corporate greed, political
self-serving and a culture
of public-social
indifference that is driven by our personal obsessions for things material, (i.e.:1Timothy 6:10 For
the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they
have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.)
- (Also, see: Luke
16:13, below.)
Stewardship -- to GOD,
through our Neighbours
(as taught by Christ)
We have
stewardship responsibilities to God, our creator, to ourselves, to
our families, to our neighbours, even to strangers in need of our
help. Stewardship responsibilities begin at home and extend to our
church family, our community, our country, as well as to our entire
Global Village.
Matthew
22:37-40
(King James Version)
37
Jesus
said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. 38 This is the first and great
commandment. 39 And the second is like
unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets.
Mark 12:
29-31
29
And
Jesus answered him, The first of all the
commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:
this is the first commandment. 31 And the
second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Matthew 7:
12
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,
do ye even so to them: for
this is the law and the prophets.
Luke 10:
25-37
25
And,
behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26
He said unto him, What is written in the
law? how readest thou? 27 And he
answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy
mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28And
he said unto him, Thou hast answered right:
this do, and thou shalt live. 29
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my
neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said,
A certain man went down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment,
and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain
priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other
side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was
at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other
side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion
on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up
his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast,
and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence,
and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and
whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou,
was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on
him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do
thou likewise.
Hebrews
13: 1-3
1
Let
brotherly love continue. 2 Be not forgetful
to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels
unawares. 3 Remember them that are in
bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being
yourselves also in the body.
1John
4:11,21
11Dear friends,
since God so loved
us, we also ought to love
one another.
21And
this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his
brother also.
Colossians
3: 1-2,17
1
If ye
then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ---
17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the
Father by him.
Luke
12:15
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a
man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth.
Luke 12:21
So is he that layeth up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God.
Luke 12:34
For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
2 Corinthians 9:6-9 (King James Version)
6But this I
say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8And God is able
to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in
all things, may abound to every good work:
9(As it is
written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his
righteousness remaineth for ever.
Romans
12: 9-10
--- 9 Let love be without dissimulation
(hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned (giving
preference to) one to another with brotherly love; in honour
preferring one another;
Romans 15: 1-3, 5-6
1We
then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to
please ourselves. 2Let
every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
3For
even Christ pleased not himself...
5Now the God of patience
and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to
Christ Jesus:
6That
ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Peter
3:8-14
8Finally,
be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as
brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9Not
rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise
blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should
inherit a blessing.
10For
he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil,
and his lips that they speak no guile:
11Let
him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12For
the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their
prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13And
who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14But
and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of
their terror, neither be troubled;
2Thessalonians 3:13
But ye,
brethren, be not weary in well doing.
Isaiah
1:17
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the
fatherless, plead for the widow.
Ephesians
4:25 Wherefore
putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we
are members one of another.
Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens
the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Matthew 25:42-45 (New International Version)
42For I was hungry
and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to
drink, 43I 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,
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these,
you did not do for me.'
Proverbs
3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits
of all thine increase.
Stewardship -- of
Ourselves
We have
stewardship obligations to our Creator for the opportunity of LIFE!
Also, we have stewardship responsibilities to those whom we love,
and to those who love and depend upon us: that we maintain our
body, mind and spirit in optimum health and peak performance.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19What?
know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which
is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20For ye
are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and
in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 10: 26, 31
26For the
earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
31Whether
therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the
glory of God.
John 14:23
Jesus
answered and said unto him, If a man love me,
he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him,
and make our abode with him.
Rom 8:9:
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his.
1Cor 2: 12:
Now we have received, not the spirit of the
world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God.
James 2: 14, 17, 24, & 26
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say
he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
17
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not
by faith only.
26 For as the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead
also.
Luke 16:13
(New International Version - UK)
No servant can serve two
masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted
to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
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