The loser gets to win

The loser gets to win

by | Mar 21, 2024 | Behind the Bucking Chutes

By Scott Hilgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross

Do you ever get frustrated that someone you know rejects God and the Bible but always seems to come out on top?

Maybe it’s a team roper or bull rider who lives how he wants, parties hard, treats others badly but just won that year- end buckle while you’ve tried to live right by God’s word and always come up short in the money. Maybe you’ve been tithing faithfully

You aren’t alone. Asaph expresses those frustrations in Psalm 73, 3,000 years ago.

In this Psalm, he describes the wicked as seeming to gain more and more. He openly shares his own envies as their status increases while he is left to feel like God is punishing him.

Through it all, he describes how faithful he has been to what God commands, doing what is right while others continue to flourish.

He realizes his negative thoughts toward God are causing him to stumble and he reminds himself of who he is to God and that the wicked are going to perish while he will be with God for eternity.

He shares frustrations many of us have experienced. We do everything we can to follow God’s word and somehow, those who live how they want to live in sin, seem to be the ones getting ahead and we feel like we’re getting further behind.

As he shares your frustrations, he still comes back to the reality that God is still everything to him.

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Life may not always go as we want it to, but we have to remind ourselves that when we have repented of our sin and asked to be forgiven through a saving faith in Jesus and what he did for us on the cross by taking time punishment meant for our sins, we have a perfect forever waiting for us in Heaven.

We are sometimes mislead by the idea that becoming a Christian means life will keep getting better and better. We forget this is a fallen world and that because Adam and Eve chose sin, we live in a world where bad things really do happen to good people. It isn’t God that does it to us, it’s God that has offered us an eternity free of this sinful world when we pass away while those who do not have a saving faith suffer an eternity in hell.

That doesn’t mean we should take joy in knowing what waits for those who reject God and the way to salvation through Jesus; it means we should take comfort in knowing our hope is in eternity.

“God of the is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

It’s hard for us to understand how short our time here is and even if nothing ever goes the way we want it to, we have a perfect eternity waiting for us. We have a time fast approaching where everything is made right and it will last forever.

How we handle false prophets

How we handle false prophets

by | Mar 21, 2024 | Behind the Bucking Chutes

The following was written to help us understand false prophets in response to false ideas that the cowboy community, among thousands of others, were sharing at the time of the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse, centered around End Times prophecy and the United States’ connection to it.

By Will Brunke / Cowboys of the Cross

Prophecy. Who gets it, right?

Ironically, the answer is inside the question that was a poor attempt at dry humor. History tells us that modern interpretation of prophecy is akin to a complicated and entangled ball of yarn. Even the best of us can find that tugging on a single string in earnest opens up a realm of confusion that seems delivered to us by Hollywood’s newest multi-verse-themed blockbuster.

It’s true. New Testament prophecy is an elusive concept to biblical scholars today much like the Theory of Relativity once was to scientists. There are competing attempts to define New Testament prophecy and make it fit into a neat, clean, square little box –like we humans love to do. Typically, the main competing theories of how prophesy works fall into five main categories such as;

Inspired exegesis (interpretation)

Pastoral exhortation (preaching)

Exposition (proclamation of the Gospel)

Inspired thoughts (inner divine voice)

Mediation (spirits speaking native tongue of the spectator)

STOP!! We get it, it’s complicated!

Don’t worry, this is as far as we will go on “diving deep” into prophecy.

So why are we here then? What are you getting at, Will? The important thing to grasp is the lack of reconciliation between the five or how they fit together. But any of the five can be identified in the New Testament. The real danger for us today is that there are voids of ambiguity between these five groups where evil can set up shop, lurk, and look to devour the undisciplined.

There’s no secret that we are surrounded by false teachers and spiritual warfare. It has become so apparent in today’s society, that even a “prophet” who has a low-percentage track record of accurate predictions can still wield a huge amount of clout and influence.

Why? It is only because the “prophet”, (profiteer would be the better word) knows his/her consumer and is ready to supply their audience with the desired product of their hearts, feeding into what they want to hear. Corrupt hearts, that is. In today’s day and age, the desire for specifically obsequious and self-serving content is chosen at a far greater margin than content centered in truth and holding to account.

A heart truly given to Jesus, even in the infantile stages of faith, should be able to distinguish and want to question why a prophesied event did not occur. Because God is never wrong and His word and meaning in the Bible never changes. God does not change His plan on the basis of unseen information a ‘prophet’ today comes up with reading into or reinterpreting scripture to fit a scenario while we as humans do.

I could spend hours divulging stories about individuals who I have ministered to or have personal relationships with, who have bought into and supported false prophets.

