The Cross of Christ is one of the most important things in the whole world, and it means so much that you could write books on it. The Cross is powerful, and it is a Cross for everything we need. The Cross gives us the passport to Heaven for all eternity; it is our way home. No one will ever get to the throne of God without the Cross because the gulf between man and his God is too big.

When man and woman sinned, the river of sin separated them from God; and what a wide and deep gulf it made. The Lord said, Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2). Sin dug a great gulf between Earth and Heaven, and man did not have a bridge to cross over the river of sin that flowed through it. Man could not get back to his God, and what a pitiful hour it was. Many people say that no one can live free from sin; but sin separates you from God, and nobody who is separated from God will get to Heaven.

The human race had fallen into sin, and God was way off across the gulf—the God who had made them, had been so close to them and had kept them in good health. The Lord who had kept them in perfect peace, happiness and joy was afar off. That is the most pathetic scene that you could ever picture in your heart and mind.

The great gulf of sin is filled with so many demonic spirits that no one could ever cross it, not even in a boat; they would never make it. It is filled with the iniquities of disobedience, rebellion, arrogance, evil thinking, evil deeds and more. The seventeen works of the flesh all flow in that river of sin, and there is no way to get across. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

Adam and Eve Created the Gulf

The righteous, holy man and woman God had made brought such despair, heartache and evil upon themselves. God was afar off, and they could not get to Him with their troubles and burdens. Oh, how Adam and Eve must have missed God! They stood on the bank of the river of sin knowing that their sin had separated them and not knowing how they would ever get across. They did not think God would ever cross over to them; and I am sure they cried many times, “Oh, dear God, do come back to us! We need you! Oh, please, God, won’t you give us one more chance and walk with us one more time? We know we are not worthy, but we are so sorry.” They reached for Him again and again, but He was too far away.

The Lord did try to bridge that gulf. He tried to do it through the heads of the families, but it did not work. He tried it with the Law; but the Law could not breach the gulf, and the river of sin still flowed. For the first time, the man who was born to be shut in with God forever, to be in the arms of God and to have nothing but the wisdom and the ways of God was shut out.

Man became tormented in his mind when God never intended that to happen. Arthritis and other diseases began afflicting his body because the curse was upon him. The curse was also upon the ground; and there were thorns and thistles, suffering, heartache and despair. Man brought sin, degradation and bondage upon the animals, nature and all that God had created. God had made everything good; but sin had damned it all, including the souls of mankind. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).

The Lord grieved over the man and woman who had become separated by their sins. He wanted to serve them and bless them, but He could not. He cried over them, but they needed more than tears because the river of sin was flowing—the river of tears, sorrow, heartache and despair—and loved ones were being separated by the cruel monster of death.

God never intended for death’s chilly hand to come upon the man and woman He had made; they were never to have been separated from one another. There was never to have been any strife among man’s children because they would have been perfect in all of their ways like God Himself; but instead, they were born separated from God.

Jesus Endured the Cross

What could possibly bridge the gulf of separation? It would take the river of divine blood to do it. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). What was the joy that was set before Him?—knowing that one day we could be in Heaven with Him as the eternal ages roll. Jesus despised the shame of that Cross; nevertheless, He endured it and is now sitting at the right hand of God on the throne. He had laid aside His precious robe and His beautiful crown; but when He had finished His holy mission and returned to Heaven, He put on His robe again, and the angels may have been the ones who placed the beautiful crown back on His head. Christ had traded it all in for the crown of victory; He had earned that crown of His all over again.

In studying the Cross, you must know that it represents both the greatest defeat and the greatest victory of all time. That is a strong statement, but it is true. Jesus’ life was so worthless and such a defeat in the eyes of the world. People wanted His miracles, but they did not want His salvation or His passport to Heaven. They did not believe He came from Heaven or that He was the divine Son of God.

The history of man reveals the unbroken kinship between two contrary ideas—loss and gain. Understanding this is the key to the mystery of the suffering needed to get to the throne of power. It is not suffering due to sicknesses and diseases but to the persecutions you will endure. That profound truth is set forth in Hebrews 12:2 where the words “cross” and “throne” are paramount and inseparable even though the two words are dramatically opposed to each other in meaning.

