Joel Littlefield

The introduction page to a new book in the works

Beeline to the Cross

How important is the Cross, namely, the work Jesus did there? How relevant is it to your life today? The significance is so weighty that even the non-believer gives some value and reverence to it, or at least to what they think it means. But what about you, the Christian, struggling to live in a way that is meaningful and pleasing to your Creator? Are you receiving every bit of what the cross was meant to do, not only for your salvation, but for your daily life?

I have one goal with this book, to bring you to the cross, and to show you the value of what happened there.  No matter what you are facing, the trial, the circumstance, or the joy at hand, the cross of Jesus Christ must be your ultimate aim and hope. It is there that you and I need to go, always.

Charles Spurgeon once said, in regards to his method of preaching and preparation, “I take my text and make a beeline to the cross” Now, I love preaching, and preachers, and reading of the great ones of the past. Naturally, I was drawn to what he said. I was overwhelmed at the simplicity and wisdom of his statement. But I realize now that this is not a philosophy for preaching only, but for all of life. It is something that I greatly desire for my own life, and for you who are reading this.

Making a beeline means “to go quickly in a straight, direct course.” Apply this to spiritual life. Now be honest. Where do you run to when things get hard? Where do you go when you need wisdom, understanding, and assurance? Where do you set your eyes in the very moment that you begin to suffer? What gets your attention the most when you are rewarded in life, when you experience joy and happiness? Are you daily, every hour, and each minute, making a beeline to the cross? Not because the wooden cross holds some mystical power, but because the man who died there for the sin of the world, holds all the power in the universe.

Believe me, I ask myself the very same questions. I realize that not one of us is exempt from this dire need for Jesus every moment. From the very beginning when Father drew us to His Son, to the moment we all draw our very last, we need Him like we need oxygen! We need His omnipresent embrace, His power, His glorious wisdom and comfort. We need His Word, His life, His example of love and sacrifice. And the cross is a symbol of that sacrifice. It teaches us how to give, to suffer pain, sorrow, and rejection. It teaches us to do it in a way that glorifies the Father. The cross is our visual reminder of the price paid for our salvation, a price you and I could never afford.

When you choose to go to that place, and go often, you will find that the first gift you ever realized, the peace and reconciliation with God, was only the beginning of what He planned for you.

1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Imagine how much He longs to encourage you, to refresh, affirm, and sustain you in Him; How He will fill you with overwhelming joy through Christ; How He has, and will conquer all the enemies of those who believe and rest in Jesus, the greatest cross bearer. Imagine these things, then double them. Triple them, then remember that your finite mind cannot possibly imagine the extent of it all.  His plan is infinitely and abundantly bigger.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”

I believe the cross, where Jesus shed innocent blood for sinners, is the most pivotal place in human history. I can only hope that you will examine what I write with honest reflection upon the Word, the final authority, and that you will take heed to what He reveals to your heart.

To be continued…

Thank you for taking the time! I’d love to hear your feedback regarding the premise of the book, and whether you think it’s something that would benefit you, and others to read.

-God Bless!