I can remember time after time as I carried the cross along the roads of the world, that a pastor would come out and talk with me and invite me to carry the cross to his church up the road and preach. He would drive back and spread the word in the village, town, or city. The people were eager to hear the message and see the cross. When I arrived I would have to preach outside because the crowds were so great. I would then give the invitation to receive Jesus and ask them to come forward and go into the church where the pastor would share about how to grow in Christ. Then they would empty the church and another wave would fill the church again. At other times, even in modern areas like America, Europe and Australia, etc. I would agree to preach at a meeting and as the word spread the church would be overflowing and we would have two or more meetings one after another. In places like India huge crowds wanted to hear the message of the cross and many cities would put up a huge P.A. system for me to speak to the tens of thousands of people gathering.
I remember in Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean many thousands of people lined the roads from the airport where my wife Denise and I arrived. They were waiting all along the road from the airport to the city. The police blocked off the traffic for the cross. Some local pastors came to me in the city and said, “Who arranged this?” I said, “Jesus”. I had only sent a press release to the news of the island saying when we would arrive with the cross. I remember the cross in Westminster Chapel in London where I was preaching for Dr. R.T. Kendall and an outreach ministry formed – that is still going years later – at the huge Rhema Church in Johannesburg, South Africa with Pastor Ray McCauley, and also just a few days ago carrying the cross into Joel and Victoria Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston with over 15,000 people cheering and welcoming the cross as I preached their weekend services. So no matter where, from the villages to the church, the cross brings an explosion of joy and conviction. There is something about the cross on the road that draws, attracts, convicts, and brings excitement and hope to people. Some want to see someone in the Guinness World Records for ‘The world’s longest walk’, others are drawn to the radical lifestyle, others to the hope of finding answers to their questions, others deeply moved to tears to come to the cross for peace and salvation. Whatever the reason, the cross draws. It is Jesus! He said, “I, if I be lifted up will draw all people unto me”! Pilgrim followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt, Luke 18:1
The Way We Present The Message
I had a church leader say to me the other day that most people are just ‘not interested’ in the Christian message anymore. I replied that the problem was not the lack of interest but the way we present the message. Let me explain.
People are very interested in life, love, beauty, peace, security, hope, purpose, success and etc.
People go on vacations and when they return their friends are asking, “How was it? How was the weather, the beach, the food, the people and even the price and where you stayed?” Bars and late night dance places are full, ball stadiums, ski slopes, movies, campgrounds, etc. are crowded. People are interested in life, as online websites are overflowing and people want to connect…just consider Twitter and Facebook, etc. People are interested in injustice, rights, truth, hate, love, peace, freedom, life and death, and yes, even eternity. People are working out to stay in shape. We are spending billions in healthcare. We are using all kinds of legal and illegal drugs to calm us, thrill us, and give us peace and a good night’s sleep. On and on I could go, but you get the point. Since people are interested in all these things you can be sure that they are interested in hearing how Jesus can meet our needs and bless and fill our lives with His glorious Presence.
As I have shared Jesus all over the world, I have found that most people are welcoming of the good news of Jesus. Not all receive Him, but there is a deep hunger and eagerness to know the truth and willingness to hear the message.
Our call is not to blast people, but lift them up in love and kindness to Jesus who said, “I, if I be lifted up will draw all people unto me.” We share, the Holy Spirit convicts, Jesus draws and the Father welcomes and rejoices in those that repent and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. A good example of this is in John the 4th chapter where Jesus goes to a well for water and asks the woman to give Him a drink. He uses this encounter to draw her into a conversation that leads to her conversion and her becoming a mighty witness. Please read this story in the Gospels. Jesus started with the world she knew and her need, and ended giving her the Living Water! There are so many ways to share Jesus. In coming weeks I will share many of these ways. Perhaps you can start with a simple greeting like, “God bless you, thanks”, “God bless you, Jesus loves you and knows your name”, “Peace be with you”. You could offer to pray for a person that shares a need. Then you could just pray right there on the spot for that need. Don’t think people don’t care and aren’t interested. Be filled with hope, love and Jesus and share Him with joy. Go and sow and you will see a mighty harvest. Remember, a lot of people have worked hard and been obedient to the heavenly call and we have put a powerful and wonderful tool of witness practically in your hands… “The Cross”! This movie has been having a profound impact on people. Now you can bring it to your small group, your college, your church, your prison, your community center and even to a group in your home. The Cross book can be given to those in prison, as gifts to friends and people you meet. The audio book can be given to nursing homes, centers for the blind, and for you to listen to on the way to work. The response will thrill you. People will thank you and all glory will be to the Lord. This is not the time to back up, but step up!
