Does God go before us in our everyday lives? You know He does and I know in every way He Does. Just a few hours ago, less than twelve, I had just picked up my truck from the repair shop, expecting it to be pepped up and ready to roll. Well, it spit and sputtered a few times and then it dropped into its “I am here and ready to serve” mode, and it took off. The next time I turned the switch on, I was ready to go home, in fact, it was the time I was expected to be at home. You guessed it, it spit and sputtered once again. It sounded as if water was in the fuel and I knew it was very low on fuel. This time, it sputtered to a halt.
A few weeks earlier, I had made a cross for my new neighbors across the road, and delivered it to them to get really introduced. They gave me a card that had their picture on it and the card was very colorful, so I put it in the front of my day timer. Sure enough, in less than five minutes my new friend was sitting in the driveway with a five gallon container of fresh diesel. Was it God? Without question, and I am so accustomed to this sort of thing happening, that it seems it is as natural as breathing.
Which brings to mind a story that came with one of the last crosses that I had gifted to a young lady at my bank. She responded, “Oh, I needed this today”, which is one of the most common responses. But, it also brought this story that inspired me. “The last cross that I was given was from my Dad, who gave me a cross to hang in the car when I turned sixteen and got my Driver’s License.” What a great Dad for marking that momentous moment with a cross that has LOVE and protection flowing from it. Thank you Jesus!
Are you giving crosses away yet? It is all about blessing others and helping them strengthen their relationship with their Creator. And, maybe, one of the crosses you give away will lead to thousands of souls being touched. But, if it is only one other person who has his life touched, it will be a huge credit to your account in the Kingdom. We put this in the form of a prayer, and ask it all in Jesus Name.
What does the cross mean to the man or woman you might meet on the street? That depends where you are , North, South, East or West, but for sure the cross is the most recognized single symbol in all the world. And, even though many people would struggle to tell you what it represents, there are billions of people on planet earth who hold it near and dear to their hearts as it represents that intimate connection with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ . In a short thirty-three years on earth taking on human form, He accomplished so much, it changed the world and continues to do so through His faithful followers. Through this ministry, we hope to reach millions of people who have not fully developed a relationship as God desires with each person, and for those persons to be blessed through the "Power" of the cross. It, the cross, gifts a relationship with God for only having the desire and asking God for it. The "world" offers nothing to compare with both the peace and the strength that comes through this relationship. Thank you Jesus!
Now, on giving crosses to others. We give, the Spirit guides, leads, and nurtures. If it is your intention to be a blessing to others, this is one way, a very good way of achieving that. If you are concerned about having the words to go with the cross, the Holy Spirit provides them in the moment, but it is not even necessary to utter a word, as once again, the Spirit supplies and fills in the blanks! Our ministries most productive cross giver, who has given away well over 1400 crosses in two years, does it this way. He carries a bag full of crosses in a zip-lock bag. He approaches a person and in a very joyous manner, ask, "Have I given you a cross yet?" By the time he has finished the question, his hand is extended with a cross attached to a card. I have never had a person not thank me , and I have often had the person say, "You don't know how badly I needed this today!" By the way, Brother Charles has given away another 100 crosses since the first blog was written.
The gifting is not always a stirring of emotions, but sometimes it is and you are on automatic pilot, as you are following the lead of the Holy Spirit. Several weeks ago, I had a pain in my abdomen that was intense and very unusual for me to experience. I made an appointment with a doctor who had performed a hernia operation, because that was what it felt like. This was on a Monday, and Friday was the earliest he could see me. The pain began to subside and was completely gone by Thursday, but I chose to keep the appointment just to get checked out. The nurse who was doing the pre-exam, was doing such a good job, I was moved to give her a cross. What happened next could only be described as the hand of God. I still do not know what she was going through, but it had her in knots and the gift of the cross released the pain. I am convinced that God had me experience my pain on Monday, so I could present Natasha her cross and help right her pain on Friday. We do this all in Jesus Name!
Wow....where did the title for this communication come from? It just came! But, I must admit that my devotional time presently includes Billy Graham and "My Utmost for His Highest", a collection of sermons and teachings of Oswald Chambers, compiled by his wife, and thank God that she did. So, I usually wake up inspired, but by the time my wife and I are done with our reading and study, I am charged.
Why start a blog, especially with one entitled like this? Purely and simply and totally up front, this is meant to encourage you to get involved with this ministry and for you personally to give away pocket crosses to others, wherever you find them. And, if you are reading this in a country at some distance from the USA, this desire for your involvement includes you. We have crosses in many parts of the world, but we are really just beginning this ministry. It is all about encouraging Christians everywhere in their daily walk with the Lord, and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, touching others who are unaware of what God has done for them through the cross. The "Power" and the LOVE that, by God's plan, comes through the cross is beyond our human understanding, but it is as real as anything that you can touch. As Jesus encouraged us, "Pick up your cross daily and follow me". The Pocket Cross adds a tangible response to this Spiritual request of Jesus. I have personally experienced this to such an extent that I wear a "Cross Necklace" all of my waking hours, every day. Does it make a statement about where my heart and my spirit are........clearly!
How long will this blog normally be and what will the content normally be? The subject matter will be pretty obvious, but focusing in, it will be stories about others, either how they have been impacted by the cross or how they are impacting others by the gifting of crosses. The length will be totally guided by the Spirit. It could be a single paragraph, or it may be pages long. If it runs pages long, then there is a story that God wants revealed right now, and I pray that I do not get in the way of that. If you are drawn here weekly, there is a reason and that is totally between you and the Creator.
To give you a taste of what some of the content might be, there are two people I would like to highlight in this initial blog. Let's say their names are Brother Charles and Sister JJ. There are decades of difference in their ages, but the origin of their souls are the very same.. They are both involved in the ministry and they both have given away hundreds of crosses since our beginning. Brother Charles, who is ninety three and one-half years old, has given away well over one thousand. In their presence, my soul almost burst with LOVE, because there is so much "LOVE present"! I pray that you have or will experience this and I ask it all in Jesus Holy Name!