But sometimes those brains get us to thinking down the wrong trails When a brain starts a person to thinking they can do what they want because it’s what they want no matter who it hurts…well it just gets me steamed.”
–Lou Bradshaw (Cain…Just Cain)
“Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the Lord.”
–2 Chronicles 30:12 (NKJV)
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I read an argument the other day, and it sort of irked me for two reasons. The first one was that it had no business being discussed/argued on the site where it was posted. The second was that the people who were arguing really didn’t have a very good grasp of the Scriptures.
We are not to be dabbling in the things of the world. We are not to depart from the commandments of the Lord, and to do that we must be in His Word, studying and meditating upon it so that we know His commandments. Why do some choose to walk in darkness, when we have the light? That’s one reason I cannot understand why the sophisticated, enlightened, modern church chooses to turn down the light during the song service to bring in darkness. There is no darkness in Christ.
Perhaps my favorite book in the New Testament is 1 John. There is so much in that book that instructs us how to live in this current age. We live in an evil, dark world. It is tainted by sin, but in the midst of that we are children of the Light, therefore, we should be walking in it.
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
–1 John 1:5-7 (NKJV)
We cannot have fellowship with the Lord if we walk in darkness. To walk in darkness is to have fellowship with the world. We are to abhor anything and everything that is displeasing to God. We are to hold every form of hypocrisy in detestation. A few years back a person in our church and I had a disagreement about Jesus. He was saying that Jesus was born with a sin-nature. (There we go, not knowing proper doctrine again). I said, no, he was born as Adam, without the sin nature for His father was God. He said can we then agree to disagree; to which I again replied, no, not when it comes to doctrine.
We are to walk through this world in the light of the Holy Spirit. Our minds should be fixed on Him, and our hearts dedicated to Him. Our every step should be guided by the blessed Holy Spirit. Legalism? Most assuredly not. I like what H. Maurice Lednicky said, “What is too often defined as legalism is nothing more than carnality refusing to be crucified.” There are those who are legalistic, that is noted in the Word, but too much of the time those that scream that you are being legalistic are those who are feeding their carnality. They have compromised and have become friends with the world.
Author: Ira Paine
The Saga of Miles Forrest
Marta seemed to be doing better since Molly stood in for her. She was back to her normal self, singing something in Spanish as she went through the day doing her work. Emelda seemed to enjoy cooking and was doing a fine job so Molly agreed with Marta to let her stay on.
I had just come in from riding Star. He doesn’t get ridden enough and was getting fat. We went up the canyon road for a few miles, then ran back down. With that thoroughbred blood in him, he liked to run, in fact, he needed to run. He was not the horse for the mountain like Hawk, but there would be few that could match him running out on the plains.
It was mid-morning and there were no customers in the diner. “Senor Miles,” perked up Marta. “Come sit, I will get you some coffee.”
Well, there was something that was hard to refuse. I eased down in my regular spot, resting the Greener back against the wall as Marta came with a cup of coffee.
“Sit down, Marta, join me,” I requested. She hesitated, looked around the room and since there was nobody there she picked up a cup from the counter and joined me.
“Where’s Molly?” I asked.
“She back in the kitchen, making some pies for the lunch crowd. She be out in a minute or two,” came Marta’s reply.
“So, Marta, how are you feelin’?” I asked in concern.
“Oh, I doing fine; I no hurt.”
“No, I mean up here,” pointing at my head.
There was a puzzled look for a moment, the a smile. “Si, my head no longer hurts. I’m okay.”
I wiped my hand down over my moustache, then pulled on the left side. “I mean, emotionally. Do you still forget?”
She held her cup with both hands and brought it up to take a sip. Slowly she lowered it. “No, I no forget. I understand how important it is to remember, even the bad things of life. El Senor,” she said looking up, “has a purpose in everything. I am beginning to understand.”
Well, I couldn’t argue with that. I often pondered when I couldn’t understand something or why something was happening the thought, “His wonders to perform.”
It was good to sit with her for a spell. Molly had the pies out of the oven and was letting them cool. I planned on lingering long enough to get a piece. She came out, poured a cup of coffee and joined us.
Marta started to get up when Molly put her hand on Marta’s arm. “No need to get up. Stay, that lunch crowd will be here in a little while, rest while you can.”
We were having a nice time, chatting about this and that. It was good to see Marta smile again. I looked up as I heard the door open and three gentlemen walked in–the city council. They came straight toward our table and just stood there. I picked up my cup, took a sip and nodded at them.
Finally, Martin Olson, appointed councilman and saloon owner, spoke up. “Forrest, why are you sitting here?” he snapped.
Smiling at them I replied, “Drinkin’ coffee, and hopin’ for a piece of pie.”
With that, Marta jumped up. “Senors, coffee?”
“No!” snapped Olson again. John Newsome shook his head.
Wilson Foster, supposedly the chairman of the council, gave Marta a smile. “I’d be obliged.”
“We want to talk with you!” bellowed Olson.
Staring at him I said, “Well, why don’t you start talkin’ and quite bellerin’?”
“Alone!” he said, giving Molly a sneer.
Molly started to push her chair back, when I placed my hand on her arm. “This is her establishment, along with Marta, so they have the right to sit here. Plus, you might as well understand this, I don’t hide things from Molly.”
