Church guide

The Scriptures Speak (Jas 4:5) Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? It took approximately 1500 years for the Bible to be written by 40 different authors—all from different walks of life: kings, shepherds, prophets, fishermen, doctors, warriors. All of them had something to say about God, man and the scriptures. In the parable of the sower, or the four soils, the seed equals the word of God. The soils equal the hearts of men and the birds equal the evil one or Satan. According to this parable, one heart is so hard the word cannot penetrate it before Satan steals it way. The Pharaoh in Egypt demonstrated such hardness before Moses as he declared “who is this God that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2) Another readily accepts the word and begins to grow. However, when affliction and persecution happen, as it does, the heart withers away and dies. Yet another also readily accepts the word and begin to grown but the worry of the world and deceitfulness of riches causes that one to fall away. Demas seems to have been one such person. (2 Timothy 4:10) There is another type of heart not discussed in this particular parable, but Jesus speak of it in Matthew 7. This one goes along thinking it is doing the will of God saying on the day of judgment “’…did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:2-23) For these types of hearts, the scripture seems to have little or no value or purpose. Then there is the final heart, which is fertile and yields “some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty.” These are the hearts for which the word does have purpose. These hearts listen and understand and practice what the word says. And Paul tells us “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) Also, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

I am Jonah Nineveh was an ancient city, established by Nimrod, son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah. (Genesis 10) It became an exceedingly wicked city: Nahum names it the bloody city. (Nahum 3:1) It was violent and brutal to its enemies . Jonah was an Israelite prophet of God. The Ninevites would have been his enemy. And God told Jonah to go preach repentance or destruction to that great city. Jonah did not want to go. He apparently wanted God to destroy Nineveh and "knew" if they heard God's message they would repent and God would relent. (Jonah 4:2) So he ran away. Eventually, Jonah did obey and preach in Nineveh. His fears were realized when Nineveh repented. Thus, he went outside the city and pouted; where God explained His love for all--even the enemies of Israel. Everyone has people that may be considered as enemies or at the very least annoyances in their lives. Nevertheless, these people are people for whom God cares and Jesus died. God warned Ezekiel that if he did not give His message to the people, their blood He would require at Ezekiel's hands. (Ezk. 3:16-20; 33:7-9) Jesus, speaking to the multitude on the mountain, "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 6:46-47) It would be well to remember "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners (enemies?) Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

What We Leave Behind The Bible writers left behind a message of hope and salvation. A message about God who seeks a loving relationship with all of mankind. Though the people in the Bible were far from perfect, they left behind lessons we in the 21st century can learn. Following Abraham’s life, we can see a growing faith. God called Abraham to leave his home to travel to a distant land. With each episode in Abraham’s life it is evident that he depended on God more and more until God asked him for his only son, Isaac. Abraham trusted God so much by then that he did not resist God’s command, knowing that God could resurrect him when/if necessary. Jacob’s son, Joseph, left behind a life of faithfulness. His father favored him, his brothers hated him and sold him into slavery. In Egypt, he was imprisoned due to false accusations but eventually became ruler 2nd only to Pharaoh. Through all of his trials, Joseph remained faithful to God and drew his strength from Him acknowledging His sovereignty above all. Moses, reluctant as he was in the beginning, led a stubborn people from slavery to freedom. He is said to be a very meek man—humble in God’s sight. This meek man displayed great strength of character by such acts as pleading with God for the Israelites though they had incurred the wrath of God. David is known as a man after God’s own heart. Though he had sinned greatly, when his sin was pointed out, he was grieved and repented. He sought out God for guidance. He refused to condemn King Saul for his wickedness, leaving vengeance to God, because Saul was also anointed as king by God. He prayed fervently for his children but also accepted that some things were out of his control. Jesus, the exact representation of God, left behind a life of compassion and service. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, raised the dead and granted forgiveness to the repentant. He also displayed a great love for truth as seen in his discussions with the Pharisees, Scribes and Lawyers who challenged His teaching. The apostles and early Christians left behind lives of faithfulness in spite of trials and persecutions. History speaks of all but John suffering a martyr’s deaths. These and many others leave behind examples of what it means to be a child of God. If we walk in their footsteps we can leave behind an example for our children, grandchildren, friends, family and even enemies to also follow.

