Matthew 18:21-19:2 ~ He healed them there

Matthew 18:21-19:2

 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.^{[a monetary unit worth 20 years' salary]  25}  And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.  

²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,^{[a day wage]} and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 

 ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴  And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^[torturers] until he should pay all his debt.  

³⁵  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

19 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ² And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

And He healed them there

The true feeling of forgiveness is exactly the same as the one we all experienced as a child, when we would swim underwater and come up gasping for air with great gratitude.

Thank You Father God. In Jesus.  God bless us all. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

2 Corinthians 8:7-15 ~ As you excel in everything—

Manna

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

7 But as you excel in everything—
in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness,
and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 

11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.

12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

 

God is interesting. There is no limit to His Storehouse.

Deuteronomy 28
The LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12"The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

This is what Paul thought of the people he brought the Good News of Jesus Christ to:

You excel in everything— in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.


Paul had so many, many verses explaining of the Love God has for us.


If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

And now these these three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.

Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.

While they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.

This Scripture is found by just browsing Corinthians idly. Paul has pages and page declaring why he left his life to bring Jesus to - us. If you need a booster on how wide, deep and high is God's Love - look for this as you flip through the pages just telling us specifically of the Love for His people proclaimed in Jesus.


Manna - God sent renewal each day if we look for the moment in each new morning we see His Mercies renew each day. An inspiring part to manna - God's blessings do not have to be locked away - they are refreshed and renewed daily. In gratitude we see the sufficiency of each day. God not burdening us - but strengthening and encouraging us.

Father God, as we daily open our hands to You to invite You in -  we  are checking  we are New Creations in You. Open my heart to create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me.

Bring me the joy of Your Salvation, and uphold me with a willing Spirit. Renew my mind and help me in Your Will discern what is Your Godly will, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Let us put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Put in me love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

We place in Your Care and Love - our loved ones. The people you bring us and our Churches - may her doors open each day in Expectation of Your Glory, and our Nation. Knowing all Goodness is in You, Father God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Matthew 12 ~ The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand"

The Cathedral of Basil the Blessed

Matthew 12

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’

37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight.

Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

 
The real Jesus has personality, Joy in Healing and delights in His People. Jesus shows us His Nature. 

This is why Large Crowds saw Jesus raise the son of the Widow of Nain - her despair and need were the basis of the Multitudes of Believers storming into the Temple when Jesus was found to be Alive. Their Witness. The need only for Joy - when Jesus raised a leader of the Synagogue's daughter - privately.  Jesus didn't need the political pull - this was for this man's pain and his request to Jesus.

Not all the hearers of Jesus delighted in him. Jesus was known to see right into a Person and be able to tell us exactly what was what. Jesus is the Light of the World. And He is Truth with Grace upon Grace!

Here is an evangelical challenge  -What if you had to preach to Ivan the Terrible?

A Very Important and Striking aspect of Evangelism is this 
- What about God do we Love?   
This is Exactly how we convey Jesus the Lord to the ones we Love. The Gospel is received with Love in our Souls.

An aspect of God appealing to Ivan was Truth and was a Love for the People. Ivan wanted people not to be afraid of him. Basil was honest - Loving - bold.

Known as the Cathedral of Basil the Blessed, a Russian Orthodox Cathedral, it is the geometric center of Moscow since the 14th century. Built by Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), it contains eight side churches arranged around the ninth, the tenth church was erected in 1588 over the grave of venerated Basil - Fool for Christ. Basil lived:

Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD,
he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

Basil was an apprentice shoemaker in Moscow, but became a shoplifter. He gave to the poor to shame the miserly and help those in need. He rebuked Ivan the Terrible for not paying attention in church, and for his violent behavior towards the innocent.

Most of the time, admonishing anyone with name "the Terrible" wasn’t such a good idea, but apparently Ivan had a soft spot for the holy fool (as Basil was also known) and ordered a Church to be built in his name after Basil died. When Basil died on August 2, 1557,
Ivan the Terrible himself acted as pallbearer and carried his coffin to the cemetery.

Ivan appreciated being boldly told to be merciful and be a servant of Christ Jesus. Ivan appreciated Basil for living Basil's mercy, admonition and Love.

Basil - MUST have met with timing only sent by the Lord Father God Almighty, because the rest of Ivan the Terrible's reign was marked by a violent spiral downward. Basil's life was remembered as a servant of Jesus Christ and inspired many, including Ivan the Terrible's son.


