Judge Not, Lest .......

Luke 6:36–38
36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;  
38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Romans 12:14–21 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him 6 something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Nativity of John the Baptist

                                    LUKE 1-57-80 The Birth of John the Baptist
Luke 1:57  Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
58  And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59  And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,
60  but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” ..............
62  And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.
63  And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. ...............
Luke 1:67  And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68  “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people ......
Luke 1:76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77  to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,  .......
79  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80  And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

When the lost are found - REJOICE!

                               PARABLE of the lost sheep and the lost coin

Luke 15:1-10  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. ...
3  So he told them this parable:
4  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 
5  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 
6  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 
7  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 

8  “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 
9  And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 
10  Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 

Do not make excuses, COME

Luke14:15-24 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16  But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.
17  And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18  But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 
19  And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’
20  And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
21  So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
22  And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’
23  And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.
Luke 14:24  For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Now is the time to repent ....NOW ....before it is too late

Luke 16:19-31 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
20  And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
21  who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried,
23  and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
24  And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
25  But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
26  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
27  And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—
28  for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’
29  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
30 And he said "No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31  He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”