"⁴Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world. ⁵These enemies belong to this world, and the world listens to them, because they speak its language. ⁶We belong to God, and everyone who knows God will listen to us. But the people who don't know God won't listen to us. That is how we can tell the Spirit that speaks the truth from the one that tells lies. ⁷My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life. We are now God's children, and we know him. ⁸God is love, and anyone who doesn't love others has never known him. ⁹God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. ¹⁰Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. ¹¹Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other. ¹²No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is truly in our hearts." (1 John 4:4-12 CEV).

"The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:8 ISV).

[Just how can we love God?] "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3).

[Should we love others, even our enemies?] Mark12:30-31 "Love the Lord your God" and "love your neighbor as yourself" and Luke 6:35 "Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back."

[1. Words of Affirmation: It is appropriate that we praise God.] "³⁷When Jesus was starting down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. ³⁸They shouted, 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to God.' ³⁹Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!' ⁴⁰But Jesus answered, 'If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.' " (Luke 19:37-40 CEV). And again the scriptures say, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. All you nations, come and worship him." (Romans 15:11 CEV). [Salvation is offered to all peoples!]

"Oh! Praise the LORD, all you nations: praise Him, all you people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise you the LORD." (Psalms 117:1-2 KJVR).

[2. Quality Time: Are we willing to give God Honor on His Holy Sabbath Day?] (Exodus 20:8-12 KJVR). "⁸Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹Six days shall you labor, and do all your work: ¹⁰But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: ¹¹For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. ¹²Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God gives you." [The creation Sabbath day has been sanctified for all humanity!]

[God is our Father:] "³Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, ⁵Hearing of your love and faith, which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints" (Philemon 1:3-5 KJVR). [God Almighty is our only Holy Father and is currently in heaven.]

"¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. ²⁰Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. ²¹To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. ²²He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." (Revelation 3:19-22 KJVR).

[3. Gifts: What kinds of gifts may God expect?] "⁹Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase: ¹⁰So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10 KJVR). [And] "⁶But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully. ⁷Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 KJVR). [Also] "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." (1 Timothy 5:8 KJVR).

"But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22 KJVR). [And] "He that says, I know Him, and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4 KJVR). [Also] "³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another." (John 13:34-35 KJVR). [Any person who teaches Sunday worship is a liar!]

"³¹But rather seek you the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³²Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell that you have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that fails not, where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupts. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:31-34 KJVR).

[Each person should be setting a portion of their monthly income aside and not spending it; if indeed they plan to worship God at the annual Feast of Tabernacles each Autumn.] "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Corinthians 5:8 KJVR).

"⁷But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. ⁸And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. ⁹And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one." (Zechariah 14:7-9 KJVR). [When God brings heaven to earth, there will be light and no darkness.]

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5 KJVR).

"¹⁶And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. ¹⁷And it shall be, that who so will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain." (Zechariah 14:16-17 KJVR).

[4. Acts of Service:] "¹⁴What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and has not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:14-17 KJVR).

"¹²Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. ¹³But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; ¹⁵While it is said, To day if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." (Hebrews 3:12-15 KJVR). [Encourage others to read, believe, and act upon scripture.]

"¹I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ²And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2 KJVR). [Living saints alter their life goals to please God.]

[No 'jihad' here!] "¹⁸If it be possible, as much as you are able, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord. ²⁰Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. ²¹Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:18-21 KJVR). ["Payback" is a wrong human action. "Vengeance" belongs to the Lord!]

"Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10 KJVR). [Yes! All people have guardian angles who report to God.]

[5. Physical Touch:] (Hebrews 12:5-8 KJVR). "⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children, My son, despise not you the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: ⁶For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. ⁷If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not? ⁸But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons."

"³So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won't get discouraged and give up. ⁴None of you have yet been hurt in your battle against sin. ⁵But you have forgotten that the Scriptures say to God's children, 'When the Lord punishes you, don't make light of it, and when He corrects you, don't be discouraged. ⁶The Lord corrects the people He loves and disciplines those He calls His own.' ⁷Be patient when you are being corrected! This is how God treats His children. Don't all parents correct their children? ⁸God corrects all of His children, and if He doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to Him. ⁹Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn't it even better to be given true life by letting our spiritual Father correct us? ¹⁰Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because He wants us to be holy, as He is. ¹¹It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace. ¹²Now stand up straight! Stop your knees from shaking ¹³and walk a straight path. Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting worse. ¹⁴Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don't, you will never see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:3-14 CEV). [Correction is mandatory.]

"¹¹In conclusion, brethren, rejoice! Be perfected; be encouraged; be of the same mind; be at peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. ¹²Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send salutations to you." (2 Corinthians 13:11-12 OOB). [Perhaps a quick hug or handshake would be more appropriate in today’s culture?]

"⁵Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. ⁶Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ⁷Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. ⁸Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. ¹⁰Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ¹²Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matthew 5:5-12 KJVR). [Our reward from Heaven.]

"²³But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. ²⁴God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24 KJVR).

[Concluding statements:] "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17 KJVR). [New Covenant dispensation of grace and truth!]

"¹⁶For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. ²¹But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:16-21 KJVR). [Evil doers live a life of hate towards God's way.]

"For now there are faith, hope, and love. But of these three, the greatest is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 CEV). [Click here to read: Charity – Love Reviewed]

1. Listen without interrupting. (Proverbs 18:13 CEV). - It's stupid and embarrassing to give an answer before you listen.
2. Speak without accusing. (James 1:19 CEV). - My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry.
3. Give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:23-27 CEV). - Watching what you say can save you a lot of trouble. If you are proud and conceited, everyone will say, "You're a snob!" If you want too much and are too lazy to work, it could be fatal. But people who obey God are always generous. The Lord despises the offerings of wicked people with evil motives.
4. Pray without ceasing. (Colossians 1:9 CEV). - We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything He wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding that His Spirit gives.
5. Answer without arguing. (Proverbs 17:1 CEV). - A dry crust of bread eaten in peace and quiet is better than a feast eaten where everyone argues.
6. Share without pretending. (Ephesians 4:15-17 CEV). - Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love. As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people.
7. Enjoy without complaint. (Philippians 2:13-16 CEV). - God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey Him. Do everything without grumbling or arguing. Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything that they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, as you hold firmly to the message that gives life. Then on the day when Christ returns, I can take pride in you. I can also know that my work and efforts were not useless.
8. Trust without wavering. (1 Corinthians 13:7 CEV). - Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
9. Forgive without punishing. (Colossians3:12-13 CEV). - God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.
10. Promise without forgetting. (Proverbs 13:12-13 CEV). - Not getting what you want can make you feel sick, but a wish that comes true is a life-giving tree. If you reject God's teaching, you will pay the price; if you obey his commands, you will be rewarded.
11. Honor without fail. (Hebrews 13:4 KJV). – Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers (immoral) and adulterers God will judge.
12. Love God by keeping the Ten Commandments (John 14:15 GNB). - "If you love me, you will obey my commandments."

Content

2. Charity is in a more particular sense, love, kindness, affection, tenderness, springing from natural relations; as the charities of father, son and brother.