I'd Rather Have Jesus

"Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways." Proverbs 28:6 (ESV)

Billy Graham preaching the Gospel

George Beverly Shea in action!

I remember as a young 11 year old in 1966, Billy Graham came to London, capital of the UK, where he held a Crusade, I think it was for 10 days, in the great exhibition centre, Earls Court, the last night moving to Wembley Stadium, our largest football ground. Night after night, people came in their thousands to hear the Good News of Jesus preached simply and plainly, with an appeal at the end for people to come to the front of the hall to commit or recommit their lives to Jesus. Many people came to know Jesus as their Saviour as a result of that great event.

It was my privilege to be taken by my parents to hear this great American preacher. There was no reason for me to go forward after the appeal at the end. I had already committed my life to Jesus at the age of 8 and been baptized at the age of 10. What made a tremendous impact apart from the fact that the man who spoke seemed so normal even though he came from America and said a lot of things that seemed to relate to a young boy living on a tiny island thousands of miles away, was the music. There was a singer called George Beverly Shea who sang the following words with great feeling and an obvious 100% commitment to their message.

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,

I'd rather be His than have riches untold;

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands,

I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

Than to be the king of a vast domain

And be held in sin's dread sway;

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today.

The simplicity of the tune was such that it didn't detract from the words being conveyed by a man in his mid 40's who was well dressed and obviously meant every word which he sang. It certainly made an impact on someone who came from a poor background in a small village where we lived a contented and care-free life playing outside without any fear and knowing that we were safe and loved by our parents and extended family.

I think something became ingrained in my thinking at that point, and that is that there are two very distinct sets of values, involving earthly treasures and wealth and heavenly treasures. During our life time on earth, which is short, we have to make a choice about which we are going to set our hearts on, because, as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21 (ESV).

So the choice we have to make in our life is to follow Jesus who took on Himself the form of a servant and owned nothing or to hanker after the things that are for this life only. We have been taught a salutary lesson about earthly investment in the last few years, and many of our bankers, financiers and wise investors are looking for alternative investments.

Those of us who follow Jesus as our Saviour and Lord have effectively chosen an alternative investment, one that involves laying up treasures in Heaven. The way in which this is contrasted with the world's way in the opening Proverb quoted is very stark, it is better to be poor and walk in integrity than rich and crooked in our ways. I have to challenge myself on a regular basis, with the last two lines of the verse in this hymn. Can I honestly say today, here and now, "I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today?" If we are involved in the King's work, serving Jesus and reaching out to others with our hearts and lives to share His love and compassion, then the King will provide for our needs according to His riches, and He owns everything.

"The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (ESV)

John the Baptist with Jesus in the River Jordan

John the Baptist preaching

John the Baptist was a cousin of our Lord Jesus and was sent to prepare the way for the coming of our Lord. He baptized people in the river Jordan and his baptism was a baptism of repentance. The word repentance simply defined is "to change your mind about something." I think a more satisfactory definition is to make a 180 degree turn around to face and move in the opposite direction. Certainly, when you become a Christian you find yourself moving in the opposite direction to most of the world around you. This baptism John offered, in water, was for the turning away from sin, the baptism Jesus offers, with the Holy Spirit (verse 33) is turning to Christ and being filled with His indwelling presence.

What an amazing declaration John makes here when he sees Jesus walking towards him. "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" The word "Behold" is translated from the Hebrew word "hinneh" and the Greek word "idou" which means something like "Pay careful attention to what follows! This is important!" Although in some contexts this word could be replaced in modern English with the word "look!" "see!" or "listen", in many instances these modern equivalents do not carry sufficient weight or dignity. This is especially the case here, when referring to our Lord Jesus, who is "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

Why does John refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God, when in other places we see Him referred to as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah." To understand this, we need to look in the Old Testament at Exodus 12, the Passover Feast, where a perfect spotless lamb had to be slain and its blood applied to the two doorposts and lintel of the door of each house in order to prevent the killing of the firstborn of each family, including flocks and herds as well as people. The lamb was eaten as part of the Passover feast the night before the plague, and the Israelites celebrated it at the ready with shoes on to escape from slavery in Egypt early the next day. This was all a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to take away our sin by having His blood spilt in order that we could be forgiven, delivered from slavery to sin and saved for eternity.

