Month: April 2026

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
So don’t be too good or too wise!  Why destroy yourself?  On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either–don’t be a fool!  Why should you die before your time?”  –Ecclesiastes 7:16-17(NLT)
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     The heavy snow never came but there had been a light, cold snow for two days.  We arrived in Durango right after dusk the second day.  I stopped immediately at Doc Jones office.  The man that I was told was Davy Logan, was as pale as the snow that dusted his coat.  He looked more dead than alive, but he wasn’t stiff.  I untied Billy Blackhand so he could help me get him off his horse and into Doc’s.  I’ll give that young buck credit, he didn’t whimper or cry out the whole way.  That busted up arm must of hurt something fierce.
     I didn’t bother knocking, but turned the knob on the door and kicked it open.  I just hoped Doc was in.
     There was a short scream.  “My land!  Oh, what do we have here?”  Edith came to her wits.
     “Where’s Doc, this man’s bad hurt.”
     “What?  What is it?  Miles, is that you?”  I heard a voice coming from the other room.  “You gave Edith quite a scare, say…  Well, bring him in and lay him on the table.”
     When we placed Davy Logan on the table, he groaned.  That was the first sound he had made.  Perhaps it was because it shifted his arm into a different position.  I had tied it tight against his chest, but didn’t know what to do about the bone.  I covered it the best I could and had to use a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.  I did my best to loosen it from time to time, but with the looks of that bone sticking out I don’t think he’d be able to keep that arm anyway.
     “Sit down out there!” I ordered Blackhand.  I went out to the office and this time I used my handcuffs and hooked him to a chair.  He could escape, but he’d have to drag that chair with him.  I just hoped that he honored his friendship with Logan enough to stay put.
     Going back into the operating room, I saw Edith helping Doc remove the Indian’s bandages.  “Miles, hold him while I cut this off….”  Then he muttered something I couldn’t make out and was shaking his head.  When they finally cut off my makeshift bandage off his arm and cut off his shirt, Doc looked at the wrist, the hand dangling there, the fingers white the blood having drained from them.  “My, my…” he muttered.  “He’s more dead than alive.  You were smart Miles to use the tourniquet.  I couldn’t have saved his arm, but he might live, but he’s going to be in a lot of pain.”
     He looked at Edith, who had turned some pale herself at the sight.  “Miles and I can handle this.  Why don’t you go tell Molly that he’s back in town.”
     An hour later Davy Logan laid in the bed unconscious, missing his arm from the elbow down.  Molly had sent someone up to the jail, but when they tried to take Blackhand he put up a scuffle.  I had to leave Doc for a moment to tell Lucas to let him stay.  He told me that they had taken Hawk up to the cabin, fed and rubbed him down, and the other two horses over to the livery.
     We left Davy lying there, sleeping, more dead than alive.  Doc joined me with Billy Blackhand.  “Your friend is in bad shape.  There’s a good chance he might die,” Doc explained to him, and when he said that Billy glared at me with vengeance in his eyes.  “Miles, why don’t you get your prisoner fed and taken up to the jail.”
     “No!  I will stay with my friend!”  I looked at Doc who gave his head a slight shake.
     “There’s nothing you can do for him.  Tell you what.  You eat, get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see that the Marshal, uh, Ranger brings you down in the morning.  Don’t worry I’ll be with him through the night.”
     He wasn’t happy but he acquiesced and went peacefully.  It was cold, with a few flakes still falling.  I thanked the Lord as we started walking for holding off the storm.  “Who is that you talk to?” questioned Billy when he heard me.  
     “I’ll tell you all about Him when I get you tucked in your cell.”  
     Passing by Solly Vendor’s tobacco emporium, he rushed out without a coat.  “Miles, a man was asking about you.  He rode a palomino…”

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

You said the finest men had been those who had fallen low and had risen. You said you had faith in me! You made me have faith in myself!”
                    –Zane Grey  (The Light of the Western Stars)

       “This testimony is true.  Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith.”
                    –Titus 1:13 (NIV)
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          “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  –Matthew 5:7 (NLT)

