Hebrews 7 v 25 - 27: "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself."
Isaiah 59 v 16: "And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him."
Jesus Christ is our Great Intercessor, who intercedes for us continuously before the Throne of God our Father. Jesus takes our place before God to plead our case for us.
In 1 John 2 v 1 - 2: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
Jesus is our Advocate. In a court case an advocate stands in the place of whoever is on trial and stands before the judge and puts forward the merits of the accused. So Jesus upholds us before our Father and tells Him of the good things we have achieved for His Kingdom.
Satan, the name means Accuser of the Brethren, accuses us day and night before God, whether its truth or lies. If our names are in the Book of Life, Jesus admits guilt because He took responsibility for all our sins when He died on the Cross.
God the Father says, Jesus I forgave You every sin when I raised You from death. God says to Satan, Case dismissed. This makes Satan as mad as a snake, which he is, and he tries very hard to trip us up to the point where we would make God turn His face away from us and have to mete out discipline.
Matthew 18 v 34 - 35: "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
These are the words of Jesus to warn us not to be bitter and unforgiving because that will cause us problems. Tormentors are things like debt, illness, loss, fear, broken relationships, pain. These will come our way when God needs our attention back on Him.
When we have repented and made right with those who offend us, a way out of the torments will present itself and peace will be restored. As our enemy enjoys seeing us in fear and in difficulties, he works extremely hard to cause us to be bitter and unforgiving so we must be aware of his tactics and spoil his plans.
Then Jesus will rejoice because we have overcome some quirk in our nature that needed an attitude adjustment. Jesus wants us to love one another as He loves us. He wants us to live holy, true and peaceful lives, helping each other in whatever way we can. It is what He intercedes for day and night before our Father.
When Jesus takes on our sin in the present and earns us release from punishment, the Holy Spirit who indwells our hearts begins to work on our conscience, bothering it with bad feelings that someone is hurting because of our intolerance, hatred, mistrust, bitterness, or selfishness. If we don't respond to this tweaking of our conscience that's when the tormentors arrive to apply some pressure to the situation. It's called discipline or chastisement.
Hebrews 12 v 6 - 8: "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."
Note that we are all partakers of chastisement if we are the children of God. He does not spare the rod if we get out of line. It's not pleasant at the time but when its over and we have grown closer to God through it, then we appreciate the necessity of discipline and the work of our Great Intercessor.
Jeremiah 18 v 7 - 10: "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them."
This is why we pray and intercede for our nations and goverments. Right now God's eyes are upon South Africa and many Intercessors are praying for Him to change this corrupt and indifferent government. We are crying out from our deepest hearts for God to have mercy on His children and give them a clean ruling party to replace the godless communists who now rule.
They may have shot themselves in the foot by rejecting friendship with Israel and this may be the final straw that breaks the camel's back. Will every Intercessor reading this please pray for God to move mightily upon South Africa on 8 May, election day. May His perfect will be done.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we call upon the name of our Great Intercessor to help us in our time of need. The whole world is reeling like a drunkard from the corruption in their governments. Lord have mercy upon us and turn the tables so the righteous people have freedom to worship and obey Your commands.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