Jesus first endured the Cross, and then He occupied the throne. He said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24). If you do not carry your cross, you will never inherit the throne. Only the cross can be traded for a crown one day; so you must say, “God will give me the grace to carry my cross all the way, and I am going to trade it in with all of its sufferings and disgrace. I will no longer have to endure any of that, and I will be free.”

A Bridge of Grace

To get the most out of this message, you have to behold the Cross and understand its purpose, challenge and victory. Then you will more fully understand how the Cross works and how it leads not only to Heaven but to the very throne of God. The Cross of wood didn’t look like much, but the purpose and power of it can be seen when we behold the bridge of salvation that spans the gulf of sin and takes us from degradation into truth and holiness.

Sin is the most tragic thing in the world today; but the Bible declares, Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20). Because Jesus endured the Cross, it built a bridge of freedom across the dark river of despair. Never before had there been such a river, but that is why the bridge of redemption our Lord built is the greatest bridge in the world. Its architects were God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Its construction was begun in the beginning of the world and finished when the Lamb was slain, and the rock of its foundation was divine—divine power, divine justice, divine truth and divine grace—and only by grace are you saved. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Construction of the Salvation Bridge

The framework of this great bridge was fastened together with the types, symbols, sacrifices and ceremonies of the Old Testament, things which would not take away sin. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins (Hebrews 10:4).

The bridge’s supporting girdles were Christ’s miraculous birth, the Virgin Birth which many preachers do not teach. If you do not believe in the Virgin Birth, you do not believe in God or in the Holy Ghost; so you need not bother believing in Heaven because you will never get there.

The bridge’s floor timbers were Christ’s atoning death upon the Cross, and the miraculous bridge was completed when the dying Savior declared on the Cross, It is finished (John 19:30). “Whosoever will” could now cross the gulf which sin had made by way of the magnificent, everlasting bridge. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17).

The structure of the bridge of salvation is not only supernatural and older than any other bridge, but it is also the best and most up-to-date bridge in the world today. If a construction company would try to improve on this bridge, it would be like using toothpicks to make a bridge across the ocean for a freight train; and that would be impossible.

Nobody could have ever built the salvation bridge that takes you all the way to Heaven. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11). This bridge will never wear out or need repairs because after its builder offered one sacrifice for sin, He sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12). Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God today, and yet He is with us. That is divinity, and you have to have this divine bridge or you will never see the face of God, saith the Lord.

So-called preachers, infidels and agnostics have tried to destroy that bridge; but it is impossible to do. It was built by divinity, and they cannot do a thing with divinity. As long as we cling to the Old Rugged Cross, nobody can change us. That Cross is all truth, and we have the power in our lives to prove that it works. Our sins are all gone, and we are as pure and clean as Jesus Himself.

There is no other bridge under Heaven except the Cross bridge that can take you to the throne. People have tried all kinds of methods and ways to get there, but nobody has been successful. The rich have tried to buy the bridge with money, and others have tried to get across with their good deeds; but they could not do it. Only the way of the Cross leads to the throne of God.

A Spiritual Telescope

Another purpose of the Cross is to give us clear vision. That old Cross was just two pieces of wood nailed together, and the Redeemer crucified on it was our own; but it makes a telescope through which we can view the heart of God. You may say, “No one can see the heart of God”; but you can if you have the Cross.

We can behold the power, glory and majesty of God in all of nature. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork (Psalm 19:1). It is marvelous to get just a glimpse of these wonderful things; but when we desire to get a glimpse of the Father’s throbbing heart of love, we must gaze through the telescope of the Cross.

The purpose of the telescope is to bring two worlds close together that are millions of miles apart; and when you are born again, you can see that the two worlds become so close that the next step you make could put you on Glory’s shore. Golgotha’s brow made it all possible.

