We Are Called to Give Mercy and Blessing Not Be Pharisees

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:37

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7

because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:13

The saying, “If you can’t say anything good about a person, don’t say it at all.”  It’s bad enough if we allow bad thoughts in our mind, but to voice them is even worse.  My sister used to quote, “The birds of paradise may fly over my head, but I don’t have to let them build a nest on my head.”

Calling someone a wigger, wiggie, spook, nigger, higger, coon, Oreo, honky, trailer park trash, white trash, wetback, half-breed, dirty Arab, dirty Jew, Russian pig, Dago, Dink, or Hymie.  I’m tempted to say, “It takes one to know one.”  There was a continued sense of uncleanness towards the Gentiles, uncircumcised, or Samaritans in the early church.  God dealt with Peter through a vision that he had cleansed the Gentiles through what Jesus Christ did on the cross.   We all have to get over our prejudice from our pasts or our parents.

The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." Acts 10:15

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.  Romans 4:9

Doing no harm to your neighbor includes controlling your tongue and not speaking ill of your neighbor or brothers and sisters in Christ!  Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Roman 13:10

Preachers have been legalistic in their preaching on others committing adultery if they divorce and remarry and then end up getting divorced and remarried.  I know a person who judged someone because their son was smoking marijuana and accused him of being a thief.  The person’s child grew up and as a teen started smoking marijuana and became a thief.  The very thing they judged another person’s child for their child became that way.  When we give out (measure) judgment to others for what they are doing the judgment will be measured back to us.  Televangelist, Jimmy Swaggart knocked televangelist Jim Bakker about his sin and then he was involved with a prostitute twice.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven Luke 6:37

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day. Colossians 2:16

Some judge others externally because they have piercings and tattoos.  My father told me at the place he worked, they would not hire a manager who had a beard (if he was not clean shaven).  I know employers would not hire if a person has nose rings and ear piercings.  In the older generation, many times they would not sell their house to people of color because of what the neighbors think.   Discrimination comes in many forms.   It can be how we are raised and if someone stealing in our neighborhood, in our minds we are accusing someone of color. When we exalt ourselves and think we are better than another person because of our race or status in life than we have become like the Pharisees. 

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  Luke 18:12-14

My husband and I were in several bowling leagues with staff and students when I worked at Ivy Tech State College.  Later I formed three bowling leagues at IUPUI and my husband formed them at his job.  My daughter's friend was invited to go bowling with us, but her parents were worried that we smoke and drink beer since we bowled on leagues.  I told her, "No we don't do that just because we are bowlers." People stereo type people who bowl that they drink and smoke.  Bowling gave my husband and I a chance to rub elbows with others.  We are called to be an example to others.

There are Kentuckian, Polack, and blonde jokes that go around and some people take these seriously.  My husband used to get mad at me when I stereo typed him as an engineer since he was a dry personality at times.   My computer graphics professor said we could have a person help us with ideas for our projects and since my husband was a Purdue graduate, I wanted him to help me with a design for a Purdue logo.  He did not want to even offer me a suggestion or help and said he did not have a "creative bone in his body."  He said that there are engineers that are creative.  Of course there are engineers that are creative, I was just not married to one at the time…LOL!   Many people say that accountants have a dry personality, but not everyone in accounting has a dry personality.  My husband would criticize me for stereo typing, but sometimes he would call certain people stupid so he did the same thing he judged me for!   

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Roman 2:1

As Christians, the church of Jesus Christ needs to be focusing on loving a person not judging them for what they do, wear, what is on their body (piercings, tattoos or bling). We want to bring in unbelievers, not drive them away.  When Paul talked about those who are spiritual judged all things, he was talking about a man sleeping with his father's mother and other disputes.

Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 1 Cor. 6:4-5

God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 1 Cor. 5:13

I used to think teen men with their pants hanging down were despicable and one day God spoke to my spirit and said I'm called to give blessings and not curse people in my mind due to their pants falling off!  Now when I see a guy with his pants falling off walking along the side of road, I say "God bless him."  I'm called to give blessings not give out judgment.  The Lord had "mercy" on Joseph and gave him favor with the keeper of the prison.  Favor and mercy go together.

