Reflecting God for Saturday, 10 June 2017 - Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Nazarene Publishing House of The Global Church of the Nazarene in Kansas city, Missouri, United "Your Hearts Were Hard" by Phil Pinckard - Matthew 19:1-12

Reflecting God for Saturday, 10 June 2017 - Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Nazarene Publishing House of The Global Church of the Nazarene in Kansas city, Missouri, United "Your Hearts Were Hard" by Phil Pinckard - Matthew 19:1-12
Matthew 19:1 When Yeshua had finished talking about these things, he left the Galil and traveled down the east side of the Yarden River until he passed the border of Y’hudah. ² Great crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³ Some P’rushim came and tried to trap him by asking, “Is it permitted for a man to divorce his wife on any ground whatever?” ⁴ He replied, “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female,[Matthew 19:4 Genesis 1:27, 5:2] ⁵ and that he said, ‘For this reason a man should leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two are to become one flesh’?[Matthew 19:5 Genesis 2:24] ⁶ Thus they are no longer two, but one. So then, no one should split apart what God has joined together.”
⁷ They said to him, “Then why did Moshe give the commandment that a man should hand his wife a get and divorce her?”[Matthew 19:7 Deuteronomy 24:1, 3] ⁸ He answered, “Moshe allowed you to divorce your wives because your hearts are so hardened. But this is not how it was at the beginning. ⁹ Now what I say to you is that whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery!”
¹⁰ The talmidim said to him, “If that is how things are between husband and wife, it would be better not to marry!” ¹¹ He said to them, “Not everyone grasps this teaching, only those for whom it is meant. ¹² For there are different reasons why men do not marry — some because they were born without the desire, some because they have been castrated, and some because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever can grasp this, let him do so.”

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I never expected to be affected by divorce. My parents were married almost 49 years before my mother’s death ended their life together. My in-laws were married for over 62 years before Mama died. Jodie and I have been married over forty years. Only three years into her marriage, however, my daughter said “I have a right to be happy, Daddy.” I knew what was coming.

Marital relationships, once strong, can be broken by hardened hearts. If couples are not careful, hearts can turn away, adultery occurs, and vows are broken. Adultery is not only physical, but emotional and spiritual as well. Often the children of Israel committed spiritual adultery, breaking their covenant with God!
Your life may have been affected by divorce or other consequences of broken relationship. You are not alone, nor forgotten. There is grace to help; you may start afresh.
"My Faith Has Found a Resting Place" by Lidie H. Edmunds
1. My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain:

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

2. Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.

Refrain:

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

3. My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s name,
Salvation through His blood.

Refrain:

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

4. My great physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

Refrain:

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.
Thought for Today:

Happy the person who is never without fear,    but he who hardens his heart will fall into misfortune.[Proverbs 28:14].
Please pray:

That many people in Cape Verde will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKadosh.
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