Time With the Word

Mark 9

30 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31a for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them.

It is good to spend time alone with the Word. Yes, it is good to assemble with the Saints, it is good to go out into the community and spread the Word, but in order to be effective in those settings, I believe that I must spend time alone with the Word. I need that quiet time to allow God to speak to me directly. I need that time to stop being concerned about a lesson to teach, a song service to lead, or even a helping hand to lend. I need that time to be refreshed in the Lord and to be strengthened in the Lord and to be firmly grounded in the Lord. I love it when Jesus wants me to spend time with Him so He can teach me. I pray that I can encourage others to love that time with the Lord as well.

What Do You Mean?

Mark 9

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

Sigh. Those of us who claim to believe, often times are of very little faith. I can almost hear the indignation in Jesus’ voice when he asks the dad, “What do you mean, ‘if I can’?” I’ve deserved that indignation from Jesus on more than one occasion. My prayer today is that I would believe that Jesus can do anything, and that I need to ask for His Will to be done, simply relying on the fact that the Will of my Lord will be more than sufficient for me.

All In Crowd

Mark 8

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”

Turning from my selfish ways is so much easier said than done. Yet, it is what is required of me if I am to truly be a follower of Jesus. My Lord is not interested in half-hearted followers. You are either all in, or you are not in at all. I want to be counted among the “all in” crowd.

Speaking of Jesus

Mark 7

36 Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37 They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.”

Isn’t it amazing to think that this crowd can’t stop talking about Jesus, and today there are many who claim to follow Jesus who won’t ever speak up on his behalf? It is still true; everything Jesus does is wonderful. He saves us from our sins, He loves us more than anyone else on the planet, and He is the embodiment of every good and perfect gift from God. I mean, why would we want to tell people about Someone like that?

From the Inside Out

Mark 7

14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”

Lord, I know that I must love You from the inside out. I understand that it is that which comes from within me that defiles me. My own sinful desires, and acting on the desires is what grieves Your heart. Father, help me to combat the evil that resides in me by filling me with Your Holy Spirit every single day. I know that my body is a temple of the Lord, and I know that I must spend time in the Word of God every day so that I can be properly filled from the inside out.

Rest

Mark 6

30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

I must confess that I am one of those Type A personalities. I am a workaholic. I don’t like to let any time go to waste, and have been known to write lesson plans, work on Celebration services, etc. while sitting in waiting rooms of doctor’s offices, etc. Peggy complains that I never stop working, and to a large degree that is true. However, this week, God has laid me flat on my back with a cold/sinus infection that has forced me to “rest.” Two days into this work week, and I have done very little according to my normal schedule. While Sunday afternoon naps have long been a staple of my routine, I know that I need to carve out more “rest time” in my daily schedule. I just pray that God doesn’t have to allow me to get this physically ill before I get smart enough to rest next time. *grin

Unbelief

Mark 6

1 Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” 3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Want to place a restriction on Jesus? Be filled with unbelief. Jesus won’t force Himself on anyone. How sad for people who have the Truth staring them in the face and then reject that Truth. How much do Americans have in common with the people of Nazareth? We live in a country that affords easy opportunity to hear all about Jesus and to come to know Him, yet, as a nation, we have rejected Jesus. Christians in this country, we have our work cut out for us.

Wit's End

Mark 5

25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

Oh to have the faith of this woman! Having suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding (thereby making her ceremonially unclean, effectively cutting her off from the worship of God in the assembly); having suffered at the hands of doctors who took her money, but didn’t help her physically; she was at her wit’s end. Jesus was her last, best hope. Jesus is my last, best hope, too. My sin kept me from communing with God, and while lots of people tried to tell me this or that, it was only when I trusted God’s Word (Jesus) that my condition could be cured. It is a shame that we most often have to wait until we are at our wit’s end before we turn to Jesus.

