Wednesday Night Bible Study

Praise the Lord, everyone. I first of all want to start out by saying thank you to so many folks. Uh I turned 89 the 26th day of this month and I spent all day answering texts. I tried to I tried to answer every one of them, but I'm sure there were some I I missed. But I am so gratified. I'm so humbled and so thankful for so many folks. I I got phone calls from Florida and Georgia and different place around the country. And oh, how I how I appreciate that so very much. And all of our church family. Uh, I can't tell you how much I love you and appreciate each and every one of you. Um, I guess I got a prize here that I I it's just too sweet. It's too great for me not to to show it off. And uh this is something that was uh given to me by Kelly and Anthony. And and I I've got to I've got to show it to you. And let me put my bag down there and I'll show you here in just I I tried to think of a way I could wear it to church, but it's short sleeved and and the big old muscles on my arm I didn't want to show out. So, but I want to show you this. Uh your camera's up there. You can get a picture of this. And I want you to take a look at that. Did you look at that? Look at that. Look at that. Look at that. Look at that. Would you? Now then, there she is. Uh, at the time we first met. There she is about the time we got married. There she is. One, two, three, one, two, three, four, five different pictures of Sister Mool, the love of my life. And she's just as beautiful in one as she is the other. Isn't that great? Thank you. Thank I don't know how in the world Kelly was able to to get this done, but somehow they did. And I want you to know I I don't know if that'll that'll take your mind off of the the lesson tonight or not, but I I think it's just too pretty to put back in the in the bag. So there it is. That is Miss Betty. And that's the lady that I met in 1955 in the tent revival 1956. 55. We got married in 56, wasn't it? and um in Johnson City in a tent revival and I saw her and and I thought she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life. Still think that I went home that night and I told Bob, my twin brother, said, "Bob, I saw the girl tonight. I'm going to I am going to marry and I'm going to have that girl. It's the last thing I'd do." And um well we had a laugh about it but uh there was an old love song going about that time and it's really really is romantic. It said I told the possum in the gum tree the raccoon on the ground told everyone but my darling of the happiness I found. My heart would cry more than the weeping willow tree if my darling and her heart were not for me. Well, that was the song that I went around singing for days and days and days. And um the second date I was with her, I proposed to her and I drove up in her brother her brother's driveway, brother Dallas, and and killed the motor on the car. And I said, "Girl, I like you." I love those romantic terms. Girl, I like you. And she returned it. She said, "I like you, too." And I said, "Honey, I love you." And everything got deathly quiet. And I said, "Can't you return that?" She said, "I love you, too." Just about like that, like a little school girl. And I said, "Honey, I'm going to ask you something I've never asked another girl in my life. Will you marry me? And she whispered, "Yes, anytime." And I said, "Next week." Oh, no. Not next week. Next after that. No, not And I said, "All right. Well, we'll make it Christmas." Well, no. We can't get M. My mom and dad's getting old and I've got to take care of them and I'm getting ready to start college. And and I so I kept on I said Christmas well every time we were together after that we fussed or I did the fuss and she did the listening and I I I wanted her to set a date Christmas and she just wouldn't set the date. So, um, one night I asked her to set a date for Christmas and she wouldn't do it. And I said, "Well, it's been a great great courtship. You got a wonderful family and I love you and your family. Y'all keep on coming to church and but if you won't marry me Christmas, you won't marry me two Christmases from now." So, we're wasting our time and we we'll we'll we'll we'll be friends. And I was sitting on the couch at her brother's house and I just got up and walked out. Didn't say anything. And when I got back to Bobby's house, I was living with Bobby and Shirley at that time. And and the phone rang. Oh, you don't want to hear this, do you? I believe you do. I I believe I believe you do. And I believe I want to tell it, too. So, when I got back to Bobby's house, the phone rang and it was Betty. And she said, "Bill." Ever since then, when she says, "Bill," it gets my attention. She said, "Bill." I said, "What? She said, "Why did you leave like that?" I said, "Like how?" She said, "You didn't even say bye. You just got up and walked out." I said, "Well, I've said all I've got to say, if you won't marry me at Christmas, you won't marry me two Christmases from now. So, we're just wasting our time. We'll be friends." And uh but she said, "I do love you enough to marry your Christmas." I said, "You say that, but you won't." She said, "I will." And she started crying. I said, "You will? You will?" "Yes, you'll marry me at Christmas. We can set that." Yes. Yes. And