The Triology of Intercession — Wesley Duewel

I forgot to turn my mic on. Oh my. That's a wonderful hymn. 54 years ago, about now, I was planning to get married and I was trying to think what songs I wanted sung at our wedding. When I shared them with my wife, she didn't think they were quite the appropriate thing for a wedding.

One of the songs I thought was, It Is Well With My Soul, and another was, It Pays to Serve Jesus. I had prayed for so long, I knew I was called to be a missionary to India, and I didn't know it was going to be as easy as it was.

I could picture myself living out in a mud house with a thatched roof, and I remember I was sitting on the platform of the service while a male quartet sang, My Home Sweet Home. I don't know whether you know that.

I see the lights of that city so fair, my home sweet home. I just wept. I thought, I won't be able to give my wife a decent house to live in, but I'll have a home for her one day. The Lord was so good, we lived in a brick house, but you know a naive person.

I'd read a book or two about missionaries who lived out in the jungles, and they were telling about the place where they were, and I thought all the missionaries lived in places like that across India.

I thought, here I can't even offer my wife a proper house when we were going to get married. Oh, thank you for the offering. My, that was wonderful. It will all go into my ministry. Before we got married, I said to Betty, will you be willing to ride with me in a $5 car?

Because I knew another Bible college student. Believe it or not, I knew Bible cars back in the 30s for $5. Bought an old Model T that had a battery, and it had tires and could still run. I was so poor, I thought I might have to buy that kind of a car.

So I asked Betty, will you be willing to ride in a $5 car with me? And she said, if the Lord's willing, I'll do it. Oh my, how well it is. And I prayed so long, because the Lord called me when I was just a little boy, about six, and I always knew what God's will was.

I always knew after that. But I felt that I was going to need a wife, and where would I find a wife? And I had prayed and prayed, and several times I made slight moves, and then realized that I was a little foolish.

And so when I finally had God's will, and I told this, I believe at the table Sunday, was it, Bob? Where did someone ask me this? Maybe in a car or somewhere. Recently, someone told me on our first date with my wife.

On the first date, we had our Bibles, and after we walked around, we went into a room and opened our Bibles. And I don't know yet who spoke first, but we discovered we both had the same life verse, Isaiah 54, 2.

Isaiah 54:2 and the Call to Enlarge Spiritual Influence

You know what that verse is? Later, I found that that was the life verse of Charles Cowman, the founder of OMS. And a little later, ignorant soul that I was, I discovered that that was the life verse of William Carey, the founder of Modern Missions, and he was a missionary to India.

And I saw the church in Calcutta, where he preached, and over the pulpit, it said, sacred to the memory of William Carey, whose motto ever was, expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God.

And he got that motto from that verse of Scripture, expect great things from God, attempt great things for God. So, I wanted to sing, here I was, getting married in the will of God, I wanted to sing it as well with my soul, I wanted to sing it, pay us to serve Jesus.

Well, they had other songs in mind for the wedding, and I agreed to their choice, but I still would have been pleased to have served. So, when you sang that tonight, that really stirred up memories in my mind.

One other comment, one book that maybe if I live long enough, and maybe not, I might write a book someday on delighting in Jesus, on the communion aspect of prayer. I've never felt myself worthy of writing that book.

I've been collecting thoughts and quotations in a file for a number of years, but I've never felt that it's time yet. I've bought several books, hoping that this person or that person has written the book that I envisage, and I haven't found it yet.

Maybe I will one of these days. Just a suggestion to you that I would put in that book, that once in a while I give in a message on communion with Jesus, and that is to personalize the songs. There are so many of the songs which we sing.

If you want to sing them to Jesus, if you want to make love to Jesus, sing them personalized. Your name is wonderful, your name is wonderful, instead of his name is wonderful. Your name is Jesus, my Lord.

You are the mighty king, master of this. Or Jesus is the sweetest name I know. Jesus, you're the sweetest one I know, and you're just the same as your lovely name, and that's the reason why I love you so.

For you are, for Jesus, you're the sweetest one I know. Or, oh come let us adore him. You can sing, Lord Jesus, I adore you. Lord Jesus, I adore you. Lord Jesus, I adore you. Jesus. So many things are getting mixed up before I get into my message.

Revival Hunger and the Hebrides Awakening

This last message may be a flop. Some of you have heard me give it before, but it's on my heart again and again because I don't believe God's people understand it. And I've never been able to tell it like it is.

