There once was a wise and mighty king who had set up certain decrees for his kingdom to be established forever .
And one of these decrees was that intimacy between a man and a woman should only take place within a solemn vow of matrimony ; and that those joined in marriage could have no other intimate partner but their spouse for as long as they both shall live , and killing , or having one's spouse killed to break the bond of marriage was , of course , also certainly prohibited .
This the king decreed for he knew that the stability of being perpetually mindful of the need for faithfulness and loyalty to one's vows and devotions , was essential for his kingdom to continue by not having it's core values corrupted or broken away from . And that this was aptly accomplished by having " living examples " which showed forth the blessedness of the wisdom and foresight of the king's decrees .
For then the children born into his kingdom would grow up witnessing how their parents remained committed to the spirit of the kingdom by keeping their vows to honor the king's decree , even if , it was difficult and / or painful to do .
And the king knew that by allowing troubled couples to separate under the worst of situations , but also commanding that they turn to no other to take their spouse's place , that couples' would have great compulsion within themselves to seek reconciliation to each other and the commitment they had made .
And for these reasons the king cautioned his people to not marry without weighing the " costs " of marriage first , and choosing only a mate who bears the fruit of stability and sincerity according to the spirit of the king and his kingdom .
This allowed for a stable and orderly kingdom which prospered and excelled far above all other kingdoms , because there was no other king who was so wise and thoughtful of consequence , who also gave not preferential treatment to some while being ungracious to others , but did rule with complete equity and care for all .
But then one year , the king announced that he was going on a journey far away , and he charged his people to keep his ways while he was absent , so that he could reward them for their faithfulness when he returned .
And so the king departed , and the people were sad to see him go , but they had been given the hope of his return , and so they carried on for some time , happily keeping the king's decrees .
But after what seemed like many years , some began to doubt if the king was really coming back ? And therefore they also began to dispute the need for honoring the king's decrees ... And thus , little by little the people fell away from giving honor to their king , and they began to honor the spirit of another prince who rose up among them , saying that the king was gone and therefore we shouldn't have to submit to his decrees , any longer , if we don't feel like doing so . And little by little this new prince grew more and more popular by teaching people that they should live to satisfy their own desires , not some king who had disappeared on them . And the spirit of the law of the kingdom was changed . And people began to break their vows , whenever they felt like it , and to lie , and kill , and steal , and deal treacherously against one another , dishonoring all that the king had decreed - if it somehow seemed to be to their immediate gain or advantage ; for the spirit of thinking of the long term benefit of all concerned had been forsaken , so that people only thought of what felt good for them self in the moment , with little foresight , or even hindsight . And their children also became increasingly unruly , disrespectful , slothful , hateful , spiteful , given to vanity , and gluttony , promiscuous , unreliable , irresponsible , and in involved in all manner of trouble .
And the new prince spoiled the kingdom ; and when it began to lose it's luster , he made unjust war with other kingdoms out of lust for more power and control , yet he dealt kindly to his chosen few , but brought the common people under the heavy burden of providing for him and his inner circles' excess of lavishness , and many paid the price for his unprovoked aggression in the greedily violent pursuit of forced dominance .
And then many waxed weak and fainted , yet some still held , as best they could to the former king's decrees , but they were mocked and mistreated , and condemned as being evil , by those who were in allegiance to the new prince and his ways , so that the majority of people lived in fear and were continually unsure of who , or what was right ; for their fears prevented them from confirming what deep down they knew was true , and so the truth lay dormant within them , as they languished in the fading memory of their king and the wisdom and beauty of the spirit of his righteous decrees .
Then suddenly , without warning , one dark and cloudy day , the king , in brilliant and awesome display , burst through the clouds with a mighty shout and the sound of a great trumpet , leading a magnificent glistening army , the likes of which the world has never seen .
And all those who had abandoned the kings ways and sided with the prince , fled away seeking someplace to hide ; but those who had kept the king and his way , in their minds and their hearts , to honor him , came out from where they had been seeking refuge from the cruelty of the prince ; and the king rejoiced to see them and they immediately joined the king's ranks ; but those who fled with the unfaithful prince could find no place that would hide them , and so the king's army over ran them and they perished by the king's command .
And then was the king's kingdom established in the fullness of his power and glory , with no one left who could find the least bit of inspiration or inclination within them self to muster any whiff of a hint of a glimpse of a peep of a reason why they should not honor the king and all his decrees . And so the king and all his people rejoiced exceedingly in the everlasting spirit of righteousness , peace , and joy ; for ever and ever . Amen .
