Howdy Folks,
An advertisement in a California newspaper in 1860 read: “Wanted young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18, must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” Incredibly, 183 men, some as young as 11 years, were hired to ride for the pony express during its operation of just over 18 months. This advertisement in a London newspaper for a polar expedition in 1894 brought 5,000 applications. “Men wanted, low wages. Bitter cold. Long months in darkness. Under constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition if successful.” I wonder what the advertisers expected to achieve with this type of advertisement and, more to the point, why did these advertisements even attract any applicants?
Here is an advertisement that might have appeared in the “Capernaum Times” in 29 A.D. “Wanted ordinary people. Severe hardship. Expect to be arrested and whipped. Opposed by everyone. Constant public ridicule and slander. Violent death likely. Willing to persevere to the end.” As you have probably guessed this is not a real advertisement and, to the best of my knowledge, there was no “Capernaum Times” But this is what Jesus said to the twelve as He sent them forth to minister in His name (Matthew 10:16-22). I see Jesus gathering His disciples around Him to brief them before they left on their mission trip. He told them to expect hardships and persecution, but through it all they should trust in God’s unfailing care of His own and keep their eyes fixed on the eternal goal. These men were non-professionals. They had no position or wealth. They were chosen not for who they were but for what they would become. This is a characteristic of God’s work. He chooses ordinary people.
I believe in this instance that Jesus was speaking beyond His immediate audience. The scope of this passage reaches beyond the personal ministry of the twelve. Dependence on God and rejection by men apply to the mission of the church today. Yet, for over 2,000 years, countless numbers of ordinary people have responded to the call, trusted in God for His provision and relied on His resources. Jesus came to die for our sins and to rise from the dead to give us eternal life. But His life, death, and resurrection would be in vain if the story was never told.
Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the Cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!
On the trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
GOD'S TRAIL TIPS
Howdy Folks,
If you type cowboy trail tips into your internet search engine, you’ll get a lot of “hits” with widely varying degrees of relevance. When sorting through them, you’ll find that they seem to fall into three categories. Some, fall into what I call the life application category. For example: “When you’re in the wrong and need to set it right, how far you’ve traveled in the doin’ of it has nothing to do with the rightin’ of it”; or, “See the heavens, smell the air, taste the dust and the alkali, hear the wind and the wild, feel the motion of your horse. On a good day, that’s all you need. On a bad day that’s all you need.” Others, such as “Buildin’ and fixin’ fences wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to get off your horse to do em”; or, “Cowboyin’ would be a lot more pleasant if Noah had taken the time to swat a couple of mosquitoes on his ark” can be categorized as whimsical wisdom. Finally, there are those that carry some spiritual baggage. “Just like Jesus, a good horse know what he’s doin’ even when you don’t”; or, "You make it to the short go, not by how well you perform, but by how well you let Christ perform through you.”
Well folks, the other day, I was reading in Proverbs and it struck me that I was reading God’s trail trips for a Christian cowboy. A wealth of understanding and wisdom is cached in this book to guide us along the trail. Here is a few of God’s trail tips for the ride: “Do not strive with a man without cause. If he has done you no harm (3:30)”; “Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well (5:15)”; “Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you (9:8)”; “In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty (14:23)”; and, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (16:9).”
I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words to the young preacher Timothy: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16,17).” Without a doubt, from cover to cover, the Bible is chock full of God’s understanding, wisdom and trail tips for the Christian cowboy. Not only is it a good read, but also it will direct your ride along the trail.
On the Trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
If you type cowboy trail tips into your internet search engine, you’ll get a lot of “hits” with widely varying degrees of relevance. When sorting through them, you’ll find that they seem to fall into three categories. Some, fall into what I call the life application category. For example: “When you’re in the wrong and need to set it right, how far you’ve traveled in the doin’ of it has nothing to do with the rightin’ of it”; or, “See the heavens, smell the air, taste the dust and the alkali, hear the wind and the wild, feel the motion of your horse. On a good day, that’s all you need. On a bad day that’s all you need.” Others, such as “Buildin’ and fixin’ fences wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to get off your horse to do em”; or, “Cowboyin’ would be a lot more pleasant if Noah had taken the time to swat a couple of mosquitoes on his ark” can be categorized as whimsical wisdom. Finally, there are those that carry some spiritual baggage. “Just like Jesus, a good horse know what he’s doin’ even when you don’t”; or, "You make it to the short go, not by how well you perform, but by how well you let Christ perform through you.”
