Month: February 2026

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

All your life there will be men who will try to keep you from getting where you’re going, some out of hatred, some out of cussedness or inefficiency.”

                    –Louis L’Amour  (Flint)

       “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'”
                    –John 8:12 (NKJV)
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     “Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid”–often attributed to John Wayne carries a load of truth.  Look around you and you see stupidity abound.  I saw a kid recently, I call anyone under thirty a kid anymore, push a police officer in a restaurant, mocking him, and was surprised when she was cuffed.  Not only is life tough, it has consequences.  Folks wander about, not knowing what they are really doing.  They succumb easily to the wiles of the devil.  We are warned as Christians to beware of his snares, traps, and devices, but those in the world just go along with his evil ways.  Very few have said that they are joining up with Satan, but in reality that is what they have done.
     You may have noticed that life is no picnic; this is especially true when you find yourself in a wilderness.  Picnics, by and large, have found themselves removed from the scene so many may not know the significance of that statement.  You may have been walking an easy trail, going along with no particular hardships.  Then all of a sudden, a wildfire like those in the Panhandle, Oklahoma, and Kansas.  Wham!  All of a sudden.  Are you ready for it?  That’s why when we walk this journey of life we are not to become too complacent.
     I have a print from a painting by Fred Deaver titled, “A Heap of Trouble.”  It shows an old frontiersman making his way along a wilderness trail.  There were steep walls of rock to one side of him and on the other a deep gorge.  The trail he was on was narrow and he had to be careful of his footing.  Unbeknownst to him, on the other side of the curve there is a massive grizzly walking in his direction–yep, a heap of trouble.  We are left to speculate what happened to the man.  He could not turn around.  Was he able to shoot the bear?  Did the bear have him for dinner?  Did either of them fall off into the gorge?  Did the bear change direction?  The idea is that we should always be prepared for a heap of trouble.  “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV)  That someone might be you.  Earlier in this epistle Peter tells us to “prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled…” (1 Peter 1:13, NIV)  In your wilderness watch your footing, but also keep your eyes peeled for what may be coming around the next bend.
     Then there are those trails that grow dim or have several other paths branching off from it.  The voices call out, “Take this one!”, “No, take this one!”  If darkness is coming, it may be prudent to stop for the night and wait for the morning’s light.  It is vital that you recognize the right trail.  This is done through the knowledge of the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (119:105, NIV)  Don’t listen to all the voices.  Listen to the quiet leading of the Spirit.  You will find quickly enough that the Lord wants us to enjoy life, but only those things that are moral and uplifting.  The great Methodist preacher of the last century, William E. Sangter said, “Enjoy it [life] while you can.  Seize every scrap of legitimate happiness, but remember…life is not a picnic  There are tears in things.”  But take heart oh traveler, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NKJV)
     Settle down, don’t panic.  This is the time to draw upon your resources.  Recall those passages that are deep in your heart and mind.  Follow that heavenly Guide–the Holy Spirit and don’t question His leadership.  Your prayer at a time like this may be similar to George Matheson’s:  “When I stand below the stars without Thee I say with Jacob, ‘How dreadful is this place!’  Take away the dread, my Father!  Light this solemn world with Thy smile!  Dispel with Thy voice the solitude I feel!  Guide me amid the things I know not, the things that know not me!  It is not death I am afraid of; it is life–life without Thee.”

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The trail had a way of grinding people down, burning off the dross to transform them into something leaner, harder. It didn’t matter who you were before; you either learned how to survive, or the endless prairies, washed-out trails, and indifferent mountains would swallow you whole.”
                    –E.J. West  (The Last Trail)

       “Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace.”
                    –Psalm 37:37 (NKJV)
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“He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.” –Proverbs 10:9 (NKJV)
“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” –(NIV)

