By Debra Hasty

Lamentations 3:22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion’s fail not.

Lamentations 3:23 they are new every morning: great is they faithfulness.

Mercy loves and grace pardons. God looks past our sinful nature and goes straight to the heart of a persons character to know there is hope for everyone of us if we would only come boldly to his throne of grace and surrender this fleshly nature and allow God to cloth us in his righteousness as our own righteousness is as a filthy rag to God, Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5, 6.

It’s not God that condemns us as in the flesh as we are already condemned by our fleshly sin nature we are all born with for the word says there is none that are righteous, Romans 3:10-20. The washing of regeneration cleanses us of ancestry sin and sets us apart through Gods mercy to be called heirs to the throne of grace through his son Jesus Christ who laid his own life down so we could have life eternal with the Father.

Sin separates us from God because God is a spirit and can only recognize his own children by what spirit is living in their hearts. We have to renew, rebirth – born again, Gods Spirit within us in order to be called a child of God and see the kingdom of heaven. We now put off the old man (flesh) and put on the new man (Spirit), Colossians 3:1-17. We are renewed by the word of God and through the Holy Spirit teaching us of all things, John 14:26.

Matthew 5:1-16 blessed is the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. When our hearts are right with the Lord then he has compassion on all his children and whatever you ask for in his name he will meet your needs, but one important factor in this is that you also have to have mercy for those who trespass against you to forgive what others do against you, Mark 11:22-26.

You can study the Mercy seat of God in the OT and how the sacrifices were made for the atonement of sin to see how figurative this was to the coming Messiah (Christ Jesus) who is now our mercy seat through his birth, death and resurrection as Jesus was made the final sacrificial lamb for the atonement of all men and gathered all our sins and put them upon himself and died to set us free from sin and God rose him again on the third day so we could take part in his death and resurrection, which means when we accept Jesus we die to our old fleshly ways and now are resurrected to live with him for eternity.

God’s love is not limited, but we choose to limit Gods love by separating ourselves from his mercy and grace.  Jude vs. 17-23 Keep yourselves in the love of God always looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternity.

www.ourchurch.com/member/m/ministering

This is something that amazes me as I can not perceive what goes through the minds of those who know truth, but yet ignore truth and sell themselves out for another’s distorted gospel so they can feel socially acceptable in the eyes of others, but yet allow themselves to be condemned by their own actions. Are we more concerned by what others think of us or should we be concerned what God sees in us as His servant that needs to be letting the light of Christ shine through us to present a Gospel of truth to others instead a gospel of fiction.

How ironic is it that I can read and study the word of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to teach me first so I am Spiritually equipped to take Gods word out into the world in all truths, but yet many others need to go to Seminary schools to be bound by the laws of government, to be taught by a man, which excludes the whole purpose of the Holy Spirit and puts God in a box only to be taken out to make one look Holy, but yet full of dead mans bones, Matthew 23:27. Church and State are not separate, even though it should be. We allow ourselves to be bound by the laws of government in accordance to their mandated guidelines of how they perceive the so called Church of God should be set up for legal purpose, but only becomes a Church that renders unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, Matthew 12:17. Government laws need to be followed, but when those laws come against the word of God then they need to be void in our walk with the Lord as Gods laws are never changing.

Matthew 28:16-20 is our commission from Christ and set forth in His spoken word. There is an urgent call for those of us who will not compromise the word of God and will stand on that very foundation of faith that is Christ Jesus that we are also partakers in His life, death and resurrection taking no concern for ourselves what others can and will try to do to us, but surrender all of ourselves to Christ to be worthy of His glorious calling so we will always be pleasing to the Father in all things of servitude. Be not afraid of those who can kill you for there is nothing more they can do, but fear (respect) Him (God) that has power to cast into Hell, Luke 12:4,5.

We need to take the word of God out to a world that is being deceived by the one (Satan) who has set up his pawns and or puppets to teach his twisted word of God from the pulpits of this world as Satan uses those without Spiritual knowledge to deceive the hearts of seemingly good people to cause them to be separated unknowingly from the truth of Gods salvation through grace which will cause them to lose their very souls to Hell for the wages of sin is death, (sin here means to reject truth), but life is eternal for those who follow in the footsteps of Christ, Romans 6:23, as we must be born-again Spiritually through repentance and forgiveness that only comes by the grace of God to all who will call on the name of Jesus so they can see the Kingdom of Heaven, John 3:3-7.

