A NEW LOOK AT LIFE, is exactly what Horacio Aleman said he received after his Christian conversion.  “I came from a broken home.  I grew up with negative feelings.  Then I came to the Lord.  Horacio said it was the late Dr. Schliting that planted the word of God in his heart.  Like a rope around a wild stallion it was fastened on my heart with love.  I did a lot of bucking and pulling but it was the Love of God through Dr. Schliting and brother Don Smith that brought me to a total surrender of my Life to Jesus.”

Horacio Aleman Sr. delivers the message of God’s love in the ghettos of our communities.  He in turn is laying that rope of love around broken hearts and lives.  The Anointing of the Holy Spirit.  He is surrounded with a fine musical team.  Sharing in his meetings are those who have had broken lives who have found peace through salvation in Jesus Christ.

 His preaching has caused scores to come to the Carpenter of Nazareth.   Cruising for Jesus has found them in prison camps, youth detention centers, in the ghettos and depressed areas of our community and neighboring communities.  Jesus has mended their broken lives and hearts. 

Fellow servants in Christ, I wanted to write this letter to remind us all what the focus of Cruising For Jesus is.  First, let me say that this is the Lord’s work, not mans!  We are all replaceable, including myself and it is important that none of us forgets that.  We are only instruments that God is very graciously using and we should be very thankful.  John 3:16 says, “for god so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.  That has been the theme scripture since CFJ was started in 1996 and we must remember and understand that the love that God has for us by giving up His Son is the love that we must allow to flow through us to others.  In other words, everyone we come in contact with should experience the love of Christ abounding in us.  Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”.

In 1996, God gave me the vision of having a crusade by using a car show to attract the lost youth of this world and also the people who once were serving the Lord, but have now fallen away.  At that time the Lord told me to go into the streets and He gave me this scripture, Luke 14:15-24, "When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.  Jesus replied: A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.  At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, come, for everything is now ready.  But they all alike began to make excuses.  The first said, I have just bought a field and I must go and see it.  Please excuse me.  Another said, I have just bought five yoke of oxen and I'm on my way to try them out.  Please excuse me.  Still another said, I just got married, so I can't come.  The servant came back and reported this to his master.  Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.  Sir, the servant said, what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.  Then the master told his servant, go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.  I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet".

There are many people who have fallen in their walk with Christ, and they feel defeated.  They feel that we Christians are too judgmental and that they cannot measure up to our standards.  This is a terrible tragedy that we must not allow to continue, the love of Christ will overcome this attitude if we submit to Him and walk in His light.  1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin".

Who are we to determine who is worthy and who isn't?  Brothers, we cannot forget where we came from.  Ephesians 2:1-10 says, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.  But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”.

We need to be accepting of everyone and allow the love of God to change people, no us.  2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit”.  2 Corinthians 5:17-21 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.  And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”.

Brothers, the Lord has called us all to work together in this ministry.  As the Lord continues to bless Cruising For Jesus and the ministry grows, we must be careful not to lose sight of God’s will for Cruising For Jesus.  This is what I believe God wants to accomplish through this ministry:

1.                  To reach lost souls, especially the youth who have never experienced life in Christ;

2.                  To provide reconciliation to Christ for those who have back slid and do not feel accepted by the church; and

3.                  To give support to these new children of God and each other through ongoing activities such as bible studies, barbeques and continued fellowshipping, etc.  By gathering together we can continue to encourage and strengthen each other, as we all grow closer to the Lord.  Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching”.

Ephesians 4:1-6 says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called-one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all”.

Ephesians 4:29-32 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”.

I will close with this.  What was said above was not intended to hurt or offend anyone; it is my hope that we will all accept that the Word of the Lord is the absolute truth.  Please consider the direction the Lord has given Cruising For Jesus and consider whether or not you can operate under the only rule of Cruising For Jesus:

THE LOVE OF CHRIST MUST BE EVIDENT IN ALL WE DO!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

And HE can mend yours too!!

   In Loving Memory 

Larry Whitfield

2003

You are here: Home

Subtopics: Cruiser's Testimonies Crusades Car Shows Women of Lightening Calendar Bible Study Tools