Go Fish Ministries, Inc. News Letter Jan. 1, 2009

Go Fish Ministries, Inc. News Letter Jan. 1, 2009


Jesus said: Follow me and I will make you fishers for the souls of others. Matthew 4:19

Sis. Kimberly Hartfield, B.S. Christian Community Consultant/Spiritual Peer Counselor Contact: gofishbooks@gmail.com



Counselors’ Corner

Well we survived the election in Nov. and Christmas in Dec. so I trust you all had a wonderful holiday season. My daughter Rose got to come down for Christmas for just a few days and we had a wonderful family dinner together. She brought me a Duke Mom coffee mug and some gourmet coffee! MMMM. My son Rock followed his fiancé Elise to Tennessee and is looking for a new job up there so please remember him in your prayers. Sunny didn’t get to come this year because she had just started that new job and couldn’t get enough time off, so we really missed her. But I think she may have a new boyfriend who she spent Christmas with! She says it’s not serious yet, though, so I just pray that she finds a good man. Rocky just had his surgery and is doing ok in his healing, but please remember him in your prayers as well.



I just finished my Adventure Based Counseling class at Carey and had a wonderful time falling backward off of trucks, walking on wires, crossing logs, letting my classmates catch me in midair, etc. It was the most fun I’ve had in years. I learned to laugh at myself a little bit and learned that I can’t hit the broad side of a barn when I throw a ball. I can catch ok, but not throw. Needless to say, it was almost like being a kid again and just having fun, only for a grade. I still have to write a paper before the trimester’s over, though. Many of the games and exercises are geared toward building self-esteem and learning to trust people. It’s hard for me to learn to trust people again, so this class was truly a wonderful experience. And the last day of class before Christmas, my classmates who had been collecting money for some kids in a home, surprised me with a $100 gift card from Wal-Mart and $100 in cash to help with my kids Christmas. I had told them in one of our class discussions about Rocky’s surgery and how he was going to be without a paycheck for a few weeks, and asked them to pray that I would be able to sell my puppies so I could do for mine for Christmas. They had collected more than they needed for the kids they wanted to help, so they helped both my family and two others as well. One of my classmates bought one of my puppies, and another brought some gifts for the girls. Another one brought some jump drives with laser pointers from her office that they didn’t need any more and gave me some for the boys. I was so surprised by their caring and generosity that I just bawled like a baby when they gave it to me. God has truly blessed me with this group of people. I did sell all but one of my puppies and was able to do everything we needed and my kids had a great Christmas. Isn’t God so good! Just when I felt like the world was on my shoulders and everything was up to me, God showed me one more time that He’s got my back. I needn’t have worried that God would take care of us as He always does, even when we don’t know where it’s coming from. Like I said before, you just can’t out give God! When we are faithful with our tithes and our time, God is always faithful to us! Not always monetarily, but we’re always blessed in one way or another.



Well, I wasn’t sure what my New Year’s resolution was going to be, but I just received two great books for Christmas that have sealed my fate. One is all about eating a biblical diet and the other is on vegetable gardening. So my resolution is to stay away from convenience foods as much as possible and eat as much home grown stuff as I can figure out how to grow. God willing! So I spent all New years morning digging up my garden and getting ready to try to grow a few veggies this year. I have a few perennials like green onions, collard greens, asparagus, and straw berries, but the rest I have to get started anew on. It’s a small garden but I have fun with it and I did get quite a few cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash last year. The mice got all my watermelons, so the cats are going outside this year! I just need to keep Sasha, my husky, in the fence, as she hates cats and likes to kill them! There’s never a dull moment around here.