The worlds stage is being set and the players are being selected to come against and take control over Jerusalem as we can see with our own eyes how the enemy (Satan) is coming against Gods promised land and the finale act will be The Dome of the Rock destroyed in order for Solomon’s Temple to be rebuilt as Satan will try to sit on the mount of the congregation on the side of the north, Isaiah 14:12-15. Yes, the urgency is great upon this earth and the inhabitants there upon it to know truth that will set them free from the very gates of Hell that wants to consume them.

2Thessalonians 2:3 let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not
come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition;
2Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be.

The falling away is happening even as I write this that many have removed themselves from the love of God by following after their own gods of power, money and greed as they become lovers of their own selves. People did not believe Noah and continued in their sins and died in their sins. We do not know the day or the hour of Christ return for His true Bride and like Noah we must be about our Fathers business until he sends his Son Christ Jesus to take us up to meet him in the air and we will hear those words of grace and mercy that says “Well done thou good and faithful servant “Matthew 25:21.

In the Psalm, the words “patiently wait” do not refer to a static wait. It is not about sitting in a rocking chair for something to happen. The patient wait that the psalmist evokes is an active wait. Means to put our hope and will in the Lord and keep walking. Means to put our trust in the Lord and keep “doing”. Means active prayer and active trust. Is to seek the presence of the Lord and walk with the certainty of it.

Every state of our lives brings different experiences evoke emotions, actions and reactions. In this case, the writer compares his emotions with being in a “slimy pit” and being stuck “in the mud and mire”. New King James version uses the words “horrible pit”. Whatever situation he was experiencing that made him feel that he was being trapped, stuck, or buried alive… he chose to put his hope in the Lord, and cries out. Then, something amazing happens. Look at the words “he turned to me and heard my cry”. God turns to him, hears him and sets his feet on a rock and puts a new song on his mouth. The God almighty turns to hear us and takes action. Our God is capable to turn grieve into a dance and to held us in a way to bring in us a new song.

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”  (Psalm 30:11-12)

From these verses I particularly like the phrase “my heart may sing and not be silent”. That is one particular thing that happens when the Lord walks with us; we cannot be silent. We are transformed.

Then in every situation we have to learn to be grateful. We can learn to put music to every tear and live with hope in the middle of conflict. The new song doesn’t have to wait until everything is calm and the storm passed. We don’t have to wait to be grateful after the fact, but thru the fact.

It is a new year!  Hold on to God and sing a new song!

God gave us many commandments, but the greatest one is love, Matthew 22:36-40. Now just how does one love with all their heart, especially in a world that seems to be filled with so much hate towards one another. How many times have you hated your persecutors, but yet call yourself a Christian.

If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit. If we truly know God then we would know his love for us even in our own imperfections as we allow his righteousness to perfect us so we can be bold to stand before him on the day of judgment because as he is so are we in the world, 1John 4:16-18.

A sign of true faith is manifested in obedience to God’s perfect will of love that as Christ loved us and gave his life for us we should also have this same love in us for our neighbors that says Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Even through the persecutions Jesus was subjected to he never lost focus that he was in the Father’s will and what his purpose was here on earth.

Temperance is another fruit of love that we should know the mind of Christ that we will not conform to the ways of this world even though we have to live in it, but to restrain from the ways of this world as we crucify this flesh daily. If any one loves this world then the love of the Father is not in them, 1John 2:15-17.

I know it is so easy to get into the flesh, especially when someone is lashing out at you and the flesh is quick to retaliate as even I get into the flesh at times when I take my focus off God’s will and I do believe God knows we will get into the flesh at times as we are not perfect, but do strive for that perfection that is in Christ. This is where God’s grace and mercy comes in as even though we mess up at times he is quick to forgive us as we need to be quick to forgive those who come against us and never hold a grudge.

Meekness shows patience and the trying of our faith that we may be perfect and entire wanting nothing, James 1:2-4. Gentleness, goodness and faith will always bring us into submission of the perfect will of God’s love, which is the greatest gift of all. Let us display this gift of love in our own lives so others will see the love of Christ shine through us.

By Debra Hasty

Lamentations 3:22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion fail not.

Lamentations 3:23 they are new every morning: great is they faithfulness.

Mercy loves and grace pardons. God looks past our sinful nature and goes straight to the heart of a persons character to know there is hope for everyone of us if we would only come boldly to his throne of grace and surrender this fleshly nature and allow God to cloth us in his righteousness as our own righteousness is as a filthy rag to God, Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5, 6.

It’s not God that condemns us as in the flesh we are already condemned by our fleshly sin nature we are all born with, but does not activate until we come into the knowledge of sin for the word says there is none that are righteous, Romans 3:10-20.

