Let's Get Back to the Cross

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by POWERUP

Singing "My God Is More Than Enough" 3 hrs. is fine. If that is what you want to do. Or doing 30 Jerico walks. But, I don't believe it will bring miracles any quicker. Trust me. I love outward worship.

But, God has convicted me to move closer to the cross. If were not careful, the rest is just emotionlism.

Amen! It seems that some people treat the Cross like a speed bump in the road. They slow down enough when they get to it so the Cross does do them damage-so it ain't too rough. But the thing about the Cross it is like an air bag in a car-it can save ones life when they are hit head on with trouble!

The Cross to me is single greatest choice that Christ ever made. Like the Point of Grace song says "There is a Cross to bridge the great divide." Again the Cross challenges me and us all. We always invite people to the foot of the Cross-for salvation-but the truth is that unless God's grace allows-He is so Holy that it is impossible to get there! His blood is so pure that there is NO WAY that we would be allowed to approach the Cross, BUT the Grace of God cuts through the protocol and legalities. The great Grace of God gives us the ability to approach and be redeemed. He could have walked away, but He chose the Cross, Glory be to God!

[Jack Shephard]

Maybe CC1 can find it, but there was a GREAT message that Pastor Scott preached at CC in Nashville maybe 1 year ago about the Cross. It was seriously one great sermon. Everyone that is compelled by the Cross should listen, cause it could change your life. It is not on the CC site anymore though.

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by jaamez

How correct you are. I'm only 41 (I say only because I feel about 25), but I love the old landmarks of truth and the testimonies of the saints.

My father-in-law recently shared a testimony about an older saint that you may recognize. Louis Harrah, a faithful saint of God, preacher and song-writer/singer for many years, evidently has a pretty advanced case of Alzheimer's Disease. At a recent appointment, his daughter and he were talking with his doctor and he was asked about several different people and what he knew about them. He didn't know his daughter's name or the name of his wife or other children. He didn't know where he lived and he had a hard time remembering his own name. But when the doctor handed him a pad of paper and asked him to write what he did remember, without much hesitation he wrote:

Repent
Be baptized in Jesus' Name for the remission of your sins
You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Then, as a true Apostolic preacher, he handed it back to the doctor and said, "and that's good for you too. It'll cure whatever ails you!"

Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

God Bless!

Sis./Bro.??

What a precious story and testimony to this dear man. I don't recog-
nize the name.
You might enjoy the story of my paternal grandmother who was the
first of our family to embrace apostolic truth. I have a rich heritage.

Blessings,

Falla39 (Sis.)

[Withdrawn]

Originally Posted by Falla39

Sis./Bro.??

What a precious story and testimony to this dear man. I don't recog-
nize the name.
You might enjoy the story of my paternal grandmother who was the
first of our family to embrace apostolic truth. I have a rich heritage.

Blessings,

Falla39 (Sis.)

Funny. My real name is Jim. Many of my friends call me Jaamez (like jaah-mez).

I truly enjoy the testimonies of older saints. There's such a purity to them because, in most cases, they had to really trust and depend on God for things that we take for granted. Their faith was continually built upon because they trusted and God proved Himself true.

I admit to being jaded. I have a college degree, have a great job, make lots of money, and it's easy to have confidence in my own abilities for the things that I take for granted, but older generations had to struggle for and had to trust God for. I'm looking to the cross to restore that trust and faith. My prayer is that if, God forbid, it all goes away tomorrow, I will have the wherewithal to believe in my God to provide and to prayerfully acknowledge Romans 8.28 because we KNOW that everything is for our good. And it's all only because of the cross of Christ.

I truly love Him more every day.

[mfblume]

Greeks wanted to see Jesus in John 12. When Jesus spoke to them He immediately made reference prophetically to the cross. This shows us that the cross is Christ's greatest concern for what we need to know about Him. In fact, proclaiming anything "in the name of Jesus" is actually a reference to the work of the cross. When we claim His name, we are saying that we can command something to be so due to OUR INCLUSION in the work of the Cross that Jesus experienced. It's like saying, "On the authority of my union to Christ through the work of the cross,...."

Jesus told the Greeks that a seed will abide alone unless it falls into the ground and dies. He is the seed, and His death is the cross. That work of the cross led to resurrection, so the work of the cross should never be understood without including the burial and resurrection. In short, the work of the cross is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and our union to each of those experiences. His death was the point where we united to Him. That is what it means to be baptized INTO HIS DEATH.

Some people think repentance is death, baptism is burial and Spirit filling is resurrection. THAT IS NOT TRUE!

Watch how BAPTISM incorporates ALL THREE ELEMENTS of death, burial and resurrection into itself.

Romans 6:4 KJV Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:6 KJV Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Colossians 2:12 KJV Buried with him in baptism, wherein ["WHEREIN" points to baptism] also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Baptism is death, burial and resurrection!!!!

And when Jesus said that he does not abide alone if dead and buried, He was saying He multiplies in resurrection by having MANY united to Him.

