Covid and the The Court In Heaven

    

     Have you considered that we have access to the Courts of Heaven, and can ask for a judgment against this Corona virus that has this nation in bondage to spirits of Fear and Constraint? Perhaps the first question I should ask is Did you know the Courts of Heaven even exist?  Perhaps I should address that first... I would venture to guess that a majority of modern Christians would answer "No" to that question.  Yet the Jews returning to Jerusalem from their Babylonian exile knew well the teachings of the prophet Zechariah, among which was this idea of a Heavenly Court.

     In Zechariah, Chapter 3, the prophet receives a vision from a guiding angel of the High Priest, Joshua, standing before God, and Satan stands to his right, as his accuser.  The High Priest Joshua represents disobedient and sinful Israel, who has been brought to the Court of Heaven to receive what Satan thinks will be justified punishment for their sins.  (Remember: He is known as the Accuser). But that isn't what happens!  God rebukes Satan and replaces Joshua's filthy rags with the clean white robes of forgiveness.
     Then it gets even more exciting!  God counsels Joshua, telling him that if he will be faithful and walk in the ways of the Lord, he will be given greater authority to govern God's house and have charge of His earthly courts; and most importantly, Joshua will have free access to the Court in Heaven and to God's presence.  I want you to read that last comment again ... Joshua was promised privileged access into the presence of God. This isn’t a surprising promise for a High Priest, but we have the same promise: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16). And this pandemic of Covid-19 has certainly ushered in a time of great need in our country! So let's consider how we can enter into the presence of God to ask for rulership over it!

     So here is where we start ... when we examine Scripture, there are many references to legal terms in God's relationship with men: judgment, appeals, law, contract, evidence, witnesses, indictment, jurisdiction, debt and debtors, redemption, punishment, condemn, testimony, and verdict.  Starting to get the idea? And we must always keep in mind the admonition of our Lord: Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.  The judicial system of the ancient Israelites, as well as our own court system, are modeled upon the Courts in Heaven.  Furthermore, the Courts are part of the judicial government of the Kingdom of Heaven, and guess what?  We have access to them as part of His Kingdom here on earth!

     And I want to address, for a moment, the etiquette of entering into our Father's Court. We are to be responsible about entering and maintaining the proper atmosphere of respect, order, authority, and awe. It is an honor to be received into the Father's Court and we should follow protocol. We should be prepared and ready to petition the Court and present our case. We should be dressed appropriately. We stand in respect when The Holy Judge enters the Courtroom. We sit in silence until given permission to speak. We ask for a verdict in our favor, and then we abide by what the Judge rules. So, by now, I hope you are seeing [in the spirit] as we prepare to enter the Court and ask for a judgment regarding this demonic virus.

     But before we can even think about asking for a verdict, we must take note of what the angel spoke to Joshua ... "Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in My ways and keep My charge, then you shall rule My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here." Based on that requirement, my spirit is grieved; this nation has certainly abandoned many of God's ways, and not kept His laws. And like ancient Israel, I'm sure Satan believes he has a justified argument for punishment with the Corona virus.

     Before we can even consider entering the Court of Heaven, we must repent for all the ungodly activities of this nation -- the abortion industry; sex trafficking; removing God from our schools and the public square; our greed and arrogance; and any area in which we have personally sinned.

     We must approach the Throne of God with reverence and request that we be added to the docket of the Court. We can then ask God to intervene as we seek to present our petition.  Satan believes he has a pretty good case against us; and based on the ungodly sins mentioned above, I can see why he feels justified in bringing the punishment of Corona virus against us. But I like the way the noted theologian Charles Spurgeon voices his interpretation of this scenario: "When Satan accuses, Christ pleads (our case). He does not wait till the case has gone against us and then express His regret, but He is always a very present help in time of trouble. He knows the heart of Satan, (being omniscient God), and long before Satan can accuse, He puts in the demurrer, the blessed plea on our behalf, and stays the action till He gives an answer which silences forever, [the Accuser's] every accusation." I find it interesting that the definition of the word demurrer is "[in Law], an objection that an opponent's point is irrelevant or invalid, while granting the factual basis of the point".  So, the result is that Satan [rightfully] accuses us of greed, abortion, child sex trade, abandoning God, etc. and Jesus never denies our sin, but instead acts as our Mediator. He receives our judgment and His sacrifice on our behalf makes the case against us invalid, and the case is thrown out of the Court of Heaven. We are innocent by the Blood of the Lamb!

