OK, I have to get something off of my chest that drives me crazy. It is the constant use, by "Christians", of the Bible to prove why this or that
is against God. If you are a "Christian" then you follow the teachings of Christ. Christ did not participate in the Old Testament. None of the
teachings or "laws" of the OT came from him, and they were not meant for or directed to anyone other than the Jews. If you are a Jew and follow the
teachings of the OT, fine. More power to ya!! If you are like me, just a regular old Gentile, then the only commandments you need to follow are the
ones given by Christ in the New Testament. The OT does have some good guidelines to follow on how to live your life, but the laws and commands it
contains were not given to anyone but the Israelites.
The commandments of Christ are fairly simple, yet very few "Christians" adhere to them at all. They are as follows:
John 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
BE HUMBLE; BE A SERVANT TO YOUR SERVANTS
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John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
LOVE EACH OTHER AS YOURSELVES, EVEN IF YOU MUST SACRIFICE YOUR OWN LIFE TO SAVE ANOTHER'S
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Matthew 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say
to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire
Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Matthew 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
DO NOT BE ANGRY AT ANYONE WITHOUT REASON, DO NOT HOLD A GRUDGE, OR SPEAK ILL OF ANYONE
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Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
KEEP A PURE HEART AND MIND; ADULTEROUS THOUGHTS ARE NO BETTER THAN ADULTEROUS ACTS
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Matthew 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine
oaths:
Matthew 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
Matthew 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Matthew 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
DO NOT SWEAR BY HEAVEN, OR EARTH, OR GOD, OR YOUR OWN LIFE; SIMPLY ANSWER YES OR NO.
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Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Matthew 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
DO NOT SEEK AN EYE FOR AN EYE; IF SOMEONE WRONGS YOU, FORGIVE THEM AND TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
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Matthew 5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloke also.
Matthew 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
ALWAYS BE WILLING TO GO THE EXTRA MILE; IF SOMEONE SUES YOU FOR YOUR SHIRT, GIVE HIM YOUR COAT AS WELL; IF SOMEONE ASKS YOU TO WALK A MILE WITH
THEM, WALK TWO INSTEAD.
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Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
BE GENEROUS TO ALL AND DO NOT REFUSE ANYTHING TO ANYONE WHO ASKS FOR IT
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Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully
use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Matthew 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so?
Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, DO GOOD TO, AND PRAY FOR, THOSE WHO HURT YOU(notice that it says pray FOR them, not for justice against them)
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Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of
the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
DO NOT PRAY IN PUBLIC TO WIN THE ADMIRATION OF MEN; PRAY IN SECRET, MAKING GOD YOUR SOLE AUDIENCE AND GOD WILL REWARD YOU.
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Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
DO NOT PRAY FANCY, RECITED PRAYERS. TO USE ELOQUENT WORDS ALONE IS POINTLESS; PRAY FROM YOUR HEART, FOR GOD ALREADY KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED
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Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to
fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matthew 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Matthew 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee
openly
WHEN YOU FAST, DO NOT ALLOW YOUR APPEARANCE TO SHOW IT, IN ORDER TO GAIN THE PRAISE OF MEN; BE WELL-KEMPT SO THAT ONLY GOD KNOWS YOU ARE FASTING
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Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Matthew 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor
steal:
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
DO NOT SEEK TO ACCUMULATE WEALTH ON EARTH; SEEK THE TREASURE OF THE SPIRIT INSTEAD. FOR WHATEVER YOU TREASURE MOST WILL HAVE POWER OVER YOUR
MIND
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Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are
ye not much better than they?
Matthew 6:28 ...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more
[clothe] you, O ye of little faith?
Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Matthew 6:32 ...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you
DO NOT FOCUS ON WHERE YOUR NEXT MEAL OR CLOTHES WILL COME FROM; IF YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN GOD, GOD WILL PROVIDE THEM FOR YOU, JUST AS HE FEEDS THE
BIRDS AND CLOTHES THE FLOWERS
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Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the
evil thereof.
DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW, IT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. THERE IS ENOUGH SUFFERING IN TODAY TO WORRY ABOUT.
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John 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at
her.
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Matthew 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?
Matthew 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's
eye.
DO NOT JUDGE OTHERS, FOR THE STANDARDS YOU JUDGE BY, WILL ALSO BE USED TO JUDGE YOU.
UNTIL YOU ARE PERFECT, WORRY ABOUT CORRECTING YOUR OWN IMPERFECTIONS INSTEAD OF SOMEONE ELSE'S
These are the words of Jesus to his followers, and they are the way we are supposed to live.