Let love of the brethren continue.
Go on loving each other as you have been doing.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Always be kind to everyone, even those you don't know. You could make a new friend, or even interact with one of God's messengers from heaven! Who knows.
Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them,
Prison ministries do much good, giving hope to those who had thought themselves too far gone.
and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.
When a body-part hurts, the whole body suffers. We are all one body in Christ.
Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
Marriage has become a contentious issue in our day, but God does not change, nor do His standards. Marriage is one flesh, like plugging a toaster into the outlet. It's a physical act that two of the same gender cannot accomplish.
God will judge those who perform the "marriage act" outside of the marriage bond, whether it is between two unmarried persons, or with someone who is not your spouse.
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have;
This is a trap that easily can snare any of us at any time. Be careful that your desire to make money is not your goal in itself, for it will never satisfy. It is only a tool, the more you have the more you can do. But it is the doing, not the having that counts.
for He Himself said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,"
Jesus promised to provide everything we need to do everything He wants us to do. Let's not desire more than He knows we can handle safely.
so that we confidently say,
The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?When we know that God is with us, helping us, then we are invincible. Mere man can do nothing to deter God from working out His plans for us, we need only to keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus.
Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
Those who teach you God's Word, who shepherd you, who lead you in how to think and how to pray, are under greater scrutiny. We all live in glass houses, we are watched by all. So we have a higher degree of accountability to the Lord.
If your leaders are living godly lives, with godly attitudes; then take their example and follow them as they follow Christ.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Jesus does not change. God does not change. His standards and goals do not change. He is still God over all, and rules all sovereignly, to further His plan along toward its conclusion day by day and moment by moment in our lives.
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
This is interesting. Today there are those who propose to gain good health by partaking of only certain kinds of nourishment, in order to experience emotional and spiritual benefits. But this is only physical. Physical health is only a small part of our whole beings. We need to focus on what is real Life, which Jesus said is spiritual. Our hearts and souls and spirits are what give life to our bodies, when the spiritual leaves the body, the body is dead.
So we are to take care of our bodies, but our main focus is our emotional and spiritual health.
We have an altar from which those who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat.
He's talking about the priests that served in the Old Testament Tabernacle.
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the High Priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp (Leviticus 16: 27).
The bodies of all the animals that were offered for sin offerings were carried outside the camp and burned up.
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own Blood, suffered outside the gate.
So Jesus, also, since He shed His Blood as our sacrifice for sin, died outside the city gates.
So let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
Those who carried the animals outside the camp had to bathe and wash their clothes before they could come back into the camp (Leviticus 16: 28). So we also, who come to the foot of the Cross in repentance, are being cleansed by His Blood, to be fit to enter into the City.
For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the City which is to come.
We are only here in this World temporarily, the city we live in now will not last. We are looking forward to that City made without hands, the City of God, where He lives. So we are to hold this World's goods lightly, sending our wealth ahead of us, for our Eternal "retirement"!
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His Name.
A sacrifice is something we "give up," so praise is a sacrifice when we don't feel like praising, when things around us are not going well, and we'd rather complain. Praising Him out loud instead releases His power into the situation.
And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
If we're sharing out of our abundance, it's not a sacrifice.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.
Did you realize that God holds your leaders responsible for how they lead you? If you are a leader, are you leading with drawing or with pushing?
Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable to you.
Are you following cheerfully, or grudgingly? If they are getting "bad vibes" from you, you're only hurting yourself.
Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.
Yes, pray for all your leaders, and me, too. We are confident that we are leading according to God's will for us and you, and we are trying to do our best with this important job. We really need God's strength and discernment to do it.
And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner.
The writer of this epistle wants to accomplish everything he needs to do, so that he can go back home to these people he pastors. So he tells them to pray all the more for him to do that.
And as the writer of this blog, I am also asking you to pray for me, because I must seriously depend on Him for the ability to even do this.
Now the God of Peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the Blood of the eternal Covenant, even Jesus our Lord,
(We have previously spoken on all these concepts.)
Equip you in every good thing to do His will,
We must be willing to go outside the box to learn new ways when necessary, but God will be faithful in teaching us, so we can accomplish everything He wants done.
working in us that which is pleasing in His sight,
"It is God who works in us to both will and to do according to His good pleasure"! (Philippians 1: 6). God's Holy Spirit in us changes our minds and renews our thinking processes, to think the way He thinks, to reason by His reasonings, and to therefore do what He finds is fun! And we will have fun, too!
through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Only because Jesus did it all for us! Praise His holy Name!
But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.
So take to heart this whole Epistle, for it is only one letter. Think about all the things written here, all the concepts we need to understand so we can live our lives as His royal children, manifesting His holy character in our attitudes and accomplishments.
Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.
Here's news, that Timothy isn't in prison any more!
Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.
Grace be with you all.
Say "hello!" to everyone there, and everyone here in Italy (where the writer is?) says "hello!" to you, too.
Now walk in God's grace, and notice His blessings every day!
O my Father, You are so good to us all! You have sent Your own, onlybegotten Son to be our Lord and our Christ, to be our Savior and our King, our High Priest and our Sacrifice.
Father, You are our source of everything we are and need. Please strengthen Your children as we live in this World, this "vale of tears." Send Your Word out over the World, by the hand of Your workers, going and sending and teaching and broadcasting Your precious Seed of the the Gospel.
And may all Your little lambs who are still caught in the thickets and snares of the World and the devil be released from the bonds of deception that have lied to them and made them empty promises.
Bring them all into the safety and joy of the fold, that there be One Fold and One Shepherd.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus of Nazareth is our Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King of the Universe, and our Messiah and Redeemer; to the glory of God the Father!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
