Advocate

I like this word. It means someone who publicly supports and fights for others.  An attorney is an example of an Advocate. I have had several other advocates over the years. My parents and grandparents were and are advocates of mine. My wife and her family are advocates of mine. My children have become my advocates as they got old enough to understand that. They will defend me. I am an Advocate for my children, grandchildren, my friends, my work family and a host of others. I have quite a “book of advocacy” both personally and professionally.

I recently lost one of my close Advocates. Mitt Conerly, Sr. passed away suddenly this past week and I have been stunned ever since. He was a partner who became a close friend. We hardly knew each other when our partnership was formed. Over the last several years, we became dear friends as well as partners. He was a wise counselor. He was a trusted confidant. He was a teacher at his core. He ALWAYS had my back. There were times when we had different perspectives of a situation and we would talk openly – we would listen carefully to one another. We would arrive upon a solution that made sense to both of us. He was incredibly patient with me as I needed to grow. He was respectful of my view and respectful of me as friend, leader and an Advocate.

I was seeking the Lord this morning and returned to the Gospel of John. Whenever I want to reconnect to Jesus, the Son of God, this is the book I turn to. Matthew was a Jewish tax collector, and his gospel comes from that perspective. Mark was an assistant to Peter, and he writes from Peter’s perspective. Luke was a physician, and he writes from a medical/physical perspective. John was simply a close friend to Jesus, and he introduces His Friend, Jesus to the world.  Jesus was preparing His followers for His impending death. He knew it was coming. He knew. He did His best to prepare His followers. He explained to them this concept of Advocate. Some versions of God’s Word call the Advocate the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit. Check this out….

¹“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.⁴ And you know the way to where I am going.”

¹⁵ “If you love me, obey my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

²¹ Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

²³ Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. ²⁴ Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. ²⁵ I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. ²⁶ But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. (John 14:1-4, 15-17, 21-25 NLT)

Mitt was one of my Advocates.

Jesus is still my Advocate as I walk through this valley of grief over the loss of Mitt.

Jesus is still my Advocate as I walk through the remainder of my life here on earth.

I need the Lord to teach me.

I need to Lord to remind me of everything.

Pressing On!

Dwayne