Title: People whom God appointed to give everlasting life and their new name.

Acts 13:44-52 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us:
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I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.[k] Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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When the Apostle Paul and Barnabas came to Antioch which is todays Scriptures background, there were Greeks, Romans, Borgian and the Jews who were dominating commercial supremacy.

When the Apostle Paul and Barnabas preached the Word of God, all people in Antioch including men of power and men of repute came to hear the gospel. However, the Jews actually envied the Apostle Paul and Barnabas.

Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.
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At this reproach of the Apostle Paul they persecuted the Apostles and chased them away out of town. And now the Apostle Paul and Barnabas bravely said, It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. The Jews judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life by excluding the Word of God, however, when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed, the Bible says. God, who saw that the Gentiles receiving the Word of God, blessed those who had been appointed to eternal life to understand the Word of God and to uphold the Word of God and to follow the Word of God. This was the work of God which God called each name of those who had been appointed to eternal life and remembered their names.

1. Those who had been appointed to eternal life In verse 48 of todays Scriptures, God said there are people who had been appointed to eternal life, and appointing to eternal life is the work which God does by His absolute sovereignty. For God is the creator of the universe and all things in it, as stated in John 2:2425, He knows all men and what is in men, and as stated in Jeremiah 17:10, He is the One who searches the heart and test the mind. Also, as we read 1 Samuel 16:9, because He knows mens heart, God knows whether He should appoint eternal life to this man or not. When we say, Father, He knows our whole life until this day. Even medical science of this world can find out everything about a human with only a single strand of hair, right? With that, they can find out what blood type that person is, right? As we see such fact, do you not feel realistic about God who knows all things about us when we call Him, Father? In the Scripture saying, as many as had been appointed to everlasting life believed, there is a hidden meaning that God called each name of those who had been appointed to everlasting life in Antioch and designated them as His own.

It is same for today. No matter what kind of mind and heart youve brought here today, I hope you believe that there are people who had been appointed to everlasting life by God. God does not turn away from those who had been appointed to everlasting life. You are Kim, right? I have appointed to in Christ before the creation. Do not be afraid, do not be worried, I will give you everlasting life. I hope you believe God designates and calls you by name.

As we study the meaning of original language of those who had been appointed to everlasting life, it means to organize something correctly and put it in its proper place and the second meaning is to be designated. We have been wandering out of our proper place until this day just like Adam who took and ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, however, God appointed to everlasting life to us and called us by name and organized and put us in the designated place. The work of Gods appointing and designating us shows Gods sovereign will of salvation towards men. It is the work of God which God performs by His sovereignty no matter anyone says anything. I want you to believe you who are sitting at this place today too are appointed and designated by God. Therefore, God will never cast you away. Even though all the people in the world sink in the flood of judgment and are swept away, you whom had been appointed to everlasting life are bound by God with the bond of salvation, I hope you believe this fact. 2. God calls by name those who had been appointed to everlasting life. God calls by name those who had been appointed to everlasting life and designates them as His own. Isaiah 43:1
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But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

Isaiah 45:3-4
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I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob My servants sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.

God says, I have called you by your name; You are Mine, this is not an old story from history, but I hope you believe God is calling you by your names today at this place and saying that you are His. If you only do so, you become the one whom had been appointed to everlasting life.

If God calls you by name, then you are His and His special treasure. Psalm 135:4
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For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.

Malachi 3:17
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They shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, On the day that I make them My jewels.[a] And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.

Who does not spare their jewels? Special treasures such as diamonds or seals receive special protection from its owner. For me, my special treasures are cameras and fountain pens. In verse 48 of todays Scriptures, it says, 48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

When the Apostle Paul and Barnabas preached the Word of God, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. Until this day, those people who came before the Word of God and departed from it are truly pitiable people. God said not to even pray for those who came and left, for those who deny the Holy Spirit. Jeremiah 11:14 So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.
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Matthew 24:13
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But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

However, if you depart from the Word of God, then you are not enduring to the end. God said to redeem the time, so through this time today, I hope you uphold the Word of God.

