Author: Ira Paine

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The nightmare, the attacks will happen, but He will see us through them if we trust and rely on Him.”
                    –Henry McLaughlin  (Journey to Riverbend)

       “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.”
                    –Jeremiah 17:7 (NKJV)
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When I taught my apologetics classes, I always wrote on the board the first day of school three character traits.  These remained throughout the year and were often referred to during the year.  It might be: ENDURANCE–HONOR–ATTITUDE.  Or this:  INTENSITY–HONOR–FORTITUDE.  Always honor was in the middle.  Without personal honor we are nothing.  Look at what is happening in our cities–it is because there is a lack of honor.  Honor is necessary for a person, a society, a nation to survive and act within a moral boundary.  Those rioting are mocking honor and want to live by anarchy which has no honor or laws at all.  I was then thinking one morning, I do that once in a while and this came to my mind for Christians:

          TRUSTING—-THANKING—-PRAISING

     The Oxford Dictionary states that “trusting” means “showing or tending to have a belief in a person’s honesty or sincerity.”  Therefore as we go through this life we place our trust in the character of God.  We believe in His Word, the foundations of our lives are in this trust.  He is the God who is there; He is the God who is faithful and true and we place our complete trust in this.  Great is His faithfulness, great are His mercies.  We can trust Him!
     Second is “thanking.”  I wrote last week about the need to be thankful.  We cannot, as believers, go through this life without being thankful.  Thankful for the large things in life, thankful for the small, seemingly insignificant things in life, thankful for our salvation and His sustaining power.
     The third thought is “praising.”  Praising is an act of the will.  I am not speaking of jumping up and down spontaneously to an event, a speech, or an outcome.  Yes, we can praise an individual by indicating with a mode of exuberance, but real praise takes some thought; it comes from a purpose, knowledge, and an act of the will.  Praise and thankfulness can be mixed together, in fact, we can add trust to the mix.  Since God is faithful, we can trust Him, we can thank Him for being so, then we can offer praise for the fact that He is.
     Put that all together and we have the concept of living in faith.  “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7, NKJV).  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, NKJV)  This old hymn speaks of how we are to live.

               “Living by faith, in Jesus above,
               Trusting, confiding in His great love,
               From all harms safe, in His sheltering arm,
               I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.”
                      –James Wells

     Living by faith is trusting in Him, thanking Him, and praising Him.  What a life!  We have this assurance as we walk on our daily journey–this journey of living by faith–that the Lord is with us each step of the way.  We trust Him for that, then we thank Him for being with us, then we give Him praise for all He does and for who He is.  Look now, as I close at two of the verses then go out into the world triumphant and trusting.

               “Tho’ tempests may blow and the storm-clouds arise
               Obscuring the brightness of life,
               I’m never alarmed at the overcast skies,
               The Master looks on at the strife.

               I know that He safely will carry me thro’,
               No matter what ever betide,
               Why should I then care, tho’ the tempest may blow
               If Jesus walks close to my side.”

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

You boys have saddled your bronc, now let’s see if you can ride him!”
                    –Louis L’Amour  (Conagher)


       “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.  Anyone who does what is good is from God.  Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”
                    –3 John 11 (NIV)
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“The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall.”  –Proverbs 10:8 (NKJV)
“The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.”  –(ESV)
“The wise in heart accepts commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” –(NIV)

