Surprise!

Well, it's another beautiful day down here!  What a surprise we got last night... It's special meeting this Sunday! Wasn't really following when it would be... And I was getting ready to have company.. oh well!  So guess who was in our meeting last night... Everett Swanson.  Our meeting got done early (about 10-15 after) so he had a few minutes to speak.   Here is a little bit of what he said (you can only physically write about half of what he says and still keep up with him!).

Everett (The study was matt 18, Law of forgiveness)

(He is talking of the parable at the end of the chapter about the man who gets forgiven then turns around and demands payment)

vs. 23 The servant forgot he was working for a king.  Our work involves heaven and the king. Our work is for the king.  At first the servant was happy he was working for the king, and then he forgot that he was working for the king. His appreciation (for working with the king) degenerated to depreciation (maybe... didn't get the last bit.. I think that's what he said??). The servant needed to loose the cords of wickedness of the servant.

I like a picture of the old testament tabernacle.  The tabernacle was made of wood, with all the boards touching end to end.  The boards touching caused friction and splinters, but all the boards were covered in gold.  We are safe and okay when our contact with others is that gold to gold contact (divine contact).  Jesus did have human nature but you couldn't see it because it was completely covered with gold.  A verse says "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" this is a serious thing. My service is unto the king.

vs 27 The king was moved with compassion, then moved again with wroth. We decide what God is to us. "I love those that love me" When we love God we are safe.

This parable shows canceled forgiveness.  In Ezekiel 33:13, 18 it says that if we sin for forty years and then repent and truly believe our years of sin will be forgotten, but if we are faithful for forty years then turn away our years of faithfulness will be forgotten.  

vs 34 We have to be right ourselves to make things right with our brethren.  " I love them so much I wouldn't expose them."  

Someone asked Willey Jameson why Jesus choose Judas to be in the ministry.... He answered that he didn't know but thought it was so we could have an example of how to love an enemy.  Jesus loved Judas even though he knew what he was going to do.  What an example we have of how to love our enemies. We have no excuses.

The side effects of unforgiveness are that we can't get into the presence of God, we lose our song.  But the side effects of forgiveness are the we receive the song of the Lord.

Once a musher in Alaska had a sled team and someone asked him why he didn't have his fastest dog in front.  He said that he wasn't the fastest dog on his team, but he was in front because he gave heart and inspiration to the other dogs, he did more good being in front.  We want to have heart for the King.  It's great when we are an inspiration and a heart to others.