
The Myth of Elevation without the Cross [podcast]
THE CROSS: Know it. Live it. Preach it.
God will never lift up those who stand in their pride but only those who bow before Him in humility (Psalms 145:14; James 4:6-10, etc.).
Running to a “revival” is not the answer. The reason people run to a “revival” is due to their refusal to deny self, take up the cross daily, and thereby be re-vived (filled with life!) daily – experiencing the resurrection of Christ each day in their personal lives as God has ordained (Luke 9:23-24; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12). A cross-less life is a life of defeat. A life in the cross is a life of victory! God is calling us to settle down humbly in repentance and adhere to His cross prescription. It’s only then that His victory is going to manifest in our lives, and not before. Going to a revival is usually for a feeling and not going to result in a solid forged foundation.
It’s important to not just share promises but also the divinely stated conditions God gives us in His Word. The cross message is nearly never heard in the modern church world and Jesus says it’s essential to following Him (Luke 9:23-24).
Grab this: Having difficulty overcoming? Let’s get a fresh dose of dying – of death and burial – and Christ will raise us upward into His victory! Read Romans 6. God will not raise us upward until we submit afresh downward – to His prescription of the crucified life! Romans 6 and 2 Corinthians 4:10-12, Galatians 2:20.
“Until I embraced the cross, I had no lasting victory! No seed-bearing fruit, like clouds without rain, all promise but dry bones within. Christ will only indwell a vessel emptied of self and only he can give complete salvation to overcome all sin to be enjoyed at the marriage supper of the LAMB. Til then we press in abiding in Jesus, so that he may work in us his great salvation. (John 15; Rom 6; Php. 2; Col. 3; etc.) I die -> He raises me up.” Jon Crane
Beware of the many counterfeits today who want to be raised up, resurrected, elevated and yet are not willing to lay down their lives in this fleeting world – to die. They want the crown without the cross but that’s not how Christ’s kingdom works.
Personal observation … I never so preach the cross message as when I am actually taking up that cross as Jesus instructed and as He enables by His grace (divine enablement). Also, there’s never such a fresh and powerful anointing from Heaven present as when this disciple is truly, presently submitted to our LORD in His cross (the death and burial He calls us to) so that He can raise us upward in His divine strength which is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Oh that God would make this constant in the lives of His beloved! Seek Him for this beloved.
Cross-less Liars
You not preaching the cross – the necessity of being crucified with Christ? Friend, are you perpetuating falsehoods? Are you regurgitating promises without their divinely stated conditions?
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Luke 9:23-24
Jesus placed the cross at the center of His kingdom and our walk with Him. In the above passage He clearly conveys that the cross is essential to following Him. Yet we hear little or nothing of this cross in the modern church message. AND, we hear SO much about elevation, the hope of victory, “God’s going to turn your situation around,” “your blessing is just around the corner,” etc. Yet no cross – no requirement to die, to lay down your life.
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
In Christ’s kingdom there must be first a humble downward descent before there will be a divine ascent.
The depth you allow God to bury you determines the height of His resurrection, His raising up in your life! (2 Corinthians 4:10-12).
The only way up is down in Christ’s kingdom economy.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12
Those not willing to humble themselves before the Almighty and die to self, will not be raised up by Him – here and now and forever.
Believing God’s blessing will be upon our lives without doing things His way – the cross – is a “lying” vanity.
“They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.” Jonah 2:8
Adding to the simplicity of the Gospel? No. – Those who truly have saving faith delight to obey their Master Jesus (Matthew 7:21-29; Luke 6:46; 19:27; John 14:15, 21; Titus 1:16; James 2; 1 John 2:4, etc.).
Jesus conquered sin by dying and we follow Him by dying to self, self-will, the self-life so that He might reign supreme in us. This is the way sin is conquered. Read this closely:
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” Hebrews 2:14
Here’s how our lives in Christ work beloved:
“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12
It’s hard not to get super excited at the thought of His resurrection and the one He wants to bring in our lives – and will bring as we lay them down!
A “gospel” that doesn’t include at its center the cross, is “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-9).
If it’s not elevation by God, by way of death and the burial of self, it’s a false and a demonic self-elevation. Beware!
“Elevation” is the new self-promoting buzz word and yet there will be no elevation, divine raising up until there is a death and burial. Listen closely – there is no cross in their message. They are “enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18-19).
Those who do not preach this cross of the original Gospel of Jesus, are “enemies of the cross of Christ” and have chosen the flesh, self-promotion instead of the promotion that comes from the LORD alone, above.
“(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: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” Philippians 3:18-19
Karen Cochran writes:
“The cross message is Christ’s truth! I heard a pastor say that Jesus died for us because we were worth it! What? This is the stuff that is being preached in the churches! No death to self! People are being elevated to believe they are great people! Not the message of Jesus at all. The way of the cross is hard with tribulations and dying to self. Paul said oh wretched man that I am. That applies to all of us! Everyday I see how much I am not like Jesus and the prayer of my heart is ‘more of Jesus less of me.’ I am certainly a work in progress. This cross message of Christ and His apostles is not very popular in modern day churches.”
