They gobbled their food like wolves, and when they drank their coffee, the noise they made was painful to her ears.”
–John Fox, Jr. (The Trail of the Lonesome Pine)
My mercy, Pard! Take yurself a deep swaller before yuh hear this. Go on, I hear yuh slurpin’. Now swaller, I don’t want yuh to be spittin’ it out when I tell yuh that Kelloggs is puttin’ out a gay cereal. Yep, all pretty colors for the little ones to see and drool over. Then they have a pronoun lesson. My goodness gracious, what is this world comin’ to? The Lord up above lookin’ down on this foolishness surely can’t be happy.
With all this cavortin’ what comes to my mind, “As in the days of Noah,” and “as Sodom and Gomorrah went after strange flesh.” How much longer will He withhold judgment? Hmmm, take another swaller, while I ponder that for a minute. The way I’m seein’ things, I think He is already in the process of judgin’. The land has found itself in catastrophic condition since the first of the year, and I reckon it only will be gettin’ worse. Something I once heard went like this, “Ignorance can be fixed; stupidity is fatal.” Man, who thinks he is so enlightened, but in actuality is delusional thinks he has the answers, but in reality by forgettin’ God’s holy laws and values he is showin’ his outright stupidity.
Pard, good thing I have yuh around to help get these problems settled. Notice I said, settle, not solved. There is no solution only in the good Lord. Yuh stay ready, and we’ll continue to enjoy our coffee together and watch the stupidity of the world. Whenever the devil takes over not only is there evil on the land, but stupidity takes over. Morals and common sense go out the window.
I’ll give yuh credit Pard. The only stupid thing I’ve ever seen yuh do was to forget to check yur cinch. Yur Bible’s out, yur gun’s oiled and ready, but yuh have a tendency to mount without checkin’ that cinch.
Vaya con Dios.
Author: Ira Paine
Echoes From the Campfire
He was no diplomat. He knew that right was always right, and wrong was always wrong. And one did not make deals to skirt or avoid the two.”
–William W. Johnstone (Dreams of Eagles)
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
–2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB)
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More and more we need to be living in the Word of God. There is a definite need to have it solidified in our hearts and minds as we face the onslaught of the world. False teachers are on the rise, false ideologies are now being accepted. I read recently that a third of Americans now aren’t sure that we should have been fighting against fascism in World War II with 14 percent saying it was an outright mistake. Only 28 percent said that fighting against the spread of communism in Vietnam was right. Should we then wonder why our youth are clamoring more and more for socialism? It doesn’t make sense and it shows just how easy it is to dupe people.
Genocide, euthanasia, murder, the false hope of socialism, and evil magnified seem to be all right in the eyes of the younger generation. We shouldn’t wonder when the nation has sanctioned the death of millions of innocents through abortion. When people are confused about gender, and forget the moral mandates of God, why not give in to the false ideologies that are offered? Can we not now see how easy it will be for the powers of evil and the Antichrist to deceive the masses?
The Bible is our lamp. It is our guide? Within its pages we find our hope. It is full of promises that are ours. Ponder the following by F.B. Meyer.
“If a cluster of heavenly fruit hangs within reach, gather it. If a promise lies upon the page as a blank check, cash it. If a prayer is recorded, appropriate it, and launch it as a feathered arrow from the bow of your desire. If an example of holiness gleams before you, ask God to do as much for you. If a truth is revealed in all its intrinsic splendor, entreat that its brilliance may ever irradiate the hemispheres of your life like a star. Entwine the climbing creepers of holy desire about the latticework of Scripture. So shall you come to say with the psalmist, ‘Oh, how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day.’
“The advantages of a deep knowledge of the Bible are more than can be numbered here. It is the Storehouse of the Promises. It is the Sword of the Spirit, before which temptation flees. It is the all-sufficient Equipment of Christian usefulness. It is the believer’s Guidebook and Directory in all possible circumstances. Words fail to tell how glad, how strong, how useful shall be the daily life of those who can say with the prophet: ‘Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.”
In these evil times in which we are living. These days of purposed subverting the Word of God, it is vital, no, it is the only hope that we have the Bible etched in our heart. “I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.” (HCSB)
Echoes From the Campfire
It only went to show what he already knew, which was that there were more dangers in life than even the sharpest training could anticipate.”
–Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove)
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
–Revelation 1:7 (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)
There are things that you must grasp! Things that it is vital that you realize. Two of them are in the key verse: we are of God; the world is under the power of the evil one. Never, ever forget that verse. That is why I write it on every lesson. Realize that there is a spiritual conflict and do not succumb to it. (Be sure and read again in 1 John 2:18-28.)
In these evil and last days beware of false teachers. Beware of those that bring a truth other than what is found in the Bible. I was just reading of a “Christian guru” that said that Jesus was not God, but only the Son of God. Don’t be mislead, especially in these last hours. This was a person who had many “Christian” followers.
Do not be seduced by false teachers who flap their lips with honey dripping from them. There are those who say, “Because I have the Holy Spirit I am as inspired as if I were an apostle”–they claim to direct and have a new revelation. Their word becomes primary and the Word of God becomes secondary.
John uses strong words—he calls them LIARS! The master lie is to deny that Jesus is the Christ. Antichrists are those who deny the doctrine that Jesus is the Christ. He is the only begotten Son of God who died on the cross. They attempt to change or get rid of His life here on earth in one form or another.
Jesus is the Truth – John 14:6
Antichrist is the lie – 2 Thessalonians 2:11
Devil is the father of lies – John 8:44
William Barclay said, “To deny Jesus is to be separated from God, for on our reaction to Jesus our relationship to God depends.”
There is a consequence to accept false teaching. Remember, anything that changes the doctrine of Jesus Christ is antichrist. To deny the work of Christ is antichrist. The work of Jesus Christ is the basis of Scripture. Have you not noticed that most of the attacks are either against the written word of God or the living word of God? Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-4). What happens to hope if one rejects Christ?
Barclay sums it up by saying, “What we need is not new truth, but that the truth which we already know becomes active and effective in our lives.” One day, all will come face-to-face with the fact that Jesus is the Christ!
Echoes From the Campfire
Man that plays with a skunk will smell like one.”
–Ernest Haycox (Sundown Jim)
“But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.”
–1 Corinthians 5:11 (HCSB)
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More and more we must keep our eyes focused on Jesus. In times like these we need a Savior, not only to save us, but to keep us from the evil that is around us. But often we cry, “I can’t see you God, where are You?” We tend to bemoan our situation, but it is at those times that we need to realize that He is indeed with us. Charles H. Spurgeon put it this way, “When we cannot see the sunshine of God’s face, it is blessed to cower down beneath the shadow of His wings.”
In Psalm 57:1-5, we see David continuing to flee from Saul. He played the mad-man in Psalm 56, now he is hiding in a cave. He felt all alone; no one cares for him. You remember the ditty: “No one loves me, everybody hates me, think I’ll eat some worms.”
1 – Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past.
2 – I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me.
3 – He will send help from heaven to save me, rescuing me from those who are out to get me. Interlude [Selalh]
My God will send forth His unfailing love and faithfulness.
4 – I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey—whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.
5 – Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May Your glory shine over all the earth.” (NLT)
Even in the midst of the darkness of the cave, David turned immediately to God. He knew that God was there, and that God cared for him. He did find himself in a trap, but in God. “David recognizes his well-being depends on invisible rather than visible realities.” (George O. Wood)
I like a little story told by Dr. Wood. The great Scottish preacher, Alexander Whyte, always found some to thank the Lord for during his Sunday pastoral prayer for the congregation. One day there was a terrible storm, the winds howled, the rain was torrential. Two deacons arrived to open the church and one commented, “I don’t think Dr. Whyte will have anything to praise God for on a day like this.” They looked at each other in surprise when Dr. Whyte opened his prayer, “Lord, we thank You that it is not always like this.”
When storms come, whether natural or adversity from foes, we can know that God is with us, even if we are in a cave. He will stay under the “wings” of God until the storm has past. Be like the old country preacher, “It came to pass. Thank God, it didn’t come to stay.” (Wood)
Remember God is there, willing to help you, willing to comfort you. Keep your eyes upon Him. “When you focus on God’s strength rather than your circumstances, the future looks brighter rather than bleak.” (Wood)
“My God! In whom are all the springs
Of boundless love and grace known,
Hide me beneath thy spreading wings,
Till the dark clouds be over-blown.”
–Isaac Watts