Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on September 20, 2018

I don’t have the time or the temperament for machismo games.”
–Lou Bradshaw (Along the Way)

    “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
              –John 10:10 (NLT)
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Ain’t that the truth. There are far too many so-called adults who continue to play along with life. Many have the “Peter Pan Syndrome” and don’t want to grow up. I once had a student ask me if I thought he was an adult. I replied, “Do you accept responsibility without being told?” He didn’t reply, and I had my answer.
    People tend to more and more run away from life and their responsibility. Life is not a game, no matter how many are playing. Sooner or later the game is over and then instead of accepting responsibility they begin to cast blame or make excuses. Grow up! Fight the good fight of faith and redeem the time!
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    So in the midst of life in this troublesome world, we, as believers should be calm and have peace in our souls. One way to find out if a person is a “real” Christian is to bring face-to-face with a world situation and ask them for their explanation. Ask them how they are affected. We must be perfectly clear about what the Word of God says about this world and its history. It tells us that in this world there is evil and it has been ruined by sin. Listen! “The trouble with men and women, with life and with history is radical–it is sin. Lloyd-Jones states, “Sin is something that does not merely affect the surface of life; it affects the very source.” The result is that the life of this world is under the control of sin, under the control of Satan.
    “Sin is a radical problem and the world cannot now and never will improve itself; there is no hope for it in that way.” (Lloyd-Jones). Therefore, man should not be surprised at what is happening in the world. There is a problem with evil and it resides in the human heart. Look around and see the atrocities than man creates daily. The world is as it is because of man’s disobedience and sin. One thing that we must see clearly, “God’s plan and purpose is not to reform that world but to take and save the people out of it.” (Lloyd-Jones) Those who follow Jesus will be taken to another kingdom.
    On this earth there is currently a kingdom of darkness and a kingdom of light, and these two kingdoms are here together in this world. Eventually everything sinful and tarnishing will be purged out of the universe. This world, as we know it, will be destroyed, and there will be a new heaven and new earth. People try to fix the times and the seasons or they scoff at the idea that Christ will return.
    Take heart, friend of God. Whenever it is time to die you will have Christ there beside you. You will not be going to a great unknown, but to a place He has prepared for you. Jesus will be there and we shall be like Him. “In the midst of he darkness and the confusion and the uncertainty of this modern world, if you want rest, if you want peace, if you want quietness of heart, you will not find it by trusting to ideas as to the reformation of this world, for these are all being falsified before you eyes.” (Lloyd-Jones) Instead why wonder what is taking place?

“Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
–Acts 1:11

Want calmness of spirit? Look up. Want peace in troubled times? Look up. Want assurance for the weary soul? Look up. He is coming again, and coming soon.

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on September 19, 2018

All the snakes in the West don’t crawl around in the brush. Lots of them wear fancy suits and talk real pretty. And they’re as deadly as an eight-foot rattler.”
–Paul Bagdon (Stallions at Burnt Rock)

    “Justice—do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly? No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land. These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way. They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen.”
              –Psalm 58:1-4 (NLT)
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Ain’t that the truth! At least one normally hears the sound of the rattler, but those in their fancy duds, and some even wear dresses, that try to destroy or alter truth are dangerous to the soul. Hmmm, ask Judge Kavanaugh about snakes in skirts. We are warned to beware of those that can harm not only the body, but also the soul.
    They use their fancy words. They twist truth and sometimes invent truth with their lies. Remember, always remember who their father is. The devil–he is the father of lies.
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God is transcendent; we know that. Therefore as Christians, when we walk through this life we must keep that in mind as well as other transcendent thinking. This may be called purpose or mission for one’s life. Whatever it is, it must always be higher than yourself. Here are some things to consider:

              –Do you live for yourself? (Not good. Too small.)
              –Do you live for your business, career or making money? (Doesn’t qualify. Money is no transcendent cause.)
              –Do you live for your wife and family? (That’s bigger. And somewhat better.)
              –Do you live for your nation? Or, more vaguely, “humanity”? (That’s transcendent. But it still falls short of ultimate transcendence.)
              –Do you live for a principle, such as “freedom”? (That’s good. But just what does it mean? Is it just temporal freedom? Political freedom? Freedom from foreign oppression? Individual freedom?)
                     –Jerry Boykin and Stu Weber

In other words, principles, values, eternity are things that should make us move and guide our conduct. Jesus Christ is then the ultimate transcendent cause.
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Ponder this: “Ostriches are not flying birds. Chickens fly short distances with much effort. Eagles, doves, and swallows fly high and far. Sinners are like the ostrich and are earthbound. Good people who have not quite reached devotion are like the chicken. They fly in God’s direction, but inefficiently and awkwardly. The devout regularly soar to God. Devotion, then, is a natural nimbleness of spirit.”
–Francis de Sales

Think of devotion as “worship.” For true devotion is actually a very real form of worship.