Just two pieces of wood fashioned into a Cross was so simple, but the Gospel is simple so that all people can understand it. You do not need a college degree; people who have never been to school can accept the Cross and its benefits. Even little children recognize the Cross of wood, but most Christians don’t realize that it is God’s telescope. All the telescopes combined that man has ever made through the wisdom and knowledge that God provided them could never compare to this one made of wood. In fact, man would never think of making a telescope out of wood; but God does the impossible, the unbelievable and the unthinkable. Because of the blood Cross, you can reach up and touch Heaven through faith right now; and you can stay in touch all the time. You must never get discouraged or think about turning back because there is nothing back there for you.

We Can See through the Cross

Through Christ’s sacrifice, the Cross and the throne were joined together for the first time. Sin was the dividing factor, but the Cross took care of it. We can see in the Cross not only the bridge of our salvation but also the new life of our salvation—the depths of it, the greatness of it, the eternity of it. There is nothing like the Cross; and through it, we are free.

Everything is revealed to us through the Cross telescope of wood. You can use it to look back into the Old Testament and see how it showed up as a type and shadow when the Israelites came out of bondage. They had just crossed the Red Sea and watched as the whole, magnificent Egyptian army drowned; but when the people became thirsty, they began to grumble and complain. Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet (Exodus 15:22-25).

The tree was a type of the Cross, and that was the first time the Cross telescope showed up in the Old Testament. What a deliverance that tree brought when it was thrown into the water. In the same way, those who are born again threw themselves into the life that the telescope—the Old Rugged Cross—showed them, and they received their deliverance. Sadly, some people can never believe that there is deliverance, salvation and Heaven through that Cross.

Through the telescope of the Cross, we can behold what is written in the very heart of God with letters of imperishable gold: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Look and see that there is room for you in the heart of God.

It doesn’t matter what you have done, how far into sin you have gone or how deep and wide the river is with your sin, iniquity, disobedience and arrogance. Through the telescope of the Cross of Calvary, you can look right into the heart of God; and it will give you all the hope, trust and full assurance you need. It will give you the godly sorrow you need; and you will hear the voice of the Lord saying, “Give me your heart. I love you; I need you, and I want you. Come.”

Measure Up to the Cross

We can see the great force of the power of the Cross when we apply it to the dimensions of our souls. We do not know how deep the soul really is; but because the soul came from God, there is no limit to what it can hold. It can hold all the love, grace, power, goodness and mercies of God. It can hold all the wonderful thoughts of God, so load it up. The mind is like a little cup, but the soul feeds the cup and keeps filling it up with the things of God as we serve them to others. Divinity flows to us like mighty rivers in this final hour. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).

By the rule of the Cross and the dimension of your soul, you can readily determine your spiritual condition. Are you as tall as Jesus? The Bible says, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

The Cross is the measuring stick for our religious qualities and beliefs. Jesus measured the passion of His soul by the Cross that He endured. Through it, He showed you the measure of His love and of His soul-saving grace. He showed you the measure of His passion for you and His love and leadership for you so you could let Him be the Master of all your seas and so you could walk the waters with Him. His supreme mission was to do the Father’s will. Jesus said, Not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42).

The Divine Forgiveness of the Cross

Jesus prayed in the Garden of agony by the same sacrificial standard of the Cross. Let us search our own hearts and ask ourselves what we will do to please the Father. How far will we go? Will we go all the way every day and every night?

While undergoing the excruciating torture of the Cross, Jesus prayed for the Father to forgive His enemies. Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). Then Jesus Himself forgave from the Cross. Two thieves died with Jesus, but only one of them recognized Him to be the Savior He was; and Jesus saved that man while He was hanging on the Cross. And he [the thief] said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:42,43).

Jesus paid the price for whosoever will; and when He died, the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom, signifying that God had done it and not man. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom (Mark 15:37,38). The plan of salvation was all finished on Golgotha.

Some people have a hard time forgiving others because they do not have the divine forgiveness that Christ has, but you must have all of it. It is simple for me to forgive people for doing something because I turn them over to the Lord who said, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:19). I turn things over to God. He said He would take care of them, and He has never failed me yet.

