Devo 1 – 24,901 Miles

Keith Wheeler was laying on the floor of his dorm room asking God to give him more of him. He was in the middle of writing a paper for Oral Roberts University about the evidence of the Holy Spirit working through him. He read Jesus’ words, “He [a man that is working in the Spirit] shall glorify me,” and also to his disciples, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses.”

As he was laying there, he felt like God said, “Shut up.”

“Listen. I am not a commodity or a thing to be had. I am all that I am. When I came to live with you, all that I was, all that I ever will be… ALL THAT I AM came to live with you. The question is not you getting more of me, it’s me getting all of you.”

Keith had to do something. He felt strongly convicted in that moment in his life to start sharing the gospel message in the night clubs and bars. He learned that these people were not to be feared but were kidnapped royalty… waiting for someone to come set them free.

Out of that, he had a strange idea pop up in his head. He felt like he needed to start carrying a cross to share the message of Christ with the world but didn’t know if it was just indigestion. Funny though – his friend gave him a call and said that he felt like God was telling him that they needed to start carrying a cross on Good Friday in 1985.

That’s when it began. He constructed the cross with a small wheel at the base and put it over his shoulder, beginning his journey. 175 nations and 7 continents later, he would face going through jail over 40 times with his cross taken to jail over 50 times, being hit by cars 4 times, beaten 2 times, told to stand up in front of a firing squad once, and getting bit and chased by different animals. Keith finished walking the cross the distance it takes to go around the equator of the whole earth, and it took him 33 years to do it.

Keith looks at the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. He only considers himself like the donkey Christ rode on. He said, “All we need is to be the donkey to lift Jesus high enough to be seen.”

Keith emphasizes what Jesus said, to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

Let’s start there. Are you a witness for Christ? Do you hold him up in this world? We can’t begin the privilege of carrying the cross of Christ until we are willing to testify for him. Jesus wants ambassadors to take the gospel to all nations, and he is looking for people ready to do it.

So, first, what is this gospel – so important that is worth enduring modern crucifixes? Also, in this series we’ll discover the what, why, and how of carrying your cross, in the baseball community and beyond, today.