God will only promote those who do things HIS non-negotiable way and no other.
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalms 75:6-7
Unless you are obediently going downward, deep into the death of Christ, GOD is not raising you upward and you are relegated to your own futile self-promotion.
God doesn’t raise up those who are propelled by and alive under their own strength and will power. He only raises upward those who are bowed down in the crucified life. The LORD leaves “alone,” leaves to themselves those who are no doing things His way which is the way of the cross.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn (grain, seed) of wheat fall into the ground and die (death and burial), it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (resurrection).” John 12:24
Those who don’t die will abide “alone” – without the resurrection grace of He who is “the resurrection and the life” – because they are not walking in faith in His resurrecting power of Christ but rather according to the flesh, to do their own promotion.
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” John 11:25
Elevation that’s not preceded by the cross – death and burial – is luciferian self-promotion. Check this out:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Isaiah 14:12-15
Self-promotion is a work of the flesh, part of the old man, part of Satan’s kingdom. Self-promotion is usurpish, conceited, and arrogant, foolishly pretending to be in charge, to be able to independent of the Almighty do as it pleases. Like Satan, all who operate this way “shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit (of hell)“ (Isaiah 14:12-15).
“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Luke 10:18
Satan was cast out of Heaven – violently ejected from the presence of the Almighty – for His pride. And, so shall all who follow in his steps, refusing to truly repent and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God – in being crucified with Christ.
Those who walk with Jesus, walk in the faith of knowing HE is going to raise them up as they bow down in humility before Him.
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:6-10
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Abiding
The Cross Imperative [podcast]

The cross is not about self effort but rather self denial.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
Dear LORD Jesus, please take all of me. Have Your way in this life.
“not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42
The cross, the blood of Christ’s cross is what He commanded we take up daily in order to follow Him (Colossians 1:20; Luke 9:23-24). The divine economy is a cross economy and that is the only way one can truly walk with the LORD, pleasing Him in all things. Pouring over the words of 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 is an imperative. Also reading Romans 6 each morning this week, prayerfully. Memorize Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14. John 3:30 and Colossians 3:3.
You have to die if Jesus is going to reign in your life (Romans 6).
Most men pretending to represent Christ are so busy telling people how wonderful they are that they don’t have time to preach that Jesus is the only “Wonderful” One and that we are “desperately wicked” without Christ (Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 9:17; John 15:5; Romans 3; 7:17, 24, etc.). The few true servants of Christ are known in that they preach the original Gospel of Christ which begins with us repenting, believing upon Christ, and then abiding, remaining in Him by denying self, taking up the cross daily and following the King (Luke 9:23-24; 13:3; John 15, etc).
Remember how Saul served God partially, didn’t count Him important enough to meticulously do His will, exactly how the LORD instructed him? Read 1 Samuel 15. Saul is ousted and so shall every half-baked fake “Christian” who makes excuses for their sins of ommission and commission – because they have not truly repented, flattened themselves before the Almighty. As was the case with Saul, so shall the LORD declare to all rebels – “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” and Hell awaits (Matthew 25:41).
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
Anyone who is not walking the way Christ mandated, the crucified life, is in rebellion.
“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23
Saul partially obeyed God and the LORD calls this unrepentant fake offering rebellion, sin, witchcraft, stubborness, iniquity, idolatry. Like Cain, Saul and his half truth partial offering to God were rejected.
Jesus says that to follow Him….
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Luke 9:23-24
Christ mandates your death and His reigning life in you.
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
“Until I embraced the cross, I had no lasting victory! No seed-bearing fruit, like clouds without rain, all promise but dry bones within. Christ will only indwell a vessel emptied of self and only he can give complete salvation to overcome all sin to be enjoyed at the marriage supper of the LAMB. Til then we press in abiding in Jesus, so that he may work in us his great salvation. (John 15; Rom 6; Php. 2; Col. 3; etc.) I die -> He raises me up.” Jon Crane
It seems that some among us have more faith, more confidence in themselves sinning than they do in God being able to forgive and establish them in His righteousness to overcome all sin. Jesus asks, “WHERE is your faith?” (Luke 8:25). It’s time to re-turn to the LORD, afresh, and to learn to apply the cross.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Recently I saw a clip of a pastor saying that the #1 reason God hates sin is because He loves us and sin separates us from Him. While these things are true, what is missing?
Of holiness, one writer profoundly notes:
“Holiness speaks more to nature than it does conduct. Good conduct is the spontaneous byproduct of the new nature of the new creation man through the cross and death to the old nature. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18). To preach holiness as conduct without the new nature through the cross understanding is legalism. Holiness is actually derived from ‘wholeness’ meaning the thorough transformation of the whole tripartite man (1 Thess. 5:23). So many of these ‘holiness’ preachers are preaching nothing but conduct under law. Law arouses sinful passions and causes sin to increase and was given in order to provoke transgressions (Rom. 7:5; 5:20; Gal. 3:20). They are enemies of the cross!”
