In Roman history, intercession was a word used to describe when a tribunal or magistrate would veto legislation.  A tribunal was essentially describing a person or body that upholds or defends the rights of the people.

These tribunals or magistrates would use intercession to stop motions or orders that would have adversely affected the rights of the people that they represented. 

Once an intercession was given by a tribunal, the only way that the other magistrates/tribunals could nullify the intercession would be to threaten the tribunal/magistrate who issued the intercession.

Have you ever read a book and said “I wish that I would have written that.” The Broken American Male and How to Fix Him, written by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is the best book I have read in the last four years.

Here are a few of the chapter titles.

• The Curse of Ambition-
• From Career to Calling -
• A New Definition of Success -
• Hero without a Spotlight
• Rise, Oh Circle Man.

For those of you who haven't heard....God has been up to some AMAZING things at Haven of Hope!!  As of Easter 2009, Haven of Hope has been around for 3 years.  Pastor Jonathan and Pastor Rebecca started Haven of Hope with a consuming passion to see the Kingdom of God manifested in our city and in the lives of OUR generation.

My wife Heidi and I came to Haven of Hope at about the halfway point in November 2007.  When the Lord first told us to go to Haven of Hope and move from Connecticut to Massachusetts, many people thought that we were nuts!  We had great jobs, great contacts with people, we were teaching tons of Bible studies, I was preaching almost weekly through Connecticut, we owned our own home, and my wife was 6 months pregnant.  All this translated to some people thinking that we had lost our minds!

Although I am not from Texas and I was raised without a television, I remember coming to the conclusion as a little boy that a cowboy was the ultimate symbol of masculinity. At that time, even though I had never rode a horse or fired a gun, in my mind, the cowboy was a real man- tough, hard working, responsible, and loyal. Those were the qualities that my father worked hard to instill in me. Thankfully, there were a couple of others he added-an all consuming passion for Jesus and a genuine love for family.

Ephesians 5:15-16 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

For the New Year of 2009, would you consider signing a “Mental Declaration of Independence” even though July the 4th is 7 months away!

For the sake of greater things that lie ahead, join me today and let’s place our names on the line, pledging ourselves with firm resolve to Independence from the Control and Manipulation of Human Mandates, much like those brave men did on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia when they signed the Declaration of Independence.