Well folks, the other day, I was reading in Proverbs and it struck me that I was reading God’s trail trips for a Christian cowboy. A wealth of understanding and wisdom is cached in this book to guide us along the trail. Here is a few of God’s trail tips for the ride: “Do not strive with a man without cause. If he has done you no harm (3:30)”; “Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well (5:15)”; “Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you (9:8)”; “In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty (14:23)”; and, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (16:9).”
I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words to the young preacher Timothy: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16,17).” Without a doubt, from cover to cover, the Bible is chock full of God’s understanding, wisdom and trail tips for the Christian cowboy. Not only is it a good read, but also it will direct your ride along the trail.
On the Trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
Saturday, March 19, 2011
A BOOK WORTH READING
Howdy Folks,
The Bible is unlike any other book that has ever been written, in that you must first know the author to understand its content. On the other hand, it is like other books in that to be understood it must be read and studied. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The picture here is of a workman who is careful and accurate in his work and stresses the nature of the task, rather than the skill needed to perform it. Because of the Holy Spirit’s tuition, believers who diligently study the Word of God will be able to understand the mind of God and things He has given them. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said (John 14:26).”
Folks, the Bible is the authorative, reliable and definitive handbook for true believers. Get into the habit of reading your Bible, ponder it, meditate on it, and study it. I think of the old time saints who came to the Word and meditated on it. They took their Bible and pondered what it said. They didn’t have the benefit of a concordance, commentaries or cross-references and notes on the pages of the Bible. Why, they didn’t even have the words attributed to Jesus printed in red. Yet, they knew their Bible better than any of us today. John Bunyan had about four years of schooling and only read the Bible. He knew his Scriptures so well that he was able to write the Pilgrim’s Progress while he was in prison. A.W. Tozer a prolific Christina author and pastor had no formal theological training. It is said that his preaching, as well as his writing was an extension of his prayer life and Scripture reading.
Today, however, Bible reading is no longer “in” and, for the most part, appears to have gone out of fashion. We have the problem of the relegation of the Bible to a mere book of history and tradition. In the popular mind, it is no longer a book of authority. As believers, we need to get back to the basics and dust off our Bibles. The Bible read, understood, believed, and obeyed means a life of joy and peace.
I still read my old Bible,
Like me, it’s shown’ wear,
Tho it ain’t new or modern,
The Words of God are there.
On the Trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
The Bible is unlike any other book that has ever been written, in that you must first know the author to understand its content. On the other hand, it is like other books in that to be understood it must be read and studied. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The picture here is of a workman who is careful and accurate in his work and stresses the nature of the task, rather than the skill needed to perform it. Because of the Holy Spirit’s tuition, believers who diligently study the Word of God will be able to understand the mind of God and things He has given them. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said (John 14:26).”
Folks, the Bible is the authorative, reliable and definitive handbook for true believers. Get into the habit of reading your Bible, ponder it, meditate on it, and study it. I think of the old time saints who came to the Word and meditated on it. They took their Bible and pondered what it said. They didn’t have the benefit of a concordance, commentaries or cross-references and notes on the pages of the Bible. Why, they didn’t even have the words attributed to Jesus printed in red. Yet, they knew their Bible better than any of us today. John Bunyan had about four years of schooling and only read the Bible. He knew his Scriptures so well that he was able to write the Pilgrim’s Progress while he was in prison. A.W. Tozer a prolific Christina author and pastor had no formal theological training. It is said that his preaching, as well as his writing was an extension of his prayer life and Scripture reading.
