Echoes From the Campfire

His destinies were guided by his loyalties.”
              –Louis L’Amour (Crossfire Trail)

    “Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
              –1 Kings 8:61 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know [for a fact] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] lies in the power of the evil one [opposing God and His precepts].”    –1 John 5:19 (Amplified)


In 1 John 2:18-28, we see that John is giving advice to us regarding the truth and the lie.  Last week I wrote of some of the dangers of those who tend to believe a “lie.”  I also discussed that the first part of John’s advice to us is that we should not be alarmed or surprised at what is happening in the world.  If we know and live by the pure doctrine of God’s Word we would recognize what is happening in the world and that it should not affect our faith.  “As in the days of Noah,” men rebelled against God’s Word in all its forms.
    John instructs us to remain pure.  We are not to be tainted nor sullied by the world.  Our light should be brighter than ever.  Our robes should be white, glistening.  However, there is little mentioned from pulpits today about the doctrine of purity or if it is the complaint becomes one of legalism.  Jesus will accept His Bride–the Church–that is pure, without spot or wrinkle.  That is one reason that I believe He will soon return.  He will not stand to see His Bride dirtied by the world.
    There is a key phrase that we often recite or is read by the Pastor during Communion.  That little phrase is, “examine yourself.”  It is vital that we continue to examine ourselves against the light of God’s Word.  Let the Holy Spirit shine upon you that you can rid yourself of the impurities in your lives.  The fact that people claim to be Christians, and that they belong to a church, does not prove that they are Christian.  How does the life match up with the Bible?
    John tells us that we must have proper relation to God’s purpose.  We know God’s purpose by reading the Bible, and then obeying its instructions.  We must develop true worship.  Not just a jumping, hand-waving type of worship, but one that comes from the heart and then is involved in every area of our lives.  To have proper relation to God’s purpose means to follow God’s will by keeping His commandments.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15, NKJV)  Simple, not hard, not legalistic.  Then we must be of the faith.  Faith is the life of a Christian.   We walk daily by faith; faith is part of our worship.  I’m not speaking of “hyper-faith” nor of the gift of faith in 1 Corinthians, but each step we take should be one of faith.  In fact, one of the things the Lord will greet us with is, “Well done, good and FAITHFUL.” (emphasis is mine).  
    I am reminded of the song written by W. Elmo Mercer.  It describes the life of faith.  Just look for a moment at the chorus for it is full of faith.

         “Each step I take I know that He will guide me;
          To higher ground He ever leads me on.
          Until some day the last step will be taken,
          Each step I take just leads me closer home.”

And if you are living by faith knowing that each step is guided by the Lord, you are truly worshiping in the reality of your life.

