The Great Unknown

INTRODUCTION: ‘From Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Tributaries, John Wesley Powell’s account of his epic journey running the Green and Colorado rivers in 1869. Powell’s journey in wooden boats with nine other men took him into places where no white man had ever made a footprint, including the Grand Canyon.’

As we entered 2013 I wanted to share an excerpt from this ‘story’ in one of my favorite collection of classic survival stories. The excerpt is the August 21^st journal entry of John Wesley Powell in what has come to be known as ‘The Great Unknown’.

As we consider the state of our country morally, financially, and spiritually, I think this story is a very fitting picture of where we have been and where we are heading.  Sin is rampant in our states and violence is everywhere but one can’t help but think that we are responsible. With prayer and the Ten Commandments having been taken from our schools, Evolution, Humanism, and Relativism all being taught. Socialistic ideas are not only on the rise but now prevalent; ideas of a union of men apart from Christ. Thank God that we have signs also of an awakened church and revival among many youth.

“August 21^st ~ We start early this morning, cheered by the prospect of a fine day and encouraged also by the good run made yesterday. (America’s yesteryear has had some good runs) A quarter of a mile below camp the river turns abruptly to the left (we’ve turned left), and between camp and that point is very swift, running down in a long, broken chute and piling up against the foot of the cliff, where it turns to the left.

“We try to pull across, so as to go down on the other side, but the waters are swift and it seems impossible for us to escape the rock below; but in pulling across, the bow of the boat is turned to the farther shore, so that we are swept broadside down and are prevented by the rebounding waters from striking against the wall. (We’ve had many close calls) We toss about for a few seconds in these billows and are then carried past the danger.

“Below, the river turns again to the right, the canyon is very narrow, and we see in advance but a short distance. The water, too, is very swift, and there is no landing-place. From around this curve there comes a mad roar, and down we are carried with a dizzying velocity to the head of another rapid. On either side high over our heads there are overhanging granite walls, and the sharp bends cut off our view, so that a few minutes will carry us into unknown waters. (Year after year we rush forward)

“Away we go on one long, winding chute. I stand on deck, supporting myself with a strap fastened on either side of the gunwale. The boat glides rapidly where the water is smooth, then, striking a wave, she leaps and bounds like a thing of life, and we have a wild, exhilarating ride of ten miles, which we make in less than an hour. The excitement is so great that we forget the danger until we hear the roar of the great falls below;” (So here we wait ready to plummet over into the great unknown)

If our country is to succeed we will need to back off on our oars and, while if we can find a lull, pull out of the waters that will begin again to run swiftly and ever faster toward destruction. We need to find a landing. Stable ground. The church must lead the way.

Jesus said in His sermon on the mount, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Matt. 7:24-25) We need to return to the old time religion and walk in right paths. We need to once again build our homes on the Rock.

The excerpt I share ends with “then we back on our oars and are carried slowly toward its head and succeed in landing just above and find that we have to make another portage.” We may have to make another long portage to find a safer passage then the one we have known. This country, and this world, is headed into ruin but it need not be on our watch. The immediate future may indeed be a great unknown but I am holding out with many others for another great awakening and revival in our communities, states, and whole regions in 2013.

Let’s not be foolish and build our houses on washing away sands.
Let’s heed Jesus’ warning and return to His principles once again.
Let’s confess together the sins of our nation and her people.
Let’s put away pride and contentions and warring and
let us intercede in humble repentance for revival.
Let’s allow Him to increase in our lives as
we decrease in our own self evaluations.

If we will see revival…
He must increase! WE must decrease!

Consider the Source

(Thoughts provoked by another blogger discussed over breakfast with my dear and wise wife.) You often hear people say 'Consider the source.' when there is criticism or complaining as if to just brush aside the discomfort of knowing that someone is not pleased with them. But in all reality, none of us are always right, in every avenue, all of the time. If a person feels passionately enough about something to say something, even if they are known to just like a fight or a 'good' gripe, perhaps there is something we can learn from the sometimes unwarranted news.

By all means don't let it ruin your day, but rather than brush it aside, first consider the gripe. Consider that there may be some truth to it. There is usually even a little truth to things said in jest. We can pray "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if [there be indeed any] wicked way in me," 

Consider that perhaps there is something the Lord wants to teach you about yourself. Don't you know if you sincerely ask Him to reveal it to you that He will. And if there is no truth to the complaint then God will surely assure your heart.

Consider the complaint before you consider the source. We have a tendency to exalt self and thereby ignore even the counsel of the Spirit in our hearts. This we must not do.

"He must increase, WE must decrease!"

HEROES & VILLIANS

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?” (Acts 9:1-5a)

Every little boy wants to grow up to be just like their hero(s) and what they played as a child may give a hint as to what era and culture they grew up in. Cowboys & Indians, Red Coat & Rebel, Hero(s) & Villains. When I was a kid we used to run around with a towel feigning a cape and pretend to be super heroes OR run around with a stick feigning a gun as a commando.

I am sure it was no different for Saul of Tarsus. (Acts 7: 58) "and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul." Saul had his heroes too. Samuel, Elijah, Moses, David. How brave and right for David to challenge and kill Goliath! (Is there not a cause!) And the zeal and righteous indignation that drove Samuel as he hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. (1^st Samuel 15:33) Look what Elijah did to the prophets of Baal. All 450 of them. (1^st Kings 18:14) Yes Saul had his heroes, and his villains. Saul’s heroes were deeply religious and passionately committed to the cause. (Is there not a cause!) Also a child’s heroes are found in his father and in his mentors. Think about Saul growing up under the shadow of rumors about our Jesus. And the lies and whispers of his father and fellow Pharisees. Think about how Jesus continually challenged their pride and how they hated Jesus. What must have been going through Saul's mind on that fateful day on the road to Damascus? 

He said, “Who art thou, Lord?” (Acts 9:5a)

No doubt Saul had thought himself one of the heroes.

“And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks”

But at the reproof he discovered himself to be playing the villain.

“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

Jesus in an instant became Paul’s hero. The same can be said of him as what he by the Spirit wrote to the Corinthians, “For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!” (2 Cor. 7:11) He in all things worked faithfully by grace and humility to shew himself to be clear in this matter from that time forward.

Who is your hero? Is Jesus your hero? Is He your Lord?...

“He must increase, and WE must decrease!”