Tag: Inspiration

Fence Post Devotional “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”

Joy

“I keep sayin’ these things to ya so y’all can know My blessin’ deep down inside and be mighty pleased to overflowin’.” John 15:11 (The Gospel of John Cowboy Style)

“The New American Standard Version” says it like this . . .

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

An informal survey was taken among a group of participants (a group of about 50) aged 25-65 and had all the basics covered, in terms of shelter, food and clothing. A single question was asked: What do you want “more of” in your life? The number one answer: “to be happy!”

We might let that go, with such a small group being surveyed. But in other similar surveys with essentially the same question, the exact number one answer kept popping up: “I want to be happy.” One survey listed the top ten, with happiness, again at the top of the list. Curiously at number 6 on the list was the wish for more “joy” in their life.

I find it interesting that on the night of His betrayal, when Jesus spoke these words (John 15:11) to His disciples, He didn’t talk to them about being happy, the number one greatest wish by most folks. Instead, Jesus desired for His followers that they would be “joyful.”

Why not happiness? Why didn’t Jesus say to His disciples as He was saying goodbye to them, “My wish for you is that you might be happy?” Well, it is likely because happiness is temporary; it is passing. You can be happy one moment and sad the next. Happiness is also dependent upon circumstances, situations, feelings, physical and emotional needs.

Whereas, joy comes from an entirely different source, at least the joy Jesus was speaking about to His disciples; a joy that is dependent not upon human resources and needs but upon the unwavering provisions and resources of God through the person of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, joy is one of those spiritual qualities listed in the “Fruit of the Spirit” that Paul says is inherited by those who “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 22).  Here is a good Biblical definition of joy . . .

“Joy is a feeling of good pleasure and happiness that is dependent on who Jesus is rather than on who we are or what is happening around us. Joy comes from the Holy Spirit, abiding in God’s presence and from hope in His word.”                                                        – Avery Rimiller

You see, Jesus in the Upper Room that night knew what was coming. He knew what great tribulation and trouble the disciples would be facing. So, His prayer for them was that they would be filled up with the powerful presence of God’s joy so they would not lose hope in the following days.

Same is true for us. Just as the disciples, in this world we will go through troubling times. And in those times we may be tempted to give up hope. But Jesus’ promise, even and especially in trials and tribulations, says to us, “be of good cheer” (don’t give up hope) “I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

And with parting words as they left the Upper Room that fateful night, Jesus said to His disciples . . .

“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” (John 16:22)

“It is His joy that remains in us that makes our joy full.”     – A. B. Simpson

Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”

Most Profound Truth of All Time

“Ya see, God loves this world so much, that he gave His one and only Son to die, so that every man, woman, boy and girl who believes in Him will not die, but will be a-livin’ forever” John 3:16 (The Gospel of John Cowboy Style).

One of our most familiar hymns and perhaps with the simplest message is a song usually regarded as a children’s song . . .

Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so 

These enduring words first appeared in a novel written by Susan Warner in the 1800’s called “Say and Seal.” They were penned by her younger sister, Anna Bartlett Warner who wrote them as a comforting poem to a dying child.

But the one to whom we owe thanks for arranging it as a song is William Bradbury. When he discovered the poem, he added a refrain and put it to music as one of the most beloved hymns of all time.

Maybe you remember singing this song as a youngster. Perhaps it brings back  memories of standing with other children in a musty church classroom and singing the words to this tune; words that have forever become etched in your mind, your heart and your memory.

Perhaps the reason that this song is so meaningful and so lovingly speaks to our heart is that the words and the message of the song comes from God’s heart. Yes, He loves us: children, adults, sinners and all. In fact, we don’t have to do anything to make Him love us. He loves us already; just like we are. John was later to write . . .

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

It is reputed that Karl Barth, a well-known twentieth-century theologian, was asked to summarize the most profound truths from the thousands of pages of Christian theology books he’d written, he said simply this . . .

“Jesus loves me! this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” 

That’s it: the Gospel message in one sentence. Even the most renowned theologian of all time acknowledged it to be so and so can you . . .

Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so 

Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”

Mystery of the Wind

“Just like the wind blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but have no understandin’ of where it comes from or where it’s goin’; same is true for the birthin’ by the Holy Spirit of God” John 3:8 (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).

