Month: May 2024

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Yes, the land remained, but everything else would have to be built back again with sweat and blood and determination.”
                    –Elmer Kelton  (After the Bugles)


       “On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old.”
                   –Amos 9:11 (NKJV)
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I was reading over the weekend an article by Greg A. Lane which caught my attention.  Ponder the following verses for a few moments:  “Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” (Psalm 113:5-6, NKJV)  Don’t leave that verse yet, read it one more time.  Far too often we think of God as just a mighty man, a super superman, but that cannot even compare to His power.  Lane brought to my attention the fact that when God deals with us puny, finite men, that He has to temper His strength.  
     Now think, when we pray “Lord, touch me,” we don’t realize what we are saying.  If He did not temper His touch He would crush us with it.  Or when we sing and pray, “Lord, breathe on me,” we forget that it was the breath of God that parted the Red Sea.  Imagine what that would do to us.  I have said this often before, do we realize what we are saying when we sing, “Lord, show us Your glory,” but if He did we would all die.  How about the miracle of the feeding of the 5000?  This was done from five loaves and two fish.  Perhaps we should be careful when we say we want the Lord to embrace us–oh, my, what would happen to us, this world if He did not temper His power?  (Greg A. Lane)
     One of God’s attributes is that He is omnipotent–all powerful.  Omnipotence means, “all powerful; able in every way and for every work.”  He has unlimited ability.  Stephen Charnock wrote, “The power of God is that ability and strength whereby He can bring to pass whatsoever He pleases, whatsoever His infinite wisdom may direct, and whatsoever the infinite purity of His will may resolve.”  In Psalm 62:11, we read, “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this:  that power belongs to God.” (NKJV)  God can do all and perform all that He resolves to be good.  Charnock continues, “Without power His mercy would be but feeble pity, His promises an empty sound, His threatenings a mere scarecrow.  God’s power is like Himself:  infinite, eternal, incomprehensible; it can neither be checked, restrained, nor frustrated by the creature.”
     Now, don’t go getting foolish on me and use the notions that I heard back in philosophy and psychology classes.  “Can God make a rock that He cannot lift?”  Sheer stupidity.  God will not, cannot do anything that is against His holy character.  He has nothing to prove, therefore He “cannot make a square circle, for the notion of a square circle is self-contradictory, nor can He cease to be God.  But all that He wills and promises He can and will do.”  (J.I. Packer)
     From whence does He get His power?  God.  His power is not acquired, nor does it depend upon any recognition by any other authority.  It belongs to Him, inherently.  In fact, one of His names is power.  All three of the synoptic gospel writers speak of the Son of man sitting on the “right hand of power.”  “God’s power is like Himself, self-existent, self-sustained…  He is Himself the great central source and Originator of all power.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)  He is under the control of no other power and there is no power that can direct Him, manipulate Him, or command Him.  This should give us great comfort.  “Seeing that He is clothed with omnipotence, no prayer is too hard for Him to answer, no need too great for Him to supply, no passion too strong for Him to subdue; no temptation too powerful for Him to deliver from, no misery too deep for Him to relieve.”  (Arthur W. Pink)
     His presence then gives stability.  “I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16:8, NKJV)  The world around us, the culture in which we live, may change but God remains constant.  When we are weak and insecure, God is there.  When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with us (Psalm 23:4)  Because He is God–He is power–we have protection in times of crisis and difficulty.  His power is an encouragement to prayer; His power encourages courage within us.  “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NKJV)  Remember, as you journey through this life in this evil world that God is there–God is the power.  “For there is power, power, wonder working power…”  (L.E. Jones)

 

