Echoes from the Campfire

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

You’re going to need this, there’s plenty of varmints on the road.”

                    –Frank Baugher  (Preacher’s Corner)

       “The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected.”
                     –Isaiah 33:8  (NIV)
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A few years back we were on a little trip and decided to go to the site where my folks lived when they first came from Oklahoma in 1936.  We went over Cottonwood Pass, which had some memories for we had to pull off the road and camp there one night back in the 1970s (oh, so long ago).  The car I was driving vapor locked and it simply wouldn’t go any further up the pass so I pulled it over and set up camp–in the rain with only the dog to help.  It wasn’t a good night, Annie and I, two little girls, and a beagle, but we did sleep well.  But it was the road we had to travel and the next morning the car started right up and over the pass we went.
     Back to the later trip; after Cottonwood Pass we stopped for a little while at Tin Cup in Taylor Park.  My Grandpa used to fish there in years gone by, then we headed through Tin Cup and up over Cumberland Pass.  It was the road we had to travel, so up we went.  My old Dodge Dakota climbed easily despite the weather; it had begun to rain mixed with sleet and snow.  The road became treacherous, but onward and upward, there was no other way.  We were in the clouds when we reached the summit and the weather had slackened.  We continued on the rocky, dirt road up over Waunita Pass, which isn’t a bad pass but the road was terrible, filled with washboards.  On the other side of this pass was where the cabin once stood.  It was the third time I had visited the cabin, but this time it had fallen apart.  The roof was caved in, one side was leaning inward.  Now the road was still rough and rocky, but there the driving was easy through the pasture land, the many copses of aspens and by Waunita Hot Springs.  We had to travel this road to get to our destination.
     I might ask, what type of road are you traveling on today?  Some of you may be traveling through a storm.  Let me tell you, I’ve driven through all sorts of storms:  snow with white-outs, heavy rain and thunderstorms, fog so thick you could cut it with a knife, a tornado moving nearby.  However, I couldn’t let the storm stop me from my destination.  Once I was on a trip and there was a problem with my vehicle’s engine.  Everytime I stopped for gas, I had to put water in the radiator.  Now, I remember going through the deserts of Arizona and California years ago when Dad would tie a bag of water in front of the radiator to help cool the engine and to use if needed.  Problems on the road, they cannot be totally avoided, but no matter the trouble we travel on that road–we had to if we wanted to reach our destination.
     “How much longer?”  Oh, how many times have I heard that?  My normal response was “an hour and a half.”  “Are we almost there?”  We’ll be there in about an hour and a half.  It didn’t really matter, we had to travel that road no matter how long it took.  Sometimes time seems to drag on.  Will we ever make it?  I recall the words from a Walt Mills song:  
               “Sometimes it seems like I’m standing still,
               Until I look back and see,
               How deep my valley, how high the hill
               And each step nearer to eternity.”
No matter where we travel, on fine highways that are straight and smooth, or on curvy, winding roads that are full of ruts, we keep going.  We are traveling the road to our heavenly home.  We are light and salt to those who pass our way no matter the direction they are going.  Someone once put it this way, “Christianity is made for the road.”  We meet all sorts on the road and we are to be a testimony to them.  We are to go onward to our destination, knowing that each mile is directed by Him, that each step of the way He is with us.  Jesus walks with us each step of each day until finally one day we will reach our destination.  See we travel this road–it is the only one we have that gets us to our destination.
   
               “I’m following Jesus one step at a time,
               I live for the moment in His love divine.
               Why think of tomorrow, just live for today,
               I’m following Jesus, each step of the way.

               The pathway is narrow but He leads me on,
               I walk in His shadow, my fears are all gone.
               My spirit grows stronger, each moment, each day,
               For Jesus is leading each step of the way.
                         –Redd Harper

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

By his example, he taught me more than anyone else the value of cheerfulness in the face of adversity.”
                    –E.B. Sledge  (With the Old Breed)

       “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.”
                    –2 Corinthians 10:3 (NIV)
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          “Complete the salvation that God has given you with a proper sense of awe and responsibility.  For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve his purpose.”
                    –Philippians 2:12-13(Phillips)

