Jesus came to bridge the gap between God and sinful man. Man needed someone to stand in the gap so he could get back to God. Man needed an Intercessor. Jesus’ sacrifice established Him as the only fully trustworthy Intercessor for mankind. He is the only Intercessor for the people of this planet.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and Men, the man Christ Jesus.
(1 Tim. 2:5)
He entered Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us.
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
(Heb 9:24)
He is our Intercessor at the right hand of the Father.
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
(Rom. 8:34)
He saves to the uttermost. His divine power can never cease for one moment.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
(Heb. 7:25)
There flows from Jesus to the Father an unceasing stream of prayer and love for all people and for those that have accepted Him as Savior and Lord.
Conversely there flows from the Father to Jesus the answer for us. Therefore there flows from Jesus to every member of His Body abundant grace for every timely need.
He abideth forever. Regardless of circumstances, regardless of how dark things look, regardless of how we feel, He abides in us forever if we continue in His goodness (Rom. 11:22).
He is our High Priest forever at the right hand of the Father.
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
(Heb. 7:16-17)
How long is Jesus Christ our High Priest? Forever!
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
(Heb. 8:1)
As our High Priest He exercises every function of His office in endless Life-Power. This endless Life-Power never ceases for one moment. Our faith and experience of that intercession need never fail because its flow is endless.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
(1 John 2:1)
Included in the idea of intercession is the fact that Jesus is our Advocate. Advocate means “intercessor, consoler.”
W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says of the Greek word PARAKLETOS translated “advocate” in First John 2:1, “It was used in a court of justice to denote a legal assistant, counsel for the defence, an advocate; then, generally, one who pleads another’s cause, an intercessor, advocate. In the widest sense, it signifies a succourer, comforter.”
When a person (Christian) sins, Jesus intercedes, and then consoles in the fact that the sin is forgiven and that the sin and its stain is washed away by His blood leaving the person pure and clean. However, it is the will of God that a person stop sinning (1 John 2:1; 5:3).
First John 2:1 is not written to encourage us to sin. God wants us to stop sinning. But thank God, He did not stop with saying, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. . . .” If He had, then when we failed, we’d think, “We’re out now; that’s the end of it.”
No, that’s just half that verse. He goes on to say, “. . . And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
We have an Intercessor! We have a Consoler!
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
(1 John 5:3)
The love law of the family of God is, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).
Every step outside of love is sin.
We tend to get our minds on dos and don’ts, but many Christians who abide perfectly by dos and don’ts are still sinning. How? By not walking in love.
Their attitudes are wrong. You need to maintain a love attitude toward your fellow man. If you do not, you are sinning.
Thank God for His intercession. Thank God for His standing in that place today to minister for us.
Jesus spent about 31/2 years in teaching and training His apostles. Since His ascension He has been interceding for about 2,000 years for the people of this earth. What a dignity this adds to prayer.
Jesus has been interceding 2,000 years for the people of this earth—not just for the Church!
Notice Hebrews 7:25 again, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God [This is talking about people coming unto God.] by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Jesus’ intercessory ministry includes His being our Mediator, our High Priest, our Advocate, our Consoler, and the One who prays for us at the Father’s right hand.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Rev. Hagin served in Christian ministry for nearly 70 years and was known as the "father of the modern faith movement." His teachings and books are filled with vivid stories that show God's power and truth working in his life and the lives of others.
Rev. Hagin was born on Aug. 20, 1917, in McKinney, Texas, a son of the late Lillie Viola Drake Hagin and Jess Hagin.
Rev. Hagin was sickly as a child, suffering from a deformed heart and an incurable blood disease. He was not expected to live and became bedfast at age 15. In April 1933 during a dramatic conversion experience, he reported dying three times in 10 minutes, each time seeing the horrors of hell and then returning to life.
In August of 1934, Rev. Hagin was miraculously healed, raised off a deathbed by the power of God and the revelation of faith in God's Word. Two years later, he preached his first sermon as pastor of a small community church in Roland, Texas.
In 1937, Rev. Hagin was baptized in the Holy Spirit and began ministering in Pentecostal churches. During the next 12 years he pastored five churches in Texas: in the cities of Tom Bean, Farmersville (twice), Talco, Greggton, and Van. In 1949, he began an itinerant ministry as a Bible teacher and evangelist.
During the next 14 years, Jesus appeared to Rev. Hagin eight times in visions that changed the course of his ministry. In 1966, he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he opened a ministry office. That same year, he taught for the first time on radio—on KSKY in Dallas. In 1967, he began a regular radio broadcast that continues today as Faith Seminar of the Air. Teaching by his son, Rev. Kenneth W. Hagin, is also heard on the program.
In 1968, Rev. Hagin published the first issues of The Word of Faith magazine, which now has a monthly circulation of more than 250,000. The publishing outreach he founded, Faith Library Publications, has circulated more than 65 million copies of books by Rev. Hagin, Rev. Hagin Jr., and several other authors worldwide. Faith Library Publications also has produced more than 9 million audio teaching tapes and CDs.
Other outreaches of Kenneth Hagin Ministries include RHEMA Praise, a weekly television broadcast hosted by Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Hagin; RHEMA Correspondence Bible School; RHEMA Alumni Association; RHEMA Ministerial Association International; RHEMA Supportive Ministries Association; the RHEMA Prayer and Healing Center; and a prison ministry.
In 1974, Rev. Hagin founded RHEMA Bible Training Center USA and in 1976 moved the school and ministry offices to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where they remain. To date, RHEMA Bible Training Center USA has 23,000 alumni, and RHEMA Bible Training Centers have opened in 13 other nations: Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Romania, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand. Together, the 14 schools have more than 28,000 graduates worldwide.
RHEMA Bible Church, pastored by Rev. Hagin Jr., began holding services in October of 1985 on the RHEMA campus in Broken Arrow and has since grown to become a thriving congregation with more than 8,000 members.
Rev. Hagin's daughter and son-in-law, Pat Harrison and the late Doyle "Buddy" Harrison, founded Harrison House Publishers in 1975 and Faith Christian Fellowship International Church in 1977. Both organizations are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Until shortly before his death in September 2003, Rev. Hagin continued to travel and teach throughout the United States and into Canada conducting All Faiths' Crusades and other special meetings.