And I tried just this weekend. You were so interested today in Duncan Campbell. Brother Charlie asked me a few questions about that. October 20, 1958, at Faith Mission Bible College, Edinburgh, says my notation, after talk with Reverend Duncan Campbell.

And that afternoon I had asked him, would you tell me just a bit of how the revivals began. And he told me of one of the, there were several surges of revival in the Hebrides. And he told me of one that I haven't seen written up.

And I don't have a lot of details. I said, Brother Duncan, where did that revival begin? He said, right here where we are sitting. He said it was the end of school. And two young ladies, our students, were going out for the summer.

And they were going to hold children's meetings and go house to house. And they came to me. And we sat here together. And they said, Brother Ken, will you covenant with us that God will give revival this summer?

And he said, right here where we are sitting. We kneeled down. I kneeled in the middle of those two lady students. And he said, they just simply claimed the promise of God. And he said, they began their children's work.

And God sent revival. And they had to send for me to come to do the preaching and to be used of the Holy Spirit. So he had told me that a few minutes before. And then I wrote these words. Give us a greater hunger, Lord, than we have ever known.

Help us to wait in one accord until your power is shown. Keep us, your children, on our knees, beseeching you with mighty pleas. Till floods of blessing, like the seas, sweep over all your own. Give us a sense of urgency that will not be denied.

Give us such desire thy work to see, till ease we cast aside. Give us soul hunger and soul thirst, till hearts with longing almost burst. Till we could wish ourselves accursed, if souls but reach thy side.

This is tied in with several of my messages that I gave this week. This was written long before I prepared those messages. But it was the same hunger burning in my heart as I tried to express this. Lord, now begin thy mighty work.

Make bare thy holy arm. O God, forbid that we should shirk or to this age conform. Reveal thy spirit's mighty power. O come upon thy church this hour. By thine own working, Lord, empower. Till Satan's forts we storm on the offensive for God.

Help each of us to do our part. O Lord, may we not fail. Give clearest guidance to each heart, till highest mounts we scale. Use us however thou dost choose. We would no burden, Lord, refuse. But get us, Lord, where you can use and mightily prevail.

O send the promised Holy Ghost upon us as we kneel. We need his holy working most, till men conviction feel. Lord, this is still the day of grace. Have mercy on our dying race. Revival send to every place.

Your miracle, reveal. Now, I will not probably speak much of revival in this service, but it's all related in a sense to it. The message that I long to tell to God's people everywhere, but I've never yet been able to tell, is on reigning with Christ through prayer, or the trinity of intercession.

Praying for a Royal Visit in Varanasi

Brother Bob and his people heard me attempt to talk about it Sunday, about 28 or 30 years ago, when British government was planning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to come to India. Of course, preparations for a state visit are made long in advance.

And a year in advance, we knew that she would spend one Sunday in India, and that that Sunday would be in the city of Varanasi, the old Hindu Benares, which was just 90 miles from us in Allahabad. And there was only one church of England there, so we knew exactly where she would be worshipping.

And the pastor of that church was our dear friend, a spirit-filled Anglican minister of the Keswick movement background in Britain, Bob Harland. And it just so happened that his assistant or associate minister was a graduate of our OMS seminary.

He had been sent to us for training. We had trained him, now he had gone back to be an assistant in this church. And it just so happened that the choir in that church consisted almost entirely from missionaries, because there was a Keswick Anglican Missionary Society a few miles out in the country operating a hospital.

Now, you may not know it, but the Church of England has 36 official missionary societies. And they range all the way from the extremely liberal to the out-and-out fundamental. And the Church of England is really like a commonwealth of churches.

And you can have your own seminary, and your own Sunday school literature, and your own church literature, and your own missionary society if you support them. And one of the men who became the Bishop of Sydney said to me, and if they ever try to change that, we'll leave the Church of England.

This way they can run their own evangelical outreach just exactly as they want to. And they said to me, no bishop has access to come in our pulpit unless we invite him. So that, I had never known that before in the Anglican Church.

So this was one of those Anglican churches that had a bunch of spirit-filled missionaries in the choir, nurses and doctors from this hospital, and some Indian people too. And we knew that the Queen was coming there.

So we were praying that God would use this occasion. The Bishop came to me one day. We were together on various committees of the Bible Society and others. And he said, Wesley, I wish that I could invite you to come to the St. Mary's Church in Varanasi to worship with the Queen.

