The Cross, The Cross (and other hymns/songs of Praise and Worship)

The Cross, The Cross

~John H. Stockton~

The Cross, the Cross, the bloodstained Cross,
The hallowed Cross I see;
Reminding me of precious blood
That once was shed for me.

A thousand, thousand fountains spring
Up from the throne of God;
But none to me such blessings bring
As Jesus' precious blood.

That priceless blood my ransom paid
When I am bondage stood;
On Jesus all my sins were laid,
He saved me with His blood.

By faith that blood now sweeps away
My sins, as like a flood;
Nor lets one guilty blemish stay;
All praise to Jesus' blood!

This wondrous theme will best employ
My heart before my God;
And make all heaven resound with joy
For Jesus' cleansing blood.
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The Cross of popular evangelism is NOT the Cross of the New Testament. It is, rather, a new bright ornament upon the bosom of self-assured and carnal Christianity whose hands are indeed the hands of Abel but whose voice is the voice of Cain. The old Cross slew men; the new Cross entertains them. The old Cross condemned; the new Cross amuses. The old Cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new Cross encourages it. The old Cross brought tears and blood; the new Cross brings laughter. The flesh, smiling and confident, preaches and sings about the Cross; before the Cross it bows and toward the Cross it points with carefully staged histrionics - but upon that Cross it will not die, and the reproach of that Cross it stubbornly refuses to bear.

In the name of Christ, men have made void the Cross of Christ. The Church needs repentance and judgment.

How many millions of poor souls, who thought they were saved, will be lost when judgment comes?

~A. W. Tozer~
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Because it was not the Father's will that any should perish, Jesus was devoted to the rescue of fallen mankind - completely devoted to it. He did that one thing that would permit a holy God to forgive sin. He was devoted to the altar of sacrifice so that mankind might be rescued from the wages of sin.

Christ did what they could not do for themselves. He was the only One who could rescue them. He did so through love.

Our spirits were designed to communicate with Deity. All praise and honor and worship belong to God the Father, Christ the Son, and to the indwelling Holy Spirit. Amen

Jesus suffered rejection by man because of His holiness. Though He hid His holiness from man, man still knew there was something about sinless Jesus that they knew He was too holy to be received by sinful men. His holy life was a constant rebuke to them.

I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ saved me completely - therefore He asks me for total commitment. He expects me to be a disciple totally dedicated.

Joined to Jesus Christ, how can we be other than what He is? What He does, we do. Where He leads, we go. This is genuine Christianity.
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Christianity has lost its dignity. And we will never get it back unless we know the dignified holy God, who rides on the wings of the wind and makes the clouds His chariots. What do we mean by "dignity?" How do we approach God with the dignity He deserves? Read Psalm 104 and meditate upon the majesty and dignity of God.
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Our gains in religion have all been external and "the losses we've suffered have all been internal: the loss of dignity and worship and majesty, of inwardness, of God's presence, of fear and spiritual delight. Tozer was speaking to a previous generation, but many of his observations apply as well to the church today. Change can only come, of course, on an individual level. Spend some time in self-examination: Have your gains been more external than internal? Have you experienced a loss of inward communion with the Lord? What must be done immediately and long-term to flip the focus inward and allow the outward to come in God's time? Spend some time in prayer before the throne of God, confessing any luckwarmness of heart, and ask God to strengthen your inner life of faith.

~A. W. Tozer~