Author: Ira Paine

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Even during our darkest moments, we are not alone.”

                    –John Deacon  (Final Justice)

      “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?”
                    –Psalm 118:6 (NKJV)
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I thought of this grand old hymn when I wrote yesterday’s Echo.  It is one of my favorites and it goes right along with the thoughts of yesterday.  The composer is unknown and the first known publishing of the hymn was in 1895.  In thinking of the first verse, I remember the incident in my life from which I became terribly afraid of lightning and thunderstorms.  When those storms would come it seemed as if they were going to shake the house apart.  Then I thought of the storms–the lightning bolts and rattling of the devil trying, note that, trying to conquer my soul.  When I came to realize that the Lord was with me in every storm and tempest in life, I no longer feared the lightning and thunder, but instead rather relished the power of God being displayed.

          I’ve seen the lightning flashing, And heard the thunder roll;
          I’ve felt sin’s breakers dashing, Trying to conquer my soul;
          I’ve heard the voice of my Savior, Telling me still to fight on;
          He promised never to leave me, Never to leave me alone.

As we move along this trek of life there are all kinds of obstacles that we must face, go around, or go over.  We weren’t promised an easy way.  In fact, it is because of the obstacles that we grow spiritual muscles.  Not only our spiritual muscles, but trust, faith, and courage grow as well.  Paul reminds us that when we have done all to stand, continue to stand (Ephesians 6:13).  There was a great book out several years back titled, The Winds of War.  That makes a great analogy for the life of the believer.  The winds of adversity come; the temptations are sharp and jagged.  However!  Let me repeat that, however, Christ our Lord is there standing beside us.  When no one else is around, or when no one else seems to care–He is there!

          The world’s fierce winds are blowing Temptations sharp and keen;
          I feel a peace in knowing My Savior stands between;
          He stands to shield me from danger, When earthly friends are gone;
          He promised never to leave me, Never to leave me alone.

The old missionary Charles Greenaway used to say, “we’re going to make it.”  We may not look like much when we cross into the portals of glory.  Scars and wounds may cover the body, fatigue and weariness may have set in, but guess what?  Because of Jesus, we’re going to make it.  Sometimes in the journey of life it is hard to lift one foot to take another step.  The legs are feeble, the arms are tired, the burden is heavy to bear.  Sometimes the briars snatch at our feet, or we get too close to the jumping cholla.  It is then we should hearken to the words of the writer of Hebrews, “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet…  I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 12:12-13; 13:5, NKJV)

          When in affliction’s valley I’m treading the road of care,
          My Savior helps me to carry My cross when heavy to bear;
          My feet, entangled with briars Ready to cast me down,
          My Savior whispers His promise, “I never will leave thee alone.”

Oh, the suffering He went through for you and me.  The pain and agony His body and soul felt upon the cross for you and me.  On that cruel tree, He became sin, He felt the presence of His Father leave Him, He was alone, the imps of the pit laughing and mocking Him.  He did that for you and me–to purchase our redemption with His precious blood (1 Peter 1:19)  Now, He is seated on the heavenly throne, waiting for us to come to Him by death, or He will rise to gather us in the air.  Either way He is with us, and while on this journey of life we have the blessed Holy Spirit to guide us, to show us the way to glory.

          He died for me on the mountain, For me they pierced His side;
          For me He opened the fountain, The crimson, cleansing tide;
          For me He’s waiting in glory, Seated upon His throne;
          He promised never to leave me, Never to leave me alone.

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

When a man spends his life alone it seems like he shrivels up inside. We all need somebody.”
                         –Elmer Kelton  (Badger Boy)

       “Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me; refuge has failed me; no one cares for my soul.”
                         –Psalm 142:4 (NKJV)
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                  “Have you ever been lonely,
                   Have you ever been blue?”
                            –Billy Hill

Perhaps you can relate to the lyrics above of the old country song.  There are many “lonely” people in the world.  I intentionally placed the quotation marks around “lonely” because there can be many kinds of loneliness, and many different circumstances.  There are some who are truly by themselves in the world.  There are others, who even in the midst of a crowd, feel isolated and lonely.
       I was reading last week in John and a particular few words stuck out.  John, chapter five begins with the man at the Pool of Bethesda.  There is much to be said about that place, the mystery of it, the superstition that surrounded it.  It was a blend of Hebrew and Greek folklore and paganism where we find a man lying there who had a condition for thirty-eight years.  Read the story that gives the setting and the question that Jesus asked.  Now, focus on the response by the man.

