stuck
I found this umbrella alongside the highway last year while walking in Eastern North Carolina. It helps, but not so much on days when we are stuck in bad weather that seems to never end.
Greetings, beloved brethren, in the name of Jesus, the NAME that is like battery acid to the face when proclaimed in the presence of demons, devils, and wicked men. There is power in that NAME, and ”there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
By God’s grace and mercy, I once pedaled a bicycle across America THREE times, preaching the Gospel all along the way, much like we do these days while walking. In 2003, I pedaled 4,712 miles from Surf City, North Carolina to Neah Bay, Washington. In 2005, it was 3,412 miles from Escourt Station, Maine to Key West, Florida. And in 2009, it was 4,208 miles from the Lower 48 to the northernmost terminus of the American road system at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and then down and over to the westernmost terminus of the American road system in Homer. Those were true adventures for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ, and there were thousands of Gospel encounters, including some lost sheep from the House of Israel. Even at this moment, I can remember a Jewish young man named Solomon who was riding his bicycle from Anchorage to the Lower 48. I passed him on the Alaska Highway not far from Tok, after a frustrating time of being stuck in the Yukon Territory. I shared with him how I believed upon the God of Israel, like Abraham, and how the Scriptures are clear that we need a Messiah. He took a Gospel tract to read when he camped that night. Later, I met an older man who managed a falafel restaurant in Anchorage. He had served in the IDF many years before. I gave him a set of Hebrew-English Scriptures and prayed with him concerning his sick wife. That was a long time ago.
I met Solomon on the Alaska Highway back in 2009 after I had been frustratingly stuck in the Yukon Territory.
There were times along all three of those long bicycle journeys when we got STUCK due to seemingly unending bands of nasty wet weather (or other unforeseen circumstances): sometimes a day, sometimes several days, or even a week. Those “stuck” times were frustrating times, but the delays always seemed to later put us in some right places at right times for the sake of the Gospel. I am remembering this because we are presently STUCK on our long walk across America. After 91 miles of walking and witnessing, resuming from the Oklahoma line outside Southwest City, Missouri and making it all the way to a Neosho River bridge in Labette County, Kansas, a mess of nasty wet peppered with severe thunderstorms moved into the area. Fortunately, we had a warm, cozy home where we could wait it out two hours east. We packed up the SAG late Sunday night and drove back just ahead of the storms. It has been raining pretty much ever since, both where we stopped walking and where we are staying. There are flood warnings, and even a few local bridges are impassable. It’s frustrating to be stuck, but God has His way even in the whirlwind (Nahum 1:3): “fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word” (Psalm 148:8).
Notwithstanding, we did, as mentioned, cover a little more than ninety miles and had more than 50 Gospel encounters. Four Bibles went out: 2 English, 1 Spanish, and 1 Hebrew! Carter Phillips was again able to join us last week, and he has now surpassed 500 total miles. That’s quite an accomplishment. It’s always a blessing to have Carter alongside. From the tri-state marker outside Southwest City—where the corners of Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas come together—we resumed and paced generally north through a piece of Oklahoma and the Quapaw Reservation, occasionally crossing back into and out of Missouri. At another old tri-state marker—where the corners of Oklahoma, Missouri, and KANSAS come together—we turned due west into our 12th state. We covered a small piece of Old Route 66 and crossed the last remaining arch bridge in Kansas before proceeding along gravel county roads to the Neosho River just south of Oswego. At that point late Sunday night, after watching a beaver swim around in Cherry Creek and an armadillo come out of the woods to peek at us, we packed things up to escape the approaching storms and have been STUCK ever since. Lord willing, we can get back to it sooner rather than later. Here are where things currently stand:
We resumed from this Tri-state marker. I’m sitting in Oklahoma. Eric is standing in Missouri. Bethany and Carter are in Arkansas.
At this Tri-State marker, we walked into Kansas, our 12th state on this long walk across America.
