Christ is All that Matters

 

 

“In this new life it doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, circumcised or not. It doesn’t matter if you speak a different language or even if you are a Scythian. It doesn’t matter if you are a slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and He is in all of you.” – Colossians 3:11(ERV)

Christ is equally available to all of us and when you choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your life begins anew. And in this new life, Christ is all that matters.

Colossians 3:11 clearly points out that when living as a follower of Christ, one’s nationality, race, physical appearance, social status and education are unimportant.

Too often, even after receiving Christ as Saviour, we quibble about many things that, in the big scheme of things, really do not matter. So much emphasis is placed upon those things, that we lose sight of what is really important and meaningful.

Beloved, as a follower of Christ, you are to place your unbridled attention upon Him and living a renewed life recreated in His image because, when all is said and done Christ is all that matters.

 

Amen †

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Christ is All that Matters” ©2013 revisited November 7, 2025

Just One Thing

 

There are times when you may be faced with situations that render you powerless but through every difficulty and every challenge, God wants you to know just one thing,

My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.

(2 Corinthians 12:9 AMPC)

Beloved, God’s grace is sufficient in your moments of weakness, and He wants you to do just one thing – tap into His all-sufficient grace, which He freely gives to enable you to go through those moments, “that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon” you.

Accept God’s grace in faith…

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.

To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

(1 Peter 5:10-11 AMPC)

So be it indeed. Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Just One Thing” ©2014 revisited November 6, 2025

Angel Assignment

 

Are you aware that as a child of God, you are assigned angels to look over you, “to guard you in all your ways”?

There are many believers who, not only doubt but also deny this Truth. But Scripture provides all the evidence you need. Let’s look at a few verses regarding angel assignment.

Psalm 91:11 (AMPC),

For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

What a promise! Imagine, God Himself gives His angels “especial charge over” you. This speaks of exceptional guardianship.

Understand that as God’s beloved child, you have His Holy Spirit within you and this divine host of angels to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways and wherever you go!

One working internally, others externally, and all at the same time. You are well covered.

Psalm 34:7 (AMP),

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience], And He rescues [each of] them.

The Angel of the Lord, who in the Old Testament, is believed to be the pre-incarnate Christ, Himself encamps around you! That’s the highest level of divine fortification!

Oh, what protection God provides! Your God desires your safety from attacks of the enemy. One translation of this same verse says,

God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. (MSG)

Picture yourself in prayer with a host of angels surrounding you. Not little chubby infants with tiny bows and arrows, as the world loves to portray angels, but gigantic strong warriors brandishing luminous swords, ready for battle. Rest assured beloved, that even while you are praying, you are under His special protection.

Hebrews 1:14 (AMP),

Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation? [Of course they are!]

Of course they are! God’s angels are sent to be of service to you, to help you, attend to your needs and to carry out specified orders and this is for every believer in Christ Jesus.

Beloved, throughout the Bible, the evidence is clear. Angels are all around you. You may not see them, but they certainly see you.

Investigate for yourself and thank God for the unfathomable concern and love He has for you that He should be so mindful of you and care for you.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Angel Assignment” ©2014 revisited November 5, 2025

Jesus Weeps

 

At the site of Jesus’ last miracle was recorded one of the shortest, yet perhaps the most poignant verses in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35 NIV)

Like the Jews that witnessed this event, many of us believe that Jesus wept because His dear friend Lazarus had died. But was this the reason for Jesus’ tears?

If we go back to verse 33, we see that when Jesus saw Mary, Lazarus’ sister, and the Jews who’d come with her, sobbing, ”he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled”

Moving ahead to verse 38, we read that Jesus was “again sighing repeatedly and deeply disquieted”

Now armed with this information, let’s imagine the scene that has been set for us, keeping in mind that.

