Let's Get Back to the Cross

[mfblume]

Jesus blessed Peter because of Peter's reception of a revelation from the Father regarding the identity of Jesus in Matt 16. But then Jesus informed Peter that He had something else to add to the revelation. "And I say also unto thee..." The "also" revelation involved the cross and Peter did not receive it right away. Jesus wound up calling Peter "satan" due to his refusal to accept this "also" revelation.

When Jesus added revelation to the already received revelation of His identity, His said HE would build the church on the rock, and HE would give the keys of the kingdom. Jesus FROM THAT TIME FORWARD began to reveal His death in Jerusalem. Peter kicked and refused to accept it. Jesus called him "satan" and told everyone that unless they take up THEIR crosses and deny themselves and follow him, they are "OUT".

We read into Matt 17 where Jesus was transfigured, and find that Peter STILL did not get the second revelation. Probably because he recalled what Jesus said about going to Jerusalem and being killed, Peter saw the Lord transfigured along with seeing Moses and Elijah there, and proposed they STAY THERE and build three tabernacles. Forget about going to Jerusalem. Stay HERE. Avoid the cross.

Suddenly the FATHER spoke from heaven once again, and gave the revelation of the identity of the Lord a second time. And then the FATHER SAID "HEAR YE HIM." Listen to HIM. Get the FURTHER REVELATION. And when Jesus spoke, He mentioned the CROSS once again.

Mat 17:9 KJV And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Jesus repeated something said in chapter 16 after He recognized that Peter had the first revelation of His identity.

Mat 16:20 KJV Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

No man should hear them tell who Jesus was, since they, like Peter, had to get a revelation from the Father about His identity. This was repeated in Matthew 17 when Jesus told them to tell the vision to no man, for the Father gave His identity in that vision. But not only did the Lord do this in both accounts of Matt 16 and 17, but in both accounts the FURTHER WORDS of THE CROSS were emphasized.

The revelation of the cross and denying ourselves is required to build us on the ROCK and put the KEYS OF HE KINGDOM in our hands. Without self-denial, Father cannot trust us with HIS keys! But to those who deny self and follow kingdom principles of the CROSS, He can entrust us with HIS KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, and whatever we bind or loose will be bound or loosed in heaven.

The cross causes us to deny self and make is responsible enough for GOD TO TRUST US WIT HIS KEYS. Otherwise, we are too reckless, unstable and irresponsible, and we would ABUSE that power.

[mfblume]

When Moses was told to place each of the twelve tribes' staffs, or rods, in the holiest before the ark to prove whom God would verify as the tribe for leadership, only Aaron's rod of Levi budded, blossomed and bore fruit. This was not only a supernatural resurrection of a dead stick back to life, but to have buds, blossoms and fruit simultaneously was unnatural! It was life more abundantly than normal.

Like Aaron, Jesus is our great High Priest who resurrected to Life more abundantly.

The rod was from an almond tree. And what is interesting, is that when Jesus was seen in Rev 1, He stood amidst seven golden candlesticks, which are the seven churches. And when you go back to Exodus and read the description of the seven branched candlestick, you read it is an ALMOND tree shaped set of branches, with buds, flowers and fruit, JUST LIKE AARON'S ROD! Jesus is the branch that has grown into a TREE, and the CHURCHES are His branches. (I am the vine and ye are the branches).

When Jesus heard Greeks wanted to see Him, He told them that He was like a seed that must fall into the ground and die in order to not be alone, but multiplied. THE CROSS was the means of that seed dying. And through the cross, He has risen to become a TREE of LIFE, with all the churches as HIS BRANCHES! And each branch, like His representative rod of Aaron, had buds, flowers and fruit!

But churches, like branches, would be cut off from that TREE if they did not continue to carry their crosses and deny themselves.

[mfblume]

The Resurrection "tree" of Jesus Christ in Revelation 1 corresponds to the last chapter of Revelation 22 where the Tree of Life is on either side of the River flowing from the throne. We have progressed into veritable trees of Life, copies of Jesus.

Psalms 1:3 KJV And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

It all "stemmed" from the cross where we united to the Lord.

[Super Jesus]

Wow! Great points, guys!

[mfblume]

YOU AND PAUL IN THE LIONS' DEN

Daniel was thrown into the lions' den, and it is interesting that the den was sealed and a stone covered the entry in a very similar picture as the tomb of Jesus Christ was.

Daniel 6:17 KJV And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

Matthew 27:60 KJV And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Matthew 27:66 KJV So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

When we find a similar picture to Christ's crucifixion experience in such a story, we should recognize that God has a message for us to understand about the victory through the cross of Jesus.