This is the easier path versus the person on the sure path.  That hard path, the one that the Lord offers, is sure.  It is walking before God not before men, this was the path that Enoch took–a life of fellowship and obedience.  His testimony was “that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5, NKJV)  That is the man of integrity, the upright man.  It is what God says about Job, “a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8, NKJV)  It does not mean perfect or sinless but a man, like David, who sought God with all his heart despite human flaws.
     This is the person of integrity–the person who is sound in their moral character.  Bob Beasley says, “A man or woman of integrity is one who has adapted certain moral principles in life and then walks according to them.”  People like Enoch, Job, and many others.  They walk according to the Bible; it is “only the Bible that can bind his conscience.” (Beasley)  This is “making God the master of every thought, word, temper, and motive.” (Charles Bridges)  It is not always an easy walk, but it is a sure walk.  The steps are guided and ordered by God and they are made secure.  It is like Joshua, neither looking to the left or to the right, but focusing on the path in front, the way that the Lord has given.  The great theologian Isaac Barrow says, “He therefore moveth forward with courage, there being within him nothing to make him halt, to distract or disturb him.”  His face is like flint on the road ahead, the destination fixed in his mind, and he doesn’t waver but continues onward to his destination.
     You have heard that honesty is the best policy.  So true, the honest person, the person of honor, of integrity walks forward.  David writes, “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me.” (Psalm 26:11, NKJV)  This is a sure walk, but there is another way.  One who perverts his way, or one who takes crooked paths.  There seems to be a difference in translation, but really there is not.  The journey of life is there, all of us are on it; but some will choose to pervert the way for one reason or another or for many.  Some will seek to gain advantage, take shortcuts, compromise the truth, follow their own opinion rather than what God has spoken, they will find they are on a perverted course. This was spoken of about Judas, one of the twelve, one chosen by Jesus Himself–his ways became perverted.  John wrote that “he was a thief.” (12:6)
There are those who “pervert nature in order to attain their ends.” (J.L. Flores)  Read those that Paul writes about in Romans 1.  Perverting the truth, fulfilling selfish purposes, turning from God–these are on the crooked and dangerous path that leads to perdition.
     There is not an option if we are to follow Christ.  The words given to Abraham when he was old still bind us today, “Walk before Me and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1)  Adam forsook the sure way and was cast out.  Cain perverted the path that God wanted and became a murderer and a wanderer.  “The man that walks uprightly is a restorer of man’s ancient dignity as a walker with God.” (Flores)  This walk is not only for the present life but it continues on into eternity.  The Prophet Jeremiah writes for us to heed, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls….” (6:16, NKJV)  Do not be like those that are condemned in the last phrase of the verse, “we will not walk in it.”  Those are the ones who pervert their ways.  Be secure in your walk; follow the path that God has laid out for you.  It may not be the easiest, but it is the surest. The same is true for each of us–walk the way of the Lord and there will be everlasting rest and peace for your soul.

 

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart.”  –Ecclesiastes 7:7 (NLT)
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     “What about the rifles?” I asked, perhaps a little too sharply.
     “Senor Miles, I think that one of them has been moved,” he paused, then continued on a little sheepishly.  “Perhaps, even used.  I plan on checking it when I get back to the office.”
     Charlie and I had never bothered to lock up the rifles and shotguns that we kept in the rack in the office.  Perhaps it was time for us to do so, but as of yet no one had bothered them, that is, no one until possibly now.
     “Senor, after seeing it moved, I looked around the office for tracks from the outside.  I am sorry, I should have checked the guest’s boots.”
     I started pulling on my moustache.  “You saw the rifle had been moved, and I reckon he could have taken off his boots outside.  Hmmm,”
     “When I get back I will check them, they will be dry by now but perhaps there will be mud or something else on them,” he said apologetically.
     Molly was heading back to the table with a giant piece of chocolate pie.  “It was the last piece left, and I saw no need to cut it into smaller pieces.  Do you think you can handle all of it?” she asked with a grin.
     Picking up his fork, he started to cut into the pie.  The front door opened and in walked Doc who made for our table.  
     I got up, putting on my coat.  After grabbing the Greener, I leaned toward Lucas.  “Go ahead, ask him.”
    Doc was pulling out the chair then plopped down.  Lucas looked strangely up at me.  “Ask him what?”
     “Remember, the question that you were asking me?  Now is the time to ask Doc.  I’m headin’ up to the jail.”
     “What question is that?” inquired Doc, pulling at his ear. 
     Lucas was frowning, his young forehead even had a crease in it.  “Si, what question?”
     I started to walk away, then stopped.  “The one you were asking the other day, whether or not Doc had spoken with Methusaleh.”  Then I hurried on out the diner not understanding any of the epitaphs coming from Doc.
     Hurrying on up to the office, I wanted to check the rifle Lucas mentioned.  He said he did not touch it, but noticed that it was not sitting properly in the rack.  I wanted to see if it had recently been fired, then check the boots of the Feeney brothers.
     The good Lord had been watching out for me.  If it was one of the Feeneys; he probably hurried his shot then rushed back to the office.  I had trusted them and hoped I was wrong.  Both the men were in the cell lying on the cots.  Lucius swung his legs off the cot sitting up after I walked in.  
     “What’s up, Marshal?” he asked, but I didn’t reply but went directly to the gun rack.  
     I quickly saw what Lucas had mentioned.  Pulling the rifle from the rack, I smelled it then levered a bullet into the chamber.  I was surprised when a spent casing popped out.  For sure it had been fired recently.
     Placing the rifle on one of the desks, I went to the cell room.  “Let me see your boots!” I barked.
     Mort was sleeping or feigning sleep, but Lucius spoke right up.  “Our boots?  What’s the reason for that?”
     “Just place them at the cell door,” I ordered in a not so gracious manner.
     Lucius pulled his off, then reached for Mort’s that were sitting on the floor at the foot of the cot.  “What’s this all about?”
     While Lucius was grabbing his brother’s boots I checked his.  Nothing.  Then looking at Mort’s I saw mud but it was dry, probably from yesterday.  
     I could tell that Lucius was perplexed, but then he spoke up, “Marshal, I plumb forgot, but this morning when you were out…

