THE POWER OF THE CROSS AGAINST THE VEIL

Matthew 27:50-51 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. (51) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Luke 23:44-46 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (45) And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. (46) And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Jesus’ death occurred when the veil of the temple ripped open.

His death CAUSED the veil to rip.

• Hebrews 10:20 associates the veil of the temple with Jesus’ Flesh.
• His flesh was crucified and died.
• And so it is no wonder the veil is said to have rent when He died.
• And when he died, He said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
• Plainly said, He let go totally.
• His LIFE was COMPLETELY in the Father’s hands.

This morning I spoke about Elisha throwing the stick or tree into the Jordan where the son of the prophet, his student, lost his axe head.

• And I commented that Jordan was always the place of a barrier that had to be breached in order to move into ministry for the Lord.
• Israel had to cross Jordan to get into their promised land.
• Elijah left Gilead and crossed Jordan to minister in Israel.
• Elisha crossed Jordan after seeing Elijah leave, and he too ministered in Israel.
• Jesus was baptized in the Jordan and was then ANOINTED of the Holy Ghost to minister.

So the Jordan was like a barrier that was in the way of God’s people in getting to the ministry of God.

The cross has power against it to stop it’s hindering force.

They had to cross this barrier, and it was always associated with God’s power that enabled them to cross.

• Elijah’s mantle opened the Jordan.
• The ark opened the Jordan when Israel passed into Canaan.
• The Holy Ghost anointed Jesus in Jordan and He went in and attacked the temptations of Satan and won.

The Devil cannot mess with someone who has “crossed their Jordan” so to speak.

• It’s the flesh barrier.

And it’s like the barrier of the veil in the temple, because the veil of the temple hindered people from the full presence of the Spirit of God.

• The glory of God dwelt behind that veil in the temple on the ark of the covenant.
• And on that ark, the glory actually SAT on the MERCY SEAT.
• You could say it spoke of God’s HOME.
• The Book of Acts said they went from HOUSE TO HOUSE in fellowship.
• You FELLOWSHIP when you invite others into your home.
• It’s where you live.

So crossing the Jordan into a powerful Christian life is akin to passing the veil into fellowship with God.

Fellowship is translated in the New Testament from the same Greek word that is translated also as COMMUNION.
UNION is the root word, here.

• When you fellowship with God you come into close union with Him.
• Oh, you may feel His presence to a degree throughout your life, but when you cross your JORDAN/VEIL flesh barrier, you come into a FULL UNION with God.
• You fellowship with Him in His fullness.

Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

You are rooted in His love.

• Grounded.
• NOT EASILY MOVED.

Like Jesus, you relinquish your LIFE and your SELF into His hands, and you are crucified so far as your SELF-LIFE goes.

• And is Satan ever afraid of you experiencing that!
• You break into true fellowship with God.
• You are in FULL UNION with an awesome God!

Now, understand that God’s presence is filled with desire and will to reach souls and affect lives.

• So when you pass the veil and come into God’s presence, it means you suddenly begin AFFECTING OTHERS.
• You came into UNION WITH THE HEARTBEAT OF GOD.
• That is why when people crossed this JORDAN barrier, they began AFFECTING OTHERS.
• MINISTRY engendered within them a life of AFFECTING OTHERS.

Your little soul cannot be tended and cared for by the ministry of others forever.

• You need to get to your JORDAN as the minister who is tending you came to theirs, and start affecting people, too.
• You’re not intended to be preserved in salvation all your life without ever influencing others.
• Lack of ministry means lack of fellowship with God.
• We’re here to help you come to your Jordan and to cross over.
• Break it open with the cross!

1 John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (2) (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) (3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (4) And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Your joy is full when you fellowship with God because you were created to fellowship with Him.

• Union to Jesus means WONDERS and ACTION and AFFECTING OTHERS.
• It all goes together.
• God is not into containment of His compassion and seclusion of His Spirit.
• He’s all about affecting others.
• Coming into union with Him starts up a ministry in our souls and lives.
• Grab an electric wire and get a jolt.
• Come to union with Jesus and start ministering.

