Matthew 18
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 He called a little child, whom he placed among them. 3 And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—becoming like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
6 "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
10-11 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
15 "If a brother or sister sins, go and point out the fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive a brother or sister from your heart."
The day after Easter, and I'm going to have to ask you to forgive me from my heart.
Because, I'm sure I'm going to step on your firmly held opinion. We all want to be kept informed by opinions, right? Sure. Om.
We could angle this to start with the nonsense song, we really don't teach this to the young, beautiful, stunning preschoolers. This is not what we want our beautiful babies to come home singing and having extensive art projects to constantly speak of. You'd worry. If the child grew up and died in a car crash from all this. It's not where we would want to begin.
And the topic is drunk driving. And isn't.
It's the topic causing generations to become tight-lipped or openly raise upset voices. It's the legalization of a highly beneficial product - Pot. And the black market is already sweeping in to clean up for the high-rising costs from la-te-dah and taxes. Plans are made for the continuation of the black market. Colorado has loved the tax money and additional tourism. Plus, if you work in the car rental agency, you are sweeping up what the tourists are quickly leaving behind and making a tidy- off- the- book- big- gain- sums. More money in that sweep up, literally, than the gas off, "Fake didn't know you'd need snow tires extra-super-surprise fee?"
Maybe, if your heart is open, maybe you could drive 59 or 68?
Why? Thestral.
This is a horse of different color than the one in Oz. The Thestral is Literary and binds the generations into one pleased happiness of shared wonderment. Wonder. Harry Potter taught my sons to read. Something new happens on every page and BANG. Wow. Something changes.
A Thestral is a horse you see completely clearly when you have seen Caspar. When Death has arrived you never see things quite as easily again.
The Pot Legalization falls into separate categories. Those who have done youth ministry, those who have very young children, those who are like me and have seen the disintegration and the fall of grief. Love that is no longer required and has no need.
The Bustle in a House
By Emily Dickenson
The Bustle in a House
The Morning after Death
Is the solemnest of industries
Enacted upon Earth –
The Sweeping up the Heart
And putting Love away
We shall not want to use again
Until Eternity –
We could speak of seeing someone we love.
Our Loved and Cherished - to lose their zest and the habits making them unique. We could talk about loss of employment and lack of self-esteem driving the substance to be taken in larger doses. To relinquish, to drop, to let fall, deep and abiding loyalty when self-esteem is gone and money is gone and sorrow has swallowed life. Tiny Tim in our lives is sometimes the parent and not the child. All that is held is suddenly gone like leaves in autumn. Seen blowing past.
Washington State parents have had such a problem; Edward and I, the tourists, were asked to fully think about legalization. The parent who has the son in High School and the School District is petitioned to allow all the Legal Pot Shops to advertise in the School Publications. Freedom to Speak and Advertise. Now, try being one of the parents knows the addiction gene runs in the family and why these battles are now being screamed at homes of 10 and 11-year-olds.
How long did you want to wait before you deal with the Thestrals?
And if we want a Parable, there is a brilliant one.
A very brilliant young boy was destined during his birth to become an only child. His mother doted on the intelligent, witty, handsome son. Rightly so. His father drank and had been raised in Swanee's Military Academy from age 6. He was a man's man, who was out catching something every weekend. But his son obviously was different. Teaching himself to read at age two. Father and son caused pain and fear in each other. The son learned how the father got on in life with charm. And in High School was all that. In College, flunking out from being on the 'Volunteer Fire Department." Then going in the Air Force. And growing up. Being witty and wise and fun. And drunk to various levels. Giving perpetually interesting dinner parties. Losing good employment more regularly. And as he turned 50, he became the leaves in Autumn to the ones who loved him best.
Matthew 13:45,46
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
46 When he found one very precious pearl,
he went away and sold all he had and bought it.
Sobriety is necessary, we have to have experience and thinking and suffering and learning to overcome to realize what swift waters we live in. My father completely missed the Pearl. The family who Loved him. The children who needed him. His grandchildren. The family fortune you had to be sober enough to realize was there. The depth of his soul didn't appear again to him until the night of his death. We need our sobriety to have our maturity flower.
We become cherished. Someone relied upon. Steadfast. Knowledgeable. Giving.
Giving our families stability and comfort. Love. Joy.
Substance abusers have suicidal ends at an alarming rate.
1 in 3 adults in the USA is supposed to be a substance abuser. 1 in 3 Substance abusers will commit suicide. This does not count the number of car accidental deaths. Or accidental deaths. We had a dear neighbor, friend, elderly widow lady, member of our Church Family who fell in a snow bank. The national rank of suicide was the 12th leading cause of death in 1992. Now before legalization it's 5th. The Roman Empire decided suicide was a valuable way to die. And in this regard The Roman Empire was a Culture of Death. Christianity rose from the Tombs.
I'd apologize to you to step on your toes.
Let's pick Life.
For you, for me, for those who are little ones, for the generation yet unborn.
I just hope and pray, we don't all see someone we love very much, pass on from something we should have protected us all from.
Prayer is going to draw the Heart of God. The list of credentials and names. Or no. The loving and needing portion - perhaps of a child praying to God.
The Second part of the Scripture today:
Matthew 18
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
Because a day to God is thousands of years, consider who is a Child of God.
John 1:12
To all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become Children of God
As long as life offers tests, there will be prayer. In school, on a chair, over here, over there. 85% before the Pandemic, and 80% and growing after the Pandemic, of the whole USA prays believing Abba, our Father, is caring and loving them during prayer.
The Second part of the Scripture today:
Matthew 18
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
You never know when someone is praying.
John 1:12
To all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become Children of God
As long as life offers tests, there will be prayer. In school, on a chair, over here, over there. 85% before the Pandemic, and 80% and growing after the Pandemic, of the whole USA prays believing Abba, our Father, is caring and loving them during prayer.
Abba, Father,
You have taught us earnestness is the most important, with Love, as we pray.
And Jesus knew sometimes tongues and minds go still in urgent need.
Jesus gave us Words to Pray. The Lord's Prayer.
We never go wrong to simply tell You. And ask You to Live in us.
Help us to Seek You First.
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
In His Eternal Home according to the riches of His Glory
He may grant you to be strengthened with power
through His Spirit
in your inner being,
For Jesus Christ to dwell in your hearts through faith
God of Love Steadfast Encouragement
—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength
to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
Knowing the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
Being filled with all the fullness of God.
The Lord Jesus and His Mercy on our Nation.
God's Love and Protection upon His Good Creation,
the fullness of His earth.
We pray Your Willing Healing lavishly upon Elliott.
And Cindy and Janet and their family.
Your Mercy. Father, Your Mercy.
Our God,
Father,
Almighty,
Shepherd of our Souls,
The Prodigal Father running to us.
He is able to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work
within us,
To Jesus Christ
Displaying God the Father as
Healer of the blind
Freeing and healing the deaf
the lame rise up and walk
the leper is cleansed
the dead have life and are returned to their loved ones
To this Jesus at work, living, dwelling within
To Jesus be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
forever and ever.
Amen!
We pray in this Post, we are more than two agree, and in Joy we agree in Prayer.
The Words of Jesus bless us.
Thank You. Alleluia. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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