we were married the next June the 16th. Go ahead and give her a hand clap. [Applause] All right. Uh, our subject tonight, we're continuing the subject, A Great Mystery, Part Two. A Great Mystery Part Two. Now, we we taught on this the last time, and there's one thing I want to kind of straighten up, though, because uh uh I talk I I I I attempted so bminantly to impress upon married people how important it was that they make a a happy marriage out of their marriage and to stay together and and make it great. And and I I stressed it so hard and I talked about it being a superior state to to to being single. Well, in in doing so, I I overlooked what Paul said in the seventh chapter of Romans. He said, "I would that all men would remain as I." He's he was talking about remaining single. So uh uh he even talked about the the single person is actually freer to to give their whole time to the Lord than sometime the married people are. Uh but I don't think I stressed enough the importance of a man or woman that you you don't have to get married uh if you can dedicate yourself to the Lord and you're just as blessed of God and the kingdom of God and and I I think I stress too much on on that. So if you choose to remain single, if you can remain single and uh love the Lord and be faithful to God and and commit your life to him and and keep yourself uh holy, then God bless your heart. Paul Paul actually said he he would said would that you would remain as he was and he was unmarried. So the main thing, whoever you are, tall, short, fat, skinny, rich, poor, no matter if you love God and God comes first and and but the one thing I I did want to stress is that make sure that you find the one you really love. Now, I everybody wants to know h how do you know what real love is? and and the I guess the best explanation I ever heard of that was it's a it's a itch around the heart that you can't scratch. And I guess I guess that'll do us as good as any. But it's it's there. I knew it when I saw that girl back there sitting in the in the tent revival. And as I said, the second date I was with her. Now, the the first date I took her home and and and uh we she walked me out to the car and I I said, "When you be back to the tent revival?" She said, "I'll be there Thursday night if I can get my boyfriend to bring me." Life has its ups and downs. It has it has as good as bad. And I said, "Well, if you have to bring him, don't come." I was really interested in her soul. But she was there Thursday night without him. And I took her home that Thursday night. She stayed with her brother Dallas. And that was the night I proposed. And that's been 69 years ago. 69 wonderful years. 69 wonderful years. That That's her. That's That's her. And I thank the Lord for Honey, I love you tonight more than Well, I don't love you anymore because I all the love I've got. You can't be loved anymore than I already love. But I really do. Okay, let's get back into the Bible here. We are uh Ephesians 5:30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Remember that statement there. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Now, if you'll think of this for just a moment, the Lord used the husband and wife and the marriage relationship. He used that to compare to his relationship with the church. He's the bridegroom and and and the church is the bride and and he said this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church and we should think of our marriage in such a uh holy and sacred situation that we want to keep it holy and and this this fussing and fighting and knock down, drag out, drinking and dancing and caring. That don't go with a happy marriage. And and you need to find and you young folks that's 16 and over between 16 and getting married and you need to realize that that marriage is a lifetime proposition and and pray find find you a companion that's that's filled with the Holy Ghost mainly because as I said last week I believe it was if if if you marry a child of the devil your daddy-in-law is going to give you trouble. You can't get along with a with a with a sinner. There's going to be a that's going to Now, there's the the only exception. If you find yourself married to a unbeliever, the Bible said the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife and that's vice versa. That means that uh it even goes on to say that a woman by her holy conversation her chase conversation that her husband may be one without the word you can live such a a exemplary life that and a holy life and a Christian life. Now, that's not a self-righteous and a more holy condemning everything. That's not it's but the the the the dedicated Christian can live so that your Christian life and your holy conversation can win your husband. And that goes the other way also. Now, let's go to Genesis 26 and1. And there was a famine in the land besides the first famine. This was in the day of Abraham and Isaac. And Isaac went unto Aimilec, king of the Philistines, unto Gira. And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, "Go not down unto Egypt. Dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. Sojourn in this land, and I'll be with thee, and will bless thee. For unto thee and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father, and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of