XX.
Blane believed that every man has a sixth sense. Call it by whatever name, but something inside a person can warn of danger as it draws near.
As he drew nearer to Clem, Blane figured Clem’s sixth sense sooner or later would awaken him. It was crucial, therefore, to act before Clem was drawn out of his sleep. Still, Blane had not decided just how to render the two men helpless. That is, until Blane almost tripped over a piece of wood. The piece of wood was about a foot long and perhaps two inches in diameter.
Blane picked up the piece of wood. Quickly, he took one step forward and unceremoniously struck Clem over the head. As Blane hit him, he wondered if he should have hit him harder.
Clem, however, immediately slumped and began to fall backwards. In one motion, Blane caught Clem’s collar with his left hand and plucked up the Winchester with his right. All the while he kept careful watch on Wade. The man never moved.
Holding Clem’s collar, Blane quietly lowered him to the ground. As he did so, he used his right hand and arm to bring the Winchester up, trained directly on Wade.
When Clem was flat on the ground, Blane stood up. He took a few short steps to retrieve his six-shooter. Withdrawing the pistol from the holster, he quickly examined the gun. As far as he could tell, Wade had never touched it.
Wade lay on his left side, half-covered with the blanket. His right hand lay near his six-shooter which lay on the ground beside him.
Blane stepped securely on the barrel of Wade’s gun. Then he crouched down and placed the cold, hard point of his revolver on Wade’s temple. Wade flinched as he felt the metal. In a hoarse, shaking voice, he cried, “Don’t shoot!”
What Blane had not expected was that Wade’s cry stirred Clem out of unconsciousness. Clem sat up and shook his head. Seeing Blane, Clem went for his gun.
Blane shouted, “Don’t!” But Clem had untethered the thong on his holster and continued to draw his pistol in one sweeping motion. The man was surprisingly fast.
Blane aimed and fired. The bullet pierced Clem’s heart. As Clem crumpled to the ground, Blane heard the man’s final sigh.
While Blane was busy with Clem, he could feel Wade’s desperate attempts to free the gun from beneath his foot. But Blane’s weight firmly anchored the gun to the ground. Then he felt the blade of a knife slice his shin.
Blane’s reflex caused him to move his foot off of Wade’s six-shooter. But now, Wade’s right hand held the knife while his left arm was still beneath him. Wade could not grab his gun without releasing the knife.
Blane looked down to see Wade making another lunge. The knife cut him again. This time lower on the shin and deeper.
Blane brought his pistol up and took aim at Wade’s head. When he cocked the hammer, Wade shrieked, “Wait! Here’s the knife! Here it is!”
With a shaking hand, Wade tossed the knife to Blane’s side. “Just don’t shoot!”
“Turn onto your belly!”
Wade turned onto his stomach.
“Keep your legs straight. Extend your arms and hold yourself up.”
Wade did as he was told.
“If you move from that position, I will kill you.”
“You’d shoot an unarmed man?”
“As a rule, no. You’ve qualified as an exception.”
Blane kept his gun pointed at Wade, watching him carefully. Blane’s leg was bleeding profusely, but he could not think of that now. He kicked Wade’s revolver out of reach. Then he picked up a rope that had been tied to Wade’s saddle.
“Now, let yourself down and put your hands behind your back.”
When Wade complied, Blane tied Wade’s hands behind the man’s back. Then he stood him up and walked him to a wooden column. There he tied Wade up, wrapping the rope around Wade and the column from his neck down to his ankles.
“I can’t move!”
“That’s the idea.”
When Faye had heard the shot, she ran to the barn. Looking through a space in the boards, she watched until Wade was securely tied up. Then she hurried into the barn.
When she saw Blane’s pant leg soaked with blood, she gasped. “Come on. Let’s get you taken care of.”
XXI.
With a clean cloth, Faye held direct pressure on the wounds on Blane’s leg. After several minutes, she relaxed the pressure and examined the cuts. Both wounds began to bleed again. She quickly reached for a fresh cloth and applied more pressure.
