The Necessity for Christians to Understand that Christ’s Resurrection has Changed Everything, and Will Eventually Make All Things New!

21 Apr 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Revelation 21:5a.         And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.

And then it was Tuesday…Yes, Tuesday, meaning we’ve successfully gotten through Monday, sent it to the History dump, showing that there’s no need to fear the opening day of our work week, that we can handle it just as efficiently and capably as we handle any other day! So, let’s hope that when another Monday rolls around, as it most certainly will, we won’t be fearful and feel out of our league, for we are well able.

And whenever the devil tries to bring fear into our souls and spirits, let’s remember these most encouraging words of Bruh Paul to Timothy, and to consequently to all believers: ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) That ought to keep us strong in the belief that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13)

And furthermore, that our wonderful, wealthy and generous God shall supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19) For He has promised that when we seek Him and His kingdom of righteousness first, that all of our needs will be met. (Matt. 6:33) So, considering all of that, there is no real reason for a believer to get tied up in stressful knots with fear and worry. End of Sermon! (smile)

And today, we’ll do some more contemplation from the Consider This Section of the In Touch April Devotional. So please consider this with me: ‘When the women arrived at Jesus’ tomb, (that’s on Easter Sunday morning), they’d come prepared for the worst. But they didn’t find a body to tend to – only a piece of cloth lying apart from the linen wrappings. They wept because they thought their beloved Teacher had been taken away. They didn’t understand that Jesus had defeated death or that His victory belongs to every believer.

We’re living in mortal bodies in a broken world, so it can be easy to forget something marvellous has already happened. The moment we said yes to Jesus, we began a journey toward wholeness – one we make with Him by our side. So when hopelessness is saying that things will never get better, remind yourself of this truth: The resurrection isn’t ancient history or a mysterious moment in the distant future. It is unfolding within us every moment of our life and will be complete when Jesus returns to make all things new.’

Now that’s indeed something to look forward to, because He’s promised in His Word: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:4-5)

Oh my fellow believers, what a joyful and glorious day that will be, when Jesus creates a new heaven and a new earth, and there’s no more negative effects of sin. In other words, that’s the day we’ll be free from the consequences and effects of sin. It’s a future guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection. And as one commentary says: ‘it fulfills God’s plan to restore, rather than merely replace the broken world.’  

Yes friends, that promise of making all things new is ever so wonderful, because it offers us believers hope for a brighter and more glorious future while facing trials and tribulations here on this sinful and evil earth. And oh, I can’t wait to not feel the effects of pain, (smile) because it’s been my constant companion in one form or another over the last several years.

And having said all of that, we certainly cannot overlook possibly the most poignant and meaningful promise in all of God’s Word, one that we desperately need to cling to if we are to make it through this life with the success He’s planned for us. And yes, that’s a Bruh Paulian sentence, (smile) and it stems from his encouraging and reassuring words to the Roman church. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)

Oh mih bredrin, those words give us the courage and strength to believe that in the long run, despite all our trials and tribulations, the Lord will eventually work everything out for our good. Wow! Remember, the Lord never promised that it would be all wine, women and song down here on earth, but that the end will be much better than the beginning or the middle. And we know that He is an ever-faithful God who never reneges on His promises.

Now that was not even the first time that the Lord promised to make all things new, but simply the last. For long ago, through the prophet Isaiah, He promised His people Israel thus: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field shall honour me, the dragons (jackals) and the owls (ostriches); because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth (declare) my praise.’ (Is. 43:18-21)

But unfortunately the Israelites were constantly disobedient to God, so they often felt His wrath. However, when the consequences of their disobedience were too great to bear, they would eventually awaken from their sinfulness and with sincere repentance, return to God’s fold, seeking His forgiveness. But sadly, with all the disobedience and tribulation in our current world, we’re not even wise enough to turn back to God with sincere repentance, seeking His forgiveness, so that He could make things better. That’s how prideful, foolish, egotistical and dumb we are!

But for the relative handful of us who see the problems and aspire to solve them, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now, we are beholden to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…to be a successful Christian…one must believe that things will eventually get better…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 April 2024   2 Corinthians 5:17.

10 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Corinthians 5:17.       Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Oh friends, if I didn’t know that we were still officially in the season of spring, I’d believe that today was a grand summer’s day. Yes, this Wednesday, has blossomed  bright and sunshiny with temps in the high teens! And people are already out in their shorts and t-shirts. But this temperature is possibly an abnormality, and we will soon revert to true spring time temps. Anyway, who doesn’t like a summer’s day eh, at any time of the year! And with the climate change business making things topsy turvy and eccentric, we’ll take a good day whenever we can, be it spring, summer, winter or fall! (smile) 

Now, let’s cool the enthusiasm a tad, with this snippet from the In Touch Devotional for this month, titled ‘Consider This.’ Please read with me: ‘Worrisome thoughts aren’t always intrusive – sometimes they’re long-term residents. In fact, we may not remember a time before they coloured our days and shadowed our nights. What would life be like in their absence? It’s hard to know. And not knowing is one of the most fearful things of all. But when we invite Jesus into the neighbourhood of our thoughts, He speaks gently to our worries – He calls us out of the cellars of fear and into the sun of His LOVE. All we have to do is reach out. And then let Him do what He does: make all things new.’ 

