Author: Ira Paine

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

For evil to stay away, good men must continue to do what is right, even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable or difficult.”
                    –B. N. Rundell  (Black Hawk)


       “So the Lord’s message spread and became even more powerful.”
                    –Acts 19:20 (CEV)
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     The prophetic visions of Amos were interrupted by the priest of Bethel.  Amaziah was determined to get rid of Amos.  Albert Garner writes that he became “all shook up” or “became completely unglued.”  

          7.10 — Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel.  The land is not able to bear all his words.
            .11 — For thus Amos has said:  ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive from their own land.'”
            .12 — Then Amaziah said to Amos:  “God, you seer!  Flee to the land of Judah.  There eat bread, and there prophesy.
            .13 — But never agains prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence.” (NKJV)

Amaziah, the priest, didn’t care for the message and warning from the prophet.  He told Jeroboam that the message is stirring the people to a dangerous state, one of conspiracy and revolt, adding to the prophet’s words that Jeroboam would be slain by the sword.  Someone said, “The bite of Amos’ condemnation of the sins of Israel’s people was in the truth of his words.”  The wickedness of Amaziah’s heart is revealed in his rebuke to Amos.  Warren Wiersbe states, “He [Amaziah] claimed that there is no validity to Amos’ message; he only dreamed it up.”  Lloyd Ogilvie puts it this way, “Strong words from a power-hungry priest who did not know Yahweh.”  
     Amaziah was telling Amos to go back to Judah, flee, as in a cowardly manner.  Earn your living there and preach there.  Do not come to Bethel again; do not disturb the king.  But if sin is present it is the duty of the prophet to disturb the king, and the people.  Amaziah did not want God’s truth and demands for righteousness proclaimed in Israel (Ogilvie).  Was Amaziah that ignorant, or was he deceived by his own pride and wealth and fame?  Matthew Henry states, “How willing wicked men are to get clear of their faithful reprovers.”  Amos was a problem to Amaziah, but not as big a one that will come forth from the prophet’s lips.

           .14 — Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:  “I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit.
           .15 — Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’
           .16 — Now therefore, hear the word of the LORD:  You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not spout against the house of Isaac.’
           .17 — Therefore thus says the LORD:  ‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; your land shall be divided by survey line; you shall die in a defiled land; and Israel shall surely be led away captive from his own land.'”  (NKJV)

     As Albert Garner writes, “As well tell the wind to blow no more, command the rain not to fall, or water to run up hill, as to tell a true man of God not to prophesy or witness anymore.”  Amos was not intimidated by the priest, nor did he flee, but instead he turned his attention to the priest.  He told the priest, “I was not a prophet” indicating that he was not a professional religionist who wanted to rival Amaziah.  He then gives his credentials and adds, “the LORD took me.”  What could he do if the Lord took him, but answer the call of God?  He was prophesying in Bethel for one reason–God sent him.  Amos’ commission and accountability is from God.
     He confronts Amaziah, now with a prophetic word to him telling him of the judgment that would befall him.  Look at what will happen to Amaziah because of his wickedness and apostasy:  1) lose his property; 2) he would go into exile, a “defiled land” meaning a land of pagans and thus ruining his credentials as a priest; 3) sons and daughters would be slain by the sword, most likely that of the Assyrians; 4) his wife shall become a prostitute.  Imagine the wife of the priest now in that role either because of the Assyrian soldiers or from a life of destitution.  “Amaziah had position, wealth, authority, and reputation, but Amos had the word of the Lord.” (Wiersbe)
     Here we see that Amaziah seeks to stop the messenger from God.  Man may attempt and even succeed briefly in stopping the messenger, but they cannot stop the message.  God’s word will prevail.  Never forget our job in proclaiming the message of the Lord to those around us.  It may not be by prophetic word, but simply living a life of righteousness before others.  “We are called to be saints in plumb with a new commitment to pray for opportunities to practice our gift of righteousness.” (Ogilvie)

 