But he said, there's only 330 seats in the church, and every third person has to be a secret police. And he said, there are so many British officials in India that are insisting that they be permitted to worship with the Queen.

But he said, the Maharaja of Benares, Indira Gandhi, other Indian officials, they all want to worship with the Queen. He said, I could never permit an American inside the church because there are so many Britishers that can't get inside.

I said, that's all right, Bishop. I said, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll pitch a tent like an awning, shamiana we call it there, right in front of the church, and I'll give you a ticket. You can come to the church grounds.

You can sit in the tent. And he said, the Queen is a very gracious lady, and I'll suggest after the service that you just step a few steps toward the tent, and then you folks can see her a little down the way.

I said, thank you, Bishop, that's fine. And so the time came. We went to Varanasi the night before. We saw the Queen on several occasions, very interesting, unplanned by us. But anyway, that isn't my subject.

So we went early Sunday morning. And I showed my pass that was permitted into the grounds. I was going to take moving pictures. I set up my tripod. In those days, you had a separate exposure meter. I got that out, and I made about every motion I could think I would make while the Queen was there so that the secret police would not be concerned with any most move that I might make.

So as I was working, adjusting my camera, while the Bishop came up in his robes, you know, we chatted and talked, and he smiled. And I said, Bishop, when the Queen talks to me, what do I say? He looked at me.

You don't talk to royalty until royalty speaks to you. And you don't ask royalty one thing. You answer royalty. You don't ask royalty anything. And besides, he said, the first time she speaks, you have to say, Your Majesty.

And then he looked and smiled, and I smiled. It was our private joke. So I was all set on the front row, right toward the center. And the time came, and here came the motorcade and the entourage. The Queen got out, and so I was taking the picture of her getting out the car, met by the Bishop, and then the pastor.

The Bishop escorted the Queen. The pastor was right beside Philip, and then behind came my former student, and the group went up the aisle in the church. And it was a good service, as Anglican services go.

And then the Prince, Philip, read the scripture lesson, and my former student and graduate led in the prayers, and then the sermon. Now, we knew that just about a month before the Queen got there, the Bishop was planning to bring the message.

The Queen sent word, I want no special service. I want to attend just the ordinary service of the church. So the Bishop was out, and Bob Harland, our friend, became the one who would preach to the Queen.

Then we were praying, Oh, Lord, use Bob. Give him the right message. Oh, Lord, anoint him. Help him to get preached to the Queen and all these unsaved people. And then just one week before the service, word came from the British officials.

The sermon is to be 12 minutes in length. Oh, we said, what's Bob going to do? But anyway, we prayed. Bob started out. He said, Jacob had a vision at night, a dream of a ladder that reached to heaven.

He said, there is a way to contact God. He said, what does it mean to be a child of God? It doesn't mean that you are a member of the Church of England. He said, it's not enough to have been baptized into the church.

It's not enough to take Holy Communion. It's not enough to be regular in your attendance and support the church. You have to be born again. He said, it takes repentance. He described repentance, saving faith.

He went on, and I said, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. I was sitting out in the tent, you know, and I could hear it because the PA system was out there. And I said, help him, Jesus. Help him, Jesus.

Praise the Lord. Oh, I thought the Lord really gave him the message. Here's Indira Gandhi hearing exactly how to be born again. Here's a Maharaja Banaras. Here's all these government officials. Here's every third person is a non-Christian secret police.

Hindu Sikhs, Mohammedans, they're all getting this message. Praise the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. I was so excited. And before I realized it, the message was over. And here came the benediction. And here came, I saw the entourage get to the church.

So I stood up real quick and got to my camera. But I was still praying. Oh, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. You said, thank you, thank you, Jesus. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Oh, I thought, her face is getting awfully big in here.

I suddenly realized that the Queen was right in front of me. That wasn't on the program. She said, are you a missionary? I said, yes. I forgot about your majesty. I said, yes. She said, what society are you with?

I told her, OMS International. She said, what is your ministry? I said, I'm the principal of a theological seminary training Indian Christian young men who felt the call of God to be pastors. And about that time, the police were coming by her side.

This wasn't on the schedule. They had a tight schedule for her. Everything timed to the minute this would be done. They couldn't stand in front of her, but they were trying to get beside her and trying to catch her attention.

