Week of 1/28

                                          CRUSADERS’S  DEVOTIONAL

                                                 01-28-13/MONAY

Here at the “Second chance ranch” we have down sized to seven horses. We have “Lady” a thirty-two year old paint mare that will probably out live us all. There’s “Joker” a 27 year old gelding that has arthritis in his left front knee from years of roping. The buck skin “Moe” that is blind but still some how seems to know everything that goes on around here. We have “Ally” a bay mare who is the youngest horse at eight years old and would do anything asked of her. This year she won a barrel racing championship while setting an arena record time. Then there is “Virgil”. I truly think the breeders were afraid of him. Virgil has a gentle way about him, but as a colt he just kept growing and growing. He’s over 16.2 hands and weights over 1,325 pounds. We have “Wyoming”, my beloved Wyoming. He comes from racing royalty (Jet Deck, Go Man Go and Bold ruler, meaning he has the blood if Secretariat running through his veins.) Problem is, Wyoming is now twenty-one years old and he still thinks he is a colt. Last, but far from least, is “Nic”. Smart and gentle with the ladies but has no use for men. Sometimes he looks at me like, come on let’s go for a ride, but I’m on to him. I would be bucked somewhere into the middle of Weld county and Nic would be thinking, Thanks for the ride cowboy, lets do it again sometime. We Love all of them the same. They are all special in their own right and deserve it that way. God made them to have their own way about them, that’s the way they are and that’s the way we take them.

 

I got to thinking that as Christians are we loving as we should or are we setting limitations on our love. God might see these limitations as obstructions. Are we overlooking our imperfect selves and focusing on the imperfection of others? Are we withholding what we are to give away? Shame on us. This lesson is kindergarten of our faith. Love is the first thing taught in our relationship with the Lord. Surely we, being of mankind, are the last to deserve love. However, we are God’s greatest love. The Lord overlooks all are flaws, our imperfections and loves us still. Be thankful for his grace.

 

Loving God is the most important command. We are to love in marriage, love our enemies and our fellow Christians. It is written that we can not be separated from Jesus’ love. Love helps us look past offenses (forgiveness). We must love ourselves allowing us to know how to love. We must be known for our love. I believe love must be genuine.

 

Remember: To talk without thinking is to shot without aiming.

 

                    May we receive God’s blessings this week with a heart of gratitude.  

                                   In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.

                                                    Pastor Ty.

Week of 1-21

CRUSADERS’S DEVOTIONAL

01-21-2013/ MONDAY

Where do you keep your joy? Do you leave it out where people can easily see it or do you keep it hidden? Is your joy on your face, your heart and in your words? Or do you keep it hidden safely from the world or place it in your pocket and just pull it out when it is appropriate or excepted. Maybe yet, do you even have true joy?

Sunday, my wife and I gave a 27 year old horse that nobody wanted and was going to be put down to our five year old grandson. Once I placed him on the horse I asked if he knew whose horse he was sitting on. He shook his head no. I told him he was sitting on his horse. Immediately a smile came to his face that was as big and bright as a sunny open sky. The delight on his face was worth every dollar I’ve ever had in my life time. He and the horse took to each other right off the bat. I think they both knew they needed each other and both were ok with that. The old horse would take care of the boy and keep him from harm; in exchange the boy would forever love that old horse. The old horse with the young boy mounted bareback on him walked around with a gleam and glow like a newly married man and woman. Then came the time to take a picture, and the old horse proudly held his head up high and ya couldn’t have wiped the smile of the face of the young rider. You would have thought the two had just won the Kentucky Derby. This was truly one of those moments that you live for. I praise God for that gift he gave me, true joy in giving. It was a lesson I’ll never forget.

Joy comes from finding the specific reason for which we were created and born again and fulfilling that reason. The joy Jesus experienced came from doing what the Father sent him to do. Jesus says to us “As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21). Consider your life worthy only to complete that reason. Joy can be hard to find, and for sure the journey for it can bring much pain, “I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16). Joy is in the giving, not in the receiving and for the pardon we received from God through Jesus; we received much we should in return give much. It is there that joy can be found.

When we think of being freed from the price of sin, being “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) and walking in the light it is impossible to doubt he is among us always.

I pray that we all find our joy, and may that joy be the kind that can not be taken from us by thieves or fall into rust. For where our treasure is so shall be our hearts. May, in the name of the Father, your reason and joy ride along side you in complete familiarity and understanding.

Remember: Jesus always answers his knee mail.

May peace of mind and joy always be part of your posse.