What would have inspired a man to take on Ivan the Terrible?

Ivan had a Terrible Childhood. To read the summaries of Ivan's life is to disregard the full instruction of a man struggling to do the right thing in the 15th century. The rules were different. Ivan actually had a first wife the summaries disregard. Ivan judged her to be insane and weirdly judgmental - instead of killing her or putting her in a terrible mental institution - he had her put in a nunnery where he figured she had a chance.

Ivan traveled to France after one of the wars ended and he met young Charles IX of France. He saw how suppressed Charles IX was by his mother as regent. He lifted the young king in his arms and strolled out of the Court to explain to Charles, like Russia, France must offer hope and jobs and a way just for the people of the land. He was quite kind to the king and felt real empathy for him. Catherine the Great modeled some of her governmental ideas of trying to bring prosperity to the people based upon this man.

Basil did not just renounce Ivan as a Person.
Basil saw the chance of goodness in Ivan.
Basil, because of his Love, felt like there was a chance to reach Ivan.
Basil was seeing the good in Ivan. With Love.

Basil's life, giving to the poor, may have inspired the legends of Robin Hood 100 to 200 years later. Ivan the Terrible's son, Feodor commissioned more towers to be built, 30 years later, around Basil's grave and the Cathedral that became known as Basil's Cathedral.





Father God, teach us daily to speak the aspects of God into the hearts of the ones we Love.

Help us to remember all the time -Jesus is God's Living Word. Today, Jesus our God is Living and active bringing wonders to us. I had a bad dream and the phone made a sweet noise and I realized my dream was silly. Thank You for Your mercy God. Jesus brings us life and light.

Father God talkers of God just talk. When we show, today, exactly like the Early Church - the salvation of God is truly Love we have aspects to reveal in our actions. You have said "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21

"An expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?""What is written in the law?" He asked him. "How do you read it?"He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."You've answered correctly," He told him. "Do this and you will live."- Luke 10: 25-28

Jesus tells us loving kindness reveals Salvation.


"I have not come to condemn the world, but to save it." John 3:17 Jesus has Bold Words.

"Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."- John 8:11 Jesus conveys Himself as God.

Father God, We are supposed to sacrifice ourselves like Queen Victoria picked up her finger bowl and drank as her guest did. God says He honors mercy over religious sacrifice. We speak words of blessings for those You disagree with the most.

 Ephesians 3:12 Jesus, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Jesus LIVES!

2 Corinthians 3:12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness

We will Gather, Father God. We will be filled with the Holy Spirit and pray for appropriate boldness of the Early Church's Love.

We ask Your Blessing for Our Freedom of Speech and we ask for Jesus to Live Giving Truth and Grace upon Grace.  Lord Please Bless Our Nation.

We pray that All Churches open the doors every single day to open in Worship and Food and Fellowship as the Book of Acts suggests. When Jesus blesses fish and bread because He does - if we open the Doors of the Church every single day expecting God - He Will Be There. We pray the opportunity to bring one Person to Church this year and that they meet the Living God for the first time.

We have no verse we can point to telling us to Judge someone for God. Father God grow the hearts of those we Love to say: Lord God, You Love Me. Thank You. In Jesus we Rejoice.

The Nation who relies upon God - will not be disappointed. Jesus Saves. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Matthew 1 ~ And he gave him the name Jesus!!!

Matthew 1

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

4 Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.


18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son.

And he gave him the name Jesus.




Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always pleasing and acceptable in Thy sight Oh Lord My God, my Rock and my Redeemer. 

God has shown us many season in these generations. There were abundant times and lean times. Strict times and "Hey we found Scripture when we cleaned out the falling down Temple" Times.

My son Alexander runs on an idea - you have to live with what God gives you. The concrete facts of life. And then we look for the models of success to make success. Alexander is going to build - getting a Masters in Building.

Today.

Today we all got a NEW PLAN handed down to us from The Supreme Court.

And Peace was not increased. And The Thunder Rolls.

If you are 70 Something percent of regular Church Going America - You are Concerned.

We are worried about More Words that are Hateful. Hateful. Describing the problems of the Nation and the hope of the Nation

We are worried about our Great Great Grandchildren born trying things that in other times wouldn't have thought to try.

We are worried about The Greek Empire and The Roman Empire.

