Going through life is something like riding a deep canyon where the light seldom shines. It is a strange canyon with unexpected turns and insurmountable walls and cross-canyons, boxed completely from the light.”
–Zane Grey (Captives of the Desert)
“But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”
–Hebrews 10:39 (NKJV)
————————-
I remember a song we used to sing back in Sunday School when I was a kid. “Dare to be a Daniel; dare to stand alone.” That’s the only part of the song I can remember. This week I was reading Daniel, chapter 5. Two significant things became very apparent to me.
The first is something that we’ve heard preached (at least in times past) – The handwriting on the wall.
“In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thought troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other… And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
DanieL 5:5-6,25 (NKJV)
Even though the king couldn’t translate the writing, he could sense its meaning. He was caught in the balance and found wanting. Because of his blasphemies, his life would end. Today, we use the cliché, “the handwriting is on the wall” meaning that it’s all over now.
The other part that struck me is found in verse 11. “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God…” (NKJV) Ponder that statement. How many of the Israelites were serving God? They had been taken from Israel and had now been in Babylon seventy years. Very few were probably serving and worshiping the Lord properly, without compromise. There was one, however, an older man now, around eighty years old–Daniel. Culture, society, government, none of these could persuade him to serve any of the gods of the Babylonians. The Spirit of God rested upon him. More and more it is becoming apparent that this would be the way it was until the return of the Lord. No one will be able to use the excuse–“they (whoever they are) made me do it.” As Christians we are not to become curious, compromising, or complacent about our walk with the Lord despite the culture in which we live.
Here are a few other thoughts from Daniel, chapter five, by Elliot Johnson.
1) Learn from history. Belshazzar didn’t learn from history. He rejected the word and the will of God. Godless men don’t learn from history, so they are doomed to repeat the mistakes from the past. John Calvin said, “The world wishes to be deceived and shuts its eyes against the light.”
2) God’s mercy is longsuffering, but His judgment is swift and decisive. He destroys those who reject truth.
3) God doesn’t judge success as man judges. He looks upon the heart. Belshazzar had everything by man’s standards, but he lacked humility, character, wisdom, and repentance.
4) God is very jealous for His name. The very hour Belshazzar used the vessels set apart for God, the handwriting appeared on the wall.
5) Drunkenness doesn’t excuse sin. It only adds sin upon sin, all of which will be judged.
Take time to read the chapter and contemplate what is taking place. Then dare to be a Daniel in our society, at your workplace, in the classroom, wherever you may be.
Author: Ira Paine
Echoes From the Campfire
Even lawmen wanted the Lone Ranger. Only a few had been convinced that this strange figure was not an outlaw, and those few thanked God for the man who had no thought of personal glory or reward…for the man whose only purpose in life seemed to be to help the deserving and punish the lawless in a region where laws were few and those few, seldom enforced.”
–Fran Striker (The Lone Ranger and the Mystery Ranch)
“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
–2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NKJV)
————————–
It’s almost absurd. That’s what I said. A person tried to convince me that this certain piece of music was called “The William Tell Overture.” Bah, I let him have it. Anyone growing up in the 1940s and ’50s knew it was really “The Lone Ranger Theme.” Don’t try to kid me… When I hear that music played I sure don’t think of that ol’ Swiss archer shooting an apple off his son’s head with an arrow. No, when that music is played it’s, “Hi-yo, Silver….Away!” Stop and ponder, which comes to your mind?
I was recently reading the “Lone Ranger Creed.” It was written in 1933, by George Trendle and Fran Striker. It consisted of two parts: the Creed, and guidelines for story writers. Here is number nine of the Creed: “I believe that all things change but truth, and that truth alone lives on forever.” One could almost give a shout here, for Jesus said, “I am the truth…”. He never changes; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
I thought I would give you part of the writing guidelines to ponder. Here are a few of them.
