Month: December 2022

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Miracles are rare and wonderous things… That’s why they call them miracles.”

                     –Lou Bradshaw  (Comin’ Home)

       “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.”
                    –1 Corinthians 2:7 (NKJV)
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       Eighty-ones years ago America stood in shock at the devastating attack by Imperial Japan on our forces at Pearl Harbor.  December 7, 1941, was a day that “will live in infamy,” proclaimed President Roosevelt.  Four days later Germany and Italy declared war on the United States; it had become World War II.
       People were stunned, people were angry.  My Mom worked at F.W. Woolworth in Boulder, CO and was called into work.  They had to take everything off the shelves that said “made in Japan” and destroy it.  It took four long, bloody years to defeat the forces that were against us, but slowly and assuredly our country marched to victory.  Now I wonder if we could endure such a war, especially with our woke culture having our military involving themselves more in “sensitivity training” rather than a force with which to defeat an enemy.
       That one day–that day of the vicious attack plunged the United States into a deadly war.  One day, and things were changed; lives were changed and many were lost.  
       But let me take you back to another day.  That day when deity came to earth in the form of a baby.  He dwelt among men, He walked with us, yet so many didn’t recognize Him and then they rejected Him.  Look at John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NKJV)  
       Yes, there was that day which we call Christmas. (And I’m not going to argue that it wasn’t actually Christmas day.  There was a day it took place and we have decided to celebrate it on the 25th of December).  There was a day when the King of Glory laid aside His royal robes and became a man.  Understand, He did not place aside His deity.  Even lying in the manger, depending upon Mary and Joseph, He was God.  Oh, the mystery of the Incarnation!  It has to excite and thrill the soul.
       Let me add to the wondrous story.  Paul tells us that “He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4, NKJV)  Only God…  It boggles my feeble mind to try to understand that the Son of God already had the plan of salvation, already had us in His “mind” before He even spoke those words to create.  But remember, God is not in time.  He transcends time.  He is the God of the past, the present, and the future.
       It makes my mind wonder, if when He smiled as a baby lying there, that He was thinking of the amazing mystery that we cannot understand but to His mind would be plain.
Look at the Babe, lying in the manger–God with us–Immanuel.  One day, as Paul writes, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”  (Galatians 4:4, NKJV)  One day, in the history of the universe, even before there was history, He came to us to fulfill His purpose–the salvation of mankind.  Look at the Babe.  The great Gift from the Father.  All that is needed is acceptance.   Now is the time to accept Him, for there is coming another day–another day in the fullness of times.  He will come to those who have accepted Him.  
       Sing out!  “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!”

 

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Molly got up to get the man some coffee as he started to introduce himself.  He looked around for a place to sit, when Charlie decided to offer him his chair.  “I’m just off the train.  My, the snow has really started to fall.”
       She placed a cup of coffee in front of him which he quickly reached for taking a long sip.  We all sat there looking at him.  “I’m Thaddeus Wilson, and I represent McCullum and Groggins.  They would very much like for you to come up to Silverton to solve the problem.”
       “Representative?” questioned Marta.
       “Lawyer,” snapped Doc quickly.  
       Holding my cup in both hands I looked at him.  “Why didn’t this McCullum or Groggins come instead of you?” I asked.
       “Oh, my, they’re in Philadephia, “Came his reply,” with a small laugh.  “It was Joe Hoskins from the Little Bird Mine who sent me.  We, he, needs your help.”
       “I’m waitin’ to hear how I could possibly be of help.”
       “The miners!” he lifted his voice.  “They’ve all quit.  You need to make them go back to work.”
       Pulling on the end of my moustache, I leaned back in my chair.  “How in the world do you think that is my job?  Last I heard it wasn’t illegal to quit.”  Then I turned my attention to Charlie.  “Do you know anything about this?”
       “First I’ve heard of it,” he remarked with a shrug.
       Doc turned in his seat to look jat Wilson.  “Doesn’t make sense for them to quit this time of year.  They must’ve had good reason,” he snapped.
       “They just want more money!” asserted Wilson.  “Mr. Hoskins would like for you to remove them from the housing in which they are being provided by the company.”
       I leaned forward over the table.  “I wouldn’t kick a person out of their homes this time of year.  That would be just plain cruel.  Plus the fact that it is not a federal offense.”
       “Then it will be upon your conscience if any of these men or their families are hurt when they are put out of company homes,” Wilson retorted, looking at me then to Charlie.  “I’ll report this to your superiors that you’re hindering the shipment of gold to the mint by not following through with your job!”
       “Report away,” I muttered, then picked up my coffee.  It had gotten cold.
      “What is it that caused them to walk off,” questioned Doc.  “They must have had good reason.”
       “Money!” exclaimed Wilson.  “They want a dollar a day raise.”
       Molly smiled at him, “Mr. Wilson, may I ask how much they make now?”
       “Most of them three dollars a day, some less,” came his retort.  “Can you imagine wanting a dollar more a day?  That’s unheard of!”
       I sighed deeply, he was beginning to get on my nerves.  “Wilson, have you ever been down in one of those mines?  It’s dark, it’s dirty, and they breathe that coal dust for twelve hours a day.  Plus I doubt that the safety conditions of the mine are not adequate.”
       He stood up, his lip curled slightly as he answered, “Most certainly not, that’s why we hire their kind.”
       That gave me the urge to throw “his kind” out of the diner.  Molly must have known what I was thinking for she put her hand on my arm.
       After he turned and left, Charlie spoke up.  “Reckon I’d better ride up on the next train.”
       “Oh, Charlie, why?  It’s snowing.  You could be snowed in for Christmas,” cried out Marta.
       “Want me to go with you?” I asked.
       “No, as you said it really doesn’t concern you.  I just want to talk with those miners and try to keep something more serious from happening,” he placed his hand on Marta’s shoulder.  “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before Christmas; it’s over two weeks away.”
       Getting up he put on his coat and went out the entrance.
       “Miles, I’ll forever not understand the thinking of a man like that.  A man without humanity,” he snorted.
       I grabbed the coffee pot…