Have you beheld Jesus, the Lamb of God, confessed your sins to Him in order to receive forgiveness and eternal life with Him in Heaven? Earlier in John 1, in verse 12 we read, "to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (ESV) Note that in the Passover it was only those who applied the blood to the doorposts and lintel who were saved. Likewise, it is only those who put their faith and trust in and receive Jesus who become children of God, heirs of salvation and citizens of Heaven. There is still time for you to behold Jesus, and once you do you will know His peace and joy in your heart and mind and His presence with you through the storms and trials of life. He will give you a whole new sense of purpose, direction and fulfilment and He will never leave you or forsake you.

Daniel's Prayer for his People

DANIEL'S PRAYER FOR HIS PEOPLE

DANIEL 9:3-19

3 I turned to Adonai, God, to seek an answer, pleading with him in prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to ADONAI my God and made this confession: "Please, Adonai, great and fearsome God, who keeps his covenant and extends grace to those who love him and observe his mitzvot! 5 We have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled and turned away from your mitzvot and rulings. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors and to all the people of the land. 7 "To you, Adonai, belongs righteousness; but to us today belongs shame - to us, the men of Y'hudah, the inhabitants of Yerushalayim and all Isra'el, including those nearby and those far away, throughout all the countries where you have driven them; because they broke faith with you. 8 Yes, ADONAI, shame falls on us, our kings, our leaders and our ancestors; because we sinned against you. 9 It is for Adonai our God to show compassion and forgiveness, because we rebelled against him. 10 We didn't listen to the voice of ADONAI our God, so that we could live by his laws, which he presented to us through his servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Isra'el flouted your Torah and turned away, unwilling to listen to your voice. Therefore the curse and oath written in the Torah of Moshe the servant of God was poured out on us, because we sinned against him. 12 He carried out the threats he spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us disaster so great that under all of heaven, nothing has been done like what has been done to Yerushalayim. 13 As written in the Torah of Moshe, this whole disaster came upon us. Yet we did not appease ADONAI our God by renouncing our wrongdoing and discerning your truth. 14 So ADONAI watched for the right moment to bring this disaster upon us, for ADONAI our God was just in everything he did, yet we didn't listen when he spoke. 15 "Now, Adonai our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, thereby winning renown for yourself, as is the case today - we sinned, we acted wickedly. 16 Adonai, in keeping with all your justice, please allow your anger and fury to be turned away from your city Yerushalayim, your holy mountain; because it is due to our sins and the wrongdoings of our ancestors that Yerushalayim and your people have become objects of scorn among everyone around us. 17 Therefore, our God, listen to the prayer and pleadings of your servant; and cause your face to shine on your desolated sanctuary, for your own sake. 18 My God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes and see how desolated we are, as well as the city which bears your name. For we plead with you not because of our own righteousness, but because of your compassion. 19 Adonai, hear! Adonai, forgive! Adonai, pay attention, and don't delay action - for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people bear your name!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is interesting to see how in this prayer Daniel intercedes on behalf of his people, confessing that they have forsaken His mitzvot and as a result God has brought upon them the disasters and the defeats and captivities which He said would occur if they neglected His ways. He acknowledges that they have not listened to Adonai, God speaking through His servants and prophets to all the people of the land, including the kings and princes as well as ordinary people.

In verse 7 he says that righteousness belong to Adonai, God and yet all Isra'el flouted His Torah and turned away, unwilling to even listen to His voice. In verse 14 Daniel reinforces that God is a God of Justice and again confesses that His people would not listen to Him. He then asks God to turn away His anger and fury from Yerushalayim, His holy mountain.

As followers of God we are called to intercede on behalf of the sins of our land and to pray for the peace of Yerushalayim, just as the example given to us by Daniel in this prayer.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we read "if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land." What greater need has there ever been for such intercessory prayer than in our modern world? In the same way as God's people were delivered from captivity and resettled in their land, the walls and temple subsequently being rebuilt and the law being re-established, so when we pray now God will return and resettle His people in His land, set captives free individually from sin through the sacrifice of His Son and bring healing to our broken communities, societies and nations. May we all be called to prayer, confession and repentance, that God's purposes may be fulfilled to His glory.

This article was first written for the Messianic Faith and Public Policy Group on Facebook.