Author: Ira Paine

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on

And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it.  To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life–that is indeed a gift from God.  People who do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has given them reasons for joy.” –Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 (NLT)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
     “I hurt somethin’ fierce, Doc,” bellowed the man now doubled over in pain.
     “You just sit there!” ordered Doc.  “I need to tend the man you were kicking to death.”
     I was standing by the man that Fenny, the barkeep called “Copper,” when I noticed Marta and Molly come through the doors.  They went immediately to Lucas who was lying there with his eyes closed.
     “What were you thinkin’ Lucas?” she chastised him, then glared at me.
     “He was kickin’ that poor man to death.  I tried to stop him,” replied Lucas with honor in his voice.  “I am a deputy, you know.”
     “Uhhhh!” she exclaimed, standing to her feet.
     “Mi tia,” cried Lucas, now sitting up and looking at Marta.  Marta was standing, her arms crossed and looking away from Lucas.  “Help me, Senora Molly, por favor?” he asked looking at Molly who stooped down to help Lucas to his feet.
     “Doc!” came a loud moan.  I was close to the man and it startled me.
     Doc stood up after caring for the beaten man.  “Fenny, get some men to carry this man to my office.  I can tend to him better there.”  He then walked to Copper who was bent over in the chair.  “Put your hand over your head and straighten up.”  
     “Can’t, hurts too much,” groaned the man.
     “Miles, help me lay him on the table.  I can see better there.  Put him right under that light.”
     Between Doc and me, we put up with Copper’s moaning and groaning and got him laid back on the table.  “Hold his hand over his head, Miles.”  As I pulled his arms over his head Doc began unbuttoning his shirt.  His undershirt had holes in it, so Doc grabbed one and using his fingers ripped it down where he could examine the man.  It was easy to see where the Greener poked him as it was red and looked swollen.
     Doc began with his examination and when he pushed against the swollen area the man yelled out in pain.  Marta was now listening to Lucas explain so Molly came over to see if she could be of help.  Doc continued to poke and prod the man’s body, and it seemed that there was only that one area that seemed to be hurting him.
     “Mister, you just lay there.  Breathe now and easy, regular breaths,” said Doc, then with a nod motioned for me to follow him.
     “What’s wrong with him, Doc,” I inquired when we were standing alone by the bar.
     “I’m not sure, Miles, not sure, but he could have a ruptured spleen.”
     “Spleen!  What does that mean?”
     “They are saying, those who write the books, that a person can live without it, but I’m not capable of operating on it.”
     “Well, what happens if it is what you think?”
     “Most likely he’ll die.”
     “Then what will it hurt to try to operate?” I countered.
     Doc gave me an angry look.  “Because…well it would have been better if you’d thumped him on the head.”
     “Doc…”

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

He had often been afraid, but he was used to simply going ahead in spite of fear.”

                    –Louis L’Amour  (The Man From Skibbereen)

       “So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing.”
                    –Psalm 105:43 (NLT)
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Imagine, if you can, the spot that Moses found himself in.  He, through the power of God, had finally started on the way with the people of Israel.  He had stood up to Pharaoh, witnessing to Him the power of God, and now he found himself with a vast multitude of people.  Now, he is on the spot.  The sea before him stopping the advance of the people, and Pharaoh has had a change of mind and the army of Egypt is right behind them.  
     He has proclaimed, “Let my people go!” and now he stands on the edge of the sea.  He doesn’t blink, he doesn’t hesitate for he knows his God.  His God is Yahweh, the I AM and Moses is confident that the sea is nothing to Him.  He lifts his staff and the breath of the Lord parts the sea.  I’m sure the people gasped in awe at the event as they scurried to the other side.  Then Moses lowered his staff on the other side and the armies of Pharaoh were drowned.  What were the feelings of Moses?  Was he lifted up?  Proud, maybe a little haughty?  We have the answer in the Song of Moses found in Exodus 15.

          1 — I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously!  The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!
          2 — The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God and I will exalt Him.
          3 — The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name.
          4 — Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
          5 — The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone.
        11 — Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?  Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
        12 — You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them.
        13 — You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.
        17 — You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established.
        18 — The LORD shall reign forever and ever.   (NKJV)

     I would encourage you to take the time today to read the complete Song of Moses.  Get this, however, along with the other thoughts that you may gain from these verses, that the first thing Moses did after such a miraculous victory was to praise God.  There were many other things that needed to be done.  He had his “To Do” list but first and foremost he stopped to praise the Lord for such a wonderful salvation and victory.  
     God had rescued His people from Egypt.  What has God rescued you from?  Praise Him for the past victories.  Praise Him for the victory that will come your way in the darkest hour you may be facing.  Praise Him for what He is doing even though you cannot see it.  F.B. Meyer said, “Dare to believe that one day, when you know as you are known, you shall understand the lovingkindness that underlay your darkest experience.”  God is there with you in the darkness, in the storm, in the battle.  Then praise Him as He leads you forward into tomorrow knowing that what He has done for you in the past, He will continue to do to bring you home to glory.

               “When Moses and the Israelites from Egypt’s land did flee,
               Their enemies behind them and in front of them the sea;
               God raised the waters like a wall and opened up their way,
               And the God that lives in Moses’ time is just the same today.”
                      –J.C. Addie

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Have a seat. The coffee might be a bit stale, but I’m going to have some anyway. Would you care to risk trying some?”

