Part 5

CONTEMPORARY ISSSUES
AND
CORRECTIONS

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:
and they are they which testify of me.
John 5:39

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture
is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
II Peter 1:20,21


Chapter 12

CHILD PRESENTATION
AND
NAMING CEREMONY

And when the days of her purification
according to the law of Moses were accomplished,
they brought him to Jerusalem,
to present him to the Lord;
Luke 2:22


Introduction
         Many wonder why their lives do not reflect the meaning of their names. A boy answers Gabriel, but does not have dreams like Joseph of the Bible. Something is wrong he wonders. Another boy answers Michael, and yet there is nothing like power, brevity or agility in his life and character. So it is with many people, who answer names that are not theirs. Worst still, many answer names of which they do not know the meaning.
         The name of a person is the symbolism and destiny of his life and character. Some claim that name does not matter. Yet, it matters so much, spiritually. That is why God changed Abram to Abraham; Jacob to Israel; and Sara to Sarah. Also consider the name given to Jesus, John, Joshua, and Mary. Each name symbolised the owner’s life, character and destiny. Consider Peter’s name, who is the rock and head of the church.

The Effects Of Name Call
         The essence of a name is the divine empowerment it has. This divine empowerment is very sensitive and responsive with immediate effect. Therefore, a name is called to produce the following effects:
  1. Immediate attention

    2. Attention of the person called is directed to the place or point of call.
  2. Immediate response

    3. The person so called immediately answers the call.
  3. Immediate presence

    4. The person so called immediately appears on the spot. That is how Jesus and Holy Spirit appear at the point of your need.
  4. Immediate effect

    5. On appearance, he performs, successfully, a particular task for which he is empowered to do.
  5. Immediate solution

    6. If somebody is about to get drown, and you call a good swimmer whose name is “Swimmer,” immediately Swimmer appears, he knows what is wrong, jumps into the river and delivers the person about to get drown.
  6. Immediate fitness

    7. The call of a name makes the person called to be mentally alert, physically fit, spiritually sound, skillfully competent. The call of a name is the call of a spirit, necessitating complete spiritual empowerment.
Warning To Actors
         Film and drama actors who call or invoke evil spirits in their drama should beware of the grievous consequences!

Naming Ceremony At Creation
         Name was so important at creation that God Himself had to pay careful attention to what names Adam gave to the creatures:

"And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." Genesis 2:19

Importance Of Child Presentation
         The following are the importance of child presentation in the church:
  1. Thanksgiving to God Almighty for a new baby and for a successful child delivery.
  2. It is an opportunity to get revelations on whom and what the child is.
  3. It provides knowledge of the things that should be done for the child to live a successful life.
  4. It makes known before hand the problems the child will encounter in life.
  5. It provides solutions to those problems, to avoid compounding them through ignorance.
  6. The child receives special blessings and anointing from God.
  7. There is deliverance, healing, etc, for the child, and even for the family, where necessary.
Model Child Presentation
         When a child is presented in the church, he is meant to be presented before the Almighty God. And just as an iron rod gets into the fire and comes out hot, there ought to be a divine message about a child presented before God. This is true and necessary, but not compulsory if there is no message delivered by the Angels. The presentation of the baby Jesus points out should be obtainable in the modern churches.

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, …Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:22-38

Another good example is that of John the Baptist: his naming ceremony.

"On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

… And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the
Most High;
for you will go on (just) before the Lord to prepare
the way for him (forerunner),
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins (baptism),
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun (Jesus) will come to
us from Heaven
to shine on those living in darkness (ignorance, sin)
and in the shadow of death (flesh, condemnation),
to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Luke 1:57-80

         Because child presentation is not done the right way, many Christians today do not answer their true names. It is not always proper to ask parent to give the name of their children, just as it is not good for names to be given by someone who is not spiritually awake. Jesus observed the problem encountered in naming people, and He choose to provide a permanent solution at the close of age (period of grace, when man is allowed to mess things up).

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." Revelation 2:17

Consolation
         Do not trouble yourself because of the name you answer. Live righteously. At the right time, God will correct all the names. Where a name is too bad, it is advisable to change it. Parents who wish to give name to their child should first pray seriously about it and for the right name. The parents of Samson made good use of their knowledge of Angels by praying and requesting for Angel visitor. You can do the same.

3 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." 6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. 7 And He said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"

8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, "O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born." 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, "Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!"
11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, "Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?"
And He said, "I am."
12 Manoah said, "Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy's rule of life, and his work?"
13 So the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe."

15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You."
16 And the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD." (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the LORD.)
17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?"
18 And the Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?" 19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the LORD. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on — 20 it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar — the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 When the Angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the LORD.
Judges 13:1- 15

You can pray and benefit likewise!