What’s In A Name? 

An excerpt from my book, “Now Who Are You?”

Names are very important to God. A name describes the nature, purpose, function and/or character of a thing or person. It also conveys the authority to accomplish it. One of the first things God had Adam do was to name all the animals. God is very careful about the names He chooses to call things, especially His people. We see this in many places in scripture.  

God was very specific that Joseph and Mary were to name their child Jesus. For example; the name Jesus means “Savior and Deliverer,” which is His purpose and function. Along with purpose, however, comes the God-given authority to accomplish His purpose and function. This is why we pray in the name of Jesus, which means to pray in submission to His authority and will. When we pray according to His will, our prayers have the power of His authority behind them to accomplish what we have spoken. 

God had a plan all along and He revealed it in scripture beginning with Genesis. He planned a family. The Bible begins with a family and it ends with a family. God’s original plan was to have sons and daughters—a family dynasty, a family of priests and kings ruling and reigning with Him for all eternity.  

Let’s take a look at the covenant He made with Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17).  

God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. This is significant as this covenant includes all those who have received Christ by faith and become sons and daughters of God. Like us! This is our heritage. Verses 5 through 8 of chapter 17 says:  

“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”  Genesis 17:5-8  

Then God initiates circumcision (verse 10) as the sign of the covenant. Circumcision, as I mentioned earlier, is a cutting around, a removal of flesh and it is also performed in the reproductive organ of the male by whom the identity of the child is determined. This circumcision is also a foreshadow of the circumcision of the heart that would come about as a result of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.  

The name Abram means “exalted father.” But the name Abraham means “exalted father of a multitude.” By changing Abram’s name, God gave Abraham a new purpose and function along with the authority and ability to accomplish it, even before Abraham had a son. Circumcision is performed in the flesh, and it is also a prophetic sign of reproducing a type of people. What type of people does God say? He said kings will come forth from him. A nation of kings! A nation of kings bound together by covenant. God chose Abraham to be the father of faith through whom a new nation of kings come.  

Then God speaks about Sarai. In verse 15 and 16, God says He is changing Sarai’s name to Sarah. Then God said to Abraham: 

“As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”  Genesis 17:15-16  

As mentioned previously, God has specific reasons for changing someone’s name. Let’s take a closer look at this name change. The name Sarai means “my princess.” Sarai becomes Sarah, which now means “my prevailing princess of a multitude.” Notice that God says a particular type of people will come from Sarah, that she shall be a mother of nations and kings of peoples will come from her. Kings are to come from her! That is plural kings, and a nation of them—a royal family line. He said the same thing to Abraham. God promises Abraham and Sarah that a new nation of kings, a royal family, will come from them, beginning with their promised son Isaac. In Revelation 1:5, Jesus is also referred to as the ruler of the “kings” of the earth. These kings are His people! 

The name Sarah is fascinating, let’s take a deeper look. Sarah was a word before it became a proper name. As a name, Sarah means “my princess”. As a word, it means “to prevail, to persist, to contend and to persevere.” As a mother of nations and kings of people, Sarah is a prevailing princess of a multitude. In Hebrew, the word sarah is the root word for government: misrah, meaning “to prevail, to have power like a prince, dominion, government.” 

Hebrew doesn’t have vowels and so the word misrah would look like this transliterated: MSRH. Sarah is SRH. As you can see, there is only one letter difference between the two words. The word for government, misrah, is derived from the word sarah. Abraham, exalted father of a multitude, is a prophetic type of God the Father and one reason why he is referred to as father Abraham. Sarah is a prophetic type of the Bride of Christ, the governmental people representing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. When God and His Bride come together in intimacy, a nation of kings is produced—a peculiar people, a holy nation of kings.  

Abraham and Sarah give birth to Isaac. Isaac gives birth to Jacob and God changes his name to Israel. In Genesis 32:28, God said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” The word for prevailed in this passage is the word sarah. Because Jacob would not give up as he wrestled with the Lord until he was blessed, God gives him a new name, Israel. Israel means “he who strives with God.” Israel is a compound name. The two words that make up Israel are el and sarahEl means “he will rule as God.”  