The washing of regeneration cleanses us of ancestry sin and sets us apart through Gods mercy to be called heirs to the throne of grace through his son Jesus Christ who laid his own life down so we could have life eternal with the Father.

Sin separates us from God because God is a spirit and can only recognize his own children by what spirit is living in their hearts. We have to renew, rebirth – born again, Gods Spirit within us in order to be called a child of God and see the kingdom of heaven. We now put off the old man (flesh) and put on the new man (Spirit), Colossians 3:1-17. We are renewed by the word of God and through the Holy Spirit teaching us of all things, John 14:26.

Matthew 5:1-16 blessed is the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. When our hearts are right with the Lord then he has compassion on all his children and whatever you ask for in his name he will meet your needs, but one important factor in this is that you also have to have mercy for those who trespass against you to forgive what others do against you, Mark 11:22-26.

You can study the Mercy seat of God in the OT and how the sacrifices were made for the atonement of sin to see how figurative this was to the coming Messiah (Christ Jesus) who is now our mercy seat through his birth, death and resurrection as Jesus was made the final sacrificial lamb for the atonement of all men and gathered all our sins and put them upon himself and died to set us free from sin and God rose him again on the third day so we could take part in his death and resurrection, which means when we accept Jesus we die to our old fleshly ways and now are resurrected to live with him for eternity.

God’s love is not limited, but we choose to limit Gods love by separating ourselves from his mercy and grace.  Jude vs. 17-23 Keep yourselves in the love of God always looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternity.

(www.ourchurch.com/member/m/ministering)

Of course, whether burps are offensive or not depends on the company, but also the individual.  Let’s face it, 99% of the time we have full control over our burps.  What kind of company do you find yourself in?  Also what are you trying to accomplish?  When my boys are around, I know that they will start laughing and sometimes I will burp soley for that purpose.  On the other hand, if I burped soley to offend my former co-worker, what would that say about me?

Yes, even something as seemingly as insignificant as a burp can show what we are made of…not so much the act itself, but the motivation behind the act.  And it’s not just burps, either.  What motivates you for any action says quite a bit about who you are.  Jesus tells us, “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34).  What are your motives?  What are you trying to accomplish and why?

Jesus also tells us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt 5:8).

The book of Proverbs tells us, “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man” (Proverbs 27:19).

What we say and do reflects who we are on the inside.  How we carry ourselves and how we react to life shows people who we are.  When you know what “pushes someone’s buttons.” Do you push the button, or are you careful to avoid doing what would offend them?  Do you like to “get someone’s goat” or, like the goats used in 19th century horse stables, do you try to be a calming influence?

I’ll be honest, I fall into both categories.  There are times when I can be really kind and understanding and there are times when I can be quite offensive.  I would love to blame the latter part on my New York upbringing, but the fact is, regardless of what I blame it on, I am merely shifting the focus from where it should be:  my own heart.  I can honestly say I am working hard at sticking to the first category.  My aim is to be encouraging rather than discouraging, to build up rather than tear down.

Sometimes the goal seems within reach, others like it’s a light in the distance.  I am working on it though and each time I fall down, I pick myself up and keep trying.  It’s a long process, but my goal is edify others, to sooth, support and give confidence to those who need it, then I will have the right heart.  An old credit card slogan asks, “What’s in your wallet?”  Why not ask yourself, “What’s in your heart?”  The answer to that question is much more important.

 The hope I’m referring to is not a hope based on desires, but the hope fed by God’s Word; in the certainty of God, Jesus, His presence and all the facts behind. My hope is based in a relationship with Jesus throughout the years and the days to come. Each day brings an experience of its own. I can’t find a way to summarize it all. But among the many things I could say, it’s that that hope, then brings joy. The dark moments are outshined by God’s presence and glory.  It doesn’t matter if I understand it or not. It’s is not something that I could reason, but I can experience it. 

 So far, the breast cancer experience has been for me a walk. A pathway to learn more about the One who I love, who I chose to follow and who leads me. Every day is a commitment to praise Him and to seek Him, to value and cherish every minute I spend with my loved ones, and to meditate on His blessings. My attitude towards how I react to conflicts, difficult situations and/or stresses both at work and personal matters have changed. My attitude to be more focused on my purpose that on trivial matters, also changed. It is up to me to determine what it’s trivial, and with that I feel powerful. (This last sentence I wrote with a smile)

 I was meditating among these Bible verses:

 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

  “Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. […] His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.” (Song of Solomon 2:4,6)

 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)

 “ But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

  “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  […] Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-17)  

After meditating in these verses, I ought to say and be thankful for the opportunity to affirm the Lord’s majesty in my life. It is not that I’m strong on my own, but that the Almighty fills me with strength. And I’m humbled to know that I’m His and that He carries me. Then I share with the world this prayer:

My Lord give me the understanding to comprehend your Word and to know when you speak to my soul. In receiving you, I receive your life. Show me to understand the purpose of any storm in my life, so that in the middle of it, I could feel the certainty that together with your life, I will experiment in growth your renovating power through it. Lord I thank you for the opportunity to affirm your majesty in my life. I ask you the courage to affirm your presence in my circumstances; thus to see your Glory in my life, the way you want me to see it.

