Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on November 30, 2023

Jesus thought before He gave; because He desired to satisfy the deepest need; because in fact He gave something of Himself in every gift. All true Christmas-giving ought to be after this pattern.”
–Henry Van Dyke

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

–1 John 4:10 (NKJV)
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“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
–Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)

We live in perilous times, yet we live at the right time in history for this is the time and place that the Lord has set us. The year is almost over and there is turmoil in the Middle East, there is turmoil in other places, but in the midst of that we have the promise of the Lord that nothing, I repeat nothing, can separate us from the love of God. We should be longing more and more for the things of God, and what better time than now to start seeking Him more fervently than this day of closing out November and beginning the wondrous Christmas season?

“My soul today is thirsting for living streams divine,
To sweep from highest heaven to this poor heart of mine;
I stand upon the promise, in Jesus’ name I plead;
O send the gracious current to satisfy my need.”
–A. I. Zelley

All this world offers us is artificial compared to the great love of God. The gifts He has for us is above measure and will last throughout eternity. They are not temporal, here today, gone tomorrow. With Christmas coming in to greet us, let us rise to meet it because it was at that first Christmas that God fully poured out His mercy with the birth of His Son–Jesus Christ. Look at this Christmas with expectation and contemplate the completeness of His mercy and grace.

“I see the clouds arising, the mercy clouds of love,
That come to bring refreshing down from the thrones above,
The earnest of the shower, just now to us is giv’n,
And now we wait, expecting the floods of grace from heav’n.”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, NKJV) This is Christmas! God gave His son, the mystery of the Incarnation, to show His love and pour out His grace. Light has now come into the world, the mercy of God is freely given through Jesus. Grace and mercy–salvation–is available. What a tremendous present from the Father. Hearken to it this Christmas; heed the message of the birth of Christ.

“The show’rs of grace are falling, the tide is rolling in,
The flood-tide of salvation, with pow’r to cleanse from sin;
It’s surging thro’ my being and takes my sin away,
It keeps me shouting glory! thro’ all the happy day.”

When you receive that present from a loved one this year, think of the deeper message that it represents–the special gift of Jesus by His Father. A gift that, if received, washes the sin of our life away. It is truly a “flood-tide”! Maybe sometime during this Christmas season it would do you good to give a resounding shout of “Glory”!

“It’s coming, yes, it’s coming, it’s coming down this hour,
A torrent of salvation in saving, cleansing pow’r.
I hear the billows surging, I see them mount and roll;
O glory, hallelujah! they’re sweeping thro’ my soul.

Like a mighty sea, like a mighty sea,
Comes the love of Jesus, sweeping over me;
The waves of glory roll, the Savior to extol,
Comes the love of Jesus, sweeping o’er my soul.”

Let the love, mercy, and grace reach down this Christmas season to grip your soul.

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on November 29, 2023

Don’t pray for more years… Pray for better years. Don’t pray for good times, or easy times. Pray for strength.”
–Brad Dennison (The Long Trail)

“…’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

–Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)
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I woke the other night and looked at the time; it was 12:15. Then an old hymn came to me, one of those “Hymns at Midnight.” I hadn’t heard or thought of this hymn in quite a spell, so thought I would take the time to look at all the verses. The song composed by Alameda Herrick details the journey of life that we all too often face.

“Is there a mountain in your way?
Do doubts and fears abound?
Press on, oh, hear the Spirit say,
This mountain shall come down.

Not by might; not by pow’r;
By my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts
Not by might; not by pow’r;
By my Spirit saith the Lord;
This mountain shall be removed;
This mountain shall be removed.
This mountain shall be removed,
By my Spirit saith the Lord.”

We know that the way to heaven is an upward way, but so often it seems that there is an unnecessary mountain in our way. One that we don’t think we can climb. When we get to that point we need to point to the word of God and allow the His Spirit to work for us. Don’t doubt, but trust. Don’t fear, but have faith. Then do as the writer said, “Press on.”

“Is there a river in your path,
A river deep and wide?
Step in, the waters will roll back,
You’ll reach the other side.”

