Hearing God's Voice (2): The Cross

It is in this moment good to say that there is no beginning that comes into existence without an ending and there is no ending that comes into existence without a beginning. Yes, life and death are not good and bad things but two halves of one process; life and death are both crucial for the continuity of reality.

The cross is a symbol which doesn't just represent what one man did 2,000 years ago but a symbol of the transformational and evolutionary process of life itself. It is a symbol which tells us exactly how God designed the nature of the universe; it is a symbol which expresses the highest degree of love.

'Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ' John 15:13

When we begin to meditate on the cross and adopt the mindset of the cross, immediately, our environment becomes cultivated in such a way that the sound of God's voice becomes very apparent to us. We begin to realize that the end of one thing provides the opportunity for a new and greater thing to begin. The cross does not just speak of death but it speaks of life in the most transcendental way.

Friends, let us observe the humble caterpillar who cannot begin its lofty existence unless it lets go of the soil. Let us observe the serpent in the grass which will undoubtedly perish if it does not shed its old skin and replace it with the new. Let us observe the bear in the woods who must shed its winter fur in order to survive the incoming summer heat.

Truly, beginnings and endings are part of the process of life. Constant transformations, evolutions, are necessary for reality to be sustained. Life is filled with continuous dying and resurrecting in many ways and forms and Jesus came to teach us that in the most transcendental way. In order for one to truly have control of life, to harmonize oneself with the sound God, one must know to let go.

'“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”' John 10:17-18

Jesus Christ, the son of the most high, did not come to preach a message which was unheard of or first of its kind but he came preach a message which is clearly evidenced in all of nature; in all of the universe. Let us remember the Apostle Paul:

'For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ' Romans 1:20

Germination

Observe the humble seed, which cannot begin its life as a mighty tree unless it lets go of its life as the seed. Observe the humble tree, which cannot begin its life as a mighty forest unless it lets go of its life as a tree. Truly, evolution happens in the process of beginnings and endings, deaths and rebirths, in the process of letting go. There is no way to become more than what we are without letting go of what we once were. Listen to the son of God:

'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ' John 12:24

My friends, lovers of the light and truth, observe the majestic sun at the centre of our solar system, which burns itself to the glory of our survival and continuity of our existence. The sun is the greatest reminder of love and generosity because for every ray of light we gain is a ray of light the sun loses. Ultimately, at the climax of its day, the sun dies to its existence as a sun and resurrects to a new life as a 'forest' of many more suns and planets. Today, we call this 'supernova'.

Supernova

Indeed, Jesus Christ came to preach the gospel of the supernova, he came to teach us how to be lights of the world, he came to teach how to become SUNS! Of what value is a chef if there is no one to taste his food? Of what value is a dancer if there is no one to be graced by the ebb and flow of her limbs? Of what value is a painter if no one can be inspired by his strokes? Of what value is light with nothing to illuminate?

Unquestionably, when the bible speaks of a person who is blessed, it is not in respect to one who has much for themselves but in respect to how much others can gain from that which one has. A man cannot be called blessed if he does not pick up the cross daily, a man who rejects the cross rejects the voice of God; rejects the voice of nature.

'For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame— who set their mind on earthly things. ' Philippians 3:18-19

Observe the name Yeshua, which means 'salvation', and how it doesn't testify of a person saving himself but saving others. Observe the name Noah, which means 'comforter', and how it doesn't testify of a person comforting himself but comforting others. Observe the name Moses, which means 'drawn out', and how it doesn't testify of a person drawing himself out but drawing his nation out of spiritual slavery and darkness.

One can only be called blessed when their life is a blessing unto others, one can only truly live when they give their life for the benefit of others. Indeed, the immortal Christ made no mistake in saying:

'For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ' Matthew 16:25

Often times one might read this scripture and assume that Jesus is asking people to go and be physically butchered for him but life, breath, goes beyond the life within the physical body. The word here translated as 'life' is the greek word 'psucho' or 'psyche', and it literally means 'breath'.

What is breath and why did Jesus use it to preach about the cross? Is it possible for a person to breathe in (life) if they don't first breathe out (death)? Is it possible for a person to breathe out (death) if they don't first breathe in (life)? Can one take oxygen from the planet without giving carbon dioxide back to it? Is it possible to continue living if one does not give away their breath?

Breath, life, can represent so many things and goes beyond just life in the body. When a mother sacrifices her career to ensure that her child receives the most care and attention that it needs, is that not breath? When a father sacrifices the opportunity to purchase the cars and houses his peers are buying, just so that his children can have quality education, is that not breath?

When a person is supremely hurt by their lover, friend or sister, but chooses forgiveness instead of vengeance because she recognizes the pain the other person is feeling, is that not breath? Is forgiveness not something we give? Does it not cost us? Can a person establish a company without capital? Is that not breath? Can the company be sustained if consistent input is not injected into it? Is that not breath?

