WorkingWorking August 15

Handicap ramp, handles; clean gutters

1July 22, 2009

Brother Archie with 12' corn in Muldova

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1 Peter 2 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises that ye should shew forth the praises of Himof Him (excellence; virtue) Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:

We show forth God's CharacterGod's Character when we live our lives God's WayGod's Way.

He blesses us as His dear childrenHe blesses us as His dear children.

1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

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Of every Christian toward every other Christian.

Not optionalNot optional!

"Be ye all of one mind,"

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Acts 2 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Psalms 133 1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

"having compassion one of another"

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Having a "fellow-feeling"; sympatheticStrong's

Very often people are more pronemore prone to judge one another,

say any problems are "their own faulttheir own fault",

ratherrather than to feel compassion for them.

"love as brethren"

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Romans 12 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; 1 John 3 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwellethhow dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in in deed and in truthtruth. 19 And hereby we know that we are ofof the Truth, and shall assureassure our hearts before Him.

"be pitiful" = Tender-hearted

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Psalms 119 156 Great are Thy tender mercies, O Lord: …

Ephesians 4 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

"be courteous" = friendly of mind; kind; courteous

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What's the opposite of courteous?

LoveLove (agape) is not rude; doesn't act ugly.

Love is nevernever self-centered, not easily irritatednot easily irritated;

LoveLove doesn't think badly of another.

1 Corinthians 13

9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessingbut contrariwise blessing;

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We have discussed many times that vengeancevengeance belongs to God and is not permittednot permitted unto us.

But this goes a step further.

Someone does you wrong -- bless him.

Blessing here means to speak well ofspeak well of.

Someone rails at you (talking mean and hateful)

Bless himBless him.

He cusses you -- Bless himBless him.

9b knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

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If we would be blessed, we must bless --

Not only good people who love us and treat us well,

But hateful people who treat us ill.

Matthew 5 (Jesus) 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I sayI 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; 45 That ye may bebe 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.

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46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.

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That's our only purposeonly purpose for living --

To show forth the goodness of Godgoodness of God in this world;

To really bereally be the sons and daughters of

the Good Godthe Good God.