pounding the pavement
Last week, I resumed The Long Walk from the very spot in Carteret County where we had packed it up a couple weeks before. Josiah walked with me the first couple of miles on this rural road down into the small coastal community of Atlantic, NC.
Greetings, beloved brethren. This update will be shorter than usual, for when I’m done, Bethany and I have to drive back down to Eastern North Carolina to resume The Long Walk. Lord willing, we will get in a few miles before dark. Last week was a fruitful week in this endeavor. Thanks to all who prayed for us and kept up with the journey. We logged close to 85 miles across three counties.
When you walk across America, county lines are nice milestones that provide a sense of accomplishment.
We had more than 50 encounters with folks along this leg of rural highways and hedges! Many Gospel tracts went out, as did 3 Bibles—one to a family in a rural black community, one to a couple walking home from a local gas station with their pit bull, and one was left in a hiker’s shelter in the Croatan National Forest. I trust the Word of the Lord will not return void according to His promise in Isaiah 55:11. We also enjoyed some good fellowship with local believers, and we had company to join us in the walk four out of the five days. Thanks to all who came out with us!
We had a couple of Christian dads and a great group of young people join us on the Neusiock Trail in the Croatan National Forest.
Brother Brandon Gwaltney, pastor of Pleasant View Baptist Church in Harmony, NC and one of FPGM’s Trustees, joined us with his family for a couple of days. Brandon is an incredible testimony of contentment and perseverance to serve the LORD in spite of physical infirmity. I love this brother and his big red beard.
Several Christians saw us out on the road and were greatly encouraged, flagging us down to make that clear. One sister was talking to her boss via video chat and asked me to share a Word with her through the phone. She then insisted I take the few dollars she had in her purse and use it for some refreshment. Another man from Indiana, who had been heavy into drug use before the LORD saved him, got a call from his wife to look for me. He just pulled off the side of the road and waited until I got to him. He prayed for me, and we edified one another. Then, there was a local pastor who brought me some cold water on his way to mow a few yards. He, too, had been saved out of rough living and had an incredible testimony. He was so encouraged, and it was a real blessing to fellowship and pray together right alongside a busy highway. There was also a postal lady who pulled up beside me in Havelock as she was delivering mail. She said she had seen me 3 times that week and wanted to thank me for the bold witness. At that moment, I had just finished some stoplight preaching and it was raining. The encouragement was most welcome. Then were was Elberta in the Dollar General parking lot in Otway. This 81-year-old sister was so sick of all the Covid mess and grieved over the state of our nation. I was stretching in that parking lot before beginning’s the day’s walk, and she simply stopped her car to see what I was doing. I prayed with her and tried to lift her spirits. She was so thankful and said, “The Lord sent you to brighten my day.” Maybe He did.
I love carrying my little Aker Speaker and stopping to preach at busy stoplights like this one in Havelock. Two young men rolled down their window that day and listened very intently. They thanked me before driving away.
I got several middle fingers last week, and already, one person tried to kill me. Make no mistake, there are some evil, evil people out there on America’s highways and hedges who will try to kill or maim a man just because he is walking with a cross. They hate Jesus Christ that much. But here I am, and I’m still walking, not afraid to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. The incident happened while I was talking to that local pastor on the side of the road. Suddenly, I heard a horn blaring and looked up to see a van barreling right at us, going about 40 mph and not slowing down. The LORD moved both of us very calmly out of the way at the last second as the tires ran right over where we had been standing. It missed by inches, not feet. My new pastor friend said he saw his life flash before his eyes. I just remember thinking, “Jesus, I’m finally coming home.” But, we both were clothed with a strange peace and continued our conversation for another ten minutes. The brother laid his hand on my shoulder, and we prayed together before he went to mow some yards. It was not yet our time. It’s a pretty good sign that something is not an accident and that someone is targeting when they come off the road at you, fly past, and make no sudden jerking movements to correct or get back on the highway. But praise God, “for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (II Kings 6:16).
For me and this brother in Christ, it wasn’t yet our time to be absent from the body and present with the LORD.
Last week, we definitely pounded the pavement, and that does wreak a little havoc on the feet, even with the best shoes. By Friday afternoon, my knee was also throbbing and ready to stop for a few days. It still bothers me a little, so I’d appreciate your prayers for healing and strength. But, it was great to have my family with me. Jamie logged about 25 miles while Charlotte and Josiah walked a little more than 20 miles. Of course, Bethany is doing this whole thing with me. We are “tag-teaming” the route. I will walk a leg; then she will walk a leg; and sometimes, we just walk together. This week, a young man from Missouri who served on our last Team Yeshua down in Peru (2019) is joining to help. I don’t like Bethany walking alone, so she will have a partner this week who can also help us shuttle the vehicle. What a blessing!
Jamie and Bethany walk together for a spell.
It was also blessing last week to get a break from pounding the pavement and to pound some dirt and rocks and railroad tracks. A good chunk of last Wednesday’s route followed the Neusiock Trail in the Croatan National Forest. At times, I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into, for parts of the trail were completely overgrown, extremely muddy, and full of swamp water. You should have seen Chatlotte’s legs after that. My arms were pretty town up from thorns as well. But, we endured, and the LORD allowed us to stock two wilderness shelters with Gospel materials, something I love to do on the Appalachian Trail. We also had a couple of Christian dads and their kids join us in the adventure. Our misery really did love company that day.
I left this little message, along with a Bible and some Gospel material, in the Dogwood Shelter on the Neusiock Trail.
