100% JESUS.

By Wilson Ileogben

The anticipation was great. People were talking and looking forward to it. Everybody was glued to their television sets and others went to various viewing center to watch the UEFA Champions’ league final in Munich on Saturday, 6^th of June 2015. Some said this would be a cracker and the best champions’ league final. The match lived up the expectations people had of it. The final match was between Juventus and Barcelona FC and some of the best players in the world (football) would be on display. Barclona had the likes of Messi, Neyma and Suarez and others while Juventus had Tevez, Pirlo, Vidal Pogba and others. At the end of the day, it was Barcelona that came on top. They won the match and the celebrations started. Something caught my eyes in the course of the celebrations. It was what was written on the banner Neyma was wearing on his head. It says “100% Jesus”.

Instantly, I asked myself this question:  Have you surrendered your life 100% to Jesus?  Sincerely speaking, I realized that I have not. I realized that I don’t do his will all the time. Instead, I follow and do my desire and do things my way. I remembered times that I didn’t represent him in my actions, words and so on in my office, at home and different places.  If I said I have given my life to Jesus, why am I still holding back with my finances, my giftings, and ideas for the kingdom and so on? Why am I not doing what he has called me to do? What is really holding me back from carrying out his will? Why am I scared of going to the places and people he is sending me back? Why am I scared of preaching to people when I am in the bus and he prompts me to preach? The words he spoke to me and revelations he showed me about the world and people, why am I not saying and telling it to people and the world? What is holding me back?

Flashing back to the past, I remember the Holy Spirit prompted me to preach in various places (bus, neighbourhood, etc) but I didn’t. Several times, I looked at the people in the buses and asked myself  if I could speak good English. I have held back several times and disappointed our lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ by not doing what he asked me to do. But the times I did preach and pray when he asked me to, I was happy at the end of the day. I had great joy and peace after doing what he asked me to do. But why am I still holding back with his leadings, directions, instructions and teachings despite experiencing peace and joy after preaching to people in time past ?

There were times I got embarrassed and insulted when I went out to preach.  Once I was taking a walk with my niece and I saw a group of boys smoking Indian helm (Igboo) and I walked up to them to preach the gospel to them. One of them told me at the end of the day, if not that you are having a baby with you and the gentle way you approached us, I would have dealt with you.  But should this stop me from doing the will of God. I say “NO”. The disciples of Jesus got beaten, imprisoned and some were killed, but it didn’t stop them from preaching the gospel. Instead they rejoiced that they partook in the sufferings of Christ.

Luke 9:62 says, “Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

What is holding you back from giving yourself 100% to Jesus and his will for your life? Is it your job, shame, fear of embarrassment or the unknown, procrastination, sin, guilt and so on?  Whatever it is, you need to overcome it today. If you don’t preach the gospel or go to that person God has sent you to, he may die soon and go to hell as a sinner. The message God put in your heart for that person could help him from committing suicide and bring deliverance to him. So, do not hold back. If you procrastinate, that person God is telling you to bless with your substance, food and cash may not eat today. You may be the answer to some one’s prayer for bread and resources. Your obedience to God’s word may bring hope, salvation, healing, joy to people. Is sin holding you back from living the life God expects of you? You need to repent of it and ask God for mercy in that area because by him, sin will not have dominion over you.

Romans 8: 31-35 says:

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[j]

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Wilson Ileogben