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How Much Is The Cross Worth?

I found one diamond cross on the internet costing one million dollars. I’m sure there are others even more expensive. They come in all sizes and prices. My question is: How much is the cross really worth? What is the value related to the cross? Churches erect huge crosses outside for the world to see. People wear crosses, and in much of the world they are seemly everywhere. In many places however, they are banned and forbidden. What does it mean and what is the value? I have spent over 40 years carrying a 12-foot cross around the world. Some think I’m wasting time, and others, that this is the greatest thing one could do. It depends on what you think the cross really is worth. How much is the cross worth?
It cost Jesus His Life It was worth His All It cost the Father His Son It cost Jesus leaving the glory of heaven for this earth and getting involved in human life, yet overcoming all sin and temptation so He would be a Holy, Sinless sacrifice for your sins and mine. It cost Jesus suffering, being rejected, despised, beaten, spit upon, slapped, scourged; the Creator being crowned with a crown of thorns, the Alpha and Omega carrying a wooden cross, being nailed to the cross, hanging exposed for the world to see Him die… All for us!!! That ‘we’ may become the children of God; a part of the eternal Family of God through the shed Holy Blood of Jesus by repentance and faith. The Father saw the value of the Cross in giving His Son Jesus to die, that ‘we’ could be saved and cleansed and perfected in the righteousness of Christ! The Holy Spirit sees such value that He is present with the worst sinner doing the worst things, convicting and drawing that person to believe and follow Jesus because of the cross.
The identity of the cross and Jesus means death to the world and its ways, and a call and a glorious ‘YES’ to the way of the cross. We entered into the season of Lent last week with Ash Wednesday, when we focus on repentance and look forward to Good Friday and Easter! It is a time of reflection on our lives, and looking to Jesus, and sharing the message of hope, love and salvation. The common action is to make an ash cross on one’s forehead. At least we can make it in our heart. But the cross is not the End! It is the beginning of real life and hope and love. Jesus rose again on the third day and has ascended into heaven, and is at the Right Hand of the Father ruling and reigning over all heaven and earth.
Prepare your heart for Easter and forever by giving Jesus what only He is worthy of… ‘Everything’! Your life!
All I’ve ever been was just a donkey carrying the cross, that Jesus be lifted up. Will you join me in lifting up Jesus?
God bless you, Love you all, keep up the witness, Arthur and Denise Blessitt, Luke 18:1

Identified with the Cross
What do you identify with? Just look around and see how popular ads are. Sports figures, film stars, brand names, and look at how many people wear the name and number of their sports star or the name or a rock star, or even exotic tourist places. Why are there so many radical fans of their sports teams, etc? People pay high prices for name-brand handbags, perfume and clothes. Why? To be identified with something or someone. Look even at the church. What is it about church or religion that you identify with? Is it the music or the size of the building, the personality of the preacher, the activity program, or the fellowship with like-minded people? Think about it. What is it about Christ Jesus that you identify with?
Now read the following words from the Holy Bible I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives 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 But God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6:14 We are to be identified with the crucified Christ. We are to, as the verse above says, be ‘crucified with Christ’. As Jesus in the Garden put the will of the Father above His own, so are we to do the same. Our purpose is not to fulfill our own purpose and desires, but to put our will down and have it nailed to the cross, that the will and purpose of God be done in our lives. We die, Jesus lives in us! Glory. So through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ the world is crucified unto us and we to the world! The identity of the cross and Jesus means death to the world and its ways, and a call and a glorious ‘YES’ to the way of the cross. The follower of Jesus glories in the cross!
The follower of Jesus is crucified with Christ! The follower of Jesus is one by whom the world is crucified unto them and them to the world. As I have carried a cross around the world often I see Christians that seem embarrassed about the cross. Even in many churches the cross has vanished and the idea of suffering, crucifixion and us needing to be crucified with Christ is almost unheard of. However, should you believe the Bible and love Jesus, there is no honest way to avoid ‘the cross’. The cross is the centerpiece of the entire Bible, and for sure the New Testament. Let us embrace the cross and the crucified life and follow the Christ of the cross no matter what the cost. Come to Jesus and experience the power of the cross and you will then surely ‘Glory in the Cross’! You will love the resurrected, living, glorious and ascended Jesus seated at the Right Hand of the Father. In a world of people identifying with tee-shirts, flags, stars and popular symbols, you and I are to be identified with Christ and the Cross! I suggest you get “The Cross” movie and The Cross book and see the impact, emotion and power of the cross in the world today.
God bless you, Pilgrim followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt Luke 18:1

