This story reminds me of my childhood. I grew up with the original half hour Batman and Robin series. I can remember how every other show left them in some dire situation of which there was little hope of survival. I remember running in from the school bus the next day. I lived way out in the country and we barely got home in time to catch the show. I was so anxious to see what was going to happen? Were they going to survive? Was there any doubt?
You always new the first episode of a pair was going to leave you hanging, and I actually dreaded that. When the thirty minutes was running out and the show about to end, and it would be 24 hours before you could see the conclusion, that was awful! And if it hit on a Friday, that was the worst! Three days of waiting! Three days of wondering how Batman or Robin was going to escape being sawn in two!
As I hung there on White Butte, I did not think of Batman. I also was doing some pretty serious praying. My prayers had already begun! This was not a silly Batman show. This was real! People are badly hurt and even killed by falls in the Badlands while climbing on this strange dirt that suddenly crumbles away. This butte was made of the same kind of material.
Twenty years ago I had actually been in the Badlands and barely escaped a climb at that time too. A car of local people actually saw me climbing and stopped to warn my wife of the dangers. It was too late at that point, I was already way up there. And now, here I was again. These cliffs are so deceptive. They start out climbing pretty safe and easy. But somehow, before you know it, you’re way up there and can’t find your footholds to come down! You either press on to the top, or start an out of control slide downward!
I was seriously worried, but I knew God had led me here and believed it was all for a purpose. My thumb had a pretty good slice in it, blood was freely flowing and spilling onto White Butte. At least I knew the sword was sharp. Pressing the thumb against my other fingers had failed to stop the flow. I remembered my bandana in my rear pocket and managed to pull it out and wrap around my thumb. That would be good enough for now.
On my back was a small book bag type backpack. That was actually what held the Samurai sword in place, but in the bag was also a Colt knife with an eight inch Damascas blade. I needed that knife! If only I could get to it. With my new handhold I now had the chance to try. It wasn’t easy, but with patience I eventually got it out. Why hadn’t I strapped it on my belt to begin with? Good question.
Once I had that knife I was able to do some serious digging. My wife got a very distant and short video of me digging at the butte as I climbed. It looked like I was stabbing a monster over and over again. There are still scars on the blade from that climb. The whole event was forty minutes long. By the time I finally pulled myself onto the top, I knew I had been through a life and death situation. God had made it real enough.
Yes, God had made it real enough, and now I would pray prayers, offer up worship to the God who was going to lead me in the Third and final Act of my life. I was taking these nine days to offer up “first fruits” to God. My next mission in this earth was to be the result of these nine days of seeking God first! And so it has been.
The view was beautiful up there. I sat Indian style on a big hump of ground and enjoyed my black coffee while thinking white thoughts. Thoughts about God, and thoughts about purity and our years of climbing towards it.
I watched a group of people hiking in. I watched from my high position as they naturally chose the easy well trod path without giving it much of a thought. Why was I different? Even at the age of 61, I had not been drawn to the easy path everyone else seemed to naturally gravitate towards. My gravitational pull was different than the majority. Gravity was what I had also battled going up the side of this beast. There was less gravity to fight on the other path, but also less reward. That path never reached the high peaks. I know, because I checked it out before I left.
People may think this story is crazy. They may think the whole idea of giving nine days to seeking God, spending a vacation in this way, is nuts. But have you ever seriously tried it? I’m telling you God is real and he will speak to you, but you must come to him on his terms. Do you know this way I speak of? Over the course of my life, I’ve done more than a few of these, and God has never failed to show up.
So this was Day 3 of our 9 Days. I would like to point out that “White Butte”, symbolic of a climb to purity, was on private property. In other words, I was again upon symbolic land separated from the government. Remember the scriptures God gave us in Bear Butte? Remember how David was delivered from King Saul, the government over him in his time? Remember?
As I sat up there with my Bible and my sword; I pondered all these things. Do you think Jesus would have been in bed with our government, allowing them to influence what he taught, just so he could maintain his tax exempt status, or avoid jail? I worry about our modern day churches and the theater type services we now have. As I sat in these high places I remembered more than once struggling with male lust over an attractive woman on the platform while trying to focus on God. Many churches today simply seem to be late copies of the world. If Jesus labeled your church, would he label it a “Mary”, or a “Martha”? Has the modern church become Martha, worried more about earthly things than simply enjoying the pure word and presence of God?
God was calling me to start something different in these modern times, something of the old ways and the simplicity of Christ. While the crowd flowed very easily towards a path of least resistance, I was drawn to the high places. I speak and teach about all these things of our modern church in other sections of this site. If you have a real desire to “AWAKEN”, you will naturally seek such things. But if you are a Martha, seeking to build your own little kingdom, caught up in “image” rather than humility, then there are plenty of people on that path to keep you company.
Here’s a final thought for those who have actually read this far. When Satan entered the garden on his quest to cause havoc, he did not go to Adam, but he went to Eve. His plan worked so well then, that I think it is also his main plan for “The End”. How many ways has your church allowed Eve to get out of place? Am I being anti-woman? No, I’m simply being pro Word of God. There is a proper balance to all things. Jesus did not preach poverty, but he did also preach against materialism and the love of money.
The church is way out of balance today in its attempt to attract the world. Our first duty is the light of Christ, not stage lights. We shine the pure light of God and those who truly want to be God’s children will be attracted. We don’t want to attract the world. The world should run from us. But Satan is using his same Garden of Eden plan to bring us into a state described in Romans chapter one. Check it out. It speaks of reprobate minds and every sort of evil. Men becoming Eve. Eve becoming men. And God’s line of authority completely destroyed. That’s where were headed if the church doesn’t AWAKEN. Perhaps it’s too late. Perhaps we’re already there.
Path Without End 