We do not know what to say to the ones we love who are Gay.

We are worried our Clergy will be pressed to be in compliance like Wine in the Great Prohibition.

We have - an - Amazing - Ally - GOD - is FOR HIS PEOPLE And FOR HIS PLAN and For His Church.





We Have Identified Our Times.

We Continue to know the Direction - Upwards to God. 

In All Seasons  - JESUS THE LORD.

Good NEWS!
We have 70 Plus Percent praying and Going to Church. We only have 30 Percent more to go- bring to the Father's House in Jesus' Love. That means if we bring 1 person to Church and let them Know the Good News of Jesus' Amazing Unfailing Grace as the Reason Church Exists - To Glorify God - We will have established more of the Great Commission.



We can do one
of two things
Worry.
We can cut off people. Tell them NO WAY You are His.
We can huddle down and complain to no great effect. Just become an isolated and unhappy dwindling Church that in it's perfection does not reach people in their needs - just the Sunday show up.
We can hunker down and be cautious.  Reject the divorcing. Reject the odd looking with pirate type clothing. Reject the jock who just wants to run. Reject People with different ideas than ours and different lives.  Reject all but the very safe because times are hard.
Hunker down and talk and talk and talk and talk.


Or
Find...

Look for Models of Success.

Good NEWS!!!!
We have Models for Great Success in this exact same area.
What did the Church do when faced with the realization that Jesus was coming again there were still 30 percent to be reached???

So now we need to fall over and bend over and save the planet with an Improved Scripture?
No. We stick to what God tells us is HIS.
The Book of Romans Chapter One is His.
We just don't act like we expect to be the Children of Israel in the lean burned out desert.
Do we have to shut up and put up? NO. God gave us voices. VOICES THAT BELIEVE THAT GOD IS LOVE AND HOPE. That JESUS spoke of the JOY in this Life. Voices that LOOK TO WHATEVER IS GOOD AND NOBLE AND PURE!

Good NEWS! The Federal Government is so Interested IN Human Rights!!!
Speak Up!!! Our Arlington and our National Cemeteries are filled for those who Died Specifically for Our Rights!!! WE HAVE OUR LOVED ONES WHO GAVE OUR RIGHTS FOR US TO GET UP ANYWHERE USE A MICROPHONE AND HAVE FREEDOM
TO PRAY.

We now need to decide what our responsibility is in bringing Hunker Down times or
dealing with bringing the Good News to the Earth. 

We want all of our family included - the prosperous family - the old family - the unsure family - the young people and the children - in God we want them to come to find they are Loved. This is the Father's House.

The Mission Field is - Your Life.  Not out of the Church - Right next to you.











God says Words are Effective.
We can talk sad times until we go purple in the face.

Or we can say  

The Bible says we are fallen. We must believe we are fallen.
God sees the World. Shaken. Brutal. Worried.  And sees the poor with hardly enough to take a child to the doctor taking in a mother-in-law and an uncle. God sees a blended family where the daughter calls in once a month to see if her father has kicked off. And the second wife and the step-daughter and daughter in law have left all their life on hold to take care of a man a Nursing Home almost destroyed.

The Roman Empire was in very similar shape as - TODAY.
You could "really" be married. Or you could be temporarily be married. Or you could be living with the slave boy you purchased and wed. Or you could just be impregnating this baby momma before you move on with your money and legally let those children rot.

And the People Of GOD Knew How Much God Loved Them - and wanted to HELP each other.

 



Give your 2nd Cloak did not mean give that sucker to Good Will. That meant you know someone who is cold at home because there is trouble and they need warmth.  This is Still Going ON Today. I just got a specific type of leash for my dog. Wow. I needed that because Jo knew she had something someone else could use. Sharon just got a huge surprise when her doorbell rang and Sandy and Steve thought she needed Chicken Noodle Soup because of her sinus infection. And she was thrilled and called to tell me that did I know that some fast food places sell Chicken Noodle Soup and that made her Better!

This week I received an electronic Card and it was at a time I was pressed. Do you know - that Word of Encouragement - kept me going for three days?

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself !
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<><!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Notre Dam saw the furnishings burned and sacrifices made to wound the hearts of the faithful.
We do not mope. We will go forth in His Strength Alone.






 

So what is the Passage actually mean today?  Days are Coming!
There are new generations ahead - we prepare the way for our loved ones to know they are loved
in Jesus Christ.