Hebrews 10:19-22 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (21) And having an high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

The flesh and blood of Jesus bring us in.

• How many know that when Jesus told them to eat the bread representing His flesh, and the wine representing His blood, He was indicating to them COMMUNION?
• And that COMMUNION was representing the TRUE COMMUNION of union to His cross!
• Your crucifixion with Jesus SAVED YOU SOUL!
• It was not one man who died on that cross.
• It was Him united in death with everyone who wanted to be free of a life doomed for hell.
• Hebrews says that this death of the cross TAKES YOU INTO UNION as though you PASS A VEIL into the most holy place.

FLESH is a barrier to you.

• And when I say FLESH I mean SELF.
• Self harbours doubts and unbelief.

Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The death of the cross to the old man is like a mythical crucifix to a fabled vampire.

• We all laugh at such nonsense of vampires and so forth.
• Remember how the old stories showed a vampire cringing away from someone holding the crucifix up against it?
• All of that is the results of some truths of the bible distorted and lost into some mythical magical idea that people write in fables.
• But the reality is that the truths of the death of the cross of Jesus slays your old man.
• The cross destroyed the old man when you were saved.
• But that culprit can rise up again and you can put on that old man again.
• And it’s the old man that is the source of doubts and unbelief and all the wrongs things in people’s lives.
• You need to take the truths of the death of the cross and slay those doubts!

Like Moses throwing the tree into the bitter waters, you need to take the truths of the cross and throw them into the face of the bitterness of your life, and destroy the bitterness that hinders you.

• Slay it with the truths that your faith in the work of Calvary’s cross united you to Jesus’ death, and you are crucified.
• When doubt starts rising its ugly head from the old man, keep it down by the cross.
• Crucify your doubt.
• Crucify your fear.
• Crucify your touchiness to people’s criticisms.
• THE POWER OF THE CROSS AGAINST THE VEIL!

That old man screams out its presence to you and hollers that you cannot enter God’s will for your life because it is there to hinder you.

• That is what happens when people hurt your feelings and you spend all your energies blaming them and stewing over them.
• You’re getting eaten up by them!
• That is what happens when you cannot see yourself doing great things for God.
• You need to throw the cross into that bitter water and crucify that old man.
• Claim the blood of Jesus against it!
• Destroy it!
• That means to declare you are crucified with Christ and that old man belongs in the grave, dead, instead of active and hindering you.

It’s so common for people to get into a flurry of finger-pointing.

• Satan is strengthened with that!
• You’ve lost it when you do that.
• So long as you blame everyone else, you will never deal with the REAL CULPRIT, YOUR “SELF”.
• (You thought I was going to say “Satan”).

Satan can only have as much power against you as much as you give it to him.

• And he RULED THE OLD MAN before you were saved.
• So he has power over you when that old man rises up and you wear him again.
• CRUCIFY IT!
• PUT IT DOWN!
• Your accusing mentality is the real hindrance.
• It’s part of SELF and the OLD MAN.

Colossians 3:8-17 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (14) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (17) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

So long as you point your fingers of blame, SELF IS ALIVE AND WELL to keep you hindered..

• If self was down and old man was gone, you’d never even flinch at the things people say and do to you.
• You’ll never blame a soul except your own soul for your depression and your defeat.
• You’d never have a flurry of fingers pointing everywhere.
• NO ONE ELSE CAN HINDER YOU BUT YOURSELF.

Crucified self means the touchiness is gone.

• Some have self in a weak enough condition, but yet alive, to where they start blaming others, and the new man is influential enough to convict you and make you try to stop the accusations because you know its wrong.

The cross destroyed the old man.

• So throw the cross at him every time he stirs up and hinders you again.
• Jesus’ death rips veils.
• Throw the cross at that veiling of your own flesh.
• It rips barriers that stand between you and your fellowship with God!