Death Could NOT Hold Him!!

A very, very HAPPY and joyful Easter to you all! I am sitting here alone in my parent's house (alone again!) while they go to their church for a shorter Easter Day service. I was hoping to be able to get over to my sister's church in Newport again (after I so enjoyed the wonderful dedication of my nephew) but alas - could not get a lift!

So I am enjoying the sun and peace thinking about this - the most monumental day on the Christian calender. Today was the day when the two Roman soldiers were stunned by the angels rolling back the stone. Today was the day when Mary was asked; "Woman - why do you weep?". Today was the day when (I imagine) the whole of hell trembled as it's demonic lord screamed in absolute frustration and anger because he knew his doom was sealed - the Son of God had risen from the dead!

I don't think there is a better song to sum up today other than Stuart Townend's; "The Power of the Cross". The Cross only has it's power because of today. If Jesus Christ had not stepped out of the tomb in triumph then the Cross would have remained simply a notorious form of execution. But because dawn came on Easter Sunday morning - the Cross for us will now be forever the moment when Jesus Christ obliterated our sin forever and destroyed our identity as sinners! The Cross now becomes the moment when death itself was made a mockery of because it's power over us is lost!

Jesus Christ is risen today and forever - and is not hanging broken on a Cross but is risen seated and ruling at the right hand of the Father on high waiting for the moment when His enemies will be made His footstool by His glorious Bride - the Church! And to accomplish that - He has poured out His Holy Spirit on each and everyone of us to go forth in His royal identity! Saints!

Cross or Crucified - does it really matter?

My thoughts have been caught up with the cross, the resurrection - all aspects of the gospel at the moment. I suppose there couldn't be a much better topic! Before I get onto what provoked this post, I have been reading quite a few books and blog posts specifically on the resurrection. I like the way Adrian Warnock put it in writing here;

"We must remember that the cross is just as empty as the tomb, and Christ is now glorified, having completed his work. The truth is, we cannot be truly cross-centered without also being empty grave-centered! Jesus was not just our prophet and priest—he is our reigning King. At the cross we learn true humility, our hopeless sinfulness, and our need of God. At the empty tomb we fully appreciate what Christ has achieved for us and receive power to live for him. A deeper, fuller insight into the truth of Jesus’ resurrection will cause our lives to be radically transformed".

So I wrote a post called; "A Truncated Gospel?" and the friend I learn so much from (and sometimes disagree with!) - Janelle - made a very valid comment. She said;

"Paul said that he preaches nothing else but Christ crucified, but we also know that when he says that he was talking about the whole gospel, not just literally the cross".

What got me thinking was her choice of words. She quite rightly said that Paul says he preaches nothing but "Christ crucified" (verb) and then said; "The cross" (noun). Paul was declaring that he would preach nothing but the action - the verb - what Christ did on the Cross. Was Paul saying that he would preach nothing but describing the historical event, time, date and detail of what happened there? I wonder ...

To change tack slightly - the popstar Madonna (who I like by the way) - caused great controversy in one of her recent tours; "Confessions on a Dancefloor". During the show the popstar appeared on a sparkling and glittering cross as though she was being crucified. Here she is;



So the question I have is:

Was that performance blasphemous? Or beautiful?

The bulk of the controversy was among Catholics - to whom of course the icon of the Cross is seen as sacred. Madonna achieved her goal - she wanted people to talk about the song and her passion for bringing awareness to the orphans dying in Africa and religious people argued and disapproved of her (something she doesn't care very much about). But what about the song? Is there anything sacred about the actual "cross" itself?

I would argue not.

Crucifixion was a well-known practice of execution designed not simply to kill the condemned but to mutiliate and dishonour them in the worst possible way. It was such that the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 21:23) actually said; "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree". The thousands upon thousands who were crucified by the Romans died in shame - but none of them achieved anything for us. Only one crucifixion (verb) achieved salvation for all mankind - and that was of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Son of God was prepared to literally die the worst death - so we could experience the best life!

"He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race".


He took love to Calvary! People often wonder what drives and motivates martyrs to walk with their heads held high to their deaths. I really believe it is nothing but love. Again I am prepared to fully conceed here that this is a too particular a discussion. Much of my concern lies with those (such as SGM) who to me over-emphasise the Cross at the expense of other aspects of the Gospel. But I fully admit that I am not privy to the preaching day-to-day that goes in in the USA churches and maybe the balance there is fully corrected. In which case - praise God!


The gospel is so completely gloriously wonderful in all its facets - why on earth would we want to single out one part? The life of Christ is indeed awesome. He lived and walked this very earth and experienced and suffered and was tempted in all points like as we - yet He sinned not. His death was unspeakably awful (and one that we could never and should never think we can imagine or grasp) - but love compelled Him there. His resurrection was glorious and triumphant as the powers of hell groaned in defeat. His ascension was something we can only dream of as He took His seat at the right hand of God and poured forth the Holy Spirit - "this which you now see and hear".

For us!

A Truncated Gospel?

It's been a few months or so since I have spoken about a subject very close to my heart - the "neglected" resurrection. It's never far from my thoughts though - just like my other favourite topics of theological discussion. Such as the Holy Spirit, His baptism, filling, gifts and Presence or the Song of Solomon! It doesn't take much for me to begin considering the importance of the resurrection though. Usually an over-use of the word; "The Cross" achieves it.

That's happened twice this week. I read a blog post that quoted Chris Tomlinson who asked the question;

"Can we talk about the Cross too much"?

My thought was - no surely we can't if we are talking about the WORK that Christ accomplished on the Cross. The taking of our sin in place of us. The pure and spotless sacrifice. But if we are talking about the Cross as a sentimental icon and sing emotive songs such as "The old rugged Cross" - about a Saviour hanging "there" - then yes, I think we can.

The second thing that brought this issue of the gospel and the neglected resurrection to my mind was reading a blog called "The Wartburg Watch". It is a blog written by two Southern Baptist women in the USA and of course is named after Martin Luther. They take an critical look at some of the church's more legalistic and assumed practices (it won't be to everyone's taste). But the particular blog post that caught my eye was titled; "A Deficient Gospel" - reviewing C J Mahaney's small book; "A Cross-centred Life". The interesting thing is that I have read this small book some years ago but even I didn't notice this (not being Mahaney's greatest fan).

Mahaney builds his book premise around the verse - 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 - that he cites as saying;

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you…. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins.”

From that Mahaney builds his theology around what he calls; "The main thing". However the "Wartburg Watch" saw something;

"Here’s why I believe Mahaney teaches a “deficient gospel”. Did you notice that he places a period after the phrase “that Christ died for our sins”? Paul, who was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, places a comma after the word “sins”. Well, maybe the translators actually inserted punctuation, but what is of vital importance is what Mahaney fails to include.

Now let’s go back to his original question: “What’s really the main thing in your life?” In other words, what is of “first importance”? Here is Paul’s complete response in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 (ESV): “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”

And this was their comment - that I loved so much I posted it today on my Twitter account.

"You see, a crucified “Saviour" ... is of no use unless He is resurrected".

Sounds obvious doesn't it? And many who speak adoringly of "the Cross" will impatiently probably snap that of course they know that Jesus Christ is resurrected. But I've discovered that one's theology and living tend to adapt to the vision of Jesus Christ that you persistently speak of and think about. If we as Christians (I believe) persistantly visualise Jesus Christ hanging broken and naked on a Cross, neglected and alone - then our theology will adapt to that belief. You will not develop a powerful optimistic missiology or eschatology and you may not have an adequate view of the Holy Spirit either.

Am I wrong? Prove me so. The emphasis of popular evangelicalism by "homies" such as Mahaney or Mark Driscoll urge us to spend much time at the foot of the Cross. Indeed Mahaney wrote in his book;

"When you’re tempted to doubt God’s love for you, stand before the cross and look at the wounded, dying, disfigured Savior, and realize why He is there. I believe His Father would whisper to us, “Isn’t that sufficient? I haven’t spared My own Son; I deformed and disfigured and crushed Him – for you. What more could I do to persuade you that I love you?”

It sounds incredibly emotive doesn't it? But is it actually biblical? When Stephen the first martyr was being stoned for his belief in Christ - I suspect that he may have been tempted to doubt God's love. No one who believed in Messiah had died for their beliefs and maybe Stephen wondered for a second if it was real. But he didn't see; "A wounded, dying, disfigured Saviour". Rather he saw;

" .... gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God ...Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

It is a vision of the fully alive and ascended Jesus Christ as Lord that will give us cause to NEVER doubt the love of God for us. Not trying to imagine what it looked like at Calvary. After all - let us never forget this compilation of verses from the New Testament that lead us inevitably and unquestionably to the understanding that it is the ASCENDED and resurrection Lord Jesus Christ who pours out the Holy Spirit that really gives us certainity of the love of God for us.

"Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing (Acts 2:33 - ESV) .... For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father (Romans 8:15 - KJV)".

For me there is a complete gospel that leads me on from staying stuck considering my indwelling sin. It leads me from deep appreciation and awe and wonder at what Jesus did for me back 2000 years ago but on to the empty Cross and empty tomb and the thrill of hearing the victory echoes of heaven as He entered in with a host and sat down at the right hand of the Father until all His enemies have been put under His feet.

