Cross – When you look at the cross what comes to you by way of understanding?
Cross #CrossOver #CrossOfChrist
Wednesday August 26th, 2020
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Subject – Cross – When you look at the cross, what comes to you by way of understanding?
Friends, this morning, I woke up with a picture of the cross in my head. I asked, “Lord,what does this mean?”
I would like you to begin the exercise with me if you are so led by answering these question while putting aside what your understanding of the cross is prior to now for later as you ask the Holy Spirit inside of you to bring you new insights that you need for today. Here they are:
1) Do a search in the old testament of the word “cross” what action word does it connect with most?
2) Do a search of the new testament also – what do you see? What do you perceive and what would you apply?
Here are my findings:
1) We found that 80% of the word “cross over” came up more than others.
What that means to me is that a cross over means a point of decision to move from one territory to the other. A point of decision that requires action on my part or path of life
2) We also saw that cross signifies “daily sacrifices” or suffering by virtue of certain decision concerning Christ I need to make or have made with eternal, long term consequences. The eternal blessings of God are conditional
Check these scriptures out and you will get the point and others as you receive triggers from Him
Luke 9:23
The Passion Translation
What it Means to Follow Jesus
23 Jesus said to all of his followers, “If you truly desire to be my disciple, you must disown your life completely, embrace my ‘cross’[a] as your own, and surrender to my ways.
Luke 14:25-35
The Passion Translation
The Cost of Following Jesus
25 As massive crowds followed Jesus, he turned to them and said, 26 “When you follow me as my disciple, you must put aside[a] your father, your mother, your wife, your sisters, your brothers—yes, you will even seem as though you hate your own life. This is the price you’ll pay to be considered one of my followers. 27 And anyone who comes to me must be willing to share my cross and experience it as his own, or he cannot be considered to be my disciple. 28 So don’t follow me without considering what it will cost you. For who would construct a house[b] before first sitting down to estimate the cost to complete it? 29 Otherwise he may lay the foundation and not be able to finish. The neighbors will ridicule him, saying, 30 ‘Look at him! He started to build but couldn’t complete it!’
31 “Have you ever heard of a commander[c] who goes out to war without first sitting down with strategic planning to determine the strength of his army to win the war[d] against a stronger opponent? 32 If he knows he doesn’t stand a chance of winning the war, the wise commander will send out delegates to ask for the terms of peace. 33 Likewise, unless you surrender all to me, giving up all you possess, you cannot be one of my disciples.
34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if salt were to lose its flavor,[e] how could it ever be restored? 35 It will never be useful again, not even fit for the soil or the manure pile![f] If you have ears opened by the Spirit, then hear the meaning of what I have said and apply it to yourselves.”
And this final one which signifies “power and foolishness”…there are more*
1 Corinthians 1:17-25
The Passion Translation
17 For the Anointed One has sent me on a mission, not to see how many I could baptize,[a] but to proclaim the good news. And I declare this message stripped of all philosophical arguments that empty the cross of its true power. For I trust in the all-sufficient cross of Christ alone.
The True Power of the Cross
18 To preach the message[b] of the cross seems like sheer nonsense to those who are on their way to destruction, but to us who are on our way to salvation, it is the mighty power of God released within us.[c] 19 For it is written:
I will dismantle the wisdom of the wise
and I will invalidate the intelligence of the scholars.[d]
20 So where is the wise philosopher who understands? Where is the expert scholar who comprehends? And where is the skilled debater of our time who could win a debate with God? Hasn’t God demonstrated that the wisdom of this world system is utter foolishness?
21 For in his wisdom, God designed that all the world’s wisdom would be insufficient to lead people to the discovery of himself. He took great delight in baffling the wisdom of the world by using the simplicity of preaching the story of the cross[e] in order to save those who believe it. 22 For the Jews constantly demand to see miraculous signs, while those who are not Jews[f] constantly cling to the world’s wisdom,[g] 23 but we preach the crucified Messiah. The Jews stumble over him and the rest of the world sees him as foolishness. 24 But for those who have been chosen to follow him, both Jews and Greeks, he is God’s mighty power, God’s true wisdom, and our Messiah.[h] 25 For the “foolish” things of God have proven to be wiser than human wisdom. And the “feeble” things of God have proven to be far more powerful than any human ability.[i]
Did you receive new perspective to the cross today, what is it and what are you going to do about it?
Shalom!
Monday Ogwuojo Ogbe
E-discipleship @otakada.org
Originally posted on August 26, 2020 @ 3:35 am
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