Pilgrim followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt, Luke 18:1
The Value of One Soul
Here is the price Jesus set for a soul: “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Matthew 16:26
The value of one soul or life is more than the combined value of the entire world. One soul saved is of greater value than all the gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds, land, homes, offices, and yes, of greater value than nations or sports or pleasure, or any and everything combined! The mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Father and the conviction and wooing of the Holy Spirit is all directed toward the salvation of lost souls on this earth. That was the reason for ‘The Blood of Jesus’ being shed. It was the ‘Reason for the Cross’. I love Dotti Rambo’s song that says, “I was the reason, the one earthly reason… that the Father sent down His Son”. The Cross is like a flag waving to the
world crying out from God “I love You”! The Bible is the record of God reaching out to save and redeem and bring the lost into the Family of God. It is the message of Good News that we bear. It is the message that God cares about us and has not forgotten us and will come and live in us! What Glory! People have many and varied values. But as followers of Jesus we are to value life whether it is the life of the young or old, or evil people. No one is beyond the grace of God and His love. We are to follow in the way and call of Jesus to do like Him, to seek and to save those who are lost. The record of the story of the church is one of sacrifice and commitment to seek to obey Jesus and go into all the world to preach the gospel to every person. From the making of the cross on Sunset Blvd. to its being carried along the street there, and then across America, and then to every nation and major inhabited island group has been to obey the call and share Jesus in such a way that the lost may be saved. Always and constant is the desire to lead one more person into the family of God through Jesus Christ. This love from Jesus consumes me and causes me to press on when everything else says no. One sinner praying makes every effort worthwhile. I often think I just live from soul to soul! I am just a sinner saved by the grace of God, but I keep going forward lifting up Jesus that He may draw them unto Himself. It’s all about Jesus and the cross and others! We can have many values and causes, but all pales in comparison to the value of one soul, one person! Jesus speaks of this great value in going after the one lost sheep, and finding the lost coin, and the prodigal son.
I pray that each of us will seek to be a witness for Jesus in a loving and caring way. Peace and blessing.
God bless you, pilgrim followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt Luke 18:1
There Is A Time To Act!
God likes movement and action with purpose. Just look at creation. God said and things came into being. The universe is in constant movement. The earth is a cycle of life and full of action from the unceasing waves to the movement of wind. All life has movement of some sort. Even the earth that seems so solid has movement, and the inner core is in flowing motion. GOD’S LOVE IS ACTION. The Bible is the record of this amazing love in action. God loves, Jesus came, we are to go and tell. We see Jesus loving and touching and caring, and walking and talking and healing and saving. He asks us to move into action with our love by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothes to the unclothed, to visit the prison, care for the widows, etc. Jesus sent His followers into the cities and villages to preach, teach, heal, and proclaim the ‘good news’ the gospel. JESUS MOVED WITH THE CROSS as He carried it to Calvary! His love and mercy was active to the point of His shedding His Holy Blood for our sins. Jesus did not stay in the grave, but there was the act of His resurrection. Before His ascension, Jesus commanded His followers to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person. We are to go filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and deliver the message of salvation in Jesus. The 120 followers of Jesus that gathered in the Upper Room only stayed there for a matter of days… then… they were filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately went out proclaiming Jesus in the streets and house to house. There are many things to do in ‘Christianity and the Church’ but now is the time to act in living out and carrying out the call of Jesus, that every person may hear the true and simple message of salvation in Jesus our Lord. YOU AND I ARE TO BE HIS WITNESS IN OUR WORLD TODAY! Pray, study, minister – however Jesus leads – but for sure our life and mission needs to line up with the great commission of Jesus to Go and Tell. Pilgrim followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt, Luke 18:1
Is your seed in the barn or have you sown it in the fields of the world?