So a complete Gospel?

1. He came to earth in the incarnation - very God and very man.

2. He lived a perfect and spotless life - "tempted in all points like as we - yet without sin".

3. He died a death - taking our sin upon Him and becoming sin for us.

4. He rose victoriously binding principalities and powers by taking away the Law.

5. He ascended on high taking "captivity captive".

6. He sat down enthroned on high until His enemies are made His footstool - and poured out "this which you know SEE and HEAR" - the promised Holy Spirit who cries out "Abba! Father!"'.

Why live a Cross-centred life when you can live a gospel-centred life and take the most glorious message to the waiting and desperate lost?

Why Stand Ye Gazing?

This post is very interesting - it occured to me over Christmas. Then last night at work I had a few quiet moments so I got to reading C J Mahaney's blog which he writes standing in the very stead of God although from the cheap seats. Quite how God can speak from the cheap seats ... I don't know. Maybe it's a sports thing I don't get! Mahaney had a take on Christmas that I guess would tie in with his theology of the Cross. He writes;

"The purpose of his birth was his death. Or to put it more personally: Christmas is necessary because I am a sinner. The incarnation reminds us of our desperate condition before a holy God".

And then again;

"Properly understood, the message of Christmas confronts before it comforts, it disturbs before it delights".

This is nothing new - when I was a member of Sovereign Grace Ministries church I got progressively disturbed about the seeming obsession with the Cross (as opposed to the Christ). Sure it sounded plaudible at first. But is it? Is a "gazing" at the Cross - the object on which Jesus Christ died - the right place to fix our focus? Did Jesus really only go through the Incarnation and 33 years purely to die? Or have we stopped short?

I was doing some research on the place of the Cross in the entire Gospel picture and found an amazing sermon by C H Spurgeon (someone Mahaney calls his 'historical hero'). Spurgeon was preaching at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in 1884 on Acts 1:10, 11 - the disciples were standing watching Jesus go up into heaven at the great ascension and when the clouds hid Him from them. Two angels appeared and in great Biblical irony, two angels appeared in white and said to them;

"Why stand ye gazing?".

I could think of a few answers to that. "Why?! Er .. we've just seen our Master levitate ...". But moving on. Spurgeon took Acts 1:10 and 11 as his text and said the following comments;

"Four great events shine out brightly in our Saviour's story. All Christian minds delight to dwell upon his birth, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension. These make four rounds in that ladder of light, the foot of which is upon the earth, but the top whereof reacheth to heaven. We could not afford to dispense with any one of those four events, nor would it be profitable for us to forget, or to under-estimate the value of any one of them".

I think Spurgeon sums up excellently my problem. I DO NOT have an issue with thinking about the Cross at Calvary. Growing up in a reformed charismatic church, we duly celebrated Easter and had services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I didn't really enjoy Good Friday - I always found it quite depressing and sad, but loved Easter Sunday and the thought of Jesus Christ rising gloriously from the dead. I watched "The Passion of the Christ" and found it incredibly painful to watch - but got goosebumps in the final scene when the face of Christ appeared and He stepped forth risen.

My question is - why have two wooden planks been singled out for sole focus of our gaze? Before we get into that - let Spurgeon continue having his say. He made a comment during his sermon about what both the Cross and Christ's death - and the resurrection and Christ's triumph bring us;

"That Jesus once suffered unto the death for our sins, and thereby made a full atonement for us, is the rest and life of our spirits. The manger and the cross together are divine seals of love. That the Lord Jesus rose again from the dead is the warrant of our justification, and also a transcendently delightful assurance of the resurrection of all his people, and of their eternal life in him ... The resurrection of Christ is the morning star of our future glory".

I love that so much. His birth and the Cross are divine seals of love. John Hosier once prayed when we were at CCK; "Love constrained the Son of God to go to Calvary". But the resurrection - the glorious resurrection - where He conquered death is the "warrant of our justification". Without Him rising from the dead - "our faith is in vain". Or as Spurgeon so eloquently put it;

"The resurrection of Christ is the morning star of our future glory".

So we may argue this is just semantics. The fact is Christ isn't in a manager, He isn't hanging bleeding and dying on a Cross - He is risen, ascended and glorified in heaven preparing a place for us and interceding for us at the right hand of the Father! But surely it does matter how we imagine the Lord Jesus Christ - because where we fix our vision will affect our faith and how we live our lives.

After all - why else would the angels appear to move the disciples on from where they stood gazing? If I was one of the disciples I would have built a church right there on the Mount as the place where Jesus Christ was last seen. Maybe framed the plot of land where His feet had last been before they lifted off! But no - the angels appeared and told them to move along. Why? Spurgeon explains;

"The truth is, there was nothing wrong in their looking up into heaven; but they went a little further than looking; they stood "gazing." A little excess in right may be faulty. It may be wise to look, but foolish to gaze. There is a gazing which is not commendable, when the look becomes not that of reverent worship, but of an overweening curiosity; when there mingles with the desire to know what should be known, a prying into that which it is for God's glory to conceal.

We had better abstain from acts which serve no practical purpose; for in this life we have neither time nor strength to waste in fruitless action. The disciples would be wise to cease gazing, for nobody would be benefitted by it, and they would not themselves be blessed. What is the use of gazing when there is nothing to see?".

And there is my point. Can it be possible to gaze a little too much at the empty Cross where Christ died? While in Sovereign Grace Ministries I heard frequently; "We will never move on from the Cross" and other similar semantic statements. But something occured to me only today - is it necessary to look at the Cross to remember His sacrificial death for us? I don't believe it is. Revelation 5:6 shows us a divine vision;

"And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain".

It just isn't necessary to gaze at the Cross to remember the sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ. I don't exactly know what "as if slain" means - because I can't pretend to have seen the risen Christ in a vision. But I suspect He appears with maybe wounds in His hands and feet that are unhealed even in His glorious state. Whatever it may be - gazing at Him in His risen, ascended and glorious state does not mean that we are "moving on from the Cross".

I think C H Spurgeon sums up the issue perfectly for me;

"Again, put another question,—What precept were they obeying when they stood gazing up into heaven? If you have a command from God to do a certain thing, you need not inquire into the reason of the command, it is disobedient to begin to canvas God's will; but when there is no precept whatever, why persevere in an act which evidently does not promise to bring any blessing? Who bade them stand gazing up into heaven? For He had strictly charged them that they should tarry at Jerusalem till they were "endued with power from on high." So what they did was not justifiable".

So ... the question then is, is there anything particular about Calvary's Cross that demands our earnest gazing? Of course Paul said; "We preach Christ crucified". I know that. But Paul did not say; "We preach the crucifiction". He said; "We preach CHRIST ... crucified". The emphasis being (I believe) on why drove Christ to go through what He did for "the joy set before Him".

So there we have my thoughts - I am not saying that we should not fix our gaze on the events of Calvary and what Christ went through. Rather I think we should confess we will NEVER know the true horrors of Calvary - the agony of being seperated from His Father. But I propose that our gaze should be upon the full events of Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection. As Spurgeon put it;

"Four great events shine out brightly in our Saviour's story. All Christian minds delight to dwell upon his birth, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension".

One of my favourite choruses back in the 1980's as I grew up (and still is) remains this;

"For we see Jesus enthroned on high
Clothed in His righteousness, we worship Him
Glory and honour we give unto You
We see You in Your holiness
And bow before Your throne
You are the Lord
Your name endures forever
Jesus the Name high over all".

Empowerment from on High!!

Reading "Joy Unspeakable" (Dr Lloyd-Jones's sermons on John 1:26, 33) is making me think much about the baptism of the Holy Spirit along with a consideration of the past and my childhood growing up in the charismatic movement. David Rolles - a fellow ex-New Covenant Church member - made mention of a small booklet that was circulated widely at that time. We never realised it but it was quite famous among charismatic churches. Terry Virgo told a group of us at Stoneleigh that many churches used the booklet to great effect. It was called; "The Baptism in the Holy Spirit". I still have a treasured copy and quote it here - it defines the baptism of the Spirit as:

"The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is enduement with power from on high (Luke 24:49), it is the fulfillment of the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4, 5) and the Son (Acts 1:8). It is the provision of power for service, for we cannot serve in our own strength (Zech 4:6). It is a definite experience so that we should know whether we have had it or not (Acts 19:2). However it is not a once-for-all experience, in that we need to go on being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4, 4:8, 31; 13:9, Eph 5:18).

One of the loveliest results of this experience is a deeper love for the Lord and for one another, and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon believers results in greater unity among believers".

As believers have fought, argued and lost the element to this empowerment from on high - so the life of the charismatic movement has ebbed and dwindled. One of the most exciting books Terry Virgo has ever brought out was called; "The Tide is Turning". Mark Heath reviewed this book a while back and summarised it excellent;

"Essentially the title can be thought of as a prophecy that the decline of the church is slowing and a new wave of vibrant biblical Christianity is coming".