#1 reason God hates sin – is not because He loves you…. it’s Because He is holy! (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8; 1 Peter 1:15-16). And yes He loves His people also. It’s time to let Jesus reign in all things and cease making everything about us. HE is first.
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. … We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:9-10, 19
Does sin separate one – anyone – from God? Yes. Did God cease to be holy? No.
“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GOD, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2
“Death” means separation.
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:22-23
How do we know if we or others are truly “Christ’s”?
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24
Interesting how we never hear verses, divine mandates – essentials, imperatives – such as the scriptural truth below:
“Awake to righteousness, and sin NOT…” 1 Corinthians 15:34
There are a few ministries which declare “stop all sinning,” etc.. Yet how?
How can we possibly preach holiness, something nearly no pastor does today…. and not be preaching the cross, the crucified life as the only answer?
Yes God mandates, requires, and fully expects each of His people to “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Again, how? The crucified life.
The cross and nothing else is the LORD’s solution to overcoming sin. It’s only when God Himself is raising us upward out of the state of death and burial that victory is transpiring in our lives. Saying we are sinless perfection, praying, reading the Bible, going to church, or fellowshipping with other saints, etc. is not the answer. These are all important and yet the cross is the answer to being right with our God. Nothing else is the answer, nothing is the remedy for sin but the cross of Christ and the one He commanded us to take up (Matthew 16:24-25). There is no other divine prescription for victory over sin but the cross. | Sinless Perfectionism Rebuked
Any man pretending to be a representative of Christ and not regularly preaching the crucified life, is a false teacher (Philippians 3:18-19; Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14, etc.). Such a man is not teaching the original Gospel and so is teaching “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-9).
Make Romans 6 your spiritual meat each morning this week. Read it prayerfully, asking God to teach you His ways.
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4
YOUR PRAYER: Holy Father, I here and now repent of my wicked sin, my rebellion, my unbelief, not trusting You, self-idolatry, and spiritual adultery. Please wash and cleanse me now dear LORD. Fill me with Your Holy Ghost and use me Jesus in this last hour. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Cross Saturation 101 – Get Saturated Here |
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Abiding
Overcoming the Antichrists Among You [podcast]

Anti as in antichrist means in place of: It’s the “spirit of antichrist” working through Satan’s false ministers that robs the glory from Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 11:12-15; Colossians 1:18; 2:8-10, 18-19; 1 John 4:1-3, etc.).
“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” 1 John 2:18
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” 1 John 2:22
“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” 1 John 4:3
“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” 1 John 2:18-19
anti – a. Against, opposed to. b. Before, predating. c. Usurping, in place of.
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 2 John 1:7
We know when “that spirit of antichrist” is working through a rebel when he speaks contrary to God’s Word (John 8:47; 1 John 4:3). “That spirit of antichrist” – anti (in place of) Christ is anything that contradicts His what God’s Word says, working to subvert divinely stated truth while posing as Christ’s minister (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).
OBSERVATION: Jesus, the prophets, and Christ’s apostles never sought to change or reform the false leaders. They rebuked and exposed them and went about the Father’s kingdom business. See Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 34; Matthew 15:14; 23; Acts; 2 Peter 2; Jude 1. There was the hope of the false leader repenting yet only after being rebuked (Titus 1:13).
It’s a futile endeavor, a waste of the precious resources of our time and energy.
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14
More on Antichrists
Overcoming the Beast Within [podcast] | Support | STORE | Podcasts | Light of the World | Evangelism | Jesus, Light of the Word | Compassion in Light of Christ’s Soon Return | Striving Together for the Faith of the Gospel [podcast] | Prepared to be Used of God | The Return of Christ


Abiding
The Imperative of Private Prayer [podcast]

We must be aware of our prayers we throw up while they have no congruence with our personal life – when they are shot gun prayers void of the foundation of private prayer, private praying, and holy living.
Private prayer with God is an essential to set your life up for success.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6
Private prayer is essential to the disciple. Jesus reveals here that those who seek His face in prayer privately, will be used of Him publicly!
Are you at Christ’s feet? Do you live a life of prayer? Have you ever studied the life of Christ and beheld the many instances of His prayer life?
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35
“Solitary” simply means uninhabited.
If we want to assess our true spiritual state with God, we need only look to our prayer life or lack thereof. Show me a man’s prayer life, and I will show you who that man is! When God is truly first in a person’s life, all else will be demoted in importance!
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:4-5
Backsliding begins with neglect of our relationship, our prayer life, our life of prayer with our LORD and Savior.
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
I will either pray my way into glory, or I will not be there (Matthew 26:41).
“Hebrews 10:22: ‘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.’ This is how we are to come to God in prayer and fellowship. With a true (honest) heart that has been washed in the pure blood of Jesus, confessing our sins so our conscience is clear, and we are cleansed from the filthiness of the flesh. Then we can come boldly before the throne of grace! Hebrews 4:16.” Karen Cochran
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I return to You now. Please forgive my sin of prayerlessness. Break me LORD. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Moments with Our Master [book] 365 Day Devotional book available at safeguardyoursoul.com/store and amazon. English and Spanish.
See what others are saying about this devotional book.
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