THE CROSS + ROAD: Where Decision Meets Destiny

Every life has a turning point. For the Apostles, it was leaving their fishing nets on the shore. For a modern-day believer, it was a miraculous healing of a wound. For you, it might be right now. This blog explores "The Cross Road"—the moment where we stop making excuses and start following Jesus with immediacy. Discover why there is no room for delay when the King calls your name.

C. Atkinson

3/30/20243 min read

person in yellow coat standing on top of hill

“Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, who ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” — Acts 2:36 (KJV)

On the Day of Pentecost, thousands gathered to witness the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Ghost. As the crowd stood in wonder, asking, "What meaneth this?" (Acts 2:12), Peter—filled with new power—seized the moment. He preached with a boldness that pricked the hearts of the listeners, leading to the salvation of over 3,000 souls.

But the journey for Peter and the Apostles didn't actually start in that upper room. It didn't start with the tongues of fire. It started three years earlier, at a different kind of intersection. It started at their CROSS + ROAD.

Leaving the Nets Behind

When Jesus began His ministry, He walked along the shore and met ordinary men in the middle of their daily grind. He found fishermen casting their nets and issued a life-altering command: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel... Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men” (Mark 1:15-17).

The Bible says they "straightway" forsook their nets. There was no hesitation. They reached a crossroads where they had to choose between the life they knew and the Master who called them. By choosing the "Cross Road," they stepped into a journey that would lead them to witness the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior.

Modern-Day Miracles

The Lord desires for us to have the same personal, raw experience with Him that the Apostles had. He is still the God of the miraculous.

Recently, a sister in Christ shared a testimony with me that left her in awe. She had suffered a deep cut on her thumb from a sharp object; the wound was open and bleeding. In that moment, she didn't just look for a bandage—she looked to the Great Physician. She prayed and commanded the tissues in her finger to respond to the Name of Jesus.

Within ten minutes, the open wound had closed. The skin had fused back together, leaving only a tiny dot behind. She told me she felt like she was "losing her mind" because she was witnessing her own flesh obey the Name of Jesus in real-time! Like the Apostles, her encounter at the crossroads gave her a bold testimony. When she speaks now, she speaks with Apostolic authority because she knows her God is ALIVE.

The Danger of Delay

The most important lesson from the Apostles is the immediacy of their response. They didn't say, "I'm not ready yet," or "Let me go settle my affairs and I'll catch up tomorrow." In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus speaks to those who want to follow Him but offer excuses—wanting to say goodbye to family or fulfill traditional duties first. Jesus makes it clear: putting our own desires or traditions ahead of His call is not the way to the Kingdom.

Meet Him at the Crossroads

I want to encourage you today: if you haven't yet stepped out in faith, meet Jesus at the CROSS + ROAD. The time is now. There is no work we can do to earn salvation; it is only through the redemptive work of Jesus on the Cross. However, that work requires a "faith-response" from us.

If you are wondering what that response looks like, look to Acts 2:38: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

HE IS RISEN! Our King is coming back soon. Let us encourage one another with the hope of the resurrection and the promise that we will one day meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

God Bless you! JD&L Mission is praying for you.