In The name of our lord Jesus Christ of the Nazarene.

Cowboy Pastor Ty

Week of 1/14

                                             CRUSADERS DEVOTIONAL

                                                  01-14-2013/MONDAY

As I start to take down the Christmas tree, I do so with some reservations. The tree was beautiful this year and the ornaments each have their own story and each one acquired over many years. I’ll miss the happy ending Christmas movies, the music and saying “Merry Christmas” to everyone. Along with these feelings, comes hope. Hope that we as Crusaders continue to grow in our relationship and wisdom of God and his word, and not only all Crusaders but every single Christian. Hope that we stop letting them take our American rights away little by little and that we stand up and are heard and say “no more”. We are American Christians and we have rights and need to fight for those rights. I support all religious groups to stand for their beliefs. Religious freedom and expression is one of the basic ideas this country was founded on.

Now, some 80% of Americans claim to be Christians. Maybe their two day a year Christians, Easter and Christmas, but where are they the other 363 days a year. We must stop being a people that claim one thing and then turn around say and do another. I’m not saying God loves one more then the other, God loves every one of us. God does however want his children to be obedient to his word and seek his lessons of wisdom.

So here is my wish list for 2013 for all Christians. I hope this list would please Christ Jesus.

1)      Knowing how to die with out fear is faith, knowing how to live without fear is even greater faith, “The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” ( 1 Corinthians 15:26)

2)      Look for God he is everywhere, you are not obscure to God. He is with you always. “I have called you back from the ends of the earth so you can serve me. For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.” (Isaiah 41:9).

3)      For some, Christianity is about trying to be more like Jesus. I believe it is of more importantace to know how Jesus became like us. Jesus did not come because we are worthy but because we needed someone who was worthy. “The word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).

4)      The Holy Spirit is part of every activity of Jesus. His Conception, His baptism His temptations and His ministry. Invisible does not mean nonexistent. “People who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

These are but a few, I guess what I want is all of us to mature as believers and our understanding of God and His wisdom for us.

Remember; Always pet the horse you just rode, a gentle hand is the sign of a gentle heart.  

                                          In the name of our lord and savior

                                             Jesus Christ of the Nazarene

                                          Cowboy Pastor Ty Nazarenus

       

Week of 1-7/2013

                                               CRUSADES   DEVITIONAL

                                                     01-07-13/MONDAY

As I stood in about an inch of snow wearing leather boots, my thoughts were on how cold my feet were becoming. I was talking with a friend and his passion of cows and roping was easy to see and hear. The sun was going down, and we all know what that means this time of year, I believe we could have been there till midnight talking about cows. I know “Casey” is very much a Christian, I could feel his blessing in him finding his purpose. See “Casey” is one of the lucky ones, being a spiritual being in a human word he was given a passion that he received and followed. See, “Casey” was very much a man of God, family and full of purpose. Not only would you know his stance when it came to his faith, his loyalty to his wife and family but he fully embraced his purpose.

 That purpose is happiness, something that brought him great joy and pleasure.

 

 God created us for all these things, yet I see and talk with people all the time that can’t find that purpose or don’t even know about it, where to find it, or that they were born to have it. What I find bothersome is that all this time it lies within us all. God planted in it our hearts like a seed. He watches to see if we nurture it, seek it and most of all ask for it.

 

When we are born again, if we are spiritual at all we have visions of what Jesus wants us to be and have no doubt that it should be attained if we tend to it. Sometimes when he ask God for our purpose we might wait for a visual or audible response, and who’s to say the answer, may come these ways. Often we are answered with silence. Absolute silence of God is not a silence of despair, but of pleasure so get ready for a revelation. God is preparing you for his purpose. May God’s will be done.

 

Two things; simplicity and purity. If you look after nothing but the pleasure of God you will enjoy freedom then receive your purpose. We all are but the arrow And Jesus is the archer. Trust his aim. Go where you are pointed. For it is there you shall find your purpose.

 

God does not want us to fail. The more we listen the better able we will be at distinguishing his voice from other noises in our heads. Read (John 10:4)

 

Post script: I told ya all about “Joker” and the challenge that faced him. I prayed on it and thought on it along while. Now, I’m going outside to build a stall for him. Because I was told to do so from that seed in my heart. Praise and glory to the King.

 

Remember: First learn the meaning of what you say, then and only then speak.

 

                       May God and peace embrace and guide you too your purpose.

                        In the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ the Nazarene.

                                                Cowboy Pastor: Ty Nazarenus