My Advocate

After living what I felt was a "decent" life, my time on earth came to the end. The next thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what appeared to be a court house. 

The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. 

As I looked around I saw the "prosecutor." He was a villainous looking character who snarled as he stared at me. He was definitely the most evil being I had ever seen. 

I sat down and looked to my left and there sat my Advocate, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, that I felt I must know Him. 

The door flew open and the Judge appeared, in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome Presence and, as He moved across the room, I couldn't take my eyes off of Him. 

As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, "Let us begin." 

The prosecutor rose and said, 

"My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell." 

He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and times in the past when I had cheated others. He told of other horrible sins that were once in my life and, the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, not even my own Advocate, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about. 

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at my Advocate Who sat there silently, not offering any form of defense at all. I knew I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't they at least cancel part of the harm I'd done? 

Satan finished with a fury and said, "This man belongs in hell.  He is guilty of all that I have said, and there is no-one who can prove otherwise." 

When it was His turn, my Advocate first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendour and majesty. I realised why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Saviour. 

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, "Hi, Dad," and then He turned to address the court. 

"Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned. I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wages of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished." 

Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, "However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Saviour, so he is Mine." 

My Lord continued, "His name is written in the book of life and no one can snatch him from Me. Satan still does not understand. This man is not to be given justice, but rather grace and mercy." 

As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, "There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all." 

The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips.. 

"This man is free." The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed." 

As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, "I won't give up, I will win the next one." I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?" 

Christ lovingly smiled and said, "Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, ....... Paid In Full."

"My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; " (I John 2:1). 

It's only a story - but it does have a message. If we want Him to represent us there; we must be willing to represent Him here!   If you've never done so before, confess your sins to Him now; ask for His forgiveness; thank Him for taking your place on the cross; accept Him as Saviour and Lord.  Then live for Him - "life in all its fulness" (Jn.10:10).

I'm gonna let it shine!

The story is told of a beautiful church building, built many, many years ago by a member of the aristocracy, in a secluded European village. The benefactor has been long dead, but apparently (confirmation would be appreciated, together with the name of the village!) the sanctuary still stands - a place of worship for both villagers and visitors.

Many have marvelled at the beauty of the building but, to the newcomer, one thing seems very strange - there is no lighting installed! Instead of providing any permanent form of lighting, the old duke gave each family in the village a lamp that was to be brought to the worship services, in order to light the the place in which the family sat. These lamps have been handed down from one generation to the next. When all of the families attend the worship service, then the building is well lighted. However, when some are absent, the places at which they would normally sit are left in darkness.

There is, of course, a very important lesson there, for those of us who claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, the Christ. Wherever we may be, if we fail to let our lights shine, then we allow darkness, fear, and discouragement to enter the world around us. However, when we allow the radiance of the love of Jesus to shine through us, the world is made brighter by light and hope.

This is, of course, only obedience to the command of the Saviour! He said: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven." (Matt 5:14-16; emphasis added). 

Note, too, the reason why we should let our light shine! It is not that others may look at us but, rather, that they should be directed to the Giver of all light, even the heavenly Father. It's a challenging thought, is it not? Is my light shining, and pointing others to the Lord? May it be so for all who read this post - and for the one who has published it!

The bombs on Resurrection Day

I had wondered how I might respond to the terrible news of the bombings in Sri Lanka on Resurrection Day. Then I came across this article, penned by a Sri Lankan brother in the Lord Jesus. Rather than try to produce something from afar, I am reproducing it, from one who is close to the situation.

Article by 

Ajith Fernando,

Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka

While most Christians in Sri Lanka were in church yesterday morning, celebrating the risen Christ on Easter Sunday, bombs went off in four of our cities (Kochchikade, Negombo, Batticaloa, and Colombo), targeting churches and hotels. The latest figures seem to leave us with at least 290 dead and 500 injured from the eight bombings. Some arrests have been made.

There are hints emerging as to who is responsible for the attacks, but I do not want to speculate too much on that and unnecessarily implicate those who are not involved in this crime. It is better to be safe and remain silent than to give false witness, which is a serious sin. We pray that God would guide the security officials to whom he has given the authority to be agents of his wrath, punishing wrongdoers (Romans 13:3–4). As for Christians, we will do what we can to be agents of peace in our fractured land (Romans 12:14–21).

Close to Home

The Zion church in Batticaloa, where at least 28 were killed (including many children), is a vibrant church at which I have preached several times. The pastor was out of the country at the time of the bomb blast. The sister of our Youth for Christ leader in Eastern Sri Lanka, Thamendran, was worshiping there and is fighting for her life in the hospital, with serious head injuries.

A young man from our sports ministry lost one of his legs in the Colombo explosion. A neighbor couple of ours and their daughter died, and their young son is in the hospital. As far as we know, there is one former Youth for Christ clubber who died in Colombo.

