What’s in a name?

Do you ever think about your name? Do you like your name? Do you think it fits you? Do you know what it means?

We have records of membership for people beginning in 1901…that’s 119, almost 120 years ago! I’ve been working on organizing all of our record books and card files, and putting them into a spread sheet on the computer.

As I was going through some of the records, I came across this guy with the COOLEST name….Royal Banner.  Yes! Royal Banner! 

What do you picture when hearing that name? Well, I immediately pictured a flag bearer on a military battlefield. I thought about the movie Patriot which was about the Civil War, and Joan of Arc leading the French armies, and medieval kings going off to war.  

Banners would be carried or flown during battles or parades or ceremonies of some kind to show which country you belonged to or which king you served. 

You’ve seen it in movies where…as the armies march into battle, they carry their flag or banner with them and as the battle gets tough or they seem to be losing the battle, someone picks up the flag and raises it high for everyone to see and pushes forward in the battle.  It rallies the troops and provides encouragement for the army to keep fighting.  Also, as the army returned home victorious, the King or General would lead the troops with their banner flying high.

In Exodus 17, the Israelites were called to war against the Amalekites.  It is in these verses that Moses uses the name for God, Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord is my banner.

2 cor 2:14 says, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession…”

As we deal with life, sometimes we get weary or we feel like we’re in a losing the battle, but we must remember that God is for us and He wants victory for us, we need to remember that the Lord is our banner.  Just like those armies where someone picked up the flag to rally the troops, we can call on Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord our banner.  He can encourage us, give us rest, grant us hope, help us to push through!

But thanks be to God, who in Christ ALWAYS
leads us in triumphal procession….. 2 cor 2:14