Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on October 27, 2023

There’s a lot of evil waiting to snatch you up if you get careless.”
–A.W. Hart (Killer’s Chance)

“No one among you is to make his son or daughter pass through the fire,[a] practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, cast spells, consult a medium or a familiar spirit, or inquire of the dead. Everyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable things.”

–Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (HCSB)
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“An’ the Gobble-uns ‘at gits you
Ef you
Don’t
Watch
Out!”
–James Whitcomb Riley

“For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”
–Ephesians 6:12 (HCSB)

But do we heed the Word of God? Over the weekend and on to the 31st there will be parties galore, evil will be personified, magnified, and glorified. We have been duped by cartoons, television, movies, and songs into thinking that this is a harmless fun holiday. But listen. . . Not only are evil spirits real, but they can significantly harm you if you’re not careful. The Bible uses terms such as: “demons,” “unclean spirits,” “lying spirits,” demonic spirits,” “impure spirits,” “deceiving spirits,” and “fallen angels.” They can deceive you, tempt you, and harm you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. (Hopler)
Yes, the gobblins will get you if you don’t watch out!
Jesus, in His earthly ministry, encountered many times evil spirits/demons. The first recorded miracle of Jesus by Mark is driving out an unclean spirit. This spirit challenged Jesus, “What do You have to do with us, Jesus–Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24, HCSB) Jesus rebuked him, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” (1:25, HCSB) I have wondered why the unclean spirit was commanded to be quiet; it was a truthful testimony. However, we must look at this more closely for it came from unclean lips. The testimony was true, but the source of the witness was unclean.
Back to the upcoming weekend and holiday, we should not, we must not compromise with unclean, demonic works of the devil. We are to stay away from dangerous occult practices that would involved ungodly spirits. Do not open doors where evil may enter. True the believer cannot be possessed by evil spirits, but they can be oppressed. They can be mentally and emotionally attacked as well as spiritually attacked. Don’t give in to the devil or his minions. Stay away from anything that is related to the occult!
Or the gobblins will get you if you don’t watch out!
I am not going to go into detail regarding all the different kinds of evil that may confront you. I will relate a story to you. When in was in the military one of my coworkers came to me telling me that he had gotten saved over the weekend. The man was a changed person–completely changed. It was an amazing transformation. A couple of months later he came to me and asked what I thought about a new movie that was coming out; he was planning on going to see it–The Exorcist. I asked him why he came to me, and by doing so indicated that he had questions regarding the movie. I did mention that we are to stay away from any form of evil, and not to let the devil get a foothold on our life. He went. He couldn’t sleep after that for several nights. He reverted back to his old self, and worse. I could no longer even talk to him about his previous experience with the Lord or he would explode. Don’t give in to the devil.
The gobblins will get you if you don’t watch out!
Paul writes to us simply, telling us to stay away from the forces of darkness and evil. “…What fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial?…” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15, HCSB) He continues in verse 17, “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.” In plain simple language, avoid what is unclean, what is evil. Don’t open the door for any kind of unclean spirit. If you do, there is the possibility that
the gobblins will get you if you don’t watch out!

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on October 26, 2023

This is a vast lawless land, and needs strong people with strong principles.”
–D.C. Adkisson (Redemption)

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’”

–Matthew 25:6 (NKJV)
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Quiet! Listen. Do you hear that? Nothing. That’s right, nothing. Silence. The hammer of the heavenly Carpenter is no longer driving nails. Perhaps, do you suppose that the last mansion is completed? The time is drawing nearer and nearer. Maybe the saints of the ages past are gathered round to watch the unveiling of the last one. Abraham is there with a smile, Moses leaning against his staff nodding his head. Nehemiah is going around checking the project. The last one. Remember the words of Jesus prior to His going to the cross.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
–John 14:1-4 (NKJV)

The Carpenter–Jesus, went back to glory and has prepared a place for each of His followers. But when, where is His coming? How much longer shall His bride have to wait? If the last nail has been driven, when will the Lord return? When the last name has been placed on the last address in heaven. It is soon, the homes are prepared and only wait for their unveiling.