“He got you good,” she said. “That bottom cut is to the bone.”
“You’re going to have pour whiskey over the cuts and sew me up.”
“It’s going to hurt real bad, Sam.”
“I know. But let’s get it over with.”
When the bleeding finally had slowed enough, Faye drew in a deep breath. Then she generously poured whiskey onto the cuts.
Every muscle in Blane’s body tensed tightly from the pain. Grimacing, he breathed quickly in and out.
With genuine concern, Faye asked, “Are you alright?”
Still grimacing, he nodded. “Yeah, now, pour whiskey over the needle and thread and sew me up. Apply some of that bark mixture onto a clean cloth. Put the wet cloth onto the wounds and then wrap my leg with a cloth that’s dry. I’m going to lie back and catch my breath.”
When Faye had completed the procedure, she asked, “How do you feel?”
Without opening his eyes, he said, “Thank you, Faye.”
XXII.
Just before dawn, Faye awoke and began to dress. She picked out a wool blouse, pants and a vest. When she sat down on the bed to pull on a pair of boots, Amie, who had slept beside her, awoke.
“Where are you going?” the little girl asked.
“I’m going to look for your father. Now, you listen to me. I want you to take care of your brother and Parson Blane until I get back. Will you do that?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
“One more thing. You mustn’t go into the barn. There is a very bad man tied up in there. If you were to go into the barn he would try to trick you into setting him free. But he must stay tied up for now. Do you understand?”
“Yes ma’am. I understand.”
“Good. I’ll put on a pot of coffee for Parson Blane before I leave, and I’ll fix breakfast when I get back. Don’t worry. I won’t be gone long.”
She leaned over and kissed Amie on the cheek. As she did, she heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. A storm was coming.
XXIII.
When Blane awoke he turned his head to see two wide eyes watching him intently.
“Well, hello, little girl.”
“Hello, Parson Blane. Do you want some coffee?”
“Coffee? Yes, that would be nice.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Blane felt a terrible soreness in his lower leg. He sat up and massaged the sides of his leg with both hands. He glanced at Andy who was watching him from the other bed.
“How you doing, son?”
“I’m doing okay. You were moaning in your sleep all night long.”
“Did I keep you awake?”
“A little. But I didn’t mind. Ma said you were hurt real bad.”
Blane straightened, sensing something was wrong. “Where is your mother?”
“She went looking for Pa.”
All of Blane’s senses were alert now. He heard rain battering the roof. He swung his legs over the side of the bed. Immediately, his lower leg began to throb.
He hesitated a few moments in that position and the pain intensified. He tried to stand up but immediately he fell back into a sitting position. Finally, he swung his legs back onto the bed. He placed a couple of pillows under his leg to elevate it. The throbbing pain lessened only slightly.
Amie walked into the room, carrying the coffee pot and a cup. She set them on a small table beside the bed.
“How long has your mother been gone?”
“She left right before the rain started. She told me to take care of you and Andy until she comes back.”
“Amie, there’s a tree limb in the barn that would make a good crutch.”
Before Blane could say another word, Amie said, “Mommy told me not to go into the barn. She said there’s a man tied up in there.”
Blane nodded. Faye’s warning to Amie had been a good idea. “That’s right, Amie. Good girl.”
Blane searched his mind. There must be a way for him to get up and move around. Then he carried the logic a step further. Even if he could find a way to become mobile, he could not leave the children alone. Faye’s looking for Claude, however, made him apprehensive. Whatever she would find, Blane figured it would be far from pleasant.
XXIV.
The rain had begun to come down in sheets whipped by a strong, southwesterly wind. The sky was dark with thick, cumulus clouds ranging low over the plains. Great streaks of lightning arced across the heavens. Frequently, the angry, white fingers of electricity stabbed at the ground in the distance.
