The Other Advocate

All four gospels talk about the night before Jesus died, but only John details Jesus' instructions to his disciples.  Jesus lets the disciples know that He will be leaving them, and they respond with surprise, confusion and dismay. He lets them know that He has to leave so that the "other advocate" can be with them.  If we think of an advocate as a legal advocate in today's world, it is someone who represents you, someone who stands up for you and even someone that makes a case for you.  With God the Father as the judge, Jesus is our defender and our advocate.  He is making a case for us with God.  But after that, the analogy breaks down.  Jesus didn't just represent us and make a case for us.  When God, the judge, pronounced us guilty, instead of the sentence being imposed on us, Jesus took the punishment through his death on the cross.  I'm not aware of any defense attorneys that have done that for their clients.  So if Jesus is our advocate, who is the "other advocate" he refers to.  The other advocate is the Holy Spirit, dwelling within us.   While Jesus, the first advocate, speaks to God on our behalf, the Holy Spirit, the other advocate, talks to us for us.  I want to do a better job listening.  And I pray that is true for each of us today.

While these are my words, most of the ideas were inspired by Chapter 7 of Tim Keller's book, Encounters with Jesus.

An Open Purse

Robert attended Pasadena Nazarene College and spent the next several years as an evangelist traveling across California working mostly with troubled teens.  He joined an organization called Youth for Christ, and became close with Billy, who was one of the leaders there.  Robert's involvement in Youth for Christ took him overseas where he was moved by the poverty and despair of the war-torn areas that he visited.  He founded an organization called World Vision International dedicated to helping children out of poverty.  He then started Samaritan's Purse dedicated to providing food to starving children and helping with disaster relief.  

Robert Pierce died of Leukemia in 1978.  It was 1950 when he started World Vision International.  In 1970, he started Samaritan's Purse which is now run by Franklin. It  turns out Billy from Youth for Christ, and Franklin from Samaritan's Purse, have the same last name - Graham.  You may have heard of them.  

Robert probably wouldn't have guessed that 46 years after his death, The Samaritan's Purse organization that he founded would be coordinating hurricane relief in the area surrounding their headquarters in Boone, NC.  Praise God for the vision that Robert had to help others, and please continue praying for and supporting in any way you can the victims of hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Flood Of Emotion

 

I posted this week at SpotOnTheLake encouraging readers to do what they can to help the victims of hurricane Helene.  I'm sure there are 100's of stories of heroism that have been circulating about rescue workers and private citizens that have been able to help victims, but this one got caught on live TV.  Bob Van Dillen was doing a live broadcast from Peachtree Creek in Atlanta.  He heard a woman calling out from a partially submerged vehicle and he called 911.  The screams became more intense, and he realized that someone needed to help right away.  He stopped the broadcast and waded in chest deep water to the car to free her.  The cameras rolled again as he was carrying her to safety clinging to his back.  Bob was very humble in his remarks afterwards downplaying his actions, but as we all know, the risk of entering high, moving water can be very dangerous.  I can't say for sure, but I hope my response would have been the same as his.  We lift up continued prayers for all of those affected by the storm.  Summary video     Longer video with interview

Something To Wine About

 

These days, huge wedding celebrations are commonplace, and I can't think of anything better to celebrate than a couple making a commitment to love each other for a lifetime.  But today's celebrations can't compare to the wedding parties that took place when Jesus walked the Earth.  Wedding celebrations lasted for a week or more.  One of the center pieces of the wedding celebration was wine.  Jesus attended a wedding celebration that was just getting going good, when his mother approached him to let him know that the hosts had run out of wine.  Jesus' response was surprising.  "Woman, why do you involve me?  My hour has not yet come."  But Mary told the servants to get Jesus whatever he needed.  Jesus directed the servants to get six twenty gallon jars used for ceremonial washing and fill them with water.   When the liquid was presented to the master of the banquet, the water had been turned to wine.  Jesus had completed his first public miracle.