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on September 18, 2018

Easy there,” I said as I holstered the Schofield and dropped the gun in my left hand on the floor. “I’m Deputy U.S. Marshal and Secret Service Agent Miles Forrest, escorting a prisoner to Canon City.”
    “Let me see some credentials,” he ordered.
    Slowly I opened my jacket and reached inside my vest pocket where I carried my marshal’s badge. Handing it over to him I said, “You might want to get a doctor for these two.” Both Lillian and Billy were bleeding. “May I check him out?”
    I stooped down and laid Billy out. He was barely conscious. The bullet had entered his shoulder, breaking his collarbone as part of it was sticking out. I had no idea where the bullet traveled from there. It was still in his body and any movement might push it into his lung, if it was not already there.
    “Forrest,” he moaned. “I hurt.”
    “Easy, Billy. The doc is on the way.”
    “Marshal, you mind tellin’ me what is goin’ on here?” inquired the sheriff.
    Looking up at him I nodded toward the place where I shot the other two men. “You might want to try and find those two men.” I gave my attention to Billy who had passed out.
    I stood up, then sat back on the bench. I pulled my pistol from the holster and the sheriff stiffened. “Just reloadin’,” I said. “There are still two men out there who tried to kill me and they may have friends hangin’ about.” I sighed, “You might want to check out the woman, she’s bleedin’ some.”
    “Marshal, I’m certainly confused, and I ain’t heard nothin’ of no Secret Service,” he muttered.
    I smiled, “That’s why it’s secret.” That brought a scowl from him. I went on to briefly explain. “The Secret Service works for the U.S. Treasury Department, counterfeiting, fraud, protection of gold, and the such.”
    It seemed like it was taking forever for a doctor to show up. Billy was still alive as I would hear him moan from time to time. The sheriff had one of his deputies wrap up Lillian’s leg to stem the flow of blood. I didn’t look closely, but it seemed like she shot herself where the leg bones connected with the foot. Likely to have permanent damage.
    I was briefing the sheriff on what had happened, when finally the doctor showed up. He glanced around and immediately went to help Lillian.
    “Who hit this poor woman? Why she’s likely to have a concussion,” he remarked.
    “I did. I needed a way to make sure she was out of the action,” I paused and smiled. “She shot herself after she shot this man.”
    The doctor and one of the deputies lifted Lillian up on one of the benches. He then came to look at Billy. “Oh my. That’s a terrible break. I don’t know how to repair it. He’ll have to go to Denver for help.”
    “Doc, the bullet is still in him,” I said calmly.
    Reaching in his bag, he pulled out scissors and began to cut the shirt and undershirt off Billy. “Why, he’s chained?”
    “Prisoner, on his way to Canon City.”
    He reached back in his bag and pulled out a scalpel. “Hold him, but watch that shoulder.” I saw him cut on Billy’s upper chest. In just a few seconds he held a bullet in his hands. “It was just under his skin. It must have been deflected after hitting his shoulder bone. He’s lucky.”
    I looked at his shoulder and thought “Sure, lucky.”
    “Listen,” he looked at me and the sheriff. “I need to get that bone back under his skin. One of you pull his arm and the other hold onto him and hold him still while I push down on the bone and then bandage him tight,” he shook his head. “I’m worried that infection might set in since the bone has been exposed.”
    There came a scream and Billy went limp.
    “What happened?” asked the Sheriff.
    The doctor was checking him out. He looked at me and said, “He’s dead. His heart just gave out. The shock and the pain must have been too much.”
    The four of us stood there looking at Billy, dead on the station floor. At least he won’t have to serve time in prison. I sure hope he had time to make things right with his Maker.
    Then we heard the sound of a pistol being cocked. Lillian had regained consciousness and had picked up the pistol that was on the floor.
    I smiled at her…

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on September 17, 2018

You can’t escape the past. It’s part of who you are, but it does you no good to dwell on it, or in it for that matter.”
–L.C. Matthews (The Promise)

    “‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,’ he prayed. ‘Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.'”
              –Genesis 24:12 (NLT)
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“Let’s tip-toe through the tulips” of life. I don’t think so. If that happens to a person they must be living a life in denial or shut up in their special room with their blankie in hand. “The wounds of life force dependence upon God.” (George O. Wood)
    I have found that situations, circumstances, battles, and the like will either make a person better or bitter. They will use the situation that they face and blame God if it is bad, or they will grow and draw closer to the Lord. Let’s continue to look at Psalm 5.

But I enter Your house by the abundance of Your faithful love; I bow down toward Your holy temple in reverential awe of You. (7)
LORD, lead me in Your righteousness, because of my adversaries; make Your way straight before me. (8)

Because of God’s unfailing love David would worship at the Temple. Hmmm, since we are now the “temple” do we worship with awe? It is only because of His unfailing love that we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Straight and narrow is the path we are to walk. When we begin to look around we might see others enjoying the lures of the world. They might be cavorting and reveling in pleasure that the world offers to them, not realizing that those things will take them to destruction. We must not look to the right or the left but keep our gaze in front of us on the pathway that leads to the heavenly city.

For there is nothing reliable in what they say; destruction is within them; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongues. (9)
Punish them, God; let them fail by their own schemes. Drive them out because of their many crimes, for they rebel against You. (10)

My, my this sure does sound like today’s politicians and the media. Fake news, nothing reliable. People, especially those mentioned have only their own agenda in front of them and do not care for the things of God. They seek only their own aggrandizement.
David understands that his enemies cannot speak the truth; that they are of their father, the devil. David will continue to worship despite his enemies, despite his reverses for he knows that God will provide a way.

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May You shelter them, and may those who love Your name boast about You. (11)
For You, LORD, bless the righteous one; You surround him with favor like a shield. (12)

No matter what evil comes your way, the Lord is there to guide, to protect, and to give comfort. Rest in the security of the Lord and continue to worship and rejoice.

               “Under his wings, O what precious enjoyment!
                There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er.
                Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me; Resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.”
                          –William O. Cushing