And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow believers? Christ makes all things new when we turn to Him, when we entrust our very lives to Him in true surrender. And there’s no better scripture that details that fact than this one from Bruh Paul’s second missive to the Corinthians. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) Yes friends, when we become believers in Christ we need to throw out all our old baggage, for we’ve become new people, and old stuff will tempt us back to our old way of life. 

But we must also allow Christ to do new things in us, that He dearly desires to do. It’s like the Lord promised the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah. ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:18-19) And that’s exactly what Christ will do in our lives – make a new and godly person out of us… if we let Him. 

It’s also as Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians, re putting on the new man. He writes: ‘This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind. Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through (because of) the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness (hardening) of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness (licentiousness), to work all uncleanness with greediness.’ (Eph. 4:17-19) 

Now that’s how most of us lived before we accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and it’s how the other unbelievers still live, with hardened hearts and a stubborn will, adhering to fleshly lusts and licentiousness, that’s caused them to be separated from God. And Bruh Paul continues: ‘But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members of one another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister unto hearers. And grieve not (don’t make sad) the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:20-32) 

There you have it my brethren; some valuable practical steps we can all take to put on the new man, and then to keep him on! And keeping him on is the crux of the matter; keeping him on the rest of our earthly lives, because the devil will try mightily to make us go back to our old way of living. Yuh see how Bruh Paul also warned about not giving the evil one an opportunity to get into our heads and thus our hearts. And he wrote about that in more detail to the Corinthians: ‘Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:5) 

And what does all of that mean. Check out this commentary. ‘Casting down imaginations (not accepting the devils thoughts, suggestions, visions) is a spiritual weapon that you must use to be victorious over the enemy. You must learn to actively fight to maintain God’s vision for you. You must only accept imaginations (thoughts) that line up with the Word of God.’ Yes my people, let’s remember that this earthly life is an ongoing battle with the devil, who fights with spiritual weapons, but we have already won the victory through Christ Jesus, we now only have to maintain it; not allow the wicked one to steal it back. And no, it’s not easy, but we have all the tools and weapons to do it, if we so choose. 

Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Then there’s this proviso; if we endure right to the very end with Christ, that end will be even more glorious than we can either ask or imagine. So please, let’s use our God-given wisdom and plan to meet there nuh! Much LOVE!

…in Christ…we are all new creations…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 January 2024 Isaiah 43:19a.

18 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 43:19a.       Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

Ah mih people, this cold, cloudy day is already far gone, what with the ole fella’s late arising. (smile) But I do have some good news to share with us regarding Today. It says that ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ Yes friends, that’s an undeniable fact! And why is that you ask? Well, let’s read it, or rather declare (yesss!!!) it together. 

‘Today is My Day! God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me. Today I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision. Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’ 

Now isn’t that good news? It certainly is! And the beauty of it is that EVERY DAY we can say it, because every day is a new Today, and thus it’s applicable to our lives! Wow! What blessed lives we live under God’s eternal and ever-LOVING guidance! The problem though, as with so many other promises of God, is that we have to believe it before we see it. And one of those wonderful promises entails making a way in the desert for us, making new things so that we can forget the old. 

Listen to the prophet Isaiah on the subject. ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons (jackals) and the owls (ostriches): because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth (declare) my praise.’ (Is. 43:18-21) 

What a magnificent promise my brethren! Our great God is always in the process of making things new. Now,  that prophecy of scripture looks toward the coming of Christ and His marvellous work for mankind. And I like what these two commentaries point out. The first says: “Behold I am doing a new thing.” The coming of Jesus to earth is the new thing Isaiah’s prophetic words point to. The ultimate superhighway home to God’s presence, and ultimately, home to Him in heaven eternally.’ Wow! How wonderful is our God to provide a way for us abject sinners to be reconciled back to Him! 

Then this commentary asks: ‘How is God making all things new? By undergoing the passion, Jesus paid the price for our human sin (death) and granted us the opportunity for salvation and relationship with God the Father. Thus, in the context of the film, Christ “made all things new” through his death and resurrection. Jesus died for us, so have we considered living for him?’ Now that last question is one of utmost importance, in fact, the most important question we’ll ever deal with, for it determines where we will spend eternity. 

