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Riding Our Country

¹ Don't you realize the gift you've been given to be able to cowboy for God? Don't waste your new opportunity by living like you used to. ² God said, "Just in the nick of time, I heard you cry out for help and I saved you."

Now is the time to listen. Today is the day to be saved.

³ We never ride in a way that would cause someone else to doubt who we are. We don't ride in front of anyone or do anything that would make someone question who we were. ⁴ In every single thing we do, we prove that we ride for the brand. Shoot, we don't even whine or complain about the hardships of the riding in the saddle. ⁵ We've been beaten and thrown into prison. We've faced down vigilante groups hell-bent on killing us. We've worked to sheer exhaustion and not slept a wink at night. And there's been many a day we didn't even have a piece of beef jerky to eat. ⁶ We prove we are cowboys by our pure lives, our knowledge and understanding of gathering strays, our patience in times of trouble, our kindness in times of strife, by the Holy Spirit riding with us, and by the way we love others. ⁷ We speak nothing but the truth and depend a hundred percent on God's power instead of our own. When you live this way—like a cowboy should—you are prepared for any kind of attack. ⁸ We ride for the brand whether people are pattin' us on the back or spittin' in our face. We are nothing but honest, but folks call us crooked horse traders peddlin' lies. ⁹ We are shunned everywhere we go. They act like they don't know us, but they do. We ride the canyon edge of death every single day, but nonetheless, here we are. They've stomped a mud hole in us, but they ain't been able to kill us yet. ¹⁰ Our hearts are broken, yet we are filled with joy. We have nothing anyone has, but everything they want.

¹¹ Won't all you cowboys in Corinth listen? I have spoken plainly with an open heart. ¹² We have given y'all our lives, but yet y'all hold back. We've given everything and y'all have given nothing. ¹³ I feel like a father who has given everything to his kids, but they show no gratitude or love. Pop your dallies on whatever is holding you back and open your hearts to us.

God's Casa

¹⁴ You aren't like the unbelievers who carry runnin' irons in their bags. If you ain't like 'em, quit ridin' with 'em. Real top hands don't ride with wannabe gunsels with a bad streak. Light cannot live in darkness. ¹⁵ Jesus and the devil ain't pards, so how can you still ride with someone who sneers at God and his ways. ¹⁶ You wouldn't find Greek idols in God's casa, would you? Well, then why do you have idols. Don't you know you are God's casa now?

Remember, the Boss said, "I'm gonna live in 'em and ride among them. I'm gonna be their God and they're gonna be my cowboys. ¹⁷ So separate yourselves from the unbelieving gunsels. Just ride off and leave 'em behind. Don't touch their filthy ways and you'll always have a spot at my fire. ¹⁸ Then I will be your Father and you'll by my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."