Pastor Wes Kinder Only One Way!
When it comes to folks who like the rural way of life, I have discovered there are about three types of fellers. I have mentioned this before.
The first one, well, he is the thinkin’ type. There’s always a couple of these guys in every crowd. He likes to educate himself. He’ll even take up a newspaper and read the words. He might keep a Geographic on the toilet. I know, most of us just look at the pictures. He is always trying to scheme the best way of doing somethin’like gettin’up a bunch of cows. And he learns from what didn’t work the last time. The second type will learn from fellers who have already been there and done it and received the honorary diploma. These guys in the second group can learn by watchin’ others, but they’re not goin’ out of their way to build a better mouse trap when their .45 colt revolver will eradicate ‘em just fine.
And then there’s the third type which likely makes up the largest group. He’s the one that don’t care what has happened before. He sees some cows, and he rides out after them. He don’t care that somebody else has already analyzed how a cow in a herd thinks. He is the cowboy who has actually walked over and grabbed ahold of the electric fence wire and just to find out for himself if the fence is hot! Christ can use all three different types for His purpose.
Why does Jesus need a brand? Well, cowboys “ride for the brand.” When a cowboy hooked up with a certain outfit, it was said he was 'riding for the brand'. Louis L'Amour one of the great story teller authors concerning the old west - talked about the significance of these words. He said, 'The term 'riding for the brand' was an expression of loyalty to a man's employer or the particular outfit he rode for.' It was considered a compliment of the highest order for such a lonely line of work. Much like today, cowboys would decide to move on and go ride for another outfit. But if he stayed on, it was expected that he would give his loyalty to “the brand” and he expected others would cover his back in return.
Quite a few cowboys are riding for Christ these days. And we’re seein’ cowboys take a stand for Jesus all across this land!
Over in Matthew 15 verse 15, we learn who we need to be riding for and why. Jesus asked His disciples, 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' NIV How do we start ridin’ for Jesus? ...if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Rom 10:9-10 NIV Remember that the only way to get to ranch headquarters is through Jesus. Jesus tells us over in the book of Matthew ch 7, v.13-14, 'Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. NIV I want to be real clear on this. There is only one way to God! A while back, I had some try to tell me that I’m narrow-minded concerning this. There are other people that have their own way to heaven. No, that’s just not true! Jesus said, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' John 14:6 Choose Jesus, choose life! And find a Bible believin’ church where you “fit in” and know, grow, and follow Christ! Tell others! See y’all at church and keep PRAYIN’ for HIS HARVEST! And y’all please KEEP PRAYIN’ for RAIN! It keeps the drought away! Amen.