Month: February 2025

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

A mule might sometimes act like a horse, and at a distance even look like a horse, but it remained forever a mule.”
                    –Elmer Kelton  (The Pumpkin Rollers)

        “We who are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves.”

                    –Romans 15:1  (Amplified)
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     “So often this road gets rough and rocky…” (unknown).  Is this what Jesus meant by taking up His yoke?  We must be careful when we begin to look at the Christian life and start complaining and crying out our woes thinking that this is the yoke of Christ.  True, the yoke was a frame that joined two animals together so that they could pull a heavy load.  But before I go any further, let’s read the Scripture from Matthew.

          11:28 — Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
             :29 — Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
             :30 — For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.  (NKJV)

     For sure, the yoke of the world is burdensome.  Andy Starks writes, “The world is a hard taskmaster and cannot be pleased.”  No matter what, the world always wants more.  It is like the harsh master, Simon Legree, the work done is never enough.  Work, work, work, and the body and soul rebels.  It either rebels by breaking down, or it rebels by trying to escape through myriad means:  drugs, entertainment, alcohol, and a host of other types of binges.
     Jesus had been speaking to the Pharisees so He is referring to the yoke of the law.  But, in reality, there is also the yoke of the world.  The Pharisees put heavy loads on the peoples’ shoulders, the world burdens the body and soul down, then there is that enemy of our soul that tries to push us down to the pit.  Oh, what a heavy load it is that man tries to bear.  Jesus is speaking of a different kind of yoke–His yoke.  D.A. Carson says, “That yoke is ‘easy’ (good, comfortable) and his burden is light.  The ‘rest’ he promises is not only for the world to come but also for this one as well.”  I want to read these verses again from Henry A. Harbuck’s translation”

          .28 — Come here to Me [and become My disciples], all of you who are weary and heavy-laden–(that is, all of those who are toiling, working, carrying heavy loads and burdens and the weight of religious obligations which pertain to guilt and sin), and I will give you rest–(that is, I will give you peace and rest from your weariness).
          .29 — Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me–(that is, permit Me to teach and guide you), for I am meek and gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls–(that is, you will obtain peace/quietness and assurance for you hearts or minds).
          .30 — For My yoke is easy–(that is, My yoke feels good–it’s a perfect fit and it’s pleasant], and My burden (load) is light–(that is, My burden is nearly weightless, and it feels good).

     Jesus is not saying that there won’t be troubles, trials, toils, and persecutions that the believer might face.  He is, however, saying that when dealing with those things that the world throws at us that He will give us joy, rest, and peace in the midst of them–that is His yoke.  The yoke He gives fits us perfectly and not only that, He is helping us carry the load.  The burden is not totally upon us.  “The expectations of Christ are much more easily met.” (Starks)
     The heavy burden of the Law is no longer there.  The heavy burden of guilt has been removed and there is now hope.  There is rest when you work along side of Jesus; no longer is the burden yours to bear.  If you find yourself toiling with the burdens of life, leave them at the Savior’s feet.  Drop that heavy, worldly load and pick up the yoke that Jesus offers.  He longs to help each one of us.  The obstacles and toils of the road that is rough and rocky will not be easier to bear.

               “Come unto me; I will give you rest;
               Take my yoke upon you, Hear me and be blest;
               I am meek and lowly, Come, and trust my might;
               Come, my YOKE is easy, And my burden’s light.”
                      –Charles P. Jones (emphasis mine)

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on
He’s a man, think of him as a man, and treat him like a man. Make him stand on his own two feet and take responsibility for his actions, but be fair and don’t show favoritism.”
                    –W.L. Cox  (Hunt–U.S. Marshal)
 
       “Thus says the Lord: ‘In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages.'”
                    –Isaiah 49:8 (ESV)
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          3.3 — Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart,
            .4 — And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.  (NKJV)
 