the heaven, and will give unto thy seed all the countries, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. because of Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. And Isaac dwelt in Gira. And the men of the place asked him of his wife, and he said, "She's my sister." For he feared to say she was his wife, lest the men with of the flesh should kill him. And I'm using the different term should kill me for Rebecca because she was fair to look upon. And it came to pass now in th in those days it was the uh certainly a a different culture and a different time that that we're living in now. Uh you could get get by with murder in some some situations. And so, uh, he was afraid that they they would kill him to get his wife. So, he told them she was his sister. And it came to pass when he had been there a long time that Aimilec, king of the Philistines, looked out at the window and saw, and behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebecca his wife. Okay, now follow me close. Now, she's supposed to be his sister. But uh when Aimilec looked out the window, he saw something going on between Isaac and Rebecca that told him something. And and you see there is a behavior which is appropriate only for husbands and wives in a matrimonial union. Now this is what I'm going to get get at now and listen carefully. Aimilec called Isaac and said behold of assurityity she's thy wife and how saidst thou she's my sister. And Isaac said to him, "Because I said, lest I die for her." And the Bible said that Aimilec looked out the window and saw and Isaac was sporting with Rebecca his wife. Now that sporting the root word comes from to laugh outright and merment by implication to sport. Now uh there is a there is a behavior that is only for husbands and wives. Now we're talking about in society. We're not talking about the bedroom. Now, we're talking about their behavior. And there's something to be learned about about this. Um, husbands and wives need to act like husbands and wives in the public as well as in private. A and and there is a behavior that only a husband and wife should be engaged in. And you don't need to get too friendly and and too personal with the opposite sex if you are a married person. Are you listening to what I'm saying now? Uh it's good to be friendly and we should be friendly, but it should be a godly friendliness. Um I once talked to a preacher. I knew him well. He was a good man and uh he he and his wife had had uh separated, got back together and settled their differences, but his behavior was one that caused them some real serious trouble. And the way it started, uh the preacher and his wife and another young lady had a trio and they went around singing at different churches. And he said the way this started, they had been to one of the singings and his wife, they was all sitting in the front seat. They didn't have bucket seats back then. And he put his arm up around his wife and his hand fell on the shoulder of this of the singer, which wasn't his wife. and it just touched her shoulder and he just kind of touched her just a little bit and she leaned into the touch just just a little bit and it started a relationship that almost doomed their marriage. They did make it right and and God put them back together. Now, what I'm saying now, it's very it's very serious if and I don't mean to be morbid or or sad, but what I'm saying is um it's all right for a lady to be friendly with everybody I shake hands with, but you need to keep your relationship with the opposite sex as one wife for one husband, one husband for one life and you can be friends. You can you can get along, but you need to always guard your relationship with your husband or with your wife. I've seen couples get too thick with each other. And I'm not preaching against uh being unfriendly with one another uh as as neighbors and church members together. Not not at all. We have friends that we go out to eat with and and we socialize. But we need to remember at all times our relationship with our husband, our wife, our family relationship is number one. I speak a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. You see, I go out and and pass and repass with the world, but I'm very careful that I don't get too friendly with the world. It it it's it's a dangerous thing when you start getting too too familiar with the world. All right. So much for that. Let's go on now. Uh and uh Proverbs 5:15. Drink waters out of thine own system and running waters out of thine own well. Now what that is saying is uh your relationship and your pleasure and you need to keep it at home. Uh drink water out of he was he wasn't talking about drinking uh H2O. He was talking about your own pleasures getting outside your own home. you your wife need to be your pleasure or your husband needs to be your pleasure and you need to drink out of your own sister not somebody else's it's your own now this is the way the the wise men in proverbs put it in a very picturesque way let thy fountains be dispersed abroad and rivers and waters in the streets and let thy your your offspring let them be from you, not from an illicit relationship. The Bible says stolen waters are sweet and and there's something about the the the