Today Our Daily Bread Hebrews 13

Hebrews 13: 1-25
1 Continue to love each other with true Christian love.[a] 2 Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3 Don't forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies.
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
"I will never fail you.I will never forsake you."[b]
6 That is why we can say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper,so I will not be afraid.What can mere mortals do to me?"[c]7 Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your spiritual strength comes from God's special favor, not from ceremonial rules about food, which don't help those who follow them.
10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Temple on earth have no right to eat. 11 Under the system of Jewish laws, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, but the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates in order to make his people holy by shedding his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him outside the camp and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.
15 With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. 16 Don't forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God.
17 Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
18 Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. 19 I especially need your prayers right now so that I can come back to you soon.
20 –21 And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
22 I urge you, dear brothers and sisters,[d] please listen carefully to what I have said in this brief letter.
23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy is now out of jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you.
24 Give my greetings to all your leaders and to the other believers there. The Christians from Italy send you their greetings.
25 May God's grace be with you all.
Footnotes:
Hebrews 13:1 Greek with brotherly love.
Hebrews 13:5 Deut 31:6, 8.
Hebrews 13:6 Ps 118:6.
Hebrews 13:22 Greek brothers.
~Lena’s Journalin’~
In vs. 8 it reminds me of fads that come and go, diets, clothing that is acceptable now, but wasn’t days ago, and my convictions change as the clothes do? God’ Word is the same, yesterday, today and forever, not different with the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s & 80’s kind of thing. The point is NOT clothes and diets and fads at all. We really think that if we adapt a new idea that we haven’t practiced before, that we are getting more godly somehow, but Godliness comes from the practice of His word in action. It is not in idea and rule. If I dress a certain way all of the time and appear holy, but am continuously irritated at people made in the image and likeness of God. I can’t seem to find a way to love those whom He loves and those whom He has set me here to minister and show His love to, then I may as well burn my clothes and walk around naked! I may as well quit the diet and get fatter. Love is the practice that will strengthen me in my faith and my walk with Him.
Are we shy in representing the One who before the public square, stood naked and unclothed, was whipped and beaten for us? The shame one feels from the world for speaking about or living for Christ will pass away in a moment, just as this life here will. When this life passes every moment of shyness in representing Him to the greatest extent will be so insignificant and minute in nature, every moment of shyness we gave way to will be a regret, unless repented of. Shyness is inwardness, and God called us to Go out! It is a tool of God’s enemy to hold God’s people back. Do not give it any place, get outside of yourself and live for God, NOW! Suffer in the pride of this life, be mocked by the world, and save souls from the very fire and pit of hell. Rescue people as Jesus did.
Let’s put Love in the place of obey, because love is the expression and tool of spiritual warfare against disobedience and the nature of God’s enemy who disobeyed God and desires God’s children to do. So in vs. 17, say "Love" your leaders…they watch out for your souls…. Doesn’t that change how the world shows us obedience stands for? The world tries to tell us whenever obedience is mentioned, we are being oppressed or forced or dictated to, no Obedience is an act of Divine love, it is the weapon that conquers over hatred (for God), it is the tactic of winning the world. Obedience is the Divine expression of Love! Don’t you love God? Of course. Don’t you love those God has set to rule over you, helping keep you on the journey of faith, those who brought you to the Lord? Your parents, Your mentors, Your Fathers in faith? Obey/love them and bless them, that their "job" will be such a joyful one as they watch you grow and change into God’s very image.