     For a few minutes let’s look at those terms at the beginning of verse 3 in Proverbs.  The NKJV translates it as “mercy and truth.”  The KJV is “truth and grace,” while the ESV uses “steadfast love and faithfulness.”  The NASB is “kindness and truth” while the NIV is “love and faithfulness.”  Interestingly, the CEB, RSV, and HCSB use “loyalty and faithfulness” but the NLT uses “loyalty and kindness” and the CEV translates it “love and loyalty.”  Now we should not quibble over this, but instead look at the truth behind the terms.  They are all intertwined.  I do think it is interesting that some versions use “loyalty” and “faithfulness” and “love.”  Now, I would suggest to you that we should be them all together.  In doing so we are to reflect them in all our thoughts and actions.
     We could argue the difference between such words.  J. Vernon McGee relates a story of how a little girl tells the difference between “kindness” and “loving-kindness.”  She said if she asks her mother for bread and butter and her mother gives it to her that is kindness.  However, if her mother adds jam to it, that then is loving-kindness.  Let’s put them all together as the Psalmist suggests, “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.” (85:10, NKJV)  Francis Taylor suggests that “these graces must be as carefully kept as providently gotten…”  
     Note, these graces or virtues must be used together.  One theologian explains, “In policy, mercy without truth is a sweet shower dropping upon barren sands, quite split, and no blessing following it; truth without mercy is extreme right and extreme injury.”  If these virtues are split, not used together, then they will lead to hardness of heart.  However, put together and they become ornaments that will bring favor and high esteem.
     Think of a judge who lets mercy dominate his decisions and gives no regard to the law.  What then is the use of the law?  Where is justice?  On the other hand, let a judge be known for his hard-hearted decisions using only the law as a guide and never showing mercy then we have extreme legalism and law becomes predominant.  If one is dominant over the other, as Francis Taylor points out, “Mercy may lie to do good, and truth may reveal without cause what may do hurt.”  
     I am reminded of the story of the three servants found in Matthew 25.  Two of them were obedient, loyal, and had love and respect for the Master and when he came back he found them to be “good and faithful,” while the other was negligent in his duties and responsibilities.  He was then cast away.  We see here the above virtues on display.  The two servants served God and their fellow man and were rewarded properly.  Have you ever thought of what the results would have been if the Master had been overly merciful and allowed the neglectful servant the same reward?
     Realize that these should be fixed principles that help guide our lives.  Therefore we must give continual regard to God’s Word and receive and retain them.  If we practice them throughout our lives we will receive both favor and high esteem from God and man.  Let me close with a combining of the Amplified with the Amplified Classic version, “Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; [instead let these qualities define you]; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.”

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Certain men led other men—perhaps most men—to reject God, their maker and sustainer. They wanted a religion of man…to do what they wanted, how they wanted, whenever they wanted.”
                    –G.P. Hutchinson  (Strong Conviction)

       “For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?”

                    –1 Peter 4:17  (NLT)
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     Amos continues his discourse with a description of the might and power of God.  The people held a low view of God; they were apostates, worshiping other gods.  A.W. Tozer states, “The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.”  Amos presents the God of power, or as Ogilvie relates, “God is not only inescapable, He is mighty.”

          9.5 — The Lord GOD of hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell there mourn; all of it shall swell like the River, and subside like the River of Egypt.
            .6 — He who builds His layers in the sky, and has founded His strata in the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth–the LORD is His name.  (NKJV)

“Yahweh controls His creation because He is builder and founder of both heaven and earth.” (Ogilvie)  He is the Commander of the armies of heaven–this is referred to nine times by Amos.  His touch can melt the earth.  Power and mighty are His and His alone.

            .7 — “Are you not like the People of Ethiopia to Me, O children of Israel?” says the LORD.  “Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
            .8 — Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” says the LORD.
            .9 — “For surely I will command, and will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve; yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
          .10 — All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.'”  (NKJV)

     Amos calls Israel “the sinful kingdom.”  They are a kingdom deserving destruction.  To those who are arrogant, calamity will come.  As Ogilvie reminds us, “The greatest sin is to persist in saying we have no sin.”  However, there is a ray of hope.  God will indeed sift His people, but to those who repent, God will offer grace.  The nation will be sifted; judgment will come and sinners will be punished.  God will watch and He watches carefully over those who are faithful and He remembers His covenant.  By referring to the “house of Jacob,” God was mindful of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would therefore preserve a remnant.
     Woe unto Israel.  From this time forward until God restores the nation there would be trials and troubles.  Glance briefly at the timeline following Amos’ prophecy:
               722 B.C. — Assyrian invasion (Israel destroyed and into captivity)
               606 B.C. — Babylonian invasion (Judah destroyed and into captivity)
               66-72 — Romans drive out the Seleucids
               700 — Muslim invasion and persecution of Jews
               1100 — beginning of Crusades
               1200 — Papal persecutions
               1306-1498 — expelled from various countries in Europe many of which blamed the Jews for the “Black Death” plague
               1563 — order in Russia, they must be baptized or drowned
               1900 — persecutions begin in Austria and Germany
               1939-45 — Hitler murdered six million plus Jews

Yet God does and will remember.  The words of Peter C. Craigie give out an ominous warning:  “Righteousness and justice must be preserved at the centre, whether of the Church or of individual lives.  When they are absent there, they will disappear elsewhere.  And if the life-giving spirit of God does not flow from the centre to permeate the whole, then the judgment of God may fill the vacuum.”  Take heed of God’s warning.  Now is the day of salvation, repent and look to Him, lest He come with swift judgment.

