Author: Ira Paine

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

He would admit, when he looked into a mirror, that his hair and his whiskers showed about as much gray as brown, but that was a sign of maturity and reliability.”

                    –Elmer Kelton  (The Smiling Country)

       “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.  To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
                    –Hebrews 9:28(NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”  –1 John 5:19 (NASB)

Sometimes it is hard to be a loving person, except for self-love, in this crazy, insane world.  Why, just look at what has happened in the past couple of weeks, and can you feel the love oozing for Mr. Rittenhouse after he was found innocent.  We should be nodding our heads that justice did its job, but no, hatred is all around.  Yet in spite of the hatred, the terror, the evil, we are called to love, especially those of the household of faith.
       There is a tendency to live for self, to live for the moment.  I want that and I want it now.  Eve’s sin was that she wanted to taste of the fruit–she wanted it.  She didn’t take much time to think of the eternal consequences, but I want to taste it now.  We must remember that our life is not an automatic kind of life–our life is a continuous whole.  The whole of life must always be present in our minds, and we must always be doing everything in the light of its eternal consequences.  That is one reason why a biblical worldview is so vital; the world must be seen through the lenses of the Bible.
       We abide in God, therefore we must abide in love.  It is hard to love the “unlovely,” and it can be done only through the Holy Spirit.  Some people find it easier to love others, or should I say, show compassion to others, than others.  The final proof that God dwells in us and we in Him is that we love.  

               “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
                              –1 John 4:17 (NASB)

Love has been perfected in us.  Know that salvation is more than pardon and forgiveness.  It is the beginning of sanctification.

               “that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
                              –Titus 2:14(NASB)

Love produces good works.  There is the doctrine of sanctification; one that is hatred and often neglected.  Yet we are to be a sanctified person.  The test of sanctification is humility.  So many people look at sanctification with a negative perspective:  I can’t do this, I can’t do that, no to this, no to that.  Sanctification is not the deliverance from certain sins, but of becoming more and more like Him.
       Now is the day of salvation!  Time will end at death–no longer can it be redeemed.  Our abiding in Jesus and having His love perfected in us give us boldness in the day of judgment.  Once we die our fate is determined; however, it is not death that determines our fate.  Death puts us in the place and position in which we can do nothing about it any longer.  There will be no second chance–destiny is decided in this life and world of time.

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

You may have a document that says you own the land you’re living on, but the land don’t know that, nor does the wind, rain, sun, or snow know that you’ve got a piece of paper.”
                   –Lou Bradshaw  (Blue Norther)

       “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
                   –Matthew 20:16(NKJV)
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Can you hear the “echoes” of those gone before?  The thoughts, attitudes, lessons, and lives of those who have been a part of your life and now are gone–they are truly echoes that we should remember.  
       In saying that I want to remember two individuals who played a major part in my life who were both born on this day.
               Marguerite D. Jones (1918-2011) b: Industry, KS   d:  Longmont, CO  — my Mom
               LaVern E. Adkisson (1923-2004)  b: Williams, OK  d:  Cheyenne, WY — my Aunt Bern
These two ladies were very different, but in some ways similar.  Mom liked to work because she enjoyed spending.  At times in her life she worked three jobs.  She was into her eighties before she stopped working.  “Got to go make a dollar,” was commonly heard coming from her lips.  Bern, she was a coal-miner’s daughter, and never married, but she took it upon herself to help raise me.  Mom didn’t become a Christian until later in life, while Bern became a believer when she was very young, perhaps as a child.  Both had their struggles, their burdens to bear–and they bore them.
       So today I take a little time to remember them and how they influenced by life.
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       The first day of December, another year almost gone.  Hard to believe.  I have a couple of thoughts to pass along today.  I normally don’t borrow as much as I am today, but believe it will bless you.  
       Read the first chapter of Luke to get a background of the birth of John the Baptist.  In our minds, we often think of him as a wild-haired man preaching from the desert and eating strange food.  Max Lucado wrote this of John coming from Matthew 11:1-3:  

               “He was a child of the desert.  Leathery face.  Tanned skin.  Clothing of animal skins.  What he owned fit in a pouch.  His walls were mountains, and his ceiling, the stars.
               But not anymore.  His frontier is walled out, his horizon hidden.  The stars of memories.  The fresh air is all but forgotten.  And the stench of the dungeon relentlessly reminds this child of the desert that he is now a captive of the king.”