The Saga of Miles Forrest

So you’ve got yourself a big mess on your hands,” stated Doc before sipping his coffee.
    I replied with a grim smile.  “Not yet, and it don’t have to be.”  I looked at Marta then over to Charlie who had returned yesterday from Silverton.
    Doc grunted, then took another sip.  “You know Ben Lowell ain’t going to let a horse thief get away.”
    “Well, I don’t blame him none for that.  I just don’t want to find they went out and hung a kid,” I remarked.
    The whole group was there this morning.  Business was slow in the diner so Molly and Marta were sitting with Doc Jones, Charlie and me. Lucas was there with us and he was part of my idea.
    Molly interrupted that last thought by asking Charlie if he had talked to Luciana.  “I went by there yesterday, as soon as I saw Marta to let her know that Mateo would be in Silverton at least two more weeks.  He’s doing a good job up there, and Mike Dewey up and left for parts unknown.  Big Bob Phillips is the new marshal.”
    That name perked up my ears.  “Bob Phillips!  I didn’t know he had any experience as a law officer.”
    A large grin appeared on Charlie’s face.  “Well, Marshal Forrest, we all have to learn sometime.”  That brought a laugh from all those sitting here.  I had hired Charlie and he had done quite well.  He had the knack for the job.  That’s part of it knowing what to do at the right time.  A person can’t go arresting everyone, but he can make his presence known.
    Bob had come to the region to make his fortune in gold or silver like so many of the other residents.  He didn’t like standing in the freezing water or digging through the frozen ground so he hired on as a freighter from Durango to Silverton, but the railroad had put most of that to a halt.  He did continue to haul freight to Telluride, but again the cold got to him.  I often wondered, since he wasn’t married why he just didn’t head off to Arizona Territory or California; It wasn’t cold there.
    “That’s one reason Mateo stayed.  Shy Williams is his deputy.  I don’t know much about him, but he seems to be working hard.  They really need a third man, but I don’t know if the town will pay for one.  The good Lord knows they have the money to do so,” said Charlie.  “Anyway, Luciana wasn’t real happy over the situation.”
    “She likes the money,” piped up Marta.  “But, he’s gone so much, she misses him as do the boys.  They are growing up so fast,” her eyes directed at Charlie.
    Doc grunted again, “Say Charlie, why don’t you put your name in for marshal here in Durango.  You know the town, and the people.”
    “One main reason–John Newsome.  He’s still on the city council.  Remember, he’s one of the two that wanted me out of the position before,” Charlie reminded him.
    Marta didn’t say anything, but got up taking her empty cup with her.  Molly must have sensed something so she got up as well.  “Doc, Charlie, would you like some pie?  How about you Lucas?” she said before following Marta.  
    The two men declined but Lucas’ eyes lit up, “Chocolate, please Senora.”
    “Chocolate it is.  You two sure you don’t want a piece?” she inquired again.
    I looked at her, “Say what about me?”
    Waving her hand at me she gave some kind of disgusted sound which I couldn’t quite make out.  “I know you want one!  No need to ask.”
    All I could do in response was to give a big smile.
    My attention went to Lucas.  “Do you know how old Fernando is?”
    He didn’t seem to hear me as his focus was on the large piece of pie in Molly’s hand.  She did bring me a piece, not quite so large.  Lucas and I looked at each other, both of us smiling.  He had chocolate, and I had a piece of apricot.  It was then I noticed my cup was empty so I pushed the chair back to get the pot.
    I filled my cup and then Charlie’s and Doc’s, then after putting the pot back on the stove.  “Lucas, you didn’t answer my question.”
    He kept eating, then looked up saying, “I would guess at least eighteen.”
    Forking a piece of pie in my mouth I began to chew.  When I swallowed, I asked Lucas, “Well, how old are you now, fifteen?”
    Turning his head suddenly in my direction, he blurted, “Sixteen almost seventeen!”
    “My, my, and you’ve had the experiences.  I’d like for you to go with me on a little trip.  I need some help in trackin’ down Fernando.”
    Charlie almost spluttered out his coffee.  “Miles, I don’t think Marta…”
    He didn’t finish for a big, solid man walked in the front of the diner.  He was wearing a worn brown vest, with brown pants that had little thin lines of white in them.  I noticed his gun, the holster was worn but well kept.  His face showed little emotion but it did have a determined look on it.  The big moustache on his face would rival mine.  
    Coming here meant trouble, it was U.S. Marshal Jeb Blasco.

Echoes From the Campfire

Every wrinkle or line on his face he could match with another, for the years had marked his cheeks with experience, with laughter, with tears, with anger and with sadness, until there was left only a vast patience.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (The Shadow Riders)

    “For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling.”
              –Psalm 116:8 (NKJV)
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Truth, it has been said, is often stranger than fiction.  Now, that is more truth today than ever before as there are few who speak the truth.  Maybe there is a synonym for lies–“media,” or “liberal left.”  I remember watching a show where Anton LeVey was interviewed (head of the church of satan).  In the interview he said that he always spoke the truth which was a lie, because as he explained, everything he said was a lie since he served the father of lies.  
    In Psalm 56, David is hiding from Saul.  Strangely enough he goes to Gath.  You remember who was from Gath?  Goliath!  Here is the slayer of Goliath hiding in the city of Goliath.  And on top of that David pretends that he is mad, and the people of Gath must have believed him.  Stranger than fiction for sure.