Well most of you know that I’ve been working on a paraphrase of the New Testament, so please remember this work in your prayers. I truly want it to be of use for God’s work and as in the recent movie about Martin Luther, it was said, “The Word of God should be like a mother talking to her children.” It shouldn’t be so difficult to understand that we dread to spend time reading it. We should be able to read it, understand it, and glean from its pages something applicable and of benefit to our lives today. I’ve been working on the book of Hebrews so I am including it in this news letter. Please take time to read it and if you’d like, give me some constructive criticism. It’s a work in progress, not the finished product so I’m sure I’ve made a few errors.



God Bless you all and have a very happy New year!



A Letter to the Hebrews

(Author Unknown)



1[1-14] God spoke to our ancestors in the past many different times and in many different ways by the great preachers, and has in these last days spoken to us by God’s Child, who has been chosen to be heir of everything, and by whom also the world was made; Who being the perfect reflection of God’s glory, and the exact picture of who God is, and keeping everything going by the power of God’s Word, when the Christ Yeshua had forgiven our sins, the Christ sat down in honor beside the Glorious God in the Highest Heaven; And being made so much better than the angels, the Christ has a much better name than they by inheritance. To which of the angels has God ever said, “You’re My Child, today I have born you?” Or, “I’ll be like a Parent to this One, and this One will be to me as a Child?” And again, when the Firstborn was brought into the world, God said, “And let all the angels of God worship the Firstborn.” And God said about the angels, “Who makes the angels fly like the wind, and the ministers burn like a flame of fire.” But God said to the Child, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: You’ll rule with a reign of goodness. You’ve loved goodness, and hated sin; so God, even Your God, has anointed You with the oil of happiness more than any of Your people. And You, Christ, have made the earth’s matter at creation; and the heavens are Your creation: They’ll be destroyed; but You’ll live forever; and they’ll grow old as a piece of clothing; And like an old coat you’ll fold them up, and they’ll be changed for a new one: but you’ll stay the same, and live forever.” And to which of the angels has God ever said, “Sit beside Me, until I make Your enemies Your footstool?” So the angels are just ministering spirits, sent to help those who will be saved.

2[1-4] So we ought to pay more attention to the things we’ve heard that are our proof, in case we should ever let them slip away from us. If God’s Word given by angels is true, and every sin and disobedience gets a fair punishment; How can we escape, if we neglect to be saved in such a great way? And God told us of this even at the first, which was confirmed to us by those who heard it; And God, who wanted to, also gave us proof, both with wonderful signs and amazing things, and with many different miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

[5-11] And God hasn’t put the world to come, in which we speak, in the power of the angels. But in a certain place someone told us truthfully, saying, What is a human being, that You’d think of them? or the child of a person, that You’d come to them? You made them a little lower than the angels; You crowned them with victory and honor, and set them over all of Your creation: You’ve put everything in their control. Because God put everything in their control, God didn’t leave anything out. But for now we don’t yet see everything in their conrol. But now we see Yeshua, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with victory and honor; that the Christ, by the grace of God, would taste death for everyone. And God, for whom everything is, and by whom everything is, chose to bring many children to victory, and to make Yeshua, through suffering, the perfect leader of those who are saved.

[12-18] Both the One who sets apart and those who are set apart are all of One, who isn’t ashamed to call them My people, saying, I’ll declare Your name to My People, in the middle of the church I’ll sing praise to You. And again, I’ll put my trust in the Christ. And again, I and the children which God has given Me. So then as the children are one who has shared in the body and blood, Christ, taking part of the same through death, overcame the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil; And delivered those, who through fear of death, were enslaved their whole lives. The truth is, Christ didn’t take on the nature of angels; but Christ took on the humanity of Abraham. In everything Christ was required to become like humanity, in order to be a compassionate and faithful leading priest in things concerning God, to bring others back to God for their sins. Since Yeshua the Christ has suffered being tempted, the Christ is also able to help those who are tempted.