3. God calls by new name those who had been appointed to everlasting life. If God appoints us everlasting life, then He gives us a memorial name commemorating this fact. That is the new name. Although God originally does not have a name, He has a memorable name. Exodus 3:14-15 And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. 15 Moreover God said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.
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Here, My memorial is in other words memorable name. Hosea 12:3-5

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He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God.[a] 4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him.

He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us 5 That is, the LORD God of hosts. The LORD is His memorable name.

If God has everlasting name called memorable name, then we, who are destined to become His bride, should also have a memorable name, shouldnt we? That is why God wants to give us an everlasting name as well.

It is not that God gives you an everlasting name just because you request for it. In order to receive a new name which is a memorable name, you need to wrestle at your lifes stake just like Jacob did. The names we use now on this land cannot be everlasting name. In the book of life in the kingdom of heaven, they do not record the names you now use. That is why God promised us that He will change our name into new name. Thus, our name can be changed. To Solomon, God gave Jedidiah as a memorable name, namely, a new name. 2 Samuel 12:25 and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he[c] called his name Jedidiah,[d] because of the LORD.
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Among the disciples of Jesus, to James and John, Jesus gave a memorable name called Boanerges. Mark 3:17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder;
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Giving a new name is not only for people, didnt God change the land called Luz into Bethel? Genesis 28:19

And he called the name of that place Bethel;[a] but the name of that city had been Luz previously.
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Luz means apricot tree and it changed into Bethel which means the house of God, temple. In the Bible, there are many examples where God changed either persons name or places name. When Jacob tricked his older brother and father and took away the birthright from his brother, he ran away from his furious brother and on his way to Haran, he slept over in the wilderness called Luz with stone as pillow and in his dream he met the angle of God and received blessing from him. After waking up, Jacob realized that that place was the temple of God and took the stone which he slept on and poured oil on it and called the place Bethel. Jacob who fled to his uncles house stayed for 20 years there and with a great wealth and four wives he was returning home to meet his brother and family. On his way to return home, Jacob met God at the ford of Jabbok and God gave Jacob a new name.

Genesis 32:22-28 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacobs hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, Let Me go, for the day breaks. But he said, I will not let You go unless You bless me! 27 So He said to him, What is your name? He said, Jacob. 28 And He said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel;[b] for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.
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Just like Jacob received a new name by struggling with God, we too, only if we could struggle with God and prevail, I believe God will give us a new name as well. What does it mean by struggling with God and prevail? It means to pray earnestly and persistently so that God cannot avoid answering our prayer and finally receiving answer to our prayer from God.

Today, if we only pray such prayer to God and prevail, God will change our name into a new name. Just like Jacob became Israel, our name becomes spiritual Israel. The literal meaning of Hebrew word Israel is to struggle with God and prevailed. However, let us go one step further and know spiritual meaning of it. Please repeat after me, the one who have seen the face of God. When Jacob received a new name called Israel, didnt Jacob say that he saw God face to face? Genesis 32:30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:[c] For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
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Peniel means the face of God. Jacob met God at the ford of Jabbok and received blessing and by seeing God face to face, he received a new name called Israel. If God called Israel the one who met God and saw God face to face, then Moses who saw the face of God on Mount Sinai too is Israel and Abraham who saw the face of God in Ur of Chaldeans is also Israel and Noah who saw Gods face as he received the revelation about judgment by flood is also Israel. In Judges 13:22, the parents of Samson who saw the face of God who revealed to them as the Angle of the Lord are Israel, too. In the meaningful sense, we say those who received the blessing of eyes that see and the blessing of ears that hear are Israel. Matthew 13:16-17 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
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Today, if we also see the face of Immanuel God and hear the voice of God who is with us, then I believe we have received the new name Israel. How wonderful it would be if we receive a new name by seeing Gods face and hearing His voice? I hope you believe our living God changed names of you who have received and accepted this Word of God. Novice believers know the meaning of Israel is the one who struggle with God and prevailed, but those with mature faith know that its meaning is the one who saw the face of God. The former is literal meaning and the letter is inside meaning.

God promised that He will change our names. Isaiah 65:15

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You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord GOD will slay you, And call His servants by another name;

Jesus Christ has a new name as well. Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
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Those who become the bride of Christ also have a new name. Isaiah 62:4
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You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah,[a] and your land Beulah;[b] For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married.