The Fragrant Offering of Jesus on the Cross!
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant (sweet smelling aroma) offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 I want us to begin the New Year with a moving and thrilling look at the cross. In the eyes of God the sacrifice of Jesus being crucified on the cross was a ‘fragrant offering and sacrifice to God’. In the very worst moment in all of history as Jesus gave of Himself and His Body and Blood, it was a sweet smelling aroma to the Father. For, in the love of Jesus as His love was poured out, it was accepted by the Father as payment for our sins. In the Old Testament read these words. Exodus 29:18 You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. Jesus was that holy, sinless, offering to the Lord. In His love, offering and sacrifice He made peace for us with God. Oh how glorious and wonderful. Now we by our lives and witness and love are to also be a sweet aroma of Jesus in every place we go!!! 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. As we begin this year, I look at myself and you can check yourself. Are you and I an imitator of God as His beloved children? Are you and I walking in love, as Christ loved us? (As Jesus gave of Himself a fragrant (sweet smelling aroma) offering and sacrifice to God) Are you and I letting Jesus manifest through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of him in every place we go? Sacrifice for Christ is glorious! Offering your life in serving others as you serve Christ is a sweet aroma! This is what the world is hungry for and needing to see; Followers of Jesus not fighting, judgmental, condemning and angry, but so full of love, sacrifice, serving, sharing and caring. But being in a group of Christ followers should be like walking through a flower garden! The beauty and fragrance of these Spirit-filled believers change every place they go, and impacts every person they meet. We were created to: triumph in Christ Have you taken up your cross? Are you triumphing in Christ? Are you a sweet fragrance aroma of the love of Jesus as shown on the cross? I have spent now almost forty two years with the wooden cross and Jesus has transformed me through the journey. I am still a work in progress but I pray I have, and am, and will be a fragrant sweet smelling aroma of Jesus every where I am. Through His indwelling Presence I am triumphing in Christ by His power and grace. I pray that I shall carry this aroma of Jesus to all the world just as I have walked on foot in every nation.What about you? Let’s join together in the community of believers in, and followers of, Jesus to be that witness and fragrance to our world today. Now let Jesus flower in your life and take the aroma wherever you go! Lead someone to Jesus this year! God bless you, Arthur and Denise Blessitt Luke 18:1

‘The Cross’ is Hope!
For troubled and unsure times there is no substitute for the cross! The type of hope spoken of in the New Testament is not the type of hope that people have hoping to win the lottery. The hope spoken of about Jesus means expectation, hope and faith. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:21 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
There is nothing better than putting your faith, trust, hope, future, eternity and life in what happened at the cross through the sacrifice and blood atonement of Jesus on the cross. Because of His victory over sin, death, hell and Satan we can rest in assurance that Jesus can and will meet our every need. From the Hope of the Cross we can live in peace and rest in our souls no matter what else is happening around us. As I have carried the cross around the world, it is like there is a holy bubble surrounding me, the cross and my family along the roads of the world. Often it seems that in a circle of about fifty to a hundred feet people feel ‘The Glory’. They are aware of the Presence of God and there is a change. I can see it. I haven’t spoken very much about this but it is true.
As you have welcomed Jesus into your heart, in you dwells the Holy Spirit and the Presence of the Father. You are the temple of the Living God. Your ultimate victory is won, thanks to the triumph of the cross.
I have seen this awesome Presence of God as I’ve carried the cross. In the movie “The Cross” about the crosswalk, the photos and footage from around the world is real. As the movie was shown in theaters earlier this year people wept and felt ‘the Glory’. Now it is being shown in churches with the same response. It is as if I was walking down the road and you stopped me to talk and I stood there leaning against the cross talking. It is the same conviction.
The anointing of Jesus is and has been upon this cross mission. Now you can feel this in your home as you and your family gather to experience the movie. When you give it to your family members, friends and business associates they will encounter the Presence of God and understand that the cross is hope and good news.
Pilgrim Followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt, Luke 18:1