Faye felt the water-soaked wind relentlessly pelt her face and hands. Although she wore a slicker and a rain cap, her clothes beneath were already soaked and she was terribly cold. Again and again, she wiped the rain from her glasses and her eyes. Mostly, she kept her head down against the wind with her gaze focused on the ground. When she occasionally looked up, she could see only a few feet in front of her.
She sat steady on the ambling mule whose secure plodding was Faye’s only comfort. Occasionally, she cried out, “Claude!” But the storm eagerly swallowed up
the sound of her voice in the whir and the howl of a savage wind.
One by one, she checked the places where Claude would have worked the small fields. Her search, however, was erratic and she could not be sure she had covered the area thoroughly. Yet, there was nothing to shelter a person from the elements. The closest stand of trees was almost a half mile away bordering a small stream in the opposite direction of the cabin. Claude had to be here somewhere!
Again, she called his name.
She felt warm tears come to her eyes. As they streamed down her cheeks they quickly mixed with the cold rain.
She lowered her head against the rain and the wind and watched the animal’s hooves sink into the mud, one step after the other. A lonely feeling of abandonment engulfed her and she began to sob even more.
Again, she called her husband’s name, but her voice had grown hoarse and weak.
Suddenly the animal stopped. She kicked the mule with her heels. “Come on! Get up!” But the animal would not budge.
She raised her head to see what had caused the mule to stop. Startled, she cried in a low voice, “Claude?”
TO BE CONTINUED
Why Did God Allow It To Happen?
This is for you, Diane.
The other day, you asked why God would allow a spider to bite your younger daughter’s leg. You said the doctors wanted to amputate. But you demanded instead that they heal the leg. Your daughter now has lost part of the tissue from her leg and owes the hospital tens of thousands of dollars.
Tears were in your eyes when you asked why God would allow such a terrible thing to happen. My sterile reply at the time was, “I can’t speak for God.” But, now, allow me to try.
Over years of study, one principle continually stands out for me. It is to be thankful to God in all circumstances. God did not bite your daughter on the leg. A spider did that. Still, God is present in life in everything that happens. He was there when you demanded that your daughter’s leg not be amputated. He was there when your daughter’s leg was finally healed. And, he was there when his Son hung on a cross.
Regardless of what happens in our lives, we can always thank God. Why? Because you and I received the better end of the bargain. We received God’s unmerited favor (Grace) instead of what we should have received.
For our sins against God and against our fellow Man, we should receive eternal punishment in Hell. That’s what I deserve, that’s what you deserve, and that’s what your daughter deserves.
God, in his mercy, however, sent his only Son to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus Christ became the ransom for our transgressions.
Here is what we did to the only man whoever walked the earth and did not sin. We mocked him, we spit on him, and we beat him. We put a crown of thorns on his head. In front of an angry mob, we paraded him to a place called Calvary. Then we nailed his hands and his feet to a cross. Between two criminals, we executed him, Roman style. And we yelled, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
But that was nothing in contrast to what God himself did to His own Son on our behalf. While Jesus hung on the cross, God took my sins and your sins and your daughter’s sins and everyone else’s sins and poured them into Christ’s body. Jesus became our sins, so much so, that God could not look upon his own Son. When Christ felt his Father turn away, he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
While Jesus was suffering and dying for us, we huddled at the foot of the cross and flipped coins to see who would get his clothes. Even after his death, you and I pierced his side with a spear so that his blood poured forth.
And what did the sinless man say about his murderers? “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Finally, after Christ had risen, one of his own disciples said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
So, a week later when Jesus appeared among the disciples, he told Thomas to touch the wounds. Then Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus replied, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
So, you see, you and your daughter and I got the better end of the bargain. For that, we ought to fall on our faces, weeping, and call out praise and thankfulness to our Father...who thought it better to sacrifice his only Son than to allow us to experience the pain and suffering of eternity in Hell.
Now, God promises this: When you turn from your sins and instead trust in, and rely on, Me, through Jesus Christ, you shall have what is contained in the promise itself; that is, forgiveness for your sins, peace in your soul, and life everlasting in Paradise.
