Category: Uncategorized

Worth Living For?

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Christian, homeless, suicide, Uncategorized

“Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”

Leonard Ravenhill

While pondering this quote by Leonard Ravenhill, my mind traveled back to when I was twelve.  I hated my life and can remember spending much of my early adolescent years seriously assessing it. I carefully considered the hand life dealt me and weighed my options. To me, life felt totally unfair.  To be forced to live a life I did not ask for or want was just wrong. I had experienced a lot of bad things and had no hope that anything good could or would come from my life. All I could see was what I perceived as my deficits, those of being poor, being Black and being emotionally scarred from growing up in a dysfunctional family while living on Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore in the 1960s.  No matter how hard I tried, I could not understand why some people got to be born into families where they were loved, wanted, cared for, protected and provided for, while others, like me, struggled just to survive.  I felt it all was random, unfair, unjust and unbelievably cruel! 

As I mentally processed this, I asked myself questions like, “Since you did not choose or ask to be born, why are you alive? Since you’re miserable and hate your life so much, why suffer through it? And since you are doomed to fail in life without anything good, why continue going through all this agony? Why do you have to continue living it?  Why live a life of misery without hope?” Then I answered, “I don’t!” And I decided to kill myself. I was twelve. Please hear me! By the time I was 12 years old, I had taken a careful assessment of my life and concluded that it was of no value. The pain and suffering I had experienced in childhood and early adolescent years coupled with the fear of being trapped into an unjust and hopeless future without escape, eclipsed every other thought in my young mind.  Continuing to live the life handed to me with no way out of it was unthinkable, so when no one was around, I grabbed the pills I found in the medicine cabinet, downed them all, and went to sleep, hoping to never live another painful day.   

When I woke up from my intentional overdose, my head was spinning, everything was fuzzy.  At first, I thought my suicide attempt had been successful, but as my head cleared, I realized that I was still very much alive.  Devastated and angry, I called myself every demeaning name I could think of. “You dummy, you’re so (screwed) up, you couldn’t even kill yourself.” I had failed to end my misery.  I lied there defeated. Then, I heard, “You cannot die until I say so.”  I looked around.  Who was talking to me? I was alone. Even though it was not audible, that voice was real. One would think I would be awed or something, but no, instead, I was irate!  Who had the nerve to tell me that I could not end my own life? until they said so?  Who felt they had enough power to keep me alive when I was determined to die; To keep me living a life I did not want to live? I now know Almighty God did. I did not know Him then and it made absolutely no sense to me. Why did anyone care whether I lived or died. One of the reasons I had chosen to die was because I did not believe anyone cared. You see, I had picked up the responsibility for my life when I was eight.  I trusted no one, and I felt no one cared about me; so, this was confusing. Someone that had power over my life cared about whether I lived or died.

How does this relate to Leonard Ravenhill’s quote?  “Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?” By twelve, I felt there was nothing in my life worth living for. The fact that I am alive today is a miracle of God’s grace. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, I would be dead today had it not been for God’s intervention.  As I correctly assessed at twelve, my life has not been an easy one, but even though checking out of it crossed my mind sometimes during its most difficult seasons, I never again attempted to kill myself. The one who holds my life in his hand has used those hard times to reveal Himself to me.

Now, in my seventies, I can joyfully say “For me, to live is Christ.” God touched me at the local Baptist Church that same year and gave me the grace to believe in Jesus and to get baptized. I was able to understand that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and He rose from the grave signifying that God had forgiven me for the bad things I had done, but that was about all I knew. Not much changed in my life. Years later after being devastated by my failed marriage, I started reading and studying the Bible. That was when I began to understand what Jesus Christ died for. That was when life began to make sense and that was when I got a glimpse of what I was living for.

The God of the Bible, the God that created us in His image and likeness, loves us.  Remember John 3:16-17: “ 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” Jesus died so we would not perish but have eternal life. In John 10:10, Jesus tells us he came and died so that we (you and I) would have life and have life abundantly.  It became clear to me that Jesus Christ died to redeem our lives from destruction, deliver us from the power of death and give us life overflowing and eternally. In short, Jesus died so we could live the life God created us to live! Our “LIVING” is what Christ died for!  