Israel, the new nation of a governmental peculiar holy people (kings), is the result of intimacy between God (Abraham) and His bride (Sarah). This also refers back to Genesis and the creation story when God blessed man to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it and rule over it. This has always been God’s plan.  

Jacob gives birth to the twelve tribes of Israel. David, which means “beloved” comes from the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve tribes. God decreed that through David and his bloodline, there will forever be a king who sits on the throne. Jesus came from the line of David, the Beloveds, and we come from the line of Jesus. 

Joe Nicola

“Now Who Are You?”

https://www.amazon.com/Now-Who-Are-You-Identity/dp/1463763131/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1Z2ISEED6E4XQ&keywords=Joe+nicola&qid=1642435301&sprefix=joe+nicola%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-3

Government is God’s Idea

Government is God’s idea, He created it. God also created man to be governmental in nature. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit comprise the ultimate governmental system. Isaiah 33:22 says, For the Lord is our judge, The Lord is our lawgiver, The Lord is our king; He will save us. The Judge is God the Father. The Lawgiver is the Holy Spirit, and the King is Jesus. Here we have the three branches of government: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Man is created in the image of God and according to His likeness: spirit, soul, and body. These three parts of man are reflected from the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God the Father is reflected by our soul—our mind, will and emotions. The Holy Spirit is reflected by our spirit, for He is Spirit. And Jesus, having a body of flesh, is reflected in our body. At the same time all Three are reflected by man’s complete being. We are made in His image and according to His likeness.

The Biblical word for government means, a dominion, realm or empire under authority or rule. Man, as an individual, submitted to the authority of God was the very first government God created on the earth. Man is created to govern or rule himself under the direct rule of God and is accountable to God for his actions. We see this clearly with the creation of Adam and his relationship with God. The structure of government was first relational and personal. Each man is responsible to God to love the Lord God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and to love their neighbor as themselves, Matt 22:37, 39. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law, Romans 13:10. Biblical love is the motivation for our obedience to God. The government of God flows through our relationship and fellowship with Him. God commanded the man to be fruitful and multiply, subdue the earth and rule over it, Genesis 1:28. God then placed man in a relatively small place called the Garden of Eden to subdue and rule. 

Following man’s individual responsibility before God, God created family. Family is the basic unit of government for society. Family is where individuals with governmental responsibility before God begin to function in a relational group of order and structure. The family is created to be a relational unit of fellowship with God and one another with each having responsibilities to the other. The husband and wife are responsible to one another by mutual submission. Parents are responsible for nurturing, teaching, training, and disciplining their children according to the ways of the Lord God. Family government consists of children submitted to their parent’s authority as parents are submitted to God’s authority. Parents are responsible for legislating the will of God in the family and exercising their judicial duties as well. This makes for a healthy and safe home that affects all of society outside of the home.  

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, Ephesians 3:14–15.

Every family derives its “name” or authority (governmental power) from God the Father. God did not give children to civil government, the public school system, the church or to the village. God gave children to parents. That does not mean others are not used in a child’s life to help with their upbringing, but it also does not mean parents can abdicate their God given role and authority without consequences to the family and to society. The family, made of individuals, is the fabric of society and the foundation for all government. When family breaks down, every part of society breaks down. This is “a” reason Satan attempts to destroy the nuclear family and therefore the government of God in the earth. Satan worked his evil scheme of temptation with the first family, Adam and Eve, in the Garden. When they took Satan’s bait, death ensued and they engaged in finger pointing, blaming God and each other. Eventually their eldest son Cain murdered his brother Abel, and the curse continues. Family breakdown equals societal breakdown. 

“Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. ~ John Adams

In scripture, we do not see an organized form of civil government until Genesis 11, the city and tower of Babel. Under the leadership of Nimrod, Noah’s great-grandson, the citizens of the world built a city and a tower to reach into the heavens. Their purpose was twofold: to establish a name for themselves and to keep them from being scattered over the whole earth. They desired to live by the authority of their own name or in other words, they rejected God’s authority and rule and chose to live by their own laws. Secondly, they desired to stay together and not be scattered rejecting God’s command to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth as well as His provision and protection. This was the world’s first attempt at one world government or globalism. Even though God confused the language and scattered the people, the idea of globalism has not died. We are witnessing its demonic resurrection today in real time. Satan is attempting to pervert God’s ultimate plan and deceive the nations. We are eventually going to have a one world government when Jesus returns as King and sets up His Kingdom on earth. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord! Yes, it is going to happen. Nothing or no one will stop it. Government is God’s idea and His children are privileged to participate in it both now and later as His Family Dynasty.

To be continued…

Joe Nicola

Enemies of the State

I have known for some time but, now its official. I am an enemy of the state. Before you go crazy on me, you might be too. Assuming you fall into one of these categories from the Potential Terror Threats released by Homeland Security (see picture above). I made two out of three of them. Yes, I oppose Covid measures, and yes, the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. There are only two sides now. You either oppose the totalitarian system of Neo-Marxism or surrender to it. Surrender is not an option for a true follower of Jesus Christ that represents His Kingdom.

Joshua chapter five has become a reality. The Holy Spirit gave me this word in 2018 as part of the preparation for this moment and I wrote a blog about it called, “I Come Now”. In chapter five of Joshua, Joshua is standing near Jericho and he sees a man (Jesus) standing battle ready with His sword drawn. Joshua asked if He was for them or on the side of their adversaries. Jesus replies that He is now coming as the Captain of the Army of the Lord. Whether or not Jesus is on our side is not the question. The question is, are we on His side. This is how victory is secured, being on the side of the Victorious One who has been given all authority in Heaven and on earth, Matt 28:18.

Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?”

Joshua 5:13-14

For forty years in the wilderness the Lord manifested Himself as a Shepherd to the Israelites. He led them, fed them, and clothed them. Now He appears as the Captain of the Army of the Lord. He is ready to take land and occupy it. The Israelites are seeing another side of Him they never saw before. He is now dressed and ready for battle. This was a different manifestation of the Lord they were not used to. How would you respond if Jesus suddenly, without warning, appears differently than you are used to? Would you even recognize it was Jesus? Some of the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus after His resurrection. Many Christians today have difficulty with this as they have a one dimensional view of Jesus and created an image of Him in their minds. When Jesus functions outside this box it is difficult to discern Him. One reason for this is the pastoral led fellowship, never judge, obey the government, situational ethics, Jesus is a loving lamb all the time mindset that has been ingrained into us for so long. If we are unable to recognize Jesus when He decides to manifest Himself differently we will not be able to follow Him. He is manifesting Himself differently now. A line has been drawn and sides are taking shape. We have the opportunity to choose which side we want to be on. By the way, the lack of a choice is a choice.

Up until now we have only experienced the outer bands of the storm. We are entrenched in a war and the battle is heating up. Everything is being thrown at us from every direction and many are still unaware we are even in a war much less who our enemy is. The time for waking up is coming to an end. The time to get prepared is expiring. We are on the brink of losing our nation and the freedom that many gave their life for. The Bill of Rights and the Constitution is hanging by a thread. The enemy (the globalist elites highly influenced by Satan) are behind the gates and among us. They have infiltrated every facet of our nation and even the Body of Christ. This demonically inspired cabal desires population control that has two parts; authoritative tyrannical control of the people and depopulation. That’s right, as diabolical and crazy as that may seem, they desire to eliminate millions of people. They have said as much for many years.

David Rockefeller: “The negative impact of population growth on all of our planetary ecosystems is becoming appallingly evident.”
CNN Founder Ted Turner: “A total world population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.”
Mikhail Gorbachev: “We must speak more clearly about sexuality, contraception, about abortion, about values that control population, because the ecological crisis, in short, is the population crisis. Cut the population by 90% and there aren’t enough people left to do a great deal of ecological damage.”