In all circumstances in life, let us remember, dear Lord, to be thankful for what we receive, instead of receiving what we deserve. In the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Someone Must Pay the Price
Allow me to speak further on the subject of why God allows bad things to happen to people.
Let’s go back to the beginning when God created the first man and the first woman. The first principle to remember is that God made Adam and Eve with free will. God did not want robots that walked the earth as automatic machines. He wanted living souls with whom he could commune. He loved us then and he loves us now with a perfect, divine love that never changes.
The closest parallel we can understand is the love between a mother and her child. The mother loves the child. She is bonded to the child as no one else can be. Even when her child causes her anger and grief, the mother continues to love the child. The mother’s greatest gift from the child is when the child says from the heart, “I love you,” and then shows that love by obeying the mother’s words.
Now, the mother is much wiser than the child. The mother has lived many more years and has accumulated much more experience in life. She, therefore, is able to instruct her child in ways that will keep the child safe from harm. Should the child disobey, he puts himself in danger. But like his mother, the child is a creature with free will. He is not bound, as a robot, to obey his mother. He may, indeed, choose to act in a manner that may bring harm or even death.
After God created Adam and Eve, he gave one command: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
A mother’s first desire is to keep her child safe from harm. She tells the child, “You must not run into the street.” Her unspoken words continue, “For when you run into the street, surely a car will hit and kill you.”
We all know what happened in the Garden of Eden. Tricked by the serpent, Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. Then she gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked. They covered themselves with sewn fig leaves and HID FROM GOD.
Adam and Eve had disobeyed God. It was the first sin. It was the Fall of Man. Man’s heart had been corrupted by a free will decision to disobey God. And Man’s impulse, ever since, has been to HIDE FROM GOD.
Hiding from a right relationship with God, however, causes extreme torment for the individual’s soul, which was created to commune with God. Only when the corrupt heart of the individual is converted by means of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ[1] will the individual find lasting peace.
At the time of the Fall, what was God to do? His human creations had invoked upon themselves the curse of death; that is, they had nullified their original state of eternal life. They had also lost their state of innocence. They now knew both good and evil. And at Satan’s prompting, they had chosen evil.
Adam and Eve had effectively changed their own nature. They, in effect, had become children of the devil, rather than children of God. Not only that, but all the offspring for all generations to come would be the product of the corrupt seed. They would have the same depraved nature. Everyone would be, and is, born into a state of condemnation (inherited sin). [That’s also why Jesus, the Messiah, in order to be perfectly sinless had to be born of a virgin.]
So, again, what was God to do? His heart was broken. Just as a mother would grieve for her child who had run into the street and was killed, God grieved to no end over the loss of the loving relationship he had had with Man. Perhaps, he, indeed, should have created robots instead of living souls with free will. But that would have defeated the whole purpose! How satisfying is it to hear a robot say, “I love you”?
In his agonizing grief, God saw that the earth was filled with wicked people whose every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.[2]
Just as a judge cannot erase the penalty for murder committed by one person against another, God’s righteousness cannot allow him to erase the penalty for Man’s sin.
Someone must pay the price.
But no man on earth could have served as a satisfactory sacrifice, because all had sinned and come short of the glory of God. One sinful person cannot be sacrificed for another sinful person. No, what was required was someone who had no sin at all. A spotless lamb had to be sent to the slaughter in order for the offering to accomplish its end.
And in raising his head from looking upon the earth, which was filled with Man’s wickedness, God’s gaze mournfully came to rest on his precious, only, sinless Son.
Every individual is born with inherited sin and is, therefore, condemned from birth to eternity in Hell. Additionally, the sins we commit during our lives exceed the number of grains of sand on all the beaches in the world. There, however, is one, and only one, way out: Jesus Christ.
John 3:18
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.(NIV)
Acts 4:12
12 “…Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
(NIV)
Ever since Adam and Eve misused their God-given free will, Man has lived in a world of good and evil. Of Adam’s first two offspring, Cain and Abel, one murdered the other. This is the world we live in.