      “The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.'” (John 5:7, NKJV)  The ESV translates it, “no one.”  In other words, the man was alone.  There are many things I don’t understand about the workings of God.  Here Jesus was walking among several who were afflicted, yet there is no mention of anyone else being healed.  His focus was solely upon the man lying there.  
       Charles Swindoll points out the meaning of the name, “Bethesda.”  He mentions that it is a kind of play on words.  Bethesda means, “house of grace” or “house of outpouring”.  Hmmm, “house of grace” — where was the grace surrounding the pool?  Superstition?   The only one to find grace that day was the man to whom Jesus addressed.  The outpouring–not yet, for the Holy Spirit had not yet come.
       But here we see a man, most probably in desperation and despair, seeking to be healed.  Jesus saw his heart.  He saw the faith that was there even though it was misguided.  I am reminded of the lyrics,

               “No one ever cared for me like Jesus;
               There’s no other friend so kind as He.
               No one else could take the sin and darkness from me;
               O how much He cared for me.”
                         –Charles Frederick Weigle

Upon reading some about Weigle, I found that his ministry often took him away from home.  One day when he arrived home he found his wife and daughter gone; they did not want to endure the life in a minister’s family, but wanted to indulge in the world.  He went into deep depression and three years later his wife died.  In his misery he wondered if anyone cared for him…then, ah then, the love of Jesus flooded his soul.
       Perhaps you are in circumstances where you feel all alone.  You are not.  Maybe the world you once knew is crashing down around you and you don’t know what to do.  Jesus is there and He knows.  Perhaps you are estranged from someone in your family.  But you are not estranged from the heavenly Father.  You may be depressed, sickness may have brought you low, there seems to be no cure.  Ah, but Jesus is there–the Great Physician.
       Others may pass you by, maybe even those thought to be religious like the priest and the Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan.  Friends, or those you thought were friends have ignored you in your troubles and needs.  There is one–the loving Jesus–who is singling you out.  He is focusing on you.  Look to Him and you find that there is someone there in your time of need.

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

You see, most folks have life too easy. Take the matter of this drink of cold pure spring water. Sweet, wasn’t it? You never knowed before how turrible sweet water could be, did you? It’s the difference between life an’ death.”
                    –Zane Grey  (The Hash Knife Outfit)

       “And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].”

                     –Psalm 1:3 (Amplified)
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                 “And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham.  He called them by the names which his father had called them…  They dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also…  And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it…”
                         –Genesis 26:18, 21-22 (NKJV)

     “There was a famine in the land,” sound familiar?  Remember the first famine, Abraham went down to Egypt.  This time the Lord appeared to Isaac warning him not to go to Egypt, but to live in the land and that He would be with Isaac.  Isaac thus dwells in Gerar, the land of the Philistines of whom Abimelech is the king.  Now, when I read verse 7, I shake my head in wonder.  The men in the region were asking about Rebekah, so what does the “man” Isaac do?  “‘She is my sister’; for he was afraid to say, ‘She is my wife,’ because he thought, ‘lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah because she is beautiful to behold.'” (26:7)
      Abimelech became quite concerned and confronted Isaac.  He recognized that Isaac’s actions could have led to one of the men taking Rebekah.  Abimelech, and I think it was in rebuke, said, “you would have brought guilt on us.” (26:10).  Then Abimelech warned his people, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” (26:11)  Was Isaac just a pretender, or was he a wuss, or just plain fearful?  Whichever, Abimelech does not throw him out of the country.  The Lord blessed him, and “The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous.” (26:13).  In fact, so prosperous that the Philistines envied him and Abimelech finally told him to leave the land.
      There was a problem, however, with the growth of his herds–the lack of water.  For some reason the Philistines stopped up all the wells that Abraham had previously dug.  Isaac had his men begin to dig and they uncovered water.  The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s men, so instead of fighting, Isaac had his men dig another well.  The same happened again.  Isaac moved and again began to dig for water, and again found it and this time the Philistines did not challenge him.  Isaac “names it Rehoboth, because he said, ‘For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” (26:22)
      Would it have been worth the fight?  Was Isaac timid, or meek?  Was he fearful or wise?  The Philistines had been envious of Abraham, hence the wells were stopped up.  Now Isaac, being blessed by the Lord opened them and finds water.  Envy, fear, anxiety, all come to rest upon the Philistines.  Isaac shrugs his shoulders, and moves to dig another well.  See, this was faith, he knew that it was the Lord blessing him, and he remembered that he was the child of promise.  Isaac simply picked up, no fuss, not bother–a man of peace, he moves.  
       The Lord spoke to Isaac, perhaps not in the same manner as Abraham, but we do see that Isaac and God spoke with each other.  And, importantly, Isaac listened.  Isaac, the well-digger, rebuilt and restored the wells of Abraham, but after the Lord met with him, he built his own altar.  When he built the altar at Beersheba, he called upon the name of the Lord.  Abimelech was fearful of the prosperity and power of Isaac, but moreso, he was concerned because he recognized the hand of God upon Isaac.  He went to Isaac and made a pact with him.  The same day that Isaac was sent away in peace, his men came to him with the news that they had dug another well that was full of water.
      There are many lessons we can gain from this portion of Scripture, but I want to point out two.  The first is the water.  Water, especially in the desert, is more valuable than gold.  Without water there can be no life.  Water is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit.  It denotes blessing, refreshing, growth, and thus–life.  It is up to us to seek after this “water” to “work out our own salvation.”  The Holy Spirit is there waiting and wanting us to seek Him in all His fullness.  The second lesson, I see that goes along with Isaac’s meekness is that of persistence.  He continued to dig the wells.  He continued to pursue that life-giving source of water (i.e., the Holy Spirit)  When the enemy came to bring strife and quarreling, Isaac refused to get involved with the scrabble, but instead followed the guidance of God and persisted in digging another well.  He persisted in trying to find that life-giving “water.”

