the latest

Have you heard something like this recently, “Oh, how the darkness is growing, or increasing!” But is it really?! If light travels at 186,00 miles per second, then how fast does that mean darkness travels? Is darkness more powerful than light? Then, why does darkness flee when a light is switched, a candle is lit...or a person shining with God’s light and glory walks into a room?!

Maybe, it’s as simple as this? Darkness only increases to the degree that light decreases...or hides.

Yes. There is a WHOLE lot of darkness that seems to be covering our earth right now. Maybe, though, the problem is not that darkness is growing and becoming more powerful. Maybe the issue is that the light has retreated and is hiding? Could it be that we only shine our light where we feel comfortable (and safe) –- or in places where there is already light. Is it possible that we are only shining our light in the light? If so, isn’t this a waste of time, energy and money?!

Let’s let our light shine where it matters...in a dark, scary world. Let’s let our light shine in every dark and scary nook of this planet! And then, maybe the world won’t be so scary...or dark!

(Just click the link below to watch this short message)

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven” – Matthew 5:16

We are honored that you walk together with us on this journey with Jesus! God bless you!
 https://youtu.be/dH-4eD5Qd1g

With God’s help, I’m back from Paraguay! Thanks for praying! It was a really special trip. It was so emotional; almost overwhelming to put the cross on my shoulder the first time and remember that my heart had stopped beating only seven months before. What an honor and blessing to be able to travel, again. May my heart beat and my lungs breathe only for Jesus and the precious ones that He loves so much.

I pray that this video is an encouragement and a blessing to you. (just click the link below)

Thanks for joining us as we try to follow and honor Jesus! God bless you!!

https://youtu.be/IfVnL3ILSY0

I can't even begin to express how emotional it has been to put the cross on my shoulder in another country, again. Here's a video where I try to share it...(just click on the link, or picture below). I feel so overwhelmed that God would give me the grace to, once again, walk with Jesus and carry the cross here in Paraguay! All glory to God! Jesus did it all!

It's been a journey! In many ways, it still is...I still have a long way to go to be back to "normal". But this is HUGE! God knows. My life is in His hands. May He be glorified in all ways!

Thank you for walking together with us! You truly come along with us through your precious prayers, generous gifts, and encouraging emails, texts, & messages along the way.

God bless you!
https://youtu.be/P_ZoV5Qq4b0

Thanks for being such a beautiful part of our journey! I pray you enjoy this short video. With God’s help, I’m on my way to South America – for my birthday! How beautiful is His timing! Only Jesus could have put the timing of this trip together like this! I am confident that apart from Jesus I can do nothing! But we also know that apart from each of you that walk together with us, we can’t do anything.

So, what is the purpose for birthdays? What is the purpose of each day? If we’re not careful, birthdays can become self-serving. They can become about us. They can reinforce our culture ‘s theme about how much we “deserve”.

I feel that birthdays are reminders of God's grace in our lives. Frequently, I hear phrases like, “next year...”, “This next season…”, If this journey with the cross has taught me anything, it’s that the next year, or the next season...even the next breath, or heartbeat is not a guarantee. All I have, for sure, is this moment. The question is, how will I use my moments? What will I choose to do with my heartbeats? May we see our birthdays, and our moments as an opportunity to give our lives away as a blessing to our precious Savior King and His kingdom! He alone is worthy!

May Jesus be lifted up in every way on this journey to Paraguay! Thanks, again, for walking together with us! God bless you! https://youtu.be/BCW6e1YTGSU

Dear family & friends -- I pray that you enjoy this short video that we made while we carried the cross last year in New Caledonia. (Just click on the link below). 

How often do we hear the phrase -- "MY ministry". How about how many people "I'VE led to the Lord?" And the list can go on. What do these phrases really say about us? We SAY that we're doing it for the Lord...but are we really?! If the truth be told, I don't have a ministry! Jesus does! It's His ministry IN my life; TO my life; and, prayerfully, THROUGH my life. True ministry is nothing more than the overflow of a life lived in love with Jesus. At the end of the day, may Jesus be our only explanation! That way He receives all glory! We would do well to remember that He said, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." https://youtu.be/JDEDLUMeP2U

With God’s help, I’m getting better and stronger each day. God willing, I leave to carry the cross overseas next week! It will be the first time in a year! ALL glory to God! I'm SOOO thankful!