I I lay in bed ready to read my nightly scripture reading. Jesus spoke to me so clearly: “I have a message for you in the second chapter of Haggai, near the last of the chapter.” I opened my Bible and began to read the chapter on and on past powerful words and promises…then I read, “Why is the seed still in the Barn?” These words leaped out at me and stirred my heart and I felt Jesus asking me this question. I realized that in the context of this chapter and the promises of God, the seed was not supposed to be in the barn but it should be sown in the fields. I then remembered that in the Gospel of Luke Jesus said, “The Seed is the Word”. Then it says, “The Field is the World”. I felt Jesus speaking to me that I was to give it ‘All’. When my journey on this earth is finished my barn should be empty. All my treasure should be in heaven.
This rocked me. I have given it my all in carrying the cross around the world, but now I must give it all in relationship to the book and movie “The Cross”. No holding back anything. Give it all. I then began to think of anything I might have in ‘my barn’. Do you have a song that you have not written; it’s still in your barn? Do you have a book that you have not written; it’s still in your barn? Do you have money in the bank or investments that need to be given for the mission of Jesus; it’s still in your barn? Do you have love to be shared but fears have bound you; it’s still in your barn? Do you have a call on your life and a mission and destiny; it’s still in your barn? Could it be that the reason you have not seen the harvest is that you have not planted? You have hoarded your seed and not sown it. Could it be that you think your call is too minor to perform? Do you think your past sins and failures have caused you to disqualify yourself from God’s call and blessings?
Have you shared Jesus with others and helped lead the lost to Jesus and salvation, or is the ‘seed’ Word of God still in your barn? Oh, be free! Don’t keep the seed in the barn. Look at the promises in these scriptures: “‘Is the seed still in the barn?’ ‘But from this day I will bless you…’ ‘for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:18-23
Read the entire second chapter. It is about the Glory of God being poured out in all the earth. Let the Glory flow through you! Give it all. Sow all the seed you have been given. Leave nothing in the barn that should have been sown in the field.
Are you sharing Jesus and leading the lost to salvation? Now is the time!
Pilgrim followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt Luke 18:1
Joy on the Journey
Should you miss the joy, you miss the glory of the journey. After the resurrection Jesus gave a greeting of, ‘Rejoice’. Now, He had just faced the Garden, the trials, the cross and the crucifixion and was public enemy No. 1, yet Jesus spoke of Joy! Wow! How we need to hear this in this troubled world. For me it has been an important key on my crosswalk and truly in my life journey. One of the fruits of the Spirit is ‘Joy! The question is not ‘Is this needed?’, but, ‘How does one have joy when faced with so many challenges, pains, hurts, and faced with shattered dreams?’ I’ve never been much for confessing something that one does not have, but I think it is having something (Joy) that is greater than our eyes can see or our body feels. Joy is a gift. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Joy flows from peace. Jesus gives peace and with peace, joy. In the movie “The Cross” you see me laughing as well as weeping. I have learned to enjoy the life with Jesus… no matter what happens. I remember writing a poem: “Sad, Happy, Not one but two. Sad, Happy, Me, You?”
Jesus spoke of the joy in the Presence of the angels and in heaven over a sinner that repents. In Luke 10 Jesus “Rejoiced in His Spirit”!. Again in Hebrews it says, “For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross!”