This was the same Mary who had sat at Jesus’ feet feeding on the Bread of Life (see Luke 10:39)

The same Mary who, standing at the entrance to Lazarus’ tomb along with her sister Martha, would have undoubtedly heard Jesus say to Martha,

Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God? (John 10:40 AMPC)

It was this same Mary, who Jesus considered a dear friend, loved and held in loving esteem (see John 11:5)

It was that same Mary who, in an offering of love and complete devotion giving herself in an act of humble submission and dependence would take, a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard [a rare perfume] that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. (John 12:3 AMPC)

This same Mary who had chosen the one thing that was needful…

In other words, Mary knew Jesus intimately, yet lapsed into a state of unbelief, sobbing in agreement with those insincere Jews, at a time when her faith in Jesus should have been exercised and proven. And this is why Jesus wept!

Beloved, Jesus weeps when, after all that He Himself has revealed to you, and even after He has arrived on the scene, you still sob in unbelief.

Jesus desires that you believe, believe Who you know He is.

He wants you to have faith and not doubt.

Jesus wants you to agree with what you know and not with what you feel.

Jesus exhorts you to look at Him and not at the scene of your circumstances.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Jesus Weeps” ©2014 revisited November 4, 2025

Not Forsaken

 

In ancient times scripture was learnt by heart. There was no bible as there is today, no division into chapters, no numbered verses, just one continuous scroll and in those days, the tradition was that the rabbi would quote a line and his listeners were able to fill in the rest.

These days, there are some persons who do the same thing, especially with very familiar scripture passages.

Jesus, on the cross, cries aloud, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” as recorded in Matthew 27:46 (NIV) which lets us know that it means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus uttered seven sentences from the cross that day but this one in particular, has always baffled me. Have you ever wondered why Jesus would have felt that His Father had forsaken Him?

The Amplified version says, “why have You abandoned Me [leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My need]?”

Had the Father abandoned His beloved Son?

Had the Father left His beloved Son helpless?

Had the Father forsaken His beloved Son?

Had the Father failed His beloved Son in His need?

Over the years I have heard many preachers offer many reasons for Jesus’ sense of abandonment by His Father, our heavenly Father, while He hung on that cross, but I felt sure that there must be more to it than their proffered anecdotes.

What was Jesus doing? The time was drawing near, it was three o’clock, the ninth hour, His fourth sentence.

In Deuteronomy 31:8, Moses gives Joshua the assurance that,

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (NRSVUE)

Actually, he had already done so in verse 6, and we see this same assurance in 1 Chronicles 28:20, when David speaking to his son Solomon says,

“Be strong and of good courage, and act. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” (NRSVUE)

This same assurance is again found in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 13 verses 5 and 6,

“for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?” (AMPC)

So, what was Jesus doing when He uttered these words of seeming forsakenness?

The Father did not abandon His only begotten beloved Son in His time of need and Jesus was reminding anyone in earshot of His voice of that Truth – those who had gathered at the foot of the cross then and those who gather at His feet now.

This Truth is repeated too many times in His Word for us to ever believe otherwise. We are not forsaken.

God is always with you even when you cannot feel His presence, and that, I believe, was what Jesus was doing; He was giving a reminder of that Truth.

Psalm 22 begins with these words,

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Sounds familiar?

Jesus’ hearers upon hearing this first line of scripture would have, by rote, filled in the rest of this Psalm. Line by beautiful line, they would have been reminded of the love of the Father.

Just a few lines down, they would have remembered,

“Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.”

They would have remembered,

“For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me but heard when I cried to him.”

Beloved, I encourage you to step into the shoes of those who would have heard Jesus’ reminder and read Psalm 22 for yourself so that you may understand that He was not forsaken by God and neither are you.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Not Forsaken” © November 3, 2025

 

 

Affirming the I am in you

 

We are created in the image and likeness of God, for God said in Genesis 1:26, 27 (NIV),

“Let us make mankind in our own image, in our likeness…So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”

No more convincing is necessary. And, in Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses,

“I AM Who I AM”.

Now, since we are created in the image of God the Father, we have the I AM of God embedded in us. I AM is who we are, it is our identity, yet we choose, too often, to identify with “I am not”.

Beloved, do not identify with “I am not” but instead, from today, begin to affirm the I am in you by declaring God’s Word over your life.

