Unreasonable and absurd ways of life…are truly an offense to God.”
–William Law

“The Bible sanctifies and molds the mind into the image of Christ.”
–Charles H. Spurgeon

Why do you do the things you do?  Every day of our lives we are choosing roads.  Every person on earth is a pilgrim of sorts.  A person may think he is making a home here, but the truth and reality of the matter is that eternity awaits each person.  The question is then very important and even more so the decision–which road?
World Champion rodeo cowboy, Trevor Brazile, has a great slogan for life, “Be Relentless!”  Well, ol’ Ira has a slogan for 2017 and beyond, “Be Resolute!”  I get very annoyed at people who mockingly say, “Resolutions are made to be broken.”  No!  Then it was not a resolution.  Or, “I made a resolution yesterday and broke it today.”  No!  Then it was not a resolution. 
To be resolute meant to be fixed, firm, having purpose, unwavering.  Do not make it a joke, make it a lifestyle.  Remember, eternity awaits each person, be resolute in your heart and mind to reach heaven.
Doing this requires us to recognize that we are not permanent settlers on this earth, but are truly pilgrims.  We are just passing through this world, it is not to be our home.  There should not be, cannot be any true fellowship with this world.  What fellowship can there be with evil and darkness?  When accepting Christ the old life was cast aside; things became new–life changed and a new road was taken.  Therefore, the habits of the old life were cast aside; darkness and evil were put away, now righteousness and purity are sought.  Jesus said that, “The pure in heart shall see God.”
Be Resolute and begin to make decisions based on eternity.  This is done through the Word of God and knowing God.  Compromise is not allowed.  Self is put aside.  Therefore, look closely at the road on which you are traveling, look at your habits and lifestyle.  Look to see if it is truly honoring and glorifying God.

“The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave.”
–Proverbs 15:24 (NIV)

I seldom use the Message but the words here fit, especially the last phrase.  “Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful–it’s a clean about-face from descent into hell.”

This is perhaps the ultimate terror:  to be lost and alone in a hostile land where the next man you meet wants only to kill you.”
–Gen. Harold G. Moore

“Christians are not citizens of earth trying to get to heaven–but citizens of heaven making their way through the world.”
–Vance Havner

I hesitated to write this Paine because of the subject.  However, the thoughts kept coming back to me along with particular circumstances that I was aware of that were taking place.  It is a subject that is real, yet most folks do not want to deal with it.  It is a subject that affects all of us in one form or another.  That subject is Death.
It is imperative that we realize the devil and the world does not want us to serve and worship God.  They do not want us to recognize that Jesus is Lord.  Their goal is to destroy and kill, not only the body, but the soul.  Jesus came, died, was resurrected to overcome this evil agenda.  Yes, death will come to all, but to the believer in Jesus after death there is eternal life.  The following is an excerpt from my book soon to be published, “Trails in the Wilderness.”
———-
There is a wilderness that I hesitated to mention.  It is a place of mystery and foreboding.  It is a place that every person who ever traveled the trail of life had to face or will have to face.  It is the wilderness that many do not even want to mention or think about–Death.
Surviving the desert, the rugged mountains, the jungle is one thing, but no one survives that final wilderness journey of death.  Oh, in the bright days of life we may mock death by words and actions.  “Tip my hat and take my last ride.”  And in reality that is a good way to face it, but many do not.
This wilderness may not be your own, but surely one day it will be, but it may be the loss of a dear loved one or close friend.  That in itself is a special ordeal.  Sorrow is a wilderness all of its own and everyone who faced the death of a loved one must deal with it.  No one is exempt, but the faces of sorrow and the depths of the mental and emotional working that sorrow brings comes in many forms.
As Christians we most certainly believe as Paul, “to die is gain,” however, facing it is another thing entirely, whether in ourselves or others.  Some call it “crossing the Divide,” others “crossing over Jordan,” those terms in themselves declare the struggle of crossing through experiences that may be faced in the wilderness.
People mockingly joke, “He is so heavenly-minded that he is no earthly-good,” but perhaps this is an answer or a help to work through the wilderness of death.  Since the road on the journey of life stops, the answer lies on the other side of the veil.  To meet this properly it would be good to have proper reflection on heaven and realize the brevity of life on this earth.
Yes, it is a mystery.  What is it that is needed to face this new journey?  I would say four essential things.  First, a pure heart, one that has been changed by the spiritual regeneration of the Holy Spirit.  Second, the trust in the Word of God.  God will do what He says.  Third, that great requirement of the Christian life and walk–faith.  That coincides with knowing and trusting the Word of God.  Fourth, hope, the wondrous hope in the promise of God, in heaven itself, knowing that Jesus is preparing a place for us. 
Someone once wrote, “An eternal hope is the oxygen of the soul.”  As we require oxygen to live this life on earth, perhaps it is hope that brings life to the soul to cross the wilderness of death; to cross over into life eternal.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
–Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)

