DAY 12: A Meeting For Reconciliation

Judgement of Christ

Often our meeting with God is to effect another meeting-a reconciliation. We meet with Him asking Him to meet with someone else. We become the go-between: "Heavenly Father, I come to you today (a meeting) asking You to touch Tom (another meeting)."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, as Christ did through spiritual warfare, our meeting with the enemy is to undo a meeting-a breaking, a severing, a disuniting. All of our praying intercession will involve one or both of these facets: reconciliation or breaking; uniting or disuniting.

First, we will look at a couple of Scriptures that describe what Christ did when He met the Father to create a meeting between God and humanity. Then we will look at the warfare aspect. Psalm 85:10 states, "Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Let's examine more fully this beautiful description of the Cross.

God had a dilemma seen through four words in this verse. He not only is a God of lovingkindness (which represents His mercy, kindness, love and forgiveness), but He is also a God of truth (which represents His integrity and justice). He does not merely represent peace (safety, wholeness and rest), but also righteousness (holiness and purity) without which there can be no peace.

The dilemma is this: A truly holy, righteous, just and true God cannot simply forgive, grant mercy to or bestow peace on a fallen humanity without compromising His character. Sin cannot be excused. It must be judged and with it the sinner. So, how can this holy, yet loving, God marry the two? THE CROSS!

On the Cross lovingkindness and truth met. Righteousness and peace kissed each other. And when they did, so did God and humanity! We kissed the Father through the Son! We met Him through the blood of Christ! Jesus grabbed our end of the table and was introduced to His bride.

In one sovereign, unsearchable act of wisdom, God satisfied both His love and His justice. He established righteousness as well as peace. "Who is like unto Thee, O Lord? Who can describe Your great mercy, Your awesome power, Your infinite wisdom?"

When this took place Christ's ministry of reconciliation was being accomplished: "Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ...namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." (2 Cor. 5:18, 19).

Because we now represent Christ in His intercession, let's apply these verses to ourselves. 2 Cor. 5:18 says He "gave us the ministry of reconciliation." In other words, through our praying intercession, we release the fruit of what He did through His act of intercession. We bring individuals to God in prayer asking the Father to meet with them. We, too, have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Whether for a person or a nation, regardless of the reason, when we're used to create a meeting between God and humans, releasing the fruit of Christ's work, paga has happened.

It might be as you are prayerwalking through your neighborhood asking God to meet with families and save them. It could be a prayer journey into another nation-creating meetings between God and humanity-divine connections through human conduits.

Shalom,

Rev. Obadiah Swen

Pastor, Bethel World Outreach Church - Virginia