He was grumbling, but Wilson pulled out a chair and sat with Newsome following his example. That meant if Olson was to join us he would have to retrieve a chair from an a-joining table. He huffed some more, then turned and jerked a chair from the table behind him.
After he plumped himself down in the chair, he started again. “What are you doing about those bank robbers?”
I took a sip, more to annoy him than anything. “As I said, they haven’t broken a federal law. Sheriff Gold should be back in today.”
“That was Sam Fooy, and his bunch!” exclaimed Olson.
“May I ask, how you know it was Fooy? Do you know him?” I asked.
He belched out a curse. I slammed my cup down on the table. “I will tell you this once, to refrain from using that kind of language here. You have ladies present!”
Olson turned to Molly and gave her a forced apology.
“What about Marta?”
Looking over at her, he sneered. “She’s only a Mex…”
The next thing he knew was the feeling of a coffee cup smashing against his jaw. I couldn’t see that he was armed, but I stood wanting to give him a good thumping, but to his credit he turned to Marta and spoke a soft apology. Then he stood, ready to leave. “I’ll be writing the governor about you!” Then stormed off.
I sat back down, and Wilson spoke up. “Why do you antagonize him so, Miles?”
They were in the process of standing when Molly piped up, “Gentlemen, why don’t you stay for a piece of pie?”
“Well, I don’t think…” Newsome started to say, he was clearly agitated by what just took place.
“Come on, Mr. Newsome,” encouraged Molly.
Both of them slid back into their chairs and Marta hurried off to get each of them a piece of pie.
“Don’t forget one for me,” I hollered as she ran into the kitchen.
Echoes From the Campfire
You can take a little time out from living to look back, too, because that hurts you enough to make your life better.”
–Luke Short (Ramrod)
“I have chosen the way of truth; I have set Your ordinances before me.”
–Psalm 119:30 (HCSB)
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“Your many sins are all forgiven;
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;
Go on your way in peace to heaven
And wear a crown with Jesus.”
–William Hunter
Perhaps you still moan and fume over something stupid you did when you were younger. We’ve all done a few of them, some of us more than others. The regret still lingers, but the Lord looks at us, not from a position of anger, but one with eyes of love. The second part of Psalm 25 is important to help us along the way.
7 – Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me because of Your goodness, Lord.
8 – The Lord is good and upright; therefore He shows sinners the way.
9 – He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.
10 – All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees.
11 – Because of Your name, Yahweh, forgive my sin, for it is great.
12 – Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will show him the way he should choose.
13 – He will live a good life, and his descendants will inherit the land. (HCSB)
There is a difference between remorse and repentance. With remorse a person may be sorry, but repentance means they will try to not commit the sin again. The Lord promises, and remember He is always faithful to His promise, to the person who fears the Lord and seeks to turn from their sin. Then He will show us the path to take.
We must look to Him, understand Who He is. Arrogance, pride, and self-centeredness must be cast away and we must have a proper respect for Him, for He is our Instructor, the One who will teach us how to see the right path. One thing for sure in life, our problems will either drive us closer to the Lord or away from Him. We must not become hard-hearted, but keep a tender, humble spirit when standing before Him.
God is faithful; He will forgive our sins. We must then fear the Lord. In this time in which we live there is so much mockery, many are sacrilegious and sully the name of the Lord. Respect Him! God’s honor and reputation were a concern to those in the Old Testament, how much more should it be for those who have had their sins washed away.
Note what happens to those who fear the Lord: he will be shown the right way, he will be able to live a good life, and his descendants will inherit the earth. Put your sin in the past, strive to move forward, listen to the words of your Instructor, do not mock or murmur and great will be your reward.
Coffee Percs
He sat at the table watching the women work around the kitchen as the smell of bacon, eggs and pancakes filled the room. The coffee was black and strong, just the way he liked it.”
–J.S. Stroud (The Old Rider)
Har, har, har, I just have to laugh, Pard, it’s so sad. We sure are livin’ in what is becomin’ an age of stupidity. Here, pour us a cup of coffee while I continue. That grand city of Berkeley that sits in California, of course, has made some mighty powerful changes (ha) to the city codes. All gender preferences must be removed. Required, done deal, overwith and done. No longer are there salesmen in the city. Those little covers on the streets are now maintenance holes. No longer are there brothers and sisters, but only siblings. How much human effort will it take to get the job done, or how much workforce? There is now nothing “man-made,” but it is all artificial, manufactured, machine made, or synthetic. Whoa, wait a minute, they messed up–man u factured. Pard, there are so many moronic changes all in the name of political correctness and sensitivity.
Pour me another cup will ya Pard? This is all startin’ to rile up the gizzard. Are we becomin’ more and more insane? I mean, accordin’ to these folks they are more enlightened than the rest of us. Of course, few of them read the Bible, but it is clearly stated, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27, NASB) Pard, maybe we should take these folk out on a roundup, and show them how steers are made.
One other note that I just have to throw in here. If you go on the campus of Colorado State University, don’t refer to yourself or another person as an “American.” Yep, from what I read, that just might seem threatening to them, and hurt their little, sensitive psyches.
Listen, if yuh haven’t tightened yur spiritual cinch, yuh better do so now. There might be some rough travelin’ ahead. With that bein’ said, don’t you dare mount up without checkin’ yur cinch. Keep yur Bible handy and yur gun oiled.