1. The Lone Ranger is never captured or held for any length of time by lawmen, avoiding his being unmasked.
2. At all times, The Lone Ranger uses perfect grammar and precise speech completely devoid of slang and colloquial phrases.
6. All adversaries are American to avoid criticism from minority groups.
7. Names of unsympathetic characters are carefully chosen, avoiding the use of two names as much as possible to avoid even further vicarious association. More often than not, a single nickname is selected.
8. The Lone Ranger does not drink or smoke, and saloon scenes are usually interpreted as cafes with waiters and food instead of bartenders and liquor.
Hmmmm, the poor postmodernists sure wouldn’t like this. Their purpose is to deconstruct. Tear down language, do away with what might seem to be proper. There are no black or white hats–they all have become gray for there is no right or wrong just interpretation.
The Holy Spirit has given us written guidelines as well. It is called the Word of God–the Bible. In it He tells us what to do, and what to avoid. There are instructions of how to live a righteous life, and how to avoid evil and living a life not pleasing to God.
We are to follow Truth. Do not listen to the many voices out there saying that they have the truth. That their truth will lead them to heaven; that there are many truths. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who declares that Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life (John 14:6). Do not exchange truth for a lie. Do not barter with the devil or his cohorts.
Think back to the opening scene of each Lone Ranger episode. “A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a heart ‘Hi, yo, Silver!’ The Lone Ranger rides again!” Wow, it makes me think of Revelation 19:11-13 (NKJV).
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”
Whoooeee, He is coming back, the dust will be the clouds. The Lord will ride again upon this earth!
The Saga of Miles Forrest
I spent the rest of the trip puzzled by what had happened. The woman across from me continued to scowl anytime our eyes would make contact. For some reason she just didn’t approve of me. I wonder if she realized the toil and pain that pioneers have always gone through to make it safe for those that followed.
Why are those men waiting for me at the shack? If so, how did they know I would be on the train? The conductor, someone working for the railroad back in Durango, possibly Merker himself. That bothered me, if it was Merker, that meant he was back in Durango. Molly was there, my friends were there. I whispered a little prayer, for I believed that prayer transcended boundaries.
It was late when we pulled into the station in Pueblo. I went down to the hotel to secure a room and found that there were only three left, all on the fourth floor. The clerk gave me my key and I trudged up the stairs to the room. He told me that there were some saloons down the street that served food. Opening my room, I was not impressed. There was a bed and vanity with a bowl and water pitcher on it. I placed my grip on the chair in front of the vanity and went back out to grab a bite to eat. As I was going down the stairs, the woman from the train was coming up. I received my scowl and watched her go to what I imagined was her room.
I had been in Pueblo several times. For the most part it was a dirty little town, growing from the fact that there were coal mines in the vicinity. Land to the east was fairly good ranchland, though dry during the summer. One thing that I hated about being a lawman was that I often had to spend my time in these types of dives. Wicked men sought the presence of other wickedness, so to find them, go to where they tarry.
Looking in the first one, I decided that it was too dark. I didn’t like to be in a dark room among people I didn’t know must less trust. Up and across the street there was one with music playing and seemed to be well lit. Pushing the swinging doors aside I walked in, and by habit took a step to one side. I brought the Greener up and held it in both hands as my eyes became more accustomed to the room and I could take in the atmosphere. People were busy gambling and drinking. I went to the bar.
The bartender came over, “Can I help you?” he asked pleasantly enough.
“Hungry. Do you serve food in this place?”
“Sure, I can rustle up a steak,” that made him laugh like he spoke a funny joke. “Or I can get you some stew or chili.”
“Chili verde?” I asked, my mouth already watering.
“This is Pueblo, is there any other kind?” he replied like I asked a foolish question.
It went through my mind that he needed a thump alongside the head, but it went away quickly when I realized all of the different sort of folk he had to constantly deal with. “Chili, I’ll be at that table back there.”
“Want a bottle?” he questioned. “We have almost any brand you can think of.”
“Just coffee,” I muttered.
That brought another ripple of laughter. “Well, that’s one I sure don’t carry.”