We see again the contrast between the wise and the fool.  The wise receives or accepts commands, while the fool, always contemptuous is referred to as prating/babbling/chattering will come to ruin and that final ruin is eternal judgment.
     I understood rather quickly in Basic Training that when the sergeant said something you listened, then obeyed.  There were not any questions, no “do I gotta” or “why” in adhering to his instructions.  Let me digress, little questioners for there are always those one or two who don’t listen, understand, or think they know it all or know it better.  Why challenge the person in authority, why challenge the instruction of the sergeant?  But the prating fool would invariably do so.  “Foolish people refuse to recognize wisdom, even when it is right in front of them.” (Dan Dick)
     One time stands out in my mind.  We were on the firing range and had been given explicit instructions on how to act and react.  At no time!  At no time were we to lift our weapons and turn.  Of course, some fool, when his weapon jammed raised up.  Within seconds, or faster if that is possible, a sergeant had his pistol out and up against the recruit’s head.  He was just being a fool, not meaning to cause harm to anyone. but he almost had a serious incident and those sergeants on the firing line didn’t waste around.  Know this that it was right tense for a few minutes–all because of a fool who thought he knew what to do, but did not listen to the instructions given.
     Bob Beasley points out the with the clear illustration of people’s hearts being like soils (cf. Luke 8:5-8).  “Some hearts receive the Word and, like water on sand, it sinks deep.  These people grow in the Word and become sound in the faith.  They become obedient to the indwelling Word.  The chattering fool is just the opposite.  He may be continually exposed to the Word, but it runs off his mind without ever getting to his heart.  He may even chatter on about creeds and doctrines and theology, but without any real evidence in his life of the indwelling presence of the Word as applied by the Spirit.  This person will come to ruin.”
     Diotrephes, remember him?  He is not one of the most famous people mentioned in the Bible, and the mentioning of him is by no means flattering.  We read about him and his foolish actions in 3 John.  He was a malicious person, a chattering fool, who opposed the Apostle John.  Also he refused to welcome brothers in the faith.  John said that his evil actions showed that he had not seen God.  The evidence of his life pointed to the fact that the Spirit did not dwell in him.  Or as Charles Bridges says he was, “Bold in his own conceit, while his life and temper fearfully contradict his fluent tongue.”
     Some people talk a good talk.  Listen to them, they seem to know everything.  It is hard to interject a word when they are around, but when it comes to putting their hand and actions to where their mouth is they are not to be found.  Clear thinking leads us to God; our egos blur the view and there is a challenge to God’s instructions.  Why would we even think of challenging the instructions given by the all wise, all-knowing God?  But many, many do.  Dick relates that “It is the wise in heart who receive instruction gladly.  The fool stumbles down the road to destruction.”

 

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Indeed, a fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire.  This also is meaningless.” –Ecclesiastes 7:6  (NLT)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
     Lucas was standing at the corner, touching the edge of the building that the bullet hit.  As I approached, he smiled.  “What are you grinnin’ at?” I barked, touching my arm where there was a splinter.  Good thing I was wearing my heavy coat, so it didn’t penetrate deeply, if at all.
     “Senor Miles, aren’t you glad we prayed?  Otherwise…” he let it drop but pointed to the piece of wood in my arm.
     I wanted to act grumpy, but his smile won me over and I just replied, “You got a valid point there, son.”
     “Any tracks?”
     “Too many,” I responded, “I only know which direction he went.  Listen, we’ve made the rounds.  Why don’t you go back to the office, Mateo will be there soon.  I’m goin’ on down to the diner to get some breakfast and coffee.  After Mateo relieves you, come on down and I’ll buy you breakfast.”
     He smiled, “And maybe a piece of the Senora’s pie?”
     As I entered the diner, Molly was cleaning off a table at the front.  “I take it the shot didn’t hit you?” she said knowingly.
     How did she know?  I raised my arm to show off the piece of woodwork in my arm.
     “Oh, Miles.  Better go see Doc,” she reckoned while shaking her head.
     “Nah, I don’t even think it broke the skin.  Here, let me get off this coat.”  It was then that I felt a tug on my arm and some pain.  “Hold it, grasp the sleeve whilst I pull out this splinter.”
     It wasn’t long before she was doctoring up my arm.  I was right, the splinter was barely in, just enough to make it bleed some.  While she was bandaging it up, she asked, “Did you see who did it?”
     I reached for my coffee cup while shaking my head.  “He was gone by the time I dared poke my head around the corner.  I followed him up to Moss’ corrals, then I saw which direction he went, but didn’t bother to try and follow any tracks.”
     It was then that the door opened.  In walked Lucas and when he came to the table, he smiled and pointed.
     “Why’s he smiling?” asked Molly.
     “Oh, don’t pay the smart-alek any mind.  The sight of blood makes him giggle.”
     She frowned looking at me, then back to Lucas who was now taking his seat.  “Senora Molly, the big jefe said he would buy me breakfast and, that you might have a piece of pie for me, por favor,” snickered Lucas with that big grin plastered on his face.
     That caused her to laugh.  “Any particular type of pie?” she asked, placing her hands on her hip to feign exasperation.
     He smiled again, “No, Senora, I know whatever you make it is, uh, delicious.”
     Molly turned to walk to the kitchen, when Lucas spoke up, “But I am partial to chocolate.”
     After she entered the kitchen, Lucas turned to me.  “Senor Marshal Miles, I…”
     I stopped him holding up my hand.  “Stop the ‘Senor’ stuff.  It’s Miles or Marshal.”
     He looked at me, “Oh, Senor, I cannot call you by your first name.  You are much older than me.  It wouldn’t be right.”
     I frowned, then he continued, “There is something you might want to know.  One of the rifles…”