Life is filled with rivers we must cross. Do we dare take the step of faith as the priests did carrying the ark and walk into the water? Step in, watch the hand of the Lord at work and before you know it you’ll be on the other side. Perhaps the words of another hymn come to mind, “You don’t have to cross Jordan alone…”. When we come to a river that tries to stop our progress step in, the Lord will walk with you. When you come to that final river to cross in life, don’t fear – the Lord will cross with you to the other side.

“Is there a fiery furnace trial
Far more than you can bear?
Behold the blessed Son of God,
Is walking with you there.”

“Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” (Daniel 3:24) Ah, but continue on to see what is next with the fiery trial that the Hebrew men faced. “…I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25, NKJV) Trials of all kinds come to us in life. Some of them are more harmful and terrible than others, but remember! Remember that the Son of God–Jesus Christ–is walking with you in and through that fiery trial.

“Then trust alone the mighty God,
He speaks the winds obey.
Take courage, then, oh fainting heart
For you He’ll make a way.”

Don’t trust in others or in your career. Friends can be a help or hindrance. Don’t trust in the government, or in your bank account. Especially don’t trust in the power of your own might. There may be a time when you are upon the sea of despair, when nothing will suffice except the calm, commanding words of Jesus–“peace be still.” Life is a journey, there are all kinds of troubles and obstacles along the way, but there is a Guide there beside us.

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on November 28, 2023

Miles found the desperado he had been chasing, or found what was left of him. He was in terrible condition and Miles knew the only hope for him was to get him back to a doctor in Durango. He also felt the pressing need of getting home to help Molly and the others in their traditional Thanksgiving feed to those down and out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The hostler, who I learned his name was Indian Joe Larkin. He claimed to be part Ute, but I had my doubts on that, said that he had a wagon I could use. Upon being shown the wagon I reckoned it was usable, but Hawk and Two-Bits could not pull it. For one, they were unused to the harness, and second, the size and stride difference of the two animals. Hmpf, talk about unequally yoked.

When I asked Indian Joe about a team, he acquired a wide smile. “I have two mules that’ll pull that wagon easily. Cost you twenty dollars a piece for them.”

I gave him a hard look, I don’t care much for being scammed. He must have taken notice as he changed his tune quickly. “Uh, ten dollars each?” he questioned timidly.

Nodding I reached in my vest pocket for my little pouch and pulled out a single eagle for him. Maybe my conscience grabbed me, for I counted out five silver dollars to give him for the use of his wagon. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to bring it back,” I told him directly.

“Just keep it for me somewhere. I’m not expecting to need it anytime soon. Hay and feed are delivered to me.”

That was Wednesday, it’s now Friday. Indian Joe helped me throw hay into the wagon and I went to the hotel to retrieve my burden. I wrapped him in a couple of blankets and placed him as comfortably as I could in the wagon, not knowing if he would be alive when we arrived in Durango or not.

Doc Jones, who normally helps out in the feed, spent most of the day in surgery on Collins. Edith helped him with the surgery so we lost her help for much of the time. Fortunately Darnelle jumped in to help and Betty, the preacher’s wife worked hard. Mateo and his family also fell into help us. I don’t know if I was imagining, but it seemed that there were twice as many down and out miners as last year. Men who went searching for their El Dorado, who now were living in the dregs. It was late, so I knew the big mining companies already had their lay-off and kept their workers for the winter.

Emelda, with Marta’s niece Lola, kept the food coming from the kitchen. The people had their choice of either venison stew, or chili made from cows that Cecil Thompson had given for the occasion. In fact, several of his hands helped with the preparing of the beef and stayed around to eat. This year it seemed that others from the town joined us, some from the wrong side of town, and even a few from the barrio, not that we minded and it gave Rev. Chapman an opportunity to witness to them.

It was dark and we were in the process of sitting down after cleaning up. We smiled at each other, though it was a tired smile. Marta poured coffee for the Chapmans, myself, Lola, Emelda while Molly was back in the kitchen doing something. Mateo had taken his family home and was making his early rounds. I could hear Molly humming as she came back to us holding a pie in her hands. “For special people a special treat. I kept it hidden during the day.”