Father God, You always tell us to Look For Good. To Give thanks in all circumstances. To believe in expectation all things are in Your Hands. We boldly ask for Freedom of Speech to Pray.

We ask for the patience with everyone for a huge change.

We ask You, Holy Father, not for revenge of evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

WE look to the Future with Expectation. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. We will look in Jesus for opportunity to speak of the Love, Joy, Peace, Patience and Goodness of God.

We want to see news as the opportunity for God. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.

Now may the God of peace make us holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls us is faithful.

Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us and one another. Jackson and Jim. For the new attitude of evangelism to provide Hope leading to the Knowledge of God's Love.

Help us to Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love.

Father we will preach all of Your Word in the name of the Lord to all the brothers and sisters.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us as a Nation and a Light of the World in Jesus Christ. Let the Light of Jesus Christ Shine Forth in Greater Victories.

We give God Glory for the people who help us effectively minister to others. In Jesus and for His Advice to have teams of two, especially in Prayer. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Isaiah 58:1-12 ~ A day acceptable to the Lord

Isaiah 58:1-12

Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.

11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.

12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

 

One of the reasons we have seasons of rain is to enjoy the sunshine - this is usually expected, here in Texas.

One of the reasons to volunteer service to God is to see - that what we call routine lives - are actually blessed lives. To find our gratitude again. Today - was one of the few days in my life - I witnessed actual hunger. And had occasion to pray to Father God for real need.

We live in a throw away culture.
Our grandparents and parents threw out housing that people paid cash for. Because you could get a better neighborhood - for ? A way to experience less trouble. Apartments have been around since Julius Caesar - his mother was a landlord to tenants in their family investment of their apartment home in Rome. People have moved away from apartments for years - millenniums - why? To divorce themselves from trouble.

We divorce for cause these days.
I know a personal and real story of 3 marriages I'd like to share.
Asunder - God says this is when a Vow is over.


The first two wives in these marriages were in a Bible Study together.
For six years and one wife plucked up her courage and told these very close friends that her husband was leaving on Friday's for work and would not come home until 1 p.m on Monday morning. Her husband was not talking to her and she decided she would divorce him after 25 years of marriage. She considered her husband to be ill with alcohol and grave troubles as well.

The next wife in the Bible Study said that she tremendously, tremendously appreciated someone would share that with the small, loving group and she began to sob and sob. She said that her marriage of 25 years had seen a vast change in her husband. He had begun Yelling and Screaming at small things. Hitting them in the arm over and over. It had gotten so bad the kids and the wife had made one of the bedrooms that had a door lock the get out the window room with all four of them. They would all get in a car parked in the front where a key was hidden under a mat. And then the father had taken up similarly with a woman and would leave most of Saturday and most of Sunday. The three sons and the wife at any-breakfast-late-place they could find had said the father being gone was the best part of the week.

The wife continued to say the odd part of the hit-you-escapes was that the husband never blocked the bedroom or questioned them when they returned very late. The wife and the three sons remembered the father from years past and said this was an alteration. The three sons said get a divorce. The wife said she hated to see them weep. But she would sit and recall with them the husband in years and years past.

The two wives sat and contemplated divorce. The first wife mentioned - did - her husband had quit speaking to her as he lived there and left for weekends. For Just Cause. It wasn't good - The Dallas Morning News reported in the 1990s that 60% of fathers who leave voluntarily - never come back to visit their children. This happened. The family decided they weren't worth much as a unit. Their ties of loyalty disintegrated.

The second wife said she felt the Lord had called her to stay. And said she fully supported the other woman's decision to leave her husband. Which was true for about 6 months, then the Bible Study changed the time so the divorcing wife could never go. And phone calls were not really returned. Because the group was for married women.

It wasn't easy for the woman who decided to stay. She and her sons were still jumping out of the window. And then they started staying on the patio quietly for the lights to go out as their father went to bed. And in about a year they could all just huddle in the locked bedroom. For about 20 minutes. And they prayed for him. And a couple of years later they found the father was quite ill. No one was quite sure what he had something about heart or brain was mentioned. The wife just didn't say; she said it wasn't something her sons liked to talk about. And about 5 or 7 years later the man died. The family left was reported to be amazingly close and loving. Devoted to each other.



