A New Name

My Confirmation Class
First Methodist Church, 1963

"Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name..." (Revelation 2:17)

Because the book title Once Upon a Neighborhood has already been taken, we're racking our brains to quickly come up with a new name for my soon-to-be-released book. Stay tuned!

In His Revelation message through the Apostle John to the Church of Pergamum, Jesus promised a white stone and a new name to victorious believers. According to the Matthew Henry Bible Commentary, the white stone represents absolution from guilt of sin, alluding to the ancient custom of giving a white stone to those acquitted on trial and a black stone to those condemned. The new name is the name of adoption: adopted persons took the name of the family into which they were adopted. Both the white stone and the new name serving as evidence of sonship and inheritance.

Beloved, do you quality for God's white stone and new name?