Do we need a new approach or a new tactic to achieve this turning of the tide? Of course there is nothing wrong with being culturally relevant. God surely gets no glory by the church stubbornly remaining out of date. But I fail to see that the Bible gives any other option for the turning of the tide other than empowerment from on high. And of course the folly of the church is that it is HERE, it is AVAILABLE, and it is FREE BY GRACE!!

As the early booklet on the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" noted - one of the most precious effects of this empowerment from on high is a greater and deeper love for the Lord Jesus. It is here that I bring together two insights - one from Dr Ern Baxter and one from Dr Martyn Ll0yd-Jones who both have the same insight. Dr Ll0yd-Jones wrote in "Joy Unspeakable";

"We have seen that it was only after the apostles had been baptized with the Holy Spirit that they really came to understand the meaning of what had happened to their Lord and Master".

In his monumental sermon on the "Robe of the Ephod" - Dr Ern Baxter drew attention to the golden bells that surrounded the high priest's robe. He said;

"As the high priest moved around in the Holy of Holies offering his sacrifice, the people could hear the golden bells on the hem of his robe and they knew that their sacrifice had been accepted. They knew the high priest was alive ... When the disciples gathered together in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost, they heard a sound from heaven.

What happened? They heard the bells of the High Priest in heaven offering His acceptable sacrifice in the Presence of God ... I believe that the reason why the baptism of the Holy Spirit and indeed the whole matter of the Holy Spirit has been so fiercely contested is because the Holy Spirit is the communication of God to men concerning the work of Jesus Christ in God's Presence.

Every child of God has the right to the evidence of the golden bells of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in his life to give him experiential knowledge in his own experience that Jesus Christ is alive and well in the Presence of God and He accomplished the work He was sent to do".

What is that work? One of the most glorious verses in the whole Bible (if that's possible) - 2 Corinthians 5:19:

"That God was in Christ reconciling the world (not just the church!) to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them".

We gain nothing by exalting one part of Christ's redemptive work above another. It is all gloriously intertwined like a golden thread running through a robe. The work that Christ did on the Cross has been accomplished once and for all - our sins are gone - never to return! But God did not expect us to take this on face value alone. He has sent empowerment from on high - He has poured out His Holy Spirit to baptise believers with experiential knowledge that we can hear the bells of heaven ringing in our hearts. See a down-trodden, depressed, faithless, negative, legalistic church? Rest assured that it's one and only need is a baptism of power from on high.

Ending It All?

• More males than females "succeed" at suicide, by a ratio of 4 to 1.


• Suicide has been reported as the second leading cause of death among teenagers.


• It appears that about one in three teen aged suicides is by a gay or lesbian.


• Followers of religions that strongly prohibit suicide, like Christianity and Islam, have a higher suicide rate than those religions which have no strong prohibition.

This blog post has been born out of three different experiences. Firstly my friend Brogan (from South Africa) and I have both been thinking along parallel lines on this. Secondly I was upset to hear of one of the members of City Church International in Hong Kong taking his own life - announced here (he had suffered beyond belief for years). Thirdly;

I had an unusual experience today when I was out running. I'd done a longer run on Friday night and was aching a bit so was finding it quite tough going. I put on my "gym playlist" and suddenly without warning found I was listening to "Heroes" - originally sang by Mariah Carey but this version was sang by the X-Factor finalists of 2008. And I heard this phrase in the song that stuck;

"Hold on until tomorrow - in time you'll find a way".


And I felt a massive emotional stirring for those who have taken their own lives or those who have been so close to taking their own lives. I have never heard suicide be addressed in any other terms but shock, disapproval and downright condemnation. Some Christians even suggest that if you take your own life then you are guilty of murder and may not even go to heaven. This of course is another blatent example of the legalistic wing of the church's ability to categorise and put sin on pedestals.

And the ironic thing is that I suspect that the final thought going through the one taking his/her own life is that they know that the church will tut, shake it's head and disapprove ... again.

So in this post - I want to speak to the potential suicidal. And then to the legalistic church.

1. To the one planning to take their own life.

If you have dealt with suicidal thoughts then you will be extremely sensitive to anyone trying to speak to you. "You don't know what I'm going through" - will probably going through your mind. And you are right. I don't know specifically what you are going through. But I DO know what it is like to carry the weight of considering whether or not to take your own life. I've been thinking about that for a number of years since I lived in Bristol. I still have a packet of pills in my bedroom that I never touch - earmarked for my use should I need it. Can I say I will never take my own life? No, I can't promise that. So please - I do know something of what it is like to consider suicide. BUT! That doesn't stop me trying to think through ways out.

So there is a very simple principle that needs to be totally and utterly demolished. Rob Rufus said this;

"The law addresses your behaviour. Grace addresses your heart. If your effort got you there, then your effort must keep you there. If grace got you there, then grace will keep you there".

There's so much I could say but I know that your time may be limited. I could baffle you with theological arguments and persuasions or even threats but you know them all. What you essentially want to know is surely why you should bother carrying on another day but secondly what will happen if you do pull that trigger, or take those pills or start that car. The question you need answering is why you should bother living another day. The song "Heroes" pleads; "Hold on - there will be tomorrow - in time you will find a way!". But I know you are answering that; "I can't hold on - I can't face tomorrow and I have tried and failed to find a way".

Listen to the best piece of good news in the world - 2 Corinthians 5:19;

" ... namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation".

There are the two greatest pieces of good news in the world here. And if you can dare to allow yourself to believe this, I guarantee it will do more to dispel your depression and maybe just maybe give you cause to live again.

1. God has reconciled YOU to HIM - permamently and forever and nothing and no one can take that away. No sin can remove that reconciliation. Let's get specific. You will hear the Church perhaps tell you that no sin can take that reconciliation away. You like me may suspect that they mean lying or a tendancy to pride or jealousy. Or maybe even lust as long as you read Joshua Harris's book. But what about if you have been a prostitute? Or what about if you have murdered someone? What about if you are gay and in an active relationship with someone? What about if you are a paedophile? What about if you have been a pagan and practiced witchcraft? But we must persist in allowing the Word of God and the promises of God to be consistent. God has reconciled you to Himself no matter what you have done. That must mean;

2. God is NOT counting your sins against you! I don't know what sins are worrying you. But let's talk about one I can bet we all have considered. You may have been told that if you commit suicide and take your own life then you will go to hell. The argument is that if you take your own life then you cannot ask forgiveness for the sin of murder therefore you are condemned to hell. No disrespect to anyone who says this but they are lying. If the forgiveness of your sin depends on the quantity, timing and appropriateness of you "confessing" such sin then Jesus Christ's sacrifice and blood shed on the Cross was conditional.

So what about the pseudo-threats of the Church that if you take your own life then you will go to hell? Well for that to happen, suicide must be too great a sin for Jesus Christ's death and sacrifice to cover. To suggest so is complete and utter blasphemy. Therefore if you have committed your life to Jesus Christ and accepted freely the gift of His righteousness then (let me say this slowly);

If .... you .... commit .... suicide .... you .... will ..... still .... go .... to .... heaven.

Do I want you to still go through with this? No of course I don't! I don't know you or your situation but I do believe earnestly that God has great schemes in store for you - if you will give Him a chance then you will see He has good plans for you - plans to give you a future and a hope. But I say again - if you do feel that you have absolutely no option but to take your own life then you absolutely will go to heaven and you will see the face of God. You may ask what will your arrival in heaven be like? Will you be saved "as though by fire"? Well I can't say for sure because I haven't yet taken my own life and been there. But I think I can say what I believe would happen.

When I was out running listening to the song "Heroes" I had a powerful experience and I felt as though I was sharing the experience of someone who was dying and closing their eyes and awaking in glory. The first thing I was aware of was the face of God and I looked eagerly although scared to see if there was disappointment or worse anger. What I saw was an overwhelming empathy. How foolish to not realise that God Himself knows every pain, every agony, every torment that we - His creation - go through! He knew. And He understood. And He loved. And He forgave freely just as He has always forgiven freely since Calvary.

Well I haven't said anything to stop you taking the pills or pulling the trigger - you may say. That's true. I never promised all the answers. All I promised was that I know what you are going through. And I am on a voyage of discovery and my discoveries so far show that God really wants us to live and enjoy each day so that He can unfold revelations of His love and passion for us and show us that He has gladly reconciled Himself to us and He is NOT counting our sins against us!

2. To the Church family wanting to support the suicidal.

I have got nothing to say to the legalistic church who despise the suicidal as "weak" and taking the "easy way out". You have blood on your hands. If God is not holding the sins of the suicidal against them - then what gives YOU the right to hold their sins against them? "If God is for (them) then who can be against (them)?". It is the condemnation that you are placing upon those struggling souls that is a major factor in driving them to end their lives. I hope that the gospel of grace will wake you up one day and realise what you are doing.