Romans 5:8 tells us that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus died not only that we would have a full life and eternal life, but also that we would be able to receive the joy of knowing Him and knowing how deeply we are loved. Knowing, not just being told He loves us, but by Him dying to demonstrate His love and the Father’s love for us. Since coming to know our precious Lord and His love and being blessed to experience the life He created me to live, my heart and life overflow with gratitude. All I can do is thank God for loving me and giving me life to live it with and for Him.

So, what things are you living for? Is it riches, fame, romance, status, material things?  Are they worth Christ dying for? Thank God, I now joyously choose life and answer, “YES,” by God’s grace and with his help, I choose to live my life fully for Him. He is worth it.  He is the only one worth it.  He is worth everything I have ever gone through, no matter how difficult, embarrassing, humiliating, sorrowful or painful it was.  He is worth all that I am, everything I have, and all that I ever hope to be or have.  He is worth living for, and because of Him I live today.  I pray that Jesus Christ is what you are living for, as well.  To me, it is the only thing one can live for that is worth Christ dying for.  “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NASB) What about you?

Eartha Harris

An Exceptionally Good Friday

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Christian, Uncategorized

As I listened to CeCe Winans sing Alabaster Box my heart was drawn into worship as it overflowed with thanksgiving for our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This Good Friday, I pray you, like me, were able to pour your thanksgiving and praise on Him (Jesus) like oil from Mary’s alabaster box. He is so worthy! As we reflect on His suffering and death and realize what he has done, how can we not worship Him! Nothing about that Friday when he suffered, bled, and died on that cross was a good day for Him in the natural, but it definitely was an exceptionally good Friday for you and for me.

“I can’t forget the way life used to be.
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound…
until the day when Jesus came to me
and healed my soul with the wonder of His touch.
So now I’m giving back to him all the praise He’s worthy of.
I’ve been forgiven and that’s why I love Him so much!
“You weren’t there the night Jesus found me.
You did not feel what I felt when he wrapped
his loving arms all around me.
You don’t know the cost of the oil.
You don’t know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box.” 

Adapted from CeCe Winans’ Alabaster Box

Sunday is coming! We know that Jesus rose from the grave, victoriously. Death could not hold him. Hallelujah! Praise God! He is alive and in Him we have received newness of life. Because he paid the price, we live. Our sins have been forgiven. In that we rejoice. But first, before we shout in His victory over death (and ours), please join me in pausing to consider the vast cost of our salvation. It cost God everything! And He was willing to pay it for you and me. Let us take a moment to pour our love and praise on Him like the oil from Mary’s alabaster box. He deserves nothing less. What do you think?

“But He was pierced for our offenses,
He was crushed for our wrongdoings;
The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.
All of us, like sheep, have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all
To fall on Him.”

Isaiah 53:5-6

Eartha Harris

Thanking God for John Mattrick

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Christian, Uncategorized

“By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 NASB)

John J. Mattrick

One way the Lord has blessed us at Crossroads has been through the men and women of God he sent to partner with us in this home mission ministry. John Mattrick was one such person. We remember John with love having recently learned he finished his race and has gone home to be with our Lord.

We were truly fortunate to have had John as a friend and a true Christian brother. He was as genuine as they get. John, an accountant, volunteered at Crossroads by donating his accounting services. He ensured that our financial records were accurate and always up to date. Additionally, he faithfully served on Crossroads Financial Advisory Board, along with other business professionals, providing financial insight and oversight. John, also, donated 50% of any tax preparation revenues he received from a Crossroads’ supporter back to Crossroads.

