Author: Ira Paine

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Senor Marshal, Lucas, he is asking for you,” came the anxious voice of Alejo.  “I’ll stay in the office until I hear from my father, or you come back.”
       I nodded then headed for the door.  I was a mite concerned over Lucas’ condition as he was carried out bloody and unconscious.  When I stepped on the boardwalk I looked both directions and to my left I saw Darnelle hurrying toward me.  “Miles, Miles, wait,” she hollered.
       A few more minutes wouldn’t make the difference, I hoped, so I stopped until Darnelle came up to me.  “I heard the shooting, is there anything I can do?”
       Sighing, I told her briefly what had happened.  “There was an attempted jail break, and durin’ it Lucas was shot.”
       Her right hand flew up to her mouth and she gasped, “Oh no!  I’ll be praying for him.  I know you’re in a rush, but when you get the time stop by, I must talk with you.”  I nodded, then stepped out into the street heading for Doc Jones’ office.
       I strode hurriedly down the street, thinking that we had sure kept him busy lately.  When I entered the outer office, Lucas was lying on the table that Doc uses to examine patients.  Mateo, Charlie, Parson Chapman were there along with Doc who was wrapping the head of Lucas.  I had just stepped up to the table when Marta burst through the door, crying and uttering fitful words of Spanish that I didn’t understand.  She pushed me out of the way and tried to get to Lucas.
       “Someone grab her!” yelled Doc.  “I need to finish up with Lucas and he doesn’t need to be manhandled right now.”
       Charlie stepped to grasp her, and she beat on his chest.  He then held her tight, speaking in her ear that Lucas was going to be alright, that Doc needed to finish his ministrations on him.  She settled down in his arms, watching Doc wrap a bandage around the head of Lucas which was already showing signs of blood seeping through.
       When he finished, he looked at Marta.  “Go ahead and talk with him, but don’t be grabbing and jerking him around.  His head is already pounding like a hammer had smashed it.”
       Marta pulled away from Charlie and stepped to the examining table.  Lucas was conscious though he kept his eyes squinted; he said the light bothered him.  Marta took his hand and began to weep.  “Hermana renuncio,” he barked.  “Escapar!”
       His eyes opened wider and he looked around.  “I want to see Senor Miles,” he informed all of us.  
       Marta sort of glared at me when I approached, but she backed off to the head of the table.  “I’m here, Lucas.”
       “I’m sorry I failed, Senor.  I tried.”
       “Failed!  Lucas, you did your job!”
       His eyes widened in surprise, then quickly shut tightly.  “I don’t understand…the prisoner…”
       “Easy, just take it easy.  The prisoner is in his cell.  You did good,” I told him.  “Now, rest, you’ve got a graze along the side of your head.”
       He gave a slight smile, then closed his eyes.  Marta pushed me away.  “Lucas!  Lucas!  Don’t die!”
       “Marta, he’s not going to die.  He’s sleeping, and that’s what he needs–rest!  Now all of you get!  I’ll watch over him.  He’s got a major headache with that concussion.”
       “Concussion?” questioned Marta giving Doc an angry look.
       “A hit on the head can cause what is called a concussion.  He’ll be alright,” replied Doc now with a calm voice.  “Now if you would all leave, I would appreciate it, and so would my patients.”
       I saw the Parson point toward the other room where Fred Dover was still lying unconscious and Doc nodded at him.  While the rest of us were leaving he went to see and pray for the other patient.
       “Tell Molly, if Marta is not capable of working, Edith can come over and help,” said Doc to which I gave a nod.
       I started to go see Molly, then stopped in the middle of the street to talk to Mateo telling him that Alejo was waiting for him.  He started up toward the jail.  I took a step that direction, but thought I should go see Molly before finding out what Darnelle needed.
       There were several customers at that time, and Molly was busy.  Marta, instead of going home, came in and started to work.  She only worked the noon and evening rush as she was ready to deliver.  I was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, when Molly was able to get a break and sit with me.
       “Since you only own twenty percent of the diner you should be finding someone to work tables,” I said sort of kidding, but at the same time serious.
       “Right after Marta’s baby is born,” she replied.  “Now tell me about Lucas.”
       I told what had happened, from beginning to end.  Then said that Darnelle said she must talk to me…

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

It is a poor man who has not honor, but before you do a deed, think how you will think back upon it when old age comes. Do nothing that will shame you.”