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

It was a life that had left him rich in experience, but poor in goods of the world.”

                         –Louis L’Amour  (“Mistakes Can Kill You”)

       “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
                         –Luke 2:52 (NASB)
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What is the most important scripture verse?  It may be different things to different people.  Some would certainly say, John 3:16 and wouldn’t be wrong.  I know of folks who have taken for themselves a “life verse” and there probably isn’t anything wrong with that, but they need to remember that they took it at an earlier time in their Christian walk.  We must also remember that “all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable…” (2 Timothy 3:16)  I want today to draw your attention to one of the key verses in the Bible–John 1:1-4 (NASB)

          1 — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
          2 — He was in the beginning with God.
          3 — All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
          4 — In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

       The Son and the Word are the same; the Son is the manifestation of the Word.  Here was the thought of Christmas before there was a Christmas.  The Word was God.  From this very first verse we are told “of Christ’s eternality, His personality, and His deity.” (Alistair Begg)  He was in the beginning, and we are told later in the Bible that He laid the foundations of the world, therefore, He was before the beginning.
       Lay hold of that for a minute, dwell upon the thought of the infinite, eternal Christ.  The One who spoke and the cosmos was created.  He was/is the word, the thought, principle, speech, action…He is the “divine reason.”
       What does that have to do with Christmas?  I want you to take a different look at the baby in the manger.  This miraculous Child, lying there, actually helpless depending upon Mary and Joseph is this “Logos”–this Word.  The mystery of the Incarnation–the Son of God laying aside His glory to be born as a man.  The One who spoke the world into existence is in a manger of straw.  The One who put the natural and physical laws of the universe in order is there dependent upon the mankind He created.  “The child in the manger was the very same person who put the stars in the sky–including the very star which led the wise men from the east to come and worship Him.” (Begg)
       This year when you look at a nativity scene try not to see just a cute little Jesus.  See Him as He really is–the Creator, the One who brings life both physical and eternal.  See Him in His deity, not as a cute, cuddly infant.  “He is more than a man.  He was, is, and forever will be one with the God of all creation.”  (Begg)  Look at the mystery, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NASB)

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

We don’t drink froufrou coffee. The coffee at the cafe is strong enough to grow hair on your chest. You could ask them to heat some milk and try to cobble together something that tastes like a latte. It’s not espresso, but it might do.”

                    –Colleen Coble  (Alaska Twilight)
 
You still traipsin’ around doin’ yur shoppin’?  I’ve been missin’ yuh, but I know the feelin’ as I had to go out one day.  Whoopee, some folks don’t think that the law pertains to them when they’re out drivin’.  Pard, despite all the things happenin’ we’ve got to remember that the season is for celebratin’ the love of God.  The mystery of the Incarnation is upon us and we ring bells, put up lights, and sing carols along with drinkin’ our coffee in Christmas mugs.
       I don’t want to be puttin’ a damper on yur singin’ of “Joy to the World” but they’re messin’ with God’s moral laws again.  I thought I heard another nail bein’ driven in the coffin with this law they’re tryin’ to pass makin’ same-sex marriage legal.  Why if that don’t ruffle yur feathers I don’t know what will.  The Holy Writ says right from the start that man is to marry a woman and be united into one.  Cayn’t happen any other way.  Don’t think that this makes the Lord smile; it grieves Him.  There is a reason for the family to bein’ like it is:  father, mother, children.
       Enough of that, drink up that coffee there’s plenty left.  We got to get busy drinkin’ that pot down.  Let’s hum a tune while we slurp.  How ’bout “Deck the Halls”?  Ha, that’s won’t work.  I get coffee all over my moustache.  Say, Pard while we’re in the Christmas mood, what’dya buy me for Christmas?  Hope it’s not a pair of socks.  Why just because I wore a hole in one I was a-wearin’ for a couple of years an’ yuh saw it, yuh’ve been buyin’ me a pair every year.
       Pard, Christmas is a time for many things, and one of them is memories.  I’ve got a whole heap of them.  Why sittin’ here I was thinkin’ of all the lights we used to see downtown around the courthouse when I was growin’ up.  Sure glad Coldspring does it every year.  We went to the lightin’ a week ago.  The cross was brightly lit, the nativity had lights showcasin’ it.  Things were put in proper perspective with the Lord of Glory being the center of attention.  Pard, be sure as yuh go about yur travels this holiday season to, of course, check yur cinch, but also to not lose focus on the great event that took place.  That the Lord that He is the reason for the season!
             Vaya con Dios.