by Jon Kohler
The woods were still as I climbed into my stand that morning, the air not quite cold enough to make my breath show…but I was hoping. Somewhere down the slough, a barred owl threw out one last haunting question before daylight. I settled in, waiting for the light to break, and it struck me again—this is God’s country, his Church. Not a building, not a sermon, but a kind of open-air sanctuary that smells like pine sap and wet earth.
I’ve spent plenty of Sundays inside four walls. I love the fellowship, the handshake from a trusted neighbor. But today, more than ever, faith doesn’t end when you walk out the doors. We’ve all heard the chide “the woods are my church.” I’ve long believed you can worship about just as well in the deer woods but today I think its about anywhere is a good place. Where I once clearly saw God’s message in the woods today, I see it everywhere I look.
I can’t sing. Never could. I choose churches based on the strength of the pastor’s message and fellowship. The messenger is going to have to be good enough to keep me from daydreaming about running bird dogs, wondering if today wouldn’t have been a good “church in the woods” day. That a tough order for a country preacher with a parishioner with ADD.
The hurdle is real. In my F-150, I have the Billy Graham Channel tuned in almost exclusively. I can hear his timeless messages from 25 years ago. While his theology is spot on, I must admit listening to him pontificate of the problems of his day remind me of the movie Austin Powers. There a freshly unfrozen “Dr Evil” declares “I will hold the world ransom for…one million dollars.” Upon which everyone in the room burst out laughing until he adjusts, they ante, “Ok then, we’ll hold the world ransom for …one hundred billion dollars!” The problems only continue to compound.
Today’s “Billy Graham” was Charlie Kirk. Where Graham perfected the mass evangelistic campaigns Kirk perfected connecting through today’s social media. When I first noticed Charlie, the irony was completely lost on me. I simply saw a young guy sitting by himself behind a “prove me wrong” sign fearlessly answering any question non-believers could throw at him. I was in awe, but not nearly as much after I learned, like Graham, he had America’s leader’s direct line. In fact, I think with modern technology he communicated with even more than did Graham.
Kirk too began filling arenas with young believers hungry for purpose. He told them that faith belonged in the public square—that Christianity and patriotism were bound together, that we were fighting for the soul of the nation. He spoke boldly about protecting life, standing firm in belief, and confronting cultural decay. A lot of what he said resonated with people who felt unseen, unheard, or forgotten.
These days, people seek a relationship with God in more ways than ever. Some scroll through devotionals, social media, or listen to podcasts on the drive to work. Some watch a preacher on their phone while sitting in a tree stand. And honestly, that’s not a bad thing. I do it too and enjoy many preachers online. I even follow one in California of all places! Jack Hibbs.
God told Daniel that much of his prophetic vision would remain mysterious until the end times-when events and understanding of prophecy would become clear to those living through them. That “knowledge shall be increased.” That’s an understatement today. The thing I like to do more than anything is scroll through my iPad between current headlines and Biblical prophecy and compare the two. Things that I have curiously studied 40 years ago now align with almost perfect clarity. Im glad because otherwise the headlines and whats happening to our Society would be terrifying.
The newfound ability to easily translate the original Greek Bible, not just the KJV interpretation makes some difficult passages make complete sense… To me, it’s unfolding these spiritual mysteries that are entertaining. It’s like living through Nicholas Cage’s last good movie National Treasure where the protagonist uncovers hidden truths buried in history that involve secrets, codes and artifacts that challenge what people think they know. Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and his books dwarf any mystery plot Hollywood could ever dream of. Like John Grisham he has the innate ability to write mystery novels with moral dilemmas and good vs evil his are based on the characters in the Bible. Unlike Grisham’s fiction Cahn’s writings are true.
A lot of symbols are lost on me. One of the things Cahn pointed out hiding in plain sight are the colors and descriptions of the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” I guess you could say I have had white, black and red horses. Never green. Ive also had all kinds of bows. It never made sense to me why the 1st rider of the apocalypse would be crowned and carrying a bow. “And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to them, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” Revelation 6:2 I’ve bow hunted in Montana off horseback. We’ve invented a lot of things but carrying bows just goes well with horses. It’s hard to picture someone powerful enough to be given a crown awkwardly carrying a bow. Plus, it doesn’t say there are any arrows. I did pick up on that on my own. Before this, the strongest symbolism I’ve seen with a bow is the pic of a Native American in an 1800’s buckskin holding a modern compound bow with the simple statement “What if?”
Going back to Cahn, he figures out that the Greek word “toxon” = bow, but it can also be used for “rainbow.” Whereas what was once a symbol of God’s covenant with Noah not to flood the world again now it’s a symbol of pride. People waving rainbows colored about anything is everywhere in today’s news. This makes much more sense to me as the last place anyone ever saw a bow is re-runs of Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector on the Outdoor Channel.
The other horseman’s colors we see everyday too. They are the colors of the Palestinian flag and about every country surrounding Israel. Whatever one’s beliefs these colors are entangled with images of war and chaos is undeniable today.
When I was younger, I thought the best way to absorb the Scripture was from Sunday sermons. Now, with social media it’s about everywhere. Now, the hurdle is not knowledge but knowing who is right. That is a mystery that keeps unfolding. Every day it seems like it’s something different. Like that Nicholas Cage movie crescendoing to the end.