                         –Louis L’Amour  (The Man From the Broken Hills)

       “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
                         –2 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)
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The second portion of Psalm 92 is “Time for rest and reflection brings self-renewal.” (George O. Wood)  So often in life we are too busy going, going, going, that we don’t reflect enough upon where we’re going and the goodness of the Lord on the way.  Too often we get too busy with the going that we don’t focus enough on the Lord.  

          9 — For behold, Your enemies, O LORD, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
        10 — But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.
        11 — My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies; my ears hear my desire on the wicked who rise up against me.
        12 — The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
        13 — Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
        14 — They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing,
        15 — To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.   (NKJV)

Yesterday we attended the 80th birthday of a friend.  Annie and I were talking with her and one of us mentioned that even though the body wastes away, the bones ache and grow weary the mind, especially regarding the things of the Lord and the Lord Himself stay invigorated.  The “horn” represents strength, and the “fresh oil” is the picture of joy in the midst of labor and work.  The oil is cleansing from the dirt and grime of the world.
       We live in the present, in the midst of this world of evil.  We look back at the past and what do we see?  Perhaps regret, perhaps lessons learned, but more and more I see the goodness of the Lord.  How He has kept me in the midst of troubles and concerns.  How His grace is sufficient.  How I might not have seen the blessings at the time, but looking back, I see them in abundance.  But wait!  Look forward, even in old age amidst the aches, pains, and sufferings the best is yet to come.  God wants us to be vital and praise Him through old age until the end of days.  Those who are aged can look and not only see, but know that we are rooted and grounded in the Lord.
       At church yesterday, we had a missionary who related that when he visits his home church he is always asked by his well-meaning friends, “When are you going to retire?”
His answer was, “When I am dead.”  For he understands that we do not stop in our endeavor to work for the Lord.  Oh, I might not “clog in the kitchen” anymore, but I still can do something for the Lord, if nothing else praise Him.  I mentioned what Annie’s uncle used to say.  He was a missionary to the Yaquis and also started Teen Challenge in Mexico.  When he was declared too old for the foreign mission field he told us that he didn’t retire, he just retreaded, and became a chaplain at a prison in Pennsylvania.  Aged, yes, but the work continues until Jesus comes.

               “O happy servant, he,
               In such employment found!
               He shall his Lord with rapture see,
               And be with honor crowned.”
                       –Philip Doddridge

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

He stopped talking and seemed to be grateful to just sit and sip his coffee for the moment.”

                    –Nathan Wright  (The Return)
 