Use the Cross Gauge

When we apply what we have to Calvary’s gauge, it is profound how well we can come out; but some of you do not yield like you should. You do not use the Cross gauge; and you worry, fret and doubt. Fear takes you over, and you blame yourself for things that even God doesn’t blame you for. You listen to the devil talk to you, and you believe him again and again without even being conscious of it. Oh, what Jesus went through to give you that Cross telescope, but you are not using it.

If the devil can keep you away from the Cross telescope, he will do it; so you need to use it night and day. When tribulation comes to trouble your heart, you can use the telescope if you have salvation. Study the Old Testament and see what the devil tried to do to people before the telescope was made available to them. Today, we have the telescope through Jesus Christ. It cost Jesus everything, but it costs us nothing. That Cross on which the Prince of Glory died means everything. Is He your Prince and the Master of all your seas?

Jesus is asking you a sobering question: “I gave my life for thee; what hast thou given to me?” What a valuable life Jesus gave. When He was crucified, it was a great loss. He had opened many blind eyes and deaf ears and had brought loved ones back to life. Nobody had ever loved people like Jesus loved them. Nobody had ever spoken like He spoke, and people were shocked at the things He had to say.

Oh, Child of God, Jesus revealed His true nature to the world by the precious measure of the Cross; and by the same golden rules, we must sacrifice our own hearts to Him. We must examine ourselves, take spiritual inventory and know the dimensions of our souls. How much of Heaven and the Godhead do you have in your soul? How many of the promises of God have you met the conditions for? Every promise has a condition; and with what you can discover through the telescope, you can defeat the devil.

Some of you have trouble with the devil, but the Lord said we could trample him underfoot. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19). If we use the blood, the devil will run from us. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Know the Truth

The Cross challenges us by revealing its power and by revealing us to ourselves. The Cross of Christ is the center of spiritual greatness, and there is never a mistake in it. It is all truth, and it takes the Spirit of God to make it work. The spirit of the devil cannot operate this telescope or even touch it because it was made with divine blood.

The Word will rally you into greatness, so you must take time with it. Do you read the Word more than you read newspapers, magazines or watch television? You cannot read the Word of God for entertainment; you have to study it, but how much time do you spend with it? You take time to eat food for your physical body, so why not take more time for your soul? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). The devil will make you think you can’t understand the Bible; but the Lord will see to it that people all over the world know about Heaven and hell, about His sufferings and that He is the passport to Heaven. They will have the knowledge of the divine blood and what it will do.

Let the words to this little chorus ring in your heart.

What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

There is nothing like the Lord’s great plan. Heaven has all the answers we need; but you will not get them from people, and some of you listen to others too much. God’s grace and power planned all of this for us, and the Cross is the highest point of spiritual conquest. It is the powerhouse of God’s Kingdom through which the world receives the divine currents of spiritual greatness.

Christ’s Great Love

Jesus said, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men [and women] unto me (John 12:32). These are our Savior’s loveable, fantastic words; and they have been fulfilled. We know they are real if we are true children of God. If you lift Jesus up, you will draw people to the Lord. All things that are worthwhile come through the glorious power of the Cross being lifted up, but many people fail to see them.

Through the mighty power of His measureless love, the Lord challenges us to be what He wants us to be and to do our best for Him. His matchless sacrifice from the Cross should inspire every one of us to consecrate our all to His honor and glory. We should always give Him praise and be thankful for all of His goodness and mercy and for all He has done for us.

When I survey the wondrous Cross, it thrills me through and through. It is not the Old Rugged Cross that Jesus died on because He turned it into a glorious Cross for you and me. It became our telescope of knowledge and light. It gives us understanding of the Holy Scriptures and of why this world is in the condition it is in. It gives us understanding of the fall of man and woman and of those saints of old who became faithful and true soldiers of the Cross—Abraham, Enoch, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha and others—and we must be just as faithful.

