Study Desk

I was swept from the saddle and taken far beyond the earth fourteen years ago. Now, whether this was done in spirit or my actual body, only God knows.

Listen close, I don't know if my body made the trip or just my mind. Like I said, only God knows.

When I was with y'all, I showed y'all how handy I was. I proved I was a cowboy with signs, wonders, and miracles that could only come from God.

I really am afraid that when I get there, God is going to humble me because y'all have done nothing you were supposed to. My tears will flow down my cheeks because you have given up your ride for the brand for a life of sin again. You have not rode off from your evil lies, sexual immorality, and sorry ways. I'm afraid you just hid them in a closet, not repented and rode off from them.

He might have been nailed to a cross while he was weak, but now he rides with the full power of God. We are not different. We may be weak now, but when it comes to dealing with y'all, we will have God's full power at our disposal.

Now, listen cowboys and cowgirls, I want y'all to be joyful. I want you to become the best cowboys and cowgirls you can be. Encourage each other and don't let each other down. Get along with each other. Then God will send his peace and love to ride with you.

May the grace of Jesus, the love of God, and the togetherness of the Holy Spirit ride with you down every trail.

I hope y'all are filled with grace and peace that comes from riding for the brand. This doesn't come from what we do, it comes from God through our ride with Jesus.

And we thank him for that precious act. Thank you, God!

Not too long ago, God called you to ride for his outfit through his son, Jesus. I'm appalled you are now riding for another brand. There is only one good news message, but y'all have jumped the fence and are chasing something else.

If you think I ride for the brand so people will like me, you've got things all twisted up. God is the only one I aim to please. If I wanted people to like me, I wouldn't be riding for the Lord.

Little did I know though, before I was even born, God had chosen me to ride for his brand. I didn't deserve this kind of grace, but God was pleased

to show me his son and recruit me to ride for his brand. Now my life is all about gathering strays and telling outsiders the good news.When God showed me his son, I didn't run out to find a human teacher to answer my questions.

Because of this, cowboys from all over Judea praised God that the great enemy of the brand was now its greatest ally.

I went there because God told me to. I met in private with the leaders of the outfit in Jerusalem and told them the same message I'd been giving to the outsiders. I wanted to be sure everyone agreed on the same message. I didn't want my past or future endeavors to be wasted.

Even those cowboys who were running the outfit couldn't think of a single thing to add to what I'd been telling folks. (Not that it would have mattered if they were running things or not. God doesn't have favorites.)

Instead, these leaders saw me as a cowboy who God had given the responsibility of taking the outside in this great gathering of souls. I was tasked with gathering the Gentile outsiders just like Pete had been called to gather the Jews.

We both know a cowboy is made right with God by his faith in Jesus, not by following the code of Moses. Both of us believe in Jesus and are right with God because of it, not by following the Code. You can't be right with God by following rules.

"So if we try to be right with God through faith in Jesus, and on the day of judgment we find out we should have obeyed the Code, would that mean Jesus caused us to sin? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!

When I tried to keep the Code, I was condemned because I couldn't do it. So, I gave it all up and trusted Jesus did for me what I couldn't do for myself. Instead of being condemned by the code of Moses, I now live for the brand of God.