Cowboy, Redneck & Rural Pride   The Benjamites were instructed by God to destroy the Jebusites.    God would deliver the Jebusites to them, and they were to smite them and “utterly destroy them…..nor show mercy unto them”.  But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites in the manner they were instructed by God.   Consequently the Jebusites were the last enemy entrenched within the city of Jerusalem and were the ones who taunted David saying,…”thou shalt not come in hither”. Rural Christians, out of the mainstream, as well as non traditional Christian ministries everywhere have a great opportunity to reach out and influence a lot of folks that the main stream churches may never be able to reach.    Many are attracted to non traditional rural ministries, cowboy churches etc.., because they do not have the look or feel they associate with “traditional religion”. Many of these are as the “lost sheep” of Jeremiah 50:, who most likely would never grace the doors again of traditional churches.  Some, because of hurts suffered by… “Shepherds who have caused them to go astray”.  Others have suffered hurts from the traditions of men and religion.  Some have rejected “traditional ministries” because it is “there”, previously, they have suffered the horrible sting of a haughty spirit. Typically, these hurt ones will recognize before anyone, any remnants we have of “cowboy pride”, “redneck pride”, or “haughty independent rural pride”.   Some rural people have a tendency to allow these the old “Jebusites” to hang around after they come to know Jesus. The “Jebusites”, are as our “cowboy/redneck/rural pride”.  These  old enemies which we may have allowed to remain will be saying to the ones we aspire to bring in; ….. ”Thou shalt not come in hither”.  Thus, those feeling this rejection may quickly reject us and likewise may reject the one we seek to represent.  We, as rural Christians, must die to self and bring our old “cowboy pride” or “redneck” pride, or “haughty independent rural pride”, to Jesus and ask him to kick these old enemies out once and for all.    If we do not, these old enemies will, as the Jebusites did, grow, fortify and once again manifest to resist us all from entering into that unity and purpose which God has ordained for his church. Byrl Keith Chadwell © 6/2008 #