But why did He pick this one to start with?  It seems a bit underpowered based on what we now know He was capable of.  The celebrations were not just about the bride and groom, but a union of the couple's families, and the new family's connection with the community at large.  With wine being such an important part of the celebration, running out of wine wasn't just a social faux pas, it was a public disgrace.  The family avoided public shame and scrutiny when Jesus provided the new supply of wine.  

But why did Jesus respond to his mother so sharply?  Being fully human, He knew that this miracle would start a string of miracles that would lead to His death.  "My hour has not come yet".  But being fully God, He knew that His greatest miracle would be his own resurrection.  It's no coincidence that the evening before Jesus' death, He directed all who follow Him to drink wine as a symbol of His blood shed on the cross as atonement for our sins.

Praise God for the supernatural way that He gave himself to us.

This post was inspired by Chapter 4 of Tim Keller's book, Encounters with Jesus.

May I have the next dance?

 

Our family has had a tough week.  My mom, 92 years old, passed away in her home on Thursday.  Mom was born in Virginia.  She and my dad raised me and my two brothers in Columbus, GA.  Mom was a high school teacher and school administrator for almost 20 years in Columbus.  When my dad retired, they moved back to Virginia, and Mom continued to teach at the Community College there.  After my dad passed away, she moved back to Georgia and lived next door to us in Braselton for the remainder of her life.  Mom continued to teach kids Sunday school at her church as long as she was able.  My mom was the rock of our family, and we were so fortunate to have her near us for the last 13 years.  Over the past several months, her mobility began to fail, but we were fortunate that her mind stayed sharp until the very end.  We will miss her greatly, but we know that she is dancing with my dad in Heaven today.  Praise God for His promises.

Thirst Quencher

 As Jesus made his way from Judea to Galilee, he passed through Samaria in the middle part of the day.  The heat was intense and Jesus' thirst was almost overwhelming.  He found a seat near a well, but had nothing to draw the water with. A Samaritan woman was coming to the well for water, and Jesus asked her for a drink.   For Jesus to speak to her was shocking for three reasons.   She was a woman; she was a Samaritan, and she was a moral outcast, as she was by herself in the middle of the day, instead of taking care of her family.  She challenged Jesus as to why He would speak to her, and He responded. "If you knew the gift of God, and who you were speaking with, you would have asked me for living water."  Confused, she questioned, "How could you provide me with water when you have no way to get it from the well?"  Jesus replied, "Whoever drinks the water from the well will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the living water will never be thirsty again."  She then asks Him for the living water, but Jesus tells her to go get her husband.  She confessed that she didn't have a husband, and Jesus confirmed that she has had five husbands, and she was currently sleeping with a man she wasn't married to.  The woman recognized Jesus as a prophet and told Him that she knew the Messiah would come, and when he came, He would explain everything to her.  Jesus declared, "I am He".  

Jesus' thirst that day led him to an encounter with a woman that could have gone in several different directions.  But His calm approach, and uncondeming manner led her to Him.  Jesus has that same thirst for each of us to know Him and follow Him.  Come and drink from the well.

Mental Health Crisis

Once again our country is dealing with a sick or troubled individual who has decided the appropriate response is to shoot and kill innocent people.  Only this time, the incident is in my backyard.  People I work with and go to church with have students at Apalachee High School.  Thankfully, their children were not harmed physically, but I can't imagine what they and their families went through yesterday.  The shooting will change their lives forever, and I hope and pray that they have extended family, friends and counselors that are able to provide some level of comfort.   I am all for whatever we can do to make schools safer, but I have to believe if someone is that sick, they will find a way to act on their impulse, even if it is outside of a school at some other less protected venue.   I think our only hope is to do a better job recognizing and addressing the mental health issues that are leading to these tragedies.  I am not an expert, but I did find these resources for help:  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Crisis Services at the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health.  If you are struggling with anything, I would welcome a call at 678-469-9917.