Tag: Salvation

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 Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”

Living Water

“When the last and biggest day of the feast came around, Jesus spoke out to the crowd so they could all hear Him, yes-sir-ee! He hollered out, ‘If any one of y’all is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! Any fellow or gal that believes in Me like the Good Book says will come to have rivers of living water gushin’ forth from deep inside”— John 7:37-38 (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).

One of the best-loved country and western songs of all times is “Cool Water.” Written by Bob Nolen, it was first recorded on March 27, 1941 by the Sons of the Pioneers. Others who recorded the song were such artists as Hank Williams, Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, Frankie Laine, Marty Robbins and Burl Ives.

“Cool Water” is about a prospector and his mule named Dan. Parched from thirst, they are crossing a barren desert, and are tormented by mirages of water dancing across the burning sands. Following are some of the lyrics . . .

“All day I face the barren waste, without the taste of water, cool water. Old Dan and I with throats burned dry, And souls that cry for water, cool, clear, water.”

Chorus:

“Keep a-movin’ Dan don’t ya listen to him Dan, He’s a devil of a man and he spreads the burning sand with water. Dan, can you see that big green tree, where the water’s running free, And it’s waiting there for you and me?”

It almost makes you thirsty just to read the lyrics. And, of course for the prospector and his mule, it was real thirst that they were dealing with.

Perhaps you have been thirsty. Maybe there has been a situation in your life that you, like the prospector, experienced a life-threatening need for water; you knew what it was to be truly thirsty.

At times when I have been thirsty, and it may be true for you as well, that the only thing that really and truly slacked my thirst was water. Nothing else, no other beverage really satisfied my thirst like a good long drink of “cool water.”

Well, that’s all about physical thirst. But, there is another kind of thirst. There is also a spiritual thirst that can be just as real and tangible a need as physical thirst.

That’s what Jesus is talking about in our text. He is in Jerusalem and it is the last day of the Feast of the Booths that celebrates God’s provision of water for the Children of Israel during their 40-years of wilderness wanderings. On that 7th and last day, the Jewish priests carried clay pots filled to the brim with water up the temple steps.

And Jesus cries out to the crowd, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” He wasn’t talking about physical water and He wasn’t talking about a physical thirst. He was talking about the soul of man. He was speaking about salvation. He was talking about a deeper and greater thirst, and that is to know God in a saving relationship. You see, He is the only One who can satisfy the deep needs, the deep cravings and thirst of all mankind.

It is the same that Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well . . .

“Jesus . . . said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).

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Rider on a White Horse

“Jesus said to His pardners, ‘Let’s saddle up and ride back to where Lazarus’s family is”—John 11:7 (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).

Did Jesus ride a horse? No! Not really. I periodically had Jesus and His disciples riding horses in the writing of “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style” just as a fanciful way to keep the translation cowboy Style.

Scripture does, however, record at least one time when Jesus rode on a donkey. It was the occasion of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into the city of Jerusalem when He rode on the foal of a donkey. But as any cowboy knows and will tell you that riding a donkey’s colt is a far cry from riding a horse.

But, that’s not all of the story. The Bible says there will come a time when Jesus will ride on the back of a horse; and not just any horse, but a very Continue reading “Blog”

Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”

The Gatekeeper

“So Jesus told `em straight out. ‘C’mon, y’all listen up; I’m shootin’ straight with ya. I am the gate to the sheep’”—John 10:7 (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).

My father and a couple of other guys were hauling some cattle to our home place that he had purchased in an auction from the local sale barn. His plan was to unload the cattle into the corral to examine them before letting them loose into the pasture. Because I was the youngest (about 10 at the time) I was selected to hold the gate open while they unloaded and pushed the cattle into the corral.

At first, it was working great and I might add that  I was doing a really good job. The cattle were stumbling off the back of the trailer and the men were Continue reading “Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style””

Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel Of John Cowboy Style”

Casting the First Stone

“While He was a-wtittin’, they kept on pushin’ Him to give an answer. Jesus raised up then and spoke, ‘Okay, any of you fellas that has never broken the Law in any fashion, you throw the first stone.’ He stooped down again and started writin’ some more stuff in the dirt. I reckon their jaws dropped and they done saw what it was Jesus was a-writin’ in the dirt. Startin’ with the oldest one-by-one they hightailed it out of there until ever last one of `em was gone” John 8:7-9. (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).

Have you ever wondered what it was that Jesus was writing in the dirt? The woman had been caught dead-to-rights. She was guilty of adultery, caught in the very act. Such a flagrant violation of the Jewish law demanded the death penalty. So, taking advantage of the opportunity to test Jesus these law abiding Pharisees brought this guilty woman and dropped her at His feet.

When confronted by the Pharisees that such a woman should be stoned to death, Jesus didn’t say a word. He just stooped down and with His finger started writing in the dirt. Isn’t that interesting? Have you ever wondered what it was that He was writing?

Some folks think that He was simply doodling in the dirt with His finger, waiting for these self-righteous men to perhaps come to some degree of mercy towards the woman. Others think He was writing some Scriptures in the dirt. Some Suppose that He may have been writing the men’s names; those who were standing there with the rocks in their hands.

I have another thought; can’t prove it, because the Bible doesn’t say what He was writing. I sort of figure that since Jesus asked that he who had not sinned be first to throw a stone, that it might just be that He was writing their sins in the dirt. Were they, the ones who brought this law-breaker to Jesus law-breakers themselves? Of course they were and He reminded them of that very fact. Not surprising then that upon seeing their trespasses so glaringly displayed before them, that they dropped those rocks like they were hot potatoes in their hands.

It might be that before we judge someone else for what we think is a flagrant sin, that we first may need to take a good long look at ourselves.

Jesus said . . .

“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)