I shall give you a New Name.

To re-introduce this blog and in an attempt to get it up and running as I believe now is the time for it, I would like to kick-off with the subject - I shall give you a New name:

For any of you who may be wondering who Bo'az is, I should like to explain.

I am Bo'az.

Yes, that is right, Steve Swanepoel is Bo'az and has been for 18 months now.

This entire situation can best be described as unnerving, strange and very, very personal.  In fact it is a matter I have been trying to avoid as I am not entirely sure how to deal with it, but once again I have seen the Hand of Graciousness of our Heavenly Father working out His will and purposes in my life as He promises.

Before I try and dive into the name issue, I would like to take this opportunity to first give a small testimony if I may.  Repeatedly, as any good parent does, our Father builds up through communication in varies ways foundations and a relationship in our lives, and then once those foundations are established He (or any parent for that matter) builds on top of said foundations according to His Will for each life.

What I have seen being built into my life through this particular episode is a better understanding and grasp of faith.

Faith is a massively intimate, delicate and personal issue.  It is established through an understood & imparted instruction or communication from a trusted source.  I have found in my life, and the life of others, that faith is often based on what I think or hope is going to happen, not necessarily what YHWH intends to do or what He actually means for us.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as : .... faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith:          Greek: Pistis - Believe & DO (Fidelity)          
Substance: Greek: Hupostasis - Translated as - Assurance, things, substantiating, substance, essence, well-grounded assurance.
Evidence:   Greek: Elengkhos - Proof, evidence
Things:       Greek: Pragma - Translated as - Thing/s, matter,  business, work.

Please remember the Messiah was Jewish and the Word was written by Jews with a Jewish (Hebrew) mindset, and thus the Jewish concept of Faith, is: 

1. confirmation of a fact: substance and evidence convey that fact:  
2. THUS - fact, substance & evidence = FAITH.  
3. These three elements are all aspects of LAW and are a LEGAL PROCESS.
4. Therefore FAITH is a legal, discernible  & verifiable maxim.

Faith has three noticeable aspects which are evidenced in a maturing believer:

1. Saving faith - this is the central aspect of Faith - the deposit/gift of the Seed of Faith - Messiah Yeshua.
2. Serving faith - works done by faith as directed and empowered by the Ruach HaKodesh which touch your immediate world.
3. Sifting faith - faith as a gift which keeps on giving - enduring faith.

We are also called to a corporate faith - general obedience to the Torah as a person or community: and an individual faith in Messiah Yeshua.

Here is where we more often than not become confused in our application of faith. 

Corporate faith I believe, we can refer to as obedience to general house rules such as keeping Shabbat and YHWH's festivals; marriage laws, eating Kosher and so forth.

Individual Faith I believe, is when we begin to carry out serving faith which touches those around us.  This is the Faith which HE will impart to you in a personal and intimate relationship and not necessarily to the rest of the group.  This is where we may be called to a certain ministry, or instructed to give a certain message, or to lay on hands and such like; or be given revelations not always given to other believers.  This is the faith that defines who we are in Messiah Yeshua.  It points us towards our calling and it sets us upon the path which shall ultimately determine and establish our responsibilities in the Body of Messiah Yeshua.

NB: Your life of individual faith (revealed Will and Instruction for you as an individual in Messiah and His Body) will never contradict the Corporate faith (house rules) found in Torah!

On many occasions in years past I have seen in my life, and the lives of all my brethren, this grasping at straws when the going begins to get tough.  Naming, framing and claiming Biblical promises for ourselves BECAUSE IT IS WHAT WE TRULEY BELIEVE WE NEED AND ON THOSE OCCASIONS SORELY WANT IN OUR LIVES!    BUT IT IS NOT WHAT THE MASTER WANTS FOR US AT THAT JUNCTURE AND HE HAS NOT REVEALED TO US THAT, THAT PARTICULAR SCRIPTURE, WORD, WHAT-EVER IS EVEN INTENDED FOR US!!!

This is why I stated initially that Faith is a massively delicate, personal and intimate matter for each believer.  I CANNOT PROVE TO YOU THAT YHWH DID WHAT I AM ABOUT TO RELATE TO YOU, BUT USING THE DEFINITION OUTLINED ABOVE I NEED TO MAKE SURE TO THE VERY BEST OF MY ABILITIES, THAT WHAT I AM SAYING YHWH SAID TO ME IS IN FACT A LEGAL, DISCERNIBLE AND VERIFIABLE MAXIM. AND IF I AM ABLE TO DO THAT TO MY OWN SATISFACTION AND CONVICTION THEN, AND THEN ONLY, MAY I SAY I BELIEVE THIS IS OF YHWH!