The Cross in Christmas!
“She brought forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid Him in a feeding trough.” Luke 2:7
“Joseph took the body (of Jesus), and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock.” Matthew 27:59-60 There is nothing more beautiful than the Christmas story and the news of the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. I welcome you to the manger on that blessed Holy Night to see the Child lying in a manger. Now let your mind move forward thirty three years later, and let’s blend the two to see the story in context.
See the Baby Jesus clean and washed in His mother’s arms. Now see Him crucified, covered in blood and nailed to the cross as His weeping mother watches. See the Baby Jesus and look at those tiny Hands and fingers.
Now see Him touching the leper, the eyes of the blind and breaking the loaves of bread. Oh, see those hands holding a rugged cross and then see them nailed to the cross with the ringing of hammer against the nail!
See the Baby Jesus with rosy cheeks and soft tender skin. Now see Him parched from the desert sun as He fasts and prays for forty days. Oh, the soft face now dripping blood as He prays in agony in the Garden. Hear the slap from angry hands upon His face during His trial and beatings. His face now covered with spit and blood! See the Baby Jesus with his little bits of hair covering His head. But now witness that head with the crown of thorns cutting through the skin to the scull and causing even more blood and humiliation. See the lips of this Baby Jesus part and cry out for feeding as His mother comforts Him. Stand still and hear this Man speak: Words of life, and Words like no one has ever spoken. Hear Him saying “Thy sins are forgiven thee”, “Arise and walk”, “Lazarus come forth!” Years from that moment of birth those same lips cry out “I Thirst”, “My God, My God why hast Thou forsaken Me?” And there was ‘NO ONE’ to comfort Him!
See the chest of this Baby Jesus rise and fall as He breaths His first breaths. Hear the cry from the cross, “Father into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit”, and there is no more breath… just death! See those feet of this Baby Jesus soft and tender and ever so sweet. Look now and see this same Jesus walking from village to village preaching and teaching and healing and loving and traveling throughout the land. Now, see those same feet pierced with nails holding Him to the cross! See the beautiful back of that Baby Jesus. Oh, we must turn our heads from the awful, horrible view of the Roman scourge ripping skin and tearing flesh with each swing of the whip. On and on I could go looking at the beauty of that Baby Jesus, and the cost of our redemption by Him who never knew sin, yet became sin for us. But I leave you with this:
“His Face was disfigured beyond that of any man and His appearance marred beyond human likeness.” Isaiah 52:14
All of this for you and I. Jesus arose and ascended to heaven and lives and rules over all things, and is ready to hear your prayer and the prayer of anyone calling on His Name. There is a mission for us to ‘go and tell’; for the glorious news of Jesus to be shared with every person on earth. This is why Jesus came. It is for us now to get the thrilling news out.
Pilgrim Followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt, Luke 18:1

The Cross in Christmas! (More)
The message on the first Christmas was “Peace”! The need for this promise is still present on earth. The place from which this announcement was made – Bethlehem – is today, two thousand years later, surrounded by a mammoth high security wall. The U.S. is involved in two major wars with a number of smaller conflicts going on at this very moment. On a personal basis, many people have a deep need for peace in their lives, families and communities. Just listen to what is coming out of Washington, London, Cairo, Jerusalem and the U.N., and you wonder what happened to the message of ‘Peace’ at the birth of Jesus. Millions will go to sleep tonight with no peace in their hearts and lives. Here is the proclamation: “A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'” Luke 2:13-14 Later, as Jesus ministered, here are His Words of peace. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives did I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27 So, real peace is a gift of Jesus for His followers. This gift of peace promised at the birth of Jesus came to reality at the Cross. Read these words from the Word of God slowly and carefully.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:17 Jesus came to the earth that we might have peace with God the Father through the shedding of His Holy Blood at the cross. Now through the Cross we have Peace with God! Glory, Glory, Glory! There is nothing greater than this. Now we can seek peace with others: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18
You and I are to give the blessing of ‘Peace’ to others. We give it. We are not responsible for them receiving it.
Jesus said: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” Luke 10:5-6
I have walked the earth with the message of Jesus, peace, love and salvation. Into many wars and in talking with troubled people I have given my best to be a peacemaker. I look at the places I have been, and the wars I have carried the cross and the message of peace into, and I can only trust God for the result. Many of these wars and killing has gone on in spite of my efforts. I sought in many ways to help bring reconciliation and peace in relationships, and though often there was peace and healing, I have all too often seen the conflict continue.
We must not despair because the host of heaven that first proclaimed ‘Peace on earth’ did not fail. The message of peace is there for whosoever will! We are to offer the invitation in the Name of Jesus and trust Him for the result, and rest in the sovereignty of God. Peace was made at the cross and that peace can fill your heart and life right now. I welcome you to receive the greatest gift of all this Christmas. Welcome Jesus into your heart and life. “Dear God, I need you and I need your peace. As best as I know how, I repent of my sins and welcome Jesus into my heart as my Savior and Lord. Forgive me and cleanse me, and give me peace with God through Jesus Christ my Lord. Put my name in Your book in heaven. I forgive everyone. I am not ashamed of Jesus. Now lead me in sharing this good news with others.” Share Jesus with someone.

Give love and be a blessing to others in Jesus’ Name. Say, “Peace be with you!” to someone today.

Pilgrim Followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt,

Luke 18:1