He got it for ya, G!

Cross-Purposes

The righteous are as bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1

Philippians 3:10

MATURE • MENTOR • MINISTER • MAINTAIN • INVESTING IN BLACK FUTURES THRU STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Has the Cross Finally Made it — Mainstream?

You see 'em everywhere. People wear them around their necks, wrists, fingers, waists, ankles, behind their backs — in their ears, eyebrows, noses, tongues, lips, belly buttons ... and other places. Some even got their dogs sportin' 'em. Iced out.

Others take their adornment further (and much more personally) by letting the thing actually get under their skin — having a cross tattooed somewhere on their body. Inked in.

What's really interesting is the increasing number of brothers you now see wearing one. While many ministers have worn 'em for a long time, now you see rappers, entertainers, actors, athletes and others all "gettin' their cross on." Even more interesting is when you see those who've been hit with criminal charges ... putting one on. Indeed, a cross is a handy thing to have. Don't leave home without it. It's become a 'Hood Ornament.

So the cross seems to have made it mainstream — one of the essential fashion accessories to have at the present time. Makes you wonder. Do those who wear them gain anything from sportin' one? Any kind of acceptance, or status, or maybe some kind of vindication? Is it a "good luck" charm? A statement? Some kind of (whoa) identification (like Tupac: "see what I gotta / hadda put up with, people?")?

1st of Tupac's posthumous albums

Jesus had something very different in mind when He went to His cross.

He went at it with a Divine agenda -- it has to do with us and our mess.

He got our dirt under His nails.
click here • see how

Roll it back to Jesus' time, and you'll find that the only way anyone would "wear" a cross was when they were criminally condemned and forced to carry the cross beam through the city to the place where they would be publicly executed. There they'd be stripped naked, nailed (and/or tied) to the beam which was then attached to an upright beam and raised to the sky. They would then be left hanging up 'n out there to cruelly dry 'n die (unless the victim's legs were broken to hasten their death). It was a tortuous, inhumane, shameful and an understandably despised way to die, and for that reason was not spoken about in most social circles.

We've done a great job in removing ourselves from the brutality and significance of Christ's cross.

What's really scary is that it's easy to wear a cross outwardly and yet deny its true purpose and power inwardly. It's doubtful that the One Who went to the cross to put away and spring us from our mess — by paying with His own un-messed life -- could ever be pleased with us stayin' in our mess, contenting ourselves with on an outward show by wearing a cross.

Bought to bounce off of a balla'z belly
or brought to bear on the belly's bias?
B 4 real 'n answer this: What's it to ya:
'hood ornament or lifestyle shot-caller?

Check it: For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. Philippians 3:18-19 NIV

It may be hard to handle, but the cross truly divides men. You're either down with it or an enemy of it.

When you see the cross the way God sees it, you'll see three things:

First: there's something radically wrong with man when he can put a person with a life like Jesus' to death on a cross. That tells us about our truly sinful condition before a holy God and of our hatred of Him and His righteous ways. We're wrong.

Second: there's something wonderfully righteous about our Maker in that He would give up His Son to die for us. The cross tells us about His truly holy nature in dealing with sinful man and of His love for us in our evil waywardness. He's right.

Third: there's something we gotta do with this information--change our mind and agree with God about a) our true condition -- we're messed up in His sight — we fool ourselves to think we're OK in our own, b) His true nature — He's holy and can't be with us in our messed-up state and c) His Son, Jesus Christ — Who through His death, burial and resurrection has alone made the way to clean us up and enable to get back with Him. He alone can make us right.

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven
that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

If you want to deal with following Jesus, you'll have to deal with the cross.
It won't be comfortable. It'll create conflict and even bring condemnation.
It cuts against the grain of ya life, calling you to make some cuts yourself.
Cuts against self. Against sin. Against Satan. Against this world system.
It's costly, calling for courage that enables you to live on the cutting edge.

"If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Matthew 16:24 NASB

It takes nothing less than the very power of God to enable you to do what's being asked here.
That divine power is available through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Warning!

Watch out how you react to the teaching of the cross: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God ... we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24 NIV

Who ya mad at? Because of the cross,
Christ can say, "I ain't mad at ya, son."

God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ,
not counting men's sins against them.
And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors,
as though God were making His appeal through us.
We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5: 19-21 NIV

So ya see, there's a real difference between wearing a cross and bearing one — one's a fashion statement, the other's a passion statement. Jesus Christ is all about passion when it comes to1) lovin' and obeyin' His Father, 2) lovin' and goin' after lost mankind to bring them to glory and 3) hatin' and puttin' away sin. And those in His camp, who've been called to participate in the divine nature 2 Peter 1:4 will find themselves having the same passions as well. Even to the point of puttin' down their own passions for His passion's sake. You down with that? It's hard, yeah, but He alone can help ya handle it.

If you're down with Him now, then you'll find yourself up with Him later. Stay strong, son. You too, sis.

In that Great Day, the cross shall bear across all those who will bear their cross now.

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