Sorry for my mutterin’ and shakin’ my head when yuh came in.  The coffee’s hot, come on in and get a cup.  While yur a-pourin’, I’ll say out loud what I was mutterin’ — Pard, there’s strange things happenin’ in the land.  Go ahead and take a sip, while I tell yuh what I was ponderin’.  Strange!  Strange, ’cause it’s unnatural, plus the fact that’s it’s downright immoral.
       What am I talkin’ about?  Let me take a swaller, and I’ll tell yuh.  I don’t watch the news as it gets the bile a runnin’ in my gizzard, and seldom read the news for it causes my liver to quiver, but I came across a couple of things this past week.  The fellow’s name is Kirby and he’s some kind of spokeman, maybe for the Department of Defense.  He made the followin’ statement, “LGBTQ+ rights are a core part of our foreign policy.”  My mercy, Pard!  What happened to Biblical morality as bein’ a core part of our foreign policy?  Sendin’ out missionaries…?
       I need another swaller ‘fore goin’.  I saw a photo and my ol’ gizzard jumped up in a conniption fit.  Thought I was goin’ to spew it out like the Lord said He would do in regard to the lukewarm church in Revelation.  The “thing’s” name is Leigh Finke and it was named the “Woman of the Year” for Minnesota.  My, my, it/he/she was prancin’ around with pink hair, earrings a-danglin’, and lipstick.  Talk about depraved minds.  Makes me wonder, how long, Lord, how long?
       If’n that wasn’t enough to get my innards all riled up, we have to be concerned about the bankin’ system.  Pard, they’re after yur money, but more than that they’re wantin’ to set up a system.  A no-good system at that.  Good ol’ Ted Cruz is tryin’ to combat it by introducin’ a bill to prevent the government from establishin’ a central bank digital currency.
Pard, the “mark” is comin’ sooner or later.  Sure ‘nough makes a body want to have their guns clean and close t’ hand, as well as their soul clean and ready for the comin’ of the Lord.
       Well, all of that bein’ said, I made it through the week.  That’s enough of that stuff.  Where are the prophets?  What has happened to the pulpit?  But, all that cryin’ aside, it has to be.  All these things must come to pass before the trumpet sounds, but I think the ol’ archangel is gettin’ ready to shout.  Pard, yuh be sure that yur spiritual cinch is tight for there may be a whirlwind before the blast of that trumpet.
        Vaya con Dios.

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The legacy of a man is not the number behind his riches or debt but the integrity, purpose and honor of the man he was.”

                    –Kenneth S. Pratt  (Legacies of Spring)

       “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
                    –Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
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I used to like to wander trails that I found in the woods.  They were mostly deer trails of no significance, but they were fun to travel and not knowing what one might come across was part of the excitement, whether it be an animal or a grand vista.  I’ve heard speakers, most notably preachers, who start on a message–a divine purpose–when all of a sudden they start off on a “rabbit-trail” that more often than not amounts to nothing.  They follow this trail and that trail and never really get back to their original message–their purpose.
       I happened to be reading something from Barna a couple of weeks ago that caught my attention.  The more I pondered it, the more alarmed I became.  Teenagers (13,000 total) were asked to complete this sentence, “I would prefer to attend a church that supports…”  Ah, you may think they said, “missions” or “evangelism” or “discipleship.”  Here are the top five responses:

          –Ending extreme poverty (35%)
          –Positive mental health (35%)
          –Ending hunger and famines (34%)
          –Ending sexual abuse (34%)
          –Promoting racial justice (34%)

Look at these carefully.  None of them are necessarily a wrong issue, one that shouldn’t be addressed, but notice how it deals with the self, with a social gospel.  Where is the cry for the lost?  Where is the longing for heaven, to be like Christ, to bring glory and honor to God?  
       Notice the first three.  What is positive mental health?  Is it to make me feel good, or is it picking up my cross daily?  Ending extreme poverty, but is that realistic?  Notice, the implied socialism.  Jesus said the poor would be with us always (Matthew 26:11).  We are to do our part in helping the poor, but we are also to be good stewards.  Can we really end hunger and famines?  Hmmm, I recall that one of the horses in Revelation will bring famine (Revelation 6:5-6).  
       It is a noble thought to end sexual abuse and it should be…however, how can it happen when society is pushing for drag queens to read in schools, when transgender is thrown at us by educator and the media, when the abomination of the LGBTQ is demanded?  Sexual abuse–all of those fit that scenario in one form or another.  One more question, what is racial justice?  Is it giving reparations to minority groups for something that happened generations ago?  The more racial injustice that I see today is the fact that there are those who push for it.  Not that the pendulum has swung the other way, but that it is completely turned upside down.  Housing, made to make people equal–what happens?  In a few years it will be a slum.  Education with the emphasis on affirmative action, hmmm, does it work?  
       The above are good ideals, but where is the purpose of the church in those ideals?  You can have all the programs, redistribute all the wealth, but if the heart is not changed it will come to naught.  Which is more important:  temporal life upon this earth or eternal life with Christ?  Social issues do not make the gospel, they will follow the gospel.  But in fact, most of those wanting the changes above want to do away with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

          “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
                    –Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)