Study Desk

"Anyone who doesn't ride for me is against me. If you don't gather with me, then you are scattering it.

"When an evil spirit leaves someone, it goes out searching for someone else in the desert.

When it finds him, if he is not riding for the Boss, the evil spirit will bring seven more, and they will possess him again. He'll be worse off than he was before."

More and more folks crowded around Jesus as he talked, "All those ridin' for themselves keep asking me to do more and more miracles. But the only miracle they will see will be the same one the Boss did for Jonah.

He was dead three days and then came back. This miracle was to prove to the evil people in Nineveh that Jonah came from the Boss. God will do the same thing for his Top Hand.

"No one lights an oil lamp at night and then puts a hat over it. They will put it on a high shelf so that it can shine for everyone to see.

"Your eye is the oil lamp for your body. When your eyes are open to the truth, your whole body shines with light.

But if you are only looking for the ways of the world to please you, then your eye is squeezed shut, and no light is within you.

After Jesus was gone, a religious leader invited him over to his house for lunch. Jesus accepted the invite and went with him.

"Y'all religious people are going to get what's coming to you. Y'all make sure and tithe even the money that comes from your herb patches, but you don't even realize that sticking up for the less fortunate and loving God are just as important. Don't pick and choose what you are supposed to do. Do it all.

"Y'all religious people are going to get what's coming to you. Y'all sure like the box seats at the rodeo and for everyone to know your name at the feed store.

So all the people living now will be held responsible for all the murders of all the prophets from Zechariah to Abel.

While all this was happening, many thousands of people had shown up to see and hear Jesus. There were so many people around that some were getting crushed. Jesus spoke to his twelve cowboys amidst the throng of folks saying, "Watch out for the religious leader's hypocrisy

I'm telling you the truth. If you ride for me in public down here, I will show the angels in heaven that you have eternal life in God's outfit because you are in my tally book.

When the time comes for you to speak, the Holy Spirit will give you the words to say."

He thought to himself, 'I don't have enough grass for all my cows. I wonder what I should do?'

"But God said to the rancher, 'You've been a fool, cowboy! You're gonna die tonight, and someone else will get everything you've worked so hard for.'

So if the Boss takes such care with flowers that are here one day and gone the next, how much more will he care for you? Why do you doubt God so much?

People who don't know or trust in God worry and fret about things like these. But the Boss already knows all your needs and will provide for you.

You just saddle up and ride for him, and he will take care of all your needs.