We have one function in life: to be the manifestors of His life to the world. Only when we are living His life are we truly living our own! This is the reason for our creation.
~Malcolm Smith
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Makala: (mah KAH lah) is Hawaiian. It means to loosen; to set at liberty; to remit (forgive, pardon, condone, absolve, excuse) i.e., to cancel or refrain from inflicting or enforcing, as a punishment, sentence, to pardon or forgive (a sin or offense). It also means “Myrtle” which is a leaf used in victory wreaths! Makala is also from the Hebrew root: Michael, meaning “Who is like God?” In art St. Michael is often represented as an angelic warrior, fully armed with helmet, sword, and shield, as he overcomes – by the power of God – the adversary and asks the rhetorical and scornful question: Quis ut Deus?
This is what God has done in my life my friends. And He reinforced this by actually giving me this name many months ago in room 8R in the Colony of Mercy. i tucked the word away in my memory after it came to me clearly (spelling and all) one day during prayer. Sometime later, though, i looked it up on the internet. You can imagine the wonderful sense of surprise i felt when the results came back from the search!
Barnabas: Son of Encouragement. This is the ministry that He has called me to steward (1 Peter 4:1-11). As i walk in Him – as He has taken His place fully on the throne of my life – people are being encouraged. The blog i write has now reached across at least 145 countries. All this simply, because He told me to leave my television off at night, and spend a little time writing about the Gospel. This is all about Him – not about me. People actually walk up and say that they are being encouraged. I have even been called “Barnabas” over the past months. Again, in me – in my flesh – nothing good dwells. In Him – people are hearing about Jesus and feeling His Love through me.
Doulos: Bondservant. Two parallel truths have become apparent to me after absolute surrender. (1) i am totally free. i can do anything. i am not under law. HOWEVER! (2) i have been bought with a price. The ONLY reasonable free choice is to present myself back as a slave to my Master – for Him to use as He sees fit, for His glory and purposes. My life is no longer my own. (Romans 7, 12, 2 Corinthians 5, Galatians 2,5,6, Colossians 3, 2 Timothy 2, 1 Peter 2… actually the whole Book…)
So put it together, and you get: Makala Barnabas Doulos. i am simply one man who has been set completely free, to encourage others and serve Him alone and without limit.
Thanks for reading.
i am His alone… yet ever your brother and friend,
Makala
Other links on this item: Just One Story What’s In A Name? He Changes Everything