The Kingdom of Heaven “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44 God certainly thought the kingdom was of great value. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Paul wrote to the Ephesians that before the foundation of the universe was even laid, God chose us. (Ephesians 1:4) The Old Testament chronicles how God tried to prepare the world for the coming of a Messiah and then in the fullness of time, Jesus came, just as prophesied. (Galatians 4:4) Jesus certainly thought the kingdom was of great value. Paul wrote to the Philippians: “…He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:6-7) While on earth, Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, raised the dead: all acts of service to the people He came to save. The next verse in Philippians says “and being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) Jesus’ love for His kingdom was the greatest for “greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) The apostles and early Christians thought the kingdom was of great value. The New Testament, particularly the book of Acts, tells of the trials and persecutions they suffered because they preached the message of the kingdom and were convincing people to follow Jesus. Paul especially speaks of being beaten, ship-wrecked and thrown in prison because he preached about Jesus. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned because he stood for Jesus. History tells that all but John, the beloved apostle, were martyred in some way for their faith. John himself was exiled on the isle of Patmos for his faith. Christians today should consider God’s kingdom to be of great value. Paul exhorted the Philippians to have the same attitude in themselves as Christ Jesus. That message is as relevant today as it was then. Though the kingdom is made up of flawed people, it is they whom Jesus came to save and each soul is quite valuable.

What Do You Want On Your Tombstone? Walking through a cemetery you might see headstones marking the dates of one’s birth and death. Headstones often acknowledge the deceased’s position of loving father/mother, brother/sister, parent, grandparent, uncle/aunt, cousin and friend. Others offer words of comfort as poems are engraved on the stone and also expressions of sorrow and love and hope. The writers of the Bible left behind epitaphs of their own for us to consider. Solomon wrote: “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” (NAS Ecc. 12:3) “…this is the whole of man” (KJV) Paul wrote “O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting? The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:55-57) John wrote “…be faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10). Joshua wrote near the end of his life, after serving God all his life, “…As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15) Paul also wrote “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith: in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:7-8) These men dedicated their lives to serving God and any one of these epitaphs would be an honorable thought to have engraved on a headstone. The purpose in considering what we want on our own tombstone is to motivate a thought process that encourages each of us to live according to how we would like to be remembered at our grave and so ask “when I stand before God on that day will He say “well done” or “depart from Me”?

Things Most Important (2) “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ…” (Philippians 1:17) Paul tells the Philippians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. So…what is the conduct worthy of the gospel? Jesus said “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) Thus, commandment keeping is worthy conduct. “…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) Thus, loving your neighbor is also worthy conduct. Paul defines for us what love is: Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails;” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) Should we substitute a name (your name?) for the word love, would we be describing love? We are also commanded to love our enemies. "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:44-48) Paul also wrote in his letter to the Philippians “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interest of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) Forgiveness is key in worthy conduct. Jesus preached during the Sermon on the Mount "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:14-15) Changing behaviors is also conduct worthy of the gospel. For example: “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another,” (Colossians 3:8-9) The New Testament is filled with instructions telling those who would follow Christ what worthy conduct is and it takes time and study to discover how we should walk.

Things Most Important “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and Keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecc. 12:13) Solomon apparently spend his life searching for some kind of meaning. He acquired riches. He sought out wisdom. He observed that man comes into the world with nothing and leaves with nothing. “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” except keeping the commandments of God. Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33) What things? Before this statement, Jesus had just described how the birds do not sow nor reap, yet they are fed. Neither do the lilies of the field toil or spin, yet they are better dressed than Solomon. Thus, as God takes care of the lilies and the birds, so He will take care of you. The lawyer asked “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:25-37) God gave the best to save our souls from sin. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in His should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Paul tells what Jesus gave up for us: “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:6-8) God gave the ultimate sacrifice for our souls. It is not too much for Him to ask that we put Him first in our lies—to consider Him when we make decisions in our lives.

Inconvenient “And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two.” “Give to him who asks of you and do not turn away from his who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:41-42 It is very inconvenient when someone asks for help. After all, there are schedules to keep, work to be done, families to care for. To have someone in need interrupt that flow throws things into chaos. But Jesus commanded that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, wrote “…but with humility of mind, let each of your regard one another as more important that himself.” Phil. 2:3 Jesus illustrated this principle in the parable called “The Good Samaritan”. A man was badly beaten and left for dead on the road. Along came a Samaritan, one who probably would have been considered an enemy by the man lying in the road. The Samaritan was possibly on his way to do some business. He could have passed by – two others did – leaving the man to die, but he did not. He stopped and rendered aide, loaded the man onto his donkey and took him to an inn. At his own expense he paid for the care of this man and promised to cover future expenses. This took his time, his money and it was indeed an inconvenience to him. However, there was no complaint from this Samaritan—only compassion, concern and good will. James wrote in his letter “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” Jas 2:15-17 In examining oneself to see if he is in the faith, we need to ask “Am I following the example Jesus gave us with the Good Samaritan?” For that is part of loving your neighbor and showing your love for the Father.

