“Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil; and some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” My brothers and sisters in Christ, “He who oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him. Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.”

“If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry.”

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

“Give generously, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so; and because of this, the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand. God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.”

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

“Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people, and test them all. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the Lord, and He will deliver you.”

“You shall therefore love the Lord your God and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments. The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and so that you will love Him with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live. Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, and seek Him with all their heart.”

My brothers and sisters in Christ, because God so loved the world he gave his only Son as a sacrifice for us; and we have a choice to make. Choose this day whom you will serve. You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. CHOOSE!

“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering, and so he condemned sin in the flesh. He did this, so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”