As a dedicated boy scouts troop leader, John was warm and friendly, imparting nuggets of quiet wisdom whenever given an opportunity to do so. One bit of wisdom he shared that remains with me is, “If you don’t have enough time to do something right the first time, when will you ever find enough time to fix it?” I don’t know whether or not that is an original quote, but it will always be a John Mattrick quote to me. While he was not one to seek the limelight, John was very comfortable serving in our street outreaches, such as troubled neighborhood adopt-a-blocks. In this picture, you can see John in the green pleasantly engaged in conversation while preparing to man a grill at one of those events.

John and his wife Lynn sometimes made their lake cabin available to Crossroads for baptisms and out of the city outings. Here is picture of Joe (upper right) and Ernie (upper left) with a group of freshly baptized brothers and sisters in Christ outside that cabin.

We thank God for the gift he gave this world in the person of John Mattrick. He cared deeply and took Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you” seriously; so he opened his heart and loved deeply all those God sent his way. My last conversation with John was about the changes in church attendance post COVID. He shared how painful it was for him personally when people left the church. He said, “I feel like they are leaving me when they leave.” That was John. We are so grateful for the privilege of knowing, loving and being loved by Him. May God be with his wife, Lynn, their three children, Karen, Jill and Keith, their five grandchildren and his other family and friends as they endeavor to navigate this life without him.

Honoring Joe’s Legacy

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Uncategorized

Six years ago today, my husband, Joe Harris, went home to be with the Lord.  As I remember him today, I do so by honoring his life and legacy. I can honestly say, “To this day, God has not used anyone to convict me of my lack of love for the souls of men, as he did through Joe Harris.”  Joe lived and breathed evangelism and passionately engaged everyone he met in a conversation about their need to get right with God.    Joe frequently shared about a dream he had when he was a kid that haunted him for many years.  He dreamed that he was a nobody, and everything went wrong for him in life, but then suddenly he became a somebody, so after he came to know the Lord, he was on a mission to let everyone know about the God that changed his life from a hard-core violent drunk to a beloved man of God.

Joe began drinking at 10-years-old, even drinking rubbing alcohol.  His life was hard, growing up very poor, being sexually assaulted as a child, spending time in prison and attempting suicide five times before Mike Pruitt lead him to the Lord in 1975 by telling him that Jesus loved him, and he could be somebody.  Mike arranged for Joe to go into the Teen Challenge program in Washington, DC.  God used that program to transform Joe into a man that loved the Lord and passionately cared for the souls of man. 

As I remember him today, I do so with a heart of gratitude for his life and ministry.  Through Joe’s unique anointing and the ministries of Crossroads’, he was instrumental in seeing a troubled community completely transformed by the power of God, churches come together beyond denominational walls to minister side by side for the sake of saving the lost, and hurting men, women and children’s lives touched and changed forever by the one that transforms nobodies into somebodies.  

While I am not as gifted an evangelist as Joe, my heart yearns to see people come to know the love of God in Christ Jesus, particularly “the least of these.” As I struggle to carry on Joe’s legacy through the ministry of Crossroads, I ask for your prayers. May the Lord help me honor Joe by doing everything in my power to see souls saved and nobodies come to know that they are somebodies in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

It’s time. Let’s go!

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Uncategorized

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 NASB)

Praise God! It’s time! God is moving. Are you ready? Can’t you hear him speaking to you through the Apostle Paul, “… the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality,  not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:11-14 ESV)

Our world has changed. We have changed. So much is different. We have lived through one unprecedented crisis after another. Covid is an ever present reality. Record gas prices, rents and inflation plague us. We are living in uncharted territory. It seems as if the whole world has been turned upside down, and there is no one with any answers to the challenges we face. Many of us are anxious, fearful and uncertain about how to move forward. What should we do? What will tomorrow bring?

The good news is, Jesus Christ is Lord! He rules and reigns in the affairs of men. None of this has taken Him by surprise. He is the answer. There is a time and season for everything and we are entering a new season. Let’s rejoice about it! The long night we’ve been through is coming to an end, and the light of a new day is upon us. God loves us. He has kept us alive, and He has promised to be with us. Because Jesus lives no matter how uncertain this new season may be, don’t you believe He will help us through it. This season has been appointed by God for His people to arise. It is a time for the people of God to wake up, to get up, and “…Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you (Hosea 10:12 NKJV) Yesterday is gone. Today, let us seek the Lord. He is saying, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV)

Eartha Harris, President

A time to love!