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling”–we have looked at several aspects of what that means.  It means to fulfill your duty as a Christian, to be diligent in our walk not wavering, and to pick up our cross daily.  I want to look at a different aspect this morning.  We work out our salvation by living our training, standing firm in every situation, and when others fall, continue to stand.
     Barclay reminds us that salvation is of God.  He is the One who saves us.  The continuance of that process is to be awakened by Him, and without His goodness in our lives sin cannot be conquered; it is God who is at work within us.  The end process of salvation is with God as well.  We are His and He is ours.  “The work of salvation is begun, continued and ended in God.”  However, as Barcaly uses the illustration, man may be ill and the doctor prescribes the medicine that will help him, but the man must take them.  He can be stubborn and refuse.  “No man can ever receive salvation unless he answers God’s appeal and takes what He offers.”  Then throughout life there are instructions to be followed, duties to be obeyed, and obligations to be met, thus working out one’s salvation.
     This term, “work out,” means to “work in a mine” getting all out of the mine that is possible.  It can also mean working in a field to get the greatest harvest possible.  As problems come into our lives we have to “work them out.”  Warren Wiersbe writes, “Our lives have tremendous potential, like a mine or a field, and He wants to help us fulfill that potential.”
     “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:10-11, NIV)  We work out our own salvation by putting on the armor of God.  Notice, we put it on.  It is something we do.  If we can put it on, we can take it off, or refuse to wear it in the first place.  Wearing the armor of God is no easy thing and since it has a military connotation we can expect a battle–to fight.  Not only must we put it on, we must put it to use.  In my short time in the military and from my studies, I have found out the difference between a warrior and a soldier is that a warrior lives his training.
     To be a warrior in any army, but especially in the service of the Lord requires strict discipline and the adherence to a warrior code.  Shannon D. French says in her wonderful book, “The Code of a Warrior,” that the code “set boundaries on his behavior.  It distinguishes honorable acts from shameful acts…  They respect the values of the society in which they were raised and which they are prepared to die to protect.”  That is one reason why the Christians of the early church could march into the colosseum singing for they were marching in the army of the Lord.  The Christian in his armor understands the “thou shalt nots” of the Ten Commandments.  He practices being a good steward with his finances, his time, and most importantly of all, his life.  
     What happens when the day of evil comes if you don’t have on your armor?  If you have laid aside your sword?  If you are barefooted?  No, part of working out one’s salvation is to be alert and prepared at all times so “after the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13, NIV)  Don’t be lax, don’t become a sluggard, but stand your ground, work out your salvation, fight the good fight and recall with the smile of a warrior the words of Paul to Timothy, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:3, NIV)
               “And battles sometimes futile seem
               Not worth the heavy cost,
               But each must stand in his own time
               Or see his freedom lost.”
                       –Andrew H. Hines
Stand your ground.  You may not understand the “why” of the battle but you follow orders because you are working out your salvation, and most importantly of all–you know your Commander.  We stand against the fiery darts, we stand when the lion roars in our face, we stand when others around us have fallen.  Lost?  No way, I’m in the King’s Army and my loyalty is to Him and He will provide a way to victory.

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

Once a man sets his sights on reaching the truth, nothing this side of death can stop him.”
                    –John Deacon  (Kip)

       “So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.”
                    –Psalm 18:24  (ESV)
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Here, in the first part of Proverbs 7, we see more instruction.  These are important to the basic foundations of living.  Keep and store God’s commands; lay up–put them in the bank so they can be used.  Remember, means to never forget.  It is important as we go through life that we understand that “the true life of man depends upon his relationship to the Word of God.” (Flores)

          1 — My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you.
          2 — Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye.
          3 — Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
          4 — Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your nearest kin,
          5 — That they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words.  (NKJV)

Let me tell you right from the start in this lesson, existence is not the same as living!  All exist but only those who are in God’s Word and are obedient truly live.  Warren Wiersbe says that, “keeping God’s commands is a matter of life or death.”  We all exist, but we do not all live the life of fullness in God, which goes even further than this life but on into eternity.
     Notice the term, “apple of your eye.”  This is something that is adored, cherished.   “We protect our eyes because they are valuable to us, and so should we honor and protect God’s Word by obeying it.” (Wiersbe)  By following God’s instruction we are acting the same as if we were protecting our eyes.  The NIV adds the word, “guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.”  We wear goggles and glasses to protect the eyes.  Our sight is valuable, but more so, our spiritual sight.  “The instruction of the Word is the same to soul as the eye is to the body.” (Muffet)  
     Jesus tells us in John, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (14:15, NKJV)  No, this is not legalism, it is an act of love.  If you love someone you want to spend time with them, you want to know all about them.  Therefore, the more we know about the Lord, the more we study His Word, the more we should strive to obey and practice them.
     Dan Dick tells us that the “Commandments of God should be as much a part of us as the fingers which are a part of our hands.”  How much of the Word do you know?  How much of the Word do you practice?  We are to “write them,” actually we are to “etch them” or “carve them” into our hearts.  We are to keep God’s teaching with us all the time!  We are to practice and obey His teaching all the time.
     When we trust completely in God’s promises, we find new meaning in the word wisdom.  By this time in our study we should come to a better understanding of what wisdom is and is not.  This will continue on through Proverbs.  But this is wisdom, this is understanding–“the truth of God is constant; never changing.” (Dick)  So live a full and complete life by knowing who God is and becoming more and more acquainted with Him.