stolen waters that's exciting. I read about a psychologist that had studied some things, a burglar. There are men that people that that burglarize uses not for the the the product of stealing, but there is a certain excitement about breaking in and the possibility of getting caught. And there's a there's an emotional excitement that goes with doing something that is not supposed to be. Well, we as Christians, we don't get thrills out of that. We get thrilled out of worshiping God. And doing the right thing because doing right is always right. Doing wrong is always wrong. Let them be thine own and not strangers. Let your children be your children. Let your family be your family. Let thy fountains be blessed and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Now, you don't need any any illicit magazines to look at. You don't need to be looking at other women with a lustful attitude. But he said right here, "Let thy fountains be blessed and rejoice with the wife of thy youth." But I want to tell you something. I could look at any one of these pictures and it thrills me right there. I I I'm I'm excited to see that see that at at all ages. That's the thrill of my life right there. It was then in 1955 when I saw her in a tent revival. I was thrilled to see her then. And I want you to know I thrilled to see her right now. I'll sometime we'll we'll be sitting there and talking and she'll be talking to me and she's be just really telling something. She's she's a great exciting teller of tales. She can tell talk and she'll be talking to me and I'll be looking and and I said, "Honey," and my mind gets off of what she's saying. I said, "You have got the prettiest hair I've ever seen." Oh, quit quit. Yay. And of course, she likes it, too. But I don't I don't just say that. I really do mean it. and I love her and I tell her and and she's beautiful at all ages and I'm I'm so glad that I feel that way. And let me tell that can be cultivated. Let me let me get negative for just a minute. this little business of my old lady, my old man. And once you get, you know, before you get married, it's it's it's honey and pie, sweetie, honey, and darling. But then sometimes after we get married, it said it's my old lady at home or my old man or the Let me tell you something. She's not my old lady. She's my darling, my wife. She's my life's companion. And I want you to know, I'm not the old man. Well, I'm old, but then I'm a man, but I'm not the old man. I painted myself into a corner. Isaiah 62 and5. For as a young man marth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee, and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. Now the requirements of it used the term it used a term married a virgin uh in Leviticus 21:13 and speaking of the priest and he shall take a wife in her virginity. It is or should be the goal of every young man to marry a virgin. Pause. And if he aspires to marry a girl who has not been intimate with another, I'm going to go slow because I want this to really sink in. You I said 16 years and older. 16 years old and older. And uh I I want you to get in on this. It is or should be the goal of every young man to marry a virgin. And if he aspires to marry a girl who has not been intimate with another, he's a crook and a scoundrel if he offers her anything less than what he expects. >> Do you hear what I said? >> If you expect to have a girl that's not been intimate with somebody else, you better present her with the same. You're just as obligated to enter marriage as a virgin as a girl is to be a virgin. But a lot of times it's thought to be to to to be a a a macho man to to show how many women he's been with. I I I believe I've told you this before, but I had a man in my office one time and he was troubled and and he sat there and he told me how many young girls he had ruined their lives and and had his way with them and and after a while he said I I'm not a bad man. I haven't killed anybody. I said, "Sir, you haven't killed anybody, but you've sat here and told me how many young girls' lives you've ruined. That's nothing to be proud of." And I'm going to tell you, God expects out of we men just as much as he expects out of a woman. You're just as obligated to keep your body pure and clean and holy for the one you're going to spend your life with as a woman is. And you 16 year olds and older, you listen to what I'm saying right now. I mean to tell you, you you need to guard your life. You need to guard your cleanliness. You need to to to guard your virtue as as a sacred duty. And indeed it is. All right. The deadly and disastrous effects of unchecked lust. Now, let me listen to me now. We're going to deal listen to what we're we're going to deal with. The deadly and disastrous effects of unchecked lust. 2 Samuel chapter 13 starting at verse one. Now, listen to this. And it came to pass after this that Abselum the son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar. And Amnen the son of David loved her. In those days, halfsisters and brothers would marry in those days. It's a different day than what we're living in. And Amnen was so vexed that he felt sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin. And Amnen thought it hard for him to do anything to her. But Amnen had a friend whose name was