And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). - John 1:42

One of the reasons Jesus came to earth was to offer us a new lease of life, which includes a change of identity. During His earthly ministry, He changed the identity and status of many people from negative to positive; He also changed the course of many lives from aimlessness to purposeful living.

In pursuance of His purpose, many who were hitherto known as barren became fruitful; the blind became sighted; the lame and handicapped became agile; the dead became living; the sick became whole; the poor became rich; the struggling became champions, the lost and strayed became restored, and so on.

There is no one who really had an encounter with Jesus and remained the same. Simon went to Him as a struggling, illiterate and impulsive fisherman and ended up becoming a mature, sound and spirit-filled leader of thoughts. The same thing with the outcast and timid Mary Magdalene, she rose to become a woman of influence. Zacchaeus was a much vilified person, but the day he encountered Jesus, he discovered the real essence of life. That is what Jesus is all about: He changes people and things for the better.

Even as He has physically departed from the earth, He did not leave us without witnesses; there are people whom He has anointed to carry on the assignment of helping people to choose better, live better and become better. These are people with unusual wisdom for accurate analysis of any situation, with commensurate ability to proffer effective solutions that will turn things around for the better. This calling is suitable to those who are committed to living pure so that they can maintain communion with the Holy Spirit, as it is practically impossible to fulfil this mandate without the help of the Holy Spirit.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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