Letting God fill your heart with the
love of Christ Jesus so you will never be an Unholy Evangelical Christian.
11/25/2018
________________________________________________________________________
The Bible which is quoted and misquoted
so many times by the Evangelical, pulpit pounding preacher, teacher, and
evangelist is the same Bible that EXPOSES the true heart of the Evangelicals
today.
The “MODERN” Church is so far removed
from the BIBLE it is a wonder that anyone still attends a church service. The
CHURCH has become a political, not for profit, money machine white washing the
TRUTH of the Bible twisting the truth just as Satan did when he tempted Jesus
Christ in the wilderness.
The “Church” {people of God} are called
to be holy and blameless before God. The church can NOT be these things if it
is whiny about mistreatment and involving itself with the wickedness of the
governing authorities. The “Church” was called to PRAY for those in authority
NOT to bow down to them.
It is through Christ Jesus ALONE that one can be
absolved of their sins. NO MAN or WOMAN {PRIEST or MINISTER} has the authority
to absolve sins period. It is God’s will that His “Church” separate themselves
from the world and live their lives according to His Word. The following
scriptures will help you understand more about your role as a Child of God.
And
in accordance with this will [of God] we [who believe in the message of
salvation] have been sanctified [that is, set apart as holy for God and His
purposes] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the
Anointed) once for all. Every
priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same
sacrifices over and over, which are never able to strip away sins [that envelop
and cover us]; whereas Christ, having offered the one sacrifice [the all-sufficient
sacrifice of Himself] for sins for all time, sat
down [signifying the completion of atonement for sin] at the right hand of God [the position
of honor], waiting from that time onward until
his enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by the one offering
He has perfected forever and completely cleansed those who are being
sanctified [bringing each believer to spiritual completion and maturity].
And speaks and holds truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; In his eyes an evil person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder]. He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit]; He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite], And does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Not many [of you]
should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers
and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will [a]be judged by a higher standard [because we
have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach
incorrectly]. For we all stumble and sin in many ways.
If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he
is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to
bridle his whole body and rein in his entire nature [taming his human
faults and weaknesses].
Therefore
if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection
from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated
at the right hand of God. Set your mind and keep focused habitually
on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth
[which have only temporal value]. For you died [to this world], and your [new,
real] life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, appears,
then you also will appear with Him in glory. So put to death and deprive
of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual,
self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil
desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your
devotion to God]. Because of these [sinful] things the [divine] wrath of God is
coming on the sons of disobedience [those who fail to listen and who routinely
and obstinately disregard God’s precepts], and in these [sinful things] you
also once walked, when you were habitually living in them [without the
knowledge of Christ]. But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things:
anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language
from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old
self with its evil practices, and have put on the new [spiritual] self
who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who
created the new self— a renewal in which there is no [distinction
between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [nor between nations
whether] barbarian or Scythian, [nor in status whether] slave or free, but
Christ is all, and in all [so believers are equal in Christ, without
distinction]. So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart,
sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart
of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the
power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing
graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a
cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so
should you forgive. Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves
in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is
bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others]. Let the
peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the
controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise].
To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of
believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. Let the [spoken] word of Christ
have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every
aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and
train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do [no matter what it is]
in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence
on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
And do not be conformed
to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed
and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of
your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may
prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
But I urge you,
believers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in full
agreement in what you say, and that there be no divisions or factions
among you, but that you be perfectly united in your way of thinking and in your
judgment [about matters of the faith].
See that no one repays
another with evil for evil, but always seek that which is good for one another
and for all people.
How blessed and
favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity,
the upright, the guileless],
Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and
revealed will] of the Lord.
Pure and unblemished
religion [as it is expressed in outward acts] in the sight of our God and
Father is this: to visit and look after the fatherless and the widows in
their distress, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the [secular] world.
Rarely do you witness
the AMERICAN EVANGELICAL CHURCH and MOST of the “CHURCH” around the world
actually LIVE the SCRIPTURES above or below. Instead you have MEN and WOMEN in
the PULPITS teaching just the OPPOSITE of what JESUS taught. One example of
this is the NAME IT and CLAIM IT bunch and the ACCUMILATE WEALTH bunch who
twist the WORD of GOD to benefit themselves instead of teaching the TRUTH from
God’s Word. They will truly be held accountable for their FALSE TEACHINGS that
are leading the masses to an eternal HELL separated from the very GOD they say
they follow.
Jesus answered him, “If you wish to be
perfect
[that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no
moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple,
believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].”
