Study Desk

worshiping things other than God, witchcraft, getting mad all the time, picking fights, being jealous, throwin' fits, thinking only of yourself, blaming others for everything, picking sides,

And those who ride for Christ have nailed their sinful human natures to the cross. All the dirty passions and nasty desires are dead.

If you're riding for God, you should take care of those who are mentorin' you and making you a top hand.

So every chance we get, let's help others out, especially those who ride for the brand.

Finally, don't let anyone trouble y'all anymore about this foolishness. I have the scars that show I ride for the brand.

Howdy, Boys! It's me, Paul. I was handpicked by God himself to be a cowboy for Jesus Christ. I'm writing to all the other cowboys and cowgirls in Ephesus who ride for the brand and follow Christ.

Even before God built the place we call home, he had chosen us to ride for his brand. By doing so, we became holy and in us he finds no fault. Not because we are perfect, but because he loves us.

He knew from the beginning he would bring us into his outfit through his son. We don't just work for God, we are now his kids because of what Jesus did. He did all this on purpose because it pleased him to do so.

Now, we give him praise for what he did in giving us his son. Shoot, he gave us the blessing his son deserved.

Because we ride for this brand already, we've received an inheritance from God. He chose us before we were born and everything works according to his plan.

Some of us Jews were the first to ride for the brand and bring glory and honor to God.

Ever since I heard y'all had saddled up to ride for the brand,

I have been thanking God for bringing you in. I'm always praying for y'all.

My prayer is that God will light a fire in your hearts so you can understand just how much he loves you. When you can tie onto this, your hope will outweigh everything else. He's called y'all to be his cowboys, and a great inheritance waits for each of us who ride for the brand.

But it's not just a future inheritance we can hope for. He's also given us great power. The same power

that brought Jesus back from the coffin is the one that's camped inside us right now. It's the same power that made a place for him at the right hand of God.

And the cowboys who ride for the brand serve as Jesus's body on earth, doing great things in great ways just as if Jesus were doing them himself.

You weren't just hung up, you were being dragged to death just like the rest of the world. You didn't listen to God, you flat-out followed the devil himself into every bedroom and bottle you could find. He ain't no outlaw to be trifled with. He's the leader of hell itself and you were riding for him.

People will look back and see the extraordinary gift that is available to everyone who rides for the brand. We've got a spot in God's crew because of his grace through Jesus, not because we are top hands.

It's our faith in God's love for us that does the saving—and this is not from our rope, or our hand, or our horse, it is the gift of the Almighty.