God shut the mouths of the hungry lions When Daniel was inside the den.

Daniel 6:22 KJV My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

There is an association we personally have as believers with the crucifixion and burial of Jesus that can allow us to escape the destructive forces of sin. We died with Jesus. We were buried with Him. And we resurrected with Him.

Sin is in our flesh. Paul prayed to be delivered from the body of death when he came to learn that sin dwelt in that fleshly body.

Romans 7:24 KJV O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Romans 7 actually shows how Paul reiterated for us the manner in which he came to learn how to walk after the Spirit and not walk after the flesh. Of course Paul had victory over the sort of defeat he related to us in Romans 7, but Romans 7 was related to us to show what NOT TO DO in living for God, which is to NOT walk after the flesh. Paul walked us through his past experiences of defeat due to walking after the flesh in attempts to serve God.

Being inside this fleshly body with sin indwelling it is like being in a lion's den. Sin is like the ravenous lion that seeks to slay us.

Romans 7:17-18 KJV ...sin that dwelleth in me. (18) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: ...

And sin attacks and slays us, even when we utilize the Law of God in order to serve God..

Romans 7:11 KJV For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

When we fail to rests sin and commit sin, it is like being bitten by the lion! Paul used the words, "Slew me". And the only way to see God shut the mouths of the lions of sin, and stop sin from overcoming us in our very own flesh is to identify with Christ whenever we find temptation beginning to override our resistance.

Paul found the answer to shutting the biting influence of sin in his own flesh when he cried out for deliverance, and found it through Jesus Christ.

Romans 7:25 KJV I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ..

.

"Through Jesus Christ" is phrase used in the New Testament to inform us that we must identify with Christ's death, burial and resurrection to the extent that we believe we actually died, as far as God is concerned, with Christ, and were buried and resurrected with Him when we were saved.

Jesus died FOR ME so I could be healed. In other words, "through Christ" I have power over sickness.

Jesus died FOR ME so that I could overcome the enemy. In other words, "through Jesus Christ" I have power over the enemy. Through what He did on the cross, and through my identification with Him in having DIED WITH HIM, I have power over the enemy.

Daniel's experience, coupled with Paul's teaching in Romans, tells us that when we feel sin getting the upper hand, and temptation beginning to overcome us, we must remember in our minds and rehearse the truths of our identification with Christ. We are to understand that we died with Christ to this force of sin that threatens us. When Jesus was buried, WE WERE BURIED WITH HIM. And any situation of threat to our souls can become the TOMB OF JESUS from which Jesus resurrected, and we resurrected with Him, in our hearts as we claim, right there and in that moment of trial. This revelation needs to be fresh every time we enter a trial. We need to recollect it in our hearts and believe in it with our spirits. We died with Jesus TO THIS TEMPTATION and TO THIS SIN. We were buried with Christ, and if we were buried with Him then we RESURRECT WITH HIM over this temptation that faces us today. We have dominion over this sin.

Reminding ourselves that we have victory THROUGH CHRIST over every sin and every devil, and even the world, allows us to believe God for deliverance from the destructive powers of sin and satan and the world.

The picture of being buried with Jesus is similar to the picture of Daniel being put into a lion's den that is so similar to Christ's tomb in having a seal put on a stone laid over the tomb. It's like we are in the lion's den of temptations or the force of sin when these things seek to overcome us.

If we truly believe that our union to Jesus gives us the right and privilege to overcome any similar situation, while we are in that situation, our faith will rise up in that hour and say, "I do not have to take this defeat sin is trying to throw onto me! I died with Christ to this sin! I was buried with Him, and therefore I claim resurrection with Him over this right now!"

And God's power will explode in our lives and empower us to resist the temptation, whatever it is.

This is what Paul mean when he asked a question and answered it in the very next phrase...

Romans 7:24-25 KJV O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ...

Paul asked who could deliver him, and gave his own answer in saying he could thank God for delivering him! And God did it "through Jesus Christ." That means through the cross of Jesus Christ, which speaks of my union to His death, burial and resurrection, God delivers me!

[mfblume]

Going back to the cross helps us through our trials and helps us become overcomers!

[iceniez]

Amen.This past Sunday the Cross was preached and the need for us to identify with it.The truth is as you stated Thats wrer we get our power and identity.Because without the cross our Faith would be powerless.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by iceniez

Amen.This past Sunday the Cross was preached and the need for us to identify with it.The truth is as you stated Thats wrer we get our power and identity.Because without the cross our Faith would be powerless.

