Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
Back in January 1999, I was typing at my computer, working on notes for my pastor for a book he is writing entitled “The Iron Kingdom”. The book is about Constantine. I came to several places where over and over again the cross was mentioned. Either as a sign or some history where Constantine’s mother claimed to have a vision and found a piece of wood with the actual nails from the cross of Jesus, where the cross was made a standard part of worship, and many other discussions about the cross.
As I was sitting there, I heard a voice say, “The cross. The cross. They hide behind the cross.” I then leaned back in my chair and I saw a vision of a house. There was a front door with an old-timey keyhole on it. I saw the door unlock and open. When the door opened, I walked in and there were seven doors all closed. On each one of the doors there was a title written on them. The titles were from Ephesians chapter 4, and were titled like this; One Body, One Spirit, One Hope, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, and One God.
The Spirit began to talk to me and show me about this house. It began with the “new birth” as the key to opening the front door. Once I passed through the front door, I entered the hallway with the doors on either side of me. As I opened each one of those doors, the titles on each one did away with wrong ideas about God. For example, these are the things that the doors represented:
The first door that was titled “One Body” made it impossible for all the congregations from different churches to be the body of Christ, because behind that door there was only one body of Christ.
The second door titled “One Spirit”, along with the third door titled “One Lord”, and the fourth door titled “One God”, made void the doctrine of the trinity, because there is only one of each, separately behind their own door.
The fifth door titled “One Hope”, made void the “get saved” doctrine because if we are saved already, there is nothing to hope for. “For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for what someone sees, why does he still hope for it? But if we hope for that which we do not see, then with patience we eagerly wait for it” (Rom. 8:24–25).
The sixth door titled “One Faith”, made it impossible for all the different denominational doctrines to be the “One Faith”, because there are so many and they are so divided with their teachings. Behind this door was simply only one faith.
And, finally, the seventh door titled “One Baptism”, made the doctrine of being baptized with water and adding a spiritual baptism of none effect, because there is only one baptism that God is requiring. And the question being now, which one is it? Jesus’ baptism of the holy Ghost or John’s baptism with water?
This was an incredible experience for me because what I saw shows what lies “beyond the cross”. The frustration or weariness I felt in my spirit with the words, “The cross. The cross. They hide behind the cross” was evident from the vision. I felt Jesus’ sadness for his people because they fall short of the blessings he has waiting for them on the other side of the cross, not realizing that if they press on and go beyond the cross, there is a mountain of knowledge, and rest, and peace awaiting them, that they cannot find without making this step.
The most important lesson here is the New Birth and what that means for us. The baptism of the holy Ghost, the “new birth”, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, is the key to entering into the house that God has built for His people, the body of Christ that He has created for us. Knowing this and experiencing it for yourself will take you places that you have never been before if you are willing to go “beyond the cross”. This is the Spirit that was sent down for us from the Father, the Spirit that makes us one with Jesus and the Father. That makes us one body, and give us the one baptism that “doth also now save us”, the one hope of being together in unity, and through the power of God, being kept through one faith, unto the one hope of salvation “ready to be revealed”.
I am so thankful for this testimony that was given to me by my Father. It has helped me to learn more about the kind, loving God that I serve and the love He has for His own people. I pray that we all can continue to be willing to learn more about our Lord and not succumb to pressures around us to be too afraid to obey His voice when we feel the tug to “Go beyond the cross”.