Month: April 2023

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Things seemed to be a little frantic for the town of Durango, but have settled down, especially for Miles Forrest and his friends.  With the birth of Sheriff Charlie Gold’s son and the condition of his wife Marta, he is not able to completely fulfill his duties as sheriff.  Miles has agreed to travel to Silverton, and the surrounding camps for Charlie until Marta gets better.  But first to see an old friend, Wilson Foster.  Join with me as we go back to those thrilling days of yesteryear and the adventures of Miles Forrest.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
       Elizabeth Foster was holding the hand of her husband as I stood beside his bed.  Wilson had a stroke several months back, and I thought he was improving, but he was confined to his bed now.  Perhaps he had another stroke.  He appeared as a stick-man, bones just covered with skin.  I remember that not long ago he was an energetic, on-the-go type man, now…
       “Wil, Miles Forrest has come to see you,” his wife informed him.
       There was an attempt at a smile, then he reached up his hand to me.  “I know who it is,” he said with garbled speech.  “Come to pay your last respects, huh?”
       I really didn’t know what to say to him.  I had seen many men die, some horrible deaths, but here was a friend, or adversary depending on the situation, and I couldn’t put anything into words.  “You’ve been dealt a hard blow, Wilson,” finally came through my lips.  
       “It’s not the dying, Miles; it’s the way,” he said in an almost whisper.  He moved his eyes towards Elizabeth and licked his lips.  She reached over to a little table nearby for a glass of water.  She held the glass, putting it to his lips.  He drank some, but much of it dribbled on his chin and neck.  Elizabeth was quick with a cloth to wipe it away.  
       “Can’t even take a drink properly anymore,” he said with a cough.  “Miles, you will watch out for Darnelle, won’t you?”
       She must have decided to stay in Durango and operate the mercantile.  “Sure, sure, you can depend on that.”
       He attempted to smile, “She always had a thing for you; too bad you were married to Molly.”  Elizabeth lifted her eyes to meet mine.
       Not only was I married, but I was old enough to be Darnelle’s father.  Foster was only a couple of years older than me.  Funny how things come at us in life.  Here was a man struck down in his prime…for what reason I couldn’t say.  “I’ll watch out for her,” I assured him, then proceeded to tell him about Charlie Gold’s baby and I was heading to Silverton.  He seemed to listen and understand, but before I finished he was sleeping.
       I stood up to leave, Elizabeth got up from his side to escort me out, when there were a few words from Wilson.  “Dear, open the curtains, I’d like to see out.”  She immediately left my side to open the curtains in the room.  Wilson had his eyes closed, when she returned to me and we headed out of the room.
       “Thank you, Miles for stopping by.  Wilson always respected you.”  I touched her on the shoulder, not saying anything.  What was there to say?  “Don’t worry about him, or me for that matter.  I heard him praying the other day; he’s ready to meet the Lord.  I plan on going to Denver to be with my sister.  We really can’t force Darnelle to come as she was only his niece, but,” she began to sob slightly.  “She wants to run the store.  He had it put in his will.”
       The next morning I was on my way to Silverton.  I packed what I needed with me and was riding Hawk.  Molly had packed me lunch, and I had taken enough supplies for two nights on the trail.  I was needing some time to be alone, and Molly knew that.  The road seemed to be in good condition for spring, but I could see there was still plenty of snow up on the mountains.  My plan was to stay at the base of Coal Bank Pass.  I had camped several times along Cascade Creek, and that was going to be my stop for the night.
       The coffee was brewing, and I had Hawk down to the creek to let him drink.  When I came back to camp, where I planned on frying up some sausage and fry bread, I heard a voice, “Coffee’s not any better than the last time I tasted it.”
       I glanced at the person from where the voice came, saw a smile then I fell to my knees…

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Trouble comes sometimes whether you hunt it or not.”