I count my richest gain but loss for the sake of Christ, and I pour contempt upon all my pride. If all nature were mine, it would not be enough to present to my Lord for all He has done. His divine love is so amazing that it cannot be compared in any sensible measure to human love. Human love fails, and it even fails in death; but divine love contains all the strength of life even in the face of death. People may say that a child of God is dead, but that person lives through the power of the Cross. We never have to say goodbye to a child of God; we just say, “We will see you in the morning.” The Cross made it possible for the sun never to set on a child of God.

When Jesus gave His heart and submitted to the agonies of crucifixion, it was His way of removing His own heart and throwing it out to a lost world for you and me. We did not find His heart in a saved world but in a lost world. It was there; and it was the broken, bleeding heart of the One who wanted to be your King.

Jesus is saying to every creature, “Who will follow me into all the world and declare my love and Gospel? Will you go or will you help send others?” And he [Jesus] said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

A Divine Searchlight

The victory of the Cross is assured when we use it as a searchlight to light up our paths of life. The object of a searchlight is to reveal obstructions and pitfalls along the road ahead. Jesus left His light for us; and He said, Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:14,16).

Jesus’ light gave those who sat in darkness great light. The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up (Matthew 4:16).

The headlight of a locomotive blazes a path of light far down the tracks to alert the engineer of any lurking danger. The searchlight of a large ship pierces the mist and throws illuminating rays onto the water to show the captain any dangers ahead in the trackless deep. In the same way, the Cross of Calvary is a spiritual searchlight penetrating the mysteries of life and dispelling the shadows of doubt and fear.

Shadows block our understanding and cover up things, but the light of Jesus uncovers them. Whenever men have risen above self and crucified the natural human affections, it has been through the power of the Crucifixion working in them. So when the devil tells you that you will not make it or overcome, just remember that from Christ’s death and resurrection have come victorious energy and death-conquering hope.

You Can Wear a Divine Crown

You may think you have gone through many hours of agony and torture in your life; but in all of your trials, you must learn a great secret—there always has to be a cross before there can be a crown. If you want a crown of life, you will have to first suffer the cross.

You may go through a trial and think that you did not get anything out of it; but you should have learned that through your sufferings, you will have a crown. Jesus wore a crown of thorns, and every one of us has to wear that crown of thorns at one time or another. When you decide that you want to be like Jesus, you will have to face all kinds of agony and torture; but that thought has stopped a lot of people from going all the way with God. Remember that the agony of the Cross is short-lived, but hell is forever.

One day, we will be at the throne of God; and we will behold Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father and hear the Father say, “Children, welcome home! You have been faithful in your journey on Earth, and I am proud of you!”

Even in the case of our Savior, there could have been no crown without the Cross. He came to Earth, took on the fashion of a man and subjected Himself to all the weaknesses that we have to face…and then He subjected Himself to the Cross. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8).

Our blessed Lord could look beyond His life’s journey and the crushing calamities He had. He could look beyond the dark tragedy of the Cross and behold the shining crown and unshakeable throne waiting for Him. We too have to look beyond our troubles and know that a glad day will soon come. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

Jesus knew when He suffered the agonies of the Cross that His real kinship with man would come from the Cross and that His permanent crown would be one without the thorns that pierced His brow. Do you look at trials that way? One of the greatest things my wife, Angel, ever said to me was when we were going through a great trying time. I was laughing out loud when she said, “I don’t see anything funny about this; I think you just love trials.” Well, there was no need to cry because tears were not going to straighten anything out. We needed the power of the Cross and the hand of God. There is a price to pay to get your prayers through to Heaven, but don’t let that make you afraid to pray. Many times, things get worse before they get better.

Trials Bring Victories

You have to know what God requires of you and know yourself so you can rise up to the throne with the eternal power of the great I-Am. You are on Earth now; but one day, you will be before the throne of grace where there is no judgment, no hate and nothing but divine love. This is depicted in the words to the last verse of a beautiful song:

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee.
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red,
Life that shall endless be.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). If we cling to the Cross for salvation and carry our own crosses through life’s fiery trials for God’s glory, we will most assuredly come to a triumphant end when life’s journey is finished…and then it will be the beginning of a perfect day.

