11/08/13

Take up your CROSS and bear the power of God

1 Samuel 5:4 - And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

In the Old Testament the only object that showed great power of God and which caused fear in the hearts of the enemies of the people of God was the Ark of Covenant. The Israelites carried the Ark before them and it gave them power to overcome not only human enemies, it also had power to bring down the gods of the enemies and not only that, even nature did not stand in their way when they bore the Ark of Covenant.

In the New Testament we also have a similar object that carries the same power. Since the Old Testament is a shadow of the New the object in the New Testament is not physical but spiritual, one cannot carry a physical object but needs to spiritually carry it.

Paul speaks of the power of the CROSS and Jesus said if we are His disciples we will carry our CROSS and follow Him. Jesus gave power and authority to His disciples, thus only those who carry his or her CROSS will have that power and authority.

In the Old Testament we see it was by bearing the Ark over their shoulders the Israelites crossed river Jordan and into the Promised Land. In the New Testament it is only by our carrying our CROSS do we become Sons of God (Jordan means inheritance and inheritance is only for the son - spiritual son / not male or female gender) and enter into the real Promised Land which is Heaven.

The Israelites till date did not get their promise land for they sought a worldly inheritance, we Christians are not people of this world we are not called to pursue worldly things, we seek true things which are forever. We are assured our Promise Land for Jesus as man is already there and He awaits us there, preparing a place for us to be there. He is not preparing Heaven but by His Spirit is preparing us to be in Heaven (a place not the place) and His Spirit never fails.

CROSS does not mean the crucifix. By carrying an crucifix we will not go to Heaven, on the other hand it can be a cause of us getting rejected, for it can fools us to think we are with God, making us into religious people and not spiritual people. CROSS means our purpose in Christ. Christ had only one purpose above Him and that was the salvation of His people, that is why it was not the Candle Stand (symbolizing the Holy Spirit) and the Shewbread (symbolizing the Son) which were in the Holy of Holies but it was the Ark which was placed there. Christ (Son with the Spirit) lifted the purpose of salvation of His people above Him.

In a year it was only once that the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to make an offering of blood. Jesus Christ already did this sacrifice He will not come again and again to do any more offerings of blood. If we do not carry our CROSS now we will not get a chance again and again.

Let us not lose this opportunity to bear the power of God and enter the Promised Land. If we are finding a lot of resistance from the world both natural and spiritual, let us overcome them by carrying our CROSS our purpose in Christ.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, the world sees all things with natural eyes that is why does not know You. You Lord came to give us the real Ark and your Spirit to help us bear it. Lord, open our real eyes to the real world and not be overcome by this temporary world. You Lord have given us power and authority, power and authority to bring down fire from the Heavens that would consume our enemies in an instant, but we Lord fail to use it for we do not bear our Cross. Lord, help us be your true disciples by faithfully carrying our Cross in You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Joshua 3:7-17
7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.
9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;
15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.


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