I said, your majesty. It just suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't said your majesty yet. She just had a cute little dimpled smile in her cheek. She knew that I was one of these stupid Americans. Didn't know the protocol.

So then she started and went toward the car and I got her getting in the car. An hour later, I was out at the airport and she was supposed to be there. But we decided to go and watch her pass by on the road.

And I didn't think about that the police would be all along. Every hundred yards there were police on both sides of the road. So there's no place we could see her going. There's no place we could stop.

So they saw us Europeans. They thought we were part of the royal party. So they kept winding us on like this. And so here we got clear out to the airport and they called pass. And I just held up the pass in front of the yard of the church and they waved me on in the airport.

So I finally got her waving goodbye and I saw her as she left India as the plane took off. Her hand waving in the window from the plane. Now I've told you that story for a reason. Did you hear what I said?

Prayer as Access to the King of the Universe

You don't speak to royalty until royalty speaks to you. And you don't ask royalty anything. But you answer royalty. And you always have to say the right thing. And do you know that Queen Elizabeth's King the sovereign of the universe says ask and it will be given to you.

He doesn't say wait until you're spoken to. He says come all ye who labor in her heavy laden. He bids us come at any time, at any place. If this is true, why do we do so little with prayer? Do we realize the privilege that is ours?

I don't believe we do. Now I could talk on, that's another message I could get into but I won't. Because there's something more wonderful than being able to speak to heaven's throne room at any moment, at any time, day or night, wherever you are.

And having full liberty to say anything you want to say to open your heart. Some have even spoken crossly to God. You'll read it in the Bible. They almost argued with God. But God is so loving and gracious he understood.

And he forgave them. He bids us come. He loves us. He waits for us to come. There's something more wonderful in all of that. And that's what I'm preaching about in this last session. Reigning with Christ on heaven's throne.

The role that God has for us today. Mystery of mysteries. There are many mysteries about prayer. And about God. We can't begin to understand them all until we get to heaven. Even then, I don't know whether we will understand everything.

God is so great and so wonderful. Why God not only saved us but caused us to be a part of his family. Not only caused us to be a part of his family. Chose us to be a part of his army. Not only chose us to be a part of his army.

But chose us to be the bride of Christ. What does that mean? Is any angel of heaven in the bride? Is any archangel or the cherubim or the seraphim? No. The Bible talks of in the tomorrows. In the new heaven, in the new earth.

The generations of the saved. What will those be? Will they be in the bride? No. That's reserved for us. In this period of grace. Spiritual warfare. This dispensation of conflict. This dispensation of grace.

This dispensation of intercession. Which will, as far as we can tell, cease when Jesus comes again. We're in the privileged group. That have a chance. An invitation to be a part of the bride of Jesus.

Now. Another mystery is that God has ordained. That his work on earth be done through man. And. Mystery of mysteries to some holy extent depend upon man. Why does God depend on us? Do you know your heart?

Do you know how easy it is for you to make a mistake? To fail? How can God trust us? To choose to work through us? Now I want us to see in this session. The amazing grace of God. Why did God set his love on us?

To choose us for this role. A role for today. And a role throughout eternity. We are the privileged of all creation. God has chosen to work through what I call the trinity of intercession. We have no record that God the Father prays.

Why should he? He is the God who hears and answers prayer. But it is amazing that Jesus should pray. And it is amazing that his priority work today is intercession. It is amazing that he is the great high priest.

How long will that last? At least until this age concludes. We know nothing about beyond. I see no scriptural reason why he would beyond. He is high priest for who? For angels? No. For seraphim? No. Who is he high priest for?

For us. And when we conclude this age of grace. We at least will not need a high priest. And as far as we can understand in the ages to come. On the new heavens and the new earth. There will be no sin.

Satan will not be there to tempt. And there will not need to be the kind of salvation. That you and I need today. So you see he is the high priest. Until the end of this dispensation. And he is the high priest who reigns.

Never such a priest in the history of the universe. So I want to point out what the Bible says so clearly 13 times. And anything which the scripture says 13 times is exceedingly important. Not in exactly the same words but very nearly.

Just slight alteration 13 times. Its emphasis upon the fact that Jesus is one seated. Two at the right hand of God the father. Three on the throne of the universe. That ought to be extremely clear to us.

Christ's Trial and His Exaltation at God's Right Hand

Listen. When Jesus Christ was on trial before Pilate. What did he say? He was silent. When Jesus was on trial before Herod. What did he say? He was silent. When Jesus was on trial before the high priest and the Sanhedrin.