Five Ways to Pray

While it may seem foolish to spend time praying when there is a crisis around us, this is the most powerful thing God’s people can do in a national crisis (2 Kings 19). We need to mobilize individual and corporate prayer among Christians.

1. For Holy-Love

Please pray that the church would act with maturity, reflecting the holy-love of God: on the one hand, insisting that the authorities will carry out a thoroughgoing investigation and will punish the wrongdoers; and on the other hand, personally and corporately showing love to all, including our enemies. We cannot afford to let hatred blunt our witness. God will judge the wicked, and he will do that often through government institutions. Our belief in the doctrine of judgment takes away our bitterness over gross sinfulness like this. On our part, we do what we can do, and that is to love our enemies.

2. For Faithfulness

Pray that the church would faithfully carry out its calling to be an agent of healing in broken situations. Individually, we can get close to suffering people. I prayed with my Hindu neighbor this morning when he came home to tell me that his sister had died in the blast. We also can get involved in a more corporate way in bigger projects.

3. For Healing

Pray for the injured and for their speedy recovery, and pray for the medical services to do their work well.

Pray also for the emotionally scarred and for their steady recovery. This is a time when we can be agents of the God of all comfort through our listening and ministering (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

4. For Comfort and Strength

Pray for God’s comfort and strength to the many Christian and non-Christian people who have been devastated by the loss of their loved ones.

5. Against Unrest

Pray that extremist forces would not use these incidents to cause unrest in the country. Christians can act as moderating agents because, while we may be enraged by what happened, we are freed from bitterness as we know that a just God who controls history is greater than the problems.

We look at everything in life through the lens of our belief in a God who is holy-love. We know that he judges the wicked, and so we are not bitter. We know that he loves the world and that we are called to be agents of that love. This drives us to action. But we don’t do so with a defeatist attitude. We know that God is building his kingdom, culminating in the return of Christ, and that our actions are building blocks in this process.

Holy-love must win in the end! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).

Ajith Fernando is the teaching director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka. He served as the ministry’s national director for 35 years. He is the author of seventeen books, including Discipling in a Multicultural World, and lives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with his wife. They have two adult children and four grandchildren.

The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!

Those words in the heading have been the traditional Resurrection Day greeting for disciples of Jesus, for many, many years. Yet a report, published last week, claimed that a majority of those in the UK, who would refer to themselves as "Christians", do not believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (Messiah).

The New Testament writers have absolutely no doubt that the resurrection took place - and that it was, indeed, a physical resurrection! I devote a full chapter to the subject in my second book, Foundations of the Faith, not least because it is a foundational belief. By the way, do remember that all three of my books (see above) are available as both paperbacks and e-books, and that ALL royalties are now sent directly to Release International, supporting the persecuted church - like those in Sri Lanka who have suffered so terribly today.

What follows is based on that particular chapter in Foundations - and may even encourage you to purchase, review, and recommend! 

The basis some have for denying that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus took place, is the claim that He didn't really die on the cross! That is similar to saying that someone sentenced to death by lethal injection; gas chamber; electric chair; hanging; beheading; or any other means; managed to survive the experience! You see, the whole point of the death penalty being executed is that the person so condemned dies! It doesn't require the mind of Sherlock Holmes to work that out!! We must also remember that the deed was done by experienced professionals, who were even commanded to double-check, when Joseph of Arimathea requested the body that it might be entombed!

However, one common rebuttal of the resurrection goes like this. Jesus had, somehow, fooled everyone. He was wrapped up in the grave-clothes, and laid in the tomb, and the great stone rolled across the entrance to the tomb, He revived and, without any assistance managed, from the inside, and in His physically weakened state, to escape from the grave-clothes in such a way as to leave them looking undisturbed; roll the stone disc – probably some five feet (one hundred and fifty centimetres) in diameter, and six inches (fifteen centimetres) thick – up the slight incline that kept it in place; get past the guards who were on duty; find some suitable clothing; and appear to His disciples. Hello!!!

Or what about this one. The man who died on the cross wasn't really Jesus! One of the disciples took His place so that He could appear as if He had risen from the dead (the usual Islamic explanation)!  This requires a number of factors to come together.  Jesus was not some non-entity.  He was well known to the authorities.  Accordingly, His ‘substitute’ would have had to be identical in build and appearance.  This man would also have to be one of the disciple band.  However, at this stage, the number of followers was relatively small, and most of them would have been known by others.  Certainly, if there had been a ‘double’ that man would already have been marked out.  Such a man would also have had to agree to take the punishment and death that was ahead.  People at that time were all too aware of what crucifixion involved – let alone the previous flogging and other suffering – and it would have been an unusual man who would have volunteered to take another's place. Sorry - that idea simply doesn't stand up to any scrutiny, either.