Exactly! Paul gloried in the cross! I think we need to hear and hear and hear more about identifying with Christ's crucifixion.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by mfblume

YOU AND PAUL IN THE LIONS' DEN

Daniel was thrown into the lions' den, and it is interesting that the den was sealed and a stone covered the entry in a very similar picture as the tomb of Jesus Christ was.



When we find a similar picture to Christ's crucifixion experience in such a story, we should recognize that God has a message for us to understand about the victory through the cross of Jesus.

God shut the mouths of the hungry lions When Daniel was inside the den.



There is an association we personally have as believers with the crucifixion and burial of Jesus that can allow us to escape the destructive forces of sin. We died with Jesus. We were buried with Him. And we resurrected with Him.

Sin is in our flesh. Paul prayed to be delivered from the body of death when he came to learn that sin dwelt in that fleshly body.



Romans 7 actually shows how Paul reiterated for us the manner in which he came to learn how to walk after the Spirit and not walk after the flesh. Of course Paul had victory over the sort of defeat he related to us in Romans 7, but Romans 7 was related to us to show what NOT TO DO in living for God, which is to NOT walk after the flesh. Paul walked us through his past experiences of defeat due to walking after the flesh in attempts to serve God.

Being inside this fleshly body with sin indwelling it is like being in a lion's den. Sin is like the ravenous lion that seeks to slay us.



And sin attacks and slays us, even when we utilize the Law of God in order to serve God..



When we fail to rests sin and commit sin, it is like being bitten by the lion! Paul used the words, "Slew me". And the only way to see God shut the mouths of the lions of sin, and stop sin from overcoming us in our very own flesh is to identify with Christ whenever we find temptation beginning to override our resistance.

Paul found the answer to shutting the biting influence of sin in his own flesh when he cried out for deliverance, and found it through Jesus Christ.

.

"Through Jesus Christ" is phrase used in the New Testament to inform us that we must identify with Christ's death, burial and resurrection to the extent that we believe we actually died, as far as God is concerned, with Christ, and were buried and resurrected with Him when we were saved.

Jesus died FOR ME so I could be healed. In other words, "through Christ" I have power over sickness.

Jesus died FOR ME so that I could overcome the enemy. In other words, "through Jesus Christ" I have power over the enemy. Through what He did on the cross, and through my identification with Him in having DIED WITH HIM, I have power over the enemy.

Daniel's experience, coupled with Paul's teaching in Romans, tells us that when we feel sin getting the upper hand, and temptation beginning to overcome us, we must remember in our minds and rehearse the truths of our identification with Christ. We are to understand that we died with Christ to this force of sin that threatens us. When Jesus was buried, WE WERE BURIED WITH HIM. And any situation of threat to our souls can become the TOMB OF JESUS from which Jesus resurrected, and we resurrected with Him, in our hearts as we claim, right there and in that moment of trial. This revelation needs to be fresh every time we enter a trial. We need to recollect it in our hearts and believe in it with our spirits. We died with Jesus TO THIS TEMPTATION and TO THIS SIN. We were buried with Christ, and if we were buried with Him then we RESURRECT WITH HIM over this temptation that faces us today. We have dominion over this sin.

Reminding ourselves that we have victory THROUGH CHRIST over every sin and every devil, and even the world, allows us to believe God for deliverance from the destructive powers of sin and satan and the world.

The picture of being buried with Jesus is similar to the picture of Daniel being put into a lion's den that is so similar to Christ's tomb in having a seal put on a stone laid over the tomb. It's like we are in the lion's den of temptations or the force of sin when these things seek to overcome us.

If we truly believe that our union to Jesus gives us the right and privilege to overcome any similar situation, while we are in that situation, our faith will rise up in that hour and say, "I do not have to take this defeat sin is trying to throw onto me! I died with Christ to this sin! I was buried with Him, and therefore I claim resurrection with Him over this right now!"

And God's power will explode in our lives and empower us to resist the temptation, whatever it is.

This is what Paul mean when he asked a question and answered it in the very next phrase...



Paul asked who could deliver him, and gave his own answer in saying he could thank God for delivering him! And God did it "through Jesus Christ." That means through the cross of Jesus Christ, which speaks of my union to His death, burial and resurrection, God delivers me!

Very excellent post, Brother Blume.

You reminded me of a trial I was in and God asked me what I thought was Daniel's greatest fear while in the Lion's Den.

I didn't know. I thought it was the Lions. He said, "That there was NO way out."

But God made a way where there seemed to be no way! In the most dangerous, locked down/locked in situation - God made a way!

2 Corinthians 4:7-11

(7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

(8) We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

(9) Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

(10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

(11) For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

[mfblume]

Amen, sister!

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV (13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.