     We all, at times, have desired mercy.  I suppose that sometimes we received it while at other times…well, you know what happened.  You may have remembered your parents saying, “This hurts me more than it does you.”  So, you cried at the top of your lungs, “Show Mercy!”  I won’t get into it this lesson, but sometimes deserved discipline is showing mercy.
     One definition of mercy is the manifestation of positive good.  This is a characteristic of genuine disciples.  Arthur Pink writes, “Mercy is an essential feature of that holy character to which God has inseparably connected the enjoyment of His own sovereign kindness.”  As we show mercy, it makes us more conscious of our indebtedness of Divine grace.  One of David’s psalms says, “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.” (Psalm 37:21, NIV)  Giving does not have to include money, but it often does; when we give we can be showing mercy.  Some folks need money, others might need a helping hand, while others might need a pat on the back.  Mercy can, and is shown, in various ways.  See, when we show mercy we are reflecting the abundant mercy that is found in God.  Pink states, “The mercifulness of this fifth Beatitude is that spontaneous outflow of a heart that is captivated by, and in love with, the mercy of God.”
     Note this, that mercy is not a duty, not a drudgery, or at least it should not be.  “Mercy is to be exercised cheerfully, to demonstrate that it is not only done voluntarily, but that it is also a pleasure.” (Pink)  Wow!  Let that soak in for a few moments.  How do I then show this cheerful mercy?  First of all we are to be merciful to the souls of others.  Someone has referred to this as “spiritual alms.”  The soul, the eternal spirit of man, is what is of most importance.  Mercy should flow to them first, and at times as Jude states, “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear–hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude 22-23, NIV)
     Mercy is advising and exhorting sinners.  The early church father, Augustine said, “If I weep for that body from which the soul is departed–how should I weep for that soul from which God is departed!”  Which is the most important in the light of eternity?  Weeping at the loss of a loved one, or weeping because a loved one is away from God.  Who needs more mercy?  
     Mercy is then advising and exhorting sinners.  It is reproving sinners, and as Thomas Watson states, “do not let them go to hell quietly.”  Telling people of sin is not unloving; it is showing mercy.  Today there are many out there who are mercenaries and not ministers.  Do your job, whatever the means, to reach those who are lost and are greatly in need of mercy.  Watson warns us regarding “Evil ministers are such as having no affections to the souls of their people.”  No word to them of repentance.  No warning regarding their lifestyle.  No care given to them because of the evil way they live.  See mercy might have to be tough to pull and snatch them out of the fire.  “Unmerciful ministers who, instead of breaking the bread of life, fill their people’s heads with any speculations and notions; who tickle the fancy–rather than touch the conscience, and give precious souls music–rather than food.” (Watson)  Listen, “Ministers should be stars to give light, not clouds to obscure the truth.” (Watson)  
     Ponder this, “How dangerous is the leprosy of the head!”  The mind being eaten away by sin, doubt, need, evil, darkness–and what are we doing about it?  Evil and contentious ideas creep in destroying the foundation of truth.  How much should we then be showing mercy to those we know in this situation?  I will say, that often times we are not in a position to show objective mercy, but we can always show mercy by our prayers.  

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

It had often seemed to him, watching other stockmen as well as himself, that the economy of the whole ranching industry was built around a coffee pot.” 

                    –Elmer Kelton  (The Time It Never Rained)
 
Pard, here yuh go, saw yuh ridin’ up so I got yur cup out.  Poured it full jist as yuh walked in.  Watch it, it’s hot.  That’s it, blow on it some, take a swaller, an’ yu’ll find it’ll tickle yur gizzard.
     Lot’s of things brewin’ besides coffee.  Things in my mind, things happenin’ in this country an’ over the ocean.  Yuh know Pard, the world’s in a mess, and I ain’t no prophet nor philosophyer, but I can tell yuh the reason.  They forsook the Word of the Lord, they didn’t hearken to the salvation presented by Jesus.  As in the days of Noah…that’s what we’re seein’ now.  Folks doin’ their own thing, followin’ their own lusts and desires.  Strange things a-happenin’.
     Pard, I was readin’ jist the other day from that ol’ preacher-man Tozer.  Now, I’m not quoting straight, so this is Tozer paraphrased by yur’s truly.  He was a-sayin’ because we have ignored and actually mocked the laws of God, His moral decrees, that we have brought pollution to the race–that’s the human race.  People have done compromised God’s Word so much and justified it by rationalizin’ with the culture that we are fully messed up.  Why, Pard, they have pride month, pride day, drag queens readin’ in school library session, and that among the educated folk; them folk that’s supposed to be smart.  See, Pard, it didn’t start with cinos; it started with the wise guys in the colleges and the smart-alec bums we know as bureaucrats, and shamefully, the white-sepluchered preachers that don’t preach the Word, but their own opinion.  See, their hearts are darkened.  They walk hand-in-hand with the devil hisownself.  Ol’ Tozer said, by doing this, we glorifyin’ somethin’ that will kill us in time.
     Whoooeee, it’n that don’t wake yuh up!  When people who say they are Christian don’t change their habits, lifestyle and attitude, well, that’s worse’n drinkin’ watered-down coffee.  How will people know who a Christian is an’ what he stands for if’n he don’t walk tall and straight?  Sorry, Pard, don’t mean to get all riled, but sometimes when I look at what’s goin’ on, well, it jist jerks my jaw.
     I knows yuh have things to do, an’ need to be on yur way, but there’s still coffee in the pot.  Yuh go ahead an’ pour another cup whilst I bring up somethin’ else.  I saw one of them there memes the other day that made me grit my teeth.  It went like this, due to unfortunate circumstances, I’m awake.  Now Pard, that is downright sinful–laziness is somethin’ the good Lord despises.  Why, if’n I’m not mistaken, the first thing the Lord told Adam was to get to work.  He was to be the chief gardener of Eden.  Yet, look today at our welfare rolls, the young how they bounce from one job to another, how they want top pay without payin’ their jist dues.  Pard, no wonder we’re in a mess.  Get up, I tell them, make yur bed, drink yur coffee, throw some bacon on a biscuit an’ get on out to work!  
     Well, that’s enough for this Saturday.  Yuh be havin’ a good weekend.  Meet with the saints tomorrow, worship the Lord, honor the Sabbath the best yuh can.  Hey, an’ don’t be ridin’ off to Sunday School without checkin’ yur cinch.
    Vaya con Dios.