There are strong parallels between false profits and many other scams that we poke fun at or wonder, “how did that person ever fall for that?” But while our neighbor may have sent $5000 to that imaginary prince in Nigeria, we have given our personal seals of approval by sharing, liking and reposting the latest scripturally untested fad, or bought the newest apocalyptical rhetoric of the latest profiteer of prophecy.

So what’s the solution then, Mr. Smarty-pants? Will, how do we defeat these heretical zealots and send them back to the pits from whence they came? Well, the short and sweet version is we can’t. The Bible affirms they will exist and if you want apocalyptic, end of the world signs, we’re told by Jesus himself in a list of what to watch for near the end that false prophets are what people will follow.

Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Earlier, Jesus warns us inMatthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

And Paul encourages Timothy in a letter to him that Timothy needs to stay strong and press on with preaching the gospel because people are going to follow what they want to hear.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

This was a problem 2,000 years ago and it still is. We will never remove from ourselves every wolf in sheep’s clothing just like we will never be totally free from the evil one’s temptations. However, we can each resolve to have a greater impact on our immediate surroundings through Christ and being intentional about learning and then teaching others Biblical truth.

The speed at which technology has enabled us to witness change in our lifetime is unprecedented. But this is still nothing outside of Gods perfect plan. For the Lord has given us powerful tools within our design that transcend time.

One of the best tools He has equipped us with is the value of intimate personal relationships. We are called to cultivate relationships both inside and outside of our marriage, church, and family. How Christians treat their neighbors and how we are seen as innocent as doves yet as shrewd as serpents will open doors for us not only to spread the Gospel and tell others about our Lord Jesus, but it will give others a pause for wisdom and a cause for ears to open to issues of concern that we share in our daily life.

It’s these personal relationships that we can have the most impact with as we minister to those who are frustrated and stumbling, whether in their faith or outside of faith. Used tactfully, conversations can lead and steer a person toward truth and away from chaos. These relationships and therefore the conversations within those relationships take time and attentiveness. It’s no wonder the enemy is trying its best to speed up the mechanism to a near blurry pace.

Keeping your mind on prayer

Keeping your mind on prayer

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Behind the Bucking Chutes

By Scott Hilgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross

What do you think about the most? What gets most of your attention?

A rodeo cowboy, especially on the roughstock side of the arena, is always thinking about his sport. Where he’s going to enter, what went wrong or right the weekend before. How he’s going to get his fees paid this week. Visualizing bull or bronc ride after bronc ride.

A rancher is always thinking about his stock and operation. How he’s going to finance the new barn. What’s the weather going to be like next week. When does he need to be ready to move the cattle to the summer pastures. What are the prices doing.

More than a lot of work or interests, both of these lifestyles demand we give it much of our time and attention to be successful so our thoughts are never far from it.

That’s what Paul means when he tells us to pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Toward the end of his letter to this church, Paul offers them several sets of instructions in how to conduct themselves in a Christ-like way from trying to do whats right to someone to being thankful even when we might not be feeling grateful for a challenge we’re face.

In that list, he gives us a three-word instruction that sound impossible: pray without ceasing.

How can we possible do this. Even if I didn’t have to fight against my mind wandering after a few minutes of praying, how am I supposed to pray and never stop? How can I always keep my attention on prayer and accomplish any other task at the same time?

But it isn’t about constantly praying to God through every waking moment. Paul wants us to develop a heart for prayer. He wants us to have an attitude that is aware of the opportunities around us to pray so that we are always ready to go to God.

The same way rodeo or ranching takes a lot of our attention, our thoughts about God’s presence should never be far from our minds. Having a thoughtful readiness to pray helps us keep God in the front of our thinking.

We understand through numerous other verses the importance of prayer, the different reasons for praying and how it is much more than just asking God to meet what we think our needs are.

With prayer being so important, Paul wants us to see that we should always be looking for those moments when we can pray.

A person with a heart or attitude toward prayer will find himself just naturally praying in his mind for God to give calm to that nervous barrel racer back for her first time after a wreck that injured her horse. That person will automatically think to pray for the people in the car wreck he passed on the way to the rodeo. The rancher will automatically pray for his wife off and on throughout the day despite the distractions of two calves being born while she starts her new job.

It takes practice, but the more we are intentional about opportunities to pray, the easier it gets to find ourselves always ready to pray.

Sometimes we represent sponsors or our own interests better than we give Jesus

Sometimes we represent sponsors or our own interests better than we give Jesus

by | Feb 15, 2024 | Behind the Bucking Chutes

By Scott Hilgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross

When a cowboy or bull rider reaches a level where he gets a corporate sponsorship, he works for that sponsor. When we own our own business, we want employees that represent us to the public well and we think twice about how we speak to someone. We take our commitment to our sponsor seriously and we care that he or she or the business is well-represented.