Toward the end of the trail, most of us were out of water, and it was hot. It was at this point I discovered the Croatan National Forest shelters to have something you never see on the Appalachian Trail—old pump wells. After a little priming, cold cold water from the depths of the earth came flowing out, full of good minerals. That was a unexpected blessing from the LORD at a moment of discouraging thirst. And, it reminded me of Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:13-14:
“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
This old pump well in the middle of the woods was a huge blessing . And that water was COLD!
After pounding the Neusiock Trail, I had to get back to pounding the pavement on busy NC Highway 101 that took me into Havelock.
Perhaps my fondest memory from the week was walking through a little dot that wouldn’t even appear on most state road maps, a predominantly black rural community called North River. I’ll never forget North River. On that short stretch of Merrimon Road, God gave me many opportunities to preach to folks in their yards or on their front porches. One young man, Elias, knew he wasn’t walking with the Lord and fears Him. That’s a place to start. I got serious with him, and he was humble. A family gave me some cold water, and I gave them a Bible. I told dad how serious the role of a father is and that his kids are precious gifts that he needs to train up right. Sister Jane blessed me with everything she had in her purse at that moment. I preached to Arizona in his truck and Alex washing his mower. All took tracts. Big Jim with a mess of dreadlocks chased me down with his family to see what the crazy white guy with the cross was doing walking down the road. They took tracts and let me speak a few words of truth. It was a blessed time that brought to mind Jesus’ illustration of the wedding banquet in Luke 14. When the well-to-do made their excuses for why they couldn’t attend, the master of the banquet told his servant:
“Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper” (Luke 14:21-24).
This precious family in North River gave me some ice-cold bottled water. I got to share with them for some time, and they took a Bible.
On Thursday of last week, after walking a busy stretch of road by the Cherry Point Marine Air Station and through the town of Havelock, and after stopping to preach with my little speaker for a few minutes at a pretty active traffic light in the rain, I was forced to leave the pavement and make a straight shot across another part of the Croatan National Forest by way of “private roads” and a long 10-mile stretch of railroad tracks. This seemed the only viable option as walking around would have involved many extra miles and some dangerously busy highway. Unfortunately, the tracks were U.S. Government property and were posted at each end with “No Tresspassing” signs. We decided to just walk on through, trusting that our explanation would be understood and appreciated if we ran into anyone. On that strech of railroad, we never saw a soul, only some bear tracks, a few deer, and a couple of tree stands. So, obviously we weren’t the only ones who had been through there. I don’t think U.S. government or railroad officials would be putting up tree stands for hunters. I figure it will almost be impossible to walk across America without walking on private land from time to time. I’ll do my best to secure permission, and if unable to contact anyone ahead of time, I’ll be prepared to just explain. Right now, we are facing that issue again as we are about to walk right into Hoffman State Forest, a tract of woodland in Eastern North Carolina that is caught in a complicated legal battle between NC State University and some private individuals. It’s posted pretty clearly that there is no access without special permission. I have been unable to reach anyone, so we may be forced to walk around this. Oh well. America is such a messed up nanny state these days, so much so that righteous people break stupid laws all the time without even knowing it. I choose not to think about this stuff too much. If you please the LORD and live free, it really doesn't matter what some government bureaucrat has to say. I already don’t wear masks and adhere to gathering limits. I never closed down my marital arts dojo during Covid. I was preaching on the grounds of the US Capitol on January 6th. My local church never closed down or had services outside. Multiple nights, I was out street preaching after our state’s “Covid Curfew.” I regularly and publicly preach against the wickedness of abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, critical race theory, liberalism, and all other stains on this nation. I declare without apology that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to heaven. So, I’m already on the wrong side of the “law” in my country. I’m already a “dangerous terrorist” in the eyes of the U.S. Government. I don’t think walking on their railroad tracks is going to change that status for good or for evil. But hey, it did remind me of a great truth that Jesus’ Resurrection accomplished for us: ACCESS.
Because of the Messiah suffered and died on the cross, and because He rose up from the dead, the image below illustrates how we can boldly go into the presence of the LORD and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:13). We can ignore the NO TRESPASSING signs around the mount (Exodus 19:12-13) and barge right through where the thick veil once hung (Matthew 27:51). By the Messiah, we now have ACCESS . . . not just access, but ACCESS WITH CONFIDENCE (Ephesians 3:11-12). HALLELUJAH!!!
Man, I wish I could share some more details, but we gotta GO! It’s nearly a five hour drive to get back to where we stopped last Friday, and we hope to do some walking before dark. Please pray Bethany, Carter, and me this week, for many more encounters, and that the LORD would put a lost sheep from the House of Israel into our path. Jamie, Charlotte, and Josiah are staying behind for this leg. I will miss them, but those kids have to get caught up on their homeschool assignments.
As for FPGM, we have needs and we are stepping out in faith to walk across America, not waiting around to “deputize” (a favorite term of my Baptist missionary culture) or to “raise necessary support.” I don’t know what is necessary, neither can I. God does, and I trust Him to supply. If FPGM and these testimonies are, or have been a blessing to you, please consider financially supporting our ministry to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. God promises a blessing to those who bless Abraham and his physical descendants (Genesis 12:3), and there is no better way to bless Israel than by supporting genuine efforts to reach Israel with the Gospel of her Messiah. And since righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:24), there is no better way to fight for America in these dark days than to support genuine efforts to reach American people through the preaching of the righteousness that is Jesus Christ. Anything you can give is a blessing that will be used faithfully and with account.
Maranatha!
Jesse Boyd, Full Proof Gospel Ministries