All That Matters Is Jesus!
Let’s be crystal clear about this truth.
Lately, a lot is said about the gospel, pastors, and christians on various social media sites around the world. Some even become extreme and are bold enough to speak all manner of evil against God, the Father; Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit. We live in a time where people have become very careless with their words and very judgemental in their thinking. We live in a time where so many people feel that they can say as they please about Jesus Christ and his followers and that it would just be alright with God. Now that is where they’re wrong!
Accountable For What You Say
You see, your words reveal your character and your character is actually a result of all the emotions resident in you. Your character is formed by all that has transpired in your life from the time you were born to this very point in your life that you are in today. Jesus said something about the words we speak in the scriptures, Matthew 12:36–37 (Amp) “But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”
The Pain In Not Worthwhile
I recently came across an article on this platform and then went on to read other articles from the same author. Every one of his articles is an attack on the body of Christ. Why? As I read through article after article, I could feel the hurt in this persons heart. It’s as though this individual had had a bad experience either in church or with members of a church and had since become very hurt and bitter towards all christians and Christianity as a whole. If you are reading this today and you are in that group of people who have experienced any harsh treatment in church and/or by fellow christians, let me take time right now to pause as a minister of the gospel and sincerely apologize to you for whatever it was that you had experienced and that has brought you the place of anger, hurt or hate towards Jesus Christ and the body of Christ that you might be in right now. I can speak about these things because, in my early years in ministry, I too had been hurt in church and by those that I had so greatly put my hope and trust in. We need to learn to walk in the light of His Word. We need to learn to forgive as God so beautifully forgives us each time we ask Him for forgiveness.
After many months of prayer and fasting, I was brought to a place where God had made me understand that “All That Matters Is Jesus”. What!? yeah that might be your reaction right now, but what I have just revealed to you is nothing but the truth. See, each day of our lives we experience the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, the joys and the pains of life. People love you today and hurt you tomorrow. Yes, it’s all part of life. God, as perfect and holy as He is, did not make any man perfect and neither was any man or woman created by God to bring us joy. No, not even those of us who have been called to preach the gospel. It is for this cause that even someone called of God could have the ability to hurt and/or be hurt. Why? because that individual is not perfect. The same God that you need is the same God that the one ordained of God needs. Why? because without Him, we all can do nothing. (John 15:4–6) God is God and we all need Him, whether we choose to believe it or not.
God’s Plan Has A Name - “JESUS”
You see God is in the business of perfecting people and He does this through His Word and by his Holy Spirit. So where does Jesus come in? Jesus is the Word of God that became flesh. The humility that Jesus has towards His Father is unlike that of any other man. Jesus was so humble to his Father that God had to honor Him and He did. The scriptures say in Philippian 2:8–10 (Amp) “After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth”. Just through that scripture alone, you should see that with that kind of authority in His Name, “All That Matters Is Jesus”.
John understood this very clearly through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when he wrote, John 1:1–5 (Amp) “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him, and without Him, not even one thing was made that has come into being. In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].”
All Authority In Him
It is no wonder that during a dialogue recorded in the scriptures (John Chapter 8) when Jesus was questioned about who he was and by what authority he did some of the marvelous works that he did. He so boldly responded: Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is [worth] nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ Yet you do not know Him, but I know Him fully. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham [greatly] rejoiced to see My day (My incarnation). He saw it and was delighted.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not even fifty years old, and You [claim to] have seen Abraham?” Jesus replied, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.” So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus concealed Himself and left the temple.
Such bold statements would shake the beliefs of any human being, but what happens if they are true? Just imagine saying that before Abraham was born, “I AM”. Those speaking with him understood exactly what he was saying and the reason they picked up stones to attack him was because the statement that he had just made carried a lot of weight (in their beliefs) and even more so, was not grammatically incorrect. One would’ve expected Jesus to say something like, “I was born before Abraham was born” and they probably would’ve laughed at him because Jesus was only in his early 30’s. So why was that his response? You see, Jesus understood very well who he was and where he had come from. He was not here on earth trying to find his way…HE IS THE WAY and to say what he had said meant that he had pre-existed Abraham. Not just that, it would also mean that he was the one who spoke to Moses through the burning bush. Now that’s deep thinking right there. Remember Moses and the burning bush? Let’s go to the scriptures again, Exodus 3:13 (Amp) Then Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers (ancestors) has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am”; and He said, “You shall say this to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.”
Now that’s mind blowing. It’s a truth that Jesus had mention while he was here. John 14:7–11 (Amp) “If you had [really] known Me, you would also have known My Father. From now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father and then we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and you do not know Me yet, Philip, nor recognize clearly who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not say on My own initiative or authority, but the Father, abiding continually in Me, does His works [His attesting miracles and acts of power]. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe [Me] because of the [very] works themselves [which you have witnessed]. We could simply put it like this: “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30 (Amp)
There’s Always A Better Way
So let’s not go through life as though we are all that matters and as though we are better than other people. Let us not allow so much of what is happening in this life to have such a negative impact on our lives. Remember that we are all passing through this life. We should be loving and forgiving towards all of mankind (remember the story of Jesus and the woman who was brought to him to be stoned)? John 8:3–11. Jesus did not condemn her, he showed her love. The Love of God. Such love changes people and causes them to unconditionally love others in return. I often ask people who are always angry and unforgiving towards those who have hurt them, “so with all the hate and anger that you have been keeping in your spirit and in your heart all in this time, what have you accomplished?”. Absolutely Nothing! The other person that you refuse to forgive has long gone on with their lives and here you are sick, worried, complaining and not moving forward in life. Yes, many times people become sick from all the hurt and anger living in them. Please, let it go! It’s not worthwile. Let Jesus take control of your life because one day very soon we will all come to realize that “All That Matters Is Jesus”.