Jonadab, and the son of Shimab, the David's brother. And Johnab was a very subtle man. Now, there's a a great lesson in that little scripture right there. Everybody has got a subtle friend. Uh young people can be agged on by somebody else. Now, here's what you need to do. And they can they can egg you on to do something that you shouldn't do. Whether it's be uh sexually or or stealing from a store, whatever, you need to be careful about that subtle friend Johnab. And he said unto him, why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnes said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Abselum's sister. And Johnab said to him, "Now look out for that Jonadab. Look out for that friend that's ready to egg you on into doing something that that you don't need to do." And Jonadab said to him, "Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick. And when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand. So Amnen laid down, and made himself sick. And when the king was come to see him, Amnen said to the king, "I pray thee, let Tamer, my sister, come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand." You see, lust is conniving and has no regard for family or friends. It's the selfish. It is selfish and thinks only of personal gratification. Keep that in mind. You're you're dealing with the human body. You're dealing with the natural nature in human beings. But you better watch out and be able to control that. Lust is canning and has no respect and no regard for family or friends. It's selfish and thinks only of personal gratification. Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go now to thy brother Amnen's house, and dress himat." So Tamar went to her brother Am Amnen's house, and he was laid down, and it took flour, and kne and she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. And she took a pan and poured them out before him. But he refused to eat. And Amnen said, "Have out all men for me." And they went out every man from him. Now lust was conniving. Love was was playing in his part. Lust is cowardly. It dismisses all men from its presence. For any man would surely defend a weak and defenseless woman. Not only did Amnen dismiss all men from him, he also dismissed his own manliness, his appropriateness of character. In a single act, Amnen fell from royalty to a road. Did you know that Amnen was the oldest son of David and deserved to inherit the kingship, but he got he sold it all just for lust. In a single act, Amnen fell from royalty to a robe. And Amnen said unto Tamar, "Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat at thy hands." And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnen her brother. And when she had brought them into him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, "Come lie with me, my sister." Before Amnant took hold of Tamar, something very bad had taken hold of him. And she answered and said to him, "Nay, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly." You see, lust is forceful, brutal, violent, and unmerciful. Tamar declared it to be the act of folly. It was true then and it is true today. It's an act of folly. Not an act of manliness. It's an act of folly. And I, she says, whether shall I cause my shame to go. And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king, for he will not withhold me from thee. Thou shalt be one of the fools in Israel. From a prince to a fool in one act. I wish we could be a little lively. which you don't shout sermons or lessons like this, but maybe you're just listening good. In my in my 79 years of ministry, I've seen ministers of all rank. The man that baptized me in Jesus name was one of the preachingest men I ever heard preach. But that man fell in sin with the woman. And what could have been and was an absolute fantastic dynamic preacher became an absolute backslider because he yielded to the flesh. Great churches have been destroyed by a preacher that didn't hold on to God's hand and keep his virtue and be true to his wife and family. One one fallen sin will wreck his life and will wreck a church. It's a it's a it's a terrible thing. I've got it in my notes and yes, here it is. Proverbs 6:32. And we'll go back to the scripture. Proverbs 6:32, starting at 32. But who so committh adultery with a woman lacketh understanding. He that doeth it destroyth his own soul, a wound and a dishonor shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man. Therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though thou givest him many gifts. Throughout the Bible, it talks about Uriah's wife. Never did he outlive the mistake. The Bible said, "He that committh adultery with a woman com uh lackth understanding. He that doeth it destroyth his own soul. A wound and a dishonor shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away." There there there's enough there's enough scripture in here that should keep us alert attuned to recognizing what we can do to ourselves. You can wreck your life in one one soul, one instance if you don't keep your virtue. Being stronger than her, he forced her. And then it said, "And Amnant hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her." And Amnen said unto her, "Arise, be gone." Now, we're getting a little bit on the um risky side and a little little