That is actually what he meant by saying He would draw all men to Himself if He would be lifted up from the earth. He was speaking of HIS DEATH. Through his death, WE WHO BELIEVE ARE UNITED TO HIM! All men are drawn to Him! They become one with Him in His death. And it is at that point, in conjunction with what Paul said in Romans 6, that we DIE, were BURIED and AROSE with Him! We are drawn to Him and thereby UNITED TO HIM to say we co-died, were co-buried and co-resurrected with Him.

[Withdrawn]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Greeks wanted to see Jesus in John 12. When Jesus spoke to them He immediately made reference prophetically to the cross. This shows us that the cross is Christ's greatest concern for what we need to know about Him. In fact, proclaiming anything "in the name of Jesus" is actually a reference to the work of the cross. When we claim His name, we are saying that we can command something to be so due to OUR INCLUSION in the work of the Cross that Jesus experienced. It's like saying, "On the authority of my union to Christ through the work of the cross,...."

Jesus told the Greeks that a seed will abide alone unless it falls into the ground and dies. He is the seed, and His death is the cross. That work of the cross led to resurrection, so the work of the cross should never be understood without including the burial and resurrection. In short, the work of the cross is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and our union to each of those experiences. His death was the point where we united to Him. That is what it means to be baptized INTO HIS DEATH.

Some people think repentance is death, baptism is burial and Spirit filling is resurrection. THAT IS NOT TRUE!

Watch how BAPTISM incorporates ALL THREE ELEMENTS of death, burial and resurrection into itself.

Baptism is death, burial and resurrection!!!!

And when Jesus said that he does not abide alone if dead and buried, He was saying He multiplies in resurrection by having MANY united to Him.

That is actually what he meant by saying He would draw all men to Himself if He would be lifted up from the earth. He was speaking of HIS DEATH. Through his death, WE WHO BELIEVE ARE UNITED TO HIM! All men are drawn to Him! They become one with Him in His death. And it is at that point, in conjunction with what Paul said in Romans 6, that we DIE, were BURIED and AROSE with Him! We are drawn to Him and thereby UNITED TO HIM to say we co-died, were co-buried and co-resurrected with Him.

Praise God! I am so enjoying this thread! The more I seek Him, the more I want to seek Him. Thank you, Bro. Blume for starting this discussion. It has been such my joy to think on these things this week and to study this for myself. You really got me going now. Who would have ever thought that a cruel instrument of death could be so exciting?!

I'm going to go back and reread these posts and do my own study as well. I don't want to miss anything that Jesus has to reveal to me.

God Bless!

[Withdrawn]

Originally Posted by JTULLOCK

Yeah it is for real. I didn't come up with it though. Go to YouTube and check out the sermon from Louie Giglio about "How Great Is Our God" and laminin. The whole message is maybe 30-35 minutes, but the sermon will absolutelty blow your mind.

Okay... WOW!!! I just watched a short 9 minute snippet of his laminin sermon. I'm overwhelmed right now at how awesome our God is! I gotta go and get some of my own studying done on this topic. It's my turn at the plate on Sunday morning and I think the Lord just gave me my message!

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by jaamez

Praise God! I am so enjoying this thread! The more I seek Him, the more I want to seek Him. Thank you, Bro. Blume for starting this discussion. It has been such my joy to think on these things this week and to study this for myself. You really got me going now. Who would have ever thought that a cruel instrument of death could be so exciting?!

I'm going to go back and reread these posts and do my own study as well. I don't want to miss anything that Jesus has to reveal to me.

God Bless!

You're welcome, jaamez!

What astounds me so much is how the old testament stories all point to the cross. All of them, if we have eyes to see. Just like Jesus used parables to clarify his spiritual truths, the Old Testament stories are meant to clarify what is taught about the cross in the New Testament. When I realized that, I tore through the bible and studied all the stories I could. And it has been a joy preaching these things, to say the least.

[Falla39]

Jesus, keep me near the cross;
there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream,
flows from Calvary's mountain.
Chorus:
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find
rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
love and mercy found me;
there the bright and morning star
sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day
with its shadow o'er me.

[Falla39]

THE WAY OF THE CROSS LEADS HOME
By Jessie Brown Pounds, published 1906

I must needs go home by the way of the cross,
There’s no other way but this;
I shall ne’er get sight of the Gates of Light,
If the way of the cross I miss.

Chorus:
The way of the cross leads home,
The way of the cross leads home;
It is sweet to know, as I onward go,
The way of the cross leads home.

I must needs go on in the blood-sprinkled way,
The path that the Savior trod,
If I ever climb to the heights sublime,
Where the soul is at home with God.

Then I bid farewell to the way of the world,
To walk in it nevermore;
For my Lord says, “Come,” and I seek my home,
Where He waits at the open door.

These old songs speak to me today. I grew up with these old hymns
in the church as a child. They speak to me today and are instructive.

Blessings,

Falla39