Luke 7:47 ~ are forgiven

Luke 7:47

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”



When I was in High School, I was in a large denomination believing in Jesus Renewal and being Born Again. A very, very both conservative denomination and liberally happy. I was an Episcopalian before the world wide Church of England had lost 50% of all members and the Episcopal Church USA had gone from 13 million to 800 thousand. My step grandfather Rev. Tate Young saw this coming in the 1970's and talked about this while taking his fist and pounding on the Sunday table of roast, "Easy divorce and finding the Bible outdated does the Church in."

During the end of the 1970's, the Church was holding to the Bible at the time and we were having a very robust Youth Program for Renewal with an almost perfect response record. Works of the Holy Spirit are alive. Alive. And in this group we had once a month meetings where we had about 100 and 150 which were miraculous numbers.

That particular Sunday, we had the meeting near a swimming pool. One pretty 17 year old girl, (let me be clear and say this story is not about my life)  I don't remember her name, she was being immersed and prayed for by 75 teenager girls and two adults. She was new and I had not met her. Her Renewal had just completed. This beautiful summer evening started without the boys. A first time we had separated as a whole group. We began as usual by guitar praise music. We sang for probably 15 minutes and she was anointed with oil and prayed over. This young woman was beaming as brightly as the Texas sun. The prayers ended with the announcement the girl had felt comfortable to share she had started of her high school years and had slept - quickly - with 4 men. She wanted as she found God as her Father to feel reborn. This teenager said she didn't want a spiritual or physical connection to the men anymore she asked God to do the impossible to set her free.

She is a New Creature in Jesus Christ.

Now about this time, you might be thinking this is a disaster. Wrong. It was incredibly beautiful.

God saves the world in Jesus Christ and we Believe Him.

My mother found a very casual group of ladies who had all had very traumatic long-marriage divorces. They all divorced in 1981 at about 25 years of marriage and none remarried. These ladies began with 12 women and the men lived about 6 years after the divorces. Traumatic divorce. With Edward being ill, I now wonder if all these men were already losing brain function. But 12 men died within 6 or so years.

And after my father remarried a friend of my mothers of 25 years, we didn't feel his funeral recognized his blood family. Our Episcopal Priest was so good he said let's have a blood family memorial and read the Funeral Rites, we will speak of having lost a husband and father. So we had a second memorial service with a dozen life long friends and family.

I said to my mother, after the small and beautiful service, "Now you are having your divorce end." Father Tom leaned over and said he didn't agree. I said not in fact, she did divorce, but in Spirit the divorce has ended. Father Tom replied he was divorced and he was factual about this. I explained I was speaking of Spirit. Father Tom relented saying ok he saw that, but don't let facts change.

I agree with him then and now. I also Celebrate the end of Divorce for my parents. Speaking of their divorce as factual.

Luke 19:1-10

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

When Jesus was discussing the world and the troubles we take on only today's problems. Jesus said life has troubles. What will happen years down the road from being anointed clean?

A desert?
The end of summer?
A new season with new memories to be made?
Ghosts of massive public announcements better left undone?
A New Path of God's?

The answer is the Word of God. The Work of mankind is to believe Jesus sent by Father God.

John 6:29
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

We have to believe the Miracle of God's Love and Grace.

We have to believe this Love so well to hold it on cloudy days. To live God's ongoing statement Jesus saves us and we honor His Love with our lives.

Philippians 3:12

I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith
 Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called

Abba, Father God,

Your Promises are for me and are today.

Your Promises are strong and are forever.

Your Word is for me and is for today.

Your Word is True and is Strong and is Forever.

Your Love is for for me and is today.

Your Love is True and is Strong and is Forever.

Jesus is Willing. You are Working. I hold our Faith.

Jesus is with me. Jesus is with the communion and community of saints.

Jesus is with us and with our Loved ones.

Jesus covers us with His Name and with His Promises for our prayers.

Jesus gave us the prayer for more Heaven on earth.

Jesus told us to always Pray with Hope. We Will.

We give Thanks for all You have given. We give You thanks for seeing our Nation in these days.

Violence is when evil and good do not agree and evil hopes instability will help.

Thank You for Solutions to stop the bombings. We give prayer and Thanks for peace.

Jesus covers us with His Name and He covers the Believers and Nations Believing in Him.

Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!