3[1-11] So, holy Christians, who have taken part in this heavenly calling, consider the Savior and Leading priest of our confession, Christ Yeshua; Who was faithful to and chosen by Yahweh God, as also Moses was faithful in all that house, and who was thought more worthy of being well known than Moses, just as the one who has built the house has more honor than the house. Every house is built by someone; but the One who built everything is God. And the truth is, Moses was faithful in all his house, as a worker, who could speak about what would be spoken later; But Christ, as a Child over God’s own home; and whose house we belong to, if we hold on tightly to the trust and the joy of our hope to the end. So as the Holy Spirit said, “To day if you’ll hear God’s voice, don’t harden your hearts, as when God was provoked in the time of temptation in the countryside: When your ancestors tempted Me, proved Me, and saw what I had done for forty years; so that I was grieved with that people, saying, ‘They always err in their hearts; and they haven’t known My ways.’ So I swore in my rage, ‘They won’t come into my rest.’

[12-19] So be careful, Christians, in case any of you have an evil heart of unbelief, and leave your faith in the living God. But encourage one another daily, while it’s still today; in case any of you become doubtful, listening to the lies of sin. We have been made to take part in Christ, if we hold tightly to the beginning of our trust to the end; So like it’s said, Today, if you’ll hear God’s voice, don’t be hard-hearted, as when God was provoked. As some, when they had heard, provoked: even though not all of them that came out of Egypt by Moses did. But who was God angry with for those forty years? Wasn’t it with those who had sinned, whose bodies died in the countryside? And to whom did God swear that they wouldn’t come into God’s rest, but to those who didn’t believe? So we see that they couldn’t come in because of their unbelief.

4[1-7] So be careful, in case any of you would seem to come short of the promise of going into God’s rest that was given to us. The New Word was preached to us, too, just as to them: but the Word preached didn’t do them any good because they had no faith in it. But we who believe will come into rest, just as God said, “As I’ve sworn in My rage, if they’ll come into My rest:” although the work was finished from the beginning of time. God spoke in a certain place of the Day of Worship in this way, “And God rested on the seventh day from all the work”, and in another place again, “If they’ll come into my rest.” So seeing that some must yet come into it, and that those to whom it was first preached didn’t come in, it was because of their unbelief: Again, God limits it to a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it’s said, Today, if you’ll hear God’s voice, don’t be hard-hearted.

[8-16] If Yeshua had given them rest, then wouldn’t another day, been spoken of later? [9] So there is still a rest for the people of God. Whoever has gone into their rest, has also stopped doing their own work, just like God did. So let’s work till the day of our rest, in case anyone falls in that same kind of unbelief. The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged blade, piercing deep enough to divide the soul and spirit in two, separating even bones and marrow, and understanding even the very thoughts and intents of the heart. There’s no creature that isn’t plainly seen in God’s sight: everything is bare and plain to the eyes of the One to whom we answer. Seeing then that we have such a great leading priest, who has gone on into heaven, Yeshua, the Child of God, let’s hold on to what we have said. We don’t have a leading priest which can’t understand how we feel in our weaknesses; but was tempted just like we are, yet without ever sinning. So let’s come without fear to the throne of grace, so that we can find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

5[1-4] Every leading priest is chosen from the people and set apart to act for them in the things of God, so that they can offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can understand and care about those without knowledge and those who are out of the way because they themselves also have weaknesses. And for this reason, they ought to make an offering for their own sins, as well as for the people. And no one takes this honor on themself, but whoever is called of God, as was Aaron.

[5-10] So also Yeshua wasn’t made a leading priest by the Christ’s ownself; but by the One who said, You’re my Child, today I have born you. As God said also in another place, You’re a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. Who, when in the body, Christ Yeshua had offered up prayers and requests with strong crying and many tears to the One who was able to save the Christ from death, and was heard because of the Christ’s acceptance of God’s will; The Christ was the Child of God, yet still learned to accept what God wanted by the things which the Christ suffered; And being completed, became the way of being saved forever to all those who accept the Christ; who was called of God to be the leading priest after the order of Melchisedec.