Hephzibah means my joy is in her. Beulah means married woman. And thus, it is the name of bride who have God as her husband. As stated in Genesis 32:28, after God changed Jacobs name, God said he shall not be called Jacob anymore. If so, then we too have received a new name called Israel today so I hope you do not call your old name any more. What is your name? Israel! If you inscribe todays message on tablets of the heart, then by faith you have struggled with God and prevailed. So now, God has changed our name into Israel.

I hope you believe that you have received a new name Israel by accepting and understanding todays Word of God. Please repeat after me, it will be done as we believe! Why did God tell us to remember the days of old and consider the years of many generations? Because Jacobs incident that he received a new name by seeing God face to face is not only the past incident but it could also be todays happening. Among believers today, how large number of believers live like Jacob who was like a worm? I believe all the Jacobs who are living underground and eating dust should all have their name changed into Israel. Isaiah 41:14-16
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Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, And make the hills like chaff. 16 You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the LORD, And glory in the Holy One of Israel.

God who changed the name of Jacob who is like a worm will make us into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth so that we shall thresh the mountains and beat them small and make the hills like chaff so that we shall rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel. I hope you take this as the promise of faithful God. How good it is! Can you understand the Scripture Jacob struggled with God and prevailed? How can a creature Jacob struggle with God the Creator and prevail? God let Jacob win seeing that Jacob adamantly hanging on to God. What does adamantly mean? Doesnt it mean be prepared for death? Today if we too hang on to God adamantly and prepared for death, I believe God will let us prevail. When we pray we need such wisdom.

Although we have been praying for our whole life believing in God, did we ever pray like Jacob who prayed with preparation for death? Did we not pray with small voices worried that we might lose our voice?

What will God say when He hears such prayer? Dont you think God will say, you are cunning as a fox, you are like a sly serpent?

The definition of prayer in Genesis Chapter 32 is wrestling. Isnt wrestling our nations traditional sport? When a wrestler wrestles, does he wrestle while he flutters? In order to throw down the opponent, indeed a wrestler fights a desperate fight with his last effort, doesnt he? Prayer should be like this.

Please repeat after me, prayer is wrestling! If we do not become Israel, we cannot obtain everlasting life. When we become Israel, we become son of God, His firstborn and when we become His firstborn we can live forever in the kingdom of heaven. In Exodus 4:22, |Thus says the LORD: Israel is My son, My firstborn. And in Hebrews 12:22-23, there is the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, right?

I hope you believe today our names are all changed by the great and unexpected blessing from God. What is your name, deaconess? What is your name deacon? Israel, Hallelujah! Please believe that each and every one of you just became Israel.

If we struggled with God and prevailed, then Satan and demons cannot be our match. Even if they blow tribulation on to our household, make our business

plunge down and pour on our body various diseases and illnesses and interfere our various conducts, that cannot be a problem for us.

Satan and devils, bring it on, my name is Israel! If we say this, I believe all the power of darkness will be gone. Therefore, from this day forward I believe all your works will be prosperous. If we cannot prevail after struggling with God, we cannot become Israel. Today, we have learned the secret to struggle with God and prevail, I bless you with the name of the Lord you and your whole family all struggle with God and prevail and become Israel. I bless you with the name of the Lord.

Today, we too have received a memorable name, Israel. Now when we pray in the position of Israel there must be an answer to our prayer and to each family and to each individual and business, there will be blessing of all things going well so that all the difficult problems you have will be solved. I hope you believe this blessing has already come upon you.

You who are sitting at this place today, I hope you believe today is the day that you receive a new name, the day that you became Israel. It is the new name you received by struggling with God and prevailed.

If we struggled with God and prevailed, then Satan and demons are nothing. I bless you with the name of the Lord you all become the seeds of the livinghope that overcome demons of poverty, disease and failure and victory is overflowing in your life every hour and minute. Today, by the unexpected grace of God we have received a new name. I bless you with the name of the Lord by receiving this new name you all become the ones who had been appointed to everlasting life and become the hero of blessed work of God who believe every Word of God. I bless you with the name of the Lord.