Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on January 5, 2024

We often value the wrong things. We can spend our lives working to surround ourselves with things that don’t matter. We can sacrifice the things that do matter, to gain those things that don’t.”
–Dan Arnold (Bear Creek)

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

–1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)
———————————-
“Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.”
–Jonathan Edwards

RESOLUTION! Stop the nonsense about making resolutions. It is serious business! Either we make them or we don’t, but it is nothing to be taken lightly. Someone said that a resolution is a “to do” list for the first week in January. Nonsense! A to do list is something that needs to be accomplished and then when it is done it is crossed off. It is not for one day or for a week, but in reality it is for a lifetime. I have heard it said that a resolution is made to be broken. Nonsense! That is like saying I haven’t broken the law if I don’t get caught. Some people say that they don’t make resolutions because they know they can’t keep them. Okay, at least they do not make them in the first place, but that seems to be a lame excuse.
RESOLUTION: (from the Oxford Dictionary)
1) a firm decision to do or not to do something.
2) the quality of being determined.
We see here that a resolution involves determination, purpose, intention, decision, and resolve. It is not tip-toeing through the tulips; it is a definite march in whatever endeavor or decision that has been made. It is not a flippant phrase, but a determined effort to get something accomplished.
Most resolutions that are made are first of all hastily made. They are not thought through.

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it–lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?”
–Luke 14:27-31 (NKJV)

Second, most resolutions deal with exercise, diet, losing weight, stopping some habit or forming one. These are not wrong, in fact, they can be very good. However, these are things that are not quite as weighty as what Luke was speaking of. Yet, at the same time, they take resolve, they take discipline and determination to accomplish. As I said earlier, resolutions are not flippantly made. They take consideration.
David was resolved when he stood in front of Goliath. He did not waver; he did not back down. He was determined and had faith in God to see through the battle. One of the greatest resolution statements in the Bible are the words of Joshua, “…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV) Nothing was going to deter him from making sure he and his family were serving God. Paul resolved that “in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11, NKJV). These are but a small example of those who made firm resolutions before the Lord. In fact, go back to Luke 14. The verse just before the ones above speaks of definite resolution to follow Christ. “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27, NKJV)
Should we not be resolute in fixing our eyes upon Jesus in the coming year? Should we not determine that our steps are to be guided by the Holy Spirit? Should we not discipline ourselves so that we are not castaway? Should we not seek to be more like Him? Should we not take more earnest heed to our walk, and should we not be looking for His soon return? Should we not be redeeming the time because the days are evil? I would ask you again, before making a flippant resolution, or joke about making a resolution to think again. Think of our Lord, hasn’t He made resolutions regarding us? Isn’t He faithful to His word? He resolves to fulfill His promises. He is committed to His children. Thank the Lord that He is resolved to “give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:29-30, NKJV).

“I am determined, I’ve made up my mind,
I’ll serve the Lord.
I’ve left the pleasures of this world behind,
I’ll serve the Lord…”
–unknown

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on January 4, 2024

Sometimes you have to get through today the best you can and trust tomorrow to the Lord.”
–Elmer Kelton (Badger Boy)

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
–Ephesians 3:20(NKJV)
———————————-
“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
–Hebrews 7:25(NKJV)

There is a hymn that we sing quite often at our church when it is altar time. It is primarily a song of invitation for sinners to come to Christ, but I want to look from a different perspective the chorus of the song.

“Only trust Him, only trust Him, only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now.”
–John H. Stockton

