Study:Too long I neglected the Saviour.

Peace,

   I pray the words below bring you to your knees. How often I say, Jesus, I have failed you again, I am sorry. How often does a thought come into my mind or words leave my mouth when I again say, I am sorry Jesus. There are times when I feel such sorrow for what I have said or thought that the pain wells up inside of me and I just cry out Father, forgive me in the name of Jesus. Please neglect Jesus no longer. Repent of your sins.
                                        Too long I neglected the Saviour. 

   Too long as I held to my sin.
   Too long I excused my rejecting,
   And now I am lost without Him.
   It is late, Oh, so late! Yet He knocks at the door,
   And Jesus, sweet Saviour, is calling once more.
 (“Too Long I Neglected” by Dr. John R. Rice, 1895-1980).

The other night I heard the still small voice say. "Psalm 19" I then opened the bible right up to the page. I love when this happens. Such confirmation. Amen?!?!

So when reading Psalm 19 I came across a verse that spoke to my heart. It is verse 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD , my strength, and my redeemer. 

As I was praying this evening I was led to do a study on a few verses in Mark 12. I will start where I was led. Verse 28 28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? So we see a scribe who had been listening to Jesus speak and believing all of what Jesus spoke asked Him a question. "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus replied, "29 The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Jesus first tells the scribe, "The Lord our God is one Lord." There is NO other God. Jesus goes on to tell the scribe that he should love the Lord thy God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength. 

Jesus continues, "31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Jesus tells the scribe he is to love all people as he loves himself. Jesus tells the scribe, "there is none other commandment greater than these."

Let's go on.. "32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

The scribe who was once in darkness and was tempting Jesus was then given understanding by Jesus to know the truth. The scribe now seeing the light tells Jesus (Master) the two greatest commandments , "is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 

The scribe answered Jesus in a thoughtful way. 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Jesus' reply, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." 

We need to be not far from the kingdom of God but ready to enter. When we are with sin we are not ready. We must repent. We mustn't say tomorrow or I am not ready today. Folks, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. 

There are many who don't even realize they have sinned. They are so separated from God that they say, "I am not a sinner" or "I am a good person, I'm going to heaven" or "Jesus loves me that's all that matters" and the list of deceit goes on and on. The father of lies has the lost believing anything their little hearts desire. 

The bible says, "“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” 

In Jesus name with love,

Cassie