<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><head></head><body>Matthew 22;1–7<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying</b></div><div><b>2. &nbsp;“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,</b></div><div><b>3. &nbsp;and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come.</b></div><div><b>4. &nbsp;Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.’</b></div><div><b>5. &nbsp;But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,</b></div><div><b>6. &nbsp;while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.</b></div><div><b>7. &nbsp;The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.</b></div><div><br></div><div>So many ‘would be Christians’ want to sit at the Great Wedding Feast of the Lamb in heaven, (once&nbsp;&nbsp;they die.) They hope, and even&nbsp;expect, to go heaven. &nbsp;But now,&nbsp;worldly priorities fill their hearts and minds. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>They fail to recognize that the Great Wedding Feast of the Lamb and his Bride the Church is already happening. &nbsp;Every Divine Service where the Lord’s Supper is, is a part of the feast.</div><div>We sing in the Divine Service, “<i><u>This IS the&nbsp;</u><u>feast</u>&nbsp;of victory of our God, alleluia!”</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>When we kneel and receive the true body and true blood of Jesus, we are already&nbsp;more in heaven than&nbsp;earth. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>When our God sets before us the first Commandment, “<i>Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”</i></div><div>He is claiming his rightful place in our heart’s priorities. &nbsp;Through our baptism into Christ, we now possess Jesus’&nbsp;own heart and will. &nbsp;Jesus said, <i>“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent me;…” &nbsp;</i>(John 6;38) &nbsp;</div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>We deny are own new baptismal&nbsp;identity as&nbsp;children of God, when we despise Word and Sacrament. &nbsp;We anger God when we love and serve&nbsp;</span><span>other things </span><span>before&nbsp;</span><span>him.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>There certainly are God pleasing reasons for missing Divine Service,</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div>Missing church is not going to land you in hell, IF&nbsp;your servant heart, (the heart of Christ) requires you to be away from Divine Service doing the Father’s will, serving others in need,&nbsp;or if you are infirm, or are being&nbsp;in a jungle prison in Viet Nam. &nbsp;But the question, “How often must&nbsp;I go to church and take Holy Communion, in order to get into heaven?” reveals you are not in your ‘right mind’. &nbsp;The damnable&nbsp;desires of&nbsp;your old&nbsp;stony,&nbsp;carnal,&nbsp;<span>selfish,</span><span> heart are making you ask such a terrible question. &nbsp;Those who ask such a wicked question are&nbsp;not walking by the Spirit.</span></div><div><br></div><div>We have been given the heart of flesh, the heart of Christ. <i>“God is at work in you, both to will AND TO DO according to his good pleasure.” &nbsp;</i>(Philippians 4;13). By faith, strive to&nbsp;live in that heart and mind. &nbsp;Christian faith is more than good intentions.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Forgive me Father for excusing myself from being your obedient child. &nbsp;There is no excuse.</div><div>The newness of life you give me in my baptism into Christ, gives me power to deny my selfish,&nbsp;lazy,</div><div>flesh and walk by the Spirit. &nbsp;Stir my heart to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness, and to find it in the Divine Service. &nbsp;In Jesus I pray, Amen</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”</div><div><br><br><br><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS"></a><br></div></body></html>

Matthew 22;1–7
1.  And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying2.  “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,3.  and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come.4.  Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.’5.  But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,6.  while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.7.  The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
So many ‘would be Christians’ want to sit at the Great Wedding Feast of the Lamb in heaven, (once  they die.) They hope, and even expect, to go heaven.  But now, worldly priorities fill their hearts and minds.  
They fail to recognize that the Great Wedding Feast of the Lamb and his Bride the Church is already happening.  Every Divine Service where the Lord’s Supper is, is a part of the feast.We sing in the Divine Service, “This IS the feast of victory of our God, alleluia!”
When we kneel and receive the true body and true blood of Jesus, we are already more in heaven than earth.  
When our God sets before us the first Commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”He is claiming his rightful place in our heart’s priorities.  Through our baptism into Christ, we now possess Jesus’ own heart and will.  Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent me;…”  (John 6;38)  
We deny are own new baptismal identity as children of God, when we despise Word and Sacrament.  We anger God when we love and serve other things before him. 
There certainly are God pleasing reasons for missing Divine Service,
Missing church is not going to land you in hell, IF your servant heart, (the heart of Christ) requires you to be away from Divine Service doing the Father’s will, serving others in need, or if you are infirm, or are being in a jungle prison in Viet Nam.  But the question, “How often must I go to church and take Holy Communion, in order to get into heaven?” reveals you are not in your ‘right mind’.  The damnable desires of your old stony, carnal, selfish, heart are making you ask such a terrible question.  Those who ask such a wicked question are not walking by the Spirit.
We have been given the heart of flesh, the heart of Christ. “God is at work in you, both to will AND TO DO according to his good pleasure.”  (Philippians 4;13). By faith, strive to live in that heart and mind.  Christian faith is more than good intentions.
Prayer:  Forgive me Father for excusing myself from being your obedient child.  There is no excuse.The newness of life you give me in my baptism into Christ, gives me power to deny my selfish, lazy,flesh and walk by the Spirit.  Stir my heart to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness, and to find it in the Divine Service.  In Jesus I pray, Amen
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”


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