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Miles was escorting the prisoner, Ben Hendricks, to the penitentiary in Canon City while the Chapmans were with the newly wedded, Ballesteros.  As the train was filling up with water, there was an attack.  Marshal Forrest had shot the two men who attacked, but his prisoner had been severely wounded by glass which was broken by a shot from one of the assailants.  Join with me with another exciting tale from those days of yore.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
       I had bent over Hendricks who was bleeding profusely from his neck.  In his last gasp of breath on this earth, he muttered something.  If I willed strong enough, I thought I heard “Martin.”  
       “Did you hear what he said?” I asked turning to look at the conductor.
       Shaking his head, “I heard him mutter something, a name perhaps, but I couldn’t make it out.”
       “Was it Martin?”
       He shook his head again.  “I couldn’t say for sure.  Far as I know he was asking for ‘water.'”
       I stood up to stare at him.  I knew he was right, but I wanted so much for it to be “Martin.”  Turning I glanced out the broken window and found that I could see the man I shot by the tower.
       “Marshal, I’ve got to settle these people down.  I’ve got to get this train rolling.”
       I nodded, “You do your work here, the preacher’ll help you.  I need to check on that man I shot outside.”
       “Well, don’t be long.  We’re behind as it is now.”
       Leaving him, I went out the door closest to me and hurried on over to where I saw the man fall.  There was blood, but the man was gone.  One of the workers was nearby, so I accosted him.  “Did you see a man fall from that tower?”
       He looked briefly at me, then towards the water tower for a few seconds.  Taking a couple of steps towards me, he uttered, “There was a man lying there on the ground, but he’s gone now.”
       “Brilliant,” I thought to myself.  “Did you see where he went?”
       “No,” came his quick reply, “but he did stumble off to the back of the shack then rode off on a horse, but I didn’t see where he went, he just rode off.”
       I put my hand to my face and wiped it down my chin.  Where did they get this guy?  “What direction?”
       “That way I think,” he muttered, but didn’t point.  “I wasn’t watching him, my attention was turned to all that commotion in the car.  What in blazes happened?”
       Without bothering to answer, I went to the other entrance to the car and entered.  Folks were in their seats, and I knew they were ready to be on their way.  A few looked at the body laying in the aisle.  I looked at Javier and Agatha.  “Recognize him?” I inquired.  They both shook their heads.  “Parson, help me drag this body outside.”
       The conductor followed us out, then questioned, “Do you want to put him in the baggage car?”
       I pulled on my moustache for a few moments, then found the worker nearby.  I beckoned him over.  “Think you could bury this man?  I’ll give you a couple of dollars.”
       His eyes widened, “for sure,” he replied reaching out his hand.  
       Reaching in my vest pocket to the little pouch I carried, I pulled out two silver dollars.  “I’ll be back in a day or so.  I better find a grave with a marker.”
       “What’s his name?”
       “Just put on it the date and John Doe,” I told him.  I glanced at the preacher.  “Shame to bury a man an’ don’t know his name.”  He gave a big sigh.  
       The conductor had joined us, and Rev. Chapman inquired, “What about Hendricks?”
       I looked at the conductor and asked, “Would it be all right to place him on the platform outside the car.  We’re almost to Taos, and I’ll take him to the undertaker there.  I want to inform the sheriff, and then fill out the paperwork.”
       Within a few minutes the steam was up and we were ready to be on our way.  The conductor told me that the train from Taos back to Durango would be in two days.  There could be a worse town than Taos to stay for a couple of days.  There might not be any apple pie, but I reckoned I could find myself something good to eat. 
       I placed my hand on Javier’s shoulder as I went by.  “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about,” I said casually, then thought of something and asked.  “Did either of you say to Agatha’s father where you would be working?”
       They looked at each other, eyes searching, then Javier brought his attention back to me giving me a shrug.
       I nodded, saying, “I hope not…”

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Don’t hunt trouble. Sooner or later you’ll always find more than you want.”

                    –Louis L’Amour  (To Tame a Land)

       “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!”
                    –Jeremiah 8:20(NKJV)
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Grace is so much more than we can imagine.  It is “wonderful” going back to the literal meaning of that word–awesome, beyond understanding, mysterious and unique.  Grace is more than salvation; it is more than imputed righteousness.  The old theologian, J.C. Ryles says that, “Grace is stronger than circumstances.”  Psalm 116, gives us an idea of the grace that God bestows upon us.

          1 — I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.
          2 — Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
          3 — The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.
          4 — Then I called upon the name of the LORD:  “O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
          5 — Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful.
          6 — The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.
          7 — Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
          8 — For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
          9 — I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.  (NKJV)

     I enjoy the story told by George O. Wood.  He spoke of a little girl who asked her Sunday School teacher why Jesus first told His disciple to “watch and pray,” but the last time He told them to “sleep on, and take your rest.”  The teacher did not respond, trying to come up with some wise answer for the child.  The little girl spoke again, “I think I know.  It was because Jesus had seen the face of His Father and He didn’t need their help anymore.”
     Remember the words of Jesus when He spoke, “for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NKJV).  We can do nothing without Him.  Now this is mostly regarding spiritual, eternal things, but think again.  Without Him we could not breathe, or walk, or think, for He is the sustainer.  Yes, it is His grace that sustains us.  I am reminded of the song by Mylon Lefevre,

               “Without Him, I could do nothing; Without Him, I’d surely fail;
               Without Him, I would be drifting, like a ship without a sail…
               Without Him, I would be dying; Without Him, I’d be enslaved;
                Without Him, life would be hopeless but with Jesus, thank God, I’m saved.”