And if you don’t remember the question (smile) it’s ‘have we considered living for Jesus?’ Yes, the One who died for us on the cross of Calvary, to atone for our sins. That’s indeed the most important question in a human being’s life, and if the answer is not ‘YES!’ then you’re playing foolish games with your soul and your eternal life. For if you’re not living for Christ, then you’re obviously living for Satan, as those are the only two options we have, and living for the latter is utter foolishness for those who live for him will eventually perish in hell fire and be eternally separated from Almighty God! 

And friends, I can’t ever stop reminding us that eternal separation from God is the worst thing that can ever happen to human soul. Please believe that. Oh, I know the sins and pleasures that Beelzebub gets us into nowadays are wonderful, but the pleasure only lasts for a fleeting moment, while eternal damnation will last for much, much longer than that, and when you experience the heat of hellfire, like the rich man Lazarus did in Luke 16:19-31, then you won’t have a chance to change your mind. 

Choosing Jesus as our Champion, right now, today, is the wisest decision we can ever make, because with Him, we’ll live eternally in heaven. And furthermore, He’s already done so much for us, as Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) Right there friends, we have the best reason for surrendering our lives to Jesus! Yes, He gave His sinless life for our sinful ones. What can ever be more important than that eh? NOTHING! So why turn to the evil one who’s done absolutely nothing but get us into God’s bad books. That’s the height of foolishness! 

And the great thing about living for Christ is that through the abundant life He died for us to have, you begin reaping rewards right down here on earth. And among those many rewards are what we call our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord’s bestowed on us so we can do His earthly work. And they are even more significant today, because of how we opened the Bit, with ‘TODAY’ being ours. So let’s activate those many undeserved blessings by sincerely declaring (awright!!!) them. 

As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now friends, if with all those blessings under our belt, today isn’t our day, then I don’t know when will ever be our day nuh. So please, let’s go out into the world like blazing lights and salt-filled vessels and share those blessings with others, just a generously as Christ shared them with us. That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!

…every day we’re alive is our Day…buoyed by God’s awesome blessings…Wow! 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ             

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 January 2012 Ephesians 4:23.

14 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ephesians 4:23.        And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;   

Now that’s more like it! There’s a hint of sunshine in the air, not the total murkiness we’ve suffered for the past couple of  days. Sunshine has been so lacking that lights which are recharged by sunlight have not been coming on because there hasn’t been sufficient sunlight to recharge them. I wonder what’s happening to those who use solar powered equipment in their homes, like on their rooves to provide heat, if they don’t have a large storage of that solar power.

It’s a good thing that we don’t have to worry about our spiritual power, because we have Jesus, the ‘awesomest’ power person there is, rooting for us in everything we do! But first we need to put our trust and faith in Him, believe in what He says, and live the way he directs, otherwise His power won’t work in us. It’s all conditioned upon our sincerely accepting Him as Lord and Saviour and doing His will.

And when we do that…Brother! Such new vistas will open before us, exciting things will begin happening, good changes will be made in our lives, in fact a complete turnaround will take place, and we’ll wonder why we hadn’t accepted Him into our hearts and lives before. As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17)

Yes friends, when you’ve found Christ, you become a brand new being. As the scholars put it: ‘When a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation,” and perceives Christ in a new way.’ And that’s borne out by the words of Jesus, first to Nicodemus, who came by night seeking information from Him. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)

It’s a spiritual rebirth my brethren! And unless it happens to us, we won’t see the kingdom of God. It’s as simple as that. And Jesus drives home that point later on when He tells the disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Now that’s laying it all on the line. And it is the indisputable fact; without Jesus, we are very limited in what we can do.

And when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour, we make a break with the old things of our lives. We have to, because all the old carnal, sinful, fleshly stuff doesn’t work in Christ’s domain. That means a lot of new things, interesting changes must happen in our new life with Jesus, if we are to abide in Him, and He in us. As Isaiah writes: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider ye the things of old.’ (Is. 43:18) And the wonderful thing about it all my people, is that once we come to Christ, our union with Him abides forever!

But here are some interesting words from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, on some of the practical changes that we make when we come to Christ. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct of) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)

Yes my fellow saints, just a few practical changes to make when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour! (smile) But seriously though, we desperately need to consider how all of the above resonates in our personal lives, because it’s all a big part of our current angry, strife -filled world. And it’s not always easy to differ from the world, but we must, if we are to fulfill Christ’s mandate.

The major aspect though is a change in our mindset, because it’s in our mind that all the battles between the old and new take place. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote: ‘And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.’ (Eph. 4:23) Now, the only way we can do that is through purposeful meditation on God’s word, sincere prayer and the genuine encouragement of other believers. And, since we’ve already pondered the Lord’s word, and encouraged each other, let’s go to Him in prayer now, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help and guidance.

