A River to CROSS
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HOLLIS MCGEHEE A River to CROSS (A Story of Life) Copyright 2018 by Hollis McGehee All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. ISBN: 978-0-9981884-3-0 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in this publication are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV® Text Edition: 2011. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (niv) are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked (nlt) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture marked (nkjv) is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (amp) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, Used by permission. www.Lockman. org. Scripture quotations marked (kjv) are taken from the King James Bible and are public domain. Table of Contents Author’s Note �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � vii Waypoint #1: Salvation� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ix Prologue �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � xii Waypoint #2: History of Part One �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � xv PART ONE A RIVER TO CROSS Introduction � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �3 Prelude � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �5 Chapter 1 Life Is Like a River � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �7 Chapter 2 The Headwaters of My River of Life� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �10 Chapter 3 A River Outside Its Banks� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �13 Chapter 4 Laying Out the Channel� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �16 Chapter 5 The River Roars� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �19 Chapter 6 The River Runs Early �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �21 Chapter 7 Setting Hooks on the Homochitto � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �24 Chapter 8 The Shortcut� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �26 Chapter 9 A River of Fire �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �30 Chapter 10 Coming of Age on the Homochitto �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �35 Chapter 11 Water of Life: Sometimes It Flows, Sometimes It’s a Stagnant Pond �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �38 Chapter 12 Jump for Your Life �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �45 Chapter 13 Life’s Lessons Sometimes Require Different Channels� � � � �49 Chapter 14 The Greatest Gift Ever Given �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �53 Chapter 15 The Shooting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �56 Chapter 16 “Whatever You Do, Don’t Get in the Boat!”� � � � � � � � � � � � � �63 Chapter 17 Bountiful Harvest on the Riverbank �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �68 Chapter 18 Spring Break �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �75 Chapter 19 Flood of a Lifetime � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �84 Chapter 20 Coming of Age �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �90 Chapter 21 Two Shall Become One �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �93 Chapter 22 Prima Donna � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �97 Chapter 23 Can’t Get No Satisfaction �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 100 Chapter 24 You Can Run, but You Can’t Hide �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 105 Chapter 25 A Son Is Born �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 108 Chapter 26 God Calls Me Out� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 111 Waypoint #3: The Stream Is Rechanneled � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 125 Chapter 27 And Then We Were Five �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 127 Chapter 28 God’s Grace at Work �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 130 Chapter 29 Out of Place� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 133 Chapter 30 Preaching � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 138 Waypoint #4: The Flood Returns �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 141 Chapter 31 The Flood of a Lifetime �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 142 Chapter 32 New Channel Under Construction� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 147 Chapter 33 The Process of Sobriety �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 150 Chapter 34 God Moves in Mysterious Ways �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 155 Waypoint #5: As We Sow, So Shall We Reap� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 158 Chapter 35 You Can’t Get Here from There �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 160 Waypoint #6: I Have Met the Enemy, and It Is Me� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 164 Waypoint #7: Moving from Looking Inward to Looking Upward �� � � � � 166 PART TWO WHO GOD IS AS HE REVEALS HIMSELF IN SCRIPTURE Chapter 36 Knowing and Trusting God � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 169 Chapter 37 God Reveals Himself �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 176 Chapter 38 Knowing God Reveals Our Purpose in Life� � � � � � � � � � � � 180 Chapter 39 Who God Is in Himself �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 184 Chapter 40 God Is One: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit �� � � � � � � � � � � � � 188 Chapter 41 God Is Light� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 196 Chapter 42 God Is Love �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 201 Chapter 43 God Is Infinite� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 208 Chapter 44 God Is Eternal � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 212 Chapter 45 God Is Almighty � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 217 Chapter 46 God Is All Knowing �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 222 Chapter 47 God Is Omnipresent� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 226 Chapter 48 God Is Merciful � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 232 Chapter 49 God Is Just � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 237 Chapter 50 God Is Gracious �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 241 Chapter 51 God Is Sovereign � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 248 Chapter 52 God Is Unchanging� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 256 Chapter 53 God Is Holy � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 261 Chapter 54 God Is Fair � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 264 Chapter 55 God Is Righteous �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 267 Waypoint #8: The Book No One Wants to Read (and Even Fewer Want to Write) �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 272 PART THREE THE REALITY OF WHO WE ARE BEFORE GOD Preface � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 275 Chapter 56 “The Cattle on a Thousand Hills” �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 277 Chapter 57 The Real Issue Is Authority � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 283 Chapter 58 The Reality of Who I Am� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 288 Chapter 59 “That May Be Your Truth, but I Have a Different Belief System”� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 291 Chapter 60 What Can I Give to God to Be Righteous? �� � � � � � � � � � � � 295 Chapter 61 Why We Can’t Fix Our Own Sin Problem �� � � � � � � � � � � � 301 Waypoint #9: Finishing the Race �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 305 PART FOUR ALL IN (GOD WANTS ALL OF US) Chapter 62 The Lord Speaks to Me Again � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 309 Chapter 63 God’s Amazing Grace at Work �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 318 Chapter 64 How Then Shall I Live? �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 322 Chapter 65 Wanting to Fit In, to Be a Part of the Team �� � � � � � � � � � � 328 Chapter 66 Safely Across the River �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 333 CONCLUSION Understanding Authority and Saying “Yes” to God! �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 337 Addendum � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