 

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
It’s been three days since the trial of Ben Hendrick.  I would be taking him to Canon City tomorrow to begin serving his sentence.  Hopefully, on the way I might gain some more information regarding the man who had escaped and the involvement of Amos Martin.  So far, he had been close-mouthed regarding others and had become quite sullen.  I tried to play on that whenever I saw him, mentioning the fact that he was left to take the blame.  Or saying something like a “fine lot of friends he had.”  Anything to work on his mind.
       The morning after the trial I went to Martin’s Hardware.  He opened at 9:00 and I was there shortly after.  “Just checkin’ on yuh, Martin.  I want to make sure nothin’ happens to yuh.”
       “What do you mean, ‘checking on me?’  I haven’t done anything wrong!” he bellowed as if I had hit him.  Perhaps I had.  
       “Well, we have a kidnapper who’s escaped custody, and I want to make sure no harm befalls you,” I replied with a large smile.
       He gave a grunt, then snapped, “Why would any harm come to me?”
       I pointed with my finger in the air, then lowered it towards him.  “Say, that’s a good question.”  I stopped to begin my exit, then turned back to Martin.  “Just so’s yuh know, I’ll be checkin’ on you regularly.  Either myself, or Sheriff Gold,” I said, letting that linger for a moment then added, “or Marshal Ramirez.”
       The blood began to flow up his neck.  “You be havin’ a good day,” I remarked then walked out of the store.
       I was at his shop the next morning to greet him before he opened up.  “Mornin’, “I greeted him with a grin.  “Trust yuh slept well.”  Then I proceeded to walk off down the boardwalk.
       Charlie walked by as he was closing up for the evening, but just for the orneriness of it, I had Mateo stand outside during the day for twenty minutes or so.  I hadn’t quite figued it out why he hated the Mexicans and most likely Indians so much.  Come to think of it, when any Utes or Pueblos come to town they don’t bother going into Martin’s store.  ‘Course they might not need anything there, but perhaps there could be something deeper.
       The third day, I waited just before noon to walk in to greet him.  He was waiting on a couple of customers and I purposely interrupted.  “Howdy gents,” I said congenially, “Martin, I didn’t want yuh to think I forgot ’bout you.  I’ll be takin’ Hendricks out tomorrow, but don’t yuh worry, I’ll see that yur well-guarded.”
       “Well guarded, what did he mean by that?  Amos, are you in some danger?” questioned Tom Kramer, a local farmer.  He turned to me, “Marshal, are we in danger being in this store?”
       Shrugging my shoulders I simply replied, “Ask Mr. Martin about that,” then turned and walked out.
       I would be leaving mid-morning, but I wanted to see Martin one more time before I left.  I arrived at the hardware store around 9:30 and was surprised to find the door locked.  There were lights on inside.  Since I’m the curious sort, part of being a marshal, I walked on to the back.  There were horse tracks at the back door and when I went up to it I found it partially opened. 
       I gripped the Greener in my left hand, and pulled my pistol as I stepped inside the store.  The backroom was dark, and I stepped to look through the doorway before entering the main part of the store, I stopped to survey it.  No one was inside.  Slowly I moved in and approached the cash register.  Before getting there I saw a form lying on the floor behind the counter.
       Martin!  I stooped down to see if…