“The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.” Is 62:2

She had never known any true Christians. Steeped in the leftest stronghold of academia and surrounded by fog emanating from the temple halls where the incantations of professor-priests indoctrinate our youth, this university President was unversed in church jargon. But having observed her soon-to-be-baptized grown son, her description of his transformation tattooed my brain.“It’s like he has had an identity transplant”. What an awesome way to express being “born again”, 21st century style!

When our newest Supreme Court justice refused to answer the question who is a woman, it could no longer be denied: we are a culture in crisis. As the contagion of young people identifying as transgender has spread like a California wildfire in the last decade, we have to acknowledge: we are at war. This battle is not fought with guns and tanks, bombers or battleships. It is not raging in the seas, the trenches, or the skies above our cities. The minefields are in TikTok and Snapchat. It is not limbs that are at risk; people are losing their minds. Our young are not taken to prison camps, they are made captives by the lies of dark, perverse forces. The nemesis all too often is the one in the mirror.

The problem of and search for identity is one of the most elusive and critical quagmires of our generation. It’s pandemic-like in its reach, and cancer-like in its affect upon the soul. Thank God for Dr. Jesus! He comes with surgical precision to heal every form of identity disease known to man. Or like a transplant, he removes the old defective one replacing it with a new.

In Gideon’s day, the Israelites had been oppressed and demoralized for so long that they retreated to dens and caves to live in. They believed the lie that the land God gave to them by covenant was now their enemy’s. They cringed in fear knowing the Midianites could swoop down at any minute to steal the harvest for which they labored by sweat and exhaustion. We can hardly imagine the surprise when the Angel of the Lord called trembling Gideon a “mighty man of valor” (Jud 6:12). God’s word rewired his DNA. Trepidation was removed like a tumor, and now Gideon’s name is associated with undaunted courage.

Jacob was a supplanter even before he left his mother’s womb. The meaning of his name in Hebrew was confirmed by all manner of conniving and trickery throughout his formative years. It seemed irredeemable…until he had an all-night encounter with the living God and was given a new name. From that fateful night onward, “Israel” lived like a man “ruled by God”.

Knowing how God sees us, grasping who we are in His eyes, is simply a game changer. When twelve tribal leaders were sent to spy out the Promised Land, ten returned despondent, convinced “we were like grasshoppers in our own sight” (Num 13:33). The other two, Joshua and Caleb, saw no such image in their mirrors. How we think about ourselves matters, borne out by the fact that these two who said we’ll eat them up like they are our bread (14:9). They did too, witnessing for themselves victory over their enemies—even the giants—whereas the ten died still weak in their own eyes.

One day, God appeared to Moses. After forty years of tending sheep, playing a role to deliver his nation from the bondage of slavery had become a distant fantasy. Moses responds to God with the age-old question: “Who am I that I should go?” (Exo 3:11) God actually answers this question by pointing to Himself, as if to say, When you really know Who I am, you’ll know who you are too. This aged and disillusioned shepherd miraculously transformed into a mighty, Sea-parting deliverer.

Even Jesus needed heavenly affirmation. Before stepping into His destiny as Messiah, God spoke these momentous words over him: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mat 3:17). These words fortified him to go toe-to-toe with the Devil who mercilessly tempted him for the next forty days. If Jesus needed to know he was a beloved son of a Loving Father, how much more do we!

Much more than a quick fix or ear-tingling, well polished quote–nothing like a gold star on your homework, or an aspirin to suppress your headache–these are earth shattering, identity-altering promises and encounters. As hordes array and mortars scream past us, as we are seemingly outnumbered and outgunned by End-time threats and villains, our greatest weapon is our true identities as sons and daughters, as warriors and overcomers, those made to be kings and priests (Rev 1:6), sent by the Commander-in-Chief and always being led in triumph by our Savior, our Father, and our King.

“Whoever desires to become great among you must be your servant.” Mat 20:26

I never got a participation trophy growing up. I never had a “Better Luck Next Time” medal hung around my neck either. Hard to imagine, right? What’s even more shocking is that despite this blatant and painful disregard for my self-esteem, I did not carry any deep emotional wounds with me through life 😉.

We live in a time when so much of what was once considered normal has been turned on its head. Since when was mediocrity celebrated? People are actually discouraged, at times maligned for being exceptional. The slogan to Make America Great Again was recast by hair-on-fire TV commentators as though it was Hitlerian Heresy. People who become powerful or successful are often treated with suspicion if not disdain. Achievers are even labelled as “Oppressors”.

