The day finally came! The day a large, white cross was placed in front of La Vernia Christian Teaching Center! It’s not unusual for a cross to be in front of a Church, but that cross is so much more to us. That cross represents a vision, sacrifice and victory!
Pastor Moore wanted a cross so people traveling up and down Highway 87 would be reminded about JESUS and the cross He died on. He was saved and filled with the HOLY GHOST while driving on a highway much like that. Unfortunately there were always more important things to spend Church funds on than a cross. GOD would have to make a way.
One of our members (Brian Allman) had a vision for putting a cross in front of the Church. His enthusiasm and persistence was contagious and Pastor Moore wholeheartedly agreed. He began making plans for the location and how the footing would be made. He wanted it closer to the Church building, but that didn’t seem to work. He eventually donated a piece of land, so the cross would be along the highway, a great location!
The key to getting that cross was sacrifice. We couldn’t afford to pay for it, but Brother Allman shared his vision with Lane Supply Inc., from Arlington, Texas, who donated the cross. Yes we got it for free, but somebody had to pay. They fabricated the beautiful, 20 ft steel cross, painted it bright white and hauled it 282 miles to our Church. We thank GOD and Lane Supply, a company that honors GOD’s blessings, for their generosity.
Brian brought two men and dug the huge hole for the footing by hand. They placed reinforcing steel and filled the hole with concrete. Pastor Moore helped them and was stiff and sore at our Wednesday night Bible study.
That set the stage for the final victory! The cross was delivered by Lane Supply and installed by Brian and his crew. Pastor Moore was there to accept that free gift, along with the LVCTC staff and Agape Academy faculty and students to witness the victorious raising of the cross.
That reminds me of the reason we cherish the cross. The other cross wasn’t as nice, but also represented a vision, sacrifice and victory. From the foundations of the earth, it was a vision that would take a sacrifice to win the victory. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV). GOD sacrificed His Son because we couldn’t afford the price. JESUS sacrificed himself on the cross so we can live. When we accept that free gift His death becomes our victory! Then we can say “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:19-20). That is the reason we cherish the cross. It is our victory!
Wayne Lance (2019).