Thank you, thank you for praying together with us and for us! God bless you!

Dear family and friends! Thank you, thank you for continuing to pray for us in this season! God willing, I leave in just over two weeks to carry the cross overseas for the first time since my surgeries.

We hope you like this video that we made while we carried the cross through Kiribati in the South Pacific. (Just click on the link below). 

So often we allow our circumstances to dictate whether we do the will of God..."I don't know enough." "I don't have enough money". "The door is closed". "It seems that if it were really God's will, it would be much easier". "It's too dangerous"....and the list goes on. If circumstances dictate what we do, or don't do, who is God?  Jesus is the Door! And He said that He has placed an open door before us that no many can shut.

Let's go forward fearlessly. Let's walk into the arms of Jesus. He is worthy!  We are so thankful to have you walking together with us! God bless you! 

https://youtu.be/0DYA_wOBYmU 

In nearly forty years of walking with Jesus and the cross around the world, the greatest truth; the greatest strength that I have found is the reality of the nearness and the intimacy of the presence of God. Wherever I was – in the depths of the Amazon jungle or the icy expanses of Antarctica; in the midst of war-torn battlefields or surrounded by breathtaking, picturesque, snow-capped mountains; in life’s greatest triumphs, or most heartbreaking circumstances... even my most recent heart surgery, Jesus has never left my side. He has never left me or forsaken me. He has been with me ALWAYS!!

And He promises to be with you – ALWAYS! EVERYWHERE! No matter your circumstances.

I pray this video is a blessing and encouragement wherever you are and whatever you’re facing.

Thank you for walking together with us on this journey together with Jesus and the cross! Thanks so much for praying for us!

God bless you!
https://youtu.be/lKIeyndXQ-w

Great news! God willing, I leave in less than a month to carry the cross, for the first time in a year, internationally! I’ll post more details in the days to come. I still don’t have the strength or endurance level (or the adaptability to the heat) that I had before, but with God’s help, I'm continuing to get better and stronger each day.

In the meantime, I'm posting this video that we made a while back about hearing God (just click on the link, or the picture below). God doesn’t always shout. Usually, He’s in the quiet. That’s why it’s so important to draw closer and closer to Him and His heart. I pray that it's a blessing and encouragement.

Thanks so much for walking together with us on this journey! Thank you for praying for us! May we all live close to the heart of Jesus! May we all put a smile on His beautiful face!
God bless you!

While I'm still recovering, beginning with this post, I've decided to share with you some videos of the thoughts & reflections I've had along the road that I've never posted (just click the link, or picture below). However, I don’t want to portray that I’m still away while I’m actually home. I'm still recovering. I never want to mislead anyone. I hope that makes sense…

Not long ago, while in Africa, I was asked a beautiful, but challenging question, "Are Speaking from Your Teeth or Your Heart?" This young man told me that he had attended multiple crusades and church services, but even though he had HEARD many, many sermons, he had never SEEN a sermon. What a great question to ask ourselves…”Are Speaking from Your Teeth or Your Heart?"

You’re wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to read these and watch them on our YouTube channel. Thanks, especially, for praying for us!
God bless you! 

Here's the link -- https://youtu.be/oNg5CcS25sg

Thank you so much for continuing to walk together with us and pray for us during this season. With God's help, I'm getting better and stronger each day. God willing, I'll be back carrying the cross soon.

In the meantime, I thought I could start posting some videos that, for one reason or another, we haven't been able to post along the way. I have never wanted to mislead anyone and make you think we're somewhere that we're not. For now, we still are home. I pray that these next few weeks will be a blessing, an encouragement and a challenge. 