on on the bold side here. But let me tell you something, young folks, girls. A boy may tell you, "You don't love me or you will." He's a liar. You don't if you if you love me, you'll let me tell you something. He's trying to get you to compromise. The greatest thing that you have, the one thing that you have that money cannot buy is your virtue. God's given it to you and you need to keep that until marriage time comes when you can be married and love each other with a deep love without any condemnation. Lust disguised as love becomes cruel hatred. He will not love you more if you give in to him. He'll fail to respect you. He'll hate the thing he's done. Lust kidnapped what could have been a precious loving relationship and turned it into a repugnant act of rape. Verse 16. And she said to him, "There is no cause. This evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didest unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. There's no cause. She said, no cause except for selfish self-gratification. Verse 17. Then he called his servant and ministered unto him, and said, "Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her." Indeed, he did bolt the door. He bolted the door on his own future. It's what he did. He he had raped a woman, had her put out and said, "Now bolt put her out and now bolt the door." And he bolted the door. He bolted the door on his future. Now she was crying and her brother says, "What's said? I know. I know what's happened. I know who you've been with. Just don't say anything about it." But her brother had a plan. Two years later, he pitched a a party and invited this fella and all the others and named that party. They told his servants said, "When so and so gets well drunk said, fall upon him and kill him. He raped my sister. I want you to get him." And they did. Let me tell you something. There's a reckoning day. It may not be in the natural. There may not be physical blood right now, but there's going to be dread and hatred a and and disgrace the rest of your life. There is no cause, no cause except for selfish and self-gratification. Then he called his servant that ministered to him and said, "Put now this woman out from me and bolt the door after her." Indeed, he bolted the door on his future. Proverbs 6:32, "Whosoever committh adultery with a woman lackth understanding. He that doeth it destroys his own soul. A wound and a dishonor shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away." Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but for mongers and adulterers God will judge. 1 Corinthians 7 starting at verse one. Now concerning the things whereof, you wrote unto me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The Paul is using very discreet and very wise language in dealing with this subject. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife and to the husband. The wife hath no power over her own body, but the husband. Likewise, the husband has no power over his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one another except it be with consent for the time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer. Now hold on. Don't don't don't don't blush what he's saying. Defra fraud you not one another. None of this I don't feel like it tonight. I got a headache. I got well I feel like going to Walmart. I feel like shopping but I don't feel like being a husband to you or I don't feel like being a wife. do defraud you not one another except it be for a time that you may give yourselves in fasting and prayer. There's a certain time and a condition that he he gives you the reason to abstain. Now, well, I'm going to quit apologizing because I told you this was going to be X-rated or adult rated. Defraud you not one another except it be with consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come again uh that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. But I speak this by permission and not commandment. For I would that now here we go. But I would that all men were even as I myself. He was unmarried. But every man hath but every man hath his power gift of God, one after this banner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn. And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, let not the wife depart from her husband, but if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife. I want to tell you, if they everybody would abide by that, be a whole lot less divorces than what we got if you had to remain unmarried the rest of your life. And but now, I didn't write this. These are that's not my not that's the Bible. I just put that in my notes. That's not Billy Mcool. That's what the word of God says. Would you stand your feet with us right now? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Oh, glory to God. Lord, I thank you for the blessed word of God. I thank you for the word that guides us our every step. If we'll just listen to it, if we'll obey it, apply it to our hearts, it'll save us so many heartaches and so much trouble. I pray God you'll let this word sink deep into our hearts, each and every one of us, that we can serve you more dedicated. Keep us in your care. dismiss us from this place but not from your sight in Jesus name. Amen. You're dismissed in Jesus name. If I'm offended, anybody Got to go.