This is something that amazes me as I can not perceive what goes through the minds of those who know truth, but yet ignore truth and sell themselves out for another’s distorted gospel so they can feel socially acceptable in the eyes of others, but yet allow themselves to be condemned by their own actions. Are we more concerned by what others think of us or should we be concerned what God sees in us as His servant that needs to be letting the light of Christ shine through us to present a Gospel of truth to others instead a gospel of fiction.

How ironic is it that I can read and study the word of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to teach me first so I am Spiritually equipped to take Gods word out into the world in all truths, but yet many others need to go to Seminary schools to be bound by the laws of government, to be taught by a man, which excludes the whole purpose of the Holy Spirit and puts God in a box only to be taken out to make one look Holy, but yet full of dead mans bones, Matthew 23:27. Church and State are not separate, even though it should be. We allow ourselves to be bound by the laws of government in accordance to their mandated guidelines of how they perceive the so called Church of God should be set up for legal purpose, but only becomes a Church that renders unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, Matthew 12:17. Government laws need to be followed, but when those laws come against the word of God then they need to be void in our walk with the Lord as Gods laws are never changing.

Matthew 28:16-20 is our commission from Christ and set forth in His spoken word. There is an urgent call for those of us who will not compromise the word of God and will stand on that very foundation of faith that is Christ Jesus that we are also partakers in His life, death and resurrection taking no concern for ourselves what others can and will try to do to us, but surrender all of ourselves to Christ to be worthy of His glorious calling so we will always be pleasing to the Father in all things of servitude. Be not afraid of those who can kill you for there is nothing more they can do, but fear (respect) Him (God) that has power to cast into Hell, Luke 12:4,5.

We need to take the word of God out to a world that is being deceived by the one (Satan) who has set up his pawns and or puppets to teach his twisted word of God from the pulpits of this world as Satan uses those without Spiritual knowledge to deceive the hearts of seemingly good people to cause them to be separated unknowingly from the truth of Gods salvation through grace which will cause them to lose their very souls to Hell for the wages of sin is death, (sin here means to reject truth), but life is eternal for those who follow in the footsteps of Christ, Romans 6:23, as we must be born-again Spiritually through repentance and forgiveness that only comes by the grace of God to all who will call on the name of Jesus so they can see the Kingdom of Heaven, John 3:3-7.

The worlds stage is being set and the players are being selected to come against and take control over Jerusalem as we can see with our own eyes how the enemy (Satan) is coming against Gods promised land and the finale act will be The Dome of the Rock destroyed in order for Solomon’s Temple to be rebuilt as Satan will try to sit on the mount of the congregation on the side of the north, Isaiah 14:12-15. Yes, the urgency is great upon this earth and the inhabitants there upon it to know truth that will set them free from the very gates of Hell that wants to consume them.

2Thessalonians 2:3 let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not
come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition;
2Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be.

The falling away is happening even as I write this that many have removed themselves from the love of God by following after their own gods of power, money and greed as they become lovers of their own selves. People did not believe Noah and continued in their sins and died in their sins. We do not know the day or the hour of Christ return for His true Bride and like Noah we must be about our Fathers business until he sends his Son Christ Jesus to take us up to meet him in the air and we will hear those words of grace and mercy that says “Well done thou good and faithful servant “Matthew 25:21.

During the first AT, I became good friends with two of my peers in particular.  One is Hindu and the other is an atheist.  The atheist was actually my roommate for part of the time I was there, and many interesting discussions were had between us.

The thing that interested me most, however, was not the discussions we had, but the actions of my friends.  Not only were they very open about their beliefs and very patient in explaining things to me, but they are two of the nicest people I know.  They were very quick to provide ample help in many different areas.  They were so helpful that I inadvertently offended/hurt one of them when I declined an offer to borrow a vehicle for the time I was there.