I grew up on the plains of West Texas, near Amarillo, so I know something about wind. It is a rare day in the Panhandle of Texas when the wind doesn’t blow. It’s kind’a like when an Easterner traveling through a West Texas town asked a resident, “Does the wind always  blow this way?” He answered, “Nah! Sometimes it blows from the other way.”

As a kid, I always wondered what made the wind blow? Oh, yeah, I now know there are physical and meteorological reasons like high and low pressures. But still, wind remains something of a mystery.

Perhaps that’s something of what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus when he was visiting with him about the mystery of salvation. Jesus used the example of wind. Wind cannot be seen, but the effects of it can. In fact, that is the only way to know the presence of wind; we only know it by its effects, by feeling it and by seeing the results of it.

Jesus explained to Nicodemus that for someone to see the Kingdom of God, he must be “born again.” He goes on to say, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” knowing that someone is “born of the flesh,” is no problem. It is evidenced by personal presence.

The same is true of the spirit. We may not know how the Spirit works, nor can we fully comprehend the mystery of the new birth, but we can see the effect of the Spirit and new birth in human lives.

We can point to a man or woman who has been re-made, re-created and re-born by the power and the effect by the inner workings of the Holy Spirit. We can say of that man or woman that “they are a changed person; there is something different about them; they don’t act like they used to.” That is the effectual change of “being born again.”

A preacher from the past used to tell of a workman, who had been a drunken scoundrel and who one day miraculously got saved. His workmates began to ridicule and make fun of him. “Surely,” they would say to him, “you don’t really believe in miracles, do you? You don’t really believe that thing about Jesus turning water into wine?”  The man answered, “I don’t know about Jesus turning water into wine, but I do know that He turned beer and whiskey into food and clothing for my family.”

The Apostle Paul says it like this . . .

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”

Betrayal

“Judas Iscariot was out doin’ his dirty work. He figured Jesus would be headed to one of His favorite spots to pray after supper . . . So here come Judas with a posse of Roman soldiers and their cohorts. Along with ’em was some religious so-called officers sent by the chief priests and for sure some of them hottentot Pharisees with their lanterns and torches . . . Jesus knew all along what was takin’ place so He went out to meet ’em face to face and asked, ‘Who are y’all lookin’ for?’ ‘Jesus the Nazarene’ . . . Jesus done spoke up sayin’. ‘I am He.’ For sure that no good Judas was standin’ right up in the front with ’em'”—John 18:2-5 (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).

Have you ever been betrayed? Yeah, I reckon most of us at some time or another have been or at least have felt betrayed. It’s bad enough to be betrayed by a company or cooperation, on social media, in the workplace or at school. But to be betrayed by a friend or close acquaintance; well, that likely hurts most of all.

That’s what happened in the best-known betrayal scenes of all time. Even folks that are not well acquainted with the Bible know about Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.

It was in the dark of night. Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane kneeling upon a rock with droplets of blood cascading from His brow. And there in that place and at that hour He once and for all settled the matter of the Continue reading “Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style””

Fence Post Devotional “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”

The Lamb of God

“He looked up, ya see, and there was Jesus walkin’ past at that very minute. ‘Look yonder!’ said John. ‘The very Lamb of God Himself!’ John’s men (called dee-sie-puls); well they knew exactly what John was a sayin’. They lit out after Jesus” John 1:36-37 (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).

When John called Jesus the “Lamb of God,” well he plumb said a mouthful. You see, there were some fellows years before in the Old Testament, like the prophet Isaiah who referred to Jesus as the “Lamb of God.” In fact, something like 700-years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Isaiah had this to say about Jesus . . .

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

And generations before that, when Issac was climbing Mt. Moriah,carrying with him all the necessary ingredients for a sacrifice; everything except the sacrificial animal, he asked his father, Abraham, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering.” (Genesis 22:7-8). And sure enough God did provide the sacrificial animal (a ram caught in a thicket) in place of Issac.

But the ultimate answer to Issac’s question happened on another mountain years later when God provided the Lamb, His very own dear Son to die on an old rugged cross as the perfect sacrifice for the redemption of all mankind.

You see, John was absolutely right that day, when standing with his disciples, he pointed to Jesus and proclaimed for folks of all generations, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

And because of the sacrifice of that one true Lamb of God, we will join the chorus of saints as we gather around the throne some future day in heaven and with loud voice proclaim . . . 

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).