Study Desk

It was God who did the givin', not me. And if God is givin' outsiders the same thing he gave insiders, then who am I to question that?"

This shut everyone up, but for just a second. After that, everyone began praising God. Many people agreed, "God has now given outsiders a chance to come onto the ranch and live forever!"

God was with them, and many folks started riding for the Lord.

People applauded and cheered, "This is not a man talking, but a god!"

Right then, an angel of God came down and struck Herod down with a sickness. Herod had accepted the worship of these people and God showed him what happens to people who think they are equal to him. Herod fell down in front of everyone and was eaten by worms as they watched.

In the meantime, the word of God continued to spread throughout the country and many people started riding for the Lord.

One day these cowboys were all fasting and praising God, and the Holy Spirit said, "Turn loose Barnabas and Saul. I got something special for them to do."

They all did more fasting and praying. Then the other cowboys laid their hands on the two men and sent them out to gather remnants for God.

This fellow rode for the local governor there, a man named Sergius Paulus. The governor was a sharp man, and he sent for these two cowboys who were gathering remnants on the island. He wanted to hear what they were telling everyone about God.

But Elymas, the witch doctor (that's what his name means in the plain tongue), rode right in front of the two cowboys and tried to cut them off before the governor could talk to them. He urged his boss not to listen to the cowboy's nonsense. He knew he'd be ruined if the governor started believing in God.

When the governor seen what happened, he became a believer in God right there. He couldn't get enough of the teaching about God.

So Paul got up and motioned for everyone to quiet down. He said, "Listen up you cowboys from Israel and you God-fearing mavericks.

The God of Israel chose our granddaddies over everyone else. He even strengthened them while they were slaves in Egypt and

Everything I've just said took about four hundred and fifty years. After this, God gave Israel some cowboys he called Judges to lead the nation. This went on until the time of Samuel the prophet.

Then the people were crying out for a king and God gave 'em Saul, son of Kish. This cowboy was from the Benjamin outfit and he ruled for forty years.

After God got rid of Saul, he made David the king. God said this about David, 'I have found this buckaroo, David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my own heart. He will do everything I tell him to do.'

"From David descendants, God gave us the Top Hand who would save Israel from their sins just like he promised to.

Before Jesus came, the great cowboy named John preached a message of radically changing your life to ride for God and being dunked in water. He told his message to all the cowboys in Israel.

"Listen to me all you Jewish cowboys and all y'all God-fearing mavericks. This message on how to be saved has been sent directly to you.

But God reached down and snatched him from the grave,