                    –C.J. Petit  (Chance)
 
Glad yuh made it this mornin’, Pard.  I was a-fearin’ that the goblins might have gotten to yuh like that little orphan girl feared.  Yep, there are plenty of them things out there on the highways and byways.  Didn’t use to see ’em much, but now yuh can’t seem to go any place without seein’ some sort of wickedness.  Why just look at the faces and eyes of some of them politicians–pure evil.  May not be a goblin, but close to it, an ogre maybe.  Pard, yuh just stay watchful and don’t be frettin’, the worse ones are still locked in the abyss.
     What’s that?  Nah, this is good coffee.  Fresh, I wouldn’t serve my guest stale coffee, but I’ve sure have tasted some in my lifetime.  I will say this, stale coffee beats no coffee.  An’ the campfire–why that coffee’ll sit there for the day an’ if’n there’s still plenty in the pot, most likely it will be there at mornin’ light.
     Go ‘head, swaller it up while I do some spoutin’.  I saw where a woman was complain’ about not gettin’ her welfare.  She was wonderin’ how she was goin’ to feed her seven kids.  Now, there’s several issues with this.  Unless she’s a cripple, she needs to be workin’.  And while it wasn’t missin’ I’ll ask where was her husband?  Hmmm, how many has she had?  Do the kids have the same father?  Meddlin’?  Who me?  Nope, just statin’ the facts the way they are.  See the problem isn’t necessarily her lack of character, but the root problem is sin.  That ol’ statistical giant, Barna wrote recently that fifty percent of American no longer see “traditional” sins as wrong.  Listen, Pard, an’ don’t be snortin’ out any of that coffee–73% see drunkenness, gambling, and premarital sex as morally acceptable.  Yuh see the problem?  Man is wantin’ to redefine sin.  Barna says that this has led to “decades of social turbulence and spiritual confusion.”
     No, the problems won’t go away, but they can be dealt with if’n we had morally upright people.  People, who maybe don’t consistently practice it, but understand the difference between right an’ wrong.  Pard, man can say what he wants, he can go about redefinin’ right and wrong, but that don’t change the truth of God’s Word!  Hatred, bitterness, foolishness, why they can be taken care of if’n folks would just turn to the Lord.  He is the solution to their hungry hearts.
     Oh, the government shutdown?  Pard, let me tell yuh I have just one thing to say to those boot-lickin’ lackies in Washington, those liberal, left-wing goblins.  Yuh ready?  Ptui!! with double exclamation marks!  That’s why I’m tellin’ yuh be ridin’ wary.  Be a man, set apart for the Lord and walk in the light of His Word.  If’n for some reason yuh didn’t check yur cinch an’ yuh fall from yur saddle, get yurself back up, recinch and mount up.  The ride ain’t over until yuh get called on to glory an’ it’d be a shame if yur obituary said he died ’cause he forgot to check his cinch, or that he wasn’t totin’ his gun, or that his Bible was dusty.
    Vaya con Dios.

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Love your fellow man, but don’t stoop to the ways of evil for any reason!”

                    –B.N. Rundell  (High Country)

       “Little children, let no one deceive you.  He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”
                    –1 John 3:7 (NKJV)
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The last part of 1 John 3:8 says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (NKJV)  If this is so, and it is, then why do so many Christians celebrate Halloween, and other days of evil?  There is something wrong when believers want to go back to “Egypt” and enjoy the pleasures of that land.  The old man was supposed to be removed, and yes, I know the fight with the flesh.  But there is a difference between a fight and the purposeful returning to the way of the world.  Paul writes, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Colossians 1:13, NKJV)  We are in a darkened world, but we are to be light to that world.  Darkness does try to overcome us, but we should not extinguish our light to join it.
     Know this–there is a real war going on for the hearts and souls of men.  Christians are not immune from that fight, in fact, they are more involved than before.  It is almost shameful that more believers do not recognize the fight that they are in, for the devil “seeks to do everything in his power to prevent us from living as true heirs of our Father’s eternal kingdom.  He is totally committed to disrupting and destroying what is means for us to be ‘imitators of God.'” (Alistair Begg)  Recognize and commit to the way of light, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8, NKJV)  Get that into your being–we are to walk as children of light.
     Listen!  Satan is a real and vicious enemy.  “He trades in doubt, division, and destruction.  He comes at us both morally and intellectually.  With the ferocity of a supernaturally empowered beast, he seeks to maul us and shred our faith to pieces.” (Begg)  Know this–Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil!  Yes he may prowl, he may roar, he may threaten, but we are secure in Christ.  We have the power to resist him (James 4:7).  
     Therefore, in this day of evil do not give into the whims of the devil.  As you walk the road to glory be aware of his schemes and traps.  Keep the light shining brightly on your path.  With that being said, do not long for Egypt.  Do not celebrate the things of the world.  Keep a standard that is higher than that of the world and do not get caught up in its pleasures.  “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest:  Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10, NKJV)  Did you get that?  Do not practice unrighteousness.  Enough said!  Stand firm in this evil day and hour.