       Here was a man whose life drastically changed.  From complete freedom, living in the wilderness to being walled up in a dungeon cell.  What was his purpose in life?  It was to prepare the way of the Lord.  Now that Jesus has come, he has been reduced to living in a cell.  What do you think went through his mind?  After all he was only human.  Jesus said that he was the greatest born among women (Matthew 11:11).  Living in a dungeon, ready to have his head cut off.  What kind of a reward is that?  But think, it will usher him into glory.  His work was completed; he had been chosen and had finished his task.
       Speaking of chosen, it is important to realize that we have all been chosen for some type of service in the Kingdom of God.  When you have your woes, do not neglect to praise God.  Remember John, his purpose, his cell, and his death, but also think of his place in the realms of glory.  Too often we think that life should be a bed of roses after we are born-again.  Hmmm, but remember even a bed of roses have thorns.
       Perhaps you have been watching “The Chosen.”  The story of Jesus and those whom He called–those He chose.  But never forget He has also chosen you.  You need to take on the task of a chosen one.  Troubles, perhaps; sorrows, most likely; but chosen for a task, a calling, a life of service.  William Barclay writes, “To be chosen by God so often means at one and the same time a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow.  The piercing truth is that God does not choose a person for ease and comfort and selfish joy but for a task that will take all that head and heart and hand can bring to it.  God chooses a man in order to use him.”
       Christmas is coming and with that in mind remember that God gave us the greatest gift of all.  He sent His Son to earth to complete a task.  Take time to inventory where you are in your walk with the Lord and seek what He has chosen for you to do.  No matter what time of life you are in, there are things that He wants you to accomplish for the Kingdom.

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Marta was standing outside the back of the diner, head bowed with her chin in one hand.  “Marta,”
       “Molly, not now,” she snapped, lifting her head but gazing straight ahead.
       “All right, but at least put on a coat.  You’ll catch your death of cold out here,” came Molly’s soft reply.  She then turned going back inside the diner.  When she came back to the diner she gave me a shrug then picked up the coffeepot to refill the ruffian’s cups.  A few minutes later Marta came over to the table where Doc and I were still sitting.  Most of my attention was focused on the men at the table.  I knew in my gut that they were trouble.  It wasn’t until Marta pulled out a chair and sat beside me at the table that my attention went to her.
       She laid her hand on my arm, “Doc, Senor Miles, you are my dear friends,” she paused to heave a sigh.  “I am struggling, please bear with me.”
       When I looked at her she had tears in her eyes.  Taking my arm from under her hand I reached around her to give her a hug.
       “Whoooeee!” came a voice from the table of men.  “I’ll take some of that.”
       I was ready to jump to my feet, but Molly had already taken care of the man for there was a loud yelp with him jumping from the table.  It seemed that Molly spilled some of the hot coffee on him.  He was ready to grab for her when a man at the table yelled, “Clem, sit yourself down!  You had it coming.  You just can’t keep your mouth shut.”  I watched the quick interaction between the two men.
       The one called, Clem, sat down wiping out his wet trousers.  He glared at Molly, “I’ll see you again,” he snarled.  “You best hope I’m not blistered.”
       It was time for me to get involved.  I leaped to my feet and was over to their table in a few strides positioning myself next to the man.  “Mister,” I said, nudging him with the Greener of which he took notice as did the other four men.  “You want to hang on to your teeth, you best not go ’round threatenin’ ladies.”
       “Yeah, and if…” 
       I raised the Greener ready to swing it when what must have been the head man, told him to settle down.  “Mister,” he stammered some, looking for a name to call me.
       “I apologize for my friend here.
       My eyes went to the man speaking and I nodded.  “See that you do.”
 