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Uncategorized

June 10, 2020

Greetings in the holy name of God, our Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord! I pray you, your family and loved ones are all well.  We are well and thanking God for keeping us safe and healthy.

These past few months have been very troubling.  We have witnessed things that have never taken place in our lifetime.  The Covid 19 Crisis changed the way we live our lives, how we fellowship, how we do ministry and even how we gather to worship our Lord.  Many remain scared to go outside their homes or engage in person to person contact.  We have learned to distance ourselves from others to keep ourselves and them safe, and we have had to learn new ways to express our love, care or concern as handshakes, hugs and touching are now considered unsafe.  So much has changed!

If that were not enough, we recently watched a black man being killed by a white police officer while in police custody, handcuffed, and laying on the ground with the officer’s knee on his neck.  We watched him begging for his life while calling out “I can’t breathe”, as his life left his body. We were forced to watch this blatant reminder of systemic racism broadcasted repeatedly and experience the painful reality of it all.  An outcry and uprising throughout the country and around the world followed against a culture where something like this could even be considered acceptable.  We watched riots and looting and stores burning, angry mobs and peaceful protest all in the name of seeking justice.  And all of this happened while we are still dealing with Covid 19. 

So much to pray about. So much for our hearts and minds to process.  So much hurt.  So much pain.  And what are we supposed to do with it all?   BREATHE! None of this has taken God by surprise.  He remains on His throne.  He is the Sovereign Lord and He sees and knows it all.  Remember, He loves you and He cares.  He is an ever-present help in times of trouble.  You’re not alone.  God is with you to help you.  Acknowledge His presence and trust Him to bring you safely through all this. 

So many people are hurting. People continue to get sick or die from a virus they cannot see.  People are forced to be home and separated from family and friends.  Many have lost jobs, businesses, loved ones.   Fear and frustration are all around.  Black lives matter.  The lives of the poor and needy on the streets matter.  The life of the elderly matter.  The life of the unborn matter.  Life is precious. Jesus came so we might have life and have it abundantly.  May God help us all to genuinely love our neighbor as our self and live our lives in such a way that people know that their life really does matter to God and to us. 

Stand with us as we reach out with God’s love to the least of these in our community.  Thank you for your faithful love and support as we continue to reach out during these times.  Please pray with us that God show us the most effective ways of ministering His love in this new day in which we are living. 

Love you.  Thank you for caring!

Eartha Harris

President

Remembering

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Uncategorized

…The righteous will be remembered forever. Psalms 112:6

This Memorial Day we pause to remember those faithful men and women of God that were so instrumental in helping Crossroads grow. We thank God for their lives and for taking time out to minister to the homeless and needy through Crossroads. We owe each a debt of love and we honor their memory. Following are their names, city, state and year they left us for heaven. Please remember them with us.

James Jamison, Brooklyn, NY 2001

Priscilla Stratton, Fitchburg, MA 2009

Edith (Edie) Carlson, Holden, MA 2010

Robert Rosseland, Paxton, MA 2011

Rev. Walter ( Wally) Tilleman, Worcester, MA 2013

Carl Carlson, Holden, MA 2014

Rev. Samuel R. Perry, Gardner, MA 2014

Rev. Dr. Mary Williams, Sulphur Springs, AR 2017

Rev. Ernest (Ernie) L. Watts, Cambridge, MD 2018

Alan Henry Griep, Cambridge, MD 2018

Dorothy (Dottie) W. Rosseland, Paxton, MA 2019

Rev. Joseph (Joe) A. Harris, Co-Founder, Salisbury, MD 2019

Effie Brandoli, South Attleboro, MA 2020

A New Decade – A New Season

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Uncategorized

It is hard to believe that we are in a new decade – 2020! It was November 1984 when Crossroads opened its storefront Coffeehouse ministry on Pleasant Street in Worcester, MA. Joe and I had hearts burning with love for the Lord and for the souls of men. All we knew was that God had placed us there and given us a vision of seeing homeless and street people coming to him. What an adventure that was as we learned to trust God and watch Him do what only He could do!

