The preservation of our joy in God takes work. It is a fight. Our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, and he has an insatiable appetite to destroy one thing: the joy of faith. But the Holy Spirit has given us a sword called the Word of God for the defense of our joy. Or, to change the image, when Satan huffs and puffs and tries to blow out the flame of your joy, you have an endless supply of kindling in the Word of God.
John Piper

The Cosmic Cowboy

The Cosmic Cowboy

The Cosmic Cowboy
by Barry McGuire

Do you ever get the feeling when your driving on the L.A. freeways, the Southeren Cal. highways and byways that somehow or another you just don’t belong here. Well, thats an honest feeling. That’s the Holy Ghost whispering to you. The freeways that we were created for you, you can’t see them with your eyes, can’t touch them with your fingers, can’t hear them with your ears. You can only know them with your heart. You know, God took his kingdom and He tucked it away in an invisable place where people could only see it with their heart. Well….

I met a Cosmic Cowboy
and He’s ridin the stary range.
He’s a supernatural plowboy.
He’s dressed up kind of strange.
At first you know, I didn’t even see him; Hey, I was out there on the run.
But that old hat that He’s wearin,
its shinin brighter than the sun.
And when my eyes adjusted,
to the flashin of his smile;
Oh, I saw his invitation. He said,
“Come on, we’ll go ridin for awhile.”
And you know we rode along together,
for more than half a day.
Right through the changin weather;
the sky was all turning gray.
And the chilly winds were blowin,
and the cold was cutting deep.
Then it started snowing,
the trail was gettin steep.
I was just about to turn around,
an head on back down the way we came.
Somehow without a sound,
I heard Him call my name.
Lookin up, I saw we was high up on this ridge. He took me by my hand;
lead me right over to the edge.
I was so scared I couldn’t find a single word to say. I mean, there’s 10,000 feet of empty air, and it’s just about an inch away.
But a million miles was out beyond the waving of his hand.
And I was looking through His eyes,
right in through another land.
He said; “This is my Fathers ranch,
just as far as you can see.
He made it out of nothing;
every branch, every tree.
The stars, and the mountians,
the rivers, the streams;
the oceans and the fountains,
and the vally of your dreams.
Thats right,
I know that place you long to be.
Truth is,
I’m the only door,
you’re going to have to pass right through me.” Bendin back I tiped my hat so I could look Him in the eye.
He just smiled and gave me confidence.
He said; “Go ahead and try.”
Well, it was now or never,
and I knew I had to start.
So I took that step and I went fallin,
straight in through His heart.
The first thing that I noticed,
comming out the other side;
All my fears had vanished.
Jesus taught me how to fly!
There’s a Cosmic cowboy,
and he rides the stary range.
He’s a supernatural plowboy,
and he is dressed up kind of strange.
To think I nearly missed Him,
being out there on the run.
Ah, but that old hat that he’s whearin, its shinning brighter than the sun.
And when my eyes adjusted,
to the flashin of his smile;
Hey, I saw his invitation.
He said;
“Come on, Me and You,
we’ll go ridin for awhile.”