- Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so you can be sons of your Father in heaven. Love and greet those you love, as well as those who you think are difficult. Be perfect, like me.
- Go into your room, and close the door and pray in private, then I’ll see what you’re up to and reward you in heaven.
- When you pray, don’t babble like heathens, who think they will be heard because of their many words. They’re not.
- Don’t serve two masters, i.e.: Me and money. You will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one, and despise the other. Sorry, can’t have both.I know it's really inconvenient, but it's in the Gospels like three times about giving all your money to the poor. I don't know why everybody wants to ignore that one. Well. I kinda knew they would...that's why it's there THREE times.
- Don’t worry about your life, like what you will eat or drink, your body, or your clothes, Life is more important than food, and the body more important than clothes.
- Ask and it will be given, seek and you’ll find, knock and the door will be opened. What, you think if you ask me for bread I’ll give you a stone? Ask for a fish, I’ll give you a snake? Come on, I love you, even YOU do better than that even though you’re basically evil. You remember the Golden Rule, yeah? Do unto others what you would have them do to you. Easy peasy, right? Sums up the whole Law and Prophets deal. It was getting complicated, and you don’t have time for all that.
- Don’t be afraid of people who can kill you, but not your soul. Be afraid of the one who can destroy both your body and soul in hell, that being the Devil, duh.
- It’s a narrow path this getting to heaven thing, I couldn’t make it too easy. You have to do this stuff, or you’re not getting in. OK?
- Love me with all your heart, soul and mind. Got it?
- You may WANT to do all this, but it’s not easy, because you’re only human beings. Watch out for temptations, and do a lot of praying to keep yourself in line.
- Have faith in Me.
- Always pray, never give up.
- Keep the really sacred stuff to yourself when you’re around dogs and pigs (metaphorically speaking) they will rip you a new one if you give them all the pearls and trample the information under their feet. Basically, they’ll use it against you.
- Love me more than you love your parents or your kids, or even your own life. Tough, I know, but I said it, and I’m sticking to it. Don’t do it, you’re not worthy of me. Don’t do this, and you can’t be my disciple. Got it?
- Things are going to get wicked, and love will grow cold, this gospel will get told to everybody everywhere, and then the end will come. So, when you see Daniel’s “abomination that causes desolation” standing in the holy place, if you’re in Judea, head for the mountains. I’m just warning you.
- Break bread and eat it, pour wine and drink it. All of you, do it together in a group, and probably pretty frequently, at least around easter,it’s a good reminder. Check yourself against this list of commandments before you do. It’s my body and my blood, metaphorically speaking, of course.
- If you’re ashamed of Me while you’re on this earth, I’ll be ashamed of you before God. OK? So don’t. On the other hand, if you acknowledge me on this earth, I’ll do the same for you before the angels of God. OK? Fair enough?
- Be dressed and ready to go, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so when he knocks you can jump up and open the door. It will be good for you if I find you dressed and ready to go. If I do, I’ll dress to be your servant, and you can lay down, and I’ll serve YOU. Cool huh?
- I gave you an example to follow. Do as I have done for you. Simple, right?
- Stay true to what I’m saying here, and keep my words in mind. Do that, you can ask whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.
- Don’t judge your brothers, call him a fool, and you’re in danger of the fires of hell. I’m really serious about this one. Reconcile with him before you do any worshipping or anything. OK?
- Don’t judge, or you will get judged. Got it?
- If your brother sins against you, just talk to him about it and get it sorted out between the two of you. OK? If he listens, you’ll have won him over.
- Forgive your brothers, or you get tortured by God, OK?
- The big shot among you, as far as I’m concerned, is the guy who serves you.
- Let me make this clearer…you think the guy at the table being served is cool, and the greatest. Well, I served you as your servant. Be like that. Don’t get a big head, serve your brothers.
- Wash each others feet. It will keep you humble.
- Love one another, just like I loved you, love one another.
- Let your light shine, by doing the right thing, so that others will see, and praise God because they see what kind of people you are. My peeps.
- I’m gonna go back to this one thing. Settle things quickly with each other and stay out of court. What, you want to go to jail? Fix it!
- Somebody hits you, let him hit you on the other cheek. Somebody wants your shirt? Give ‘em you coat too. Be generous. You don’t need it. Drives ‘em nuts, makes them think. That’s my plan.
- Give to everyone who asks you, and if somebody takes your stuff, don’t ask for it back.
- Do unto others…etc..
- Be merciful to those who have been hurt or robbed or whatever. Be nice.
- Look, I’ve sent you out like sheep to the wolves, just be innocent as doves, and shrewd as snakes. It’ll all work out.
- You think somebody owes you? Let it go, or God will give you the same kind of forgiveness. Cappiche?
- Make yourself important, I’ll make you humble. Make yourself humble, I’ll make you important. You shouldn’t care.
- When you have a big meal or banquet, don’t invite your friends and family, they’ll pay you back. Invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind. They can’t pay you back, but I will, at the resurrection of the righteous.
- Give to people who ask you, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. It isn’t yours anyway. It’s mine. I gave it to you so you’d have it when they ask.
- Don’t do your “acts of righteousness” out where others can see them. Be chill, or you’ll get nothing for it in heaven. Those who do and get noticed for it, that’s all they’ll ever get. Do it in secret, and God will reward you.
- Don’t store up a lot of wealth on earth where it can be destroyed or stolen. Beware of greed, the value of a man’s life isn’t made up of his stuff. Keep all of your stuff and don’t give it to God, and when you die, it will be of no use to you. Guar-an-teed.
- Be good to people with whatever wealth you have. It will matter more than if you keep it. If I can trust you with little, I can trust you with much. If I can’t trust you with the little stuff, I can’t trust you with the big stuff. Got me?
- Adultery, well yeah..but you have to not even think about it. You may as well have done it if you do. You know how this works….I know you do. If you can’t stop looking, poke out your eye. If you can’t stop touching, cut off your hand. Better to do that than go to hell.
- Divorce. Well, don’t, except if she/he cheats on you. Otherwise, you make him/her an adulteress. If you already did, this is one of those things you need to be forgiven for. You can’t get a divorce except for in the case of adultery. Tough rule, but that’s the rule. Hang with it. Make it work.
- Don’t swear, I mean like taking oaths. Say yes or say no. Say what you mean and mean what you say. That’s all you need to do, anything else comes from the devil.
So all in all, pretty simple, Golden Rule. Go, Live, Be. Be like Me. Get over yourselves.
Note, nothing in here about dressing up in funny clothes, going to particular buildings, making other people act the way you think they should, passing laws that agree with you. Just watching your OWN action....being like Him. Simple.
Oh, by the way, it's nearly impossible to do all this stuff ALL the time, because you're human, but you need to keep trying. I'll forgive if you screw up. Get this right, then you can work on the stuff the Apostles made up. It got left it in the Book, so... well, read it and see for yourselves. See you on the bright side!
This was written a few months ago I guess, and I'd change a couple things if I wrote it now, but I didn't, so I didn't.
God Bless and Keep You.
James