Today, however, Bible reading is no longer “in” and, for the most part, appears to have gone out of fashion. We have the problem of the relegation of the Bible to a mere book of history and tradition. In the popular mind, it is no longer a book of authority. As believers, we need to get back to the basics and dust off our Bibles. The Bible read, understood, believed, and obeyed means a life of joy and peace.
I still read my old Bible,
Like me, it’s shown’ wear,
Tho it ain’t new or modern,
The Words of God are there.
On the Trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
Friday, March 11, 2011
A FAITH WORTH SHARING
Howdy folks,
If you are a Christian, sharing your faith is not an option. People without a born-again personal relationship with Jesus Christ are all around us, in our workplace, our neighborhood, our family, our home and, even in our church. These people are spiritually dead and without hope. Yet, there is an overwhelming tendency in the Christian community today to expect that someone else is going to tell them about Jesus – the pastor, a deacon, the Director of Evangelism, a Sunday School teacher or youth worker, anyone but me.
Now, let me ask you the hard question: How many of you have ever been the means by which someone came to know Jesus Christ? The fact is that less than 10% of Christians when asked that question can respond in the positive. Folks, this is serious business. If we really believe that a person without a born-again, personal relationship with Christ is on the way to hell, where is our sense of urgency? We seem to have forgotten our mission: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us (2 Corinthians 5:20a)". When we stand before a holy God, are we going to be humbled into the dust because we so pitifully failed to carry out the Great Commission?
Billy Fay, an internationally known leader in the field of personal evangelism encourages Christians to share their faith without fear through friendship evangelism. He says we need to get away from the “win them” mentality. Folks aren’t saved because we cleverly “manipulated” them to believe. Success according to Billy, is not leading someone to Christ but it is acting out your Christian life, sharing the Gospel, and trusting God for the results.
Are you ready to take up the challenge? We need to practice sharing our faith. Every moment of every day, we must be ready to share our faith with others. “That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus (Philemon 6).” Only with practice will be become more consistent, confident, and competent as a Christian. Then in the words of the old hymn we’ll sing:
I love to tell the story,
‘Tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it,
More wonderfully sweet;.
I love to tell the story,
For some have never heard
The message of salvation
From God’s own holy Word.
On the trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
If you are a Christian, sharing your faith is not an option. People without a born-again personal relationship with Jesus Christ are all around us, in our workplace, our neighborhood, our family, our home and, even in our church. These people are spiritually dead and without hope. Yet, there is an overwhelming tendency in the Christian community today to expect that someone else is going to tell them about Jesus – the pastor, a deacon, the Director of Evangelism, a Sunday School teacher or youth worker, anyone but me.
Now, let me ask you the hard question: How many of you have ever been the means by which someone came to know Jesus Christ? The fact is that less than 10% of Christians when asked that question can respond in the positive. Folks, this is serious business. If we really believe that a person without a born-again, personal relationship with Christ is on the way to hell, where is our sense of urgency? We seem to have forgotten our mission: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us (2 Corinthians 5:20a)". When we stand before a holy God, are we going to be humbled into the dust because we so pitifully failed to carry out the Great Commission?
Billy Fay, an internationally known leader in the field of personal evangelism encourages Christians to share their faith without fear through friendship evangelism. He says we need to get away from the “win them” mentality. Folks aren’t saved because we cleverly “manipulated” them to believe. Success according to Billy, is not leading someone to Christ but it is acting out your Christian life, sharing the Gospel, and trusting God for the results.
Are you ready to take up the challenge? We need to practice sharing our faith. Every moment of every day, we must be ready to share our faith with others. “That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus (Philemon 6).” Only with practice will be become more consistent, confident, and competent as a Christian. Then in the words of the old hymn we’ll sing:
I love to tell the story,
‘Tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it,
More wonderfully sweet;.
I love to tell the story,
For some have never heard
The message of salvation
From God’s own holy Word.