     This is the central theme of Psalm 116–the all sufficient grace of God.  This helps us in our weakness, and oh, we are weak, no doubt about it.  Even when we think we are strong in reality, compared to Christ, we are weak.  God hears our prayers, He sees our needs, and He provides grace when and where and how much is needed.  We need to be like the Psalmist, “I will pray as long as I have breath!”. (vs 2, NLT)
     If you have ever done much fishing, you have probably encountered and fouled up line, all tangled and knotted.  This is the picture of verse 3, the NIV states, “The cords of death entangled me…”  Sometimes we get so tangled up in our problems that there seems to be no solution, frustration sets in and like the angered fisherman we want to simply cut the line and start over.  Ah, but then the grace of God is there.  He sees the problem and begins to work.  At times it may be instantaneous, a miracle so to speak; at other times He works by untangling and untying the knots one at a time.  Death may even have been the culprit, but God in His mercy and grace took charge.
     Look at the rest of this portion of the Psalm.  The Lord is gracious to His own and will do what is right.  His compassion is there, and the NLT renders it, “How kind the LORD is!  How good he is!  So merciful, this God of ours!” (vs 5)  He guards our steps, and saves us in our need.  Because He is there, and we can trust Him, we can be at rest.  Because of the Lord’s goodness we can rest in peace and security.  He rescues us when He sees that we are on a slippery slope or a rocky course.  Now, what is the result?  What are we to do?  We are to walk in His presence with uprightness.  The Psalmist purposes that he will walk before the Lord; that means in obedience, a life that would honor God.

               “I love the Lord; he bowed his ear,
               And chased my grief away!
               O let my heart no more despair,
               While I have breath to pray.”
                        –Isaac Watts

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The coffee had boiled so long that it was a thick sludge when it drizzled into his cup. Just the way he liked it.” 

                    –Lynnette Bonner  (Songs in the Night)
 
I wanted the coffee to be extry strong this mornin’ for the things I’ve got t’ tell yuh.  Sit yurself down, take a couple of long swallers so’s yur gizzard is fully awake and the stomach is coated for the bile that might come its way.  First of all, glad yuh could make it over.  That ol’ hoss of yurs must have canoes for feet or he can paddle like a duck.  Whooee, have we had the rain.
     But on to what I wants to tell yuh.  Ready?  Here goes, an’ this is almost quotin’ directly:  There must be a reinterpretation of the Gospels to the Christian faith of God.  It must be based on popular common sense.  Who said it, yuh ask?  Why the grand hoopla himself over in the Vatican–the pope.  Now if that don’t gall yuh, and here’s somethin’ else–what is popular common sense?  Must be speakin’ ’bout the Woke crowd, the progressives.  Hmm, settin’ up the work for the False Prophet who will cheer on that evil man that is to come.
     Now if’n that ain’t enough to rile yuh some, listen to this, happened last week.  The United Methodist Church has changed its mind.  It overturned overwhelmingly, the article said its ban on ordaining gay clergy.  They will allow same-sex marriages in the church.  Well, ain’t that enough to pop yur bubble gum!   A bunch of church officials may change their minds but the Lord Almighty doesn’t change.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Mercy me, what if the good Lord was always changin’ His mind.  Perhaps only every century or so.  Why He might think that us poor ol’ fence posts might not be needed in the Millennium, and if’n yuh have too many knots on yur noggin’ yuh might no longer fit in.
     With all this rain, yuh think we might at least run through our noggin’s the thought of the days of Noah.  As it was in the days of Noah…  Pard, oh, yuh need a refill of this thick sludge.  Don’t blame yuh, drink all yuh want to settle down the bile.  Don’t be a-bowin’ to none of this junk.  Salami, Salami, Baloney–as the wise ol’ stooges would say.
     Hey, Pard, I was close to right.  I see yur ol’ mount is wearin’ waders.  Stay on high ground, ’cause there ain’t no dry ground right now.  Be safe if’s yuh have to go out, and best be checkin’ that cinch a couple of times; it might slip with the wetness.
       Vaya con Dios.