Hebrews 13:2 - There si a lot of truth in this passage about hospitality. A brother here shared in a lesson recently about how people over and over and over in the Bible showed simple hospitality and were blessed tremendously for it. He went on and on with more examples than i can remember. Think about Rahab, Zacheus, Lydia, Cornelius, Mary and Martha, and more. I think we short change the power of showing hospitality.
Hebrews 13:11-12 - The animals are burned outside the camp, I think to keep the camp pure. Jesus, our sacrifice, suffered outside the camp as well. But the Hebrew writer here does something that surprised me. I was thinking that the point would be about how because of His suffering outside the gate, we can have the places of honor inside. Instead, he calls us to humility and to go, in our spirits, to Jesus, in his shame, and sit at the cross with him. To me it's a powerful reminder of how Jesus sat with the lowly and rejected throughout his life and how we ought to do he same.
Hebrews 13:14 - Sometimes this seems so real. I don't feel that I belong here, the things that are familiar to most are foreign to me. What seems acceptable to most is ridiculous to me. I don't understand them, and they don't understand me. This world makes no sense, I just want to go home.
Hebrews 13:15 - If your lips acknowledge Jesus, what fruit would that bear? More than words.
Hebrews 13:16 - "Do not neglect to do good ..." This is the hardest thing. Avoiding evil is a cake walk at times compared to getting off my duff and actually doing some good.
Great points. I'm particularly intrigued by the thoughts on hospitality. That's going onto my personal Bible study list!
Hello there. i was going to email you but i suspect there's a typo in your link. please contact me asap or send to my way some Dayton, Ohio disciples of Jesus that you can vouch for or preferably both - my brother is near there and he is hurting but trying; especially in light of your 18 January quiet time.
thanks bro
Neil in the RGV (rgvchurch.org)
Col. 1:17
Neil - Dude, yes there's a typo. Oh boy, I gotta fix that. There's an 'L' missing, you might be able to figure it out. That's been there for months like that. Yikes.
Or use the link at the top of the right sidebar, it works right.
I know quite a few folks in the Dayton Church of Christ, including my college roommate who is one of the leaders. I know things have been rough there for a while, but I believe they are improving.
BTW - I removed your email from the published part of your comment. One of the ways spammers get your email address is from it being published on the web. I still have it so I can contact you. I'd hate to have spammers harvest your email from my site. :-P
It's fixed.
Oh, and I meant the top left sidebar.
I need more coffee.
Alan - I'm suppost to get the list from him tomorrow (Sun). I plan on doing a post on it soon.
I think hospitality is one of the most neglected parts of the Christian life, maybe only second to fasting. God bless, love the blog and will check back often