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity [those of honorable character and moral
courage], He guards the paths of
justice; And He preserves the way of His saints
(believers).
Matthew 5:3-10 Amplified Bible {AMP}
“Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit
the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Take a moment to
reflect on these scriptures and then ask yourself if you are measuring up to
the standards of a TRUE child {FOLLOWER} of God through Christ Jesus or are you
currently living your life in a manner that reflects the ways of the world you
are living in at this time.
The truth from our self
evaluation against the standard of God can be a hard realization that we are
truly NOT living up to the standards He has set for us. However, once we
acknowledge that truth we can be set free from the bondage of this world and
walk uprightly before mankind and God. God has made it clear that the TRUTH
will SET YOU FREE.
So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”
Throughout my days in Seminary and all the years of ministering the Word of God I have always been asked why I use so many scriptures when I preach and write. The simple answer has always been that God called me to teach the TRUTH from His Word and not sermons written by mankind to be duplicated throughout the “Church World”. The men and women who continued the ministry of Jesus Christ taught the people HIS WORD because they followed Him while He set the example of how to teach while on His earthly journey.
Today so many
preachers, teachers and evangelist teach what they think the people want to
hear satisfying the flesh instead of feed the spirit of the men and women in
their congregations. Therefore in return you have a bunch of people walking
around claiming to be followers of Christ Jesus but have NO POWER to back up
what they say. You basically see a bunch of “would-be-followers” acting like
the world with total disregard for the word of God in their life. In 2 Timothy 3:1-9 and Romans 1:20-25 we learn what happens
to those who have not been taught the word of God and to those who know God yet
chose NOT to follow His commandments.
But understand
this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will
come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of
self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed],
boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and
profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection,
calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of
self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors,
reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding
to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its
power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and
keep far away from them. For among them are those who worm their way into homes
and captivate morally weak and spiritually-dwarfed women weighed
down by [the burden of their] sins, easily swayed by various impulses, always
learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to
come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres [the court
magicians of Egypt] opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth,
men of depraved mind, unqualified and worthless [as teachers] in regard
to the faith. But they will not get very far, for their meaningless nonsense and
ignorance will become obvious to everyone, as was that of Jannes and Jambres.
Romans 1:20-25 Amplified Bible (AMP)
For ever since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being
understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that
He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without
excuse and without defense. For even though they knew God [as the
Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous
creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless,
with pointless reasoning, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was
darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory and
majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless
idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and
reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to
[sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them
[abandoning them to the degrading
power of sin], because [by choice] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie,
and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever! Amen.
- Romans 1:21 Anyone who attributes the existence of the world to chance or to a different creator is already guilty of deliberately rejecting God, because to deny the true God one must set aside common sense.
- Romans 1:21 Lit glorify.
- Romans 1:23 Paul’s indictment of idolatry (images) is logical and devastating. He emphasizes that idols are essentially copies of living creatures, whether in human form (as, for example, in ancient Greek myth) or otherwise (as in Egyptian idolatry and metaphysics). These lifeless images are clearly powerless, and even the living creatures which they supposedly represent are either nonexistent hybrids and monsters, or else ordinary creatures on earth who could hardly create so much as a grain of sand.
Today we are
witnessing a huge falling away because these ministers are NOT teaching their
congregations how to be TRUE and FAITHFUL followers of Christ Jesus. These
ministers have become EAR TICKLERS instead of REAL MEN and WOMEN of GOD.
For the time
will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate
instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have
their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for
themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own
desires and to support the errors they hold, and will
turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and
man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].
It is my
responsibility as a messenger of God to His children {all His Children
including HIS LGBTQI+ Children} to give you the meat of the Word for the
nourishment of your soul. This is why I teach things that the flesh does not
want to hear. It is time as TRUE FOLLOWERS of GOD that we stand up and proclaim
the TRUTH so people can be rescued from the bondage of sin. It is my
responsibility to ensure the message of how to live your life to please God and
not mankind is buried deep in your soul so you can stand strong against the
attacks of the enemy of God.
And
you shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul
{LIFE}, and with your entire mind {THOUGHT, UNDERSTANDING}, and with all your
strength. This is the second: You shall [UNSELFISHLY] love your neighbor as
yourself. There is NO other commandment GREATER than these.
- Mark 12:31 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.
Matthew 7:12-23 The Message {MSG}
“Here is a simple,
rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for
you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and
Prophets and this is what you get. Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market
is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be
practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of
people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention. Be wary of false preachers who
smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip
you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for
character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A
genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These
diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned. Knowing the correct
password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere
with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father
wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and
saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our
God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going
to say? You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves
important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.”