I want to speak to the church family (like City Church International in Hong Kong) who REALLY want to help the suicidal among them and REALLY care and love and long for them to find "a future and a hope". I must urge anyone who really wants to look into this to listen to Rob Rufus's two messages - "Announcement about Barry Summers" and "The Glory of Tested Faith (Part 2)Enduring Hardships". Rob's compassion and love for both Barry (the guy who took his own life) and the church is incredible. Rob speaks about clipping Barry around the ear when they next meet in glory but he speaks passionately to the church to prevent them from feeling they "could have done more".

So what can the church do to help? I believe it is quite simple. One of my favourite Stuart Townend songs is "The Resurrection Hymn" with the verse;

"See Mary weeping, 'Where is He laid?' As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb; Hears a voice speaking, calling her name; It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again! The voice that spans the years, Speaking life, stirring hope, Bringing peace to us, Will sound till He appears, For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!".

The church has been so eager to defend doctrine especially the doctrine of the Cross in recent years - and there is nothing wrong with that. But an over-emphasis on the doctrine glosses over the fact that He died 2,000 years ago but HE NOW LIVES!! And He doesn't just live but He lives "to intercede for us". He is alive and He is busily active! Church ministries need to make every effort to remind the church that He is alive, He is active and He does speak!

Even some so-called reformed charismatic churches allow for prophecy in their midst but seem to forget the point of prophecy. Jesus Christ is SPEAKING TO HIS BRIDE! When He intervenes in divine and miraculous healing it is a touch of love! One of the things John MacArthur said that made me so angry was to write in his commentary that Jesus only healed in the New Testament "for a purpose". What he meant was that each miracle was to achieve or prove something. There was no suggestion in the commentary about the difference that the healing would make to the person themselves. The woman bowed over for 18 years was healed and the first thing she saw was Jesus Christ's face - full of love!

The suicidal man or woman needs to hear Jesus Christ speaking to them for themselves. They need to hear the words of love that our heavenly Bridegroom is speaking to them! And the church is the place where that can happen. They need to be in a family who love, welcome and appreciate them. They need to be in a family that assure them that their salvation is secure and even if they do end it, they will still go to heaven. They need to be in a family that gather together eagerly to EXPECT the voice of Jesus Christ to resound through the body.

I can recall some of the prophecies that have changed my life because the prophet heard Jesus speak and relayed the message.

1. Terry Virgo Prophesies at Brighton Leaders Conference 2003 - "Resurrection!".

2. Terry Virgo Prophesies at Together on a Mission 2006 - "Embrace change!".

3. Terry Virgo Prophesies at Together on a Mission 2006 - "Eavesdropping on My plans!".

4. Terry Virgo Prophesies at Stoneleigh Bible Week 2000 - "This is Dancing Ground!".

And they are just a few! Each prophecy made me cry, laugh, shake and tremble. But the one resounding thing about each prophecy was that it made me more convinced that I have ever been more sure that JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE!

In closing I mentioned that I have a pack of pills in my bedroom that I keep ... just in case. When heaven seems silent and Jesus Christ might as well still be hanging on the Cross - that is when I feel low, depressed and that life is without purpose. When the prophetic is flowing, when I can hear Him speaking and talking - that is when I want nothing less than to end my life. A dear blogging friend - Jamie - summed up suicide excellently - I will let her close;

"Suicide: sad choice for our earth suit but that's about it. :)".

He Reigns!! ... Even in a Pandemic

I've mentioned every now and then that I've been working on a new job - essentially I'm working on a team at the Children's Hospital focusing on the swine flu pandemic sweeping the nation and the world. Anyone based in the UK will know the West Midlands statistics are very high compared to the rest of the nation so it's quite a challenging role. Part of my job is to take phone calls from staff, patients and relatives who have concerns and need answers and advice. And there is a LOT of concerns which is quite understandable. So these phone calls mean that in the last month I've had to learn a lot, quite fast about swine flu and what it does and may do.

What I didn't expect (maybe naively) was for that panic and fear to worm it's way through the Church. I took a fascinating but rather surprising question from someone in a church. They asked whether (based on guidance from the group of churches they belong to) - whether they should be pre-cutting up the communion loaf to limit the spread of potential infection. I did some research yesterday and I was increasingly surprised to find that this guidance is quite tame. Other churches are looking at sterile pre-packing wafers and a small goblet of wine. Other churches are banning communion altogether.

The most sensible advice I read was by a Lutheran minister in the USA who advices those with flu-like symptoms to stay at home until they are better but states that she will not stop sharing communion or shaking hands or hugging her congregation. This is precisely the advice that I gave - to me, taking the excessive step of pre-cutting the communion loaf is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. A Christian microbiologist did some research into what germs are in the communion communal cup and found some rather terrifying things. That being said, she concluded you stand more chance of catching something from your children at home than if you partook in communion every day.

Essentially the issue is this - someone with flu-like symptoms who potentially has swine flu should not be coming to church and sitting in close proximity with other worshippers for over an hour. If they are doing so then the flu virus will spread through their coughing and sneezing whether the communion loaf is pre-cut or not and whether each worshipper has pre-packed individual wafers and wine or not.

The Christian bloggers are of course busy debating whether this is the final wrath of God or not on the back of the economic collapse. What utter rubbish. What about the Black Death of centuries back? What about the seasonal flu pandemic of 1968 to 1970? God is not mad. He spent His wrath at the Cross and His Son cried; "It's done! It's finished!". Rather this is an opportunity. This is an opportunity for the Church to stop being afraid and to rise up and show the world that we are not afraid. This is in an opportunity to show the world that healing and signs and wonders really do exist now, right now and totday here in the 21st century.

What chance does swine flu have if the fire of God were to fall in response to the authoratative command of His people? Does He reign or doesn't He? Does He heal or doesn't He? If John G Lake could confidently take some infected saliva infested with bubonic plague in South Africa and put it on his skin and watch it die because of the anointing upon him, then why should swine flu stand any more chance?

Enough fear. Enough cutting up of communion bread. Stop! Do we believe or do we not? Does He reign or doesn't He?

You Have Heard It Said ...

I was reading Phil Moore's "A Healthy Theology of Healing" in the Newfrontiers Theological Papers section with great interest and I've always struggled with the well-known evangelical phrase; "Already But Not Yet". It's never sat quite comfortably with me because it seems to me that there is a built-in excuse for leaving things we can't manage or like to heaven. Sort of like the word "Continuationist" - which admits yes the gifts of the Spirit may continue but there is no suggestion of an "eagerly desiring" such gifts from a willing Holy Spirit to manifest in the church!

Phil Moore presented a much-better alternative!

"The Kingdom now but not yet ... We can say that there is evidence in the Bible that God may not choose to heal everyone immediately, but this is a long way from saying that sickness is either God’s normal means of sanctification or a
primary means for His glory. Jesus and the apostles talked very frankly and in some detail about the suffering we must endure as Christians, but not one of them ever talked about the suffering of sickness in this context despite being surrounded daily by crowds of sick people. Importantly, not one of them ever told anyone who came to them for healing that they should go home and continue to glorify God by the faithful way in which they bore their sickness".

But rather;

“A Healthy Theology of Healing: The Kingdom has Already Come and is Ever-Increasing”

"Despite the fact that Jesus had given the Twelve “authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness” (Mt 10:1), the combined efforts of nine of them failed to heal a child with epilepsy because the disciples lacked faith in the Father’s willingness (v16-20) and had not pursued the kind of intimacy with the Father which results in effective partnership (v21). We have not placed enough confidence in God’s willingness to heal those around us because we would rather not attribute their continued sickness to our lack of the persistent prayer which characterises true faith".

This is such a challenge and I found it so encouraging. Enough with the excuses! God IS willing to heal! The nuclear power station of the empty Cross and empty Tomb are producing enough power to raise the dead! The question is what my fuse box of faith is upto ...

Resurrection Reflections!!

Well I am down in Bristol again visiting the family and once again find myself alone in the house preparing Easter Sunday dinner while my family are at church. And it's an awesome and glorious time to consider and think and generally get excited about what this day means for us. Surely this day is the most glorious of the entire Christian calendar! Yes of course Christmas - His incarnation. Pentecost - wow! Fireworks! Good Friday? Well it had to happen for Easter Sunday to come. Jesus Christ had to go through Calvary "for the joy set before Him". I know a favourite song with my family and SGM-sort of people is "The Wonderful Cross". Odds are they will sing it today.

But there's nothing actually wonderful about the Cross is there? Did Jesus call what He was about to face "wonderful" in the Garden? Would the millions who died throughout history call it "wonderful"? Here's some cold, hard details about crucifixion:

"Crucifixion was ... usually to provide a death that was particularly slow, painful, gruesome and public ... Death could result from any combination of causes, including blood loss, hypovolemic shock, or sepsis following infection, caused by the scourging that preceded the crucifixion, or by the process of being nailed itself, or eventual dehydration.

In Roman-style crucifixion, the condemned took days to die slowly from suffocation — caused by the condemned's blood-supply slowly draining away to a quantity insufficient to supply the required oxygen to vital organs. The dead body was left up for vultures and other birds to consume. The goal of Roman crucifixion was not just to kill the criminal, but also to mutilate and dishonour the body of the condemned. In ancient tradition, an honourable death required burial; leaving a body on the cross, so as to mutilate it and prevent its burial, was a grave dishonour".