On the trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
Thursday, July 22, 2010
TAKING TIME TO REST
Howdy folks,
The trip from Cody to the Canadian border took two days. We fought a crosswind most of the way, which slowed us down. After few days in Regina visiting with friends, we drove to Moose Jaw for the services at Calvary Baptist Church. Pastor Butt had arranged the service so that we had time to present some special music and a cowboy poem. Folks in the church remembered us from our visit with Pat and Nadine Armstrong last spring. We enjoyed their fellowship and appreciated the opportunity to minister.
We arrived home late Monday night tired but thankful for the many blessings we received during the past six weeks. During the tour we conducted nine church services in addition to performing for two days at the Cowboy Entertainer Gathering in Townsend, MT. Our journey covered two states (Montana and Wyoming) and we drove 4,231 km (2,629 miles).
Since arriving back in Cochrane, we have unpacked the trailer and repaired the hail damage. For the next few weeks we will assess our tour and prayerfully consider where the Lord would have us go in the Fall. There are many small churches in Montana and Wyoming where our ministry would be well received.
While we will certainly enjoy our time at home, we will continue to seek the Lord’s will for our Fall tour. Your prayers on our behalf will be important to the success of our ministry.
On the trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
The trip from Cody to the Canadian border took two days. We fought a crosswind most of the way, which slowed us down. After few days in Regina visiting with friends, we drove to Moose Jaw for the services at Calvary Baptist Church. Pastor Butt had arranged the service so that we had time to present some special music and a cowboy poem. Folks in the church remembered us from our visit with Pat and Nadine Armstrong last spring. We enjoyed their fellowship and appreciated the opportunity to minister.
We arrived home late Monday night tired but thankful for the many blessings we received during the past six weeks. During the tour we conducted nine church services in addition to performing for two days at the Cowboy Entertainer Gathering in Townsend, MT. Our journey covered two states (Montana and Wyoming) and we drove 4,231 km (2,629 miles).
Since arriving back in Cochrane, we have unpacked the trailer and repaired the hail damage. For the next few weeks we will assess our tour and prayerfully consider where the Lord would have us go in the Fall. There are many small churches in Montana and Wyoming where our ministry would be well received.
While we will certainly enjoy our time at home, we will continue to seek the Lord’s will for our Fall tour. Your prayers on our behalf will be important to the success of our ministry.
On the trail for Him,
Mike and Suzann
Monday, July 12, 2010
SMALL BUT FAITHFUL
Howdy Folks!
It doesn’t seem possible, but we have come to the end of this tour. New Hope Southern Baptist Church in Cody, WY was our last stop before we start our homeward journey. Pastor Larry and folks at New Hope gave us a warm welcome and let us set up the trailer in their parking lot. The church is located in a quiet residential area and we were quite comfortable.
To say that the church is small would be an understatement. It is a remodeled house with a small addition built to accommodate a Sunday school class. The sanctuary is only about 600 sq. ft and they can squeeze about 30 people inside. In the past several years, they have had few special events and the congregation has dwindled to only 12 members. Hopefully, we have been able to be a source of encouragement to these faithful few. They did their best to invite others to the service and we even got a write-up in the Cody Enterprise the newspaper founded by Buffalo Bill in 1899.
During our stay in Cody we learned that there is an active campground ministry in the RV parks and campgrounds. Cowboy church services are held during the summer. At present, however, there is only one couple doing these services and they are praying for 10 more people to come and help them with this ministry. We promised to keep in touch and pray about the possibility of being involved in this ministry next summer.
On Tuesday, July 13th we start our homeward journey. Although we are looking forward to getting back to Cochrane we are saddened to leave the work here in Montana and Wyoming. Because of the positive responses of the churches and the many invitations to return, however, we know we will be back again. Over the years, each tour has brought new insights and challenges, but never any doubts about why we need to stay on the trail sharing the Gospel message wherever He leads.
On the trail for Him,
Mike & Suzann
It doesn’t seem possible, but we have come to the end of this tour. New Hope Southern Baptist Church in Cody, WY was our last stop before we start our homeward journey. Pastor Larry and folks at New Hope gave us a warm welcome and let us set up the trailer in their parking lot. The church is located in a quiet residential area and we were quite comfortable.