Yes, it is definitely a call to salvation, but keep in mind the above verse. “He is able to save to the uttermost.” We are saved when we come to Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, but what about life? Does life interfere with our walk, or does He truly indeed “save to the uttermost”?
After salvation we are kept by the Holy Spirit. It is a part of salvation, it is the keeping power of that work. We are saved not only for that moment in time, but throughout our lives as we walk with the Lord. Salvation to the uttermost–not only saved from the wages of sin which is death, but saved from the chains and bondage of sin. He is faithful as we try to be faithful. Someone said that to the uttermost means that, “Virtues will grow where once the lusts were so deeply rooted.” This part of salvation (call it sanctification, if you wish) is not the work of a moment, but a lifelong process.
Most of us have had moment(s) of being saved from something. Perhaps a serious car accident, maybe a deadly illness we were confronted with. Saved by the hand of the Lord is the only way to explain it. Only trust Him to save you now. I can point to several instances in my life where the Lord saved me from a grave situation. So not only are we saved for eternity, but throughout our life we are being saved from one calamity or circumstance to another.
There was a song written a few years back by Pat Alger and made popular by Garth Brooks, “Unanswered Prayers.” In that song there is the phrase, “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” Many times we pray amiss. We pray selfishly, and often not really meaning to, but not seeing the complete picture. God is omniscient, He sees the future and the path that might be. We might complain, we try to persuade God that we know better, and many times we do not listen to His direction. . . but then He saves us from who knows what by an unanswered prayer.
He saves us when we are weak, when we are in despair, when we are downcast and low in spirit. Remember the words He spoke to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you…” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Sufficient to bear this torment in the flesh, sufficient to bear this burden on your mind, sufficient to bear this weight on your spirit, sufficient to bear this perplexity in your emotions. “Only trust Him!” When do we trust? Now! In whatever situation you find yourself, know that God is there with you. “In the past we are saved from the penalty of sin; in the present we are being saved from the power of sin; and in the future we will be saved from the presence of sin.”

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on January 3, 2024

To me a showing of wealth would only cumber my life. It would load me up with watchin’ after it, and I’d spend more time at that than roamin’ the high country.”

–Louis L’Amour (Bendigo Shafter)

“To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

–1 Peter 1:4-5 (NKJV)
——————————-
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides you, who acts for the one who waits for Him.”
–Isaiah 64:4, NKJV

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
–1 John 3:2, NKJV

You may have seen bumper stickers that say, “I’m spending my kids’ inheritance.” That may be true in the world, but not so with God. With all the sermons that have been preached in the last several decades about us being “King’s Kids” or having a great inheritance from the Lord, very little do we actually know about what all that entails.
Having an inheritance is not, must not be part of, a “blab it grab it” type of mentality. Many have the concept of the prodigal and demand their inheritance now, so that they can “spend” it. But the inheritance we have from the heavenly Father is far more than that. Yes, at salvation, we begin to see a part of that glorious inheritance that is ours, but only an inkling of it is really shown to us. Our inheritance is far more.
One thing about an inheritance is that it normally involves death. The first death we see is that of Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary. It was His death that opened the vaults of heaven for our inheritance. Without the death and subsequent resurrection the only inheritance we could hope for would be that of eternal death–no salvation, no hope.
But now we have the inheritance of hope. When we are “born again” which is by grace through faith, we now have the hope of an inheritance from the heavenly Father. We do receive part of it on this earth in the means of various types of blessings, but most of it is waiting for us in eternity.
“Born again” bears with it the implication of death. To have a new life means that the old life is dead and gone. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV) That is part of our inheritance–a new creation, a new life. With that we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. There is a home prepared for us–we will have a heavenly abode. There are new garments, ones not spoiled or spotted by the world. There will be a feast, and a grand fellowship with other kindred. However, that is only the beginning. We do not know, nor can we comprehend the inheritance that God has waiting for us in glory. So, we must die to self and accept Christ to gain this inheritance.
An inheritance is something that awaits us. Do not mistake it for the gifts and blessings given by God to His children. Just as human parents give daily something, perhaps not tangible, to their children, so does our heavenly Father. What we receive in our daily walk is not what awaits us. It is the normal workings of a parent to their children, but the inheritance it placed away for the future.
The future–that is where the inheritance lies. Then how do we obtain it? Death. There it is again. This time it is not the death of self and being born again, but the actual physical death. Then…then we shall have that glorious inheritance waiting for us from the Father. More than walking the streets of gold, more than a mansion on heaven’s boulevard. More than wealth, fame, and power…but the actual fact of eternal life, and all that may mean for us–“that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7, NKJV)
Now, as we travel this journey called life, we have the “riches in glory” supplied to us for the journey. (Philippians 4:19) Soon, whether in death or by the rapture we shall “see Him as He is.” In this new year, recognize the fact that you are part of the family of God and that not only do we have His sustenance for this life, but there is a vast, unknown storehouse of riches for our inheritance waiting for us in glory.

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on January 2, 2024

At least the wind wasn’t blowing much, but the snow was still falling. It started a couple of days after Christmas and had not let up. I would say we have near two feet and more on the way. I had plenty of wood chopped, both for the fireplace and the old stove that we put in after the diner purchased a new one; it looked as if I would need it.