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven…  A time to cry and a time to laugh.  A time to grieve and a time to dance.  A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.  A time to embrace and a time to turn away.”  –Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4-5 (NLT)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
     With the shotgun ready I took tentative steps forward towards where the voice came from.  It was quiet…very quiet.  I could hear only the crunching of the ice under my feet as I moved.  There was that ominous warning, so I moved warily.  Suddenly I stopped, looking down I saw a lump of a man lying in the snow, slush, and ice.  Moving close enough that I could nudge the body with the barrel of the Greener; I poked at him.  No movement, no sound.
     I bent down to examine the body.  It was Barnes and he was dead.  Standing back I turned to look back down the alleyway.  “Doc!  Come on up!”
     Doc scurried up the alley to where I was standing.  It was hard to see in the darkness, the only light was coming from above as we were between two buildings.  Doc stooped to get closer to the body.  Quickly he withdrew his hand.  It was covered in blood.
     “Help me turn him over,” he ordered.
     Squeezing by Doc, I moved down to the feet of Barnes.  When he nodded we lifted to turn the body over.  “Hard to see here, but it looks as if one of those pieces of buckshot hit his jugular.  I’m thinking the running pushed the lead into the vein which caused him to bleed out.”
     “So if he hadn’t run, he might have lived?” I questioned.
     “Possible.  Hard to know.  If the shot had already penetrated, probably not, but if it hadn’t I could have picked it out,” he paused as he stood.  “Let’s go ahead and drag him out.”
     That meant me as there was no room for two men to walk side by side.  I handed Doc the shotgun, then picked up Barnes’ heels and began to pull him about ten yards to the entrance of the alley.  Coming to the light, I stopped to peer around the buildings making sure the way was clear.
     “I’ll go get Parker, if you want to stay with the body,” he muttered then took off before I could object.
     While waiting for Doc and the undertaker Parker to arrive I tried to work the situation in my mind.  First, I was beaten, then Molly attacked.  Then this random shooting, killing, seemingly one of the men who was out to get me.  “Lord,” I whispered, “you have to help me work through this.”  
     It must be some sort of vendetta or retribution.  But who…?
     An hour later, Doc was sitting with me in the diner joined by Charlie Gold.  As we all sipped our coffee, I looked over at Charlie.  “Do you know anything about Mick Barnes?”
     “As I recall, he showed up in late summer, maybe August, and went to work for the Broken Drum,” he paused to take a swallow.  “I couldn’t say if there is any connection between him and Dixon or not.”
     “Well, I’ll start there,” I muttered and started to get up.
     “Hold on, Miles.  Let me go talk with him.  You don’t have the best relations with the Broken Drum,” said the Sheriff.  “And I’ll let Mateo know what happened when he comes on duty.  I know he was out late last night putting down a couple of barroom brawls.”
     He stood, donned his coat and headed on out.  Doc was scratching the side of his face, then muttered, “So you don’t have any idea?”
     Shaking my head, I replied, “Could be any number of people.  I’ve made a few enemies in my time.”
     “Anyone just released from prison?” he suggested.
     “I’ll send a telegram to Canon City, and also Blasco.  They may give some light on who it might be.”
     We sat there in silence for a few minutes; I refreshed our coffee.  Then the sound of the door opening caught my attention.  That’s why I always sat where I did, so I could see who came in the entrance.
     One of the men I hadn’t seen in several years, but I didn’t recognize the other man.  He hadn’t changed much, except to look more surly than in my past dealings with him.  It was…

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

You feel the night wind. The darkness folds around you. You look up through the leaves to the dark-blue sky and shining stars. You smell the dry sand and the fresh water and the flowers and the spicy desert plants. Every breath you draw is new, untainted.”
                    –Zane Grey  (Wanderer of the Wasteland)

       “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah”
                    –Psalm 62:8 (ESV)
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The comparison between Yahweh and false gods marks the last portion of Psalm 135.  Yahweh, God, rules over all the earth.  He is not a tribal deity, nor a mythical creature, nor a god made by human minds and hands.

          13 — Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.
          14 — For the LORD will judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants.
          15 — The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
          16 — They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see;
          17 — They have ears, but they do not hear; nor is there any breath in their mouths.
          18 — Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.
          19 — Bless the LORD, O house of Israel!  Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron!
          20 — Bless the LORD, O house of Levi!  You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
          21 — Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem!  Praise the LORD!  (NKJV)