                    –Louis L’Amour  (We Shaped the Land With Our Guns)

       “Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.”
                    –Psalm 6:2 (NKJV)
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Do you get as upset as I do about the wickedness in government and the perversion of justice by politicians and those seemingly in power?  I use “seemingly” because it is God who is the ultimate power.  It is God who will take care of the evildoers.  That is what Psalm 94 is about.  Let’s look at the last portion of that Psalm.

          16 — Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?  Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
          17 — Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence.
          18 — If I say, “My foot slips,” your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.
          19 — In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.
          20 — Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship with You?
          21 — They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.
          22 — But the LORD has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.
          23 — He has brought on them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; the LORD our God shall cut them off.    (NKJV)

       It sometimes seems that the whole world is against the truth, and maybe sometimes you feel that it is a personal attack against you.  No one it seems can deliver, where is my help?  Ever feel that way?  Watch the news and listen to the stupidity that abounds.  Is there no sane person who can take a stand against evil.
       We have a president who says that he is a Christian (a good Catholic Christian).  The former Speaker said she was a devout Catholic.  Don’t they get it?  Don’t they understand?  It is not a title it is a heart relationship.  Look at verse 20, leadership which devises evil by law.  Look at that–abortion, sanctuary cities for evildoers, gay rights, transgenders, and so on–the devising of evil by law.  They cannot think that God is on their side.  “A holy God cannot approve human corruption.” (Steven Lawson)  Even when the evildoers that pervert justice band together they are not in alliance with God, nor is God with them.
       In these times of distress remember that God is your fortress; He is the “rock of my refuge.”  God will repay, but in the meantime He is our protector.  I like the way George Wood put it, “the Lord himself has the last slap.”  It is up to us to choose the right response.  Call upon the name of the Lord who is the vindicator.  “God has proven himself equal to anything the enemy can send.”  (Derek Kidner)  Notice how emphatic the Lord is in verse 23.  The NLT translates it this way, “God will make the sins of evil people fall back upon them.  He will destroy them for their sins.  He LORD our God will destroy them.”

               “I know that my Redeemer lives.
               What joy this blest assurance gives!
               He lives, my hungry soul to feed;
               He lives, to help in time of need.”
                         –Samuel Medley

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

What I do care about is coffee and that old flattop stove in the front room can supply that, as long as we get our hands on a pot, and some coffee.” 

                    –Nathan Wright  (Marshal Warrix)
 
Happy Saturday mornin’ to yuh.  Coffee’s hot and strong–tastes mighty fine.  It’s from Burundi.  The “Wild Man”, no, no, he was from Borneo, this is Burundi, down in Africa.  Not bad coffee.  Pard, my wife said I was a connysoower of coffee.  Can’t say it, can’t spell it, can’t for sure tell yuh what it means.  One says it has the taste of semi-sweet coffee, raspberry, and key lime.  That’s sounds like a cino to me.  When I brew it up it tastes either like good coffee, bad coffee, or not so bad or good.  Another says it tastes like yellow raisin, honey, and butter.  Now I’m not sure what all of that means.  I don’t taste no raisins when I drink it so maybe I’m not one of those connysoowers.
       Just like my eldest told me about Elon Musk.  I thought she was speakin’ ’bout the guy who has that overly sweet-smellin’ cologne.  Come to find out that he has a bunch of money.  Remember that boy named “Sue”?  Why Pard, today he wouldn’t have it so mean and tough.  It got me to thinkin’ of all the Bibles we have at our disposal today.  I talked to a salesman a while back and he said people come to the store to buy a Bible and leave without one.  There are so many to choose from.  Now, Pard, don’t yuh be gettin’ me wrong.  I’m not opposed to newer translations as long as they have the pure word of God, and as long as they are bein’ read.  The way I see it now, yuh buy a Bible to suit what yur gonna use it for–study, devotion, easier reading….
       Ahhhh, not bad, not bad, this Burundi coffee.  It’s supposed to be from some rainforest.  Three types of coffee I don’t care much about:  cold, scorched, and weak.  They put the ptui in my mouth.  The ol’ taste buds rare up to make me scowl.  
       This all made me think of the ol’ ‘postle Peter where he said to “desire the pure milk of the word, that yuh may grow thereby.”  That’s close enough to the Greek for me.  Might be off ’cause of my spellin’ or lack of it.  But we are to keep pure, stay pure, desire pure, and that means no compromisin’ and it don’t take no connysoower to understand that we don’t compromise the pure word of the Lord.
       Well, Pard, yuh be havin’ a good week.  Ha, thought yuh were gettin’ away before I told yuh to be sure an’ check yur cinch.
        Vaya con Dios.

