Off The Hook
The Cross Movement Lyrics

Your lookin' at an ex-crook
I have reformed and no longer engage in criminal activity

in fact, I'm lookin' back at the day I got off the hook
I reflect on the day when I turned away from my criminal past

and put the crookin' act back behind
I have left my criminal behavior in the past and moved forward

Man I got, no plans to rewind
I have no intention of returning to my past criminal lifestyle

I used to be blind - but now I see fine, with divine spectacles
I was spiritually blind, but now I have a clear understanding with God's guidance

Some biblical meats and vegetables, my level's risin' like cholesterol
I am nourishing myself with biblical teachings, and my spiritual growth is progressing steadily

best of all, I'm blessed to call God my father, I got arrested, y'all
I am grateful to have a relationship with God as my father, it is truly a blessing

Let me tell you how it happened, check it, y'all
Allow me to explain the story of my transformation

Though I'm tough like shoe leather
Despite my resilience and toughness

I always knew whether
I always had a sense of knowing

or not I did good, I always could do better
I had a moral compass and strived for improvement

Plus I knew a lot of fellas worst than me
I was aware of people who were in worse situations or had worse behaviors than me

I thought, "How bad could I be?"
I naively compared myself to others, thinking I wasn't too bad

Then I got a letter a subpoena
Suddenly, I received a letter summoning me to court

to pre-bema court trial. I thought, "How?
I wondered how I ended up in court for a trial

Of course I'll plead not guilty, I'm just a poor child
I assumed innocence and believed I could defend myself as an underprivileged individual

I figured, "No lawyers needed... the court speeded
I arrogantly believed I didn't need legal assistance and that the court process would be fast

they're mistaken, I'll take my own case and plead it."
I foolishly decided to represent myself and argue my case

Conceited - I figured I'd throw the judge one line
Full of arrogance, I thought I could impress the judge with a clever statement

blow his dumb mind and be out of there by lunch time
I believed I could manipulate the judge and quickly finish the trial

Dressed to impress with my best clothes on
I dressed in my finest attire to make a good impression

just then the Judge stepped in with a red robe on (hold on)
Suddenly, the Judge entered the courtroom wearing a distinct red robe, causing me to pause

this must be a dream
I questioned whether this was reality or a figment of my imagination

it's Chief Justice Supreme Judge Elohim
I realized that it was the ultimate divine Judge, Elohim

I'm feelin' sick like disease
I experienced extreme discomfort and unease

cause in His court we all fall short like midgets on our knees
I understood that everyone is flawed and insufficient in His court

My lunch plans canceled, I don't stand a chance He'll
My hopes for a quick trial and lunch were shattered, and I realized I had no hope

pull my file, I'm in distress like a damsel
As my file was presented, I felt immense distress, comparable to a distressed damsel

I'm shocked and in awe then my jaw hits the floor
Overwhelmed and surprised, I was left speechless and astounded

the prosecutor comes in and it's Mr. Law (Awww)
The prosecutor entered, and it was none other than Mr. Law

No more hope and now I'm waitin'
My hope diminished, and I anxiously waited for the proceedings

he's known for bringin' condemnation with his open statement
He was renowned for delivering condemning statements that left no room for defense

My heart is poundin' as he states what the charge is
My heart raced as he revealed the charges against me

"THE DEFENDANT'S GUILTY OF NOT KNOWIN' WHO GOD IS."
The prosecutor emphasized that I was guilty of not having a relationship with God

(Chorus)
Refrain: indicating the chorus section

I'm in trouble man- I better come up with a plan
Realizing I am in trouble, I urgently need to devise a strategy

Maybe I can make the dash
Perhaps I can escape quickly

Or give the judge a little cash
Or bribe the judge with a monetary offering

I know that I'm wrong
I acknowledge my wrongdoing

And I'm trying to be strong
Despite my efforts to remain resilient

But my rap sheet is long
The list of my criminal activities is extensive

So I'm singing this song
Therefore, I express my thoughts and emotions through this song

