…The LORD is our God,
the LORD alone.
And you must love the LORD your God
with all your heart,
all your soul,
and all your strength.
And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly
to these commands that I am giving you today.
Repeat them again and again to your children.
Talk about them when you are at home
and when you are on the road,
when you are going to bed
and when you are getting up.
But we are citizens of heaven,
where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
And we are eagerly waiting for him to return
as our Savior.
He will take our weak mortal bodies
and change them into glorious bodies like his own,
using the same power
with which he will bring everything under his control.
Peace be with you,
dear brothers and sisters,
and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
give you love with faithfulness.
May God’s grace be eternally upon all
who love our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pray in the Spirit at all times
and on every occasion.
Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers
for all believers everywhere.
And pray for me,
too.
Ask God to give me the right words
so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan…
pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him…
Therefore,
put on every piece of God’s armor
so you will be able to resist the enemy
in the time of evil…
the belt of truth…
the body armor of God’s righteousness…
the peace that comes from the Good News…
the shield of faith…
salvation…
and take the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
A final word:
Be strong in the Lord
and in his mighty power.
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to
to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
For we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies,
but against evil rulers and authorities
of the unseen world,
against mighty powers in this dark world,
and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
…once you were full of darkness,
but now you have light from the Lord.
So live as people of light!
For this light within you
produces only what is good and right and true.
Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
Take no part
in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness;
instead,
expose them.
Live a life filled with love,
following the example of Christ.
He loved us
and offered himself as a sacrifice for us,
a pleasing aroma to God.
Let there be no sexual immorality,
impurity,
or greed among you.
Such sins have no place among God’s people.
Obscene stories,
foolish talk,
and coarse jokes—
these are not for you.
Instead,
let there be thankfulness to God.
Don’t use foul or abusive language.
Let everything you say be good and helpful,
so that your words will be an encouragement
to those who hear them.
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit
by the way you live…
Instead,
be kind to each other,
tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Always be humble and gentle.
Be patient with each other,
making allowance for each other’s faults
because of your love.
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit,
binding yourselves together with peace.
Blessings of making allowance,
Jan