The purpose of the refiner’s fire is to separate the gold from the dross. The purpose of a threshing machine is to separate the wheat grain from the chaff. A wounded oyster does not give up and die; it covers up the ugliness of the broken shell with a beautiful pearl. Many times, things that are crushed or marred yield the sweetest fragrance. Jesus was at His greatest when He was on the Cross. His sweet fragrance went all over the world, and people are still enjoying that fragrance today.

The darkest night brings forth the brightest stars, and so it is with the children of God. If there were no individual crosses for us to carry, we could never wear a crown or appreciate the throne in the light of the Cross; but when we do carry those crosses, then the Cross of Calvary will mean life to us, not death. It will mean pure divine faith and pure divine love, and there is no weakness in that love. You will thank God for all the gifts and the help He has given you, for all the wonderful fruit and strength He has given you to enable you to walk just like Jesus walked.

Through these experiences of our own crosses, we find ourselves by losing ourselves. The Bible says, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 16:25). When we carry our crosses of agony and distress without grumbling and complaining, they become blessings in disguise. They are the raw material out of which glittering crowns are made.

Our crosses which appear to be defeat are actually steppingstones which allow us to mount higher and higher. Every time you come to a mountain or a valley, look for the footsteps of Jesus. If they are there, then you can climb that mountain or make it through that valley. If you do not find Jesus’ steps before you, then get away from that place because the Lord doesn’t want you to be there.

Press On

All the greatness the Lord brought is our foundation, and all the love and divine blood He brought are our bridge across the gulf of sin. Now, He is saying to us, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23). The Bible also says, If we suffer, we shall also reign with him (II Timothy 2:12).

The words to another beautiful chorus are:

Must Jesus bear the Cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.

We will never solve all of life’s problems or understand all of life’s mysteries; but by the light of the Cross, we will see in part and know in part as we enter into the fellowship of His sufferings and take His yoke upon us. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known (I Corinthians 13:12).

The Cross is our brightest hope, and it will inspire us to press on. But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13,14).

The Jesus Cross is powerful. It inspires our lives and takes us to lofty heights. It is our glorious victory and makes our pathway a great one of love, joy, peace and real life. Most people are trying to find life in every way but the right way, and many of them commit suicide because they never find it; but we know where to find life. We have the Holy Spirit, and He teaches us about the greatness of the Cross and about divinity.

You must learn how to use divinity; and the more you learn how to use it, the more fruitful your life will become for you and for God. The Bride is to be without spot, wrinkle or blemish; and only through the blood Cross can that happen. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27).

The Coming of the Lord Is Nigh

Jesus is coming for those who are watching for Him, and only through the Cross telescope will you be watching with no doubt. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them (Luke 12:37). We see the soon coming of the Lord, and we know we don’t have much longer. Time is of the essence. The Bride is about to go home; and Jesus is looking at her and saying, Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee (Song of Solomon 4:7). We cannot be careless with our souls or become lukewarm. We have to be wide-awake, on fire for God and ever journeying on.

Through the telescope of time, we can see that the Church fell away. They had it all in the early rain of the Spirit and then lost it. Now in the latter rain, God has a great many people; and millions more are waiting to come in. They don’t know all about the truth yet, but they are marked for us to win; and we shall win them. Then we can all go home.

The Lord wants you to stand, open wide your soul and take the anointing of the Cross—the same anointing and compassion that Jesus had. Dare to take it because there is plenty of room in there for all of it. Thus saith the Lord, I am here to fill you up to running over so you can bless others.

Yield to the Lord through the blood that stained the Old Rugged Cross. It poured down and ran to the whole world, but the world would not accept it; so we are taking it to the world now. That blood carries divine love, divine hope, divine forgiveness, divine strength, divine understanding and divine determination; and the Lord said that we are going to win millions of people in this last hour.

The Psalmist said, Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases (Psalm 103:2,3). We must say, “Lord, we will treasure your benefits, your anointings and the Cross like never before because we now have more understanding of the Cross and what it means to you, to Heaven, to us and to a lost world.”