[11-14] We have many things to say about the Christ, but they are hard to say clearly, since you don’t listen well. By this time you ought to be teachers, but you still need someone to teach you again the first things that we believe in God’s word; and are like those who need milk, and not solid food. Those who still need milk have not practiced the teachings on being good much because they’re like a new born. But solid food is for those who have grown, those who have practiced being good and learned to tell what is good from what is evil.

6[1-7] So moving past the first principles of the Word of Christ, let’s go on to completion; not going back to things like changing your life from doing things which lead to death, and of your faith in God, of the Word of God about baptisms, of the laying on of hands, of the coming to life again from the dead, and of never ending judgment. And we will do this, if God allows us. It’s hopeless for those who once understood, and have experienced the heavenly gift, and shared in the Holy Spirit, and have experienced the good things of the Word of God, and the powers of the realm to come, if they leave the faith, to renew them again to a changed life; seeing that they have put the Christ of God to death anew in themselves, making a public disgrace of Yeshua. The garden which makes use of the rain that often falls on it, and grows plants that are good for the one who takes care of it, gets blessed by God: But the one that grows thorns and briers is useless, and is near being rejected; and will be burned in the end.

[9] But, dear loved one, we believe better things of you, the things that come with being saved, even though we speak of this. God isn’t so unfair as to forget what you’ve done and your work of love, which you’ve done in the name of God, in that you’ve ministered to the Christians, and still minister. And we want for every one of you to give the same attention to the full promise of hope to the end: so that you won’t give up, but do just like those who through faith and patience get the promises. When God made the promise to Abraham, who could swear by nothing greater, so swore by God’s Own Self, saying, “Surely with blessing I’ll bless you, and with many descendants I’ll multiply you. And so, after patiently suffering through, Abraham got what was promised. The truth is, people swear by something greater than themselves: and to them, a promise is proof enough and puts an end to all doubt. In this, God, wanting to better show to the heirs of the promise the absolute truth of the Word of God, strengthened it with a promise: That by these two undeniable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong comfort, who have run away for a place of safety to take hold of the hope we have been given: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and safe, and which comes into the presence of God in the Most Holy Place; Where Yeshua, who came before us, and was made a leading priest forever just like Melchisedec.

7[1-10] This Melchisedec, Ruler of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the defeat of the rulers, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth of everything; first the name Melchizadeck means Ruler of goodness, and then also Ruler of Salem, means, Ruler of peace; Without any parents, without descendant, having no beginning of days, nor end of life; but was like the Child of God; a priest that lives continually. Now consider how great this person was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth part of all he had taken. The truth is, those who are of the children of Levi, who have the office of the priesthood, are told to take a tenth of everything by the Word of God, that is, from their own people, though they are all descendants of Abraham: But the one who didn’t come from Levi got a tenth part from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises. And without a doubt the greater one blessed the lesser one. And in our case the tenth part is given to people who die; but in that case the one who still lives gets it. So I might say that the descendants of Levi, who get a tenth part, also paid a tenth part through Abraham’s gift, because they were still in the body of their ancestors, when Melchisedec came.

[11-28] So if we could be made perfect by the acts of the Levitical priesthood, under which we got the Word of God, why would there need to be another priest who would come in the likeness of Melchisedec, and not be called after the usual order of Aaron? But because the priesthood was changed, a change also needed to come to the Word of God. And the One of whom this is spoken belongs to another family, of which no one has ever served as priest. It’s clear that our Christ came from the family of Judah; of which Moses said nothing about having a priesthood. And it’s still even more clear because after the likeness of Melchisedec another priest came, who came not by the law of the earthly Word, but by the power of a life without end. God said, “You’re a priest forever in the likeness of Melchisedec.” The truth is, the first Word was incomplete because we are weak and it was useless for us. The Word of God couldn’t make any of us right, but the coming of a better hope did; by which we come near to God. And the Christ was not made our priest without a promise, like those who are made priests without a promise; but it was with a promise by the One who said, “God promised and won’t go back on it, You’re a priest forever in the likeness of Melchisedec”: So Yeshua came as proof of a better Word by this promise. The truth is, there were many priests, because they weren’t able to keep serving because of death: But Yeshua, who lives ever, has a never ending priesthood. So Yeshua is able to completely and finally save those that come to God by the One who lives forever and speaks up for them. A leading priest that became for us One who is holy, innocent, without fault, never having sinned, and is in the highest heavens; Who doesn’t need to offer sacrifices daily, as those priests did, first for their own sins, and then for the people's, because Yeshua did this once and for all, who offered up the Christ’s own self. The first Word gave us priests who sinned; but the Word of the promise, which came later, gave us the Child of God, who is set apart as our Priest forever.