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The difference between a man and a boy is the willingness to do a man’s work and take a man’s responsibility.”
                    –Louis L’Amour  (Killoe)

       “You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.”

                    –Psalm 128:2 (ESV)
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I thought of writing something else this morning, but since it is Labor Day, the thought went to work.  I wrote on Saturday that a person said that we shouldn’t have to work.  That is the idealistic socialist.  Nothing in life comes free.  But then, read Proverbs and the verses regarding the sluggard.  All he wants is something given to him, on a platter if possible, without effort for he thinks he is worth it.
     Listen, no one can be truly happy without work.  My Mom loved to work, she often held three jobs and worked full time until she was in her mid-eighties.  My Dad said that the most important lesson that Grandpa (his Dad) taught him was the value of hard work.  Many years ago, I did a study on joy and I found out that joy and work are dependent upon each other.  Natural joy may be fleeting, but the purest form of natural joy is enjoyment of work.  That thought goes into the idea of spiritual joy as well, for when we are working for the Lord, serving Him, then we find contentment and joy.
     Someone has said, “As a remedy against all ills–poverty, sickness, and melancholy–only one thing is absolutely necessary:  a liking for work.”  Booker T. Washington said that “Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.”  No wonder the couch potatoes complain.  Work!  Who me?  Pass me another potato chip.  We must understand that work is a way in which we fulfill God’s purposes for our lives.  In fact, working should be a form of worship.  The old Puritan Work Ethic that was so long prevalent in our country said that all work is from the Lord and that we should do it to the best of our ability.
     Right from the beginning God showed that man was to work.  “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15, ESV)
Then Paul writes that, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23, ESV)  This is a statement of the Puritan Work Ethic.  I have shared this before, but it fits here.  When I was in the Air Force, I was getting down in spirit.  The sergeant was always on my case.  One day, while working in the field, I heard a voice.  It was the closest I’ve come to hearing the audible voice of God, but it resonated deep in my soul, “Who are you working for?”  I remember looking around.  Then I heard in my soul, “Are you working for that sergeant, or for the Air Force?  Or are you working for Me?”  It totally changed my life, my attitude, my perspective, and especially my work ethic.
     There is so much to say regarding work.  I might have to do a deeper study, but I will say this that we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)  If we work for the Lord, we will work in contentment.  Someone wrote, “When we live out our God-given callings, our everyday labor will become part of God’s plan to bless the world through us.”  
     “Too many people who are looking for a helping hand don’t even try to lift one of their own fingers,” unknown writer with plenty of truth.  As we read in Proverbs, “The sluggard craves and gets nothing…” (13:4, NIV)  One way to fail as a parent, one way to bring demise to a nation, is to not teach the value of work.  Work is/was designed by God, not for punishment, but for development of character.  Some will not agree with this, but I don’t believe that when we get to heaven that we’re going to float around on clouds, playing harps, and eating spiritual bonbons.  There will be some kind of work for us to do.  God is a God of work, therefore, why should we expect less?  
     So on this Labor Day, thank God that you live in this great nation, built upon the back of hard workers.  Men and women with callouses on their hands, people with goals and the fortitude to meet those goals.  Samuel Gompers wrote, “Doing for people what they can and ought to do for themselves is a dangerous experiment.  In the last analysis, the welfare of the workers depends upon their own initiative.”  It is not just happenstance that this country has set aside a day to honor and recognize the “worker.”  
               “Well, hey, hey, the working man, the working man like me,
               Never been on welfare, and that’s one place I will not be
               ‘Cause I’ll be working
               As long as my two hands are fit to use.”
                    –Merle Haggard