Now over 35 years later, Crossroads remains a viable ministry. While no longer actively ministering on the streets of Worcester, MA, we are having a spiritual impact on the homeless and hurting in Salisbury, MD. Again, God has placed us here and given us his vision of seeing homeless and street people coming to him. The adventure continues as we trust and obey our precious Lord and watch Him do what only He can do.

Please pray for me as I forge ahead in Jesus’ name seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. I believe God has not finished what He started through Crossroads. His Spirit is moving. Can’t wait to see what this decade holds.

Thank you for praying, encouraging, supporting and just caring.

Only Because of Jesus,

Eartha Harris

In everything give thanks…

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Uncategorized

Don’t you just love Thanksgiving? It is the time when we get to focus on the people and things for which we are grateful. I am grateful for so much! What about you?

Even though 2019 has been a somewhat difficult year for Crossroads and for me, personally, God has not failed to be good! He has been so faithful. He has not left us to deal with our circumstances and situations on our own. He has truly been an ever present help in our time of need, even as He promised.

Crossroads original President and Co-Founder, Rev. Joseph Allen Harris, went home to be with the Lord on March 31, 2019. While he leaves a big whole in our heart and in this ministry, we are so thankful to God for the impact of his life on ours and so many others. Everything accomplished through the ministry of Crossroads was a result of the call and anointing of God upon that man. I am so thankful to God for letting me witness and be a part of it.

Join with me this Thanksgiving as we thank God for the men and women he places in our lives to convict us, encourage us and challenge us to love God passionately and serve him faithfully. And don’t forget to give God all of the praise and thanks due His holy name.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Eartha Harris
President

Oh, What a Day!

by crossroadsministriesmass, posted in Uncategorized

This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Greetings!  I am praying that as you read this you are experiencing great days, filled with blessings of health, financial security, love, joy and peace.  However, if that is not the case and your days have been filled with trials and difficulties, please know that you are not alone.  So many of us have been experiencing a season of difficulties.  Some are facing unimaginable hardships and each day to them feels like years as they wonder how in the world they can carry on.

Dear Friend, Sing praises to God if you are having good days. To those of you who are going through the trial of your life, you need to praise him even more.  James 1:2-4 clearly speaks to us.  It reads, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  So, it instructs us to count our situation as pure joy.  Why?  We are to praise God because all these difficulties are working towards making us mature and complete children of God by producing in us perseverance (patience).  Hooray!  (Smile)

None of us enjoy going through hard times, but  we do want to be all God has created and designed for us to be, don’t we?  This is what life at the Crossroads is all about.  It is where the rubber meets the road.  It is where we live out God’s word daily with his help and by his grace. Isn’t that what we want?

While this has been a difficult season for me with Joe’s health issues and related financial challenges,  along with ministry and family responsibilities as I recover from Kidney transplant surgery, each day, I get up, dress up and show up, trusting in our faithful Lord to be with me as he has promised.  No matter what life throws our way, we serve an awesome God.  He loves us and has promised never to leave us or forsake us.  He is with you.  You are not alone.   This is the day he has made and he knew everyone of your days before there was one of them.  Here are a few scriptures to consider as you face your day:

When you feel like God is taking a long time to deliver you from an overwhelming situation – But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 2 Peter 3:8 NIV

When you are tempted to worry – Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

While each day has enough trouble of its own, please know that God has not left you to face it alone. – For in the day if trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

God knows what you are going through and is able to replace your afflictions with gladness as revealed by this prayer – Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. Psalm 90:15

God is good all the time.  No matter what your days have been like recently, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Eartha Pinder Harris, President