water into wine at the Marriage at Cana, or Wedding at Cana. According to the Gospel account, Jesus Christ, his mother, and his followers are all invited to a wedding. When his mother notices that the wine has run dry, Jesus proves his divinity by turning water into wine.

We've seen examples from both the Old and New Testaments. There are lessons in these examples

·        Bitterness (old name) after a tree (resembling Christ) is cast into the water becomes sweet (new name).

·        At Christ's command, water (the old name) was transformed into wine (the new name).

·        After having an encounter with Christ, "Saul the Persecutor" now became "Paul the Apostle."

·        The reason for the New Testament is that Christ fulfilled all of the Old Testament's precepts, and we were given a New Testament as a result. Jesus, thank you!

Many people change their names and engage in astrological and numerological discussions. These topics, however, are not being discussed or debated here. CHRIST, and CHRIST alone, is the centre of attention. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? There isn't much in a name, and whether you change your name or not is irrelevant. When you are in Christ, he is the one who lives inside of you, and he will change you from the inside out, and you will live for him all your life. Hallelujah!

Saul was never referred to as Saul again after becoming Paul. Paul, not Saul, signed all of his written work. Likewise, we've now been renamed as, ‘believers’, born-again Christians, God's Righteous in Christ.

Are you called a sinner, a lazy person, a debtor, or a failure? Come to the Lord Jesus, and he will make you into a whole new person.

The old has passed, and the new is here. The year 2021 has ended, and the year 2022 has arrived. Accept the change in Christ and let go of your old behaviors. Don't put it off until tomorrow; choose Jesus now.

We are all living in the last days, and in times of uncertainty, we all need a divine encounter (through the revelation of the cross, word of God, or Heavenly vision, as seen in the above three examples). Only then will our bitter lives change into a sweet offering to the Lord.

Look at today’s date: 22022022 It is a palindrome and an ambigram. You can read it from left to right, right to left, and upside-down. Why am I sharing this information?

You may feel alone or helpless right now, but if you invite Jesus into your life, He will never abandon you. Its TWOSDAY today (Jesus and you). 

Also, re-look at the examples that we quoted in today’s blog. In all the situations, Jesus was added and then the circumstances changed. Would you do the same?

Your name could be XYZ, but after accepting Christ, your name is righteous, beloved, and a child of God.

Blessed TWOSDAY!

God loves you!