Notice the comments mixed with the planet and its ecology along with the total population. This is an expression of earth worship. This is what abortion, climate change, sustainability, Covid, the shots, masks, lockdowns, control of our food supply, control of our health care, control of our electric grid and energy supply, etc. are all about, reducing the earth’s population. There are NOT too many people on the planet. That belief is in direct opposition to God’s command, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…”, Genesis 1:28.

Mask mandates have returned in many places. Injection mandates and vaccine passports are here and increasing around the country to control who can make a living, travel, eat at a restaurant, attend an entertainment venue or buy and sell. The US Military personnel is required to take the shot along with federal employees. Many businesses are requiring it or you will lose your job. Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York cities have all passed vaccine passport requirements. Looks like Philadelphia may be next. More cities and work places will follow. We the People must push back if we are to survive as a nation. There are good signs that this happening in some places.

We recently witnessed Bernard LaPierre, 37 years old, a father of three denied a kidney transplant unless he first take the injection. We will see more medical procedures denied in the coming days to those who have not been injected with the poison they are forcing on the world’s population. Many are suffering serious medical complications and dying from this toxic poison being called a “vaccine”. We are currently witnessing a global genocide with the virus and the so-called “vaccines”. This is all about totalitarian control and reducing the population of the earth. An attack by a bio-weapon called Covid-19, mask wearing which does much more harm than good and lockdowns that cause isolation, anxiety, depression and suicide. Isolation was the first thing God said was not good for mankind, Genesis 2:18. And then another bio-weapon concealed in a shot with spike proteins that is taken willingly in the arm. According to Dr. Zev Zelenko those who have been injected have a “bomb” inside them. Health professionals, community groups, politicians, celebrities, businesses and some churches are recommending this poison killer. Churches are even opening their doors, partnering with this Marxist-globalist government to administer it to their congregation and community! It is so shocking how many people without question are rolling up their sleeves and willingly taking this toxic poison.

So many people are under a drug like stupor (spirit of Jezebel) just going along with it all. Bags are packed and boarding trains with smiles on their faces criticizing those who don’t join them. Absolutely shocking. We are living in a time of global genocide and many are participating in their own demise. I will not participate. We must not participate. We must stand with Christ, firmly entrenched on His side. The eyes of our hearts fully open, our ears fully listening and ready to obey the Lord like Minutemen, ready at a moments notice.

Ekklesia arise! Gideon’s army arise!

Gideon’s army was paired down to a mere 300 men. They were victorious with a trumpet and a torch. A trumpet and a torch! Not conventional weapons to say the least. The trumpet represents speaking and the torch represents seeing. Hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying so we can say what we are hearing. Seeing what He is doing so we can do what we are seeing. This is the key to victory in this hour. This battle must be won in the Spirit and by the Spirit so victory can manifest in the natural. This is the function fo the Ekklesia.

Truth is offensive.

Joe Nicola

Links to help with further research;

Agenda 21

Agenda 2030

Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, the Globalists Genocide

The World Economic Forum

Birthright and Blessing of The Firstborn

Jesus “was” the only begotten Son of God prior to the resurrection. After the resurrection Jesus became the firstborn Son. There is much to be said about birthright and blessing of the firstborn. Many Christians today are unaware of their firstborn blessing that Jesus shares with them. As a result they do not value their birthright and do not walk in the authority and blessing if it.

The twin brothers, Jacob and Esau, are a good example of one that values the birthright and the other that does not.  Their story begins in Genesis 25. Jacob and Esau are twin brothers and sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac is the promised son of Abraham and Sarah. Esau was the firstborn by just seconds as Jacob came out holding onto Esau’s heel. We will pick up the story in verse 27:

When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore, his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank and rose and went on his way. Thus, Esau despised his birthright.