       Thursday was a great day.  I don’t know where all those miners and cowboys came from, but they filled the diner over and over.  It was a good thing that Cecil Thompson brought over a steer he slaughtered to help us out for the feast.  I think he must have brought his whole crew.  I was kinda surprised to see Keim there.  He came to thank me for taking care of Shaw.  He pointed to a man who was limping; it was the first time I’d seen Parson’s since he’d been shot.  “Bronc-ridin’ is over for him, but he can still sit in the saddle.”
       Darnelle, true to her word, had her uncle down to the diner.  Wilson was smiling so much that the tears came when people began to gather around him.  Wishing him well.  I think Elizabeth was overwhelmed as well.  I would look from time to time but the Newsomes never showed up.  I wished they had.  These people held nothing against them, and if they were here they would have seen that.
       We put Wilson to work taking donations.  Since Molly had been doing this for years all the money taken in would be given to Parson Chapman’s church.  He said he planned on sharing it with the other church in town.  Mateo and family all came and because of that several from the barrio decided to join with us.  It was a grand time, the eating, and fellowship.  The Parson led those in the diner in several songs.  People came and went and it was a good day.
       Edith had taken Molly’s place, giving her some relief.  She came over to where I was standing and I put my arm around her.  I pointed out Charlie to her, helping Marta dish out chili.  They were smiling and laughing, nudging each other while they were serving.  I was just getting ready to tell Molly something when there was an explosion that rattled the windows.
       I grabbed the Greener and ran out not thinking about the cold.  There was smoke coming a block or two south of the diner.  Mateo and Charlie were right behind me as we ran.  It was the bank.  We got there as we saw five riders mounting up and heading out of town.  This was a time I wished I had my rifle rather than a shotgun.  One man stopped, turned his horse and fired at us, the bullets not coming close.
       We entered the bank noticing the destruction.  I saw some blood on the side of the counter, and I prayed that it was not someone connected to the bank.  Thankfully we found no bodies, so I figured the blood must be from one of the robbers.  They set too high a charge and weren’t expecting the blast.  Lucas was right next to me.  Placing my hand upon his shoulder, “Go saddle Hawk and your Uncle’s horse.  Bring them down to the diner.”
       It was then I shivered since I didn’t have on my coat.  It was cold and beginning to snow…

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Through all the years of success and sadness he remembered the land he had seen years before. It lived in his mind, and often with eyes closed he felt again the movement of a good horse, the sound of the wind in the grass or the cedars, the running water, the smell of dust and pines and gunpowder.”
                –Louis L’Amour  (The Empty Land)

 
       “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.”
                –Lamentations 3:21(NKJV)
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               “Victory ahead, victory ahead,
                Through the blood of Jesus, victory ahead…”

       Now, we have the victory!  At times it may not seem like it.  We get weary of the fight; we wane and become despondent, but we can rest assured that victory is coming and, in fact, has already come.  Antony, one of the early monastics used to sing Psalm 68 to celebrate his triumphs over spiritual foes.  Yes, we have them.  Unseen, but real.  Those around who saw and heard him wondered at his antics as he sang and heard his battle cries, watching him fight, but saw no visible foe attacking him (Petersen)   It must have been a sight, but he was fighting real foes in a real, but unseen world.
       I hesitated to write this lengthy Psalm, but the words are so real, so important to us as we walk through this things called life, and live in a world controlled by the power of the evil one.  This week, the first fourteen verses.  Read them, ponder them, contemplate them.

               1 — Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
               2 — As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
               3 — But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
               4 — Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds, by His name YAH, and rejoice before HIm.
               5 — A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.
               6 — God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
               7 — O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness,            Selah
               8 — The earth shook; the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
               9 — You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, when it was weary.
              10 — Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
              11 — The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
              12 — “Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home divides the spoil.
              13 — Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.”
              14 — When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Zalmon. (NKJV)

       God is your friend and He is there for you no matter the battle or storm.  What happens to your enemies?  You have real problems, you have real troubles and difficulties that cannot be denied, but they will not last.  They were be blown away as the smoke or melted like the wax.  The Lord is there with the victory.
       I remember that as a child I would often lay back in the soft grass watching the clouds, watching them form different formations and imagining them to be objects.  At that time I never wondered about seeing God in the clouds.  He rides on the clouds!  What a thought, and just think, He is coming back again in the clouds for His “Bride.”  Look back at the past and see what the Lord has done.  He is still the “Way-Maker,” He is still the “Miracle-Worker,” He still brings the victory to His people.  George Wood put it this way, “Too often we fail to remember God’s victories–recorded in Scripture and in our own experience.  God’s past deliverances, coupled with the assurance of our future in Him, should give us a present confidence.”

                     “Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!
                      The heavens are not too high, His praise may thither fly:
                      The earth is not too low, His praises there may grow.
                      Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and KIng.”
                                     –George Herbert