The Cross Changes Everything

In the cosmic
spectacle that shocked the natural world and turned the spirit world on its
ear, Jesus won the greatest battle in history—the battle to redeem men’s souls
from darkness. In the shadow of the cross we see full light. In the cross we
see God in all of His glory (see John 12:23-27): “But God forbid that I
should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world
has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14).

Humanly
speaking, all thought of suffering and death is repulsive. Jesus agonized in
Gethsemane and submitted Himself to death on the cross. Life for the world was
born through His suffering. His suffering began in the womb of the virgin.
Christ took off His garment of glory and clothed Himself in the weakness of an
ordinary human. He was disbelieved, accused, abused and rejected. He constantly
expe­rienced men’s distance from God, and it grieved Him day after day. He went
hungry and thirsty, and was weary and without a home of His own. His suffering made
way for His glory. The cross gives us a glimpse into glory that is otherwise
utterly hidden from our natural understanding.

 Before you ever prayed your first prayer, uttered your first cry
at injustice, felt your first longing for God, felt your first sigh of despair,
He already answered. God heard you at Calvary, and He answered you completely
there. All your losses were compen­sated there. Consolation for every injury of
body and mind is in Him there. Provision for every loss and healing for all
disease is unleashed in His body on the cross.

There is justice, there is liberation; relief from
torment is there. There is wonder-working power in His blood.
That power is the glory of the Father as He abides in us to minister by His
Holy Spirit. The Comforter has come. He descends upon the Lamb and fills the
empty place: “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I
will hear” (Is. 65:24).

Human injustice and suffering, oppression
and disease are all evidence that we live in an imperfect world: “For the
creation was subjected to futility, not will­ingly, but because of Him who
subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from
the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God” (Rom. 8:20-21).

But now the blood answers, and God creates all things new. Our
perfect Father has made the way for the return of His glory. His Spirit comes
to renew the face of the earth. The blood of Christ is fresh and living. It
builds the bridge between the imper­fections of this realm and the perfection
of heaven.

The blood speaks. It answers the heart cry of your soul and
brings you to His glorious liberty. The power of resurrection is unleashed, and
we are out of our graves. The blood goes before us and we come along the ruddy
road following in the footsteps of the crucified one who loves us and gave
Himself so that we might find our way to where He is.

The blood comes along, cleaning up behind us and leaving no
trace of anything but glory. The mystery of miracles is the dual enfolding by
the blood and of the Spirit. This is the gift of the children of God. With Him
nothing is too difficult. No future is too bleak, no failure too far, no vengeance
too strong, no suffering too great, no violence too brutal that He cannot
prevail for you. And He does. This is the time for glory.

A mother brought her daughter to us. The daughter had been
violently abused to the point that the trauma could have shat­tered her
irrevocably in mind and body. When she came for prayer, I (Mahesh) waited until
I sensed the glory of the healer was there. Jesus is the re-creator. When He
does His work, He can finish it in an instant.

As
I sensed Him present to heal, I was aware that the mender of hearts arose.
Jesus the mediator stood between us. He stood between her and every­thing else.
Christ was between her and her pain, between her and the violence, between her
and the memory of her trauma, between her and all that had happened, between
her and the past and its shattered future.

Christ
stood in those broken-down places and began building up the gap in her wall.
Her countenance changed. The shadow moved from over her heart. As His light
began to shine from inside out, it was but a few moments before joy filled her
heart!

Within a week she contacted us and exclaimed, “This week has
been the best week of my entire life!” Before the young woman called, Christ
had answered from Calvary: “It is finished!”

This is the testimony of power in
the cross that releases the Spirit to heal what is broken and resurrect the
dead. Before we call, God answers in His Son. Step into Him more fully today.
His provision is as glorious as it is precious. And it is as pre­cious as it is
made fresh by His blood. He makes us the partakers. He makes us whole. He makes
us His healers.

The cross changes everything. In the cross is full light that
turns even the darkest hour into the most glorious display of God’s perfect
love and mercy. The cross is the epicenter of glory!

About the authors:·Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda lead a worldwide apostolic ministry, Chavda Ministries International (chavdaministries.org).
During their three decades of ministry, the Chavdas have led more than 1
million people to Christ while witnessing thousands of healings that
have included documented recoveries from terminal diseases such as AIDS.
They are the co-founders and senior pastors of All Nations Church (allnationschurch.us) in Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, and authors of numerous books.