Luke 6:20-38 Amplified Bible (AMP)
And looking toward His disciples, He began
speaking: “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are you who
are poor [in spirit, those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard
themselves as insignificant], for the kingdom of God is yours [both now and
forever]. Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are you
who hunger now [for righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for
you will be [completely] satisfied. Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s
grace] are you who weep now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh
[when the burden of sin is lifted]. Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually
alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people hate you, and
exclude you [from their fellowship], and insult you, and scorn your name as
evil because of [your association with] the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and
leap for joy, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for
their fathers used to treat the prophets in the same way. But woe (judgment is
coming) to you who are rich [and place your faith in possessions while
remaining spiritually impoverished], for you are [already] receiving your
comfort in full [and there is nothing left to be awarded to you]. Woe to you
who are well-fed (gorged, satiated) now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you
who laugh now [enjoying a life of self-indulgence], for you will mourn and weep
[and deeply long for God]. Woe to you when all the people speak well of
you and praise you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets
in the same way. “But I say to you who hear [Me and pay attention to My words]:
Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies,
[make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you, bless and show
kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever
strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one also [simply ignore
insignificant insults or losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your
dignity]. Whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him
either. Give to everyone who asks of you. Whoever takes away what is yours, do
not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If
you [only] love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even
sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the
same. If you lend [money] to those from whom you expect to
receive [it back], what credit
is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to receive back the same
amount. But love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; for
your reward will be great (rich, abundant), and you will be sons of the Most
High; because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the
ungrateful and the wicked. Be
merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful. “Do not judge [others self-righteously], and you will not be judged; do not condemn
[others when you are guilty and unrepentant], and you
will not be condemned [for your hypocrisy]; pardon [others when they truly repent and
change], and you will be pardoned [when you truly repent and change]. Give
and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good
measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over
[with no space left for more]. For with the standard of
measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”
- Luke 6:20 In vv 20-22 Luke lists four of the nine Beatitudes recorded by Matthew and follows them with four antithetical woes in vv 24-26.
- Luke 6:27 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the higher good for another.
- Luke 6:29 In this context the “slap” is not an act of violence, but more likely an insult or violation of one’s rights.
- Luke 6:35 Or not despairing at all.
- Luke 6:37 This is not a prohibition of judgment, nor is it a command to stop using godly wisdom, common sense, and moral courage together with God’s written word to discern right from wrong, to distinguish between morality and immorality, and to judge doctrinal truth. There are many judgments that are not only legitimate, but are commanded (John 7:24; 1 Corinthians 5:5, 12; Galatians 1:8, 9; 1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 5-11); however, you cannot judge another if you are committing the same type of sin.
A
major message of the New Testament and Jesus Christ is that humanity should do
all that it can to help the poor. These lessons ring true especially for
Americans, where many of those who advocate cuts to social spending and foreign
aid also have a deep, intense connection with Jesus and Christianity. The
following nine quotes, all attributed to Jesus in the New Testament,
demonstrate just how important helping the poor is to basic Christian
faith.
Luke 6:20-21
And looking toward His disciples, He began speaking: “Blessed [spiritually
prosperous, happy, to be admired] are you who are poor [in spirit,
those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as
insignificant], for the kingdom of God is yours [both now and
forever]. Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s
goodness] are you who hunger now [for
righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied.
Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are you who weep
now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh [when the
burden of sin is lifted].
Luke 4:16-19
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been
brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and
stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He
unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the
Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He
has sent Me to announce release (pardon,
forgiveness) to
the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To
set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden,
bruised, crushed by tragedy) to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”
Matthew 25:34-36
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you blessed of My
Father [you favored of God, appointed to eternal salvation], inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 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; I was
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me [with help and
ministering care]; I was in prison, and you came to Me [ignoring
personal danger].
Mark 10:21-22
Looking at him, Jesus felt a love (high regard,
compassion) for him, and He said to him, “You lack one thing: go and
sell all your property and give [the money] to the poor, and
you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and
come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me
and walking the same path of life that I walk].” But the man was saddened at
Jesus’ words, and he left grieving, because he owned much property and
had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God].
Mark
12:41-44
And He sat down opposite the [temple] treasury, and began
watching how the people were putting money into the treasury. And many rich
people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small
copper coins, which amount to a mite. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to
them, “I
assure you and most solemnly say to you, this poor widow put in
[proportionally] more than all the contributors to the treasury. For they all
contributed from their surplus, but she, from her poverty, put in all she had,
all she had to live on.”’
