Jesus transforms those that follow Him!

ByPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes

Welcome, dear readers, to our column “Daily word for spiritual strength”! I thank God for each of you and I pray, so that you remain thirsty for His word, thirsty for fellowship with Him because He is the source of life.

We continue to speculate on God´s desire to change us for our own benefit. As we stated, by letting God to change us according to His will and following Jesus people around will see a reflection of Heaven in our life and in our ministry.

Do you remember when the elders of synagogue, scribes and Sadducees met Jesus disciples after He was resurrected, they faced a supernatural courage in them.

 

«Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus.». (Acts 4:13).

 

What did the scribes and Sadducees conclude when they had perceived the unusual behaviour of the disciples? They recognised those men had been with Jesus! The disciples followed Jesus. When we look at the apostle Peter´s life, we should notice his birth name was Simon, not Peter. He became Peter after he began to follow Jesus.

 

«One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter)». (John 1:40-42).

 

What was Peter´s true name? His true name was Simon that means a reed. Reed is a plant swayed by the wind. Applied to a human it shows us an unstable person, led by feelings and emotions. Reading about the life of Peter in the Bible, about the time he was called Simon you may notice what kind of person he used to be. Simon was emotional and testy person. He could leap for joy then suddenly become deeply oppressed. Simon was quite unstable with his character. It seemed he just proclaimed in the God´s Spirit saying “You are the Messiah” followed by what Jesus replied with “Get behind me, satan!” to Peter. Simon was tended to vary quite often, thus opening himself to the evil spirit of humanism (see Matthew 16:13-23).

Though, after Simon had dropped his nets and followed Jesus, something happened to him. Jesus immediately spoke to him: “Simon your name will be Peter, that means a rock.” After Simon had become Peter, Jesus let him understand He would completely change him. Jesus said to Peter: “just follow me and I will change you, follow me and I will make you!”

When scribes and elders of the synagogue saw Peter they marvelled saying: “He is an ordinary, uneducated fisherman, isn´t he?” They had no clue where Peter´s boldness and wisdom came from. But you definitely do, don´t you? Peter was changed by the Lord, Jesus Christ. He was changed by the Holy Spirit.

Why did he get changed? Because he followed Jesus. If you constantly follow Jesus, you will be made better and better, that other people will marvel how tremendously your life has been changed. Jesus changes only those who follow Him. Jesus will also change you if you decide to follow Him.

 

Be abundantly blessed in the Lord!

Rufus Adjiboje, pastor

Similar Posts

  • Moving your mountains

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    Very often we speak about our problems instead of speaking to them. Very often we tell God about our problems instead of telling our problems about our God. The Bible instructs us to do it differently. You are instructed toSpeak to your mountains Tell it to move Believe in your heart and doubt not and you will have what you say.

    Very often we speak about our problems instead of speaking to them. Very often we tell God about our problems...

  • How to develop a habit of prayer in our life?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    «Thanks God, I already have such habit». I am glad about you. The other might say «I´ve already tried, but failed to do so”. I am glad about you too.I pray today, so that this Word helps you to overcome your weakness and instability solving this issue.First of all, I want to stress out the fact, that prayer is love relationships with God. Why do I mention that and why it´s so important when you try to make prayer as your habit. We already discussed it, that prayer is not learning of different methods about how convince God to do our will. Lack of necessity to pray is one of few reasons why believers pray just a little.

    «Thanks God, I already have such habit». I am glad about you. The other might say «I´ve already tried, but failed...

  • God’s desire for our faith not to be based on the wisdom of man, the wisdom of this age, but on the wisdom of God!

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    Only God’s wisdom is meant to bring us into the place of glory. The wisdom of God glorifies and exalts us. It is very important for us to open up our hearts and to receive God’s wisdom. Today we often hear about Chinese wisdom, Russian wisdom, Babylonian wisdom etc. But how wonderful it is that we have been given God’s wisdom! The wisdom of God is the highest form of wisdom for all the living. Only this wisdom is able to transform human life, changing it from within (from inside out). That is why God wants our faith to be based on His wisdom and not the wisdom of men.

    Only God’s wisdom is meant to bring us into the place of glory. The wisdom of God glorifies and exalts us. It is...

  • Lust brings sin, and sin brings death III

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    Love destroys the power of lust; where there is love, wounds are healed and prosperity comes. Love is the nature of God and when we become partakers of His essence we escape from corruption that rules in this world.«..as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust» (2 Peter, 1: 3-4)

    Love destroys the power of lust; where there is love, wounds are healed and prosperity comes. Love is the nature...

  • God’s mercies towards the nation of Israel

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    Protection under the cloud of God’s glory.«And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them…» (Exodus, 14:19).

    Protection under the cloud of God’s glory. «And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and...

  • The things that you are ready to sacrifice or give up will determine what will come into your life

    AutorsMācītājs Rufus Adžiboije Reading Time: 4 minutes
    Yesterday we saw that God had asked Abram to leave his country, his father’s house and his relatives and to go to the land that He would show.“Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you” (Genesis, 12:1).

    Yesterday we saw that God had asked Abram to leave his country, his father’s house and his relatives and to go to...