Wonder and Power of the Cross of Jesus

[Apprehended]

I often grieve over the lost souls that have been hindered by hurdles and stumbling blocks placed in the path of these hungry, seeking souls that would wind their way to celestial felicities in the end of life's troublesome, rugged struggle, but for those who place them there.

The cross of Jesus reaches so far...yea, so far...so deep, yea so deep...so beyond our finite ability to understand it. But good men, with the voice of reason who mean well are responsible for the loss of sensitive, fleeting souls who cannot see the wonders of the cross, its power and glory except for seeing these men and their "reasonable" stumbling stones that are placed in their pathway. Men, women, boys and girls lost, lost forever beyond anyone's reach to save, for some rule, some hard opinion, some unsensitive remark or preaching from a stony heart untouched by the cross itself.

There are the "uncompromisers," not a few. Few there be, if any, of the weeping prophets remaining among us. Many are the "standard bearer's" whose hearld signals of no hope of attainment to the discouraged. Few are the lowly and humble minds whose hearts are enflamed with the tender cross of Jesus who whispers "hope, precious hope."

Our doctrines and standards are chiseled in stone as endible as the tables from Sinai, spelling death to all transgressors. But the law of love is much too obscurely written on the tables of the heart where God told Jeremiah that he would write them, taking away the stony heart and giving a heart of tender flesh.

No wonder Jesus told the women to not weep for him but for themselves and their children. Weep ye...yeah weep. A greater scourge than that of Titus is upon you. Our city is under seige by armies and the watchman on the wall are so blinded that they can do no more than preach yet another clever message with another clever title, to be admired by the hanger-ons for stirring oratory. We've almost lost forever the power, beauty, glory and reach of the cross. I fear that except God turns to a humble and broken people afar, the earth is soon to be devoid of so great love.

We have so cleverly devised our own way, our own culture, our own creeds, our own frame of references in addition to the cross that it amounts to adding our own glory to the cross of Jesus. In this, we have swallowed the slow acting poison pill that is now taking its toll from generation to generation that each generation does not know what it has lost since the last. The next generation will know nothing of the humility, the lowliness, the meekness, the contrition, the sufferings of and the intimacy of the cross that birthed the great revivals of the last two centuries.

Millions have tearfully and with sobs of contrition winded their way from the obscure bleachers far above the large platform to the sound of "Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou bidst me come to thee, oh lamb of God I come, I come." They made the first step toward their enternal quest. Why is it that they have been prevented to go foward? What stumbling stone stood in their way from going from glory to glory? Whose hardened heart turned them away? What uncompromiser was so deaf, dumb and blind that they could not pick up from the sounds of that distant crusade and lead them on? Are we no longer without hope having become so "religious?"

I heard bro. Reeves preach in Minden, La a few years before his death. In the message he told of having been taken out in a vision and seeing Jesus very angrily standing beside an old cross having no glory to look upon. He stood on the hill beside a slighly leaning cross...so rugged and ugly, with a very angry look upon his face. Jesus looked at Bro. Reeves and said, "You tell that bunch of preachers that you have fellowship with that there is nothing that they can do for my cross, neither can they imporve upon it in anyway. You tell them that it was I WHO DIED HERE. They did not DIE HERE! This is MY CROSS!" This vision was given to him just before the Affirmation statement was voted in.

As he came out of the vision, the Lord showed him UPCI churches almost everywhere that had become 'CENSORED."

The evening is upon us... I so much fear that we, as a movement have lost our way, mainly because of stony hearts that can no longer be touched by the cross and the blindness that has fallen upon our eyes, having no more prophets who have not fallen asleep.

2008 is a new year and a new leaf for me. I am going to take another trip to the cross and remain there, confessing my sin, my hardness, my rudeness, my haughtiness, my religious pride and arrogance. This coming year is going to see me empty out to become a new lump again. I am going back to the cross and become a new wine skin. All because I am tired of Apostolic (so called) religion as usual. It is getting old, tired and lifeless...except for the genuine cross.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Apprehended

I often grieve over the lost souls that have been hindered by hurdles and stumbling blocks placed in the path of these hungry, seeking souls that would wind their way to celestial felicities in the end of life's troublesome, rugged struggle, but for those who place them there.

The cross of Jesus reaches so far...yea, so far...so deep, yea so deep...so beyond our finite ability to understand it. But good men, with the voice of reason who mean well are responsible for the loss of sensitive, fleeting souls who cannot see the wonders of the cross, its power and glory except for seeing these men and their "reasonable" stumbling stones that are placed in their pathway. Men, women, boys and girls lost, lost forever beyond anyone's reach to save, for some rule, some hard opinion, some unsensitive remark or preaching from a stony heart untouched by the cross itself.

There are the "uncompromisers," not a few. Few there be, if any, of the weeping prophets remaining among us. Many are the "standard bearer's" whose hearld signals of no hope of attainment to the discouraged. Few are the lowly and humble minds whose hearts are enflamed with the tender cross of Jesus who whispers "hope, precious hope."

Our doctrines and standards are chiseled in stone as endible as the tables from Sinai, spelling death to all transgressors. But the law of love is much too obscurely written on the tables of the heart where God told Jeremiah that he would write them, taking away the stony heart and giving a heart of tender flesh.

No wonder Jesus told the women to not weep for him but for themselves and their children. Weep ye...yeah weep. A greater scourge than that of Titus is upon you. Our city is under seige by armies and the watchman on the wall are so blinded that they can do no more than preach yet another clever message with another clever title, to be admired by the hanger-ons for stirring oratory. We've almost lost forever the power, beauty, glory and reach of the cross. I fear that except God turns to a humble and broken people afar, the earth is soon to be devoid of so great love.

