Transforming earth into a paradise – part 3

1. Transforming Earth into a Paradise – Part 3
Transforming Earth into a Paradise according to Christianity
Jesustaughtthat whenwe obeyGodand do goodworks;we will passthe testof thisworldandwill
become qualifiedtoreceiveGod’srewardsin heaven
In Matt 5:13-16, Jesustaughtthat the believersshouldactasthe salt to protectagainstcorruption
and as a lightto guide otherstothe truth
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made
salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot
by men
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a
lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the
house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father who is in heaven
The same isalsowritteninmark 9:50 and Luke 14:34-35
In Matt 7:7-11, Jesusurgedthe believerstoaskGod and to knockthe door;he wantedus to trust
that God answersourprayers
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be
opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a
stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your
Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
The same isalsowrittenin Luke 11:9-13
In Matt 7:13-14, Jesuswarnedthose whofollow the majority
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to
destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

2. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it
Most people ignorethatteachingsandsay‘Aslongas I am withthe majority,Ishouldbe fine’,but
theyare wrongaccordingto the teachingsof JesusinLuke 13:24-27, Matthew 7:13-14
In Matt 7:15-20, Jesuswarnedfromthe false teacherswhomisleadpeople;he advisedustoidentify
themfromtheirbad deeds
Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous
wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs
from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will
know them by their fruits
The same isalsowritteninLuke 6:43-44
In Matt 12:38-39, Jesusblamedthose whoaskedhimtoperformmiracles
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from
You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign;
and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet
The same isalsowrittenin Mark 8:11-12, luke 11:29-32
In Matthew7:21-23 Jesuswarnedof the false teacherswhoclaimtoperformmiracles;he advised
that onlythe believerswhoobeywill enterthe kingdomof heaven
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one
who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform
many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
The same isalsowritteninLuke 13:25-27
In Matthew22:35-40, Jesusconfirmedthe teachingsof the OldTestimonylike Deuteronomy6:5and
Leviticus18:4-5
You must love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and
greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the

3. other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two
commandments
In Luke 10:25-28 Jesuswasasked
“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law?
How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as
yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
The same teachingiswrittenin Mark 12:28-34
Mark 12:33 teaches:And to love one’s neighbour as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings
and sacrifices
What Jesustaughthere isnot differentfromthe wisdomtaughtbythe oldtestimonyHosea6:6
For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings
In Mark 10:17-19 Jesusdidnotaccept the title of ‘GoodTeacher’and said Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone; he confirmedthe law,he didnotmentionthe atonementorthe
mistake of Adamor that he came to die forthe sinners.Like otherProphets,he hassimply
confirmedthe law
"Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not
steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'"
The same teachingsare writteninMatthew 19:16-19 andin Luke 18:18-20
Luke 12:16-21 isa parable towarn mostpeople whotreasure fortomorrow while turningablind
eye to the hungrypeople we see everyday
Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to
himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?'

4. Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will
store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for
many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'
But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the
things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for
themselves but are not rich toward God."
John12:25 warns those wholike to"live itup"urgingthemto prepare forthe eternal life
Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this
world will keep it for eternity
The same isalsoconfirmedinMatthew10:39 and Matthew 16:25
The same isalsomentionedinLuke 9:23-25, Mark 8:34-35
Matthew 13:44 teachesusto give everythingtoobeysothat we getGod’s rewardsforthe righteous
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in
his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field
James4:1-5 alsowarnsthose whocompete to enjoythe pleasuresof thislife
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle
within you? You want something but don't get it.
You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have,
because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong
motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward
God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God
John15:10-11 remindsusof the rewardsfor obedience
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's
commandments and abide in his love.
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete

5. Luke 6:27-36 and Matthew 5:38-42 set the high standard for wise dealing
with others; such teachings would replace hatred by compassion and would
transform earth into a paradise
But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who
curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other
also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.
Give to everyone who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them
again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them
But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great,
and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be
merciful, just as your Father is merciful
Matthew 7:12 reminds us of the “Golden Rule”, the common ground wisdom
taught by all wise teachers
So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the
prophets
Matthew 6:24 urges us to shift from the material life into a spiritual life
No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth
Matthew 12:50 teachesthat the real familyof the prophetare the obedientbelievers
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother
Luke 6:46-48 teachesthatsolidfaithfoundationsare basedonobedience tothe teachings
Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is
like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that
house but could not shake it, because it had been well built
The same isalsotaught inJohn14:15 and John14:21
If you love me, you will keep my commandments

6. John 14:21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and
those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them
In Matthew25:31-45 Jesusdescribedthe final judgmentasbeingbasedongoodworks;he clarified
that those whoobeythe lawwill be saved
Salvationisnotbasedsolelyonbelief andnothingelse;salvationisnotgrantedtothose whomerely
professacceptance of Jesuswithoutactuallyperformingkind orcompassionate deeds
Jesusdidnotteach that a man isjustifiedbyfaithwithoutthe deedsof the law;InMatthew 16:27
and John5:29, JesushasconfirmedthatGod will rewardeachpersonaccordingtohis deeds;those
are the basicteachingsof the oldtestimonylike the versestaughtinPsalm62:12, Ecclesiastes12:14,
and manyotheroldtestimonyverses
Matthew25:41-46 teachthat whenwe give the poor,we give toGod
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat:
I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye
clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee anhungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in
prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Matthew6:19-20 is an advice tohave Treasuresinheaven,notinearth
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where
thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and
vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
Matthew13:18-23 isa parable on those whoacceptthe teachingsanddogood deeds

7. Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the
kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in
their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to
someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they
last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall
away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the
worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But
the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is
the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown
In Matthew15:6-9 Jesusfacedthose whonullifythe wordof Godfor the sake of theirtraditions
they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the
sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
The same teachingthattheyignore God’slaw and preferfatherstraditionsisalsomentionedin
Mark 7:6-9
And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY
FROM ME. ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE
PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
He was also saying to them, You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in
order to keep your tradition
In Luke 13:3 and13:5, Jesustaughtthat repentance isnecessaryforsalvation
But unless you repent, you too will all perish
Matthew3:8-10 clarifiesthatprophetspreachof repentance
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say
to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell
you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s

8. judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not
produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire
Matthew3:2 and 4:17 showsthatJohnand Jesuspreachedrepentance
Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near
Matthew 9:13 teachesthatJesuscame to call the sinnertorepentance
I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance
In Luke 15:7 and 15:10, Jesustaughtthat there isjoyinheavenoverrepentantsinner
I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over
ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting
Luke 15: 32 clarifiesthatthe RepentantSinnerwasdeadandisalive again
But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive
again. He was lost, and is found
James5:19-20 urge us to guide the lostpersontothe truth and to bringhimback to God
My brothers, if one of you wanders from the truth, and someone causes him to return, you
should know that whoever turns a sinner from his wandering path will save him from death and
cover many sins
In John5:30-31 and 12:49-50 Jesustaughtthat he is onlydeliveringthe message of God
I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I
carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.
If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid

9. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and
how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells
me to say
In John17:3, Jesustaughtthat the fatheris the onlytrue God
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have
sent
James1:5 urgesus to askGod forwisdom
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault,
and it will be given to you
James1:22-26 urge us to be doersof the law,andnot hearersonly
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling
yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a
mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and
don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but
don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless
James2:14 and 2:17 teachthat faithwithoutworksisdead
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can
faith save him?
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead
Extractedfrommy AmazonBook‘Towardsa BetterLife’
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Towards-better-life-Objectives-
Measures/dp/1515185648/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456426110&sr=1-
4&keywords=sabry+shaheen