VIRTUES OF THE CROSS 4C – (UNDERSTANDING WORSHIP III)

The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is the symbol of salvation, the symbol of the way, the truth and the life. It is the symbol of God’s love. It is the symbol of God’s grace. It is the symbol of God’s dominion. Everything Christian virtue is represented by the cross. So, whenever you stray from the cross, it is welcome to the world.

You cannot conquer the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, the pride of life without the cross of Christ. All it takes to start pointing in the wrong direction is a step; you may still be moving but you are obviously moving in the wrong direction. Anyone who leaves the cross has missed the way. Anyone who misses the way cannot end up in heaven. Jesus said, I am the way, if you want to see God, follow me, I will take you there!

What does it mean to be enemies of the cross? Apostle Paul did not leave us in doubt as to who they are. He said their god is their belly, who mind earthly things. Immediately you find out that all that concerns you is what to eat, what to wear, what to look like, check it! We need to put this scripture in perspective practically. Immediately those things become your obsession, they crowd the life of God out of you. They make such a person an idolater. It is very easy to become an idolater. Who is an idolater? An idolater is anyone whom devil has given another god to worship.

Worship is worth-ship – placement of value, extreme devotion, and payment of attention. To whom do you pay attention? Everyone pays attention to something. How much attention do you pay to God daily? How much of God is in your daily programme? It is easy to set up a Church for the pursuit of other gods. That is the greatest weakness of the prosperity message – if you are not careful, the prosperity message will make you an idolater without you realizing it.

If you take a very close look at the models such Churches run, you will be amazed. What are these models? Lion and eagle! It may shock you to know that lion plus the eagle is equal to Babylon (lion + eagle = Babylon)! Babylon is the headquarters of idolatry both spiritual and physical. Man’s will in union with the will of the snake in the garden – that is the greatest problem of man.

One of the greatest judgments in the book of Revelations is the fall of Babylon. Study Dan. 7:4, “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it”. That was the vision of Daniel of the first Babylonian empire.

In Rev. 5, you will discover that every beast will worship the Lamb upon the throne ultimately. If you miss the Lamb upon the throne, you can never be a worshipper. Without the sacrifice of the cross, there can be no salvation. The greatest symbol of Christianity is not the lion or eagle but the cross of Christ. You miss the cross, you miss God’s mercy, you miss God’s truth. The cross is the symbol of mercy and truth (mercy and truth kissed each other at the cross).

Pray –

• Everlasting and most merciful Father I thank you for your loving kindness towards me in that while I was yet a sinner, you gave your son to die for me on the cross. I proclaim that through His death, burial, and resurrection, all my sins are forgiven, and I have access to all the covenant rights, blessings, and privileges. I declare that I belong to you forever, and I celebrate the lamb of God upon the throne in Jesus’ name.

TO BE CONTINUED…….