I use to be a ski instructor and would have students in my class from all over the world. One time I had 4 Chinese men in my class and the names they gave me were Tom, John, Robert & Steve. They could barely speak English so after hearing those names I said, wait a minute what are your real names? After hearing them I was thankful they chose to use Tom, John, Robert & Steve because I would have never been able to repeat there real names. Later I talked with another instructor that had worked around the world in the oil industry before he retired and he was telling me it is common practice for a man from one county to adopt a name that is familiar to the country they are in.
The practice of name changing from culture to culture is not uncommon it was even done in the Bible. Joseph was given a new name in Egypt. Danial's name was changed in Babylon and his 3 friends, not many people memorize their Hebrew names but we all know Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego.
My Bible calls the Savior "Jesus". Why the English translator called Yahshua Jesus I do not know and do not care, millions through the centuries including me have "accepted" Jesus as the name of the LORD and Savior. Until recently anyone taking about the savior would call him Jesus.
My question is, why is the name Jesus not acceptable anymore in the English tongue? I still pray in Jesus' name, is that wrong? Would I have a closer walk with God if I change His name that I have used all my life?
I am not trying to be disrespectful here, just wondering.
I still pray in the name of Jesus! And I don't plan on changing that!
As far as the importance of names, I think names do become a part of our character, if only because other people have certain associations with names, which then colours their interactions. And each time we interact with someone, we have some influence over their character.
As much as I love my first name, I get some of the most off-the-wall comments. Some of them are humourous, sure... But, it's made we want to be different than the kind of person people usually think of someone with my name as being.
trucker is right though,,names do matter,,the name YAHSHUA means YAHWAH is our salvation,,and JESUS doesn't mean Joshua,,there were no J's in the Hebrew language as a fact the J's showed up only around 500 plus years ago maybe 600 plus anyway they used Y's so the names you see like Judah was really Yehudah,
,i am not saying that you have to call HIM anything but JESUS is not a name that means anything in Hebrew and all the names of Hebrews meant something and you can find great meaning in their names,,like the name of Noach (Noah) which means rest,,(if you look at the ideographs you can see a wonderful world of symbolism between the meanings and the pictures they represent) the same word that spells Noach spells grace,,and this goes on and on,,Noach was apart of the righteous line of Seth(the sons of ELOHIM),,the line that was protected in the Ark,,did you know the same word for pitch that he was to cover the ark inside and out with is the same word that is used for atonement,,yep,,so see it's not a big scary thing no one is saying that you have to use Hebrew names but if you know that JESUS was not HIS name then why would you want to call HIM that,,,,
look i feel ya i know it is hard when you have been doing something for so long,,it is easy to say well i have been doing it this way so i will keep on this way,,but did HE not say leave the old man behind,,,i thought all my life that christmas and easter were holidays of my FATHER in Heaven but i had to face reality it just is not so,,no matter how you put those holidays you can not get anything good out of them,,,do you know how many sun gods were supposedly born on dec. 25th ,,,do you?? well you should really take a second to look it up cause long before YAHSHUA came there were many many and as far as names the kena'anites used El as one of their gods and Abraham made it known that he was a man YAHWAH ELOHIM EL ELYON YHWH to be specific about the right name,,cause many things got confused at the tower not just language but people started making up names and using them for many of their mighty ones,,did you know that in Lev. 18:3 says DO NOT DO AS THEY IN THE LAND OF EGYPT AND KENA'AN DO,,,
i am not saying that you have to use any name and i don't think that trucker was but it's like this if you know that is not HIS name then why don't you call HIM that,,you know i think HE really just wants us to come out this life humble and teachable,,we act like we know everything or that our culture has it right but if you know that the Scripture you place your life and soul and everyday you pray to THE GOD in that book why would you not want to see it the way it was written or understand the people it was given to,,,YAHWAH picked Israel to be priest among the nations(not only that but HE chose to be from there,,the MESSIAH is a YEHUDAH) so why do you think it is such a bad thing to learn something new?? don't be afraid to learn new things about your CREATOR ,,
i am here to testify that i knew nothing looking through western eyes,,there is no way that you can see the Scriptures in their fullness unless you look to the Hebrew roots,,,even the Feast, do you know anything about the Feast of YAHWAH??? well if you do not then you are missing a great fulfillment,,,YAHSHUA fulfilled the Spring Feast and when HE comes back HE will fulfill the Fall Feast ,,,and i know some say that the Feast are not important but thats just not true either,,they are and in Zechariah 14 towards the end it says that any nation that doesn't come to Yerushalayim and bow themselves to the SOVEREIGN YAHWAH of host and celebrate Festival of Sukkot will be punished,,so if this is the end time then that would mean that the Feast were important and to be kept but then they were not for a while and then they were again in the end,,,which doesn't make much sense does it,,,
so sorry for the long reply i did not mean to do this but it happened so here it is,,sorry if it looks like i am being too intense but i get intense when i talk about Scripture!!! it is so exciting and i know someone is going to read this and say are you telling me i don't know my Bible or can't understand it??? no that is not what i am saying at all,,,i am saying that you have a JEWISH MESSIAH so why would you deprive yourself of learning the ways HE lived or the ways of HIS people the chosen ones of Israel ,,,praise YAHWAH praise YAHWAH,,
i by no means think you are not in the SPIRIT if you have faith and belief then you have HIM,,i love you brothers and sisters and i pray that you see and hear my words as a brother who loves you and is only trying to show you the GOOD NEWS of our MESSIAH and HIS fulfillment,,with no knowledge of the Feast there is no way you can know the amazing things HE did in HIS life,,i understand that you do know love and that HE gave HIS life for you but to understand the little details of the fulfillment you have to know the Feast,,oh brothers and sisters i pray you will see it is fun to learn the Hebrew roots don't be afraid of it there is nothing wrong with learning more about your roots,,this IS YOUR ROOTS,,, if you believe in the Bible that is Hebrew based then you are a part of the Assembly of Israel the Torah tells us so,,,so i pray you are well,,may YAHWAH keep you and bless you and may HIS face shine on you all of your days!!!! may the peace of YAHWAH be upon you always!!! love you in our MESSIAH and just because your special i love you too!!!
okay i was finished but as i was putting our WONDERFUL Book to the side so i could read this again i saw Mal'aki (Malachi) and in the very first chapter (which by the way the Scriptures really don't have chapters either but anywho just throwing it out there)
Malachi 1: 6 it says you who despise MY NAME but you ask in what way have we despised YOUR NAME
Malachi 1:11 "For from the rising of the sun,even to its going down,MY NAME IS GREAT AMONG NATIONS. And in every place incense is presented to MY NAME, and a clean offering. For MY NAME IS GREAT AMONG NATIONS," said YAHWAH of hosts.
okay so see HIS NAME does matter whose NAME is great among nations YHWH's NAME yay for YHWH and yay for our loving MESSIAH ,,,i pray again that you are all well AMEN
