THE CROSS OF HIS PRESENCE - Felix Obi

The salvation of man didn’t come on a platter of gold. Someone had to die on the cross for the sake of all. Though salvation is free, it didn’t come at a cheap price. Someone had to take up the cross for the sake of us all. Salvation still is free but its price tag is unassailable till date. Jesus had to bear the cross and went alone up the rugged terrains of Golgotha. Thorns tore through his tender scalp. Jagged nails seared through his lovely palms to fix him to the cross. He went through a most gruesome and slow-paced death on the cross. Dying on the cross is not as “sweet” as euthanasia or mercy killing. The victim pinned to the cross will suffer unimaginable pain till he breathes no more – he died in pain! Our Master has left a trail and a glowing example for us, urging us to take up our own cross and follow suit (Matt. 10:8; 1624).

How fashionable the cross has become nowadays. No one dreads it like before. It has become a trendy designer’s jewelry hanging as a pendant over the neck of both Christians, sports men and secular musicians. It glitters and have well-carved curvatures. The “Old Rugged Cross” used to be a hallowed symbol for it reminded Christians of their very beginnings, but it has now become so trivialized and denigrated in value both by Christians and the world at large.

The cross of Jesus had no legs to walk up to Calvary. Jesus carried it, and fell under the press of its heavy weight, as he trudged up to the summit of Golgotha. It was his only companion when his trusted and closest friends (12 Apostles) and family folks had denied, deserted and abandoned him. Not until the cross had fulfilled its purpose -the crucifixion of Jesus’ flesh, leading to his death was that the veil in the temple torn into two, thus ushering us into God’s presence. We may not expect anything less in our individual or corporate quest (as the Church) for the manifestation of God’s presence and his glory in our lives. The cross must be allowed to do its duty of crucifying our flesh and the rending of the veil over our hearts, so we can witness, and experience the fullness of God’s manifest presence. God will have to accomplish this by the outworking of his purpose and destiny in the Church so we can reflect his glory to the world – in healings, miracles and life of divine quality! But before we can do this, we need to first submit ourselves to the cross, which ushers us into God’s presence. The good news from Hollywood is that the Cross of Christ has received a great awakening through Mel Gibson’s movie, “The passion of the Christ”. Many who hitherto saw the cross as a designer jewelry have received a rude and shocking tutorial, and it will even be wonderful if the entire Church of Christ will become attuned to the life of the cross. When we unreservedly do this, the glory of God’s presence will become commonplace in the Church. Then shall we experience the glory, which Ezekiel alluded to as a river in the 47th Chapter of his book of prophecies:

“Afterward he measured a thousand,
and it was a river that I could not pass over:
for the waters were risen, waters to swim in,
a river that could not be passed over.
And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth,
which moveth, withersoever the rivers shall come, shall live
and there shall be a very great multitude of fish,
because these waters shall come thither:
for they shall be healed; and everything
shall live wither the river cometh.
(Ezek. 47: 5,9)

When we swim in the glow of God’s presence, uncommon miracles will become a norm and not the exception among the saints. Great healings and supernatural events will be experienced without recourse to man-made, self-help measures employed by desperate church ministers to keep their congregation from migrating to places where God’s power is evident.

The much anticipated end-time revival which the saints long for will not be possible if the intensity of God’s presence manifested by the church is at an all time low. The glory, which Ezekiel described, was not just ankle or knee deep; it covered the crown of the head to the soles of the feet. The temple of God, which depicts the church, was literally pervaded with God’s glory (symbolized by the river) that those who worshipped inside had to swim in it. What could be more consummate an experience, than for the saints to continually bask in the glory of God’s presence!
We also notice that the river of God’s glory caused trees to bloom and blossom, thus bringing healing to the nations. The Church’s glory in its full bloom will draw the world symbolized as fish, back to God. The life of the average Christian will be so attractive that many in the world would long to have a taste of the divine life for which we’re saved to showcase to the world!
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