How would I go about proving this?  Well firstly and fore-mostly:  Does a legal precedent exist in the Word (Torah) to measure "my revelation against?"  If yes, well we go onto Step 2.  If no - back to the drawing board - get down on your knees and seek clarity on your revelation or expected outcome.

Step two:  Ask YHWH to please confirm through His Ruach HaKodesh via independent witnesses that what you believe HE has said to you, is in fact of HIM!  This may take the form of Him talking to you through the Scriptures which HE will lead you to.  On another occasion somebody unrelated to the entire incident, and possibly entirely ignorant of the situation at hand may come and speak to you about that exact thing.  In fact there are so many ways (dreams, visions, Scriptures, Words of Prophecy, signs - see Gideon and the fleeces) that YHWH can and will communicate with you until eventually you are absolutely certain it is HE that has spoken to you.

That however is not where it ends:  You may feel led to go to other believers whom you have a relationship with and whom you trust and you may want to tell them what you believe YHWH has imparted to you.  Then ask them to seek His Face and intercede before YHWH on your behalf and please to show them if you may be mistaken.

Wait on Him, trust Him to show you, look for His leading, be aware of His presence.  Ask Him for guidance and help.  Then when you are sure, do what you have been instructed to do.

Please, please always remember that YHWH wants a relationship with each and every one of us - NOT A DEAD RELIGIOUS EXERCISE - which is what the Scribes, Pharisees and majority of the clergy of today want to push you towards.

The above now stands as my witness to you all that I have perused these paths and am convinced that what I am about to share has indeed come from YHWH.  However this is not the end of the matter yet.  Each one of you who reads this blog too need to approached the Throne of Grace and ask if what I have said is correct:  NEVER, NEVER TRUST ANY PERSON.  ALWAYS GO TO THE FATHER AND SEEK HIS COUNSEL.  SEE IF HE IN FACT DID SAY SUCH A THING AS IS BEING PURPORTED.

Before I now return to the subject of this blog - my new name - I shall need to unequivocally clarify the following:

I personally have a problem with people just changing their names to give themselves a sort of Hebrew flavour and it does seem some-what prevalent in the Messianic Movement.

My personal given name at birth was Stephan (derived from Stefanos or Stephanos); I believe I am to respect my parents (Torah instructions) and Stephan is the name they thought good to give me as a individual and in honour of my Biological Father.  Therefore I do not believe such changes of our birth names for the sake of sounding more Biblical or Hebraic is correct, and the matter, in my opinion, is even more compounded should such a name change be made without the parents consent, that is should they still be alive to consult with.  My parents have passed on many years ago.

Now, I can return to the subject of this blog:

Whilst praying early last year (2012) I was crying out to YHWH on behalf of Yisrael.  During my intercession I asked HIM to please be their Bo'az.  Having cried this out I immediately heard in my Spirit "BUT THAT IS YOUR NAME!"

I stopped dead in my tracks, suddenly the world started to spin:  It seemed I had never heard such a wonderful name.  I felt a joy and excitement in my spirit that was altogether intoxicating.  I was babbling my thanks to My Heavenly Father and at the same asking how could this be possible.

With the strong opinion I have stated above regarding name changes, I trust you can understand that upon hearing this revelation I was thrown into a complete and utter quandary.

However now over the last 18 months, and having shared this testimony with my wife and believers close to me, I am feeling less uncertain about the whole process.  Not uncertain about my name given to me by YHWH, but how to approach the whole situation.  I have not been told by YHWH to drop my birth name; neither have I been told when and where to use my new name Bo'az, thus I have taken a lead from Yakov (Jacob) whose name was changed to Yisrael.  It seems he fluctuated between Yakov and Yisrael depending on his spiritual condition.

I am making the transformation of using Bo'az when writing or doing expressed duties for my Master Yeshua and His Father and on other occasions I am Steve or Stephan.  

There is a brother who has opted to call me Bo'az on all occasions.  

Again a sister contacted me a while ago and said that she had prayed about my new name and that she had been led to believe that she was to refer to me as Bo'az in every instance and at all times and thus the full implication of my YHWH given name will become manifest.

I would respectfully ask the same of each of you who may read this blog.  Should you feel it necessary, please lay this matter of my names before the Father and ask Him what He would have you personally do.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and may you all come to the fullness of the understanding of His Will in and through your lives.

Please, pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for our Brother Judah.

Shalom

Bo'az.