By blessing the Lord we are identifying Him as the source of all blessings and being grateful for all that He has given.  Compare that with the gods made by human minds and hands.  The God we serve is mighty and all-powerful for He created all things; yet He is also compassionate and loving–nothing can separate us from the love of God.  God is our secure foundation and we have nothing to fear with Him by our side–bless the Lord!
     His name, His character, endures forever!  Stephen Lawson proclaims, “His is forever the same, never diminishing, never changing.  His divine person is renowned through all generations, immutable and fixed.”  Compare that with dumb idols.  They tarnish, they become corrupt.  They cannot hear, but less speak and take action.   And get this truth–“they are lifeless, and those who make them will be like them, that is dead.” (Lawson)
     G. Campbell Morgan tells us, “The makers of idols become like that which they make–a man becomes like his god, approximates in character and conduct that to which he yields him homage.  The difference between true and false religion is that, in the former, worship is to the One who is forever greater than ourselves, and the others worship their creation, which is forever less than themselves.”  People today may not serve the image of Baal, Molech, or Ashtoreth.  They may not bow down to Zeus, Isis, or the vast pantheon of mythical gods.  But they serve gods they have made–the god of mammon, the god of technology, the god of consumerism.  Man, not the gods, build great and elaborate monoliths to these gods, but what good does is serve them.  In fact, because of the failure of the gods, many have proclaimed that there is no god, and for sure show themselves to be fools.
     The psalmist finishes with another call to worship and proclaim loudly in praise to the Lord of lords.  All believers should praise the Lord, if for no other reason, just because He is.  All who know and fear Him are called to praise Him.  Praise the God who is mighty over all creation, history, and the laws of nature.  We should be filled with praise for God at all times.  That is why Paul implores us to thank Him in every situation, to work for Him, to do all things for His glory and in His name.  Since God never changes, our worship should never change except possibly to get better and more intimate.  
     Stephen Lawson gives some ways to praise God.  First, praise Him fervently.  Our worship of God should be wholehearted.  “Lukewarmness is a tragic sin.  Our praise should be intense and passionate.”  Secondly, we are to praise God continually.  In good times and in the bad we should acknowledge our great God.  In troubles, tragedy, or in the great blessings that come our way, we should be praising Him.  Thirdly, we should praise God publicly.  That includes gathering with people in public places of worship, but also in our daily walk in the marketplace, the work place, the school, or just walking along the avenue.  Fourthly, our praise should ring forth privately.  In the quiet moment, alone with God we should be praising Him.  Finally, we should praise God intelligently.  “All worship is a response to who God is and what He has done.  The more truth we learn, the more we should worship Him.”

“Yes, Jesus is the Truth, the Way,               That leads you into rest,
Believe in Him without delay,
And you are fully blest.”

                       –J.H. Stockton

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

He turned to the woodstove and the coffee pot on top of it. He reached for a small towel, folded it over and used it as a mitt to grab the handle. He poured some of the hot brew into a mug and paused.” 

                    –James Leonard  (The Good Guy)
 
Mornin’ Pard, little late this mornin’ sorry.  The ol’ bone are achin’ from a long drive.  Yep, sittin’ in the steel mount ain’t the same as it was thirty years ago.  But all went well.  The missus and I went over to Baton Rouge, to pay last respects and honor to one of my dear Pards.  Yuh remember, ol’ Grizz?  Yep, he’s the one always totin’ that rifle around.  Whooee, Pard, there are some stories to tell.  Well, he passed over the Great Divide an’ we wanted to spend some time with the family rememberin’ him.
     Events can sure get yur attention.  I’m reminded of ol’ Solomon when he wrote that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity.  Two weeks ago, we was a-celebratin’ a young couple gettin’ married, startin’ on the journey of life together.  Then yesterday celebratin’ the life of a man who has passed on through this life to glory.  That’s the way it goes, that’s the way it is.
     Say, Pard, don’t let my recollectin’ stop yuh from slurpin’ yur coffee.  Ha, one thing for sure, beats hotel coffee and road coffee. But at one stop to rest the ol’ mount there was a place with Community an’ they made it strong enough to suit my ol’ taste buds.  Ahhh, reminds me of the huntin’ camp I was in with Grizz.  We kept a Folgers can on the counter, but it wasn’t normally filled with Folgers.  Actually, when the can started goin’ dry someone would buy, usually Community, to fill it up.  One of the fellows at the camp said he only drank Folgers.  Ol’ Grizz and I smiled at each other.  We never could get the poor ol’ guy to believe it wasn’t Folgers.  
     Speakin’ of drinkin’ coffee.  The missus and I were eatin’ something they call breakfast at the hotel.  Now mind you, I was grateful for the vittles, but it sure wasn’t Annie’s home-cookin’.  Of course them there places play music, or somethin’ they call music.  I usually try to tune the sound out, but while I was takin’ a bite of eggs, one phrase made it into my mind.  Crazy phrase, but it shows the plight of some of our society.  “We’ll go get tattoos, and trash a hotel room.  I don’t want to be a one-man band.”  Sorry, Pard, didn’t know that’d cause yuh to sputter out yur coffee.  At least it didn’t come out yur nose.  But talk about nonsense and pure foolishness.  If that is what brings delight to a body, then he is indeed a wretched man.  Sounds like a man without much hope in his life and for certain the joy of the Lord ain’t there.  And not bein’ a one-man band.  Why, Pard, none of us go through life alone.  We either travel with the Holy Spirit by our side, guidin’ our steps, or ol’ slewfoot, the devil is walkin’ beside a person.  Yep, he’s just the sort that’d get a person to get a tattoo and trash a room jist for the fun of it.
     Time to be up an’ goin’.  Yuh be safe with yur walk this week.  I thought I saw a lump on yur noggin’.  Yuh didn’t forget to check yur cinch did yuh?  Slipped on ice, ha, well, we must be careful when we’re out a-traipsin’ about.  
      Vaya con Dios.