8[1-6] Now what we are saying is this: We have a leading priest like this, who sits in a place of honor beside the throne of the Great God in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true place of worship, which God made, and not any person. Every leading priest is set apart to offer gifts and sacrifices: so it was needed that this One have something more to offer. If Yeshua were still on earth, the Christ wouldn’t be a priest, seeing that there are already priests that offer gifts for that Word of God: Who serve as the example and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned of God when he was about to make the place of worship, God said, “See to it that you make everything just as it was shown to you on the Mountian.” But now the Christ has the more perfect ministry, who speaks up for us in the better agreement, which was settled for us by better promises.

[7-13] If that first agreement had been found faultless, then there would be no need for the second. But finding fault with those who followed it, God said, The time is coming, God said, when I’ll make a new agreement with the family of Israel and with the family of Judah: Not like the one that I made with their ancestors in the time when I took care of them to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they didn’t keep their part of My promised agreement, and I didn’t accept them, God said. But this is the New Word that I’ll give to the families of Israel later, God said; I’ll put My Word in their thoughts, and mark them in their spirits: and I’ll be to them a God, and they’ll be to Me a people: And no one will teach their neighbor, or anyone teach a family member, saying, ‘Know God’ because everyone will know Me, from the youngest to the oldest. I’ll be forgiving of their ungodliness, I won’t ever remember their sins and uncontrolled acts again. So when God said, A New Word, the first became the old one. Now what is replaced becomes old and is about to end.

9[1-10] The truth is, the first agreement had rules of divine service, and also an earthly sanctuary. There was a place of worship made; in which the first part had the candle stick, and the table, and the bread; which was the sanctuary. And in the second part, the place of worship which is called the most Holy Place; which had the golden censer, and the golden box of the first agreement, which held the golden pot that had the bread from heaven, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the carved stones of the first agreement; and on the lid of the golden box the angels of praise that overshadowed the mercy seat; of which we can’t fully speak of now. Now when this was set apart this way, the priests always went into the first part of the place of worship, to do the service of God. But only the leading priests went into the second part once a year, and not without blood, which was offered for both themselves, and for the sins of the people: The Holy Spirit shows us that the way into the Most Holy Place wasn’t yet opened up, while the first Place of Worship was still standing: Which was just an example for that time, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that couldn’t make those who did the service right, as concerning the conscience; Which was only for the rules about foods and drinks, and different washings, and earthly rules, imposed on them until the time of the New Word.

[11-15] But the Christ became our leading priest in the good things that were to come, with a greater and more complete Place of Worship, not made with human hands, that is, not of this nature; Neither by the blood of animals, but by the Christ’s own blood, who came into the Most Holy Place once and for all, saving us for all time. If the blood of animals, and the ashes of a cow could be sprinkled for the sinner to bless and cleanse the body: How much more will the blood of Yeshua, who through the Holy Spirit offered the Chist’s own self to God, who had never sinned, clear your conscience from the things you’ve done that lead to death to serve the living God? And for this cause the Christ, who died in our place, can speak up for us in the agreement of the New Word, to save us from the sins that were done under the first agreement, so that those who are called might get the promise of a never ending inheritance.