Molly was at home making dough for a pie. I was coaxing her into making an apple pie from the dried apples we had. After all she would have been making one if she was down at the diner. For someone who only now owned twenty percent and had removed herself from the everyday working at the diner, she put in plenty of time. I had told her that I was going to check on the horses and may take them down to Moses’ livery. I knew he had a small stove and his livery was sealed up better than my little shed.

I made sure that I kept them well-fed with hay and grain during this storm, but Moses would have a better store of feed. The horses were glad to see me, but when I tried to get them out of the stalls, Two-Bits put up a fuss. The mare had been left out in the freezing cold when I was chasing down Johnson and the memory must still be in her head. But after we started down the hill towards town she willingly followed the tracks of Hawk and Star.

The town was completely deserted. No tracks, the walks had not been cleared; it wouldn’t have done any good the way the snow kept falling, plus no one was going to venture out. This was the first time I could remember where the town shut-down. Molly always kept the diner open for those poor souls who were not working during the winter season. I wondered what they would do during this storm.

I saw a light over Foster’s Mercantile. Darnelle had sold the house after her father died and her mother moved to Denver to live with her sister. Darnelle then had moved to an upstairs apartment. I often wondered why she didn’t marry. She had the looks and the personality…hmm, could be there wasn’t the proper sort around for her. She was still relatively young so it could still happen.

Walking by the jail, it was dark. There was no one locked up and I overstepped my authority by telling Lucas to stay home. I needed to apologize to Charlie for stepping into his jurisdiction but I’m sure he was happy to have Lucas with him and Marta and the new baby. The Sheriff had planned on going up to Silverton to check on the situation there right after Christmas when this storm hit. Now it would be at least a month before he could travel there.

Looking up I could see the sign, Vexler’s Livery and Stable. The door was closed but I could see where there had been footprints leading up to it and then away. I banged on the door, waiting a few seconds then started banging again. I could hear someone inside, but couldn’t make out what he was saying.

The door opened slightly and I could see Moses peeking out. “Well, for sure yuh ain’t one of the wise men, otherwise yuh wouldn’t be out in this weather. What in tarnation do yuh want Miles?” demanded Moses,opening the door a little wider seeing the horses. “Get those poor animals in here so’s I can shut this door.”

“Got room for these three?” I asked.

He gave me a dumb stare. “Now what would yuh do if I said ‘no’?” He paused and before I could answer, he took hold of the lead rein and led them to stalls in the middle of the room.

It was definitely warmer in here than back in my stalls. I looked over at a little room away from the stalls. In front of it was a stove sitting on a stone slab. Moses made sure that it was well away from any hay or straw. He kept the area near the stove clear of any item. The only thing I saw was a couple of chairs near the stove and a coffeepot on top.

“If you want them grained well, it’ll cost yuh fifty cents per horse per day,” he informed me. “Winter prices and the cost of grain has gone up.” Seeing me look toward the stove he added, “I’ll throw in a cup of coffee for free. Warm yurself up before yuh head back out in the weather.”

I went to the stove, picked up a cup that was on the slab in front of the stove then reached for the pot. After filling the cup I sat in one of the chairs by the stove. The heat felt good, and the coffee was hot and warmed up my innards as well. Moses came over to join me and I told him to watch over Two-Bits and then told him the story of her ordeal up in the canyon. He told me that after I leave he’d feed and water them, then rub them down.

“I saw some footprints out by the door,” I ventured.

He smiled, “Yep, yur not the only fool out. The marshal was making his rounds.”

Nodding, I thanked him for the coffee, then bundled up and started back outside. I thought about going down toward the diner and then over to Doc Jones’ office. I hadn’t seen him since the Christmas party at the church. He was sort of depressed, Lark Collins, one of the outlaws I brought back from Silverton had died. He worked hard on saving the man’s life, had to amputate a foot, but in the end it was lockjaw that killed him. I knew that Parson Chapman had spent a lot of time with Collins, so I hoped that somewhere he gave his heart over to the Lord. He went through a terrible ordeal with frostbite, gangrene, amputation, and then dying of lockjaw.

No, I decided to trudge back up to the cabin. I’d check on the wood supply, then bring some into the house. Then I’d see how Molly was coming along with that apple pie. It would be nice to cuddle up in front of the blazing fire on New Year’s night together. With my travels, and her work, it didn’t happen all that often. It would be a wonderful way to bring in the New Year.