How Am I Doing? (part three) He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. John 12:48 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the statue which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13 Along the lines of “love your neighbor” the authors of the New Testament left instructions regarding the duties of Christians. The passage in Ephesians states that each has a job to do and that is to equip the saints for service in the church. Other instructions include older men managing their homes well with a faithful wife and obedient children. They are to be able to teach word of God, without changing it for their own profit, to the church and to any who are hungering for its teachings. Older women are instructed to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children and also to manage their own households. We are also to encourage one another to do good works, be faithful and to remove sin from our lives that we might attain the righteousness of Jesus. Other neighbors include those who would be our enemies. Jesus taught His apostles to “love your enemies and do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27, 35; Matt. 5:44) In doing this there is the possibility of saving another soul and making a friend. This may fall in the “easier said than done” category for it is seems easier to hold grudges and keep your distance from those who cause harm. So again, we need to ask ourselves “Am I doing these things?” Not only these things but am I following the other commandments of Jesus?

How Am I Doing? (part two) He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. John 12:48 “And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:39) Am I doing this? My closest neighbor is the people living in my own house. How do I treat my spouse? My children? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;” (Ephesians 5:25) Husbands, do you treat her as the gift from God that she is? (Ecclesiastes 9:9) or do you complain because she doesn’t prepare your food exactly the way your like it or doesn’t keep house as good as your mother does? Are the first words out of your mouth to her loving, kind, gentle, understanding or threats of divorce? Do you disrespect her by lusting after other women through the always easily accessible pornography (romance novels) or do you keep yourself solely for her? Do your own pleasures keep you from fulfilling your responsibilities to her? Is work your first love? Of course, all the same questions for husbands are equally valid for wives. And “fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline (nurture) and instruction (admonition) of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Psalm 127:3) When the apostles were sending the children away, Jesus was angry with them for doing so. He said “let the children come to Me.” (Mark 10:13-16) When children are around, do you try to silence them or send them away? Do you celebrate their accomplishments with them or mock, belittle and berate them for not doing it as good as you (though you have had years to hone your skills and they are just beginning). (Matthew 18:1-6) Do you teach them God’s word that they might one day live for God and eventually spend eternity with Him or do you neglect the teaching of the word for other pursuits such as games on the game box, or television or other such hobbies? Again, ask “How am I doing?”

How Well Am I Doing?(part one) He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. John 12:48 Jesus said “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) And Paul encouraged the Corinthians to “test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!...” (2 Corinthians 13:5) His commandments are contained in the Bible. All we need do is look at them and ask “Am I doing that?” The greatest commandment “…you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,…” (Matthew 6:33) Am I doing that? Am I faithful in attending the worship service to 1) learn and understand what the will of God is? (Ephesians 5:17; Romans 2:2) 2) to encourage fellow Christians in their faith? (Hebrews 10:24-25) or do I find reasons (excuses) to stay home or go elsewhere and thereby cause my own faith to weaken? When I do attend, do I worship in “spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Is my worship done with genuine affection for God and according to the commandments set forth by example and command or is it done according to my own will? Do I attend and/or initiate other Bible studies because I need to know more? On all the other days of the week, do the people I am surrounded by know that I am a Christian? That I strive to do the will of God and will not participate in those activities that would bring dishonor to God? Or do I go along just to get along with the crowd? So, ask yourself: “How am I doing?”

It’s not me. It’s you! “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” Romans 12:18 Ever find yourself in conflict with those around you? Ever quit being around someone because you don’t like the way they act? Ever ask why it seems no one gets along with you? The answer naturally is “there is something wrong with them!” Of course that really isn’t the answer. Jesus said “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:2) Paul wrote to the Corinthian church “For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish, that there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;” (2 Corinthians 12:20) Paul goes on to say “Test yourselves…Examine yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 13) This is in harmony with Jesus’ statement about “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s (wife’s, husband’s, children, fellow Christian, neighbor’s, enemy’s) eye.” (Matthew 7:5) James explained that it was selfishness which was the root cause of the quarreling. (James 4) John wrote “if we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) The real solution: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:2-5) Should we adopt the attitude of Christ, we might actually begin treating others as we would like to be treated and find we experience much less conflict in our lives.