     BUT, I also wonder if Jesus isn't waiting for us to stand up in our Power and Authority as Kingdom citizens and make use of our access to the Father's presence and present our own case! Do we want to be like Job? We know that Satan was allowed to appear before the Court of Heaven, and accuse Job before God, The Judge. But in the first 12 chapters, Job does nothing to defend himself!  He laments the attacks against him, but does nothing to defend himself --- until Chapter 13!  Finally, in this chapter he says, NOW I have prepared my case (verse 18).  So, do you think Job might have saved himself and his family a lot of harm and suffering if he had prepared his case earlier? Have we been humbled enough to repent for our national sins and suffered enough losses of our freedoms to now earnestly prepare our case before the Court? If I may, I would like to suggest the following prayer; that all the Body of Christ come together, following the protocols for appearing before our Judge, and join in presenting the following petition before the Court:

In the Name of Jesus, we ask our Savior to forgive this nation for all the ways we have been disobedient. We acknowledge our rebellion against You and ask to be cleansed by the Blood of Jesus and Your Living Water. We have sought righteousness in Your ways, and lament the actions of those who have offended You. We ask corporately, and individually, that our Savior show us any areas in which we have been ungodly so that we might repent of them before joining together to appear before Christ and entering the Holy Court of Heaven….

(IN THE SPIRIT)  Father, we come before Your throne today, in awe and reverence, asking for Your compassion and mercy, and we request that You convene a session of the Heavenly Court. 

(SEE THE COURT OF HEAVEN AND YOU APPEARING [WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST] BEFORE GOD, THE JUDGE)

Father, the Holy Spirit has shown us that the Adversary has been lying about this Corona Virus, and as the righteous Body of Christ, we ask that Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede on our behalf before the Court.  As Isaiah 43:26 says, “Let us argue the matter together; state the case for [our] innocence.” So, as the Body of Christ and Kingdom citizens, we are here to state the case for our innocence; the reinstatement of our freedoms; and the release from this demonic virus called Corona. We ask for Your Light and Truth to come into this situation.

We come seeking Your intervention, God, as Judge, and ask that You hear our petition before the Court, and we request a verdict from this Heavenly Court.

Here is our petition: Father, we recognize that the Enemy is lying about Corona having such power over our bodies. We recognize the agreement of powerful men, who are in association with the Enemy to bind and control this nation. Father, we appear before You as righteous citizens of Your Kingdom on earth. And as members of the Ekklesia, we ask that You hear our argument against the deceitful lies and manipulation of the Enemy that would keep us in bondage to this virus. We appear before Your Court in our power and authority as Sons and Daughters of the King and ask for full restoration of all that has been stolen from us, including health, wealth, self-government, and freedom of choice.  

Father, we are asking the Heavenly Court to force the Adversary to reveal his lies about Corona; that it is a lowly virus, subject to the Authority of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. It will bow at the feet of Jesus Christ! It will not keep this nation and its righteous citizens from receiving their inheritance as children of God. We will receive Your Truth as we present the Gospel of the Kingdom – we will receive all that is due us, including Salvation and the Kingdom, so that we might go forth together as a family of God – equally yoked -- in righteous battle to defeat our Enemy.  We petition the Court to bring these lies about Corona under the blood of Jesus and to establish this nation under the rule and reign of Christ.

So, Father God, as You bring the Court into session, we see the books or scrolls being opened, and as the Ancient of Days, God, we know that You see all days and can render judgment to deliver this nation from the consequences of this demonic virus.

Father, on behalf of all people of this nation, we ask that You, as Judge, review the scrolls of every earthly citizen's “Book of Life”—including past generations -- and annul covenants with Plagues and Sickness and any spirits of Pestilence that have given access to demonic powers holding them captive. And we ask that You render a verdict in their favor. Just as in the case of the widow seeking justice from the unjust judge, Father, we ask that you defend this nation and set us free from this virus so that we might worship and praise You.

So, Father, as we rest our case for justice for this nation, we bow in reverence and seek Your face, acknowledging with honor and gratitude our faith in Your vindication, and asking blessings upon this nation, every man, woman, and child.  We thank You, Father, and we will abide by the decision of You and the Court.

(NOW YOU NEED TO TRUST IN THE DECISION OF THE COURT, KNOWING THAT JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL ADVOCATE ON OUR BEHALF. THANK THEM FOR REPRESENTING US, AND NOW DECLARE YOUR FAITH IN GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT!

NOTE:  I decided to share this prayer with you after receiving a request from a Brother in Christ to show him how to go to the Court for his wife and small son, who are struggling with the symptoms of the Corona virus. My spirit recognized that it is time for us ALL to go to the Court on behalf of this nation. The Enemy has been accusing us for too long. We must present our case, or watch our beloved nation continue to suffer his attacks. Please join me in going to the Court!

Job 13:1-3     "Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God."

