105th Live Stream with Carlton Pearson - Meaning of the cross

About this sermon

What could Jesus have meant when he said to his followers some 2000 years ago, "Take up your cross and follow me"? (Math 16:24) Do you think his listeners were thinking of Calvary/Golgotha, the place of the skull, or crucifixion when he made that famous admonishment? Or could the symbol of the cross have meant something else, both to Jesus as well as those listening to him back then? Cross symbols can be found throughout many cultures in the east. The most recognizable of these crosses is the gamma cross, or swastika, which first appeared in the Indus Valley around 2500 B.C and as we all know was later used by Hitler and his Third Reich against Jews throughout Germany and Eastern Europe. Archaeologists believe it originally represented the sun, flame or fire, and became a symbol of sacred life. The gamma cross spread from the east to the Middle East and west throughout history. The gamma cross is still commonly used in Buddhism and Hinduism. Throughout India, Persia, Syria and Egypt, the cross symbol has been discovered countless times in ancient culture. The most commonly recognized cross from this region is the Tau, or Egyptian cross. The Tau cross gets its name from its resemblance to the letter T in Greek lettering. This cross can frequently be seen in Egyptian culture, along with its variation, the Ankh, which is a Tau cross with a loop on the top. These symbols were adopted by the Copts in Egypt, a modern religious group that teaches that Christ is divine. The Tau cross today is commonly associated with St. Francis and the Franciscan order and other Christian disciplines. Enjoy this revealing discussion on the meaning or meanings of the cross and how it is even the chosen sign of violent so-called Christian groups like the KKK. Even the word Crusade or crusades, where hundreds of thousands were massacred in the name of Christianity, is derived from the Latin word for cross which is cruz. Surely that's not what Jesus was referring to in his mention of the cross, eh? What if he wasn't referring to the violent manner in which he was crucified either. Could the cross mean something other than violence and death? Carlton Pearson After college at the Oral Roberts University in Tulsa Oklahoma he served for 15 years on its Board of Regents, and two years as Associate Evangelist of The Oral Roberts Association, (ORA). In 1977, Pearson founded Higher Dimensions Ministries (now New Dimensions ), in Tulsa, which grew to over 5,000. Bishop Pearson was consecrated to the office of Bishop in 1996 thru a College of Bishops headed by Bishop Charles E Blake, presently the Presiding Bishop of the Churches of God In Christ, the denomination he was raised in and through whom he was ordained in 1971. In 1993, Carlton married the former Gina Marie Gauthier who is a professional Life Coach and Yoga teacher. More recently, he has felt a passion to proclaim the "Gospel Of Inclusion" and has written a widely acclaimed book by that name, published by Simon and Schuster. It confronts the Christian church's exclusivism as being inconsistent, in spirit with the teachings of Jesus. Pearson's frank and often controversial take on a number of different subjects has earned him appearances on television programs such as NBC and MSNBC's Dateline, ABC's Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley, The Edge with Paula Zahn and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The Monique Show on BET, and a number of other television, radio and print media outlets. Bishop Pearson was recognized as one of America's 10 Most Influential Black Ministers by Gospel Today and Belief.net. He has received several honorary doctoral degrees. Bishop Pearson recently served as the Interim Senior Minister at Christ Universal Temple in Chicago. He and Gina now host New Dimensions of Chicago, building a local multi-cultural and radically Inclusive spiritual community that emphasizes expanded consciousness and Self Actualization. His newest book, God Is Not A Christian, Nor A Jew, Muslim, Hindu...God Dwells With Us, In Us, Around Us, As Us was published by Simon and Schuster and released in the spring of 2010. Visit our Youtube Channel for more video! Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/bishoppearson Website: http://www.bishoppearson.com Join Email List: http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=cqgwpvn6&p=oi&m=1011112155650

Topics

• Jesus Christ