What did he say? He was silent until the high priest put him on oath. It is the exact words used by the Jewish people in those days. To put a person on oath in court. And Jesus was standing at the most solemn moment of his earthly life.

Before the Sanhedrin. He was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament but they did not realize it. He was bringing that dispensation to an end but they did not realize it. Now he was put on oath to answer to the nation.

And the high priest said I adjure you by the living God. That you tell us whether you be the son of God or not. That's as clear a question as could be asked. So what did Jesus say? What do you think? No.

Jesus said in all the full dignity of his son of manhood. I am. Do you realize that word? Who talked to Moses on Mount Sinai? I am. Jesus said I am. And you will see. He is on oath now. Before the high priest and the whole nation.

And you will see. I'm quoting from Mark 1462. You will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of a mighty one. And coming on the clouds of heaven. Three fold oath. Number one. I am the son of God.

The deity of Christ. Sworn on oath. I am the son of God. Second. You will see me seated at the right hand of God the Father. The sovereignty of Jesus Christ. Sworn to by Jesus. One more thing. And coming on the clouds of heaven.

The second return of Jesus Christ. These three great truths. Jesus wasn't asked for all of them. He was asked to say whether he was Messiah. The son of God the Christ. He said I am. And you will see. And not only the high priest.

But every human being who has ever lived. Will see Jesus seated at the right hand of God the Father. Doing what? The judge of the universe. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. The high priest will see.

The Sanhedrin will see. The people of this generation today. 1993 will see. Him seated. And third. You will see me. High priest. You will see me Sanhedrin. And all the world will see me. Coming on the clouds of heaven.

Every eye will see him. The Bible says. What a solemn affirmation. Luke says it this way. From now on. Luke 22 .69. From now on the son of man will be seated. At the right hand. Of the majesty of God.

There he is again. Seated. Right hand of God. Notice. From now on. He is still there today. Did he sit down? Mark says he did. Mark 16 .19. He was taken up to heaven. And he sat down. At the right hand.

Of God. There it is another time. Hebrews 1 .3. After he provided purification for sins. Jesus. He sat down. At the right hand. Of the majesty in heaven. There it is again. Remember. There are other scriptures.

I won't give them all. Remember Hebrews 12 .2. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. The author and perfecter of our faith. Who for the joy set before him. Endured the cross. Scorning its shame and. Sat down.

At the right hand. Of the throne of God. There it is again. In Ephesians 1. We are told. That power is like the working of his mighty strength. Which he exerted in Christ. When he raised him from the dead.

And seated him. Here we are. At the right hand. In the heavenly realms. Far above all rule and authority. Power and dominion. And every title that can be given. Not only in the present age. But also in the one to come.

And God placed all things under his feet. And appointed him to be the head. Christ over all. You know what the next words are? For the church. He will be above all. Over all. To him all will be subject.

For the church. Who is this church that is so important to God? Do you realize? That Jesus is sovereign for the church. Today he is sovereign for the church. He is seated now. At the right hand of the throne of God.

For the church. Think about it. God placed there carelessly. That's put there by divine inspiration. Jesus is reigning in sovereign glory. Today. At the right hand of God the father. High above all. Far above all.

For the church. Now talking about mysteries. Why does Jesus pray? Do you realize what Jesus has already done? Read John chapter 1. What does John 1 say? He is the creator of all things. Without him nothing was made that ever was made.

Who spoke? And the world leaped into existence? Jehovah Jesus. Who met with Moses at the burning bush? Jehovah Jesus. What does Micah 5 say? Oh little Bethlehem. I'll paraphrase it. Don't think you're such a little town.

Despise that you're nothing. Out of you will come he. Whose Hebrew going forth. Have been from the days of eternity. The only God that ever came to earth. In any recognizable form. Is Jesus. He is a Jehovah.

And when they called him Lord. That was the word used for Jehovah. And when after the resurrection. Peter proclaimed Jesus Lord. That meant we count Jesus Jehovah. The Lord of the universe. What a daring proclamation.

Before the Jews and the whole world. They were suddenly made to realize who Jesus was. And so that's why the early church tells it in the book. Over and over and over. Jesus Christ is Lord. And that was the earliest Christian confession.