“The Lord does not delay His promise as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”
–2 Peter 3:9 (HCSB)

His promise is true; it will happen!
Knowing that He is ready to return we should then be all the more ready for it as well. He does not tell us when it will happen, only that we are to be ready. “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…” (2 Peter 3:10, NKJV) It will be sudden, it will be timely, it will be when the last person is ready for His appearing.

“Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found in peace without spot or blemish before Him… Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of the immoral and fall from your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
–2 Peter 3:14,17-18 (HCSB)

There are several things that Peter tells us to do while waiting for the return of Jesus. 1) make every effort to be found in peace; 2) make every effort to be without spot or blemish; 3) be on guard; 4) don’t be led away; 5) don’t fall from your stability; 6) grow in grace; 7) grow in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The day is coming. Be on guard, be ready, don’t become a slacker in these last days; don’t become lackadaisical in your standards and doctrine. Continue in steadfastness for He is coming!

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on October 25, 2023

It felt good to own a pair of new boots. Funny how something on your feet gets you a good feeling way up in your head.”
–D.C. Adkisson (The True and Unbiased Life of Elias Butler)

“My God will supply all that you need from his glorious resources in Christ Jesus.”

–Philippians 4:19(Phillips)
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I want to draw your attention to one of the most familiar verses of all Scripture–Psalm 23:1. We live in a day when we want, we want, and we want some more. Either that or we live in wishful thinking and Amazon and other places help us by providing a place for wish lists. However…we do not have to want or wish, we have the certainty that God will supply. I have memorized most of my verses from the King James so I want to use that as it does give a different perspective.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (KJV)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in need.” (NASB)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (NIV)
“The LORD is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack.” (HCSB)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (ESV)

Notice that the KJV and ESV are the same. The second phrase of the verse places the emphasis on “I shall not.” It is up to me, my choice, my prerogative with what I do. It has to do with attitude and perspective. Because He is my shepherd, I do not lack anything. He satisfies my needs. There is a difference between “needs,” “wants,” and “wishes.”
This verse is so familiar that we often do not take the time to see what it really means. Far too many Christians read and quote this verse, yet they continually “want.” If the Lord is my shepherd, then I shall not want; but if I am in want, then it is obvious that the Lord is not my shepherd. Stop and ponder!
What or who is shepherding you? If we find frustration, anxiety, despair, and emptiness in our lives then the Lord surely is not our shepherd. If someone else, or things, or desires guide us, we will never be satisfied and, therefore, the Lord is not our shepherd. Whenever someone or something else guides us we will constantly be looking and wanting more and better.
One problem we have is that we are seldom satisfied with just our needs being met. If we are provided with beans for the table, we want cornbread to go with it. If we have cornbread, then we want a hunk of ham, and on it goes. There is a scene from “Northwest Passage” in which the men are starving. One of the younger recruits, upon having only a few kernels of corn to eat, asked an old grizzled veteran if he doesn’t want ham, roast beef, and sausages to which he replies, “No. Now if I was promised ham, roast beef, and sausages then I would not be satisfied with these bits of corn.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” my needs are satisfied, there is nothing that I need that I lack. If our career is our shepherd, then we will always be striving for a higher position, more money, more benefits, and the result will be stress, anxiety, restlessness, and frustration. Go, do more, faster, better, and then there might even be the temptation of taking shortcuts, and breaking the rules of the game. If anything or anyone besides the Lord is our shepherd, we will be disappointed, disillusioned and left wanting.
Check yourself whenever you think, “I want that.” Why? Do you need it? Will it help or hinder you? Are you not satisfied with what you have and if not, why? If wanting more than the Lord not enough? Am I being too self-centered, self-absorbed, and self-seeking? Hmmm, ponder our attitudes, our wants, and our choices. See if the Lord is not good. Know that He gives us all that we need for eternity. George Wood put it this way, “I live in a universe where God is. But He is not the remote regent, the unmoved mover, or a disinterested deity. He personally interfaces with my life in the occupational role of a shepherd: provider, guider, protector, healer, keeper, shearer, searcher, nurturer, and defender.”