These inverted perceptions are none other than a Slewfoot sleight of hand. As deception is loosed in unprecedented ways in our time, we must be discerning, alert, astute.

I love the way Jesus handled a potentially explosive situation. The mother of James and John wanted her sons to be rewarded with seats next to Jesus in the Kingdom of God. Today’s TikTok philosophers would have canceled her in a heartbeat! Throngs of culture cops would have insisted that everyone ought to be awarded a seat at His right hand, touting the virtues of equity.

While the other disciples were “greatly displeased/indignant” with the brothers, it is fascinating that Jesus didn’t rebuke James and John. Greatness was not a problem for Jesus. In fact, He affirms the “desire to be great”, while adding a caveat. When one’s position and influence grows, it must not be used to “exercise authority over” others, but rather to serve them–to use resources to enhance and strengthen those around us.

People who have been surrounded or impacted by abusive leaders mistakenly assume that only people who are corrupt, selfish, or ambitious for the wrong reasons rise to powerful positions. They need to meet godly examples, none better than Jesus, the greatest man in history. Another standard-bearer is David who exemplified qualities that have been studied and emulated for nearly three millennia. One of my favorites traits is the way he praised and honored his most extraordinary warriors with testimonies of their bravery, extolling by name the mightiest thirty in his whole army.

2 Sam 7:11 says that as soon as King Hiram of Tyre heard David had been crowned he sent Lebanese cedars, carpenters, and masons to bless David and build him a massive palace. Did you wonder why after the election Zuckerberg and Bezos joined Musk in pledging support for Trump’s agenda. Heads of State from Argentina, Canada, and Mexico showed up at Mar-a-Lago. Macron wanted to buddy-up with him in Paris. A Japanese banker committed $100 billion to the US economy. Hamas declared it wanted peace. The stock market soared. The reason is clear: they all recognized and responded to greatness.

Contrary to the the spirits and “wisdom” of this age, we should never shy away from pursuing excellence or achieving awesome things. David used his immense authority to suppress idolatry and thwart unthinkable evil. He handed Solomon the most prosperous and peaceful period of Israel’s history. The structures and stability he put in place allowed creativity and the arts to flourish. We need more of God’s people to desire, then step up into greatness.

There are no “Better Luck Next Time” medals in Heaven.

“So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.” 2 Sam 5:10

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Deut 5:20

Playgrounds are training grounds. We get our first taste of competition. Among the laughter there is experimentation, and risk-taking. Knees get scraped. Foreheads and backsides get bumped and bruised. Pride is unpacked. Tempers flare. Out of nowhere, there is name-calling. Amidst the giggles, jeering and hooting you may hear an age old jingle arising: sticks and stones may brake my bones, but words will never hurt me.

If only it was true!

Scripture contains plenty of reminders that words can be used as weapons. Solomon asserted life and death are in the power of the tongue, that reckless/rash words pierce like swords, and a false witness is one of the six things God hates (PR 18:21; 12:18; 6:19). A group of men arose to criticize Moses; God responded by causing the earth to open its mouth and swallow them (Num 16:32). Rom 1:30 lists slanderers just before haters of God and violent people.

I used to wonder why God included bearing false witness among the “Big Ten”. Idolatry, Murder, Adultery…these are giants in Sin’s camp. I just couldn’t figure out why bending the truth about another person could also be considered such a game changer. Until it happened to me. If you have been the target of word assassins, you will understand immediately. When sniping persists, you may find yourself strangely nostalgic about sticks and stones!

Deut 19:18-19 expounds upon the weightiness of the 9th Commandment. If someone was found guilty of being a false witness, “then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother.” Simply spoken, more than just committing perjury, if the false testimony was about a murder, the lying witness would be charged as a murderer. In our own courts today, bearing false witness can result in an innocent man being stripped of his rights and freedoms. So the idea that “words will never hurt me” flies out the window.

President-elect Trump’s last few months are a sobering reminder of the danger of rhetoric. The media’s bombastic pronouncements of “Hitler!” and “fascist!” transformed virtual sticks into literal bullets. Had it not been for Divine intervention, false witnesses could have changed the trajectory of our nation, if not the world. Being in the crosshairs of unfounded, embittered accusations is not something I would wish on anyone.

Sadly, the guns of verbal homicide are not blazing only in the political arena. I’ve had to raise a shield around too many unsuspecting fellow soldiers of the cross through the years. I used to be surprised, caught off guard. I’ve learned to expect it, and therefore become a watchman on the walls. Though it should be shocking that Christians so virulently smear others in the Body of Christ, we must not be ignorant of Satan’s ability to capitalize on our weaknesses and turn the screws upon our ignorance. I’ve spent months, even years, trying to put out the fires of these flamethrowers; I’ve walked among fields strewn with the casualties of these bloodied battles.

This calls for vigilance, brothers and sisters. If we all raise our shields together—better yet, if we construct Iron Domes around each other—we can quench this vile tactic of the Evil One. We all, with one accord, must take God’s commands seriously. All of them. Attacking the good name of another is not a small matter. For very good reasons, it’s one of the Big Ten.

Beloved, we live in a generation when whether via social media or to one’s face, missiles that malign and viciously injure the reputation of others are shamelessly hurled at the defenseless and innocent. Although the Ten Commandments have been removed from our classrooms and institutions, may they ever be inscribed upon the walls of our hearts and consciences by the Finger of God. Before you open your mouth, lift your pen, or touch your keyboard, consider long and hard if you have irrefutable evidence before you cast aspersions at another. You may well find these words bringing punishment upon your own head.

Breaking the 9th Commandment is not child’s play.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself…” Lev 19:18

The Amish are my neighbors now. We hear the clip-clop of the horse-drawn buggies pass by our house. We see them at the farmer’s markets and their roadside stands. We buy their fresh eggs. We eat their whoopie pies. From beards to suspenders, straw hats to aprons, there is not a more “conservative” bloc of voters than this cloistered yet principled, simple folk. 

The believer’s response to “love thy neighbor” is visceral and spontaneous. Perhaps no phrase is more distinctly Christian. Few imperatives elicit more soul-searching. There are, after all, only two commandments which we are told to keep. We must unreservedly love God. Of course. And then we must love our neighbors. Jesus then framed this command with the timeless parable of the Good Samaritan to punctuate His point. It was an instant classic.

That His words would be turned into a slogan or political wedge to trigger people—as a guilt bomb, to play the shame game and push an agenda—is quite offensive to me. Quoting scripture may be used to give one’s position an authoritative cloak and an air of moral superiority. Abusing scripture, on the other hand, is a serious transgression and invites God’s wrath upon those who do it intentionally and to manipulate. God have mercy!

It turns out it’s not only Christians who have figured out the power of this now popularized catch phrase used to red pill believers about everything from climate change to the covid vaccine. Even Gavin Newsom got a “revelation”, putting up billboards in Texas advertising his state’s up-to-birth abortion laws under the banner: “California is Ready to Help. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”.*

It has also been used ad nauseam to justify support for open borders. This PC campaign esteems “Compassion” as the highest of all virtues. Even if it means breaking our laws, compromising our sovereignty and security, and simultaneously accepting minor inconveniences such as: tens of thousands of deaths due to fentanyl, unfettered rape of female migrants, mind-numbing human trafficking statistics, and unscalable gang violence in our cities. Aren’t all the traumatized and victimized American citizens also, or even more so, our neighbors? Wasn’t Laken Riley our neighbor?! Or are we supposed to believe “compassion” for her Venezuelan illegal immigrant killer is the moral high ground? 

I have lived overseas for most of my life. Perhaps this explains why I did not get the memo that Christian leaders should not talk about politics. While we are rightly cautioned to beware of the “leaven of Herod” (Mk 8:15); to ignore politics or culture that affects our freedoms, values, justice, and prosperity is akin to inviting disciples into our rowboat and forget the oars. It is the “leaven” that is the problem: allowing unseen and insidious forces to proliferate unchecked in our spirits, clouding our minds, dividing our allegiance. 

To dismiss or ignore politics—to disengage or to be willy-nilly of its potential for good and for evil—is foolish and harmful. We may find ourselves floating in the sea of irrelevance, or worse yet, paddling in the current of the Third Reich, just like the passive and voiceless church of Germany had done. Their verdict? Complicity may be too kind. Accessory, defined as one who assists, but does not actually participate, in the commission of a crime, is probably a more accurate indictment. 

