From Grace to Grace Bible Studies

By Kermit Hall

Lesson O

Crossing Over

My wife (Pat) and I visited a close friend in the hospital; while there we prayed again for our friend's future hip replacement surgery. After we prayed, I thought about how she would be able to walk and enjoy her independence that she had lost in her affliction. But first, she had to get through the surgery; this would be the climax of her problem and after that it was going to be a slow and painful recovery. This situation resembles a person’s life: We go through a lot of afflictions that force us to endure without choice, while in other situations we have a choice to give up or endure. If we endure, we’ll rejoice in our new found freedoms, but if we chose to get out of the growth and learning process we will not enjoy what could have been great independence.

Sometimes enduring a trial or test and not knowing our future with God can be troubling, but in our search we make it to the other side to discover his dreams were better for us than our own. This was the case with Joshua.

Joshua: If You want the Blessing, You must Cross Over to the Other Side

The great leader, Moses sent from God to deliver Israel out of their afflictions and slavery, died and it was up to Joshua to finish the task of leading God’s people to the other side of the Jordan where the promised land was waiting. As they approached the river it looked impossible to cross, especially when they discovered it was at flood stage. But it was the will of God for them to cross over. They soon learned that God doesn’t look at things the way men do. It was in God’s timetable to cross this river on this date. It was a time for testing God’s faith and Joshua passed with flying colors. God said do it and Joshua believed God would do what he said.

Joshua 1:2-7 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them… Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

Don’t look to the right, don’t look to the left, focus on God’s will and cross over. Jesus also had to cross over his own river. If God’s people were to be saved from their sins, Jesus had to cross over. It was on the cross that he crossed over; he was alone when he was beaten to a pulp, whipped like cream, bruised and battered as a rag doll in the mouth of a pit bull, but still he had notcome to his crossing. He dreaded the cross and had second thoughts, but he prayed and never the less he submitted to God’s will. We are not alone when it comes to dreading our crossing over but it is on the other side of your Jordan that God will cause you to receive your promise. Just like Jesus, we know it is something we must do.

But once Jesus went thorough it, things changed in a magnificent way; His blood purchased the joy that was set before him{the Church, you and I}, he took away the keys of death and hell, removing the sting of death and the victory of hell, he received a glorified body where he could come and go, even through walls and locked doors and received his place on the throne of heaven.And by giving his life, he earned my full trust in his love, will and purpose for my life.

Crossing Over is a Fact of Life.

Each and every one of us will eventually be forced to cross over many obstacles in life. As sinners, we crossed over by repenting, being baptized in Jesus' name, and receiving the Holy Spirit. We crossed over from the natural, sinful man to the new spiritual man. Because Jesus crossed over, we know that he has the power to get us across.

From the beginning of a trial or test unto the end of it, we are in the process of crossing over. Think on this: Even when we are passing through many trials, we are still in the process of being pruned or purged by fire, which is crossing over from not having spiritual fruits to having spiritual fruits. We cross overfrom sickness unto healing, from financial problems to prosperity, from being out of our mind as the prodigal until we come to our senses, from being persecuted to being lifted up, and from getting old until the point of dying and living for eternity. But with each crossing comes the fulfillment of a promise.

We must Cross Over into the Blessings in Order to Share the Blessings

After we have suffered, labored and crossed from one point in life to another, we can begin to give great blessing to others as Jesus gave us. As we endure the crossing over, we receive greater faith. Peter was weak when he denied the Lord three years into his ministry, but he was converted (or crossed over) into the power of the new birth and had greater faith and courage. His faith stood out when he said it is better to please man than to please God. He chose God and when he came from praying in the temple, there was a lame man waiting for him. Peter's faith caused him to reach for the lame man, and when the lame man reached back he began to leap and dance before the Lord in his healing.

Crossing over increases our faith and God gives us a choice to cross over or back away. We must cross over and not run. It is instinctive for a man to fight or flight. In serving God, the faithful don’t have an instinct to flight, but they stand in faith and fight. With greater faith we are able to give greater blessings to others through bible studies, witnessing, and praying for the sick.

When We Received the Holy Spirit We Received Power

But to use that power we must have faith. Enduring trials, tests, and afflictions produces a higher level of faith.

The disciples had crossed over and were able to bless others. Acts 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. Peter crossed over, he was converted and his faith plowed through the darkness that harms people’s lives. Even his shadow was full of faith. The shadow may represent our children. Children grow up in the shadow of our faith, leaning on the Lord and standing strong without crutches of worldly support or beds of welfare to lie in. They position their trust in the Lord.

Then We will Cross Over to be with Jesus Christ Forever.

The last Passover will be death. Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

1 Cor 15:54-58 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We are going to have a glorified body that is not made of flesh and blood; we will never know sin again; we will eat at a feast that is beyond our wildest dreams; we will live with Jesus for ever more.

Our prayers pass through the roof of our homes, through the atmosphere, past the asteroid belt, into the solar system going into the very chambers of God. But after we die, it will not be our prayers that ascend into the universe but those that we have won to Christ, for they too shall cross over with Jesus.

Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee to rescue a man possessed of the devil. Mark 5:1-19 They came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,… he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. … And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. Jesus is the perfect example for us to imitate and he crossed over to rescue a man from living in torment. We too must be ready to cross over to rescue the lost.

Questions

1. Moses my servant is dead; now therefore _ _ _ _ _ , go _ _ _ _ this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the _ _ _ _ which I do _ _ _ _ to them.…

2. Be ______and of a good ______: Joshua 1:2-7

3. Acts 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the _ _ _ _ into the streets, and laid them on _ _ _ _ and couches, that at the least the ______of Peter passing by might overshadow some of _ _ _ _ .

4. Gal 6:8 he that ______to his flesh shall of the flesh reap ______; but he that ______to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap _ _ _ _ everlasting.

5. 1 Cor 15:54-58 So when this ______shall have put on incorruption, and this ______shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, _ _ _ _ _ is swallowed up in ______. death, where is thy _ _ _ _ _ ? O grave, where is thy ______? The _ _ _ _ _ of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

6. But ______be to God, which giveth us the ______through our Lord Jesus Christ.

7. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye ______, ______, always abounding in the _ _ _ _ of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your ______is not in vain in the Lord.

8. And they came _ _ _ _ unto the _ _ _ _ _ side of the sea,

9. True or False: Jesus went over to deliver a demon possessed man.

10. True or False: The demon possessed man refused to go with Jesus.

11. True or False: Jesus told the delivered man to go home and witness to his family.

12. True or False: Enduring Afflictions will not give us any faith.

13. True or False: Going through trials will help us to help others.

14. True or False: Joshua had to cross over to get the promise for God’s people.