Echoes From the Campfire

There was a simplicity to the smell of sweat and to the gentle grumbling of [her] voice; there was an ancient reality to the feel of dust and pine needles against his skin; there was something in the far sky that caught up a man and cradled him with its timeless promise.  A man was meant to be a part of dust and struggle, to feel hardness and to get his pleasure from the little intervals between.”
–Ernest Haycox  (The Border Legion)

“So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.”
–Leviticus 18:3 (NLT)
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“Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason – I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.
On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me.”
–Martin Luther

This statement, one of the most important in history, was made by a real man.  A man who dared to stand up to the ultimate powers of his day–the pope and the Holy Roman emperor.  He wanted only to argue the sale of indulgences, but that gesture turned into one of the greatest movements in all history; that of Protestantism.
Luther made a stand in the midst of a time of social turmoil; in the midst of terrorism and the invasion of the Muslim horde from the East; in the midst of political turmoil; and in the midst of religious heresy.  Yet, he could have wilted and crumbled.  He could have shirked his duty to the Most High, but no, in the midst of all of these he stood the test–a man of God.
Because of this Luther was declared a heretic by the pope.  He was declared an outlaw by the emperor.  Both would be charges enough to warrant his death; yet through it all, he would not recant.  If makes me wonder how many in the church today dare to have our conscience captive to the Word of God?  Or do we drift about with the winds of the world, not daring to take a stand?  From what I understand there is some discussion on whether or not he made the last statement, but argument aside, his conviction about the Word of God is definitely implied.  What else is there to do?
The words he muttered to his friends after leaving the hall of the Diet were said to be, “I am finished.”  But in reality he was just beginning.  Yes, he was finished as a monk and Catholic priest, but God turned him into a champion of the faith.  Luther, the man of faith.  A man who dared to live by God’s Word.  No wonder he could write, what has been called the “Battle Hymn of the Reformation.”
 
               “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
                Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
                For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
                His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
                On earth is not his equal.”
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Stupid is the “keyword” of the age:
1)  From the brilliant Hillary Clinton — Transgenders have bled and died in all of our wars from the Revolution.  (Imagine a Minuteman asking Paul Revere, “what’s a transgender?”  Plus if they are .8% of the population now, what would they have been back in 1776?)
2)  Some guy in a plane lit up a cigarette.  He was told to put it out by a passenger.  Seems a fight ensued.  (Question:  how did he get the lighter through security?)
3)  A letter was sent to the Iowa Fish and Game Department:  Why don’t you put the deer crossing signs where the deer could read them?  (Duh, and that used to be a blonde joke.)
4)  Hillary said she was going to masquerade on Halloween as the president.  (Why doesn’t she just move back into the woodwork?)
5)  California just passed a law limiting the amount of flatulence a cow may have.  (Have to shake my head at that one.)
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I noticed the Bergdahl’s lawyers are complaining that he won’t get a fair trial.  What trial?  He pleaded guilty.
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This is the date of the death of Dennis Bennett.  Maybe you haven’t heard of him, but he was one of those ministers who help begin the “charismatic revival.”  A stolid Episcopal pastor had received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and it became national news.  He was shown and experienced that the baptism in the Spirit was not just for the Pentecostals, but for all Christians, even dignified Episcopalians.