Jesus Christ is Lord. We don't know what the word Lord means nowadays. But the early church knew what the word Lord meant. To say that Jesus was Lord. Was to say that Caesar was not Lord. To say that Jesus was Lord.

Was to say that nobody else was Lord. And many a Christian died. By the lions. Or burned at the stake. Because they insisted Jesus is Lord. Now what's Jesus doing. As he sits in Lordship. At the right hand of God the Father.

I had a dear brother that's in my Sunday school class. That was buried yesterday. Was Jesus there to welcome him when he got to heaven? I believe he was. Is that Jesus priority welcoming people to heaven?

I don't think so. He's glad to welcome. But that's not the main thing he's doing today. Welcoming saints to heaven. Of course he welcomes them. But what is Jesus priority? He's sitting on the throne of the universe.

I suppose it's giving orders to the angels. Are they not all spirits who are to do what? Minister those who shall be the heirs of salvation. So Jesus can send one or a thousand to help you or me whenever he sees we need it.

So what is Jesus priority occupation today? Sending angels on their errands? No. What is Jesus priority occupation? He is the high priest sovereign. And what does the high priest do? The high priest does two things.

He sacrifices and he intercedes. Now he may pray for himself occasionally. Intercession is never for yourself. Petition is for yourself. Intercession is for someone else. When we're talking about intercession, we're not saying there aren't other forms of prayer.

But we're saying that this is the ministry of the church. Now Jesus is the high priest. How many sacrifices is Jesus offering today? None. On the cross Jesus said it is finished. The Jews want to establish a temple.

But how can they have sacrifices in their temple? Even if they build the temple. But how did the fire start? Fire came from heaven. Did you know that Israel lost the fire 600 years before Jesus came? When they went to Babylon they never had more of the fire.

The fire was gone. Remember Jesus said your house is left to you empty. You've got an empty house. The presence of God, the Shekinah of God, the glory of God isn't there anymore. Your house is left to you empty.

So there are no more sacrifices. No more priesthood of the old Judaic type. So what does the high priest do today if he doesn't offer sacrifices? He intercedes. Now why does Jesus intercede? If he spoke and all the stars leaped into existence.

If he spoke and there was light. If he spoke and created animals and birds and fish. If he spoke while on earth and leprosy was cured. If he spoke while on earth and the sick were well. If he spoke while on earth and a servant miles away was instantly healed.

What does Jesus need to pray for? Just speak. That's all it takes. That's all it would take. But that's not Jesus' role today. Amazing thing. Why? Do you remember that in the Old Testament there were what they call messianic psalms?

Those were psalms that described the Messiah or his work. And the first such psalm is psalm number 2. And do you know what psalm number 2 says? Messiah is speaking. And he's telling us what instructions he had.

Now, the psalm number 2, you know, begins. Why do the nations conspire in the people's plot and thing? What do the kings of this earth think they can do against God? Why do they think they can withstand God's will?

The one who sits in heaven laughs. They can't do anything unless God permits them. He terrifies them in his anger. He says, I've installed my king upon my holy hill. Then Messiah speaks. He's the king.

Listen, I will proclaim the decree of the Lord. He said to me, he, God the father, said to me, God the son, you are my son. Today I have become your father. Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

So how is Jesus going to inherit the earth? By a rod of iron? No. A rod of iron is coming when Jesus comes again and is spoken of in verse 9. But how is Jesus inheriting the earth today? The decree of the Lord is what?

Ask and it will be given. Jesus was told, ask and it will be given. What did Jesus say to you and me in the Sermon on the Mount? Ask and it will be given. This is a dispensation of asking. When Simon was with Jesus and the other disciples were standing around, just before the cross, Jesus turned to them and what did he say?

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. And the you is in the plural. Peter represented all the disciples. He represented you and me. Satan has asked. Satan wants as much as he can until the Lord stops him.

He wants to test you and me. He wants to sift us. He wants to defeat us. Then what did Jesus say? Don't worry Peter, I'll grab him and hold him. Is that what he said? No, that's not what he said. Don't you worry, I won't let him touch you.

Is that what he said? It's an amazing thing but he didn't say that. He said, but I have prayed for you. Prayed for us Lord? What do you mean prayed for us? Is that all you can do, pray for us? Wait a minute, you don't know what it means when the Son of God is praying for you.

This is a dispensation of intercession. Jesus is, one day he's going to have Satan seized and have him cast into the lake of fire forever and ever and ever. But that's not today. Today he's ruling by intercession.