During one occasion, God had become so angry that he decided to end the entire human race. Only one man found favor with God. So, God sent a flood that killed everyone and everything that breathed, except for Noah and his family. This also surely broke God’s heart. Afterward, he said he would never send such a flood again.
But even on the arc, sin showed itself in one of Noah’s sons.[3]
Now, the question: Why does God allow us to continue to live in this world where the lusts of the flesh and the interests of the self and the guiles of the devil seem to reign supreme?
First, let’s recognize what this life is. In a sense this life is not life at all; that is, it is not true life. True life is what comes after we depart this world.
This world and this life combine to establish the PRELUDE to true life. During this prelude to true life, there are two kinds of people: those who are saved and those who are lost. For a long time, I was among the lost. Now, I’m among the saved. Had I died or had the world come to an end while I was lost in this life, I would have remained lost for eternity.
True life, the way God intended it from the beginning, has no end. There is no death, no disease, no suffering, no strife, and no harmful spiders that bite and cause sickness. All creatures live at peace with one another.
Life in the current world, however, is fraught with evil, danger, disease, and spiders that cause sickness. That is because this world has been utterly corrupted by sin. Everyone and everything in this world lives under the curse brought on by Man’s disobedience to God.
Is it a stretch to say that a person’s sickness due to a spider bite is ultimately due to Man’s sin? Absolutely not! Sin produces consequences, whether the effects manifest as weeds in a wheat patch, sickness from a spider bite, or eternity in Hell.
But then, God is supposed to be a good God. Why would he allow a precious daughter to be harmed so severely? The answer is God allows the world to operate as it does because he IS good. He is long-suffering; that is, he is patient. He will allow the condemned and the saved to live side by side until the world, as we know it, ends. Then he will sift the weeds from the wheat. Should he do it early, he would cut off those who would be saved. Thus, he will first ensure the Gospel has been preached to the ends of the earth. Then when all the other events which must take place have occurred he will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Still, God is present everywhere. He was with the precious daughter when the spider bit her. I dare say that, because God is merciful, he mitigated the circumstances of the daughter’s affliction. I believe that, left without God, the daughter would have lost her leg or possibly died.
So then, what is our lesson? First, we must repent of our sins, surrender to Christ, and become one of his own. The primary job of the lost is to get saved. The primary job of the saved is to spread the Gospel so those who are lost receive the means by which they must be saved. Salvation comes by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. So, how does one gain, and/or strengthen his, faith?
Rom 10:17
17 So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself). (Amplified Bible)
The word of Christ is the Gospel; that is, the good news that Christ has taken away the sins of the world. Through his sacrifice, salvation is bestowed upon everyone who believes that this truth applies to himself personally. The world will pass away. But the Word of the Lord will never pass away. Read all about it in God’s personal revelation of himself in the Holy Bible. The Word as contained in the Bible, in itself, has the power to save. Simply take it to heart.
The only remaining question is whether or not one uses everything that happens in life to strengthen his faith. Does he use the good times and the calamities to draw nearer to our loving Lord? Happiness is not about getting what one wants in life; it is about being happy with what one has and what one gets. But there is something that transcends happiness. It is the lasting joy of knowing Christ.
With Christ as my Lord and Savior, I can endure absolutely anything. The worst life can do to me is kill me. And then all my troubles are over forever…for on that day, I will meet my loving Lord face to face. Until then, I will offer up into God’s hands whatever suffering I may experience. And I will always remember that whatever troubles I experience in this life are nothing in contrast to what my personal Lord and Savior sacrificed for me.
No, the troubles of this life can touch me no more. For I am a living, loving child of Almighty God through the completed work of Jesus Christ.
Christ has won the victory for me!
Thank you gracious Father through Jesus Christ. I will glorify you forever. Amen.
[1] Genesis 9: 20-27
[2] Genesis 6: 5
[3] The individual’s heart must be reborn through faith in Jesus Christ because only Christ paid the penalty for the individual’s sins.