Love is Patient Love is patient…(1 Corinthians 13:4) Patience is defined as endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance 2) forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs In the Bible there is a man by the name of Job who is known for his patience. He suffered the loss of his children, his wealth and finally his health. He suffered the visitation of his friends who came only to lay blame at his feet claiming his sinfulness has brought on all the troubles. In all of this, he remained faithful to God. His comment “…Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?..." (Job 2:10) Indeed, the story of Job illustrates what James tells Christians: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) In life, we often encounter various situations which test our patience. We tend to get annoyed and display anger and yell at the offending person. However, the Bible writers expressly tell us to put away anger (Col. 3:8) and replace it with something more palatable…like patience. And patience is an expression of love.

Love is patient....

By their fruits “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?” Matthew 7:16 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, out bursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and things like these…” Gal. 5:19-21 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” Gal. 5:22-23 When someone becomes a Christian, as he grows, he will replace his old, sinful habits with new, righteous, better habits. Instead of getting angry and making threats or throwing temper tantrums, we will being practicing patience and kindness. We will abandon fornication and adultery and practice purity. We will reach out and help instead of passing judgments. If the new Christian doesn’t grow, his fruits will surely shout to others whether he is a genuine Christian or not.

You May Not Approve You may not approve of how other people live their lives, clean their homes, raise their children, provide a living, etc. They may annoy you to the limits of your patience. However, your opinion is irrelevant. Jesus said “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2 Jesus was not critical of the general public. Instead He emptied Himself and came to earth to serve and save men. He healed the sick, He encouraged the sinner, He fed the masses and raised the dead. He was greatly annoyed when the apostles tried to send the children away when their parents were bringing them to see Him. He had great compassion. Those He did criticize were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes and Lawyers who persisted in their hypocrisy and laying of heavy burdens on people to whom they were responsible for teaching God’s word. These people made every effort to pattern the people after themselves. Jesus taught the people to pattern themselves after God’s word. The New Testament writers, Paul, Peter, James and Jude, criticized when Christians were practicing sin and causing division. Along with the criticism they offered encouragement to do better: ‘go and sin no more.’ Never do you find any of them denigrating someone just because they disagreed with how they did things. Indeed, Paul encouraged others to “bend over backwards” in an attempt not to offend others: i.e. The weaker brethren. If Jesus and the New Testament writers allowed people to live their lives according to the word as best they could, we also need to allow our fellow Christians the freedom to live without us trying to micromanage their every little move. Jesus also said “or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’ and behold the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matt. 7:4-5) Every single one of us has our priorities and struggles. Instead of criticizing one another, we should make every effort to uplift and encourage.

Love One Another The Pharisees didn’t want to associate with others. They complained that Jesus ate with tax-gatherers and sinners. Simon thought to himself “if He knew what kind of woman she is, He would not allow her to touch him.” (Luke 7) They complained about the apostles not washing their hands before they ate. They refused to care for elderly parents excusing themselves because they contributed to the temple. (Matthew 15) They brought to Jesus the woman caught in the “very act” of adultery, it seems in hopes that she would be condemned. (John 8) The Pharisee in Luke 18 stood in the temple and prayed “Thank you Lord that I am not like other people.” They did not associate with Romans, Gentiles or Samaritans. They barely associated with people from their own nationality. The considered themselves “God’s chosen people” forgetting the purpose that God had called them in the first place—to bless other nations. Contrast the attitude of the Pharisees with that of Jesus: “…He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” (Phil. 2:6-7) Jesus did spend time with tax-gatherers and sinners. He called Zaccheus (Luke 9) (a tax-gatherer) out of the Sycamore Tree. He called Matthew (Matthew 9:9) (another tax-gatherer) to be one of His apostles. He sought out the Samaritan woman at the well. He forgave the woman caught in adultery. He heard the appeal of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15) and healed her daughter. In each case, He encouraged each one to leave their sin behind and live righteously. He left each one better off than they were before. “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) You can’t encourage others and fulfill the scripture if you avoid spending time with everyone. Whose example will we follow: isolate ourselves from others or encourage others to grow and better?

Am I My Brother’s Keeper “What use is it my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘God in peace, be warmed and be filled.’ And yet do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” James 2:14-17 In recent months I’ve heard it said ‘it isn’t enough to know the scriptures, you must also practice it.” Indeed, that is part of the message we have from James. The second greatest commandment is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) The golden rule “And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way.” (Luke 6:31) God has always desired that people take care of each other. He has always wanted be inclusive rather than exclusive. Such passage as: Husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her; (Ephesians 5:25) Honor your father and mother (Ephesians 6:2) fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44) all speak to how God wants His children to treat others. True, genuine Christianity takes care of the needs of the few and the many, the poor and the rich, the sorrowful and the joyful, friend and enemy alike.

And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way. Luke 6:31