Yet again, there are those who suggest that the disciples stole the Body of Jesus, and then went about with these wild stories of His alleged appearances.  This does have, at first sight, a measure of feasibility that is missing from the previous suggestions, and is the story which the Roman guards were bribed to repeat.  They were even assured that they would not suffer the usual penalty for having ‘lost’ a prisoner (their own deaths) as the chief priests would square things up with the governor! (Matt.28:11–15). One then must ask where the disciples managed to hide the body so that the combined might of Rome and the contemporary Jewish hierarchy would be unable to find it! Another 'non-starter'.

There are additional alternatives that have been proposed - but not one of them bears any worthwhile examination. You may find out more (and a great deal of other information pertinent to "... the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3)) by purchasing the book!!

The bottom line is that, however some may endeavour to explain it away, the resurrection of Jesus is sure and certain. He is risen; He is most certainly risen; He is alive today. He is also coming back to this planet that He created, and on the surface of which He walked and ministered. However, that is a subject for a future post - if such a future exists!!!

May all who read this post, and this blog, be among those "... who have loved His appearing." (II Tim 4:8). 

Meditation

It was while my elder daughter was a student at the, then, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, that I first came across the beautiful piece of music by the French composer Massenet, that is named "Meditation". Indeed, it caused a wee bit of friction between my daughter and me when she asked me to purchase a copy of the score while I was in Glasgow. She merely asked if I could obtain a copy of the "Massenet" (probably because the Meditation is his best-known piece). However, what my non-professional ear heard was a request for a copy of "the Mass in A"!!! "By whom?", I asked. "Massenet!", came the reply. "Yes, I heard that. But who is the composer?" "Dad, Massenet is the name of the composer!" The conversation was actually a little longer than that - but left one somewhat chastened father!!!

However, the meditation referred to at the top, is the mental exercise of giving deep and focused thought to something. Today is known, in the English-speaking world, as "Good Friday", and is the day on which disciples of Jesus especially recall His death on the cross at Calvary, just outside the old city of Jerusalem.

People often ask the understandable question: "Why did Jesus die?" The New Testament writers don't go into a lot of detail about the crucifixion,. They had no need to do so. It was an all-too-common occurrence in the Roman Empire! In his record of the event, Mark simply writes: "And they crucified Him ..." (15:24). But why was He crucified in the first place? This was One Who had never committed any crime; Who had gone about doing good; Who was loved by children (who seem to have an instinct about adults who may be trusted!). Why would He suffer and die in such an agonising fashion?

Jesus did not die as a frustrated "super-star, in spite of the name of a well-known musical from last century. He did not die as an exemplary hero for some cause. Indeed, the death of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (Messiah) was not even, primarily, an act of love! His death was, primarily, a sacrifice for sin. There was love, deep love, in it. It was His love for you, and for me, that held Him to that cross. But, first and foremost, it was a sacrifice.

Jesus "...gave Himself for our sins ..." (Gal.1:4). He Who knew no sin, became sin for you, and for me. Paul writes to the Corinthian believers: "For our sake He [the Father] made Him [the Son] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him [the Son] we might become the righteousness of God." (II Cor 5:21). It is not too many years since I came across that verse and, in spite of having read it countless times before, something of the horror of it suddenly hit me. For a brief moment of human time, the spotless, sinless, Son; the Second Persona of the Trinity; Himself God; became sin! Sin - that upon which Almighty God cannot bear to look. Sin - the very opposite of the Holiness and perfection of the Father . Sin - that vile, filthy, rejection that spits in the face of the Father Who loves with an everlasting love (Is.54:8). Sin - in all of its blackness, its obnoxiousness, its evil, its nastiness, and any other similar description. He became sin - for us!

I realised, on the day when that verse first "hit" me - as it had never done before - that it was at that moment, in time, that Jesus experienced what He did not experience in all of eternity: the Father turning away from Him. That was when He uttered those words, known as "the cry of dereliction" - "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matt 27:46). It was, surely, at that moment that Jesus experienced separation from the Father. How that happened, in the unity of the Godhead, I do not know. But it would have been, for Him, much, much worse than all of the physical pain and agony that He had already endured. And it was for you, and for me.

On this "Good Friday", take time to think deeply on this truth. Take to heart those words uttered by John the Baptiser: "Behold, the Lamb of God , Who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29), and rejoice that He did it for you!

Truth will out!

On my study wall is a laminated 'plaque' that states: "Prior and Proper Prayerful Preparation Prevents Poor Performance."

That doesn't just apply to preachers! This video-clip shows someone who had not "done his homework" - and has suffered for his lack of preparation.

Well worth 3-4 minutes of your time!

 

You may also wish to scroll down to read some of the comments!

