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John Hancock

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Often when we ask for a person’s signature, we will call it their “John Hancock.” This is because of the fifty-six signatures on the Declaration of Independence, one stands out above the rest. That signature belongs to John Hancock. He was the first to sign the declaration and he signed it in a large and legible script so that the King of England could read his name without using glasses. Mr. Hancock wanted it to be very clear where his allegiance lay. His commitment to his country was so clear that when King George III offered amnesty to all who would cease fighting, John Hancock was among the select few who were left out of the offer.

A similar thing happened to Moses. Its found in Exodus 34:5-7 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

At first it appears to be pretty pompous of the Lord. But when we seek to connect to the Lord, listening for His still small Voice to teach us, He will lead us to the Truth, guiding us beyond what offends our natural minds. As I sought Him He surprised me with His answer. Numbers 6:24-27 “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’ “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” God places His Name upon His people through His Word. Add to that this revelation: Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name! God magnifies His Word above His Name. Let that sink in. Reading this for the first time you immediately think of the Scripture, and that would be right. Yet consider that Jesus is the Living Word of God. In essence, God was exalting Jesus – the Word above His Name, and writing His Sons’ Name onto the heart of Moses. And don’t forget Acts 11:26 …and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christ…..ians. Jesus put His Word in their hearts along with His Name! The good news for us is that God writes His Name – Jesus, Yeshua – on our hearts through His Word. Through our obedience and surrender in our wilderness; and in our dying spiritually to ourselves through prayer, fasting, seeking, submission, and obedience. As we meet Him – the Word, outside the camp, at Christ’s crucifixion, He is, and will continue to write His Name – His Word – His Story – on our hearts. That’s pretty powerful.

Confession and Declaration 9

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Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who was seated upon it, from Whose presence and from the sight of Whose face earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 I [also] saw the dead, great and small; they stood before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged (sentenced) by what they had done [their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors] in accordance with what was recorded in the books. 13 And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it, death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) surrendered the dead in them, and all were tried and their cases determined by what they had done [according to their motives, aims, and works]. 14 Then death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.15 And if anyone’s [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.

Imagine having to stand before God to be judged on the merits of your entire life. All the ways you thought, felt, and acted were put on parade before God. Your motives, aims, and works were brought out into the open to be exposed by God, before Him, His Saints, and His Holy angels. The event becomes even more terrifying as you consider that you will be judged for ALL your sins. Sin being defined as anything that doesn’t please God or is a transgression of His Law. Sin being the things I know I should do, like loving God with ALL my heart, soul, mind and strength or loving my neighbor as I love myself. Things I failed to obey, like witnessing, making disciples, going to the nations, caring for the poor, or visiting those in prison. The things I know I shouldn’t do like criticizing others, being self-centered, prideful, taking God’s Name in Vain, lying, or not obeying the authorities and their laws (like speeding). Even more terrifying is the fact that you are being held responsible  for the things you weren’t even conscious or aware of doing – like causing other people to stumble away from God because of your actions or inactivity. What a terrifying thought: you are being held responsible for the things you were ignorant of. With that definition in mind imagine standing before a Holy, Righteous, All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Powerful God. How many books would have to be opened to account for all of your sins, failures, short-comings, rebellions, and stubborn rejections of commands you chose to disregard, ignore or dismiss? You wouldn’t just be sentenced to hell – you would deserve to go. In fact you would deserve to go below hell. You are guilty in the Courtroom of Heaven and God is the Judge. Far more terrifying is the fact that you are not being judged by the opinions of others but on your very thought life, feelings, motives, aims, goals, and actions. Add to this terrifying scene, satan, as the prosecuting attorney. He not only knows what you did he remembers and recalls all the ways he lied, seduced and enticed you to be this way. He knows you better than yourself. 

There it all stands: a perfect record, account, and eyewitness testimony of all of your sins. You are guilty deserving of the harshest of penalties. You have wasted the life God had given you living it for yourself and your self-centered pursuits. What can you do? What chance of hope do you have in this life or the life to come? There is none unless God makes provision for your acquittal. But what can He do? He is honor bound by His Righteous Law to prosecute and punish you to the fullest extent of Heaven’s Holy Law. He is in a quandary. He loves you as your Heavenly Father. You were made in His image, but you’ve marred that image. His heart has broken for you as He watched you dismiss His Truth, and reject His Grace. He is Holy and he is Loving. How can Almighty God save you? Who Can Save you?

Jesus! That’s the Answer.He’s your Provision! – Romans 5:9 states: Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ’s blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God.

What does this word “Justified” mean? It means to make righteous; to become sinless; to be pronounced as righteous, and sinless. Not only are you acquitted of sin, you are made as if you never did anything wrong, and you are freed from the power of having to serve sin. Along with that is the fact that you have now been restored back into a right relationship with God. Even more powerful is the fact that it’s always in the present tense! The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states it this way: “The eternal character of the justifying event of salvation prevents any severing of past and present. The act of salvation is a continuing present.” 

In other words, as you stand before God Almighty, the Holy and Righteous Judge of the Universe, you are in a constant state of justification; a constant state of being not guilty. Do you get this? Because of your trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins – you are always being declared, Innocent. You are always being seen as innocent. Why is the Gospel called the Good News? Figure it out. Why do Christians fall on the ground in defeat, condemnation, and shame – when the Price has already been paid. The verdict has already been pronounced. To believe anything to the contrary is to confess that Jesus’ Life, Suffering, Crucifixion and Death – were not enough. If you believe that you need to participate in this declaration. Say it out loud to all who are listening – seen and unseen.

Declaration 9: Oh Holy God, I weep as I think of all the times I have believed more in the lies of the devil than in the Truths of Your Word. I weep as I think about what I’ve done with the life and grace you have freely bestowed upon me. You are so Good. You are Good, Righteous and Holy in all of Your ways. I have been an undeserving, wretched, wicked sinner. But Papa, Praise Your Holy Name, that one day You came and found me. You washed me clean, and stood me up. With Love in Your eyes You – the Righteous, and Holy Judge of the Universe – sent Your Holy Son Jesus to stand up in the Courtroom of Heaven and state, I will take their place. I will receive the punishment they deserve.” Thank You that He overcame so that I can overcome. I now pronounce and proclaim that I have overcome the accuser of the brothers, the prosecuting attorney of Heaven, by the Blood of Jesus. By Jesus’ Blood I have been declared justified, righteous, and sinless, as if I’ve never done anything wrong. Holy Lord I praise You that through the Blood I no longer have to serve sin. The power of sin has been broken off of my life. Thank You Holy One, My Precious Father, Savior, and Lover of my soul that You see me in the Present Tense – because You are Timeless, living in the Present Tense. You see me not as someone who has been saved but as someone who is saved. I am someone who is innocent before God by the Blood of Jesus. I choose to live in the Present – in His Presence – where I am justified, clean, righteous, holy, and free. By the Blood of Jesus I am justified. I declare it to the Heavens. I am justified and not guilty by the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God!

Scripture Reading for Who’s Your One? – Don’t forget your reading for the day: 

Day 3 – Matthew 11:28-30