“But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Is. 43:1
Our Agape team was ministering two weeks ago in a marvelous worship filled church and as I got up to speak I felt the Lord prompt me to release the name Thomas. He had given me the name of Thomas that morning when I asked Him if there was any particular person he wanted me to highlight. I felt the Lord had said Thomas was a son. As I asked the congregation if there was a Thomas among them nobody responded. I said, “I believe he is someone’s son and may not be here.” A woman from the back of the room spoke out; “It’s my grandson.” “What’s going on with Thomas?” I replied, “He’s a heroin addict and has been for 9 years.” The entire church joined in prayer together to intercede for Thomas’ freedom in the name of Jesus. We spoke aloud together and asked for Thomas to encounter the Father’s love so profoundly that he would never again be enticed by the spirit of addiction.
This morning, I received a message that Thomas has agreed to get on a plane and go to a Christian treatment center. There, he will receive Christ focused care for one year. Hallelujah. We stand together again to give praise to God for calling his beloved child by name.
When the God of the universe, the Great I am, the one who set all the stars in their places and named each one (Ps 147:4) sends a message from his heavenly throne room calling one of His children here on earth by name, everything changes. That God would take note of us amidst all of the things he keeps track of is for most of us, mind-boggling. This is the kind of knowing referred to in Amos 3:2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.” The Israelites God chose, as His people were no better than any others. God loves us no matter where we are or what we are doing. He knew us before we were born, and He alone knows the great destiny we were born to fulfill. Calling us by name is affirming that destiny.
Another time the Lord gave the name of Tristan and the message was that God really liked Tristan’s hair. The young man was not at the meeting but his friend called him and gave him the message during the meeting. The friend then reported back that Tristan was completely shocked. Apparently, Tristan had shaved his head the night before because he hated his hair. That’s how much God loves Tristan.
A young woman was called out by one of our Agape team at a meeting last week. She had never been to that church before or in an environment where the Holy Spirit was present in a palpable way. As our team member spoke the words the Lord had given him over this daughter of God she was moved in a way she later reported was life altering for her.
A young woman learning to hear the voice of God in one of our training meetings told me that I would meet a flight attendant named Lisa on my flight later that day. Yes, there were exactly three flight attendants on board and Lisa was one of them. We were able to deliver even more very personal messages to her from the Lord including where she lived and the number of horses and children she had. If God is going to tell someone Lisa’s name you can be sure he has a greater message for her. She confessed to having believed in God but had given up because of pressures and disappointments in her life. After this encounter she was overwhelmed with how much God loved her that he would send two ordinary people on her last flight of the day to tell her. The other flight attendant’s were also deeply impacted.
In both ministry settings and simply in daily life, the Holy Spirit has given many of our Agape team members the names, numbers, children’s names and yes, even the names of beloved pets. We ask God for these specifics not because we wish to be right or have attention drawn to us but because this is what Jesus modeled. The woman at the well in the gospel of John, chapter 4 is an example of how personally Jesus engaged with strangers. After meeting and listening to Jesus reveal the truth of her life she was forever changed.
Identity is the key to healing the human heart, mind and soul. God is our Father who desires relationship with His children and at the deepest core of who we are created to be is the need to be known, accepted and seen. When we do not know how much God loves us, we look to be known and accepted in the world in ways that leave us empty, disappointed and even arrogant. Eph. 1:4 says, “And He chose us to be His very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe. Because of His great love, He ordained us as one with Christ from the beginning, so that we would be seen as holy in His eyes with an unstained innocence.” His love and approval are free by faith in Jesus and only here will we find the acceptance that brings us complete peace.
Our mission as Agape Freedom Fighters is to help others first know their identity in Christ and then to experience the riches of an ever deepening relationship with God and that through the power of the Holy Spirit to help call other children by name and into the glorious healing embrace of the Father.
Today, may your ears hear the beautiful whisper of the Lord of hosts calling your name.
Love and Joy in Him,
Rev. Joanne Moody
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