Now I’ve been around a few years, more than half a century, but I cannot recall such a confusing time. There were the times of unrest and riots of the 60s-70s, that group of hippies, but now there is definitely a split. It’s not anything the nation hasn’t seen before, remember the Civil War? Half for this, half for that, half for Trump, half not for him. It’s a mess, and the worst part of it all is that Christians are involved with the confusion. However, every year begins somewhat the same. People have no real idea what will happen during the year, so we enter every year with faith and hope, not fear and despair.

“I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live from day-to-day.
I don’t borrow from its sunshine, For its skies may turn to gray.
I don’t worry o’er the future, For I know what Jesus said,
And today I’ll walk beside Him, For He knows what is ahead.”
–Ira Stanphill

That’s the whole key; walking beside Jesus. He knows what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, or next month. He knows the challenges–the good and the bad that is going to come our way. If we truly believe; if we truly trust, then why all of the fretting and fear? Look at the fears we carry and we find that most all of them are over material matters. Think, the One who conquered the grave is there with us each step we take.

“Ev’ry step is getting brighter, As the golden stairs I climb;
Ev’ry burden’s getting lighter; Ev’ry cloud is silver lined.
There the sun is always shining. There no tear will dim the eye.
At the ending of the rainbow, Where the mountains touch the sky.”

Part of the issue is that we really do not trust Him. One of the reasons, not all, but one reason that things do happen is for Him to prove Himself to us. He loves bringing His people out impossible situations. Listen, He cares for you, for me. He will never leave us alone.

“I don’t know about tomorrow, It may bring me poverty;
But the one who feeds the sparrow, Is the one who stands by me.
And the path that be my portion, May be through the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me, And I’m covered with His blood.

Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know who holds my hand.”

Perhaps that is the problem. Perhaps we are reaching out to grasp something that is not the hand of the Lord. Perhaps we are depending on others, on the government, even the church–we need to hold the hand of Jesus.

Yeehaw!  Open the chutes and let ’em rip.  Powder River let ’em buck, 2017 is upon us and only the Lord knows what the year holds.  Hang on friend, for you surely can’t turn back the years.
I was at the HEB (for you non-San Antonians, that’s the grocery store) and I was talking with the cashier.  I asked if she had a Merry Christmas and she said “Yes,” but she was concerned with what was going to happen with Mr. Trump as President.  I told her she didn’t need to fret none, that God was in charge.
It’s been a spell since I’ve seen young folk so concerned about the future.  Perhaps it’s because they are not ready for it–mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.  If that is true, well, that’s a shame.  Shame on them for thinking that life owes them something “like” a free ride.  Shame on us for not holding them accountable and teaching them better.
A few words from one of Bob Nolan’s songs came to mind.
            “How I long for a trip, don’t need no grip,
             I’m taking one more ride
             ‘Way out there in the prairie air.
             I guess it’s in my hide…”
2017 will certainly provide each of us with “one more ride.”
——————–
Now I probably shouldn’t vent the in first Paine of the New Year, but then again, the Paine is there to cause you to think, ponder, maybe even get a little riled up.  So here goes.
I just don’t understand the comment of so many the past week or so.  There are bemoaning the deaths of so many “entertainers” this year.  I’ve even seen some comment, “My heart is broken…”  Mercy, they didn’t even know the person.  We get so caught up in the idolatry of the entertainment industry and letting is control our emotional lives. 
If you want to grieve for someone, grieve for those friends of yours who had someone die this year.  Grieve for those communities who had first responders die in the line of duty or for families who had servicemen die.
One more little thing to think of is that you shouldn’t be broken-hearted over their deaths, but rather their condition now as they stand before the Judge of the Universe.  If their hearts were not right with Christ, they are in an eternity of trouble.
“And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.'”  (Luke 16:24-25, NASB)
Yes, grief will most likely be a part of 2017 as it is every year.  However, the year will also be full of challenges, anticipation, and contrary to another public figure–hope.