Hell Is a Real Place

The Cross telescope tells us that hell is a real place. When Jesus was here, He described it as a flame of fire in the story of Lazarus, a beggar, and the rich man. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence (Luke 16:22-26).

When the rich man could not get what he wanted, he took on a missionary spirit; but it was only a selfish one. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him [Lazarus] to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them (Luke 16:27-29). Even in hell, he had a selfish spirit that was only working for his five brothers.

There is a hell to go to, and Jesus told about it: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:44). Many preachers and priests teach that there is no flame in hell; but if there isn’t, then there is no Bible to direct us to Heaven. The Bible plainly says, He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death (Revelation 21:7,8).

You Can Reach the Throne

If you are separated from God today, there is hope for you; but you cannot let the river of sin remain between you and God. If you do not yield to Him, His plan of salvation will not do you any good.

The hope of Heaven is one of the greatest treasures of our lives—knowing that one day all of our sorrows, heartaches and despair will be over; and we will be home with our Lord forever. We will walk with all liberty down the Avenue of Glory to the throne of God where there will be a place for every man, woman, boy and girl; but you first have to accept the Cross. You cannot get to it any other way because the throne is so far away.

The Cross is the only bridge that can take you across the river of sin and plant your feet in that city where the throne of love, gentleness, kindness and heavenly grace rests today. You may seek the throne, but you will never reach it without the Cross; the Cross has to come first. Only those who are justified, righteous and holy can stand before the mighty throne of God without any fear.

Made Nigh through the Blood

This throne of love is not the White Throne Judgment; children of God will bypass that judgment because of the Cross. We do not have to be afraid of the awful scene of judgment that Daniel the prophet saw. I beheld till the thrones were cast down and the Ancient of days [God the Father Himself] did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:9,10).

We do not have to fall into the hands of an angry God because the Cross bridge of Jesus has taken us across the river of sin, and the divine blood has brought us nigh unto Jesus so that we can see Him any time. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).

Your eyes must be upon Jesus, not upon people and what they might be able to do for you. No person or thing can help you bridge the gulf but the blood Cross of power, deliverance and victory. Like the Israelites, the true Bride must leave Egypt and dine in the land of Canaan. She is already before the blessed throne of the Lord and receiving so much from it; her needs are being supplied. She is so close to Heaven that she can call the throne at any time.

You must never forget the name of the man who died on that Cross; always keep it close to your heart and use it again and again. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). People have tried other ways to get back to God, but nothing would work except the love in the whole heart of God.

Jesus must be our everything, and we must follow hard after Him. The Bride is saying, Draw me, we will run after thee (Song of Solomon 1:4). She will not run after the world because she has left it all behind, and there is nothing to look back to. Jesus said, Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32). For one last look, she sealed her doom; and she has been in hell now for thousands of years with no way to ever get out.

However, for those of us who are blood-washed, the gates of Heaven will open wide; and for the first time, we will see the place we have been calling home since we found the Lord and came into the knowledge, victory, strength, love, power and greatness of the Cross. Then we will walk down the Avenue of Glory and actually see God the Father on the throne and the Son standing at His right hand.

Victory at Last

Thank God for such a Cross of mercy; we have found the road map for the way home. Do you remember when you took your first step on that bridge? You had finally found your way and had started across; but you wondered if you would be accepted, if you could really cross the river of iniquity and leave all sin behind. Then you found God’s grace was sufficient, and every step gave you more assurance until your foot stepped on the other side. Then you cried a shout of victory from deep within your soul because you had made it over, and it was the most victorious moment of your entire life.

When you were born new, crossed that river and left all sin behind, you became a new creation in Christ Jesus. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17). You knew you would never turn back and that Heaven would be yours one day because the Cross would take you home. You knew that the Cross was the first step and that the next step would be the throne of God. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

How many times have you called the throne of grace? Before you crossed the bridge, you never called that throne because you did not feel the need to. It seemed so hopeless to try to call across that large, wide span only to have your voice die somewhere out there in the distance without bringing any results. But after you had crossed the river of sin, you whispered, “Jesus, I love you”; and He heard you and responded, “I love you, too.” Then you thanked Him for His mercy and for saving your soul.