To see the video, just click the link below and it should take you to our channel where we’ll be posting these videos. Also, we'd be honored if you'd subscribe to our channel while you're there.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for your love and support during this season!
God bless you!!
https://youtu.be/TIqAB00KGUc 

In these days, if we're not careful, we can become more focused on politics than Jesus! May we remember that we follow the King of all Kings who became a servant and that we are to love and serve all as He did!

Guess what I was able to do for the first time in a while?! With God’s help, I’m slowly getting better – one day at a time...one heartbeat at a time. By the grace of God, I’ve graduated from my Cardio rehab sessions and classes. It was only a short distance, but this week, it was really special to put the cross on my shoulder and to actually walk a few miles.

Thanks for praying! Thanks for walking together with us!

Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, dear family and friends for continuing to pray for us. hanks for reaching out and asking how we are! Thanks to so many of you who have been helping us along the way. We are so blessed, humbled and grateful!

I’ve just passed the three-month mark since my surgery and I’m slowly getting better and stronger day by day, step-by-step, breath-by-breath and heartbeat-by-heartbeat. With God’s help, I’m doing everything our medical friends are asking with patience and a smile on my face!

Thanks for joining us on this journey with Jesus and the cross. And a SPECIAL thanks to our beautiful King Jesus who Has walked with us every step of the way!

God bless you!

I just wanted to say thanks so much for praying for my fairytale princess and me! You can’t possibly know how much your prayers and messages have meant to us! I still have a journey in front of me toward full recovery, but with God’s help, we’re out of the hospital and so, so grateful to be home!

We are honored and humbled that you would use some of your precious time to pray for us! From the bottom of our hearts -- THANK YOU! God bless you!!

Thank you, thank you dear family and friends for continuing to pray for us and to check in! With God’s help, I’ve just passed the two-month mark since my surgery. Even though I’m definitely not where I’m going to be, I can look at some markers and see that, by the grace of God, I’m making headway down the road. Just this last week our beautiful Lord has helped me pass these significant signposts since my surgery...

Eating out at a restaurant for the first time.
Going on a date with my fairytale princess for the first time.
Working out with weights (don’t be impressed – nothing more than 12 pounds!)
My first airplane flight.
Attending a church service for the first time.
AND... I got to put the cross on my shoulder on Good Friday!
AND... preaching my first sermon since the surgery (ON EASTER SUNDAY!!)

All that to say, THANK YOU for praying for us! Thank you for reaching out! Thanks to so many of you who have helped us along the way. We feel so blessed, humbled and grateful! Thanks for joining us on this journey with Jesus and the cross. The milestones are telling us that we’re on the right road. And a SPECIAL thanks to our wonderful King Jesus who has walked with us every step of the way on this walk even through “the valley of the shadow of death” (I’m not exaggerating – I actually flatlined for a while after the surgery -- Maybe, I’ll share that story another time...)

God bless you!!

He's ALIVE!!!!

CrossWords 

Wooden. Rugged. Painful. Splinters. Rough. Jagged. Sharp. Heavy. Gnarled. Uneven. Weather-beaten. Sweaty. Bloody
. . . the Cross

 Betrayal. Agony. Suffering. Condemned. Stripped. Whipped. Flogged. Beaten. Wounded. Bruised. Stripes. Lashes. Bound. Scarlet Robe. Crown of Thorns. Reeds. Scepter. Grief.  Crowds. Pushing. Shoving. Shouting. Mocking. Scorning. Threats. Jeers. Loud. Insults. Sarcasm. Cynicism. Irreverence. Despised. Rejected. Passion. Weeping. Mourning. Tears. Sorrow. Sweat. Blood. Dusty. Steep. Hard. Cobblestones. Lonely. Struggle. Tired. Fatigue. Simon.
. . . the Way of the Cross

Eyes stinging. Tears falling. Sweat dripping. Face swollen. Blood flowing.  Head pounding. Muscles aching. Cramping. Body broken. Crushed. Pierced. Heart breaking.
. . . Jesus' Body

Golgotha. Drastic. Costly. Thorns. Nails. Wounds. Pain. Thirst. Lifted up. Suspended. Separated. Forsaken. Alone. Final. End. Finished. Completion. Darkness. Death. Earthquake. "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani!" "Father, forgive them they don't know what they're doing." "Truly this was the Son of God!" Redemption. Grace. Love. Forgiveness. Ransom. Salvation. Paid in full. Calvary. Lamb of God!
. . . Crucifixion!