And yet 41 million Christians are predicted NOT to vote in the upcoming election. Though we have the opportunity to stem the tide of illegals pouring across our borders, or stop needless wars, or become energy independent again, or protect the sanctity of life—even life in the womb, to sit there and do nothing is not just ambivalent, it is callous. Your neighbor’s daughter may be “transitioning” to become a boy right now, groomed by a radicalized teacher at the public school down the street, then given puberty blockers, and counseled to have a mastectomy. How do we love our neighbors exactly?

In 1972 a landmark Supreme Court ruling was made in favor of Amish fathers who refused to send their children to public school on religious grounds. Despite their stereotypical turtle-shelled and apolitical persona, they rose up to fight for their freedoms. 52 years later, the Smaug in them is stirring again. Fed up by all the insane regulations and heavy taxes the government has burdened them with these last few years, the Amish will be going to the polls in record numbers. They want to make a stand for the rights of the unborn. They are incensed that their religion and speech liberties are threatened. They don’t want their taxes paid by the sweat of their own brows spent on sex change surgeries for convicted felons. So while millions of evangelical Christians wallow in their apathy and indifference, the Amish buggies will be rockin’ on November 6th.

I am volunteering to drive them to the polls. Seems like the neighborly thing to do. 

• If you are interested in a detailed research into the “Love Your Neighbor” ploy, including the NIH’s push to get “skeptical” Christians on board with their mandate by employing an advertising campaign entitled “Love Your Neighbor, Get the Shot”, check out Megan Basham’s Shepherds for Sale. You won’t want to put it down.

“Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.”  Ps 37:1

David was vigilant to protect his heart against the vile and bitter effects of envy. David had witnessed an “evil spirit” come upon Saul when the king saw and heard the women of Jerusalem dancing in the streets and singing that David had slain his ten thousands whereas Saul had only killed a thousand of Israel’s enemies. His first-hand experience confirms James’ teaching (3:15). Envy is demonic—causing Saul, who was being calmed by David’s psaltry, to suddenly become enraged to the point of being crazed, even homicidal. 

Jos 14 relates the story of two men who had done mighty exploits together. When 12 leaders were chosen to represent their tribes to “spy out” the Promised Land, only Joshua and Caleb found faith and courage to “go up and take possession” of this mountainous region where giants lived. Yet only Caleb was personally singled out and commended by God with these powerful words:

“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land…and his descendants shall inherit it.” Num 14:24

So when Moses chose Joshua to be his successor instead of Caleb, do you think he felt slighted? Was Caleb upset at Moses for passing him by, despite God showering praise upon him? Would he harbor jealousy at Joshua, or entertain the lie that God was not being fair? Would he open the door to that hungry beast of envy that licked its chops, ready to pounce on us?

The answer to these questions is found in Jos 14. It seems Caleb’s “different spirit” enabled him to rise above the fray and resist the temptation to envy Joshua. When Joshua was promoted to be Israel’s new leader, Caleb found grace to accept Joshua’s leadership, and submit to him. Since God had personally promised him and his descendants the region of Hebron, why did he find it even necessary to involve Joshua? It seems he had every right to just forge on ahead, to run with the Word God had spoken to him.

But Caleb chose to humble himself. His actions showed that he trusted God; if God had exalted Joshua, then to align himself with Joshua was to align himself with Yahweh. And finally, perhaps most importantly, he honored Joshua as his leader. In doing so, he left us all a vivid example. You see, honor and envy are opposites. Rather than be jealous of another’s achievements, I should recognize and celebrate them. Rather than fretting over what someone else has, I’m called to honor God for His generosity to them. Rather than comparing my gifts with others, I embrace them (and their gift), knowing that only those who receive a prophet qualifies to receive a prophet’s reward. 

Imagine if Cain had come to Abel in humility and said, “I want my offering to be acceptable to God too. Can you show me how I can be pleasing to God?” Imagine if Saul had bowed before the Father in thanksgiving for blessing him with a warrior and general, the likes of which only comes along every millennia! Imagine how many church splits would be avoided if the “Calebs” of our day trusted God to work through our Joshuas, and honored them from their hearts. 