We have so cleverly devised our own way, our own culture, our own creeds, our own frame of references in addition to the cross that it amounts to adding our own glory to the cross of Jesus. In this, we have swallowed the slow acting poison pill that is now taking its toll from generation to generation that each generation does not know what it has lost since the last. The next generation will know nothing of the humility, the lowliness, the meekness, the contrition, the sufferings of and the intimacy of the cross that birthed the great revivals of the last two centuries.

Millions have tearfully and with sobs of contrition winded their way from the obscure bleachers far above the large platform to the sound of "Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou bidst me come to thee, oh lamb of God I come, I come." They made the first step toward their enternal quest. Why is it that they have been prevented to go foward? What stumbling stone stood in their way from going from glory to glory? Whose hardened heart turned them away? What uncompromiser was so deaf, dumb and blind that they could not pick up from the sounds of that distant crusade and lead them on? Are we no longer without hope having become so "religious?"

I heard bro. Reeves preach in Minden, La a few years before his death. In the message he told of having been taken out in a vision and seeing Jesus very angrily standing beside an old cross having no glory to look upon. He stood on the hill beside a slighly leaning cross...so rugged and ugly, with a very angry look upon his face. Jesus looked at Bro. Reeves and said, "You tell that bunch of preachers that you have fellowship with that there is nothing that they can do for my cross, neither can they imporve upon it in anyway. You tell them that it was I WHO DIED HERE. They did not DIE HERE! This is MY CROSS!" This vision was given to him just before the Affirmation statement was voted in.

As he came out of the vision, the Lord showed him UPCI churches almost everywhere that had become 'CENSORED."

The evening is upon us... I so much fear that we, as a movement have lost our way, mainly because of stony hearts that can no longer be touched by the cross and the blindness that has fallen upon our eyes, having no more prophets who have not fallen asleep.

2008 is a new year and a new leaf for me. I am going to take another trip to the cross and remain there, confessing my sin, my hardness, my rudeness, my haughtiness, my religious pride and arrogance. This coming year is going to see me empty out to become a new lump again. I am going back to the cross and become a new wine skin. All because I am tired of Apostolic (so called) religion as usual. It is getting old, tired and lifeless...except for the genuine cross.

And I fear that the Church may not fully understand, not just the power of the Cross, but linger at the Cross and never see the Resurrection.

Grateful I am that He died...more than words can express I appreciate the price that was paid on the Cross.

But had He never gotten up, I never could have risen to walk in the newness of life.

[OneAccord]

Every so often, very rarely, a message is posted on this forum that moves me to want to fall at the feet of Jesus and cry out, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner". This is one of those post. I stand in awe at what must surely be a Word from the Lord.

[Cindy]

And cry out in a LOUD voice JESUS. Just the name of Jesus.

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by Barb

And I fear that the Church may not fully understand, not just the power of the Cross, but linger at the Cross and never see the Resurrection.

Grateful I am that He died...more than words can express I appreciate the price that was paid on the Cross.

But had He never gotten up, I never could have risen to walk in the newness of life.

Amen, sister Barb.

The cross would not have availed anything except for the resurrection that GAVE POWER to the cross. Many have died upon many crosses but have appropriated to themselves nor to the world any benefit, abiding alone in a forgotten grave.

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by OneAccord

Every so often, very rarely, a message is posted on this forum that moves me to want to fall at the feet of Jesus and cry out, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner". This is one of those post. I stand in awe at what must surely be a Word from the Lord.

My heart is contrite today as I face the prospects of a new year and what it shall bring upon us both in our beloved church world, our movement and our nation. I see confusion and uneasiness everywhere as this evening sun sets yet another degree or two lower than last year.

My cry...

Isa 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. [Art] thou not it that hath cut Rahab, [and] wounded the dragon?

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Apprehended

Amen, sister Barb.

The cross would not have availed anything except for the resurrection that GAVE POWER to the cross. Many have died upon many crosses but have appropriated to themselves nor to the world any benefit, abiding alone in a forgotten grave.

This is true...

Forgive me for taking your thread in a direction you didn't intend, but I would just add that I fear many have not been able to reach a place of true and lasting victory because they are continually 'dying', or so it appears, but never allow the Spirit of the risen Christ to lift them above the stench of the grave clothes.

Forever repenting, they never truly crucify the flesh, thus can never have their personal resurrection morning.

May heaven help us to get it right before it is everlasting too late...

[RandyWayne]

Not wanting to quote the entire first post but.....

Amen

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by Barb

This is true...

Forgive me for taking your thread in a direction you didn't intend, but I would just add that I fear many have not been able to reach a place of true and lasting victory because they are continually 'dying', or so it appears, but never allow the Spirit of the risen Christ to lift them above the stench of the grave clothes.

Forever repenting, they never truly crucify the flesh, thus can never have their personal resurrection morning.

May heaven help us to get it right before it is everlasting too late...

You have a good point Barb...a point that I share.

However, we must bear in mind that we can do no more than go to the cross..no more...not anythig else. We are powerless to go beyond that. Except for the touch of his life giving hand, there can be no resurrection. That is in his power alone. I can only wait for his mercies...desiring his favor, his smile, his pleasure, his life-giving spirit. I cannot arrest resurrection in my own power. You and I cannot take it. It must be given. The best that we can ever hope to do in our own power is go to the cross and die...waiting for the third day. I will not presume upon him since he alone is worthy only having confidence in his faithfulness and his promise. Neither will I remind him of my good deeds and any merit that I am considered to have worthy of his life-giving breath.

Others may be worthy...I will not judge that or them. I can only speak of myself lest I forget to fear Him who holds all life and death in his omnipotence.

[Apprehended]

The cry of my heart comes from an old hymn that I love dearly:

Abide with Me
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.
Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea —
Come, Friend of sinners, and thus abide with me.
Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.