BEFORE & AFTER THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST

BEFORE & AFTER THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST!
(Sunday – August 7,2011)

The God of the Bible is the Only true and Living God, the Creator of the Universe and all living things, including mankind!
God is Sovereignly in control of all persons, all things and all circumstances and He rules in the kingdom of men!
God is at work all the time though unnoticed by man!
God is the same and changes not!
God is Righteous and Just in character and He sees the end from the beginning so He cannot make a mistake!
God cannot lie (Numbers 23: 19) and so His Word never changes!
What He said happened and what He promised will happen!
Man lost his standing, his communion and fellowship with God in Eden
Sin (big or small) still separates from God for God is Holy!
Man had to now rely on his five senses to fend for himself and defend himself and so became a slave to God’s enemy, Satan.

All God’s way’s and all He acts have been recorded and preserved for us in the Old Testament.
All that happened when God sent His Son, Jesus Christ into the world as promised by Him in the Garden of Eden in spite of man’s fall; and all that Jesus Christ did and promised have been recorded and preserved for us in the New Testament!
These two Testaments or Covenants form the Bible, the Word of God!
Heaven and earth shall pass away but His Word shall not pass away
Man is warned not to add nor take away from the Word. Rev.22: 18, 19

THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST DIVIDES BETWEEN THESE TWO TESTAMENTS OR COVENANTS.

According to the Bible BEFORE THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST
Man finds himself – (BEFORE CONVERSION)
Under Satan and Without God Eph. 2: 12
Without Christ Eph. 2: 12
No real life Eph. 2: 1
No Hope Eph. 2: 12
No Peace Isa, 57: 21
No Escape Rom. 2: 3
Bound for Hell - MAN IS LOST

According to the Bible AFTER THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST
Man finds himself – (AFTER CONVERSION)
Under Christ & God is his Father John 1: 12
Has Christ as Savior John 4: 42
Has Everlasting Life - John 3: 16
Has Holy Spirit to Guide John 16: 13
A sure Hope Heb. 6: 19
Has Peace with God Rom 5: 1
Bound for Heaven - SAVED

Many believers think that the O.T. people were so close to God and God seemed more powerful than today. They were not born-again believers.
We need to understand who we are IN CHRIST and then act on His Word and God will confirm His Word to you. Read Heb. 1: 1-3 and Heb. 2: 1- 3
We need to understand that there is a distinction between BEFORE
AND AFTER THE CROSS OF CHRIST!
Before the Cross- THEN After the Cross – NOW
The Holy Spirit was upon them The Holy Spirit is within us
It was their history It is our experience
It was Jesus of sacred history It is Jesus of sacred living
It was Christ with them It is Christ IN US
It was Bible description of yesterday It is Bible action of the present
It was revelation It is now manifestation
His example in human flesh His reality in our flesh
It was God in Christ – a Jew Christ IN our flesh – all races
God through Christ then Christ through us in our days
God sent Jesus Christ sends us as witnesses

JESUS CHRIST IS OUR EXAMPLE AND THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO AND TEACH WHAT JESUS BEGAN TO DO AND TEACH (ACTS 1: 1-4) LIKE THE DISCIPLES DID AFTER BEING BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY GHOST.
THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT REPLACE CHRIST BUT HE REVEALS CHRIST AS HE LIVES IN US & THROUGH US.
THE BOOK OF ACTS CONTINUES TO BE WRITTEN THROUGH ALL THE JESUS-MEN AND JESUS-WOMEN ALL OVER THE WORLD DEMONSTRATING THE DEFEAT OF SATAN’S DOMINION OVER MANKIND THROUGH THE NAME OF JESUS.

Believers. We need to grow up from being children, to being SONS/DAUGHTERS OF GOD and take back from the devil what JESUS CHRIST HAS PROVIDED FOR US THROUGH HIS PRECIOUS SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY!!!

We are HEIRS OF GOD and JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST!
Are you baptized with the real Holy Ghost? then you have received HOLY GHOST POWER as stated in Acts 1: 8
THE HOLY GHOST IS GOD. HE CAME ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST TO CONVICT THE WORLD OF SIN, OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT TO COME! (John 16: 7- 16)

JESUS CHRIST says, “ALL POWER HAS BEEN GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST! TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU: AND LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THIS WORLD.” (MAT. 28: 18- 20)

Often believers are running after signs, whereas Jesus Christ Said, “GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD, AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE. HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED. AND THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE: IN MY NAME SHALL THEY CAST OUT DEVILS: THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES; THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS, AND IF THEY DRINK ANY DEADLY THING, IT SHALL NOT HURT THEM; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER. Mark 16: 15- 18

Since we live AFTER THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST, let us rise up as born-again SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Col. 1: 12, 14) and turn our world (wherever you live) upside down, for JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE AND HE IS LORD!!
Margaret Wright