A TRUTH OF TWO PEOPLE<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nLuke 16:18 (ESV) <\/b>
\n18 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0\u201cEveryone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\nMatthew 19:3-9 (ESV) <\/b>
\n3 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, \u201cIs it lawful to divorce one\u2019s wife for any cause?\u201d
\n4 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0He answered, \u201cHave you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,<\/span>
\n5 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0and said, \u2018Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh\u2019?<\/span>
\n6 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.\u201d<\/span>
\n7 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0They said to him, \u201cWhy then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?\u201d
\n8 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0He said to them, \u201cBecause of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.<\/span>
\n9 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nPsalm 103:8-14 (ESV) <\/b>
\n8 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.<\/span>
\n9 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.<\/span>
\n10 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.<\/span>
\n11 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;<\/span>
\n12 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.<\/span>
\n13 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.<\/span>
\n14 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
A TALE OF TWO MEN<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nTheme of Contrast<\/strong><\/h2>\nLuke 16:19-21 (ESV) <\/b>
\n19 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0\u201cThere was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.<\/span>
\n20 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,<\/span>
\n21 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man\u2019s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nTheme of Change<\/strong><\/h2>\nLuke 16:22-24 (ESV) <\/b>
\n22 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham\u2019s side. The rich man also died and was buried,<\/span>
\n23 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.<\/span>
\n24 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And he called out, \u2018Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\nRevelation 20:11-15 (ESV) <\/b>
\n11 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
\n12 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
\n13 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
\n14 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
\n15 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And if anyone\u2019s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.<\/span><\/p>\n2 Corinthians 5:6-9 (ESV) <\/b>
\n6 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
\n7 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0for we walk by faith, not by sight.
\n8 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
\n9 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.<\/p>\nPhilippians 1:23-24 (ESV) <\/b>
\n23 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
\n24 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.<\/p>\n