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

I could have unsaddled his horse for him, but that was something a man did for himself.”
                    –Elmer Kelton  (Eyes of the Hawk)

       “For His anger is but for a moment. His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
                    –Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)
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          “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” –Matthew 5:4, NKJV

The Amplified Bible has it this way, “Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].”  Do not forget that the beatitudes deal primarily with the spiritual life of a person.  Yes, they do include the natural, but more importantly the spiritual.  Mourning, in general, is over the death of a loved one, but it also can mean the sorrow for sin or for condoning it.
     In this context we see that sorrow can be a source of blessing.  Blessed are those that mourn–a special kind of blessing from the Lord.  This is not carnal mourning; it is not primarily the loss of a loved one, but the loss of innocence, righteousness, and self-respect.  It is the kind of grief that has such a hold on a man that it cannot be hidden.  William Barclays puts it this way, “There are certain things which only the rains will produce, and certain experiences which only sorrow can begat.”  Or in the words of an Arab Proverb:  “All sunshine makes a desert.”  Tears may be involved for sure, but often it is the deep thought process and the grieving of the heart that is noted.  A deep sorrow over sin, a deep sorrow for hurting our heavenly Father.
     This beatitude is a sort of paradox:  happy are the unhappy.  This is the sorrow of repentance; it is a godly sorrow.  Grief, guilt, shame, are all present, then there is relief and rejoicing.   Notice that Jesus mourned.  He wept over the sins of others, over Jerusalem who would not receive Him.  What was His message to these?  Repent!  The man who is desperately sorry for his own sin and unworthiness needs to repent to experience the joy of the Lord.  “The thing which really changes men is when they suddenly come up against something which opens their eyes to what sin is and to what sin does.” (Barclay)  Thomas Watson tells us that, “True mourning begins in the love of God–and ends in the hatred of sin.”  Remember, it is not mourning for the dead.  John Chrysostom reminds us that “They are not blessed who mourn for the dead–but rather those who mourn for sin.”
     This is a war, a fight within man.  There is sorrow over sin, this inner war that can at times be grievous; it is the flesh versus the spirit.  It is a perpetual war for even after one is born again there is the fight with sin, the old man-flesh trying to regain its position.  We sorrow at our failings, our sins, our guilt now because we failed the Lord.  We now have a godly sorrow.  David wrote, “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” (Psalm 51:3, NKJV)  
     In the next few weeks we will continue to look at this beatitude.  In the meantime don’t be ashamed if you find yourself in spiritual morning.  Just to look at the news should bring mourning to our hearts as men and women turn their backs on God, mock His name and His holy standards.  When we sin, we fail to maintain the righteous ways of God, we should be in mourning.  Then, joy comes in the morning–we are blessed because of His great faithfulness and His wondrous mercy and grace.