What IS wonderful is that the Son of God was willing to go through that physical ordeal (and the agony of the spiritual suffering He went through can't even be imagined - one shortfall to the "Passion of the Christ") so that His righteousness and His obedience might be imputed to me! What IS wonderful is not that He died. Because virtually everyone who hung on Cross's died (apparantly one survived according to Josephus). His human body was nailed to the Cross in the same processes that the Romans used for all. He even had a spear thrust through His side. What IS wonderful is that He ROSE AGAIN from the dead on the Third Day! Oh He definately died! But He rose again!

And 1 Corinthians 15 is so clear;

"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins ... But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep".

Essentially if in our view Christ is still hanging on a Cross then we are still in our sins experientially. If we need actual wooden crosses at the front of our churches then surely something's a bit wrong. The true Gospel-centred life takes the whole picture. That He was indeed incarnate and came to earth and had His divinity veiled in His humanity, fully God and fully Man. Yet He chose to walk to Calvary and endure the horrors of the Cross. (Maybe that's a better title for that song; "The Awful Cross" or the "Horrid Cross"). But glory of glories! He rose again! He triumphed over death, principalities and powers and DISARMED them!

How did He disarm them? What did He actually do to emasculate the powers of darkness and take away their best weapon? Hell's best secret and best tactic?

" ... having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him".

The law was hostile to us but now it is cancelled! He has "taken it out of the way!". I am in the middle of two transcribing project sermons (Ern Baxter and Rob Rufus) and there's a remarkable parallel between the two. Once again both so remind me of the other! There are ways and means of living under law. Ern Baxter speaking on the "Brazen Altar" said this commenting on Hebrews 10:1-2;

"The whole legal dispensation was INADEQUATE. You must understand that! The whole legal dispensation was a picture of the perfect that was to come. With Christ the perfect has come! Now if one sacrifice had perfected you forever then why would you keep bringing the sacrifices? But they did and they had to".

That really got me thinking. The Old Covenant sacrifices "can ... never ... make perfect those who draw near". Never! So they continually had to be offered! But Ern Baxter goes on;

"Why put people back under something they can't handle? God never did have pleasure in the offerings of bulls and goats! That was a lesser thing! His heart was never there! His heart was always with Christ as the Lamb of God! Now if He has taken away the first (law) then we are we forever trying to re-establish the first? Look at the first and understand the first but understand that first is a picture of the second and the SECOND is the permament one! Christ has come!

The Lamb has been slain ONCE and for ALL! He is on the Throne NEVER to be removed! Ultimacy has arrived and you and I have plugged into it and we have eternal life and we shall never perish! We have been made perfect by the ONE sacrifice of the ONE Lamb FOREVER!".

So if that's the case then why are we wasting time mixing Old Covenant law with New Covenant grace? And why do we imagine that our confessing sins can somehow make God right with us when He is right with us already because of something that happened 2000 years ago? And why are we wasting time in accountability groups talking about sin - something that God declared;

"And their sins and lawless deeds ... I .... WILL ... REMEMBER ... NO .... MORE!".

Now that's a glorious Gospel message this morning! This Jesus we are remembering this morning ISN'T hanging broken on a Cross anymore! He is very much alive and pouring out His love and passion on His children - and that love is expressed how? By declaring that He will nto remember our sins and lawless deeds anymore! He's ALIVE!

Dr Ern Baxter on Jesus' Ultimate Victory

I was listening to a sermon by Dr Ern Baxter while driving back from Brighton last night. It was part of a conference series he gave at Bishop Earl Paulk's church in Atlanta called "The King, the Kingdom and the Holy Spirit". It's a comment on how we view where Jesus Christ is today as so important to the way we live our lives;

"I don't see Jesus Christ as a baby lying helpless in a manager. I don't see Jesus as walking the land of Israel limited by location. I don't even see Jesus walking on the water or performing miracles. I don't see Jesus broken and bleeding and dying on the Cross - I see the Cross as an event on the way to His ultimate place. I see Jesus crowned with glory and honour - ruling the nations in victory!".

It occured to me that John Bunyan may have a point in how he wrote 'Pilgrims Progress'. Remember that Pilgrim met the Cross early on in his journey towards the Celestial City and it truly was an event. It was there that his burden fell off and rolled down into the open and empty grave. Pilgrims life was indeed changed by his encounter at the Cross but he rose up and walked on. It was at the Celestial City that he would meet the Lord Jesus Christ. And just so with us. Jesus died once and for all - we will never again see Him hanging at Calvary. When we see Him finally on that glorious day we will see Him crowned with glory and honour seated at the right hand of God the Father! Let's pray that the eyes of our hearts be opened to get a glimpse of that now - that the heavens split like Stephen and we see Him!

Thirsty? There is NO Other Stream ...

Apologies for the couple of days quietness - I have been busy with various meetings at work trying to sort out the allegations that I am facing along with doing night shifts. I thought disaster had struck last night! I forgot my IPOD with my collection of Rob Rufus sermons and I also forgot any Christian books! So when the children were all settled safely to bed, I felt I was at a bit of a loss until my eyes fell on the "Chronicles of Narnia" on the bookshelf and I decided to read "The Silver Chair" - one I haven't read for years. I did and was startled to hear God speaking quite audibly when I read a particular passage.

Here it is:

“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.

“I’m dying of thirst”, said Jill.

“May I - could I - would you mind going away while I do?”, said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the while montain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

“Will you promise not to - do anything to me, if I do come?”, said Jill.

“I make no promise”, said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.

“Do you eat girls?”, she said.

“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, knigs and emperors, cities and realms”, said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

“I daren’t come and drink”, said Jill.

“Then you will die of thirst”, said the Lion.

“Oh dear!”, said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”

“There is no other stream”, said the Lion.

John 7:37-38: "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

"So much of the problems in the world and My Church stem from a thirst that they know nothing about. Heartache? Misery? Loneliness? Mental health problems? Fear? Hopelessness? All these would be met by a quenching of a never-ending thirst. Yet so many throughout the ages have mistaken that thirst and thought they could meet in at other streams. They have tried the stream of psychology, the stream of physiology, they have tried the stream of intelligence and academics, they have tried the stream of the New Age and counterfeit power.

Yet the thirst continues and 2,000 years after My Son walked this planet, still My people have not learnt the source - the satisfaction of coming to Me and finding eternal satisfaction in drinking from the stream before I sit. But you must come to ME. I will not move. I will not negotiate. I will not allow tributaries that are detach from the Living life flow. Come to ME. I make no promises about what will happen when you come and drink of My Spirit. Your life will change. You will find yourself commissioned in ways that you never dreamt of before. My one promise is that nothing will remain the same.

So many of My people have dared not come and drink for they have been in the world and become of the world. And they have died of thirst for their fear overcame their thirst. Yet I urge you this day to allow your thirst to overcome your fears. There IS no other stream of living water that will conquer your thirst for reality, for My Presence. There IS no other stream of living water that will flow through you and out to meet the lost, the nations. There IS no other way that I have chosen to flood and cover and fill the earth with My glory than this.

So come to Me and drink. Calvary is complete and done. Resurrection is achieved. I am glorified. I am seated. I am reigning and I have poured out My Spirit in a never-ending flow that will never cease until prophecy is fulfilled and all flesh receive".

Hope from our Identity!!

Here's another short post. I've got a deep love for quotes as many of you know from the "Pentecostal/Charismatic Post-it Notes Blog" and from the new "Grace and Glory Blank Bible". C H Spurgeon used to call quotes; "Smooth Stones from Ancient Brooks" - likening them to the stones David selected to kill Goliath. Clearly he felt that quotes have power. And indeed Holy Spirit-inspired quotes do.

In Rob Rufus's latest sermon; "Attitudes That Attract The Empowering Grace Of God - Part 4", Rob made the powerful point;

"Let me sum up what being saved is, what redemption is in one word - identification".

Our identity! It's a very popular word these days. But Rob hit on something that I think is a key problem with the Church today. We have forgotten who we are. He commented on John John 16:14-15 which I have added to the "Glory and Grace Blank Bible" and said;

"In other words, He will take what I have and He will manifest it to you. The next verse He says, "All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said, 'He will take what is mine and declare it to you" - in other words, you are about to become brothers, joint equal heirs seated in the heavenly realms in Me and with Me. What is your identity Christian? You are identified with everything Jesus is, where Jesus is seated, what Jesus can do, Who Jesus is - His righteousness, the glory that shines in His face - you are a co-equal heir!

This is the truth of the New Testament denied to millions of Christians around the world who think that God will reject them. He will never reject you - why? He will never reject those identified with Jesus and He will never reject you because all He sees is the light that shines in the face of Jesus. He doesn't see your sin so come boldly into the throne room! Come boldly and be concious of where you are seated right now! Be concious of that heavenly realm - that is your identity!".

