Coffee Percs

I wanna sleep at night beneath the stars above
While the moon goes climbin’ high
I wanna cook my coffee over cactus coals
Fifty miles from town.”
      –Stuart Hamblen

Shore glad you show’d up pard; sorry I wasn’t at the homestead last week.  My little buckaroo from one of those eastern states and his Ma were over in Houston and I had to go pick them up.  Let me tell you for sure–he is a live wire.  Wish some of his energy would transfer over to this ol’ fence post.  My mercy, I get tired just a-watchin’ him.
Hope you’re doin’ well.  Good to know that the Lord is smilin’ down on us.  Now, He’s isn’t always pleased with our doin’s but He is still our heavenly Father.  Up to us to be makin’ Him smile.  My, the world is sure in a tizzy, ain’t it?  How ’bout that little banty over in North Korea struttin’ ’round?  If it wasn’t so dangerous it would be funny.
For sure we’re goin’ nuts.  I just found out that you can’t call a girl a girl anymore and definitely can’t call her pretty.  Ol’ Chad Prather brought this to my attention over the week.  It seems that it is an affront to their, hmmm, how can I put this without bringin’ an offense?  Guess, I’ll just leave the subject all together, before someone turns me over to some feminist league.  One thing for sure, my gal is sure pretty–there take that you crazy liberals.
Nice to be sittin’ here, drinkin’ coffee, didn’t mean to alarm you with my rantin’.  If the crazies would just leave the rest of us ol’ fence posts alone, well that would be to my likin’.  However, makes one realize the importance of checkin’ their cinch before mountin’.

The Daily Paine

The counsel of the Spirit of God to the Saints is that they must allow nothing worldly in themselves while living among the worldly in the world.”
–Oswald Chambers

“At no time, perhaps, since the Reformation have Christians as a body been so unsure, tentative, and confused as to what they should believe and do.  Certainly about the great issues of Christian faith and conduct is lacking all along the line.  The outside observer sees us as staggering on from gimmick to gimmick and stunt to stunt like so many drunks in a fog, not knowing at all where we are or which way we should be going.  Preaching is hazy; heads are muddled; hearts fret; doubts drain our strength; uncertainty paralyzes action.”
–J.I. Packer

Paul speaks about “carnal Christians” in the Book of Corinthians.  I have wondered about that term, and I’ve wondered whether there can be such a person.  Looking around me, there is much evidence of what I would call a double-minded Christian.  Now in reality that is not possible, for a person is either of Christ or of the world, but at times it is hard to tell the difference.  James writes that a “double-minded” man is unstable in all his ways.  The true Christian is solid and stable because his life is based on his faith in Christ.
Tozer said that the church has “edited Jesus down.”  When we read the Gospels and Jesus makes a statement or gives a command, we edit it down to say that He really meant this or meant that.  We think that it would be too cruel for us to think that He really would say such things, such as demanding our loyalty and love even above family.  Jesus doesn’t offer salvation “as though it is a decoration or a corsage or some addition to our garb.” (Tozer)  Salvation is not passive, it is rugged action.  Picking up a cross and bearing it is not for the weak-hearted.  No matter our opinion, we cannot do as we please.  We cannot deconstruct the Holy Writ, but wholly believe upon its authority and doctrine.
Christians, especially those in the western world, want a life of ease.  They want to be wined and dined, literally and spiritually.  Blessings tend to be material or physical things.  The real blessing is the promise of eternal life.  Perhaps our expectations are wrong.  Tozer writes, “Why should believing Christians want everything pre-cooked, pre-digested, sliced and salted, and expect that God must come and help us eat and hold the food to our baby lips, while we pound the table and splash–and we think that is Christianity!”  He goes on to say that this individual is a moral fool.
We are to trust in the Lord and work out our own salvation.  We are to grow in grace.  If we love Him we are to obey His commandments.  We are to be holy as He is holy.  It is not a tip-toe-through-the-tulips life.  Life is to be enjoyed, but only in Christ, not in our opinions of what we say He said.

Echoes from the Campfire

But one should never expect too much of time.  No man who begins a journey knows how it will end.  Or when.”
–“Louis L’Amour  (Callaghen)

“This is what the LORD says:  ‘Stop at the crossroads and look around.  Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.  Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.  But you reply, “No, that’s not the road we want!”‘”
–Jeremiah 6:16 (NLT)

Echoes from the Campfire

One learns its way and its life, and moves with care, and never ceases to be wary, for the desert has traps and tricks for the careless.”
–Louis L’Amour  (Hondo)

“As marauders lie in ambush for a victim, so do bands of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem, carrying out their wicked schemes.”
–Hosea 6:9 (NLT)