The Bible tells us that we are love each other, support each other and help each other.  There are many Christians who live up to what the Bible says.  However, I would venture to say that most do not, at least not in the way they should.  I know fall short more than I care to admit, and yet here are two people, who do not believe in Jesus, who lived up to His words better than most of His followers. 

Please understand that I am not trying to say that one group of beliefs is better than another, but rather show how the actions of these two, good friends have caused me to look deep within myself.  How often do I show love to my neighbor?  How many times have I helped people when I’ve been in the position to do so?  Some may be offended, others may see the irony, that I am striving to live more like Jesus based on the actions of somebody who does not believe in Him.   Regardless, I have learned that one can be surprised at just how far a little bit of help can go.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31

I just got done perusing my facebook and news feeds, and I am always amazed and dismayed by what the American perception of being a Christian involves.

Being a Christian means first and foremost YOU have a relationship with GOD through CHRIST.

Being a Christian means you live your life through faith in God’s promises.

Being a Christian means you live your life in accordance to God’s Word.

Being a Christian means you love; love God, love your spouse, love your family, love your neighbors, love your community, love strangers, love your enemies.

Being a Christian means you know you are accountable to God for your words and actions, and you live accordingly.

Being a Christian means you forgive; forgive those who hurt you and forgive yourself.

Being a Christian means when you slip and sin, you repent and return to God with a contrite heart.

Being a Christian means you may discern what activities are in accordance to God’s Word for YOU YOURSELF to partake in or not, but that you do NOT judge others- you don’t have the right to.

Being a Christian is to know that hating someone is the same as murdering someone in God’s eyes.

Being a Christian is to know that while you are saved by faith alone, if you have true faith your deeds will reflect your faith. If you have no deeds springing out of your faith, your faith is dead.

Being a Christian means you care about the poor- passionately. You feed the poor, give them clothing, help all you can because Christ, in whom you are saved, commanded you to love and be concerned with the poor.

Being a Christian means you are against gossip and backbiting. God hates that activity, and so should you.

Being a Christian means you love, honor and respect your parents and cherish your family.

Being a Christian means that if you are married the husband should cherish his wife even before himself and the wife honor and respect her husband. It means you will be faithful to that spouse and not stray physically or emotionally from your marriage vows. Jesus said if you lust for someone in your heart, you have committed adultery.

Being a Christian means you know you desperately need forgivness and mercy from God and that in order to obtain them you must be merciful and forgiving with those around you.

Being a Christian means you love God’s ancient chosen people the Jewish nation. God is clear how He feels about them.

Being a Christian means that you are haunted by the knowledge that because there is a God and a heaven, there is a hell as well for those that live in opposition to God. You want to share God’s Word and love with as many people as you can in the hope and prayer they will come to know God and be saved. You want to live your life in such a way that people are drawn to Christ, not pushed from Him.

Being a Christian does not mean: That is is alright to hate someone based on their faith, their sexuality, their nationality or their political party. God commands us to love and forbids us to judge.

Being a Christian does not mean that you have the right to tell others how to live their lives. Live your own life as best you can in accordance to God’s Will. When you have perfected your life (which will not happen in this lifetime) then you can worry about others.

Being a Christian does not mean that just because you belong to one political party that has traditionally associated itself with Christianity that you are saved. For that political party does not do the work of Jesus, it does the work of its party. It does not care for the poor, love the needy, cherish the outcast and seek out the lost. Nor should it, that is the work of the Christian themselves, but neither should they then claim to represent Christ when they do not. Christ tells us to love, to be unified with other believers, not engage in divisive policies. Worry more on Christ and doing His work, and less on the world and its agenda.

Being a Christian does not mean that if you sit in a pew an hour a week and put money in a collection basket that you are saved. You must have a living, transformative relationship through Christ to be saved. You must have repented of your sins and asked Christ’s forgivness to be saved.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Matthew 5:43-45
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Matthew 7:2
For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

1 John 3:15
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

Romans 14:10-13
Why do you judge your brother? And why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written, “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.

Exodus Ch.23:1
Do not pass along untrue reports. Do not cooperate with an evil man by affirming on the witness stand something you know is false.

Ephesians 5:25-
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church–for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery–but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise– “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you (Israel), and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Matthew 25:31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Luke 6:17-49

Blessings and Woes
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
A Tree and Its Fruit
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
The Wise and Foolish Builders
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful. Jesus in Luke 6:36

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7
Matthew 9-13.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ (Ephesians 4:32)

Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, with kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you.Colossians 3:12-13

My statements above about what a Christian IS, are taken from the Bible. The part about what a Christian is not, is my opinion because I have never found anything to support such behavior in the Bible. Let me know what you think.

BG Butler