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
God has made everything beautiful for its own time.  He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”  –Ecclesiastes 3:11, NLT
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     Yep, life sure has its quirks, either that or ol’ slewfoot has a weird sense of humor.  I’m a-thinkin’ that it’s the latter.  However, in reality, I know that God has everything under control, so I wasn’t frettin’ any.  I had hoped for the diner to clear out some before I accosted the man I thought might be Hal Thornton when another man, wearing a fur-lined cap and fur coat walked in with a sneer on his face.  He moved over to the other side from Teeter and Thornton.
     My mind flashed back through the years when I had been in this same situation.  I couldn’t recall the names of the men at that time, but three men faced me in the same situation.  My problem was the two tables between where folks were sitting.  One table was conscious that something was stirring, but the other was in their own little world, slopping down biscuits and gravy and a portion of pork chops.
     I left the Greener on the table, whispering to Doc as I went by, “Use it if you have to.”  Then continued on toward where Teeter was sitting.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw that the man to my right in the fur had taken off his coat and was now pulling out a chair to sit.  Good, that would slow him down some if it came to gunplay.  
     Teeter, bah, I didn’t give him no mind, he was a tinhorn.  Yet, I was aware that tinhorns sometimes get what some would call luck.  “Lord,” I prayed silently as I approached the table.  I gave Teeter a nod, then turned my attention to the other man.  He was by far the most dangerous…except the unknown in the fur.  
     My thumbs were in my gunbelt, showing no threat and that I was in no ways afraid of him.  “Your name Hal Thornton?” I asked bluntly.
     He looked up with a sideward glance as I was standing directly to his left.  “Who wants to know?”
     “First off, I do,” I notified him, “then I received a message from Marshal Blasco and he’s mighty interested as well.”
     A little smile appeared on his unshaven face.  “Checkin’ up on the strangers in town, are you, Marshal?” he replied, then sighed before answering.  “But, no, I’m not the man you thought I was.”  The smile disappeared.
     “Do you have a name?”
     “Oh, I could be Puddin’ Tain or maybe John Brown,” he said, a smirk appearing on his face.  He was beginning to irritate me.  He saw my irritation, causing his smirk to increase, “but I ain’t neither of them.  Might be the Durango Kid,” he said with a chuckle.
     That was it.  My hand flashed out slapping him on the side of the face.  “Don’t push it, Mister.  Just give me a name!”
     It was his turn to be irritated, but he was at a disadvantage if he wanted to draw his gun since he would have to fire across from himself.
     “Marshal, you had no cause to do that!” bellowed Teeter.
     Without looking at Teeter I pointed with my left hand warning him, “You best stay out of this.”
     The stranger reached up to feel where my hand met his face.  “Marshal, the name is none of your concern.  Now leave me alone.”
     I took one step behind him, “Get up!  You’re under arrest!”
     “What!” he blurted, “you can’t…”
     He didn’t get the words out before I pulled my pistol and thumped him just above the ear.  “I can, and I did.”  I glanced at the man with the fur hat, pointing my gun at him as I did.  He relaxed, then I spoke to Teeter.  “Under arrest for suspicion.”
     I went back to my table, not looking at either fur-man or Teeter to put on my coat.  I grabbed the Greener, then went back to the stranger on the floor.  “Teeter, all he had to do was tell me his name.  Do you know it?”
     Teeter’s right hand went up to the side of his head in reaction.  “Short, Josiah Short.  You’re in trouble now, Forrest.  His brother is Luke Short.”
     I had heard that Short was living in Buena Vista for a time, and talked to him once there.  Last I heard he was back in Dodge City.  I met the man several years ago driving cattle up the trail, and I knew of his reputation, but the fabricated ones and the real person.
     Reaching down, I started to grab this Josiah Short by the collar and drag him off to jail, when there came a scream from the kitchen, a shot…