When David was tempted to be envious, he continues in Psalm 37 to give us practical ways to overcome its attraction. They include (vs. 3-4):

• “Trust in the Lord, and do good”. God knows what He is doing. He knows when, where, and how to bless, reward, and promote us. We just need to keep doing the right thing. In due season, He will exalt us too, if we faint not. 
• “Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness”. We must learn to be content with where we’re at and what we’ve been given. Rather than “eating” a constant diet of what disappoints or frustrates us, feed on the things God has done and is doing. Praising Him for His faithfulness at breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and during coffee breaks, and yes, even midnight snacks!), prevents us from descending the slippery slope of comparing, jealousy, strife, and resentment. Envy’s power is forced to stop in its tracks. 
• “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” When you focus on, cherish and constantly thank God, you will be so full of His love and peace that what someone else has pales in comparison to the riches you have in Him. In your flesh, you may think “if I only have what that person has”; but the one who loves the Lord and follows Him fully will be blessed with those things that satisfy the deepest longings of his heart. 

Beloved, envy is a cruel master. It is stalking you. It wants to subdue you. It is subtle, and crafty. So let’s stay vigilant, and excel in exhorting one another to chain our gates…until this crouching adversary gives up, realizing we will never, ever, under any circumstances, let him in. 

“For you have said in your heart…I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will be like the Most High.”  IS 14:13-14

I had always heard it argued that pride is the original sin. While it is true that Lucifer became enamored with his own anointing, beauty (“every precious stone covered you”), and ability (“gold work of tambourines and of pipes were in you”, Eze 28:13), what actually provoked him to act upon his swollen heart is revealed in his declaration that he would take possession of things that belonged to God alone. So the true culprit of Satan’s insurrection was envy, a dark relentless drive to displace and dethrone God in order to “preside on the mountain of the gods” (Is 14:13, NLT).

Is it any wonder, then, that the way the Devil tempted Eve was to stir up the idea that God was being unfair if not unjust in withholding the power to decide what was right and wrong from her. What specifically was the temptation? “In the day you eat of it…you will be like God” (Gen 3:5). Sound familiar? 

A deeper look at the Ten Commandments is also quite revealing. Once you draw back the curtains, you can see the spirit of envy at work in coveting what belongs to your neighbor. That one is obvious. How about stealing from them? How about adultery, literally taking away that which is another man’s (or woman’s) most precious and sacred relationship. Bearing false witness is a conniving way to ruin something a man works his entire life to establish, his reputation. The envious know when he maligns another man, he degrades him, creating a void which he can then fill. Part 1 already established the symbiosis between envy and murder. Envy is like a rip current overpowering even the strongest swimmers away from the shores of righteousness. It seems half of the Big Ten are connected in some way to envy.

Beloved, virtually every “sin list” in the New Testament contains envy*. Paul, James, Peter, and Jesus Himself warn us.  Like its father, the Serpent, envy slithers in the fields of our lives ready to sink its venomous teeth into us. Now that I see it, I wonder how I could have been so unsuspecting. And yet, it’s seldom talked about. When is the last time you heard a sermon about envy?

Remember, envy states I must have what someone else has. Stronger than jealousy, a line is crossed. Resentment brews. Reason is clouded. Sarah is compelled to send Hagar and Ishmael into exile and certain death. Joseph’s brothers plot to kill him, and end up selling him into slavery. Saul impulsively tries to skewer David three times with his spear. 

David was not only a victim of envy, he struggled with it too. Thankfully, he saw this lion of sins crouching at his door and did not let it in to devour him. In Ps 73 he confesses: “I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper” (v.2,3). In Part 3 I will share insights of how we can take every precaution to make sure this powerful enemy, a CIA-type commander in the army of Satan, can be disarmed and its fangs removed. 

For David, it began with a confession. God, envy has been pulling me farther and farther from the shore of your love and grace. Envious thoughts have been sapping my devotion, trying to lure me to make rivals of those who are my friends, creating confusion, suspicions, and stealing my peace. Wisely, David ran to the altar of God and received a download and impartation that quenched this cruel fiery dart. In verse 17 he writes:

“I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood…” 

I strongly suggest we do the same. 

• Mk 7:22; Rom 1:29; 13:13; Gal 5:20-21; 1 Tim 6:4-5; Tit 3:3; Jam 3:14-16; 1 Pet 2:1

“A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.”  PR 14:30

“South of the Border” signs were everywhere. I was nine the first time our family traveled the East Coast corridor down to Florida from Vermont. Hundreds of miles before crossing from North to South Carolina, distinct and colorful billboards dotted I-95 of this faux-Mexican tourist trap. The sheer volume of these comical posts stirred my curiosity and etched on my memory. Who was “Pedro”? This place is crazy, it must be fun! Oh how I wished we could have checked it out! What a brilliant idea.