Stay Where Jesus Plants You

Mark 5

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

What? Jesus won’t allow someone who wants to follow Him to do so? Why? Because Jesus knew this man could be more effective for the Kingdom by staying where he was. There have been many times in my life when I wanted to go for Jesus, with Jesus, anywhere other than where I was. Silly me. There was a time period a few years back when I begged God to send me anywhere. Stupid me. I am so glad that I learned to be where Jesus wants me. Only then, can I truly be effective for the Kingdom.

Sowing Seeds

Mark 4

14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

There is so much to glean from this passage. My thoughts include:

*Now, ‘splain that whole once saved, always saved things again to me? Cause it just isn’t taught by Jesus in this passage, now is it?

*Christians are the farmer…it is our job to sow the seeds of God’s Word. Period. We are not the Lord of the Harvest, we are the sowers of seeds.

*We need to pay attention to God’s Word and not let satan get to us, not let our daily life’s problems get to us, not let the worries of this life or the lure of wealth get to us. We need to stay in God’s Word daily and let it do it’s work in us!

Be Still in the Presence of the Lord

Psalm 37

7 Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

I am a multitasker. There, I have confessed my sin. As I sit here in my office this morning reading my daily devotions and writing this journal entry, I also have another computer running uploading a video for the church. My cell phone is letting me know of a text message coming in right now. I have to work very hard at being still in the presence of the LORD. Make no mistake, God has my undivided attention at this moment, but only because I got all that other stuff set up and let it roll before sitting down with the Word. Yeah, it is better when I do my devotional reading at home before coming into the office, but I am still one who struggles with being still before the LORD. Pray for me in this regard, will you, please?

Eats With Sinners

Mark 2

13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

I’m reading Arron Chambers’ book “Eats With Sinners” these days. What a convicting read it is! The book is based on the principles found in this passage of Scripture. In Jesus’ culture, to eat with someone was of great social significance. It indicated a desire for intimacy…to really get to know someone. So, when the religious leaders of the day saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and prostitutes (“scum”), they were indignant. How DARE someone who claimed to follow God hang out with such people?!?! Jesus puts the smug, self-righteous separatists in their proper place by stating that He did not come to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know that they are sinners. Father, may I be known more by the company I keep…people who know they are sinners and who want a relationship with Jesus. May I never again be a religious separatist like I have been in the past, and may Jesus be glorified by all I do each day of my life.

Jesus Is Willing...Are You?

Mark 1

40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.

Jesus is moved with compassion and He is willing. The question that remains then, is do we have faith? The leper in this passage obviously had faith. To look Jesus in the eye and say, “if you are willing you can heal me and make me clean” takes great courage and faith. He didn’t pray that pitiful prayer we find ourselves praying these days of , “Lord, please help me to overcome (fill in the blank).” No, this leper understood that the power belongs solely to Jesus. Jesus didn’t help him overcome leprosy, Jesus rid him of it. Jesus is willing to rid me of my sins, my sickness, my selfishness…all I have to do is believe that He can do so, asking for that in faith. And THAT, my friends, is a lot harder to do than it is to say.

Wisdom

Proverbs 9

11 Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. 12 If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

Wisdom comes from studying and applying the Word of God to your life. Proverbs talks a lot about the importance of wisdom, and the necessity of having it. I’m simply going to add that I am much wiser when I am in the Word daily, allowing it to fill me, and when I do my best to live by its precepts and teachings.

Don't Be Afraid

Matthew 28

5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

“Don’t be afraid!” Yeah, that is an angel’s first line in most instances when people encounter an angel in the Bible, but it is also good advice when telling people to go spread the Good News. You see, the first time the Gospel is proclaimed is actually right here in this passage. The Good News is that Jesus Who was crucified, has risen from the dead! That is the same message we are charged with spreading today, yet fear keeps our mouths shut when we should be shouting the Good News from the rooftops! Satan’s greatest weapon against the Gospel is the fear of those charged with spreading it. May we stop giving satan a victory by being afraid to boldly proclaim the Good News, and may our proclamation not just be with our lips, but with our daily lives.