I glared at him, making him duck his head. “I’ll bring some coffee.”
Walking back to an open table I had to maneuver between chairs. One obstinate person just sat there, not moving his chair so I could get by. I tapped him on the shoulder with the Greener and he then willingly obliged.
There were three bartenders working and the one that I talked to brought me a little pot of coffee and a large bowl of chili almost heaping over the side. I was hungry, so after taking one sip of coffee, I started spooning the delicious spicy chili into my mouth.
I was almost finished when I saw two well-dressed men wearing suits and derby hats walk out of a room upstairs and head down to the main floor. My attention went straight to them. One was Myers, could the other be…Merker? They walked through the room and out the door. I didn’t get a good glimpse of the other man, so I didn’t know if it was Merker or not. Quickly I got up, searched for some money to pay my bill, and hurried out.
The men were moving up the street on the boardwalk, away from the saloon and hotel. I hurried to them, I was anxious. They turned at the same time and I swung the Greener, catching the man I didn’t recognize alongside the head; he dropped to the ground. Myers, started to yell, but I took the Greener in both hands and pinned him up against the wooden wall of a building.
I pressed it up against his throat. “Remember me, Myers?” I barked in a low yet firm voice.
He gritted his teeth and spluttered, “Forrest.”
“How did you get out of prison?” I asked, pressing the shotgun firmer against him.
He grunted, “Good behavior, and, and friends in high places.”
I released him, then poked him in the stomach with the barrel. “Don’t move or this gun will make a mess of you.” I leaned down to get a view of the man’s face that was lying there in the dirt.
Turning his head, I looked in anticipation. It was…
Echoes From the Campfire
Every morning starts a new day… You do wrong, and you’re thrown down hard. If you are what you called yourself, a quitter, you don’t get up again; but if you are a man you make a new beginning.”
–William MacLeod Raine (Sons of the Saddle)
“Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.”
–Proverbs 24:16 (HCSB)
————————
When you read the Psalms of David you will notice that there is some kind of battle taking place in most of them. The battle may be against physical enemies or the enemy of his soul. Sometimes both. It seems that there are very few that show a life of ease, but they do show a life of victory even though there may be wounds and turmoil along the way. George O. Wood stated, “Until we are in God’s eternal presence, there is always another battle to be faced, another enemy to be dealt with.”
Let’s turn again to Psalm 21, this time to verses 8-13 (HCSB) and see how David faces his enemies.
8 – Your hand will capture all your enemies; your right hand will seize those who hate you.
9 – You will make them burn like a fiery furnace when you appear; the Lord will engulf them in His wrath, and fire will devour them.
10 – You will wipe their descendants from the earth and their offspring from the human race.
11 – Though they intend to harm you and devise a wicked plan, they will not prevail.
12 – Instead, you will put them to flight when you aim your bow at their faces.
13 – Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might.
It seems that David recognizes that God also has enemies. There are people under the control of Satan that try to fight against God. In this we see that he has the perspective that during the battle it is not over until we stop and give praise to the Lord.
There is also shown something of that final war against the Lord and its results. The Lord will devour His enemies with fire. They may laugh and mock Him before the battle but when it is over they face a blazing oven. They plan evil against the Lord, however, they will not be successful. It seems like this is happening more and more often today. People are planning and plotting against God; trying to invent ways to fight and defeat Him. God is not worried!
“Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory;
Claim the Kingdom for Thine own:
O come quickly, O come quickly,
Hallelujah! Come, Lord, come.”
–John Cennick
In the midst of our struggles, our battles remember the attacks that are upon the Lord. Trust in Him and don’t despair. Victory is assured. Lean upon His strength.
Prayer: “Lord, may I enlarge my understanding of Your strength–which is far more than the strength to do whatever You want. Your strength is that of character: fidelity, covenant-keeping, unfailing love, mercy, kindness, and goodness. Help me today to have that kind of strength.”
–George O. Wood