I found myself jammed in court and in short
I found myself stuck in court, to summarize

I was guilty of bein' filthy like men in sports
I was guilty of engaging in immoral behavior akin to that seen in professional sports

I was losin', the prosecution was relentless
I was losing the case as the prosecution tirelessly presented evidence against me

he pointed out the flaws in my mouth like a dentist
He exposed the flaws of my speech and language just as a dentist examines teeth

He exposed my very words
He revealed and scrutinized the content of my own statements

gave the court a record of every dirty joke and every curse word
He presented transcripts containing all the offensive jokes and profanity I had uttered

More error when he picked my mind like a psychiatrist
He delved into my thoughts and psychological state similar to a psychiatrist

the jury's buyin' it, they're gettin' mad like a scientist (There's a door)
The jury was persuaded by the prosecution's arguments and became angry, like a provoked scientist

You know I'm eyein' it, better tryin' split
I noticed an exit door and considered making a hasty escape

cause Mr. Law rules with an iron fist
The strict rules and authority of Mr. Law cannot be taken lightly

I'm not a chump but I know I gotta run
I am not a coward, but I understand the need to flee

but I'm not dumb, I see that guard and he's gotta gun!
But I am not foolish, I noticed the armed guard stationed nearby

No one's laughin' not a one
No one is finding this situation humorous, not a single person

He pulled out x-rays of my heart and I don't know where he got em' from
The prosecutor presented x-rays of my heart, and I wondered where he obtained them

He labeled me a thug, I screamed, "I WAS NOT!"
He branded me as a criminal, and I vehemently denied it

Objection overruled, then he pulled out my mug-shot
My objection was dismissed, and he proceeded to present my mugshot

showed the jury me and my boys at the drug spot
He showed the jury a photo of me and my friends at a location known for drug activity

and the bus stop smokin' much pot in a rough spot
The picture depicted us smoking marijuana at a troubled area near a bus stop

He went on, revealed the lust I hold plus I'm swoll
He continued and exposed my carnal desires and unhealthy physical appearance

cause He showed all the stuff I stole (the prosecution won't rest)
He presented evidence of all the stolen items, and the prosecution was relentless

He made reference to my sin-nature, pulled out mad evidence
He referenced my inclination for sinning and presented numerous pieces of damning evidence

Statin' ever since I was born I've
He stated that I had been prone to sin since birth

been fond of sin, on one accord with Satan like a Honda
He claimed that I had a deep inclination towards sin, similar to being in harmony with Satan

With justice on the trail He proved I was gonna fail
With evidence and fairness, justice showcased that I was destined to fail

put my motives on the scale (that's it, I'm goin' to jail)
He weighed and evaluated my intentions, which resulted in my impending imprisonment

Kind of petro, but yet I'm thinkin', "Let's go
I felt a sense of despair, but I still held onto a glimmer of hope

How bad can jail be?", But now they're screamin', "DEATH ROW!"
I questioned the severity of jail, but now the situation escalated to a death sentence

(Chorus)
Refrain: indicating the chorus section

This is ill yall
This situation is distressing, everyone

Yo, it's for real yall
I'm emphasizing that this is a serious matter, everyone

Can't you see that I'm doomed
Can't you perceive the dire circumstances I find myself in

And I'm about to be consumed
I am on the verge of being utterly destroyed

So young
Despite my youthfulness

But sin has got me so strung
The grip of sin has ensnared me completely

I'm about to cry
I am overwhelmed and on the verge of tears

Because I'm about to die
Due to the impending death sentence, I am filled with fear and despair

I'm still in court and in my mind thoughts of death sink
I remain in the court mentally, contemplating the impending death penalty

By now I'm funky, I'm hungry plus my breath stinks
At this point, I feel physically and mentally exhausted, hungry, and have unpleasant breath

The Judge, jury, even I'm convinced
Even I, along with the Judge and jury, believe in my guilt