Even in sadness like Jesus suffered there was joy in knowing that His mission and the cross would bring in the lost to the Family of God. Souls being saved was the joy of Jesus. It should be our joy too. We must know that the end result of our life and calling must be people being saved. There is no joy beyond the knowledge that through your witness a person has been given eternal life and that they are now a part of the Family of God. You must understand that the joy is in doing the will of God. Joy is in serving our fellow man. It is about loving and giving and caring, and forgiving and pressing on for the Glory of God and for the salvation of souls. On the journey I have learned to enjoy people, God, nature and myself. I believe life should be lived to the fullest. The fullness of life is in denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Jesus! This is true joy. May Jesus give you His peace and joy for your journey.
Pilgrim followers of Jesus, Arthur and Denise Blessitt Luke 18:1
Beginning To Get Free
“When criticism and praise affect you the same you are beginning to get free!” That is one of the many profound things I have learned along the way of my life in following Jesus. Let’s just say you begin the day with someone complementing you or giving praise. Then as the day progresses someone else says awful things to you. Then more praise and more criticism. You are up and then down as your emotions begin to dictate your responses and direct your decisions. I call this a spiritual roller coaster. In time it makes you sick. Are you ready to get off? In the movie “The Cross” I speak of living out your destiny ‘one step at a time’. Well, I promise you when you begin doing that you will have critics. You will face discouraging words and attitudes. As you launch out you will hear plenty of ‘that won’t work’, ‘I tried that and it failed’, ‘that is too costly’, ‘the people will not hear you’, ‘this is the hardest place on earth’, ‘you can’t do that’, ‘you’ll fail’, ‘this is not your calling’, ‘there are too many dangers’, ‘you’ll get killed’, ‘are you sure Jesus wants you to do this?’! On and on I could go, but you understand clearly. I do not discount wise counsel. I have had and have a handful of Godly and wise men and women that I listen to and ask their advice. They are supportive yet honest and willing to help me look at all sides. I then take their wisdom into account as I pray and get the clear answer from Jesus. But having said this, I do not allow the many voices calling out to me to go this direction or that direction to control my walk with Jesus, following the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Often at one meeting I have a dozen people giving me words or revelations that contradict each other. A person must ‘try the spirits’ as the Word says. You must make a real decision and follow that with commitment. If not, you will live in total confusion and torment. The will of Jesus is the way of faith, peace and rest for the soul and mind no matter how tough the battle is. I am writing about real ‘life’. Another thing to know is this: The more seemingly ‘successful’ you are (and I don’t even like that word) the more critics you’ll have! Just look at Moses and then look at Jesus. There was always a crowd seeking to trip up Jesus with questions and always trying to destroy His mission. The same is true with the apostle Paul. Read his letters in the New Testament and they are full of having to ward off destructive comments and actions. All of these had to hear from the Father and do His will with a small crowd of enemies snapping at their heels. When someone hollers a nasty word at me on the road, I wave back and say “God bless you too”! I do not receive their words into my spirit. I translate it from whatever it was to ‘praise to the Lord’. I am smiling and walking on. At the end of the day someone may say ‘How were the people?’ I say ‘Oh wonderful’, ‘Lots of people praising the Lord’! Is this a foolish response? No! Read these awesome words: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy … think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
Ido not let my mind become contaminated with distortion but seek to focus on Jesus, His Words, the words of all scripture, and the good and wonderful works of God and the things of the Holy Spirit along with the fruits of the Spirit. Ask Jesus to cleanse your mind and give you pure and true and lovely thoughts. See the best in others and love everyone. Don’t let any bitterness settle in your heart. Forgive all and realize that what people say about others reveals more about them than the person being discussed. Don’t even listen to gossip and critics, change the subject or dismiss yourself for some reason to get away from this type of discussion. Focus on Jesus! Focus on the ‘best’ and ‘good’! Be filled with the Spirit and step out to do your mission and live out your destiny in the Power of Jesus! Glory.
Pilgrim followers of Jesus,
Arthur and Denise Blessitt Luke 18:1