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

But it is strange how every day we make what seems a little insignificant decision at the time or take a little turn that changes the course of our lives.”

                    –Ron Schwab  (Old Dogs)

       “In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.”
                    –Titus 2:7 (NKJV)
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Are you ready?  I’ll make it more clear, are you ready for the Lord to call upon you?  “The need is the call.” (Bill Wilson), so have you seen a need?  Are you answering the call?
I want to point to probably the most famous verse in the Book of Esther for a moment.  

          “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.  Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
                    –Esther 4:14 (NKJV)

People have asked if I was a Calvinist or an Arminian.  I usually reply I’m both Calvinist and Arminian or neither Calvinist or Arminian.  The other day I read an article by Ken Ham who agreed with me, or maybe I agreed with him.  Let me point out something from this verse.  “Come to the kingdom for such a time as this…” is where we see Calvinism.  There was a point in Esther’s life where she was designated to be the “called one.”  (Calvinism if you like).  However, she had to make a decision, she had free-will in regard to the situation (Arminian).  My purpose today is not to discuss Calvinism versus Arminianism, but to show that God had placed Esther in a role where she could be a deliverer.
       Look at the words from Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…I ordained you a prophet to the nations…  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  (Jeremiah 1:5; 29:11, NKJV)  Jeremiah, called to be a prophet while in the womb.  God had plans for Jeremiah, however, Jeremiah did not have to go God’s way.  He could have refused.
       Man will have the Gospel presented to them, then it is up to man to do something with it.  What will you do with the message?  What will you do with the call of God?  He is beckoning, will you accept?  The situation is right.  Now, I ask how did the situation occur?  Was it just happenstance?  “As it has been a kind of destiny that has thrown me upon this service, I’ll hope that my undertaking is designed to answer some good purpose… I’ll rely, therefore, confidently on Providence, which has preserved and been bountiful to me.” (George W. Bush)  Was it for this hour that George W. Bush was our President?  He was a party-guy until he had an encounter with Christ.  That encounter was not happenstance, but a time of choosing.  Now, the hour was upon us with 9/11 — happenstance or the decisions made in the eons of time.  Can we just say it just so happened, or can we point to the sovereignty of God?
       It is vital for everyone, but especially those of the household of faith that they prepare themselves.  What happens if God has chosen you for some particular assignment such as Esther’s, but you were not prepared to take it on?  What happens if you refuse the call, the mantle that has fallen on you?  Elisha followed Elijah watching him, working with him.  Joshua spent hours with Moses ready to take on the call of God when it came time.  Both men could have refused when time came.  I think of a Lieutenant Colonel who had diligently prepared himself in his training and education.  The call came forth and he was promoted of scores of others to full general to become the Commander of Allied Forces in Europe against Fascism–Dwight D. Eisenhower.  The world situation would certainly be different if he had not accepted the call and prepared himself along the way.
       Paul admonished Timothy, “Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, Amplified)  He also told him to “Guard what was committed to your trust…” (1 Timothy 6:20, NKJV)  You are at a place in life; it may not be a profound place, but a place where you have been placed:  school, job, social circle (including social media), church.  They have been placed in your trust–make the decision to heed the call and come into the place realizing that this one hour will never come again.  This hour, this opportunity is yours to use for the kingdom of God.