I'm guilty of law-breakin' and it's all makin' sense
I now acknowledge my guilt and understand the evidence against me

You and I only look good to the human eye
Our appearances may deceive human observers, but it doesn't change our true nature

man bein' basically good is a human lie
The notion that humans possess inherent goodness is a falsehood

I'm thirsty, but not for water, for mercy
I am spiritually thirsty, yearning for mercy rather than physical thirst

I'm unworthy, the whole court room heard me
I acknowledge my unworthiness, and the entire courtroom recognized it as well

The Judge stood with the law book they all looked
The Judge, holding the law book, garnered everyone's attention

and saw what blew their minds as the one who made the law took
They were astonished as the Lawmaker Himself surrendered His position

off His robe, and became the substitution
He removed His robe and became the substitute for my punishment

off we strolled to the place of execution
We walked together, heading towards the location of punishment

Gave me a pardon instead let them bruise Him
Instead of punishing me, He granted me forgiveness and allowed Himself to be mistreated

justified me and let the law accuse Him
He declared me righteous and took on the blame for my sins

They gripped Him, stripped Him, whipped Him
They tightly held onto Him, removed His garments, and lashed Him

They saw thorns and picked Him they sticked Him
They noticed thorns and pressed them onto Him, causing them to penetrate His skin

He made Himself the victim
He willingly made Himself the sacrificial offering

I felt the pain, I walked home in the rain
I experienced deep emotional pain and walked home in the midst of precipitation

changed not the same
After that experience, I underwent a transformation and was no longer the same person

because I knew I should have got the blame
I recognized that I deserved the blame for my actions

How could I complain?
I had no grounds for complaint

I wept on my bed, when on my pillow I found a letter and it read,
I cried on my bed, and then I discovered a letter on my pillow, which contained the following words:

"I BLED, - ALL BECAUSE I LOVE YOU
"I shed my blood entirely because I love you

MY BLOOD WAS SHED, ALL BECAUSE I LOVE YOU
"I voluntarily shed my blood as a symbol of my love for you

THEY KILLED ME INSTEAD ALL BECAUSE I LOVE YOU
"Instead of punishing you, they took my life because I love you

I AROSE FROM THE DEAD, ALL BECAUSE I LOVE YOU."
"And I resurrected from death, solely because I love you"

"He's Alive!" I thought that He'd be back
His resurrection surprised me, as I initially expected Him to return

at the morgue tears poured, then I hear tap
I shed tears at the morgue, then I heard a tapping sound

at the door unexpected
There was an unexpected knock at the door

but, Yup, you guessed it
As expected, it was Him

He had resurrected!
He had indeed resurrected

He came in my heart and blessed it
He entered my heart and bestowed His blessings upon me

Love manifested
Love became evident in my life

though I wear jeans and not the double-breasted
Despite my casual appearance in jeans, not formal attire

I praise God I got arrested
I thank God that I went through that transformative experience

cause I had just heard of Him
Because it was through that experience that I first learned about Him

now I'm a son, not a distant relative
Now I have become a beloved son instead of being a distant relative

like a third cousin, word brethren
Like a distant cousin, we are now connected as spiritual brothers

Get a load of me I'm free
Witness my transformation, I am now free

I'm property of the only God who died for me
I belong to the one true God who sacrificed Himself for my sake

I can see a whole society who need to cop a plea
I am aware of an entire society that needs to surrender and seek forgiveness

Sin's got the lock, but God's got the key
Sin may have control, but God has the solution and freedom

(Chorus)
Refrain: indicating the chorus section

Look now No more crook now
Now behold, I am no longer a criminal

Close the book now
The chapter of my criminal past is closed

My sins are took now
My sins have been forgiven and removed

No more death row
I am no longer facing a death sentence

No more death yo
There is no longer a threat of death

Come what ever
Regardless of what may come

in Christ I'll live forever
Through my faith in Christ, I will have eternal life

Forever off the hook
I am permanently free from guilt and punishment