God And His Law

  

       When I asked Jesus into my heart and proclaimed Him as my Savior over 30 years ago, I became a member of a Church in Austin, Texas that was known for breaking the bonds of strict religious doctrine. Like many churches of that era, the message heard each Sunday changed from "Law" to "Grace". In fact, the mantra became that the Law belonged in the Old Testament, and Jesus's resurrection meant we were now all under Grace, not the Law.
     In the minds of many believers, this has led to the Law of God being positioned in a subordinate role to Grace. But that is a false assumption. The fact that we have a legal standing of righteousness before God bears witness that His Law is still in existence, and it is important to Him -- that standing before God that says we are in covenant with Him as citizens of the Kingdom of God on earth, and our belief in salvation from Jesus Christ [alone], our King.
     Sometimes I think the modern Church has forgotten that God's Laws define righteousness and sin, and the last time I looked, both can still be a problem for man, and are therefore still pertinent in our lives. They are not burdensome and every one of them is for our benefit. The Apostle Paul, who is so often used to justify a "Grace Only" theology, tells us that "the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good", and that "the law is spiritual" (Romans 7:12,14). Doesn't sound much like we should dismiss the Law, does it? 
     But there will be those who say the Law no longer has any significance for us, and that is what the writer of Hebrews is saying in 8:13, In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.  I think it is important that we read this verse within the context of what the writer is talking about. He is speaking about the renewal of the original covenant into a better model. He is not talking about abolishing the Law.

      Also, it depends on exactly what you mean by "The Law".  Then, it depends on a correct understanding of "Old" and "New" Covenant.  The fact that the Mosaic law (and its rituals of animal sacrifice for salvation) has been terminated does not mean that there is no law in this age of grace.  The New Testament is full of references to various forms of law under God's direction:  “the perfect law of liberty" (James. 1:25), “the royal law” (James. 2:8), the Law of Christ (Galatians. 6:2), and the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans. 8:2). These all point to various commands found throughout the epistles which comprise God's Law. They cover all areas of the believer’s life to direct him in the will of God in today’s world. 

     We can all agree that parts of the Mosaic Law were weak because they were dependent on man’s ability, and God put an end to that sacrificial system with the advent of Christ.  But that was the system God used to divorce the Israelites from the pagan ways of their centuries of bondage in Egypt.  They were so steeped in the occultic practices and sins of Egypt that they had lost any sense of a relationship with their God.  The Mosaic Law was designed to build and maintain a proper relationship (through covenant) between God and His people Israel (blessing versus cursing) until the coming of Messiah and the establishment of a New Covenant. There were portions of the Mosaic Law that were never designed to be a permanent rule of life. But that is not true of all components of the Law.

     So let's talk about the Mosaic Law. It was given specifically to the nation of Israel, and included the Ten Commandments, the ordinances, and the worship system, which included the priesthood, the tabernacle, the offerings, and the feasts, or festivals. The Mosaic Law was intended to reveal the holy character of God to a people who had seemed to have forgotten Him during their 400 years of captivity in unholy Egypt. While they revealed the sinfulness of man, they did not provide eternal salvation. Faith in Jesus would accomplish that.

     And, yes, there were numerous statutes and ordinances that existed then, whose specifics may not apply to us -- rules that dealt with war, slavery, tithes, religious festivals, sacrifices, kosher food, prophecy, the monarchy, and the particulars of the Temple sanctuary. But I would venture that if you would read them today, the spirit of the Law remains intact. And then there are those Ten Commandments. Could it be that they comprise the heart of all of God's Laws? That they existed before Moses received the stone tablets on Mount Sinai, and they are intended to remain at the center of God's government on Earth?

     I recently read an article on the website Life, Hope & Truth, and it presented a very good case for this last statement. For example, the Bible tells us in Genesis 26:5: Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.  Since Abraham obeyed God in these matters hundreds of years before Moses lived, then there have been known laws that have existed before Mount Sinai.

     And think about this: the Bible is very clear in 1 John 3:4 that sin is breaking God's Law. As early as Genesis 4:7, a connection is made between sin and rules [law] to prevent it:  If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it. This implies the rules of Kingdom [of Heaven] government here on earth.

     The patriarch, Jacob, understood the importance of the First and Second Commandments 300 years before Moses received the stone tablets. On his return to his homeland, he commanded his family and servants to get rid of idols they were carrying with them before he went to Bethel and built an altar to the One True God.

     One of the most interesting discoveries I found in the article pointed out that the Commandment to not take the Lord's name in vain, was obviously known by Job. In the First Chapter of Job, which is believed to be one of the oldest books in the Bible, Scripture says that he offered burnt offerings according to the number of his children. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. To me, this lends to an understanding that Job knew about a law that demanded sacrificial offerings for taking God's name in vain. -- before Mount Sinai. 

     Was God's commandment against adultery known by Joseph [in Genesis 39] when he refused to lie with his master's wife and spoke these words: How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Was the law forbidding adultery already established when God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, ‘Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife (Genesis 20)?

     The bottom line is this .... the word "Law" is not a bad word. God has rules by which He intends to see His purpose fulfilled. There is a spiritual morality indicated in each of His Laws -- both those who are no longer needed under the New Covenant, and those that are still to be followed in the New Covenant. But most importantly, we need to understand that all His laws are based on love. They were established to show us how God expects us to love Him and love others. Again, I say they are not burdensome and are a part of His Kingdom government, both in Heaven and on earth. It is by His grace (His power in us that enables us to do what we cannot do on our own) that we love Him and follow His commandments. And that pleases Him!

John 14:15     If you Love Me, keep My commandments.