Luke 14:12-14
Jesus also went on to say to the one who had invited
Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or
your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also
invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you
give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame,
and the blind, and you will be blessed
because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of
the righteous (the just, the upright).”
Luke 16:19-25
Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in
expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in
splendor every day. And a poor man named
Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores. He [eagerly] longed to eat
the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs
were coming and licking his sores. Now it happened
that the poor man died and his spirit was carried away by the angels to
Abraham’s bosom (paradise); and the rich man also died and was buried. In
Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham
far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). And he cried
out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the
tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in
this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son,
remember that in your lifetime you received your good things [all the
comforts and delights], and Lazarus likewise bad things [all the
discomforts and distresses]; but now he is comforted here [in paradise], while you are in
severe agony.
Luke 11:39-42
But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and plate [as required by tradition]; but
inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish ones [acting without reflection or
intelligence]! Did not He who made the outside
make the inside also? But give that which is within as charity [that is, acts of mercy and compassion, not as a public display, but
as an expression of your faithfulness to God], and then indeed all things are clean for you. “But woe (judgment is
coming) to you Pharisees, because you
[self-righteously] tithe mint and rue and every [little] garden herb [tending to all the minutiae], and
yet disregard and neglect justice and the love of God; but these are the
things you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Luke
12:16-21
Then He told them a parable, saying, “There was a rich man whose land was very
fertile and productive. And he
began thinking to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place [large enough in which] to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my
storehouses and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods
there. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored
up, [enough] for many years; rest and relax, eat,
drink and be merry (celebrate continually).”’ But God
said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you;
and now who will own all the things you have prepared?’So it is for the
one who continues to store up and hoard possessions for himself, and is
not rich [in his relationship] toward
God.
Jesus can be considered one of the world’s most
notable humanitarians. His teachings can be universally applied to many areas
of life, including alleviating the suffering of millions in poverty around the
world.
Finish read the rest of this article here:
Luke 6:20-21
And looking toward His disciples, He began speaking: “Blessed [spiritually
prosperous, happy, to be admired] are you who are poor [in spirit,
those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as
insignificant], for the kingdom of God is yours [both now and
forever]. Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s
goodness] are you who hunger now [for
righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied.
Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are you who weep
now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh [when the
burden of sin is lifted].
Luke 4:16-19
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been
brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and
stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He
unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the
Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He
has sent Me to announce release (pardon,
forgiveness) to
the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To
set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden,
bruised, crushed by tragedy) to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”
Matthew 25:34-36
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you blessed of My
Father [you favored of God, appointed to eternal salvation], inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 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; I was
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me [with help and
ministering care]; I was in prison, and you came to Me [ignoring
personal danger].
Mark 10:21-22
Looking at him, Jesus felt a love (high regard,
compassion) for him, and He said to him, “You lack one thing: go and
sell all your property and give [the money] to the poor, and
you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and
come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me
and walking the same path of life that I walk].” But the man was saddened at
Jesus’ words, and he left grieving, because he owned much property and
had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God].
Mark 12:41-44
And He sat down opposite the [temple] treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury. And many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a mite. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this poor widow put in [proportionally] more than all the contributors to the treasury. For they all contributed from their surplus, but she, from her poverty, put in all she had, all she had to live on.”’
Luke 14:12-14
Jesus also went on to say to the one who had invited
Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or
your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also
invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you
give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame,
and the blind, and you will be blessed
because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of
the righteous (the just, the upright).”
Luke 16:19-25
Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in
expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in
splendor every day. And a poor man named
Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores. He [eagerly] longed to eat
the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs
were coming and licking his sores. Now it happened
that the poor man died and his spirit was carried away by the angels to
Abraham’s bosom (paradise); and the rich man also died and was buried. In
Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham
far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). And he cried
out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the
tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in
this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son,
remember that in your lifetime you received your good things [all the
comforts and delights], and Lazarus likewise bad things [all the
discomforts and distresses]; but now he is comforted here [in paradise], while you are in
severe agony.
Luke 11:39-42
But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and plate [as required by tradition]; but
inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish ones [acting without reflection or
intelligence]! Did not He who made the outside
make the inside also? But give that which is within as charity [that is, acts of mercy and compassion, not as a public display, but
as an expression of your faithfulness to God], and then indeed all things are clean for you. “But woe (judgment is
coming) to you Pharisees, because you
[self-righteously] tithe mint and rue and every [little] garden herb [tending to all the minutiae], and
yet disregard and neglect justice and the love of God; but these are the
things you should have done, without neglecting the others.
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