Rob then went on to mention the popular film trilogy; "The Bourne Identity", "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum" starring Matt Damon. Here's a clip for those who aren't familiar with the films;



Rob had an incredible insight into the films;

"How many of you saw the "Bourne Identity"? It was a movie - I forget the actor's name but he was a good-looking young man. Looked a little bit like me! The whole theme of the 3-part series of the movies is that he was a highly skilled warrior. He was highly trained in all kinds of weaponary and highly trained in physical combat. He was one of the best of the best of the best of the elite.

But he had lost his memory and because he had lost his memory, he did not know his identity. Because he didn't know his identity, he acted indecisively and he acted afraid and had no confidence.

But in the movie gradually his memory started to come back and as his memory returned, his sense of identity comes back. And the more his memory came back, the more his identity is restored and the more he begins to handle weapons and physical contact and begins to devastate his enemies and becomes very confident and effective.

When I saw those movies, instantly I felt the Spirit of God say; "That is like much of my church. Through a 1000 years of the Dark Ages of religion from about 300 A.D to almost the present time, much of My Church has lost it's memory as to who it is and who it's identity is. But as we stand in the Presence and soak in the Presence of the Holy Spirit - as we come and He breathes on us, slowly in our conciousness our memory starts coming back as to who we are. We are the righteousness of God. We are the brothers of Jesus.

We are identified with His death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension and co-seated with Him. A co-equal heir. A brother of Jesus and when your conciousness and your memory returns as to who you really are, all the skills and all the anointings and all the enablings of Jesus come upon your life".

One of the things that most impresses me about Paul's letters to the Corinthians is that his loving correction is so different to much of the correction (or should I say condemnation) that I have witnessed first hand in the local church. Their methods were focused on PERFORMANCE and they made judgements based on failures. Paul's methods were focussed around the question; "Don't you know who you are?" and he made judgements based on POSITION. Identity! Let's remember who we are!

Raising of the DEAD in Ghana!!

Terry Virgo reported this from John Kpikpi in Ghana AFTER he was watching Lakeland on God TV! I can say no more than what he said to Terry in a text:

On Thursday night (29th May 2008) I was watching the Florida outpouring on God TV. It went on till our time 12.30am. Towards the end there were testimonies of the 15th person raised from the dead – one of which was reported by cell phone from Kenya!

I was about to go to bed when a lady in our church phoned to say that her husband had stopped speaking and stopped responding to her, and asked me to come.

It was rather dire when I got there; we could not detect any breathing movements at all, and his body felt very cold to the touch. There was no pulse and his limbs were limp. Not being a medic I can’t claim he was dead but there was no evidence of life.

His three children were crying in another room while I set out to pray for him with his wife, obviously filled with faith from my time watching the TV.

After praying for a while I thought I noticed a slight movement below the thorax. I wondered whether my eyes were playing tricks on me so I rested my palm gently over the area – and felt it move. I asked his wife to feel the same place but she said she couldn’t feel anything. We continued to pray and I saw his collar bone move up and down!

We pressed on and then I could hear breathing noises. Then he began to snore and at this time his wife called him and he responded with a grunt! I felt it was time for me to leave and I went in and assured the children that their Dad was OK.

Was he raised from the dead? Well, I think if I hadn’t gone in with impartation from the Florida outpouring we would all have been wailing on Sunday; rather he came to stand with his wife before the church as a great testimony.

Hallelujah! I am hungry for more of this present outpouring.

John Kpikpi

2nd June 2008

As Terry himself said; "To God alone be the glory!".

Praise Where Praise is Due!!

I've got plenty of faults and flaws!! Being outspoken may be most certainly one of them - and I am sure I have offended some for stating my nervousness about going to "Together on A Mission" this year because of the main speaker - one Mark Driscoll. But I do hope - and I do try - to admit it when I have got it wrong and ask forgiveness off those I've offended. And also give praise where praise is due! No - I haven't changed my mind on Brighton ... yet. But I am reading; "The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World" edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor and have just hit Mark Driscoll's chapter.

I read this;

"If we were to see Jesus today, we would not see Him in His state of humble incarnation (I would add - neither would we see Him hanging broken and bleeding on the Cross). Rather we would see Jesus as both Isaiah and John saw Him - enthroned in glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This Jesus rules over gays and straights, men and women, young and old, rich and poor, black and white, simple and wise, healthy and sick, powerful and powerless, Republicans and Democrats, married and single, Christians and non-Christians, angels and demons and the living and the dead.

The sovereign, unprecedented and glorious exaltation of Jesus is typified by a throne. The imagery of a throne is used roughly 196 times in Scripture with 135 occurences in the Old Testament and 61 occurences in the New Testament.

The central piece of furniture on the stage of the heavenly scenes is the throne. Seated upon the throne over all peoples, times, places and cultures is Jesus Christ. Throughout Revelation, all truth, authority and judgement proceed from the One seated on the throne. All praise, worship and gladness proceed to the One seated on the throne from all created beings, including men, women, angels, beasts of the field, birds of the air and fish of the sea.

Perhaps my favourite picture (and that of my young sons) of the glorious exaltation of our great God Jesus Christ is what we like to refer to as Ultimate Fighter Jesus. In Revelation 19:11-16, Jesus rides ... on a white horse with His steely eyes blazing red like fire ... the supremacy of Jesus Christ as our sovereign and exalted God is our authority for mission ... indeed the authority of our mission rests on nothing less than the authority delegated to us by the exalted Lord Jesus Christ who rules over all".

Awesome!! Wonderful!! Maybe if that had been the first thing I had read or heard of Mark Driscoll, I may have been first in line booking to go to Brighton!! The Church needs to restore this divine perspective of "Christ's Ministry Today" (as I posted a few days ago). Of course we never cease to preach Christ and Him crucified. Maybe some never want to move on beyond the old rugged Cross. But let's also never lose this vision - that this exalted risen and reigning King Jesus delegates authority to us - His Bride - to go forth in mission!!

"Christ's Ministry Today" by Dr Ern Baxter

"Where is Jesus Now - and what does that mean to me?"

From New Wine Magazine - July/August 1977

"Many books have been written about the life of Jesus Christ. Most of them commence with His birth and conclude with His death; a few go so far as to include His ascension into heaven. Such an abbreviated record of Jesus' life is understandable if we only think of "the days of His flesh" (Hebrews 5:7), the period of His life on earth. However, Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was "crucified and slain", was "raised up by God" and "exalted to the right hand of God" where "He forever liveth" (Acts 2:22, 23, 32, 33; Hebrews 7:25). Could it be that we have given so much attention to His life on earth that we have failed to attach the proper importance to His life as it has continued for nearly 2, 000 years in heaven? Actually the events of His earth life were the foundation for His continuing life and ministry "at God's right hand" (Romans 8:34).

What He did then was in preparation for what He is doing now and will do in the future. Although it is important that we know what He did and even what He will do in the future, it is vital to our Christian life and understanding that we know what He is doing now, since He is "now appearing on our behalf in the very Presence of God" (Hebrews 9:24).

Success in the Christian life is inseperably linked to "fixing our gaze upon Jesus" (Weymouth), the "pioneer and perfection of faith" (Moffatt), "who is sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 12:2) where we (now) see Jesus crowned with glory and honour (Hebrews 2:9). we are instructed to "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God". "Set your affections on ('practice occupying your mind with' - Williams) things above, and not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1, 2). Understanding who and what we are in relation to what Christ is now, in His present life, will determine our whole character as Christians, 'for we realize that our life in this world is actually His life lived in us' (1 John 4:17). The prime question then is; what is Jesus now, and what does that mean to me?

1. Man.

Peter in his message to Israel on the Day of Pentecost said; "Jesus of Nazareth, a man" is "by the right hand of God exalted" (Acts 2:22, 33).

This is God's evaluation of man. Man may see himself as the primeval slime, destined for oblivion but God declares man to be the product of divine creative genius destined for residence with Himself.

The Bible speaks of two men, significant to the human race. The first man - Adam and the last Adam - Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:45). Made in God's "image and likeness" (Genesis 2:7), the first man failed to obey the divine commission for his life and became a man of disobedience producing a progeny "in his own likeness, according to his image" (Genesis 5:3) who became known as the "children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). The last Adam, Jesus born "without sin" became a new life-giving source, whose progeny are distinguished by righteousness and obedience (Romans 1:5, 5:19).

The first man was commissioned to "rule ... over the earth" (Genesis 1:26 - NAS) as God's delegated authority, and he forfeited his authority through disobedience. The second man succeeded where the first failed, and because He was "obedient ... God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name" (Phil 2:8, 9 - NAS). After the fall of the first man and His forfeiture of authority. God delegated men to represent Him in the earth until the time should come for the second man to arrive on the scene to assume permament rulership. "God after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son ..." (Hebrews 1:1, 2 - NAS). The prophets not only declared God's will and requirements to their times but referred to the coming of the One who would be God's final voice and Ruler supreme.

No sooner had the first man failed than God announced that there would come "a seed" who would "bruise the serpent's head" (Genesis 3:15). The coming of this "seed" became the central theme of the Old Testament writings. The promise of His coming was confirmed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jacob's 12 sons became a nation, whose illustrious deliverer and leader Moses spoke of the coming of this "seed" as a great Prophet like himself who would become the leader of the people of God.

