Metro-lyrics and the Bible:  No matter what they tell you – I believe in you

Koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Visiting Professor

Department of Liberal Education

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

Mark Vincent and Jal Joshua sings a duet that is opening a window in the way God thinks about human beings.

No matter what the condition of the human, if the human seeks God, He will not reject the person.

This is hard for theologians to understand. Theology is logics about God. It is a science and runs on principles of logic and reason. Very mathematical. What is on the one side will be on the other. When it comes to the Bible, most of the human aspects are very easy and simple to understand. There is just one aspect that is beyond comprehension, God Himself.

The Assyrians were bad and I mean bad in Niniveh. They deserved extinction in the days of Jonah but their repentance, whether lasting or not, turned the wheels of their immediate destiny and God decided not to allow a disaster to hit Niniveh. They simply knocked on God’s door! And He took their side, even against His messenger that He inspired and supported and sent. Knowledge is on its knees here and marvel at a phenomenon too big to grasp but beautiful enough to admire.

And that is what Mark and Jal is singing about.

No matter what people tell about you, says God, no matter what they do or what they teach you, I believe in you.

The believer in God has this total acceptance and welcoming by God 100% even though human barriers, suspicion, doubt, judgment cannot give room for a person to express themselves religiously, God says, I believe you.

No matter what church members say about a person that is not fitting the standards so well known, if the person arrives at church to seek God, God says: No matter what they tell you, no matter what they do, no matter what they say, I believe in you.

Even though the sinner arriving at church is looked upon with mixed feelings by all attending, but if the sinner is seeking God, the mathematics is turned upside down and all reason is thrown out of the window to make space for the All-loving God who says:

No matter what they do, no matter what they say, no matter what they tell you, as far as your intentions are concerned, I believe in you.

Evangelist Charles Brooks tells of Little Willy who came to his meetings in 1959 drunk. Every night he looked and there is Willy sitting in the pew in front of his eyes. When he greets everyone at the door, he could smell Willy. After the series of meetings, the Bible worker said to pastor Brooks, “Pastor, Willy wants to be baptized”. The pastor could not believe it. He said, “No, I do not baptize drinkers in my church”. She convinced the pastor to go and see Willy. Pastor Brooks said that he went there to discourage Willy and told him how difficult religion is. He asked him: “Do you still want to be baptized?” He said, yes. Pastor Brooks told him that he then said to him that if he will catch him drinking he will come and pray for him but if he does not quite, he will kick him out of the church. “Do you understand? Do you still want to be baptized?” He answered: “Yes”. He baptized Willy and he kept coming to some other meetings. The first night he had a suit on and the tie was skew. As nights go past the tie went up and he came shaven to the meetings. Years later, pastor Brooks came again to that area and a pastor introduced him to the congregation: it was Little Willy! It was a wake-up call for pastor Brooks. His testimony and sermon on Little Willy is on youtube.com.

No matter what they do, no matter what they say, no matter what they tell you, I, says the Lord, believe in you.

My uncle Hennie Potgieter was an alcoholic. My father invited their family to come to the evangelistic meetings by Pastor Longleg Wessels in our hometown church. They came the first night. The pastor got their address and visited but my uncle was drunk. The pastor prayed for him and put him in a cold bath, warm bath therapy. He told him to call him day or night for the same treatment: cold bath, warm bath and prayer. In the middle of the night the pastor would stand up and drive over there and give my uncle a cold bath, warm bath rotated treatment and pray for him. After many weeks, uncle Hennie and the whole family was baptized in our hometown. He not only stopped drinking alcohol, he stopped smoking.

No matter what they do, no matter what they say, no matter what they tell you, I says our Savior, believe in you.

There are many untapped resources lying around wasted simply because they do not know the Lord. If only it can get through to them that God emphasizes to them that no matter what others may say or do about them, no matter what they tell you, I believe in you.

No matter what they tell us

No matter what they do

No matter what they teach us

What we believe is true

No matter what they call us

However they attack

No matter where they take us

We'll find our own way back

I can't deny what I believe

I can't be what I'm not

I know our love's forever

I know no matter what

If only tears were laughter

If only night was day

If only prayers were answered

Then we would hear God say

No matter what they tell you

No matter what they do

No matter what they teach you

What you believe is true

And I will keep you safe and strong

And sheltered from the storm

No matter where it's barren

A dream is being born

No matter who they follow

No matter where they lead

No matter how they judge us

I'll be everyone you need

No matter if the sun don't shine

Or if the skies aren't blue

No matter what the ending

My life began with you

I can't deny what I believe

I can't be what I'm not

I know this love's forever

That's all that matters now

No matter what

No, no matter what

No, no matter what

No, no matter

That's all that matters to me

No, no matter

That's all that matters to me

No, no matter

That's all that matters to me

No, no matter

That's all that matters to me

No, no matter what

That's all that matters to me

No, no matter what

That's all that matters to me

Sources:

1.     Lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/no-matter-what-lyrics-boyzone.html

2.     Duet by Mark and Jal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLiPhJbqaMQ

3.     Testimony of Evangelist Pastor C. D. Brooks:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX7htNR_c7k