Really, it’s a terrible comparison to how we should represent Jesus and why we should take his instructions to us from the Bible seriously. The sponsorship or business ownership example doesn’t come close to the importance of following Jesus but it at least gets us looking in the right direction.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

To be the righteousness of God means that when we are truly saved through our faith in Jesus and our request for forgiveness through our repentance of sin, that despite our faults, mistakes, failures and sin, God now sees us as perfect, right before Him.

Once we’re saved, we become ambassadors of Jesus, something far more important than representing a brand paying your fees at the PBR and NFR. Jesus paid the penalty for your sin and gave you eternal life. Now we have a chance to both show others how Jesus has changed our lives by making us right with God and to tell them how to receive the same.

We also need to hold tightly to grace because as we try to live like Jesus, God knows we’re going to fail. One of the main points of receiving His grace is not so we can intentionally make mistakes and go on living the way we want to, but because He knows we’re going to blow it. Sometimes it’s privately or seen only by our closest family and friends and sometimes it’s in traffic with our “God is my copilot” bumper sticker there for everyone to see. Sometimes it’s in how we’re speaking to an employee in the lumber store because they ordered the wrong product for you and your job is going to be delayed as your Philippians 4:13 tattoo is showing on your t-shirted arm.

We’re going to blow it.

But are we living like we believe God’s word is true? Are we living like we believe what Jesus did on the cross for each and every one of us is the real deal and that our salvation is real? Do we take him seriously when he commands us to go into the world and tell others about him and teach them now to walk in his ways?

We can’t walk in His ways if he don’t open God’s word in the Bible, pursue the teaching that’s out there or even take time to talk to Him in prayer.

1 John 2:4-6 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

A lot of us would tell someone we’re a Christian if asked what our ‘religion’ is, but without a life-changing, saving faith in Jesus Christ, it’s the same as what John is saying here, we aren’t really Christians. We may not even understand or realize it. We don’t know we’re lying because we’re lying to ourselves and think we’re going to Heaven. We can’t judge whether someone is saved or not but we can certainly wonder based on how someone chooses to live. If we say we believe in Jesus we should live like we do and want to follow his commandments.

The fact many of us identify as Christians but don’t should rock a lot of us to our core. We take it with so little seriousness that when the day comes that we stand before God and are denied the kingdom of Heaven, there is no excuse. Right here, right now, if you’re reading this and don’t know if you’re saved or not, one sign is whether or not how you live your life lines up with what John is saying. John walked with Jesus. I think we should take his words seriously even if it was 2,000 years ago.

Temporary happiness can come from a buckle, eternal joy comes from God

Temporary happiness can come from a buckle, eternal joy comes from God

by | Feb 1, 2024 | Behind the Bucking Chutes

By Scott Hilgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross

It’s pretty common in the culture around us that people pursue what makes them happy. Half the advertisements on tv are showing people being made happy driving expensive trucks or using the latest phone upgrades.

We tell ourselves to chase our dreams or that we only have one life to live, so we should do whatever we need to make us happy.

We should cut loose the people who make us unhappy. We should surround ourselves with people who help us make our dreams come true.

It isn’t that God wants us to be unhappy, but these are lies that take our focus off of Him.

Matthew 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Verse 21 in particular makes it clear that what we chase reveals what we value the most—the pursuit of worldly happiness that is temporary and easily taken from us or destroyed, or the hope of eternal joy in Heaven.

It’s okay to have goals. How we work to achieve them can be done in a way that points people to Jesus and brings God glory. But when our happiness depends on winning a buckle at a rodeo finals or qualifying for the PBR and we don’t achieve that goal, it can be devastating for some of us.

And cutting people loose who we think hold us back from our dreams isn’t as Biblical as surrounding ourselves with mature Christians who can help us grow more like Jesus while working to restore broken relationships and pointing others to Jesus.

God isn’t asking us to be miserable in our time here. He knows there are going to be plenty times where we face challenges and hardships. He gives us teaching and encouragement in the Bible to help us get through those difficult times.

And He created what we call the fruit of the Spirit which are attributes that grow inside of us that show us our salvation is real as we become more and more like Jesus.

Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Joy, as one of those fruits, can still be a temporary feeling but it’s something that can get stronger in us each time we feel it and it is largely tied to seeing and interacting with the world through our understanding of who we are as Christians and what the Bible teaches us.

Joy is much deeper than happiness and while there will be times we feel sadness, joy can always be found when we turn our attention to God and all the good that waits for us in Heaven. Pursuing joy brings glory to God while pursuing happiness is all about ourselves.

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

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