[16-]Where this kind of agreement is made, there must out of necessity be the death of the one making the will, because a will only comes into effect after the person has died. Otherwise, it has no value at all while that person still lives. So not even the first agreement came into effect without blood. So when Moses had spoken every word of God to all the people, he took the blood of animals, along with water, and scarlet-dyed wool, and hyssop branches, and sprinkled both the Word of God, and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the agreement which God has made with you.” Besides this, he sprinkled both the place of worship, and all the bowls of the ministry with blood, because God’s Word says almost everything is cleansed with blood; and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. So it was necessary that the examples of things which are in the heavens would be cleansed like this; but the heavenly things themselves are cleansed with better sacrifices than these. Christ didn’t go into the holy places made with human hands, which are only examples of the true ones; but the Christ went into heaven itself, and now stands in the presence of God in our place: Who doesn’t offer the Christ’s own self often, like the leading priest who comes into the holy place each year with blood of animals; because then the Christ would have suffered many times since the beginning of the world: but now once in the end of this time Yeshua has appeared to do away with the consequences of sin by the Christ’s own sacrifice. And just like others must die once, but later face the judgment, the Christ was once offered for the sins of many; and will appear the second time for those who look for the Christ, not for their sin, but to save them.

10[1-10] The Word of God, being a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual picture of the things, can never with the sacrifices which they continually offered year by year make those who came complete, or they wouldn’t have stopped being offered and the worshippers, once forgiven, would have had no more guilty conscience from their sins. But in those sacrifices they remember their sins again every year. It isn’t possible for the blood of animals to take away sins. So when the Christ came into the world, who said, You didn’t want sacrifice and offering, but you’ve prepared Me a body: You took no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Then I said, See, I have come (in part of the book the Word says of Me,) to do what You want, God. So before when the Christ said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin You didn’t want, nor took pleasure in it; which are offered by the Word of God; Then the Christ said, See, I come to do what You want, God. The Christ took away the first, so that the second could be set up. By whose will we’re set apart through the offering of the body of Yeshua the Christ once and for all.

[11-18] And all the priests stand daily ministering and offering the same sacrifices many times, which can never take away sins: But this person, who had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, afterwards sat down in the place of honor beside God; From then on waiting for God to take control of the Christ’s enemies. And by this one offering the Christ has forever completed the work for those who are being set apart. Of which the Holy Spirit is also a witness to us because after what the Christ had said before, This is the promised agreement that I’ll make with them after those days, God said, I’ll put my laws into their hearts, and I”ll write them in their minds; And their sins and uncontrolled actions I’ll remember no more. Now where these have been taken away, there’s no longer any need to make offering for sin.

[19-25] So, Christians, we can have courage to come into the holiest place by the blood of Yeshua, by a new and living way, which the Christ has offered for us, through the curtain, that is, the Christ’s body; And we have a leading priest over the house of God; so let’s come near with a true heart that fully trusts our faith, having our hearts cleansed from a guilty conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. So let’s hold on to the faith we have claimed to have without doubting; (for the One who promised is faithful;) And let’s think about how we can encourage one another to love and to do good things: Not forgetting to come and worship together, as some do; but encouraging one another: and even more, as you see the day getting nearer.

[26-31] And if we willfully keep on sinning after we’ve understood the knowledge of the truth, there is no more covering for sins, but a fearful waiting for judgment and the fiery rage, which will devour the enemies. Whoever disobeyed Moses' law died without mercy with two or three witnesses against them, so how much worse will the punishment be, do you think, for those who’ll be thought worthy, who have rejected the Christ of God, and has counted the blood of the promised agreement, that the Christ has given for us, an unholy thing, and has done this in spite of the Spirit of grace? We know the One who has said, Punishment is for Me to do and I’ll repay, God said. And again, God will judge the people. It’s very fearful to fall into the judgement of the living God.

