Study Desk

First of all, I've heard y'all are dividing people up according to who you think they are. You're putting gunsels on one side, city slickers on the other, top hands in the front, and weekend cowboys in the back. And you know what? I can see y'all doing this.

And just because you can't see out of your ear doesn't mean it's not just as useful to the body.

Right now it's like we are looking at God in a dirty mirror, but one day everything will be washed away and we will see him clearly. We can't see the whole trail right now, but one day we will reach the end and God will be there to show us everything.

The same goes for preaching. Only let two or three people have a turn. That way there is time to ponder on their message and see if it lines up with scripture.

God gives each seed the body he wants to see.

It's going to be the same when the dead are raised again. The body is planted like a seed, but it will be raised as something brand new, something that cannot see death, decay, or destruction.

On the first day of every week, put some money in a jar and keep it safe. Save up as much as you possibly can from what you've been blessed with. Then, when I come see you, everything will be ready and you won't have to scramble around and dig through you saddle bags for crumbs.

Let me tell you about a cowboy named Apollos, I told him and those riding with him to come see y'all. I don't think he's coming any time soon, but he said he would come later when he had the opportunity.

They've done nothing except offer me encouragement and they do the same for y'all. If y'all don't see the value in cowboys such as these, then y'all are blind.

One of the reasons I wrote you a letter was to see if y'all would do what you're were told to do.

You see, we ain't preaching for profit. We only preach for the glory of God and with the authority of Jesus. We know God's watching and we must answer to him.

We aren't like Moses, who hid his face with a wild rag when he came off the mountain. He didn't want them to see the glory that had already started to fade away.

But the people didn't notice because their hearts were hard like stone. Even today when the old code of condemnation is read, it covers their minds where they cannot see or understand the truth. This covering can only be removed by believing in Jesus, who brought the new code of confirmation with him.

That old devil has put blinders on those who don't believe. They just can't see the good news. They have chosen to live in darkness with the devil rather than live in the light with God.

So we don't even acknowledge the problems we have now, but we set our sights on things that can't be seen. The things we can see now are temporary and will soon be gone, but the things we can't see will be forever.

Since we know what we do down here has eternal consequence, we are vigilant in our responsibilities to the Lord. He knows how hard we work and hopefully you can see it, too.

It was great to see another cowboy, but it was even greater to hear how y'all had encouraged him to ride with faith and courage. He passed along what y'all said about wanting to see me again. He also told me how sorry y'all were for the things you'd done. And finally, he told me y'all are really ready to ride for the brand now and help me in this gathering. When I heard this, I was ecstatic.

Godly sorrow on the other hand, results in focus. It made you want to clear your name. It opened your eyes. It made you want to see me. It made you long for the right way of doing things. You've shown you know how to do the hard things that are necessary.

And God allowed that to happen. For that, I am greatly encouraged.Not only that, but we were also thrilled to see how happy y'all made Titus.

This ain't a command from me. It's a test. Money is usually the last thing people will part with and I want to see if y'all are as good at giving as the other outfits are. They give eagerly, not with some sort of forced obedience.