Holy Spirit loves to strew our paths with “signs” to get our attention. Although there are times when I get instant perspective, downloads or neon blasts of understanding on subjects, He most often woos me, line upon line, step by step, into grasping something once beyond me. For the past several weeks the Heavenly Highlighter has marked up the pages of my pilgrimage on the subject of envy. Wow. How could something so consequential have remained in the shadows for so long? 

Bob Sorge has written a wonderful yet frightening book on Envy, which he calls “the most underrated weapon in Satan’s arsenal”. You see, envy is a bone-level sin. It’s deep, embedded, and when left unchecked it’s a universal contaminator. Consider James 3:16: 

“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil (vile) thing are there.” 

Wherever envy takes roots in a life, the fruits are bitter, contentious, and rank. Sorge defines envy as “the painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to posses the same advantage.” Whereas its cousin jealousy says “I want what you have”, envy spouts “I must have it”, then adds “and I’m going to make sure you don’t!” This resolve can become obsessive, aggressive, even violent.

That’s why envy’s partners in scripture are not your garden variety types. It’s aligned with “self-seeking”, “strife”, “hatred”, even “murder”. Yes, murder. Consider envy’s inaugural appearance in the Bible: the story of the first siblings in history. A rivalry had been seething between Cain and Abel. Scripture vividly portrays sin as “crouching” like a predator at the door—lurking, seeking just the right opportunity to spring into the room and devour. Although God said to Cain, you must subdue, master, and rule over it, he failed. The result: the fire of envy in his belly erupted as untethered rage. He struck and killed Abel. 

Solomon the Wise “observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy” (Ecc 4:4 MSG), identifying it as a subterranean and pernicious force against normal, healthy interactions. When unbridled, envy becomes aligned with dark, beastly spirits that stir up and energize some of our basest human emotions. These are the spirits that infected the Jewish leaders to hand Jesus over to be crucified. Why? “Because of envy” (Mk 15:10). James doesn’t mince words about what he calls “bitter envy” either, branding it as “earthly, sensual, demonic” (Jam 3:14,15). The King James Version says “devilish”. Touché!

Paul, too, vigilantly resisted envy’s entry into his life, stating in 2 Cor 10:12 “we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves” with others. He recognized comparing his gifts, achievements, or progress with others can be the first stage on the slippery slope to becoming competitive, to intensifying rivalry, to antagonism, before plummeting into all-out discord and enmity. He was determined to subdue and master this crouching foe, before it was too late. We’d be wise to do the same.

Beloved, as we set our hearts and hopes upon revival, one of the clearest antecedents is unity. Until we uncover and deal with envy’s subterfuge, the very thing we seek may remain…buried beneath Pedro’s sombrero, somewhere South of the Border. 

“Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.” Job 16:19 NIV

My best friend’s a lawyer.

From Perry Mason to O.J. Simpson, from Judge Judy to the Trump trials, Americans have a love affair with courtroom drama. The same passion that stirs us to jump and scream for a Brady-like, last second touchdown boils our blood when justice is meted out, when “our guy” or “our team” comes out on the winning side as the last gavel echos in the halls of judgment. 

I recently read that President Trump has forked out around $100 million in legal fees to defend himself against the tsunami of “crimes” he is being accused of. The truth is, anyone facing trial and the prospects of being stripped of freedom knows no expense can be spared to hire the best attorney possible. Bank accounts are emptied. Debts are accrued. Properties mortgaged. None of these things can be enjoyed when you are in prison anyway! A good lawyer becomes your only hope.

Job realized this. It was the only thing that propped him up when his entire world came crashing down, when all his “friends” and even his wife added to his misery with their slings and arrows. Despite the mountain of evidence that swelled against him, the revelation that he had one Witness who would testify on his behalf, and that He was also the most powerful Advocate in the universe, emboldened and imbued him with confidence. Seeing Him, Job did not surrender to despair, or lower himself to attacking those who harmed him. Knowing His position, His track record, His tenacity, Job was convinced there could only be one outcome to his trial: justice would prevail. 

Sometimes I wonder how the drama of my own trial will play out. Given the preponderance of evidence stacked against me, the fact that I am guilty to the bone, how will my case be decided? 