But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Genesis 39:21

Recently, this guy commented on my online profile about I should bungy jump naked.  I told him I’m not seeking a physical relationship with a man, I want the whole package.  He sent me back a very critical and negative email.  At first I thought I would ignore his email and not say anything back, but I had in my spirit to write him back and say, “God bless you.” He did not write me back and it helped in getting over the anger I felt in his critical email to me.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9

I let a car in pull in front of me in a construction zone in the evening. A man or woman in a car behind me sped up and pulled over in front of me and slammed on his/her breaks, gave me the middle finger and he/she did that twice. They were in road rage because I let one car in front of me over from the left hand lane.  I said, “God bless you” out loud.  I knew it was the enemy trying to get me in anger. 

I’ve heard that if a person makes you angry then they have mastery over you.  I don’t want a Christian walking in the flesh, an unbeliever, a road rage person, and ex-husband getting me in anger, because it’s really the enemy that is getting the mastery over me.  The way I “shake the dust off my feet” at those who are jealous or angry at me or cause me aggravation is by saying to them, “God bless you.”

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:14

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. Luke 6:28

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:44

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 sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Luke 6:35

My father had stomach ulcers due to worry and stress about his job.  When I get sick the first thing I do is ask God if I’ve sinned and forgive me if I’ve criticized anyone.  If you are constantly sick with an illness, the first place I would check is if you have been bashing an ex-spouse or relative.  Bitterness can cause illnesses.  I try to stay away from single groups that knock an ex-husband/ex-wife.  I know how hazardous that is to my health physically and mentally to feed on negativity.  To walk the love walk of Jesus, I can’t feed on negativity and hating the opposite sex.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  James 5:15-16

I believe it’s best when you see someone who does not have nice clothes or their car is falling apart to pray for that person.  If I am driving down the street and see someone with their car falling apart, I pray for them that God will bless them with another car.  If someone is begging for food, I pray if God wants me to give to them.  I’ve had some people come up to me at gas stations for money and I know it is a scam.  I’ve seen them on several occasions.  God word says it’s sin to have respect of persons.  God has no favorites.

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? James 2:1  But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. James 2:9

But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites. Colossians 3:25 & For God shows no partiality. Roman 2:11

Now that God has blessed me with losing 40 lbs. by eating better, I pray for others that God helps them to lose weight.  It is a struggle to live in a society where there are constant temptations to eat wrong.  I’m praying for better self-control and that others have better self-control.  Why do Christians speak ill of one another and don’t control their tongue?  Because they probably have not renewed their mind to the word of God.  If you renew your mind to the word of God than you know you can’t let garbage come out of your mouth.

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. 1 Peter 3:10

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  Proverbs 18:21

As an example of how powerful our words can be is when Jesus curses a fig tree:  Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" Mark 11:21

I believe that Jesus gave us an example of the fig tree to show how powerful our words are!  Jesus also said we will give “an account” of every idle word we speak. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Mathew 12:36

Abraham’s blessing is that God will bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us.

He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit Galatians 3:14

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

Open Arms by Michael W. Smith

Many people in the steeple
But no one leads the lost
Quick to stand and speak
All of their beliefs
Quick to leave you if you fall

Tell me where's the love
It knows no boundaries
Tell me where's the love
Yeah yeah
Open arms
We need to be
Open arms

Never judge you
Always loving
Needs to be what we become
Lifting up the lost
Showing them the cross
Shining brightly like the sun

Tell me where's the love
It knows no boundaries
Tell me where's the love
Yeah yeah
Open arms
We need to be
Open arms
Yeah

Tell me where's the love
That knows no boundaries
Tell me where's the love
Yeah yeah
Open arms
We need to be
Open arms
Yeah
Oh yeah
Everybody sing

Na na na na na na
Na na na
[Buncha these]
Open arms
We need to be open arms
And the whole world sing
Na na na na na
Na na na na [Buncha these]
Open arms