She stood over to cut it when Doc Jones came in. Talk about someone looking tired. The Parson jumped up to give his chair to Doc. Marta hurried to the kitchen to fetch a bowl of chili that was still on the stove while I poured him a cup of coffee.

“How is he, Doc?” Molly asked, beating me to my question.

He started shaking his head. “Bad shape…very bad. I had to take the toes off one foot and cut back the heel on the other. Two fingers were removed, and oh, the poor man, one side of his face was severely frozen.”

Taking the spoon he began to eat rapidly. After four or five spoonfuls, he looked up at us watching. “Could you fix a bowl for Edith. I left her over with the patient.”

I watched as Molly cut a big portion of the pie for Doc and Edith, then I asked, “Will he survive?”

Doc sighed heavily. “I don’t know, Miles. I tried to get all the dead flesh from him, but the gangrene was already starting to set in,” he replied wearily.

It became quiet as we watched Doc finish his chili. Marta had a bowl to take to Edith and Molly had wrapped the pie. When Doc stood, he just nodded at us, then he gave a smile, “I’m so very thankful that I have friends like the lot of you.”

Rev. Chapman got up then telling us that he was going over to see the man. He asked if I would see Betty on home.

I knew that Marta, Lola, and Emelda would be going together so I wasn’t worried about them. “Get me a bowl of chili, and wrap up my pie,” I said, looking at Molly. “We can drop them off for Lucas on the way home…

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on November 27, 2023

It was a wild and rough west we had come into and it needed men with the bark on.”

–Louis L’Amour (Passin’ Through)

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.”

–Numbers 25:11 (NKJV)
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“Generally speaking the soul and body fare inversely. When the body is pampered with every luxury, the soul starves.”
–F.B. Meyer

That pretty much sums up this next portion of Psalm 106. I have thought often of how Joshua and Caleb must have felt after all the spies reported to Moses. I can imagine their excitement upon returning to Moses with their report, then hearing the reports of the others…how disappointed they must have been. Joshua and Caleb knew what was before them, but they also knew that their God had led them to this place and that He was bigger than any in the land.

24 — Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word.
25 — But complained in their tents, and did not heed the voice of the LORD.
26 — Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness.
27 — To overthrow their descendants among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
28 — They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices made to the dead.
29 — Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, and the plague broke out among them.
30 — Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped.
31 — And that was accounted to him for righteousness to all generations forevermore. (NKJV)

Imagine, God has led you to the place He has promised you, but you hesitate, then you do not take the next step. The opportunity was before you, the call is upon you, yet instead of marching forward you grumble and complain. What an indictment! Yet this is exactly what the people of Israel did. They did not trust the Lord their God. They would not heed His words. They would rather listen to unbelieving spies rather than the word of God.
Unbelief can bring the most horrendous consequences. Resisting the word of the Lord is dangerous, not only in this life, but more so upon entering eternity. Continual resistance and unbelief will eventually lead to seduction, flagrant immorality, and idolatry. They worshipped Baal, ate forbidden food, and indulged in sexual morality with the Moabite women (Numbers 25:1-3) How? Why?
Up steps a man–Phinehas. The grandson of Aaron and the son of Eleazar. He was displeased with the immorality of the Israelites (Num 25:1-9). He went into the tent of two of the most blatant offenders running a spear through the man and the belly of the woman. In this he stopped the plague that was among the people and the desecration of God’s sanctuary. Phinehas stood up in loyalty to the Lord. He proved his courage, and because of his deed, both in thought and action, the Lord stayed the plague and Phinehas received divine recognition.
Reading this portion, I wonder how often I have not heeded the voice of the Lord. When new experiences come, that God has led us to, are we daring enough to believe God, the good report, or do we cower and hide in our tents in fear? The men, the ten, felt like grasshoppers, but we need to realize that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, NKJV)

“To an inheritance divine
He taught our hearts to rise;
‘Tis uncorrupted, undefiled,
Unfading in the skies.”
–Isaac Watts