Esau came in from hunting and found Jacob had made some stew. Having hunted all day, Esau was very hungry. Apparently, he didn’t kill any game that day. Esau asked Jacob for some stew, but Jacob wanted to make a deal instead. He wanted Esau’s birthright before he shared his stew. Esau was the firstborn son; therefore, he had a legal right to the birthright. 

The birthright in Hebrew culture was a position of high honor within the family. The firstborn male child obtained the birthright simply by being born first. God stated this in Deuteronomy 1:17: “But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn.”

In Numbers 3:13, the Lord said the firstborn belonged to Him. The birthright included receiving a double portion of inheritance along with authority over the rest of the family. He was the priest of the family and would also inherit the judicial authority of the father. We see a glimpse of this when Jesus, as the firstborn son, made provision for His mother, Mary, while in excruciating pain dying on the cross. Think of that: Jesus exercised the authority of His birthright while crucified on the cross moments before He was to die. That is how important and serious the position of the firstborn is.

In a royal family, the firstborn male son would typically assume the throne as king when the father died. As we see in 2 Chronicles 21:3:

Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. 

In just this brief summary, we can see that being the firstborn came with a lot of rights and privileges in the family. It was a high honor of great value and Jacob knew this, but Esau apparently didn’t think it was of value. Jacob wanted his brother’s birthright and he devised a plan to get it. It was a birthright for food deal. Esau had the birthright and Jacob had the food. So, Jacob asked Esau for the birthright in exchange for some stew. Esau replied; “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” Wow! His reply made it obvious that he did not value his birthright. Esau traded his birthright for a single meal! In a similar way, Adam and Eve handed over their birthright for food, a piece of fruit. It seems that food is always getting us humans in trouble. 

In Genesis 25:34 it says: “Thus, Esau despised his birthright.” For the temporary gratification of his flesh, Esau viewed his birthright as worthless. Temporary gratification of the flesh, the bait of sin that leads to death. The writer of the book of Hebrews calls Esau immoral and godless.

… that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 

Hebrews 12:16

Jacob certainly wasn’t perfect, but he did value the birthright and he eventually went on to become Israel and the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. What happened to Esau? Well, in Genesis 37:39-40, Isaac said Esau would live away from the fertile soil of the earth and he would live by the sword, serving his younger brother just as the Lord told Rebekah when she was pregnant with the twins. Esau went on to marry a daughter of Ishmael (ref. Genesis 28:9). Look what it also says in Hebrews concerning Esau;

For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Hebrews 12:17

So it is with all who do not value the blessing of the firstborn. Tragic indeed!

It is interesting to note that Abraham’s second son, Isaac, also received the blessing of the firstborn. Then, Isaac’s second son Jacob received the blessing of the firstborn. Then, Jacob’s son Joseph was not his firstborn, but Joseph received the blessing. David was the youngest of his family and he received a blessing beyond any of his brothers by becoming king of Israel and from whom Jesus came.

In the Man with Two Sons story (Prodigal Son) the older son (the son with the birthright) possessed a slave mentality and did not have the mindset of a son. Therefore, he thought like a slave, hung out with slaves and acted like a slave. As a result, he never tapped into the blessing of the firstborn or his inheritance. It wasn’t stolen nor was it taken away by his father, he forfeited it. He handed it over just like Adam and Eve did. In the void created by the older son, the younger son stepped into it and was restored by his father in a place of honor and authority within the family by the robe, ring and sandals his father placed on him. Those who value the birthright and blessing of the firstborn possess the mindset of a son. Those who despise it possess a slave mentality and therefore live without it. 

Very tragic indeed!

Notice how often in scripture that it wasn’t the firstborn who ended up with the blessing of inheritance. God is wanting us to know that Jesus shares His firstborn inheritance with all who are born into the family of God, both male and female. This is what the “adoption of sons” means; to receive the full inheritance at the moment of the new birth! We are truly co-heirs with Jesus!

 It is our choice to receive it or hand it over.

Joe Nicola