¹ And that’s about it, friends. Be glad in God! I don’t mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don’t mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry—so here goes.

^2-6Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it. We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.

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Philippians 2:^25-27But for right now, I’m dispatching Epaphroditus, my good friend and companion in my work. You sent him to help me out; now I’m sending him to help you out. He has been wanting in the worst way to get back with you. Especially since recovering from the illness you heard about, he’s been wanting to get back and reassure you that he is just fine. He nearly died, as you know, but God had mercy on him. And not only on him—he had mercy on me, too. His death would have been one huge grief piled on top of all the others.

^28-30So you can see why I’m so delighted to send him on to you. When you see him again, hale and hearty, how you’ll rejoice and how relieved I’ll be. Give him a grand welcome, a joyful embrace! People like him deserve the best you can give. Remember the ministry to me that you started but weren’t able to complete? Well, in the process of finishing up that work, he put his life on the line and nearly died doing it.

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Matthew 5 ^1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

³“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

⁴“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

⁵“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

⁶“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

⁷“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

⁸“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

⁹“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

¹⁰“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

^11-12“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

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Psalm 25 My head is high, God, held high;

I’m looking to you, God;

No hangdog skulking for me.

³ I’ve thrown in my lot with you;

You won’t embarrass me, will you?

Or let my enemies get the best of me?

Don’t embarrass any of us

Who went out on a limb for you.

It’s the traitors who should be humiliated.

⁴ Show me how you work, God;

School me in your ways.

⁵ Take me by the hand;

Lead me down the path of truth.

You are my Savior, aren’t you?

⁶ Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, God;

Rebuild the ancient landmarks!

⁷ Forget that I sowed wild oats;

Mark me with your sign of love.

Plan only the best for me, God!

⁸ God is fair and just;

He corrects the misdirected,

Sends them in the right direction.

⁹ He gives the rejects his hand,

And leads them step-by-step.

¹⁰ From now on every road you travel

Will take you to God.

Follow the Covenant signs;

Read the charted directions.

¹¹ Keep up your reputation, God;

Forgive my bad life;

It’s been a very bad life.

¹² My question: What are God-worshipers like?

Your answer: Arrows aimed at God’s bull’s-eye.

¹³ They settle down in a promising place;

Their kids inherit a prosperous farm.

¹⁴ God-friendship is for God-worshipers;

They are the ones he confides in.

¹⁵ If I keep my eyes on God,

I won’t trip over my own feet.

¹⁶ Look at me and help me!

I’m all alone and in big trouble.

¹⁷ My heart and kidneys are fighting each other;

Call a truce to this civil war.

¹⁸ Take a hard look at my life of hard labor,

Then lift this ton of sin.

¹⁹ Do you see how many people

Have it in for me?

How viciously they hate me?

²⁰ Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble;

Don’t let me down when I run to you.

²¹ Use all your skill to put me together;

I wait to see your finished product.

²² God, give your people a break

From this run of bad luck.

Lectio: 15 minutes

Meditatio: 10 minutes

Oratio: 5 minutes

Contemplatio: 5 minutes

Gensis 12:1 God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you.

^2-3 I’ll make you a great nation
and bless you.
I’ll make you famous;
you’ll be a blessing.
I’ll bless those who bless you;
those who curse you I’ll curse.
All the families of the Earth
will be blessed through you.”

^4-6 So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound.

Abram passed through the country as far as Shechem and the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites occupied the land.

⁷ God appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your children.” Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him.

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Contemplatio: 5