The next marriage is the true story of one of my neighbor's Hindu marriage. Sadly this is not Christian. But it surely could be. They met at age 25 at the arranged wedding alter. Neither looked pleased. After the festivities were over the groom asked the bride if she loved another. She said she did. He said I did as well. The groom said I have an idea that will either fix this or fix us. He said taking of virginity is unpleasant. And he had no desire to take something like that unless willingly given. He said I will be your brother and your best, best friend for the next two years. I will listen and fix what ever problem life brings you with complete loyalty and care for two years. By then I will be 27 years old. At that time I will be educated very well and can earn enough money to divorce you and you can tell your parents later I beat you. She agreed. And for two months the groom had to remind his bride not to tell her troubles to her mother-in-law, but her groom. Eventually she told him and she said she was so surprised - he cared. And fixed. And helped. He had to remind his bride a few times that she was not so caring of his troubles. Eventually they worked out how to help her support him correctly. And they had a second anniversary. The bride was taken to dinner and the groom was nervous. She asked him why. He said today we agree what will happen to us. She said she had forgotten. He wasn't especially pleased to hear that. And he said are we divorcing or we going to be married? And SHE SAID ARE YOU NUTS WE ARE MARRIED. And he said we are not really. And she said well I wondered when you'd get around to that. And on their 50th Anniversary, where a very large party gathered - the participants agreed - this was one of the Happiest Marriages they had ever seen. And the Groom spoke and he said, "This has been the happiest 48 years of my life!" And the wife said, "I've been happy for 50 Years!" The groom glared. The wife laughed. And their son said if only the world could experience that kind of marriage!


What is asunder?
When we take a vow of marriage we are told - no man can put a vow to God asunder?
We are pretty blithe about that.

Asunder is - when you are separated from God.
1 Corinthians 7 tells us this is Peace.
When a spouse tears you away from God - God Will Put That Marriage Asunder.

We are quick to take trouble and place that far from us.

God is not thrilled with a dab will do you religion.


Isaiah 58
“Cry aloud; do not hold back;
lift up your voice like a trumpet;
declare to my people their transgression,
to the house of Jacob their sins.

2 Yet they seek me daily
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
and did not forsake the judgment of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
they delight to draw near to God.

3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
and oppress all your workers.

4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
will not make your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the Lord?

A wife told me yesterday of loosing her husband, he coded in the hospital and was without air for 13 minutes. Now he is unable to talk or walk. The nursing home was reported - he was found covered in feces and bed sores. He came home and his step-daughter and daughter-in-law changed there lives - going home on weekends. His wife said for the first few months she was unhinged. And with the love of her own daughter and the daughter-in-law she and her husband are changed people. After six months, she is thinking of having a small water view for her husband to see. Being able to fish at night. She works full time. His wife says he is a changed man, but he is hers. 

His step-daughter has M.S. I told her mother we will pray that her kindness to her step-father will have Father God's favor for her illness. Her illness has made her much more aware of what illness does in people - using her circumstances to want to bless others.






We adjust pretty fast to our own lives - I take my blessings for granted.
Last week I caught myself with tears in my eyes for my troubles. I have a few.

Yet, we are forget - others are in far different circumstances than our usual circumstances.
The lady I met today with Hunger in her life - was wondered over about the truth of her need. Shame covers real need. I saw shame.


When I encounter judgment - sometimes what we really encounter is an unwillingness to see life would be
different - one life to another.

After spending years as the Older Prodigal Brother and Simon giving Jesus Dinner - I see that Jesus sees much farther. When I have been astonished to find that I Need Jesus as My Savior

Amazing Grace rushes in. When we Cry out - in immediate need. When we fast.
God does not ask us to have shame. He asks us to repent. God never sent the disciples out alone - He sent them two by two. God equips us to do His Work.

What is the work of God - David said that goodness and mercy are the prints we leave behind.



Father God, Isaiah went to Heaven and found You Will arrive in our Scorched Places - You are Living Water.

Your Glory Lord Will fortify us to do Your Plan . We call to You, Father God - You  willingly Answer.

Father, You pour Yourself out where You are needed.   Father God, please guide  us continually. Your Light rises in the darkness - You shall be called the repairer of the breach.

We pray for the health of Jackson and for Jim - who brought his family closer together.

Father we seek You  daily, Jesus did, and we delight to know Your ways. In this Love, let us rejoice and have Your salvation cover us and those we Love. We ask in the Highest Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †