The Ripple Effect

How does this ministry help the name of Jesus?
How can one man carrying a wooden cross with wheels on it help others?
Isn't there a better way to get the name of Jesus out to the world?
Are you qualified to minister to people?
Don't you think that others might think you are crazy?
Why don't you go to Bible school first and then find a normal way to serve God?
Dude, Jesus didn't have wheels on His cross!
Look, it's Jesus...ha ha ha ha!
Hail Satan!
What's your story?
Why are you carrying that cross?

Why do I carry the cross? As you have probably figured out by now, these are just some of the things people say to me while I am out carrying the cross through the streets of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama. The last question, "Why are you carrying that cross?" is the one asked of me most frequently. The answer to that one is easy. I simply reply, "Because someone out here needs to know that Jesus loves them."

I want all of you to know that ministering to people by simply carrying a cross for Jesus has been amazing. Not only has it been a blessing to me, but it has reached countless numbers of people way beyond my own circle of friends.

Just the other day I was talking to a local here about seeing me carry the cross. He said that a few weeks back he received a text message from a guy that lived in Birmingham, Alabama. The resident from Birmingham had just received a photo, via text message on his phone, of a guy carrying a cross in Gulf Shores. I learned that photo was of me while I was carrying the cross.

I have been stopped time and time again to have people take a picture of me and the cross, so that they could send the photo to their friends throughout the country. Many people stop me and take a picture for themselves and that photo will travel back to their place of residence, way beyond the boundaries of this state, and will touch other's lives for years to come.

Why carry the cross? There are a million individual reasons why I should keep carrying this cross. As you read the card at the top of this blog you can see how one person's life was changed. That person made a generous donation to our ministry because she believes in the good that this ministry can do.

As you read through these blogs, and as you pray for and support our ministry, please know that "Cross Bearing Ministries" is making a huge impact not only on this community, but it's message is trickling out to this country and even to the world.

The "ripple effect", it's how God works.

Keep the FAITH!! Spread the WORD!!

Barry