Since I’m STUCK today, I thought I would share with you a few of the more interesting encounters from last week. On our first day back following the recent spring break, we covered 22 miles. As the sun went down and the shadows grew long on East 240 Road in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, we experienced a first on this long journey. A young man told me I would do him and his girlfriend a big favor if I would just go kill myself. I hadn’t heard that one before. I replied, “Why don’t you come on over here and try to kill this preacher yourself, since you talk so big and tough?” He then proved he was headed for Hell when he hurriedly jumped into his truck and drove away. You see, the COWARDS are FIRST IN LINE for the Lake of Fire. Read Revelation 21:8. Fortunately, the day didn’t end there. A half mile down the road, two young ladies pulled over to ask what we were doing. They both took Gospel tracts and said they would keep up with the journey online. Just down the road from them, an 86-year-old cattle rancher out on his ATV said, “I’m really glad I stopped to talk to you boys.” And then, just down from them, a young woman stopped to thank us for spreading the Word and passed a $50 Visa Debit Card out her driver’s window. I’m glad I didn’t do that young punk his favor, these folks would have missed a blessing. Notwithstanding, I would have MUCH ENJOYED him attempting to do upon me what he said I should do to myself. I really would have enjoyed that out there on that farm road In Ottawa County as the sun went down and the shadows grew long.
The next day, we met Hardy walking down a country road and trying to get back to Wyandotte (quite a distance). He was a downtrodden and oppressed individual. We let him know that Jesus Christ could free him from all the demons in his life. He heard the Gospel and took a Bible. This man needs prayer.
Hardy was burdened by a long walk. We crossed his path and told him we could relate.
We never start walking before bathing the day’s route in prayer, and each morning, we always ask the Lord to put a lost sheep from the House of Israel into our path. The LORD always answers those prayers with either a yes or a no. And sometimes, it’s a FOUND SHEEP we find. One afternoon, a man and his family passed us by as we walked through Seneca, Missouri right on the Oklahoma line. They turned around and caught up with us just as we left the main road. Ben looked like he could have been one of King David’s Mighty Men from the Old Testament. He had that sharp swarthy Israeli warrior look and demeanor, and yet, he was so excited to see the cross. Ben, former Special Forces, was radically saved and healed by the LORD of an ailment about four months ago. As we fellowshipped on the side of the road with his wife and his children, we couldn’t hardly keep this brother on the ground, thought he would fly away. He was so excited to receive a Hebrew New Testament that I was carrying in my backpack. This was a great encounter. We asked the Lord to put a LOST SHEEP from the House of Israel into our path. He put a FOUND SHEEP. That was a blessing. So glad, we opted to turn right at US 60 and cross the state line back into Missouri.
As it turns out, Eric and I were only a couple hundred yards from this man back on January 6, 2021. He was one of the many heroes and patriots whose presence made our wicked-as-hell government afraid for just a few hours. When a government is afraid of its people, there is liberty. When a people is afraid of its government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson said that. For a few hours on January 6, 2021, the corrupt and tyrannical government in Washington who had stolen an election was genuinely AFRAID of the people. For a few hours, there was liberty. Therefore in my view, January 6th was a GREAT DAY in American history. And I was blessed to be there PREACHING MY GUTS OUT, not protesting politicians but preaching Christ. Little did I know that I was preaching at the Capitol only a few hundred yards from a Jewish man that I would later meet in a dot on a roadmap in Missouri after walking thousands of miles … and that since that day, the Messiah of Israel would save him.
We were blessed to cross paths with a FOUND SHEEP from the House of Israel outside Seneca, Missouri.
