Grace and peace, Saints.

Today I was on YouTube looking for the lyrics and melody to an old Negro Spiritual entitled “Changed My Name” to add to my repertoire.

Because I went to church only occasionally before I got saved in September, 2005, I never knew many Christian hymns or spirituals. So, when my children and I started having church at home, in 2013, and wanted to have praise and worship, we found that we didn’t know any praise and worship songs. Then, I remembered a couple of songs from “Vacation Bible School” which I attended one summer when I was about ten years old. One of the songs I remembered was “Onward Christians Soldiers.” I couldn’t remember all the lyrics to the song, so I googled “Christian hymns” and one of the sites that came up was hymnal.net, which has the lyrics (and sometimes the accompanying music) to many Christian hymns and spirituals. They had the lyrics and the melody to the song, and it took us about a month to learn it.  Now we know about 15 songs, which is not very many, but is way better than just one.

When I want to learn a new hymn, I’ll occasionally go to a site like hymnal.net and look for something. If I find a song I like, but the melody isn’t available, I’ll often go to YouTube and search for the song there. Sometimes only the lyrics and melody will be available, while, at other times, a person, group or choir will perform it.

Yesterday, it occurred to me that we know only a couple of Negro spirituals, so I went to a site I had visited years ago called negrospirituals.com ,where years ago I found the lyrics to “Oh Freedom!”  There I found a song called “Changed Mah Name” that I really liked. Here are the lyrics:

I tol’ Jesus it would be all right
 if He changed my name,

Jesus tol’ me I would have to live humble
 if He changed mah name,

Jesus tol’ me that the world would be ‘gainst me 
if He changed mah name,

But I tol’ Jesus it would be all right 
if He changed mah name.

I believe this song is based on Revelation 2:17 where the Lord Jesus, through the Apostle John says that one day He would give all victorious believers a white stone with a new name on it:

“To Him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”

I like that.

While searching YouTube for a video of someone performing the song, I happened across this video of a renowned Gospel singer singing “Changed Mah Name” at a church celebration. I don’t know why, but I was rather surprised to see this lady flash the Cult of Mary hand sign a couple of times in as many minutes.

I had never heard of Irma Gwynn before today, and so I don’t have enough background information to venture a comment as to her religious beliefs. But I do know the Cult of Mary.

I also couldn’t help but notice that during her testimony, Ms. Gwynn used the words “Lord” and “God,” but did not once mention the name of Jesus Christ.  I would have wondered why had I not seen her flashing the Cult of Mary hand sign.

As she continued, the smile I originally had on my face in response to her opening words slowly vanished, and I realized that she was not going to give the Lord Jesus the glory He so richly deserves by specifically saying His name. Then, again, why would she?

I have noticed that many Gospel singers seldom use the name of Jesus, but often substitute the words “Lord,” “God” and “Christ,” which I guess we are to assume mean the Lord Jesus Christ. You want to know why our churches are so jacked up? This is why: many of our leaders belong to the cult of Mary.

Warning from the Lord…

TSM