January 4th 2026
Someday Jesus Will Say, “Go To Your Room!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
As you start a new year, it gives you an opportunity to resolve to be open to making changes by thinking about bad habits you may have developed which you should plan to stop. Then you could plan to start some new habits that will in some ways improve your life. You may be wondering why the term habit is being used here? A habit is something you are going to repeat over and over until it becomes a natural part of your life and somehow improves your lifestyle. Paul wrote about the change that occurred in your life when you accepted Jesus Christ, and thus, started a new habit of working on becoming more Christ-like every day for the rest of your life!
We should be looking forward to what God has in store for us in this new year. However, we need to be aware that this new year is not a new beginning as everything we do in this world is done in a today! We have already passed one today in this new year. Did you plan what your resolves for this year will be, yesterday? Hopefully, we all have certain responsibilities to think about people in our lives that we would refer to as loved ones, followed closely by people we may refer to as friends. Prayerfully, sometimes it may be mentally difficult to easily separate your friends with joy from your relatives. God chooses our relatives; we choose our friends!
So far, this commentary has been about what we call New Year’s resolutions, but now it seems we should be thinking about more important resolutions that will result in eternal consequences, not just temporary worldly relationships. Everyone is born with an immortal soul, which will leave your body when it dies in this cursed world! Jesus came into this cursed world to offer salvation of your immortal soul, so that your soul will end up in heaven. In this lifetime each human being must come to believe that Jesus Christ is God’s offer of salvation, and Jesus offers the only Way for your soul to end up in heaven.
We can read what Luke wrote about a person who was alive when Jesus was born into this world, and Simeon became a believer in salvation through Jesus. Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:28-32).
Many people who were living in this world and saw Jesus did not believe Jesus was the Messiah promised by God, because they had a preconceived idea of what the purpose of His coming was and how it was going to immediately change this world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:10-13).
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14). When sin entered into this world it was changed by a curse from God, and now every human being is born with an immortal soul a blessing from God, and with a sinful nature a curse from God! Therefore, we are all viewed by God as being evil beings and thus unable to be good enough to enter heaven through our good deeds performed in this lifetime.
This is why we need a Savior to enable us to be able to end up in heaven with Jesus Christ when we die in this cursed world. Following are some positive statements Jesus made about His followers while we are still living in this cursed world. Dwell on such thoughts in this coming year, and maybe these will help you produce some good ideas for happy thoughts for praising Jesus/God in this coming year!
Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). We can anticipate receiving good gifts to come to us from God when we pray, because God is good and loves us. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12). So, what we usually call the Golden Rule Jesus taught His followers to think of other people as deserving our love, because God first loved all of us!
Jesus offers His followers to find rest for our souls in this cursed world. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV) Having an eternal light to guide you in this world allows you to see the unseen treasures that await believers, which can blot out the darkness of living in a cursed world. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Do you have Jesus fronting for you in this world? Knowing that there is a better place awaiting me when I depart, this world offers a very comforting feeling.
Then comes the greatest promise Jesus left for His followers, when He said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3). I believe the moment you, a believer dies, Jesus will come to you and direct your immortal soul to the room He has prepared for you. You will remain there until the new earth, AKA heaven, is ready for you to move there, and to continue your stay with Jesus Christ! Amen!
Someday Jesus will say, “Go to your room!”
Wishing you and your loved ones,
Happy New Year!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
As you start a new year, it gives you an opportunity to resolve to be open to making changes by thinking about bad habits you may have developed which you should plan to stop. Then you could plan to start some new habits that will in some ways improve your life. You may be wondering why the term habit is being used here? A habit is something you are going to repeat over and over until it becomes a natural part of your life and somehow improves your lifestyle. Paul wrote about the change that occurred in your life when you accepted Jesus Christ, and thus, started a new habit of working on becoming more Christ-like every day for the rest of your life!
We should be looking forward to what God has in store for us in this new year. However, we need to be aware that this new year is not a new beginning as everything we do in this world is done in a today! We have already passed one today in this new year. Did you plan what your resolves for this year will be, yesterday? Hopefully, we all have certain responsibilities to think about people in our lives that we would refer to as loved ones, followed closely by people we may refer to as friends. Prayerfully, sometimes it may be mentally difficult to easily separate your friends with joy from your relatives. God chooses our relatives; we choose our friends!
So far, this commentary has been about what we call New Year’s resolutions, but now it seems we should be thinking about more important resolutions that will result in eternal consequences, not just temporary worldly relationships. Everyone is born with an immortal soul, which will leave your body when it dies in this cursed world! Jesus came into this cursed world to offer salvation of your immortal soul, so that your soul will end up in heaven. In this lifetime each human being must come to believe that Jesus Christ is God’s offer of salvation, and Jesus offers the only Way for your soul to end up in heaven.
We can read what Luke wrote about a person who was alive when Jesus was born into this world, and Simeon became a believer in salvation through Jesus. Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:28-32).
Many people who were living in this world and saw Jesus did not believe Jesus was the Messiah promised by God, because they had a preconceived idea of what the purpose of His coming was and how it was going to immediately change this world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:10-13).
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14). When sin entered into this world it was changed by a curse from God, and now every human being is born with an immortal soul a blessing from God, and with a sinful nature a curse from God! Therefore, we are all viewed by God as being evil beings and thus unable to be good enough to enter heaven through our good deeds performed in this lifetime.
This is why we need a Savior to enable us to be able to end up in heaven with Jesus Christ when we die in this cursed world. Following are some positive statements Jesus made about His followers while we are still living in this cursed world. Dwell on such thoughts in this coming year, and maybe these will help you produce some good ideas for happy thoughts for praising Jesus/God in this coming year!
Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). We can anticipate receiving good gifts to come to us from God when we pray, because God is good and loves us. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12). So, what we usually call the Golden Rule Jesus taught His followers to think of other people as deserving our love, because God first loved all of us!
Jesus offers His followers to find rest for our souls in this cursed world. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV) Having an eternal light to guide you in this world allows you to see the unseen treasures that await believers, which can blot out the darkness of living in a cursed world. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Do you have Jesus fronting for you in this world? Knowing that there is a better place awaiting me when I depart, this world offers a very comforting feeling.
Then comes the greatest promise Jesus left for His followers, when He said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3). I believe the moment you, a believer dies, Jesus will come to you and direct your immortal soul to the room He has prepared for you. You will remain there until the new earth, AKA heaven, is ready for you to move there, and to continue your stay with Jesus Christ! Amen!
Someday Jesus will say, “Go to your room!”
Wishing you and your loved ones,
Happy New Year!
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