2. Pioneer and Perfection.

"In the fullness of time" He came! He succeeded where the first man failed, and as a man, pioneered a way through life which afforded an example of how it can be done (1 Peter 2:21).

What's more Jesus fulfilled God's intended destiny for men by resisting sin, enduring suffering, defeating death and going into the Presence of God to enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him, without any sense of emarrassment, inferiority or fear of interuption. He is "alive forevermore"! There is a man in the immediate Presence of God. One man has made it! You and I too can make it!

This is why we are to "fix our gaze upon" Him. As we constantly behold One who has "pioneered and perfected faith" (Hebrews 12:2 - Montgomery), we are "enabled to run the course mapped out for us" (Hebrews 12:1 -Berkley). In this aspect of Christ's present ministry, it is not so much what He is doing as what He has done that ministers courage and endurance to us. He was the first man to pioneer a way from heaven to earth and provide "the course mapped out for us". He is the only one who has traversed the course. Study "the map" and keep your eyes on the pioneer.

3. Messiah-King.

God ordained that His leaders in the earth, such as priests, kings and prophets should be anointed with oil. Oil was typical of the Holy Spirit and such anointing declared God's unique Presence and enabling with the one anointed. The Hebrew word for anointed was "maschiach" which is the word from which "Messiah" derives. Although there were many anointed servants of God in history, only One was to become the perfect embodiment of all those divinely appointed offices and ministries, who would be "The Messiah" or, as He is referred to in the New Testament, "The Christ".

Many great leaders in the Old Testament prefigured Christ. Abraham became the "father of the faithful", through whose genealogical line "the seed" should come. Moses was appointed leader of the Israel nation, called "the church in the wilderness", and is a type of Christ who is the Head of His Church, for Israel was typical of Christ's church. There was one man however who was destined to become significant to Israel's life and future hopes. He was King David, through whom "the seed" was to become the ultimate "King of Israel" (John 1:49). Of David, God has said;

"I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever. I will establish your seed forever and build up your throne to all generations" (Psalm 89:3-4).

He underlines this promise saying;

"My covenant I will not violate nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David" (Psalm 89:34, 35 - NAS).

The Psalmist in his "verses to the King" speaking of David and prophetically of David's greater Son, wrote;

"Thy throne O God is forever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom, Thou hath loved rightousness and hated wickedness, therefore God, thy God has anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Psalm 45; 1, 6, 7 - NAS).

The writer in Hebrews applies this to the enthroned Jesus (Hebrews 1:8, 9 - NAS). When Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost of Jesus' resurrection, exaltation and enthronement, he declared it to be the fulfillment of God's covenantal promise to David. He said that David was "a prophet" and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants "upon his throne" and that David had "looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ" (Acts 2:30, 31 - NAS).

The anointed King promised to David was the resurrected, exalted and enthroned Jesus - Messiah.

Isaiah had also prophesied of Jehovah's anointed Redeemer-Servant who was to come (Isaiah 52:13, 53:12) and had written the very words which the Servant would use to announce the commencement of His ministry (Luke 4:17-19). Jesus is the Messiah! God's anointed Servant-Redeemer-King. He reigns as David's seed, God's Son and our Sovereign. The universe is not governed by an unidentifiable, impersonal force but by a man named Jesus who from a "throne of grace" rules the universe in equity and justifce.

"The King of Love my Shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never, I nothing lack if I am His and He is mine forever".

He is King of Kings now! Many Christians are unaware or uninstructed that Jesus is now reigning. As a result they live in relative indifference to the present sovereign rights of King Jesus over the world including His "rebel subjects". Such indifference reduces their redemptive and remedial activity as the delegated authorities God has ordained them to be as His Kingdom community in the outworking of His divine government on and over the earth.

4. Lord.

Jesus is also Lord. In the Pentecostal message Peter addressing the great multitude of devout Jews, declared; "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah) this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36 - NAS). During Jesus earthly ministry, the Jewish religious leaders had refused to recognize Him as either Lord or Messiah. They acknowledged that when Messiah came, He would be "the Son of David". But Jesus pressed them further asking,

"Then how does David in the Spirit call Him, "The Lord said to My Lord; "Sit at My right hand until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet". If David then calls Him; "Lord" how is He His Son?" (Matthew 22:43-45 - NAS).

It is significant that "no one was able to answer Him a word nor did anyone dare from that day on, to ask Him another question" (Matthew 22:46 - NAS). He not only claimed to be Messiah (Mark 14:61, 62) but He also claimed to be Lord. He was "Man of very man and God of very God". The name used for Jehovah, Jesus claimed as applicable to Himself. The High Priest heard this claim as blasphemy and tore his clothes in furious anger at such presumption.

But his furious denial and denunciation did not alter the facts and God confirmed Jesus' claims by raising Him from the dead and enthroning Him in the place of supreme power. As David's Son and God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ from His place of enthronement continues His life and ministry on behalf of both God and man.

In being "joined to the Lord" we are joined to God. This is not just a matter of names and titles but a matter than has continued vital meaning to those who are "joined". "The man who is in union with the Lord is spiritually one with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17 - Williams). The practical implications of this fact for the Christian are incalculable. Especially when we read what Paul writes to the Colossians about our Lord and ourselves as His people;

"It is in Him (Jesus Christ our Lord) that all the fullness of Deity continues to live embodied and through union with Him, you too are filled with it" (Colossians 2:9, 10 - Williams).

Our relationship with the enthroned Jesus makes available to us the incomputable resources of the triune God.

5. Head.

Closely connected with with our Lord's Kingship is His present ministry as "Head". As King, He is more strictly the fulfillment of God's promise to the old covenant people and especially to King David whereas His ministry as Head has to do with His relationship to the "new man" which is "the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). He is also "head over all things" (Ephesians 1:22); the "head of every man" (1 Corinthians 11:3); and "head of every principality and power" (Colossians 2:10). When we speak of Christ as Head, we may think of Him as a supreme authority, or in a more specific sesne, as relating in a living way, united to His people as the life-sustaining and directing "head from whom the whole body, by the joints which bind it draw full supplies for all it's needs and is knit together" (Colossians 2:19 - Conybeare).

We might say that He is head legally and vitally. Let's touch briefly on the various aspects of Christ's Headship. "The head of every man is Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:3). This statement is preceded by a solemn apostolic emphasis - "I would have you know". It also describes a part of an authority structure ordained of God. Disruption of this order at any point would prove destructive of God's intent. "But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every individual man, just as man is the "head" of the woman and God is the head of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:3 - JBP). "Every man" in this verse refers to "every male of the human family".

"Paul does not refer to Christians only but to all men. The fact that non-Christians do not know these things and do not even want to know to know them does not do away with the truth of this statement" - (Grosheide, F W - Commentary on First Corinthians).

Christ is the "authority over all authorities and the supreme power over all powers" (Colossians 2:10 - JBP). "All things ... that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers ... were created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). The coming of rebellion into the universe divided both visible and invisible powers into supporters of either good or evil.

The supremacy of God over these powers never diminished but "in the fullness of time" they had to be punished and dethroned in order that man, His ordained delegated ruler should assume his destined authority.

Jesus of Nazareth, God's Son accomplished the defeat of these rebellious powers, "having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphant over them by the Cross" (Colossians 2:15 - NIV).

Now as the God-Man Jesus Christ has supreme authority over all powers. The evil forces cannot keep us from Him, and the good powers are not needed to mediate our approach to Him. We have direct access to Him,unhindered by evil powers and unmediated by good powers.

This authority as Head is not alone for the purpose of honouring our Lord, but also for making His authority manifest through His Body, the Church. "God has placed everything under the power of Christ and has set Him up as head of everything for the Church. For the Church is His body and in that body lives fully the one who fills the whole universe" (Ephesians 1:22, 23 - JBP). This last reference combines the two aspects of Christ's Headship. Although He is Head over all powers by legal right, He also fills the Church with His power vitally in a living relationship illustrated by the relationship of a human head to a human body.

"He is not only the dominating directing power which the Body obeys and follows but the source of it's vitality and of it's vital energies" (H B Swete - The Ascended Christ).

There are three major emphases in connection with Christ's vital union with the Church as seen in the metaphor of the human body. First there must be no question about His right to primacy and supremacy as "the Head of the Body". This is imperative because "He is it's origin - the first to return from the dead" (Colossians 1:18 - NEB). Or as another has rendered it; "He is the Head of His Body, the Church. He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from the dead in order that He Himself may in all things occupy the foremost place" (Colossians 1:18 - Weymouth).

"To know, to do the Heads command, for this the Body lives and grows; all speed of feet, all skill of hands, is for Him spent and from Him flows" (H C G Moule - "Colossians Studies").

In the second place He must be depended upon as the sole supply of the Body's life, nuture and increase. Two of Paul's great epistles have to do with the "Body" and the "Head". In Ephesians, the emphasis is on the "Body" and much wholesome information and instruction is given. In Colossians the main theme is the "Head" and here, our Lord's nature and authority and ministry are powerfully documented. In addition to the positive constructive teaching, there is in each epistle a warning relating to the major theme. Where "the Body" is the theme in Ephesians, the warning is to "Make it your aim to be at one in the Spirit and you will inevitably be at peace with one another. You all belong to one body" (Ephesians 4:3 - JBP).