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on
We’ve been through a knothole together–but we’ve come out stronger.”
                    –David Fitz-Gerald  (First Drive)
 
       “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
                    –Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
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     “All these are the beginning birth pains” (Matthew 24:8, NIV)  What was Jesus talking about?  It was not a particular date, but it was a season, a process.  Almost since the beginning of time there have been wars and rumors of wars, there have been earthquakes and famines.  But, and I’ll let you answer, are they on the increase with more frequency?  There will be persecution, and remember this, there are all kinds of ways to persecute.  It does not have to be physical torture, though in several places that is the case.  Notice that the persecutions we see happening in the world tend to affect their cultures.  Passing laws prohibiting speaking out against sin in some countries (Finland, Canada).  The attempt to hinder the freedom of the pulpit.  The murders in Nigeria, the murders of Christians in many other Muslim nations.  Yes, troublesome times, the beginning…
     Read Matthew 24 and ponder the words of Jesus.  The time is coming, the world is ripe for the man of lawlessness to appear.  But now, now is the day of salvation!  The words speak to us several great things.  That’s why we need to ponder these words of Jesus.  Don’t just say, “happy day” or “woe is me and the rest of the world.”  This is a time to get excited, be energetic about what the Lord is doing, be looking up for His redemption–the catching away of the saints–is near.
     When we see these things happening that Jesus spoke of we can be assured then that God has not abandoned His people, nor the world.  “For all its wickedness, the world is still the scene in which God’s purpose is being worked out.  It is not abandonment that God contemplates; it is intervention.” (William Barclay)  When we see these things happening, this tremendous onslaught of evil throughout the world, it should not discourage or depress us.  Barclay reminds us that before the Judgment, before that dreadful Day of the Lord, there will be chaos, confusion, and anarchy.  “A complete breakdown of all moral standards and an apparent complete disintegration of the world” must happen before the Day of the Lord.  If we think the world is in bad shape now, just wait until the meltdown begins and the man of lawlessness rules.
     One more thing we see in these verses is the fact that both judgment and a new creation are certain.  I do not pretend to understand the working of the Lord, especially in regard to the end of time.  I’m not going to speculate, predict, or fret over what is on the horizon.  My job is to keep myself ready, and to help others be prepared for the Lord’s return, in any way that I am given.  Prepping?  Preppers?  Not in the way that we see; however, we should be prepped and ready for the Judgment Day.  The day in which we live “tell us that God contemplates the world both in justice and in mercy; and that God’s plan is not the obliteration of the world, but the creation of a world which is nearer to his heart’s desire.” (Barclay)
     Our attitude is important as we see what is happening in the world.  We are not to live another unhappy day, but look up.  Think for a moment of life’s blessings–life itself for one.  Edwin R. Chess, USAF Chaplain, stated, “In Him do I find my strength to believe despite the doubts that assail me, to hope despite my gloom, to live in the face of all the evidence of human hate that surrounds me.”  What a time we live in!  Let me assure you that as a believer neither you nor I have to fear this present day of evil. The Lord is our protector, shield, and fortress.  “Keep your Christian ideals alive in the human setting in which you find yourself.  Make your religion real, worship meaningful, involvement total.  The issues and problems of the day are your responsibility, too.” (Chess)
     Take heart!  Keep going onward and upward for great is your reward in heaven and do not forget He is your strength.  You can do all things in Him who strengthens you. (cf., Philippians 4:13).