Now, you can say, “Father, in the name of Jesus I come”; and you will be right in His presence. You will have His ear, and you can tell Him whatever you want to. You can do your own praying and have your own individual fellowship with the Lord because He walks inside of you. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (II Corinthians 6:16).

The Lord’s hand is upon each child of God, and He has become your loving companion and guide. He is yours, and He is giving you armfuls on purpose daily in this last and final hour. You have left everything behind. Sin cannot draw you back, and the powers of the devil cannot entice you. You know that your bridge was the Cross, so you will always love that Cross and glory in it. Paul said, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Galatians 6:14).

Use the Cross Bridge

Sinner, Backslider, Lukewarm Christian, it is time to move; and you must not fail. What if you were to die without finding the Cross bridge and crossing that river of sin? When death comes, you will be rushed downstream; and hell will swallow up your soul. There is only one bridge to Heaven; so use it while it is up because one day, it will not be there, and it will never be rebuilt again.

Oh, Neighbor, walk across the Cross bridge right now by saying this prayer: Oh, God, help me to cross the river of sin today. Help me to walk over the Cross bridge, the Cross of blood that was shed for me. I confess that I am a sinner, but I am going to use the Cross bridge today. Through the blood of the Cross, I am going to leave all sin behind. I am so sorry for anything that I have done against you, Lord, for any sin that I have committed; and I believe the blood of Jesus that was shed on Calvary’s Cross washes away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in! Lord, I accept the Cross, and I am crossing over the river of sin to never go back to it again. I am on my way to the throne of grace. Hallelujah!

If you meant that prayer, the Lord has come. Keep Him in your heart; and one day, Heaven will be yours. It is a wonderful place, and Jesus made it possible that “whosoever will” can go.

Live by Faith

The unbelievable Cross works; and there are so many living, walking miracles that prove it. We not only believe in miracles, we depend on them in this Jesus ministry. It is not the will of the Lord for you to be sick or crippled; that is the will of the devil. However, it does not mean that you are not a child of God if you are afflicted; you are just living outside of Eden when the Bible says, The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). That means we must live by promise, and the Lord promised us healing and good health. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (III John 1:2).

I claim the promises of God and use them. Every promise has a condition, and I make sure that I meet the condition of every one. The God of miracles lives today, and the unbelievable work of the Cross will flow your way now as I pray; so accept all that you need.

The Lord will make babies who were born deformed whole, but you have to serve God and live for Him. Thousands have been healed of AIDS through this Jesus ministry, and we are having the cases documented because some people will not believe that God heals AIDS. I never doubted that God would heal anything, and the Bible tells us all to have the faith of God. That faith is a gift, and it is ours to use. We must use it just like we use our hands and just like Jesus used it.

Jesus showed the disciples how to use divine faith in the beginning of the Early Church; and for over thirty years, it worked. Unbelievable things happened, and they even raised the dead. Jesus is life, and He gives life. He came to Earth with healing in His wings. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings (Malachi 4:2).

Receive a Miracle

Lord, heal the people today of all of their diseases. It will be another great benefit for them to give you glory for; and it will let the world know that you are the living, healing Christ who came with healing in your wings. Lord, we are expecting greater and greater things and for every member of the bridal company of Jesus Christ to be lifted to lofty heights. You have healed so many little babies who were deformed. I know you will give a whole brain to those who have been born with just part of a brain, showing that you are the Creator. Do it now, Lord, while that mother or daddy holds their baby, and let them see the greatness of you. Heal those with AIDS and other deadly diseases. Heal! in the all-powerful, blood name of Jesus.

The healing power is flowing like mighty rivers just like the Lord told the disciples it would. Be thou made whole, and thank God for Jesus. Write and tell me what happened to you, and I will rejoice with you.