         8 – You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?
         9 – When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.
        10 – In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word),
        11 – In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?
        12 – Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You,
        13 – For You have delivered my soul from death.  Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God
In the light of the living? (NKJV)

    Some have said that David is showing a lack of faith by pretending to be insane, by acting the fool.  But think of where he was–in Gath.  Were there relatives of Goliath in the city?  Surely they remembered David.  David was fleeing Saul, but didn’t he jump from the frying pan into the fire?  One thing to remember, “We win or lose the battle in our spirit.” (George O. Wood)  No matter what type of battle it involves the spirit, and that is where the deep, truer fight takes place.  Losing your body is one thing; losing your spirit to the enemy is another.
    David realizes that God is with him and that is emphasized in these verses.  He knows that God even has a shelf of bottles and collects his tears placing them in his bottles.  Also, they are also written in God’s book.  God is mindful of our lives–every detail.  David knows that it is God that keeps him from falling.  It is God who delivers him from his enemies whether it be Saul, or the Philistine inhabitants of Gath.  Sometimes our wanderings bring us to tears or because of them we cry.  Pain can bring tears, suffering can bring tears, mistakes can bring tears.  God has bottled them up.
    One more thing I want to point out.  “Vows made to You are binding upon me…” (vs 12)  Have you ever made a vow to God.  Perhaps gone to an altar, and promised that you would never do such-and-such again.  The next day you find yourself “in Gath” and act mad and break the vow.

         “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.”
                   –Deuteronomy 23:21(NKJV)

         “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools.  Pay what you have vowed—
Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”
                   –Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 (NKJV)

Oh, my, what happens if you do not pay your vows?  Woe, and a double-Woe!  Just because you do not keep your vow on one day does not negate it the next.  God I promise not to do such-and-such, you vow, but then do it.  That does not do away with the vow; it is still valid.  Get back up, dust yourself off, and determine to keep the vow.  Through all the ordeal, trust in God for He is there for you watching, helping, and reaching down.

         “My wand’rings, all what they have been
          Thou know’st their number took;
          Into thy bottle put my tears;
          Are they not in thy book?”
                   –Old Scottish Psalter

Coffee Percs

After he made a small meal, he sat and drank coffee.  The sun set behind the hills, and the early evening dusk began gathering in the little folds and creases in the land around.  He listened to the evening as he finished the coffee.  Nothing but birds and wind.  A coyote sang its song a long ways out.”
              –W. Wayne Winkle  (Tess’s Trials)

I know it’s mornin’ graylight, but I was sittin’ last evenin’, thinkin’ of this grand land of ours.  Let me get yuh yur coffee before I start pontificatin’.  Ahhh, at least there still hot coffee to enjoy.  As I was sayin’, in the dusk of the evenin’ I was wonderin’ if we are not in the twilight of this great country.
    From my studies and readin’s over the years I find a trend that the Lord Almighty tends to give the people the type of government they want.  He also sends times of refreshin’ and renewal and revival.  Those times are to give the people a chance to consider their ways.  Did this country have its last chance with President Trump?  Twilight?
    Now, I’m tellin’ yuh, I don’t understand the logic of folks out there, especially those who are “woke.”  A person made a statement that those without a mask are a menace to society.  She continued to say that those without a vaccine ought to be segregated…hmmm.  Besides, unconstitutional, doesn’t her vaccine protect her from those without a mask?  What’s next–a vaccine passport?  
    Ahhhh, good thing the coffee is soothin’ this mornin’.  Then there’s that fellow from England, with supposedly a different type of blood from the rest of us.  Royal blood they call it.  Of course, he’s rejected that blood and has moved to America only to denounce the 1st Amendment.  Seems like that is one of the reasons this country rejected royal blood.  Wonder what his thoughts will be on the 2nd Amendment?  
    Better take another deep swig of yur coffee before I tell yuh some more.  The fellow sittin’ as President said that men had to take showers with women, a judge found that to be true in a case with a school in Missouri, and Cinderella is goin’ transgender with Legos havin’ a drag queen.  Twilight?
    Mercy, I could go on, but that’s enough to make yur gizzard twitch.  I dare not get into some of the stupid things bein’ said about Hamas and Israel.  If’n I did yuh might go out and forget to check yur cinch.  Sure don’t want yuh fallin’ into no twilight zone.  
        Vaya con Dios.