Risen! Alive! Glory! Triumphant! Overcoming! Victorious! Glorious!  Power! Splendor! Majesty! Lion of Judah!
. . . Resurrection!

© Keith Wheeler 2019

Breath and heartbeats are such precious gifts that we take for granted. May we all use them for the glory and honor of Jesus! God bless you!

If you have time, we'd love to have you read our latest FaceBook article called, "the boring now". We pray that it encourages you. You can read the article by clicking here at https://www.facebook.com/kw.cross 

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! From the bottom of our hearts we just want to say thanks for praying for me during this unexpected season of life! Just click this link -- https://youtu.be/aJV0RNzTX5g

God bless you!!

A Quick Update -- I had been feeling "off" for some time, but had discounted it as the accumulation of abuse from the years of carrying the cross. I was preparing to leave for West Africa when I finally went to the ER. Apparently, I had been suffering from a series of heart attacks. I had to have open heart/ double bypass surgery on 1 February. Thanks, thanks to all of you who have been praying for me! With God's help, I'm slowly getting better. Jesus has walked with us each step of the way!

Thanks for walking together with us!
God bless you!!

God willing, I leave in a few days to go to Africa for our next journey with Jesus and the cross. I would be honored if you could please pray for us. May Jesus be lifted up! May Jesus be seen! May Jesus be known! May Jesus be worshiped! May Jesus receive ALLL glory and honor! 

Thanks for loving Jesus so much and walking this journey together with us!
God bless you!

Happy New Year! Happy 2024!

We pray that your new year will be overflowing with the beauty and majesty of the glory of Jesus, and the nearness and intimacy of His presence!

God bless you!

“The way to Christmas lies through an ancient gate...It is a little gate, child-high, child-wide, and there is a password, ‘Peace on earth to men of good will.’ May you, this Christmas, become as a little child again and enter into His Kingdom.” – Angelo Patri

It burdens me that God's dream is "Peace on earth, goodwill to men", yet so many wars continue, so many are hurt and broken, and so many have never heard of or understood the real meaning of Christmas, the true Prince of Peace.  It seems so odd that so many of us seem to treat Christmas like it is our birthday.

I pray that this Christmas Jesus will receive the gift for His birthday that He wants more than anything ... a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation of this world.  I pray that He will receive the love and friendship that He created us for.  That those who can't come to Him because they don't know Him, will.   And those who don't come to Him because they've forgotten, will return.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!!

“Jesus was born in the first century, yet He belongs to all centuries. He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races. He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all places.” -- George W. Truett

Merry Christmas! What an incredible time of the year!  Christmas is where the beauty and the glory of the presence of Jesus becomes a reality. This is what Christmas is all about. Emmanuel – God with us!  Because of Christmas, God is with us. He’s with you and He’s with me.  We can’t get more of God, or less of Him. There is no part or portion of God. He’s all He ever was and all He ever will be.  All He ever was and all He ever will be; all He is, is with us!  Always!!  God told us to not fear, because He would be with us always.  He won't ever leave you or desert you. Jesus said He will be with you even to the ends of the earth.  Christmas!  The birth of Christ into our world and into our lives!

Christmas. Immanuel. God with us. The Word became flesh. Hands to heal & touch. Feet to follow. Arms to carry us. Eyes to see. Ears to hear. A mouth to speak. Flesh to be torn. Blood to be spilled. Tears to be shed. A heart to be broken. Immanuel – God with us ALWAYS...even through the valley of the shadow of death…even to the ends of the earth!

Let’s not forget that this is a special season to celebrate Jesus’ birthday! Let’s remember that God wants others to experience His joy and the peace of His presence, also. May we all be lights of hope and joy on this planet with so much darkness. May God give each of us the grace to be a real blessing and a living reflection of Jesus and His love and compassion in our world!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!!