In Colossians where the "Head" is the subject, the danger warned against is failing to "maintain the union with the Head" (Colossians 2:19 - 20th Century New Testament). On the positive side, and in line with the distinctive emphasis of each epistle, the Ephesians are exhorted to receive into the united Body the rich supply of "the Head" (Ephesians 4:15, 16) while the Colossians are warned that if they "fail to maintain union with the Head" (Colossians 2:19 - NCNT) the Body will be devoid of life and nuture, no matter how united the Body may appear to be. Taking either error to the extreme it is obvious that either a head without a Body or a Body without a head's spell certain death.

The more likely situation, with which most of us are acquainted is that any interuption between "head" and "body" produces sickly subnormalities in the life of God's people. Finally our heavenly "Head" is Himself dependent. The teaching of 1 Corinthians 12 is designed to show the need for each member of a human body to function healthily and normally. Therefore the "Head cannot say to the feet, I have no need of you" (v21). "Paul does not hesitate to represent the Head as on His part depending upon the members for the full realization of His office and work" (H B Swete - The Ascended Christ).

"He has no hands but our hands, to do His work today. He has no feet but our feet, to lead men in His way. He has no voice but our voice to tell men how He died. He has no help but our help to lead them to His side" - (William Barclay - "The Letter to the Corinthians").

6. Priest.

Jesus is not only Messiah, Lord, King and Head but He is Priest. "The Christ-King is also the Christ-Priest". The first mention of the office of priest in the Bible is linked to the office of king. "Melchizedek, king of Salem ... was the priest of the most high God" (Genesis 14:18). The great Messianic psalm, Psalm 110 often quoted and referred to in the New Testament combines these two offices;

"Jehovah saith unto my Lord; Sit thou at My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool ... Jehovah hath sworn and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizadek" - (Psalm 110:1, 4 - ASV).

Melchizadek is described in Hebrews as; "This Melchizadek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him to whom Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all spoils". He was "first of all by the translation of his name, king of righteousness and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually" (Hebrews 7:1-3 - NAS).

This order of priesthood is compared and contrasted with the priesthood of Aaron, established under the law of Moses. "Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices" (Hebrews 8:3 - NAS). Aaron had to do this "continually for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin" (Hebrews 10:1, 4 - NAS). But when Christ, the High Priestof a better covenant appeared;

"He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption, not through the blood of goats and calves but through His own blood" (Hebrews 9:12 - NAS). "He having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12 - NAS).

It is interesting to note that in the next verse Christ's Kingship is referred to. The time of His remaining seated is "until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet" (Hebrews 10:13 - NAS). He is the Priest-King! There are many other contrasts and comparisons between the Old and New Covenant order of priesthood but we would like to point out just one more at this time. Under the Mosaic order there had to be many priests "because they were prevented by death from continuing" (Hebrews 7:23 - NAS).

"Human high priests have always been changing for death made a permament appointment impossible. But Christ, because He lives forever possesses a priesthood that needs no successor" (Hebrews 7:23, 24 - JBP). The glorious consequence of the single and singular sacrifice and the perpetual priesthood is that "He can save fully and completely those who approach God through Him, for He is always living to intercede on their behalf" (Hebrews 7:25 - JBP).

7. Mediator.

The mention of "intercede" leads us to look at three other closely related activities conducted by our Lord in the Presence of God; those of mediator, intercessor and advocate. The order in which we have listed these three offices seems to be in accord with the sequence of truth which they reveal. The word "mediator" means a "go-between". The Greek word for "mediator" is used only once in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The single reference, however is quite instructive; Job frustrated with the problem of communication between God and himself cries out;

"For He is not a man, as I am that I should answer Him, and we should come together in judgement. Neither is there any daysman between us that might lay His hand upon us both".

Job contended that since God was not a man and Job was not divine, someone was needed who would qualify to represent one to the other. Centuries later, Job's need for that representative was met in Jesus Christ who is "God of very God and man of very man". He is "an umpire who can lay one hand on God and one on man and mediate between them". At the inauguration of the covenant between God and Israel, Moses mediated (Exodus 20:19, Galatians 3:19). Our Lord Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:6, 9:15, 12:24).

His mediation is available to all men, for He "desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time" (1 Timothy 2:4-6 - NAS).

The Christian can rejoice because the deathless mediator impartially represents both God and man in the working out of the New Covenant. He faithfully presses the claims of God on His people, and at the same time compassionately encourages the obedience of the redeemed people to their God. But since the work of Jesus as mediator, or go-between, also extends to "all men", sinners have One standing ready to present their "repentance from sin and faith towards God" to God Himself at any time. There is a go-between, Job's prayer has been answered!

8. Intercessor.

The mediator is also the believer's intercessor. As intercessor, Jesus' ministry is confined to us (Romans 8:34) who are described as "them that come unto God by Him" (Hebrews 7:25). This is a work in which the Holy Spirit is also engaged, but with the same restriction, as He intercedes "for us ... the saints" (Romans 8:26, 27). However the world is not without representation in intercession before God. Such intercession is to be the unremitting activity of the Christian community, in hope of bringing the unsaved to the "one Mediator" (1 Timothy 2:1-6). Our Lord makes this distinction between His not praying for the world and His praying for His disciples, when He prays to the Father saying, "I pray for them; I pray not for the world but for them which Thou hast given me" (John 17:9).

It is the Christian's commission to pray for the world.

Probably the most descriptive passage on intercession is Hebrews 7:25. Here intercession has to do with saving "to the uttermost" and is a part of our Lord's high priestly salvation.

Salvation is a comprehensive word which refers to the past (1 Corinthians 1:18), the present (Philippians 2:12) and the future (Romans 13:11). It is a conversion crisis, a continuing course and a coming completion.

Of these three however, it is the present continuing course that is the object of our Lord's intercession. Intercession may be defined as "presenting a petition to someone in authority and especially to the king". Unhindered by death and permamently established as our great High Priest because of the "once for all" sacrifice and unchanging value of His blood, our Lord is in a position to speak to the Father concerning us. As our infirmities and needs are presented, strength and enablement are released to us to allow us to know the present salvation of God and to "go onto maturity" (Hebrews 6:1). As Mediator Jesus brings us to God and as Intercessor He speaks to God for us. An excellent example of Christ's intercession is His prayer recorded in John 17.

9. Advocate.

It would be ideal if we came to God through our Mediator and then matured in life through our Intercessor. However the Bible records an "if" that interupts that ideal. This is where our Lord's ministry as Advocate is introduced.

"My little children, these things I write unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ, the righteous" - (1 John 2:2).

Let it be clear that the whole purpose of John's first epistle is to strongly teach that God's children do not practice or "continue in sin". He does not say that they are incapable of an act of sin but even that is a "paradox in point of principle" since God's child is one who "habitually practices righteousness" (1 John 2:29 - Berkley). However if one should sin, we have an advocate to deal with this exceptional occurance. The Greek word from which we get "advocate" is not easy to translate by the use of one English word. However we have neither the time nor space here to do other than make reference to that fact. The translation "advocate" in our text is good, and suitable to the context in which it occurs.

Among other things the word "was familiar in the useage of ancient courts" and with this in mind, the Berkley Bible says; "We have a counsel for defense in the Father's Presence". The success of our Advocate's case is grounded in His own person. He appears for the sinning believer as "the Righteous". The next verse tells us He is the One who legally met the demands of a Holy God against sin. Christ died, rose and appears before God "that we sin not". But "if we sin", that same precious blood avails to restore us to our normal Christian character as those who "practice righteousness". To attempt to take improper advantage of Christ's advocacy is to invite a demonstration of another aspect of the Father's character which can prove quite painful.

This beautiful and heartening truth of our Advocate representing us before the Father is poetically described in one of Charles Wesley's great hymns; "Arise My Soul".

"Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary - they pour effectual prayers. They strongly plead for me; "Forgive him oh forgive" they cry, "Nor let that ransomned sinner die!". The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One; He cannot turn away the Presence of His Son. His Spirit answers to the blood, and tells me I am born of God".

10. Forerunner.

One final ministry in connection with our Lord's high priestly office is described by a word which is rich with meaning and occurs only once in the Bible. As our High Priest, having entered into God's Preseence, He is called the "forerunner" (Hebrews 6:20). When this word is understood it inspires hope and joy. "The word signifies one who comes in advance to a place where the rest are to follow, or one who is sent on before as a scout to take observations". Under the old economy the high priest went into the Holy of Holies "alone once every year" (Hebrews 9:7). He could not remainbut had to come out since the blood of animals could secure no right to remain. Nor could he take anyone with him. He had to go in alone.

But our High Priest, "by his own blood entered in" (Hebrews 9:12) and "after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). Jesus is there to establish our right to be with Him in the Presence of God now in the Spirit and "be forever" with Him after the resurrection. See Him, then, as the forerunner "for us" and rejoice that He is the guarantee of permament access to the Father.