Praising God Constantly

Psalm 34

1 I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

2 I will boast only in the Lord;

let all who are helpless take heart.

3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;

let us exalt his name together.

The Psalms are filled with expressions of praise to God, but as I read this passage today, I am struck by the notion that such praise is to take place at ALL TIMES. While I praise God often, the question I must wrestle with today is, do I CONSTANTLY speak his praises? How different would my life be if I was so busy giving God praise that I didn’t have time to grumble or complain, or even to just be blasé about the stuff going on around me? It is my desire to live a life of praise, boasting only in the Lord, encouraging others to take heart, telling of the Lord’s greatness always and exalting HIS NAME without ceasing.

Yahweh's Compassion

Exodus 34

6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. 7a I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty.”

Spoken from the mouth of Yaweh Himself. Let there be no doubt that God is a God of loving forgiveness. Let there be no doubt that God is a God of justice. The guilty are without excuse when they stand before God. Those who do not repent, seeking God’s forgiveness, and who are not baptized into Christ are without excuse. God’s Word is true. His expectations are clear. His Son is the Savior, and obedience is required. To those of us who follow Christ to the best of our abilities, God bestows His unfailing love, faithfulness, and forgiveness.

Glory To God Always

Psalm 33

1 Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise him. 2 Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. 3 Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy. 4 For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. 5 He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

As a worship arts minister, I LOVE this passage from Psalm 33. It is fitting for the pure to praise the Lord, and we are made pure through the Blood of Jesus that covers our sins when we come to Him in repentance and are buried with Him in Baptism. This morning, I have been putting together a list of “new” songs the praise team will be working on over the next several months. Some of the songs in this list are written by Rich Mullins, thus, the use of “new” here. Some are brand new, many are not. All give praise and glory and honor to our LORD. May His Name be praised always, not just by our lips or our musical instruments, but by our very lives! The Word of the LORD holds true, and I desire to be an instrument of His unfailing love for the people in this world who are desperately seeking answers. As a Christ Follower, I know THE Answer, and I desire to point people to Him by the way I live. May God receive all the glory always!

It's All Because of Jesus

Psalm 32

1 Oh, what joy for those

whose disobedience is forgiven,

whose sin is put out of sight!

2 Yes, what joy for those

whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,

whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

I am so grateful for the forgiveness of sin I have through Jesus. Mere words could never adequately express my thanksgiving, and God isn’t interested in just my words. May my life reflect the joy I have because my sins have been forgiven, removed, and forgotten! It’s all because of Jesus, I’m alive. It’s all because the Blood of Jesus Christ that covers me and brings this dead man life. It’s all because of Jesus I’m alive. (Thanks Steve Fee for these lyrics!)

Betrayal

Matthew 26

14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

30 pieces of silver: the price that had to be paid under the Law if an ox gored a slave to death. Judas sold out Jesus for the price of a slave. How easy is it for me to sit here, 2,000 years later and condemn Judas for his act of betrayal and for the meager price he was willing to sell out his Lord for. How hypocritical it would be of me to have such an attitude. How often do I betray my Jesus for far less? When I fail to stand up for Him, I am betraying Him. When I fail to acknowledge his Lordship in my life, I betray Him. When I allow the stuff of this world to come in between Him and me, I betray Him. Yeah, I have to stop rationalizing and start calling sin what it is: betrayal of Jesus. Thank You, Lord for Your forgiveness. Help me Father to stop betraying my Jesus, and to live for Him to the best of my ability this day and every day You grant me from this day forward.

Loving Compassion

Matthew 25

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

The more I grow in my relationship with Christ, the more I realize that for far too many years, I have been on the side who hears, “when you refused to help…” I don’t know that I am still on the side that is doing enough, but I am trying to take strides in that direction. As the Brandon Heath song says, “give me Your eyes for just one second, give me Your eyes so I can see.” May my eyes be opened to the Jesus in front of me every day in need of my loving compassion.