To say that the church is small would be an understatement. It is a remodeled house with a small addition built to accommodate a Sunday school class. The sanctuary is only about 600 sq. ft and they can squeeze about 30 people inside. In the past several years, they have had few special events and the congregation has dwindled to only 12 members. Hopefully, we have been able to be a source of encouragement to these faithful few. They did their best to invite others to the service and we even got a write-up in the Cody Enterprise the newspaper founded by Buffalo Bill in 1899.
During our stay in Cody we learned that there is an active campground ministry in the RV parks and campgrounds. Cowboy church services are held during the summer. At present, however, there is only one couple doing these services and they are praying for 10 more people to come and help them with this ministry. We promised to keep in touch and pray about the possibility of being involved in this ministry next summer.
On Tuesday, July 13th we start our homeward journey. Although we are looking forward to getting back to Cochrane we are saddened to leave the work here in Montana and Wyoming. Because of the positive responses of the churches and the many invitations to return, however, we know we will be back again. Over the years, each tour has brought new insights and challenges, but never any doubts about why we need to stay on the trail sharing the Gospel message wherever He leads.
On the trail for Him,
Mike & Suzann
Monday, July 5, 2010
TEN SLEEP COWBOY CHURCH
Howdy Folks
Wow! What a week this has been in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Daily temperatures reached 105 F, we joined in their July 4th celebrations, went to a rodeo and held cowboy church on the rodeo grounds. We were surrounded by the rodeo stock and, during the service they ran wild horses into the arena. What a setting for a cowboy church! Cowboy hats, jeans, boots, and spurs were the attire for the day. This is cowboy country and we felt the cowboy church was a real highlight of our tour.
The Ten Sleep Southern Baptist Church has only about 30 members. They draw from the ranches in the area, as well as the town (population 305). The church has been without a pastor for quite a while but now has an interim pastor. There are also several competent and active deacons that serve the church. We were invited back next year and, if we are in the area, this will sure be a stop on our tour.
We leave for Cody on Tuesday, July 6th, for our last service in Wyoming. I have been given some names and contact information for event organizers in the Cody area (including cowboy churches). Hopefully, I will be able to contact these people and book some engagements for 2011. It seems that doors continue to open to our ministry in the U.S. as we continue to reach out to the churches in the rural areas and smaller communities.
Please pray for us as we start the long journey back to Cochrane. After nearly six weeks on the road, we are getting tired and are looking forward to getting home to rest. While this has been one of our better-organized tours, the number of performances and services has kept us very busy. Remember it’s your prayers that keep us on the trail.
On the trail for Him,
Mike & Suzann
Wow! What a week this has been in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Daily temperatures reached 105 F, we joined in their July 4th celebrations, went to a rodeo and held cowboy church on the rodeo grounds. We were surrounded by the rodeo stock and, during the service they ran wild horses into the arena. What a setting for a cowboy church! Cowboy hats, jeans, boots, and spurs were the attire for the day. This is cowboy country and we felt the cowboy church was a real highlight of our tour.
The Ten Sleep Southern Baptist Church has only about 30 members. They draw from the ranches in the area, as well as the town (population 305). The church has been without a pastor for quite a while but now has an interim pastor. There are also several competent and active deacons that serve the church. We were invited back next year and, if we are in the area, this will sure be a stop on our tour.
We leave for Cody on Tuesday, July 6th, for our last service in Wyoming. I have been given some names and contact information for event organizers in the Cody area (including cowboy churches). Hopefully, I will be able to contact these people and book some engagements for 2011. It seems that doors continue to open to our ministry in the U.S. as we continue to reach out to the churches in the rural areas and smaller communities.
Please pray for us as we start the long journey back to Cochrane. After nearly six weeks on the road, we are getting tired and are looking forward to getting home to rest. While this has been one of our better-organized tours, the number of performances and services has kept us very busy. Remember it’s your prayers that keep us on the trail.
On the trail for Him,
Mike & Suzann
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