Indeed, to give ones life, to pick up the cross, is not necessarily about being whipped on the podium or being crucified just as Jesus was but is about giving what we have for others to benefit. It is about contributing to the continuity of the world around us. It is about letting go so that there can be room for us to receive even more.

Your patience is something you have, it is your life, it is your breath. Your time is also something you have, it is your life, it is your breath. Your forgiveness- humility, money, kindness, career, love, and anything which is of value to us is also our life and our breath. Has there been anyone who multiplied their money without it being invested? Can a seed multiply unless sown into ample soil?

Imagine if the whole world adopted this mindset, will anyone lack anything? If everyone was a brother's keeper will anyone be destitute? If we allowed our pride, greed, anger, shame, malice, pain, go to the cross, would the world not be transformed?

Indeed, because we as people hold onto our breath, because we refuse to let go of what is valuable to them, not only do we disconnect ourselves from the harmony of nature, the voice of God, we end up hurting our own selves the most.

'For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ' Matthew 16:25

What does it mean to lose one's life, breath, for the sake of Jesus? Is it about running head first into any firing squad we see so that we can tell ourselves that we are martyrs? What does it truly mean to be a martyr, to give one's life, breath, for Christ's sake? Who is Christ? Let us now contemplate upon this short passage:

'Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’' Matthew 25:34-40

When the Christ tells us to lose our breath for his sake, I want us in this moment to understand that this is not separate from us losing our breath for all those who are around us. We've spoken many times on here that the Bible teaches that the creator and creation are two halves of one whole and this passage here further emphasizes that.

In "the wrath of God", we elaborated upon how when the Bible speaks of 'sinning against God', it is not separate from us sinning against our own selves and our neighbors; seeing as God and man are not separate from themselves. We can't bless God without blessing ourselves and our neighbors and we can't curse ourselves and our neighbors without cursing God.

When Jesus speaks of losing one's life for his sake, he is telling us to be like the sun, to be like the tree, to be like the rivers, which live their life constantly giving; which live their lives constantly being a blessing. Has there ever been a sea that gives its life without becoming refilled? Does the sun not end up becoming greater in the process of giving?

Toucan

Interestingly, when a tree gives off its fruit, God, nature, has designed the seed in such a way that it is very difficult to be digested. So, when birds like the Toucan eat a fruit, in the process of flying around the forest, they defecate the seed of that fruit and aid to the continuity of the tree by spreading its seed all over the forest. Imagine if the tree withheld all its fruits, would it be able to multiply itself? Will it be able to become greater than it was? Certainly not!

For this reason it is written:

'Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it. Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”' Mark 11:12-14,20-21

The cross, loving, giving, sacrifice, is not a principle that just came into existence 2,000 years ago, it is a principle that all of nature is built upon. It is a mindset that aids to the promotion and continuity of life. It is only by giving away what we are that we can become more than what we are.

The moment giving ceases, the moment loving ceases, the moment sacrifice ceases, all of nature will instantly begin to perish. Imagine if the cow did not sacrifice its flesh for us? Imagine if the grass did not sacrifice its flesh for the cow? Imagine if the waters did not sacrifice itself for the grass?

Unquestionably, nature is sustained upon the back of the reciprocal sacrifice of all beings; nature is sustained by and flourishes in the presence of loving sacrifice. Everything must give for everything to receive. It is no wonder the Hebrew word 'Ahava', translated as 'love', literally means 'to give'. To the Hebrew mind, love does not exist absent the presence of giving. To love is to give, that is why it is written:

'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ' John 3:16

To the Hebrew mind, love is already associated with giving. So therefore, the significance of this verse is not in the fact that God gave but in the magnitude of what he gave. That is why John said "so loved". The nature of God is love, the nature of God is giving, the nature of God is sacrifice.

Jesus did not fall upon the cross because he was a guinea pig of the Father. He was not some experiment of some coward Father who was too scared to come down. Jesus himself was the father, shedding his life on our behalf. Behold the declaration of the Son of the most high:

'Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. ' John 5:19

If the Father was not the first to sacrifice; the first to love; the first to die in service to his neighbor, the son would be able to do no such thing. The father and the son are two expressions of ONE thing. The Father is the son and the son is the Father. God is the first servant, God is the first faithful, God is the first to submit himself and his life unto us.

Because this is the nature and the path of the Father, there is no one who can come unto him, unite with him unless they also adopt the same nature; same will; same goal. For it is written:

'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ' Philippians 2:5-8

Indeed, the adoption of a cross mindset, a giving mindset, a sacrificial mindset, is pivotal to hearing the voice of God; it is pivotal to the path of sonship to God. The cross is not something exclusive to Jesus of Galilee but something all of nature already exhibits. Jesus, and every other messenger sent by God to mankind only came to exhibit boldly what all of nature has already been telling us.

A mindset that is against the cross is already in disharmony with nature; it is already in disharmony with God. As we further develop this conversation on hearing the voice of the Father, I call upon all of us to begin to reflect on all that has been said; to begin to consider the mindset of the cross in order to make our environment fit to receive the ever speaking voice of the father.

To be continued...