Last Saturday, we finally made it into Kansas. Stateline Rd through the Quapaw Reservation went back and forth into Oklahoma and Missouri until we reached I-44, made a quick run across the interstate, and then bushwhacked a power line cut up to an old Tri-State Marker that notes where Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas come together. As we walked into Kansas, not the first Cherokee County on our long journey, we were greeted by two giant bison standing just across a fence from the Cherokee County Highpoint. So, we got a new state, new county, new county highpoint, and a great shot of wildlife all in one fell swoop. Blindly, we stumbled onto the old US Route 66 and fittingly called it a day on a sweet little arch bridge over Brush Creek, the only remaining bridge of its kind left on Route 66. This was a day that saw 12 encounters. There were some nice folks on the Quapaw Reservation. A kind elderly gentlemen who spoke through an electronic voicebox offered us a ride. We shared the Gospel and gave him a Walking Preacher Tract. His face lit up. Some time later, Clifford came back out in his truck looking for us. When he found us in Riverton, he handed us a $20 and said he wanted us to enjoy some cold drinks on him. I was blessed by this. There was a Missouri driver who had seen us somewhere before and stopped to inquire. Walking into the little town of Riverton, we noticed a small crowd gathering outside what looked like a vintage event center and blocking our path down the sidewalk. It was a baby shower, and we Gospel-bombed that group. Most of the folks took tracts. One lady said, “I agree with you. You don’t need to preach to me.” I replied, “I’m a preacher. Preachers have to preach. A lot of folks say they agree with our message, but the country is in shambles. We don’t need to just agree. We need to humble ourselves before the LORD, repent, and get right.” She went on to say: “Calm down, calm down. Republicans are working on it. They’re going to fix this mess. Haven’t you heard about the new anti-abortion law in Oklahoma?” I laughed and then wore out my welcome by responding: “Those half-way measures like in Texas and Oklahoma don’t fix anything. They are the virtue-signaling acts of cowards. And still the blood flows, and still that blood cries out to the Lord from the ground. Judgment is coming for Democrats AND Republicans.” At that point, we knew it was time to keep walking. Notwithstanding, a group of Kansas Republicans heard some hard truth, that America has a SPIRITUAL problem and not a political problem, and that the LORD Jesus Christ is the only escape for an AmericAN from an AmericA that cannot escape the wrath of God. Most of them took tracts before we left. It was great.
Here’s a short little VIDEO I filmed crossing into Kansas over a busy interstate. I trust you will enjoy it. It was later that afternoon when we “crashed” the baby shower—a great day.
Stateline Road went in and out of Oklahoma and Missouri on the Quapaw Reservation
Great Big Bison at the Cherokee County Highpoint just over the Kansas State Line
Eric witnesses to some folks waiting to get into a baby shower in Riverton, Kansas.
Bethany and Carter walk a piece of Old Route 66.
Brush Creek Bridge is the only remaining example of a fixed Marsh Rainbow Arch bridge left on Kansas Route 66.
Far from home this past Lord’s Day and unable to be with our local church family, we chose the shade of a tree near that old bridge pictured above to pray, to worship the LORD, and to be exhorted from the Word by an old preacher who has been dead for many years. If you haven’t heard the well-known sermon by Paris Reidhead entitled Ten Shekels and a Shirt, you should listen to it and be shaken as we were in listening under that tree. Oh how weak and lukewarm we American Christians are in these dark and evil days. I’m so weak. I’m so lukewarm. I’m so Laodicean. Lord, have mercy.
Not a few miles down the road, after our little church service on the side of Old Route 66, Bethany and Carter met a man on his mower. Carter spoke of the American people not being “poor sinners” but monsters of iniquity in need of a Saviour, and that Jesus Christ is the Saviour. This man then asked: “So what do you do if you have a grandson who is living as a homosxual?” Carter rightly and succinctly answered: “You tell him the truth, the truth about where his sin will take him.” The old farmer then reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. He handed it to the walkers and said, “Thank you.”
There you have it, a few encounters from the last 90 miles. The rain is starting to taper off this Thursday afternoon. I suppose we will walk a bit tomorrow, not for us, not even for you, my friends, but for the glory of God and the Lamb. We’ll stop where He would have us stop. And we’ll even get STUCK where He would have us get STUCK. Jesus is King, and the monsters of iniquity who run our country up in Washington and who run all over our country from sea to sea, will one day bow the knee to HIM. Until then, we will keep sounding the alarm and declaring the only means of escape.
Thank you so much for your prayers.
If this long walk across America has edified you in some way, please consider sowing into our ministry. We have needs, and gas is real expensive these days. Anything you can share, if the LORD should lay it upon your heart, is a blessing that will be used faithfully and with account. All contributions are tax-deductible. Thank you in Jesus’ name. Learn more . . .
In the Spirit of a Watchman upon a Wall (Ezekiel 3:17),
Jesse Boyd