On thing is for sure: I dare not represent myself in these proceedings! Neither dare I skimp to hire a budget defender. I need a good lawyer…no, the best lawyer, the only one who guarantees victory for all who trust Him. And to think I don’t have to go into debt to retain Him. He’s offered to take my case pro bono! 

Jesus literally is our Defense Attorney. Whenever I mess up, He goes to bat for me, making appeals, filing motions, paying fines, bail, and bonds, even bearing the punishment which was supposed to be mine. The evidence of his scars and empty tomb are the assurance of my acquittal and yours. 

Like Job, we need a revelation of our Advocate in our day. We need to recover the kind of ferocious appreciation for our Intercessor that Charles Wesley expressed so poignantly in his hymn, Arise My Soul Arise, written in 1742: 

Five bleeding wounds He bears received on Calvary

They pour effectual prayers they strongly plead for me

“Forgive him, O forgive, ” they cry

“Forgive him, O forgive, ” they cry

“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

John the Beloved had known Jesus as his best friend, teacher, prophet, and ultimately his Savior. But after Jesus died, was buried, and ascended into heaven, his message to his followers “so that you may not sin” was that Jesus has become the Defense Attorney for all peoples, for all time. As you consider the prospects of going to trial, of dealing with accusations or wracked by guilt, of appearing before the Judge of all the earth, may this truth grip and anchor you as it did Job:

“But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.” 1 John 2:1b NLT

“His eyes were like a flame of fire…I fell at His feet as dead.”  Rev 1:14,17

A part of me longs to see Jesus face to face more than anything else; a part of me shutters at the thought. Although I know it will be awesome and totally transformational, I am also keenly aware that “it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31 NASB). 

This is not typically the way we portray Jesus these days. We default to the gentle Shepherd image, of One who offers mercy, solace, unconditional acceptance, and embrace. I memorized Psalm 23 in Sunday school before my fifth birthday, and these words have pillowed me through life’s valleys for nearly sixty years. I am so, so grateful for this heritage, knowing I have unfettered access to God—just as I am, no matter what, no matter when. And yet…

I’m struck that Biblical encounters with God are not always a kumbaya affair. Sometimes, vulnerable and ashamed, we search high and low for fig leafs or we duck behind the nearest tree. Sometimes it ends up being a wrestling match that lasts all night long. When God showed up on Sinai, the children of Israel decided it was safer to stay in the camp rather than risk approaching the quaking mountain where loud thunder, lightening and thick clouds made them cower and cringe. 

When Joshua saw the Lord as he approached Jericho, he immediately “fell on his face to the earth” (Jos 5:14). So did Ezekiel (Eze 2:1) when the heaven’s opened and he beheld his Maker. Isaiah’s instinctive reaction to seeing the Lord high and lifted up was to cry out, I’m doomed, ruined, undone! (Is 6:5). In the presence of such holiness, he was suddenly, intensely aware of his own unworthiness and impurity. 

John had been one of Jesus’ closest friends. He is often called the Beloved, referring to himself in his Gospel as “the one whom Jesus loved”. John mentions leaning upon Jesus’ bosom as they sat together during the Last Supper. And yet, when John sees the Resurrected Christ while in exile on the island of Patmos, he begins the Book of Revelation by describing Jesus not in concert with our meek and mild stereotypes. He holds stars in His hand and there is a sharp sword coming out of His mouth. His countenance is “like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev 1:16). His eyes are on fire.

The same eyes that the prophet Hanani had described as “run[ning] to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong” (2 Chr 16:9) fell squarely on John and nearly scared him to death…literally. They searched him to his core in what had to have been one of the most sobering moments of any human in history. 

These same eyes then began to inspect the churches in seven prominent cities in what is now Turkey. The first words he speaks are repeated to each church: “I know your works…” (Rev 2:2). His eyes perform visual surgery. Nothing escapes their scrutiny. They were able to penetrate and with perfect clarity scan the breadth and depths of each congregation, and to diagnose without prejudice the true condition of every man and woman. He deftly discerns every thought and intention of our hearts, as the author of Hebrews says, adding “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but in all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12,13).  

Despite the spine-chilling prospect of being overwhelmed and floored by a face to face encounter with the Ruler of the Universe, deep down I know there is nothing we need more than to have a revelation of who Jesus truly is, to feel the burn and weight of those blazing eyes, then receive grace “by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb 12:28).