Be Prepared

Matthew 25

1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

I am an Eagle Scout. As such, I certainly know and try to live by the Scout Motto: “Be Prepared.” This seems to be the motto Jesus wants us to live by as well. Christ followers are called to be prepared for His imminent return. We don’t know the day nor the hour, but we should be ready…no matter what. We have no need to get entangled in pointless controversies, like when that Return will occur, but should instead live our lives to the fullest in Christ. Loving others and guiding them to Jesus, for example. Serving others and guiding them to Jesus. Showing others the way that Jesus would have us to live. When we do these things, our lamps are full, and when the Bridegroom returns for His Bride, we will be prepared.

No Treatries

Exodus 23

32 “Make no treaties with them or their gods. 33 They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.”

God is giving instructions to the nation of Israel as they prepare to journey to the Promised Land. God is very clear in these instructions: God’s people are not to make treaties with pagans, for to do so will ensare them into idolatry. When I think about the Church in this nation today, it saddens me to see the treaties we have made with the pagans. We’ve allowed the government to take over our responsibility of caring for the widows and orphans. We gleefully ingest the pop culture, entertainment, and way of thinking. While we are called to live IN this world, we are called to NOT BE of this world. In fact, God tells the Church that friendship with the world makes us enemies of His. While we must love the sinner, we must hate the sin. Our involvement with pagan folks must be with the ultimate purpose of leading them to Christ. Yes, we must gain their trust in order to do that, we just need to make sure that we don’t allow them to lead us into idolatry. We, as the Church in America, have not done a very good job in this regard.

Vessel of Thanksgiving

Psalm 28

6 Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy.
 7 The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

As I continue to take stock of the blessings God showers down upon me every day, I also need to remember to be a source of peace and joy to others in his name. That is not easy. I am way too often, selfish and snappy. Thank You for Your forgiveness, Lord, help me to be filled with thanksgiving to the point that songs of praise overflow from my life every day, and other people are drawn closer to You in the process. Use me Lord for Your glory always. You have not only heard my cry for mercy, You have given me mercy and grace. I cannot do any less for my fellow man if I am to follow Christ.

Wait Patiently

Psalm 27:14

14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Had a conversation last night with one of my youth group kids who is struggling with something for which they want to blame God. My heart aches for my kid, and I know that the depth of their hurt is extremely deep. However, God is not to blame. Why is it that when bad things happen, we want to blame God, but when good things happen we rarely credit God. Why do we have this notion that God is out to punish us? Why do we buy the lies that satan continually pushes? We are not patient enough to wait on God in many cases, in others, we are just blinded by our own agenda. In still others, the hurt is so deep, we simply don’t understand. Been there, done all three of those. As I grow closer in my walk with Christ, I am coming to realize that waiting on God to reveal His WHOLE plan is the only way I can survive this pain and suffering and seemingly endless unanswered questions of this life. Now, if I could just help a certain youth group kid of mine whom I dearly love understand that as well…sigh.

Wilderness of Sin

Exodus 16

1 Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. 2 There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

It’s interesting that the place the Israelites went after God had rescued them from Pharaoh’s army by parting the Red Sea, is the “wilderness of sin.” How often after God has done something astonishing for us to we wander straight into the wilderness of sin? How long after God has accomplished something marvelous in our lives do we wait before we start complaining about God once again? Lord, my prayer today is that I would stay out of the wilderness of sin, and that I would draw nearer to my Lord Jesus today than I did yesterday. Help me to stay focused on You, O God!

Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures?

Matthew 21

42 Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?
‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’
43 I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. 44 Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”
45 When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

Again, Jesus rebukes the religious leaders of His day for not reading the Scriptures. Again, I would say to those who consider themselves to be religious leaders in America today: “didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?” Why do so many people omit what the Scriptures clearly teach on salvation, deciding instead to follow man-made rules? Sigh. Why do so many who claim to follow Christ simply rely on pre-chewed food? That’s what the Bread of Life is when you never read the Scriptures for yourself, but simply rely on someone else to tell you what the Scriptures say.