As one strong, confident, but humble voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now, please remember that we just portrayed ourselves as faithful believers, and unless we live up to that promise, the Lord won’t answer our prayers. Much LOVE!

…being a new creation in Christ is wonderful…but it’s not always easy…we have to keep at it…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8              

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 June 2021 Isaiah 43:19a.

23 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 43:19a.     Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

So now it’s Wednesday, another beautiful day in the life! Thank the Lord for His goodness to the children of men! Especially when it comes to His wonderful Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; the most beautiful, powerful and LOVING gift ever bestowed in this universe! And the saints of Christ, all lifted their heads, hearts and voices and sincerely declared: ‘Jesus! Jesus! The light of my life, my salvation and my glory! Thank You heavenly Father for giving Him to us. We LOVE You dearly, and we praise and bless Your Holy Name! Amen!’ 

Ah friends, what a momentous and joyful experience it is when Jesus comes into our lives! There’s nothing in the world to compare to or outclass it! You just simply feel a different vibe in your spirit, body and soul. Nothing like you’ve ever felt before. And you’re just astonished that such a remarkable transformation is possible, and wonder why you never experienced it before. But that’s just part of Jesus’ mystique; nothing happens before it’s time, before He is ready to come into your life. And it’s nothing to be afraid of; for He’s never late or early, always right on time with His well-drawn up and executed plans for each of his creations. 

As the Father said so long ago, through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) That’s a very pertinent scripture in the lives of all believers my people. It means that whenever you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, that is the exact right time, the time that He had planned from eons ago to come into your life. There’s nothing vikey-vie or wishy-washy in God’s economy. It’s all well laid out and executed. Every possibility and consequence have already been considered and plans made to countervail them. 

The prophet Isaiah declared it thus: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:18-19) Yes friends, when Jesus comes into our lives, it’s a whole new story, a rebirth! To all intents and purposes, we are born again, like He said to Nicodemus: ‘Verily, verily (truly) I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) 

And when Nicodemus looked surprised and asked: ‘How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily (truly), I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirt is spirit.’ (John 3:4-6) Yes my people, the rebirth we are talking about here is one of the spirit, one of life-changing attitudes, opinions and behaviour. 

And here’s how Bruh Paul explains this rebirth. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) And it’s of the utmost important that we understand the meaning of those words. Basically, it means that we give up the old lifestyle we lived and adopt a new one where Jesus, through His Holy Spirit that comes to indwell in when we receive Him, is our guide and leader. We now consider His ways and means as the guiding light of our lives. 

Sin, or the rejection of it, now becomes of much more importance. We no longer live after the flesh, or as the world dictates, because then we are merely IN the world, but not OF the world! We take our direction, our orders from Jesus and the things He desires, not from what the world says. We now live life in the Spirit, not in the carnal and sinful desires of the flesh. As Bruh Paul puts it to the church at Rome. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom. 8:1-2) 

Yes friends, when we come to Christ, the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives guides us in a new direction, to obedience and good works in Christ, not back to the old, carnal lusts and desires we once had. Oh precious people, receiving Christ brings us into a whole new ball game. Here is how Bruh Paul describes it to the Ephesians. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph. 4:22-24) 

And the scholars offer these explanations re those verses. ‘4:22-24. Christianity taught the addressees to (1) put off…the old man, to renounce their pre-conversion life and sins; (2) be renewed in…your mind, to be constantly changed, being brought more and more into line with God’s own viewpoint; and (3) put on the new man, that is, to assume a new nature (character) and conduct (life) at conversion.’ And yes, we all discover that changing our lifestyle in mid-stream is not an easy, or always a delightful task. But as true believers in Christ, it is absolutely necessary that we give it our all! And never fear, for Jesus is always there to help us! 

Now, here are a few practical pointers that Bruh Paul gave to the Ephesians, which are still helpful to us today in this topsy-turvy, deceitful, evil and godless world. They run from 4:25 -32, 5:1-2, you can read them at your own leisure, (smile) but to save time and space, I’ll just list them as the scholars’ explanations. ‘4:22-5:2. …practical guidelines as to how “the old man” (vs. 22) can be laid aside and how the “new man” (vs. 24) can be assumed in daily living. The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such an exchange: 

(1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members (vs. 25). (2) Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the Devil may not be given opportunity (vs. 26-27). (3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, in order that one may have the means to meet the needs of others (vs. 28). (4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others and not grieve the Spirit (vs. 29). (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us (vs. 31-32).’ 

That’s it in a nutshell friends! Nothing exotic, but very practical guidelines that we can all implement as we walk in LOVE, as Christ desires of us. Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the world know of our wonderful position on Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And believe me, if we walk that narrow path right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…to walk in step with Jesus…oh…what a joy divine…                                                                                

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