*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. Summary: The cross of Christ is not a dreary, devastation, miserable thing. It comes with grace and a joy that sets us free from this Adamic nature that separated us from God and returns a fellowship with Him. Show Notes: • No one can just say, I am going to have a cross experience today • It is all about the Word, and it is by that Word that one will experience the cross. • There are some who will refuse to experience the cross. References: John 1:1, 14  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 1 John 3:2  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Ephesians 5:26  that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, Philippians 3:18  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Hebrews 12:1, 2  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Psalms 51:4  To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judged. Mark 9:24  Immediately the father of the child, having cried out, was saying, "I believe; help my unbelief!" Quotes: • God's taking what we have and going deeper with it • the only way of effective change is by seeing Him • this has to be a walk of grace and mercy from the Lord Take Away: The purpose of the cross is to remove all that will hinder one from running the race, as mentioned in Hebrews, He wants to have a close relationship with each of us and removing the deeds of the flesh is a method this happens.

Dale

God's taking what we have and going deeper with it. And that's why I talk about the cross a lot because it's such an avenue of change. It’s an experience, and you’ve got to experience it.

Ron

Is it the only avenue of change?

Dale

No, it's just one of many. We have worship and communion.

Ron

You know we're talking about avenues of change. So, the cross is one, worship, seeing Him, as avenues of change, but also the word.

Dale

The Word is the reason you go to the Cross. What you are asking Ron, that’s where I would say that's where the connection is. Because the only way you're going to have the word written on your heart is through communion through the cross.

Christ knew His purpose and He knew the beginning, and He knew the end. It's not like Christ was picked out of a gallery of people to do the job. He was created as Yeshua Messiah to do the job. He was a pattern son. We have to have the same thinking. We have to understand that if we're going to walk with God, it's not that we have options, in the sense that we can say: “well, I don't really like this, so, I'm going to put it to one side, and I’m going do this instead.” God has got a path for us to walk in and that's how we do it.

Ron

So, it talks about the enemies of the Cross of Christ. They dodge the cross, I guess you would say. I mean to me that means you would consciously set your will not to walk in the cross. I don't think our flesh wants to die. To me, this has to be a walk of grace and mercy from the Lord to help you walk in it.

Dale

We still have roots. Some roots some times however you want to put it. It's what was taught and created at the Nicene Council. And as we separate ourselves from that teaching, and years, and years of conditioning- before we were ever on the scene- we separate ourselves from that. Understanding that you don't have to beat yourself. That's what was taught through paganism. If you do something that’s wrong, “Your oh it’s terrible,” I’m a bad person. Oh, you know you flog yourself, and then you keep doing that you know then. You can go confess to somebody and say a bunch of stuff and give him some money. You're forgiven, and you go out and do it over again. That style of repentance is geared towards keeping you in prison. The cross can be a prison. That's where the cross can be abused. People delight, oh, poor me. Look at me, I'm on the cross, and the cross is very private. Jesus talked about the Pharisees, how they got out there, and they put on sackcloth and ashes and everything. How everybody could see them and all this kind of stuff. The cross is personal. It's deep and it’s very private because it’s between you and God. And you come to the point where you finally say, “okay I give up.”

The cross is a gift of the Holy Spirit. One of the enemies of the cross is tedious detail and we can sit down and make out a list of all the things that are wrong with us and you can start at the list and spend the rest of your life, trying to get to the bottom. You can take that list and throw it away and you can do what David did: “Against Thee, only have I sinned,” And he said; “create in me a clean heart.” I take the gift of the cross. I take the gift of the grace that comes with the cross, the grace, to become and the grace to do. Sure, it's going to be a process, but not a process of dying. It's a process of coming alive, on a new level.