“The king of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I lack nothing if I am his
And he is mine forever.”
–Henry W. Baker

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on October 24, 2023

Miles has finally reached Durango with his prisoner, Marshal Todd Johnson, formally of Silverton. With the help of city marshal Mateo Ramirez, Johnson is now sitting in jail with a broken collarbone and wrist. He is in a sour mood. Miles had spotted at least two of Johnson’s men on the train, but he lost sight of them when they departed the station. Let’s look at another exciting adventure from yesteryear in the life of Miles Forrest.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Kid, do yourself a favor, and let me out of here,” stressed Johnson to the jailer, young Lucas Ramos. “If not, you’re likely to end up dead on the floor. I have men out there that plan to break me out.”

Lucas snorted, “Senor, if they’re as rough and tough and ugly as you, I have no worries. He paused a moment before closing the door to the cell room. “If you don’t behave, I’ll forget to bring your supper.”

Shutting the door, Lucas looked around the room. The outer office was an easy place for a man to get shot. There was little to no cover. He went to the desk where he normally sat, pulled it in front of the cell door, then tipped it over. Thinking to himself, “This desk most likely won’t stop a bullet, but it’s better than nothing.” Getting as comfortable as he possibly could, he began to wait.

Miles and Mateo had been gone for about twenty minutes, and Doc Jones possibly ten when two men slowly entered the room. Lucas could see them looking around, surprised that no one was there. “Lark, do you think he might be in the cells or in that other office,” one of the men whispered. They had yet to see the overturned desk.

Lucas whispered a brief prayer, then called out. “No amigos, he is right here. Surrender or die.”

Both men drew and fired at the voice. One bullet hit the frame of the cell door, another clipped the top of the desk. Lucas then popped up firing. A man yelped, as both scurried to get back out the entrance. Lucas didn’t follow, but held his position in case they would return.

“Lark, that kid hit me, I’m bleedin’!’ cried the man as they left the office running up the boardwalk toward the north of town.

Miles had been sitting in the diner with Molly drinking coffee when the sound of gunfire erupted. Grabbing the Greener he ran off up the street toward the jail. He arrived just before Mateo coming up from the south whose limp didn’t seem to bother him when he ran. He was ready to barge through the door when Miles stopped him by holding out the barrel of the shotgun to bar his entrance.

“Easy, Lucas, this is Miles Forrest. Don’t shoot, I’m comin’ in.”

Lucas stood, pistol in hand pointed at the doorway. “Senor Miles, si, come on in. All is all right.”

“Two men, I think friends of the prisoner, fired at me,” he remarked. “What else could I do, I shot back.”

“You did fine,” replied Miles, then looked at the little barricade and smiled. “We’re goin’ to look for them, they couldn’t have gone far on foot.”

“Senor Miles, I’m sure that I wounded one,” said Lucas, then a disgusted look appeared on his face with a slight shake of his head. “I don’t think real bad though.”

Mateo led the way out of the jail, both men turning towards the north. He pointed to a drop of blood on the boardwalk. “Not much, but the kid was right.”

Lark Collins and the wounded man, Ben Andrews, hurried up the street where many of the city’s finer homes and more upscale residents lived. “It hurts, Lark,” whimpered Ben holding onto his lower arm.

“Hush up! We’ve got to find a place to hide, that marshal knows we’re afoot.”

Lark looked over at his companion, noticing that every once in a while a drop of blood would drop from his arm. “Listen, let’s split up. They won’t expect that.”

“But my arm, I need a doctor.”

“Then go down to the doctor. See how far you’ll get!” gritted Lark. “Go on over there to those stalls. There’ plenty of shadows. Hunker down in a dark corner, but be quiet.”

Andrews looked, then back at Lark who had started to walk the other direction. He was hurting, but if he had stopped to look at the wound he should have realized that it was not serious. Heeding the instructions he moved toward the stalls at the back of a large house.

Lark moved on up the street then saw what he was looking for. A smile forming on his face, he began to climb a trellis to a roof, then move on up higher on the roof hiding in the darkness provided by a cupelo. He looked toward the west. It would be at least two, maybe three hours before the sun went down.

Miles and Mateo worked the street together. The men couldn’t have gotten far; they were in town for sure. “We’ve got three hours, Mateo.”

Mateo stopped to gaze at a spot of blood on a rock wall. Silently, he pointed toward some sheds.

The two law officers moved slowly and quietly toward the sheds. They hesitated at one, then looked into the darkness allowing time for their eyes to adjust. Miles let Mateo take charge, who then pointed that Miles should go to the right while he went the other direction. They moved around the small shed, guns out…