Thermometers, or thermostats?

Many homes in what we refer to as "the West" have a central heating system installed. As part of that system, there is a thermostat and, if the family wish to make use of one, a thermometer may also be installed. Although those two names have a certain similarity, the difference in function is considerable!

When the house is cool, the mercury (or modern equivalent) in the tube of the thermometer drops; when the house is warm, it rises. The temperature, at any given time, may be easily ascertained simply by checking the level of the fluid against the markings on the glass tube. 

The thermostat also responds to any fall, or rise, in the temperature. When the temperature drops, it sends an electronic message to the boiler: "We need more heat"; when the house is sufficiently warm, it sends a different message: "Turn off the heat"!

Do you see the difference between the two instruments. One merely registers the condition, while the other controls it!

May I suggest that this is an illustration of those who claim to be disciples of Jesus? Some are thermometers, and others are thermostats. Many merely record the social pressures, and the current trends in religious thought, and are content to accommodate themselves to the situation in which they find themselves.  As a result, they are "... carried about with every wind of doctrine ..." (Eph.4:14), and have no true stability of character.

On the other hand, there are believers who are thermostats. They do not fluctuate erratically, but have firm convictions, based on Biblical truth. As a result, they are able to help society, and serve as "pillars of the church" (cf. Gal.2:9) - provided that the church is willing to listen, and accept! Regardless of the cost to themselves, they are willing to protest when God's written Word is ignored; when falsehood and "wolves in sheep's clothing" (cf. Matt.7:15; Acts 20:29) have infiltrated the fellowship; when physical appearance is given more consideration than spiritual health.

Both the world, and the church need more "thermostat" disciples of Jesus - those who are willing "...  to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude: 3), amid the shifting winds of false doctrine, and the "ups and downs" of emotional fanaticism.

It is a sad truth that there are those who will fall for anything, and stand for nothing!

Too little, and too late.

One of the useful pieces of information that is provided by Blogger is a note of the number of 'visits' to individual posts on a blog. It makes for interesting reading. I am saddened to discover that numbers viewing the series on Books of the Bible are the lowest that I can recall in nearly 1500 posts.

Accordingly, I shall stop, and perhaps just bring a book (or books) in occasionally. However, this doesn't affect my personal Bible reading! At the moment, in my personal devotions, I am reading the Letters of Peter. Yesterday, and this morning, I was reading in what we know as chapter 3, verses 1-7 - a passage that deals with the relationship between a husband and a wife. To help me, I consult a number of commentaries and, in his commentary, Warren Wiersbe shared this information: "One survey revealed that the average husband and wife (I suspect that this was in the USA, but also that the figure would not be vastly different in any of our "civilised" countries!) had thirty-seven minutes a week together in actual communication!" He continues: "Is it any wonder that marriages fall apart after the children grow up and leave home? The husband and wife are left alone - to live with a stranger!" 

Regretfully, the so-called "busy-ness" of life doesn't only affect husbands and wives, but also parents and children. As I read those words of Pastor Wiersbe, I was reminded of another story that I read recently. It concerned a young boy who was failing in one of his school subjects and had to remain, after school, to complete his work (this obviously wasn't in the very recent past!!). Feeling very discouraged, and dreading to tell his parents why he was late, he walked so far into a nearby wooded area that he lost his way. When he did not return home, his parents organised a search. Sadly, it was not until the following morning that his body was found - frozen in the snow. 

Filled with remorse, the heartbroken father admitted that whenever his son had been in trouble, or had come to him for help, he had usually been too busy. All that he could now say was: "If I had spent more time with him, this would not have happened."

The psalmist-king, David, experienced even more regret when he learned of the death of his son, Absalom (II Samuel 18:33). Ignoring Amnon's evil deed with his half-sister, Tamar (Absalom's sister - this is all shared in the video in the previous post!!), the king wasn't close enough to his own family to detect that Absalom was planning to get revenge (II Sam.13). After Absalom had his half-brother murdered (v.28), he lived in a self-imposed exile for three years. When he returned, his father refused to allow his son the privilege of coming into his presence. Finally, when Absalom rebelled, and was killed by one of David's generals, Joab (in spite of David's command that Absalom was not to be harmed! - II Sam.18:5), the sad results of his neglect finally dawned upon the king.

We live at a time when the home, and the family, are being threatened on every side. Those of us who are parents - and even grandparents - must meet the emotional and spiritual needs of our children by giving them our personal love and guidance. I think of one situation, known to me, in which a young person is suffering simply because, in my opinion, there has been a lack of parental responsibility. It is only by taking a genuine interest in the lives of our children that we will avoid the tragedy of giving too little, too late!

Sadly (and we see this particularly at Christmas, and when a birthday is being celebrated) too many parents are willing to give their children everything - except themselves!