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Once you condemn yourself, you have no reason to want to change. It’s like being blinded by your own sorrow and never taking the time to realize that the hole you’re digging only gets deeper unless you look up and see the light.”
                    –Ken Pratt  (The Jester’s Magician)


       “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”
                    –2 Corinthians 6:10 (NKJV)
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               “Those who mourn are fortunate!  For they shall be comforted.”  –Matthew 5:4 (TLB)

     Arthur Pink tells us that, “Mourning is ever a characteristic of the normal Christian state.”  What?  Sorrow is my lot?  Yes, and no.  We must remember that this is a spiritual issue, not just natural.  This is the sorrow over sin–that inner war that we all fight–the flesh versus the spirit.  This is a perpetual war.  This is the war that Paul speaks of in Romans 7, when he cries out, “What a wretched man I am!” (7:24, NIV)  This is the sorrowing over our sins with a godly sorrow.  “It is mourning over the felt destitution of our spiritual state, and over the iniquities that have separated us and God, mourning over the very morality in which we have boasted, and the self-righteousness in which we have trusted; sorrow for rebellion against God, and hostility to His will; and such mourning always goes side by side with conscious poverty of spirit.” (A.T. Pierson)
     We mourn because we cannot do good in ourselves.  We have the propensity to wander; even wander against the grace that is shed out for us.  We pray, repent, are relieved, then wander again.  We want to have a close relationship with God yet we lack that intimate communion with Him; we see the shallowness of our love–and we mourn.  Ahh, but take hope, as the early church leader Basil said, “Holy mourning is the seed out of which the flower of eternal joy grows.”  Thomas Watson tells us that, “Man must pass through the valley of tears to get to paradise.”  The great shepherd and psalm writer David reminds us, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5, NIV)  Yes, that is the blessedness of spiritual morning–joy, does indeed, come in the morning!
     That is the truth of this wonderful beatitude.  This life brings sorrow, sin, and strife.  “The mourning that is blessed is the realization of God’s holiness and goodness that issues in a sense of depravity of our natures and the enormous guilt of our conduct.” (Pink)  This is where Paul continues, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!  There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 7:23-24; 8:1, NIV)  It is because of Christ, that we are no longer condemned, our mourning can cease and we will recognize our blessedness in Him.
     We see the truth of this in the words of Jesus when He speaks to us this story.  “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14, NKJV)  The psychologists and the pseudo-intellectuals of our day tell us to remove guilt.  Yet it is that guilt–the conviction of the Holy Spirit–that brings us to true mourning and thus to the true realization of genuine comfort.
     Have you ever felt sorrow over a friend or loved one in mourning?  Have you ever been shown comfort from such a one when you have been in this state?  Oh, what a blessedness it is.  But even more so, when we mourn, in the natural or the spiritual, we see the comfort and passion of God towards us.

               “Happy day, happy day, When Jesus washed my sins away!
               He taught me how to watch and pray, And live rejoicing ev’ry day.
               Happy day, happy day, When Jesus washed my sins away!”
                        –Philip Doddridge