 

Declare:

 

I am God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, which lives and abides forever [1 Peter 1:23].

 

I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood [Ephesians 1:7].

 

I am the temple of the Holy Spirit [1 Corinthians 6:19].

 

I am the righteousness of God in Christ [2 Corinthians 5:21].

 

I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ unto good works [Ephesians 2:10].

 

I am alive with Christ [Ephesians 2:5].

 

I am a new creature in Christ [2 Corinthians 5:17].

 

I am a partaker of His divine nature [2 Peter 1:3-4].

 

I am a spirit being alive to God [Romans 6:11].

 

I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power [Colossians 2:10].

 

I am the head and not the tail; I am always at the top, never at the bottom [Deuteronomy 28:13].

 

I am made all things to all people that I might by all means save some [1 Corinthians 9:22].

 

I am obedient to the Lord my God therefore I am redeemed from all curses including the curses of sin, sickness, and poverty [Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Galatians 3:13].

 

I am free from the law of sin and death through Christ Jesus [Romans 8:2].

 

I am a believer, so the light of the Gospel shines in my mind [2 Corinthians 4:4].

 

I am a doer of the Word and blessed in my actions [James 1:22-25].

 

I am a joint-heir with Christ [Romans 8:17].

 

I am more than a conqueror through Him Who loves me [Romans 8:37].

 

I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony [Revelation 12:11].

 

I am an ambassador for Christ, I am reconciled to God [2 Corinthians 5:20].

 

I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people; I am God’s special possession [1 Peter 2:9].

 

I am the light of the world [Matthew 5:14].

 

I am His elect, full of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience [Colossians 3:12].

 

I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God’s kingdom [Colossians 1:13].

 

I am firmly rooted, built up, established in my faith and overflowing with gratitude [Colossians 2:7].

 

I am called of God to be the voice of His praise [Psalm 66].

 

I am healed by the wounds of Jesus [Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24].

 

I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power [Colossians 1:11].

 

I am raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places; as He is so am I in this world [Ephesians 2:6; 1 John 4:17].

 

I am submitted to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus [James 4:7].

 

I am greatly loved by God [Romans 1:7; Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4].

 

“…I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord.”  

[Romans 8:38-39 NIV].

 

 

Amen †

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Affirming the I am in you” ©2013 revisited November 2, 2025

Jesus goes missing!

 

The Festival was over, and the caravan was on its way back home. For eleven years they’d done this journey without incident, so why would it be any different this twelfth year? But it was – Jesus goes missing!

After travelling an entire day, Jesus’ parents, expecting that He was somewhere among family and friends in the caravan, were unaware that He was missing. Retracing their steps, they went in search of their little boy, and found Him after three days of separation. He was in the Temple, and He was different, changed – no longer the same (read Luke 2:41-52).

Three days completely immersed in the will of God can do that to a person. How can you remain the same after that? You too will be found different and changed. Even your closest relatives are ignorant of where you are and what is transpiring with you spiritually, and they fail to recognize that the “you” they’ve always known is missing.

Within you, as His temple, a unique sense of identity is manifested. Your usual worship gives place to extraordinary fellowship with the Father. Just as it is in pregnancy, something begins to grow inside you, an enlarging that you can feel though it’s not yet obvious to anyone else. It is the work of the Holy Spirit stirring deep within, establishing that connectedness to God that was lost, a cementing of your relationship with the Father.

During those days of separation, your spiritual awareness is piqued and that’s when you know that your life is about to change in ways unimaginable, a life that will follow a path you’ve never before tread. And, like Jesus, you also go “missing” as your metamorphosis begins to unfold – the person you once knew is fading away. Changes, some subtle, almost undetectable, while others are drastic. A complete 180⁰ turn, a transition from the “old man” to the new creature.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

(2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)

Searching for the old you, expecting to find you familiar, but instead a re-born unfamiliar you who’s growing in spiritual wisdom emerges – beloved, you’ve found Jesus.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Jesus goes missing!” © 2017 revisited November 1, 2025