Until then, I am going to spend more time watching wildlife than watching the news. Im going to be comforted that all this craziness is not surprising. It’s predicted. It’s part of a plan. To me, that makes God’s great and spending every minute with friends and family that much more important.
From murky farm ponds to pristine glacier-cut lakes and everything in between, Knox Daniels’ expertise stems from a lifelong fascination of water and the creatures that live in and around it. He recognizes and helps clients appreciate the value water features bring to a property. “My goal is to help buyers realize and sellers maximize the value different water bodies bring to a property, not only in a recreational sense, but also for social storm reasons.” After extensively traveling the country for collegiate BASS fishing tournaments, Knox graduated and worked for the Southeast’s finest fisheries and wildlife biologist, Greg Grimes. With Grimes’ company, AES, Knox managed many of the southeast’s finest private lake estate/impoundment properties, and learned the intricacies of upscale property management. Learning from Greg and other biologists, Knox honed in on the specific conditions and habitat needed for optimal gamefish growth in private lakes. He has also worked as a property manager on several thousand acres and for a commercial developer, facilitating the dirt work and builds of several apartment complexes, but his true passion has always been in the outdoors. “I’ve always had an insatiable fascination with ponds/lakes and am grateful to be able to help to place clients on the properties of their dreams and make their personal fisheries/wildlife goals reality with JKA.” – Knox Daniels
Jason has been assisting landowners for the last 28 years in Georgia and South Carolina obtain achievements the owners did not realize were possible. His degree in Biology from Georgia Southern stemmed from the desire to know how things in nature work. His plantation roots began at just 16 years old outside of Albany, GA and the last 20 years were spent in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. His entire career has been spent developing a global approach to plantation management. That plan included sales. Sales is in Jason’s blood- his mom had a 45-year career as a real estate broker. After college, he chose to pursue his passion of making properties great. In 2011, Jason sold his first plantation. Since then, he has assisted buyers and sellers with over $20 million in sales while most of that time working as a full-time General Manager of a large Lowcountry plantation. Today, he is committed to using his unique skill set and experience to guide landowners through the many challenges of plantation ownership.
Bruce Ratliff is a retired elected official (Property Appraiser Taylor County). Bruce brings years of experience in ad valorem tax knowledge. His property tax background gives JKA Associates & clients a unique insight into the complicated tax process. Bruce held several positions in the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, including member of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President and Secretary, and served on the Agricultural & Legislative Committees for the Association. The real estate business has been part of Bruce’s life since childhood. His mother, Shirley Ratliff owned Professional Realty of Perry, Florida and his father, Buster owned Ratliff Land Surveying which Bruce was General Manager of before his political career.
Hailing from a long line of outdoorsmen, Tim learned a great deal from his father and grandfather. He saw first-hand what it means to be a good land steward. He believes land is so much more than a place to hunt, fish, and grow timber or crops. “It’s an identity, a resting place, a safe haven and a way of life, said Tim.” Tim’s family ties to Alabama run deep. During his grandfather’s first term, Governor James was responsible for signing into law Alabama’s first state duck stamp which helped to ensure funding for the procurement, development, and preservation of wetlands for migratory waterfowl habitat. He also established Alabama’s lifetime hunting license, so it is no surprise that Tim is an avid outdoorsman with a keen eye as to how best to improve habitat for the greater good of its wildlife.
With Madison County roots, Lori grew up on her family farm at Pettis Springs along the historic Aucilla River. A love of the land was instilled in Lori very early on by her father who was a local farmer. Lori understands the importance of good land stewardship and has witnessed first-hand how her own father, a former 2-term member of the Florida House of Representatives whose district encompassed many rural counties of the Red Hills Plantation Region, with a little bit of sweat equity, so lovingly worked their own family land. These are core values she carries with her today, and nothing gives her more personal satisfaction than to represent some of the south’s best land stewards.
Cole’s dedication to land management lies in his family roots. As a fourth-generation timber expert, Cole’s earliest memories were spent with his father managing timber investments. With a degree in Food Resource Economics from the University of Florida, Cole is the epitome of an up-and-coming leader. He grew up with a hands-on approach to learning land management and conservation and has spent the last 15 years learning every angle of the real estate and forest industry. Cole is a member of the Florida Forestry Association, Red Hills Quail Forever, Southeastern Wood Producers Association and he uses this platform as an advocate for landowners and their land investments. His family has dedicated the past 60 years to providing landowners in North Florida and South Georgia with professional land management services focused on improving and protecting one’s forestland and wildlife investment. In fact, their family business, M.A. Rigoni, Inc., was one of the first to introduce whole tree chipping to the Red Hills Region.
As a landowner of his own family farm, Lick Skillet, along with family land that has been passed down and enjoyed together at Keaton Beach for 40 years, Jon knows what it means to be a steward of the last best places. As a third-generation land broker with more than 30 years of experience in advising landowners in this niche, Jon is known for his innate ability to harvest a land’s unique intrinsic value. Touting several notable sales under his belt, Jon personally closed Rock Creek/Molpus – 124,000 acres of premium timberland at $142,000,000 – which was known as the largest timberland land sale in the Southeast for eight years running. He is a co-founding member of LandLeader and achieved the real estate industry’s highest honor, “2022 National Broker of the Year – Recreational Land Sales,” by the Realtors® Land Institute.