Matthew Chapter 19 & 1st Corinthians Chapter 7 - ( marriage )
Matthew 7:21-29 & Luke 6:46-49 - ( Doing - not just hearing )
Matthew Chapter 24 & Luke Chapter 12 - ( Jesus' teachings , including warnings , instructions , and parables of His Return )
And one of these decrees was that intimacy between a man and a woman should only take place within a solemn vow of matrimony ; and that those joined in marriage could have no other intimate partner but their spouse for as long as they both shall live , and killing , or having one's spouse killed to break the bond of marriage was , of course , also certainly prohibited .
This the king decreed for he knew that the stability of being perpetually mindful of the need for faithfulness and loyalty to one's vows and devotions , was essential for his kingdom to continue by not having it's core values corrupted or broken away from . And that this was aptly accomplished by having " living examples " which showed forth the blessedness of the wisdom and foresight of the king's decrees .
For then the children born into his kingdom would grow up witnessing how their parents remained committed to the spirit of the kingdom by keeping their vows to honor the king's decree , even if , it was difficult and / or painful to do .
And the king knew that by allowing troubled couples to separate under the worst of situations , but also commanding that they turn to no other to take their spouse's place , that couples' would have great compulsion within themselves to seek reconciliation to each other and the commitment they had made .
And for these reasons the king cautioned his people to not marry without weighing the " costs " of marriage first , and choosing only a mate who bears the fruit of stability and sincerity according to the spirit of the king and his kingdom .
This allowed for a stable and orderly kingdom which prospered and excelled far above all other kingdoms , because there was no other king who was so wise and thoughtful of consequence , who also gave not preferential treatment to some while being ungracious to others , but did rule with complete equity and care for all .
But then one year , the king announced that he was going on a journey far away , and he charged his people to keep his ways while he was absent , so that he could reward them for their faithfulness when he returned .
And so the king departed , and the people were sad to see him go , but they had been given the hope of his return , and so they carried on for some time , happily keeping the king's decrees .
But after what seemed like many years , some began to doubt if the king was really coming back ? And therefore they also began to dispute the need for honoring the king's decrees ... And thus , little by little the people fell away from giving honor to their king , and they began to honor the spirit of another prince who rose up among them , saying that the king was gone and therefore we shouldn't have to submit to his decrees , any longer , if we don't feel like doing so . And little by little this new prince grew more and more popular by teaching people that they should live to satisfy their own desires , not some king who had disappeared on them . And the spirit of the law of the kingdom was changed . And people began to break their vows , whenever they felt like it , and to lie , and kill , and steal , and deal treacherously against one another , dishonoring all that the king had decreed - if it somehow seemed to be to their immediate gain or advantage ; for the spirit of thinking of the long term benefit of all concerned had been forsaken , so that people only thought of what felt good for them self in the moment , with little foresight , or even hindsight . And their children also became increasingly unruly , disrespectful , slothful , hateful , spiteful , given to vanity , and gluttony , promiscuous , unreliable , irresponsible , and in involved in all manner of trouble .
And the new prince spoiled the kingdom ; and when it began to lose it's luster , he made unjust war with other kingdoms out of lust for more power and control , yet he dealt kindly to his chosen few , but brought the common people under the heavy burden of providing for him and his inner circles' excess of lavishness , and many paid the price for his unprovoked aggression in the greedily violent pursuit of forced dominance .
And then many waxed weak and fainted , yet some still held , as best they could to the former king's decrees , but they were mocked and mistreated , and condemned as being evil , by those who were in allegiance to the new prince and his ways , so that the majority of people lived in fear and were continually unsure of who , or what was right ; for their fears prevented them from confirming what deep down they knew was true , and so the truth lay dormant within them , as they languished in the fading memory of their king and the wisdom and beauty of the spirit of his righteous decrees .
Then suddenly , without warning , one dark and cloudy day , the king , in brilliant and awesome display , burst through the clouds with a mighty shout and the sound of a great trumpet , leading a magnificent glistening army , the likes of which the world has never seen .
And all those who had abandoned the kings ways and sided with the prince , fled away seeking someplace to hide ; but those who had kept the king and his way , in their minds and their hearts , to honor him , came out from where they had been seeking refuge from the cruelty of the prince ; and the king rejoiced to see them and they immediately joined the king's ranks ; but those who fled with the unfaithful prince could find no place that would hide them , and so the king's army over ran them and they perished by the king's command .
And then was the king's kingdom established in the fullness of his power and glory , with no one left who could find the least bit of inspiration or inclination within them self to muster any whiff of a hint of a glimpse of a peep of a reason why they should not honor the king and all his decrees . And so the king and all his people rejoiced exceedingly in the everlasting spirit of righteousness , peace , and joy ; for ever and ever . Amen .
Matthew Chapter 19 & 1st Corinthians Chapter 7 - ( marriage )
Matthew 7:21-29 & Luke 6:46-49 - ( Doing - not just hearing )
Matthew Chapter 24 & Luke Chapter 12 - ( Jesus' teachings , including warnings , instructions , and parables of His Return )