[32-39] But remember in the past, when, after you accepted the truth, you suffered through great troubles; Partly, while you were publically accused in great troubles; and partly, while you became friends of those who were treated like this too. And you even cared for me in my imprisonment, and gracefully took the taking of your things, knowing in yourselves that you have better and more lasting things in heaven. So don’t give up your trust, which will be greatly repaid. You need to have patience, so that, after you’ve done what God wants you to do, you might get the promise. In just a little while, the One who is coming will come, and it won’t be long. Now the good will live by faith: but if anyone turns away, My soul will have no pleasure in them. But we aren’t of those who turn away to be punished; but we are of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

11[1-16] Now faith is the spirit of what we hope for, what we know is true, but we don’t yet see. By it the elders were well spoken of. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen weren’t really made of things which appear. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, by which it is said that he was good, and God tells us of his gifts: and by it he still speaks even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was changed, not seeing death; and wasn’t ever found, because God had changed him. And before he was changed, it was said of him, that he pleased God. But without faith it’s impossible to please God because whoever comes to God must believe that God exists, and that God rewards those who look for God carefully. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen yet, acted with fear, built a large boat to save his family; by which the world was found guilty, and became heir of the goodness which is by faith. By faith Abraham, who was called to go to a place he would later get for an inheritance, obeyed; and went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith they sojourned in the land of promise, in a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were also heirs of the same promise: because they wanted a place with a foundation, whose builder and maker is God. Also, through faith, Sara was made strong enough to have a baby, and was given a child when she was too old to have one, because she decided that the One who had promised was faithful. So from that one couple, who were as good as dead, were born as many descendants as the stars of the sky in number, and as the sand by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having gotten the promises, but having seen them in the future, and were convinced of them, and accepted them, admitting that they were strangers and aliens on the earth. And those who say such things clearly say that they’re looking for a place of their own. And the truth is, if they had cared for the country they came out of, they could have gone back. But they wanted a better country, that is, a heavenly one: so God isn’t ashamed to be called their God, who has prepared for them a place to call home.

[17-31] By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac: the one who had gotten the promises offered up the only child born to him, of whom it was said, in Isaac will your descendants be called: figuring that God was even able to bring him to life, even from the dead; from which he also got him back in a sense. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau about the things which would happen in the future. By faith Jacob, who was dying, blessed both the children of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning on the top of his walking cane. By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the leaving of the children of Israel; and gave word about his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a good child; and they weren’t afraid of the ruler's word. By faith Moses, when he came to years, refused to be called the child of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing instead to suffer with the people of God, rather than enjoy the amusement of sin for a time; Prizing the dishonor of Christ more valuable than the wealth in Egypt because he saw the profit of his future reward. By faith they left Egypt, not fearing the ruler’s punishment, and suffered through, as if seeing the invisible God. Through faith they kept the Passover, sprinkling the blood, so the angel who killed the firstborn wouldn’t touch them. By faith they walked through the Red sea on dry land: in which, when the Egyptians tried to do this, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were surrounded for seven days. By faith Rahab, a sexually immoral person, wasn’t destroyed along with those who didn’t believe, because she had taken in the spies with peace.

[32-40] And what more can I say? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of all the great preachers: Who through faith took over countries, worked for goodness, got promises, closed the mouths of lions, put out the heat of fire, escaped the edge of the blade, were made strong out of their weakness, became fearless in fighting, made the armies of alien peoples turn and run. Women got their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not taking the chance to escape; in order to obtain a better life in the spiritual realm: And others had tests of cruel mockings and beatings, yes, and were even locked up and imprisoned: They were stoned to death, sawed in half, tempted to give up on their faith and escape, stabbed with the blade: they wandered around wearing animal skins for clothing; being needy, troubled, and suffering; the world not being worthy to have them: they wandered around in deserts, and in the mountains, hiding in dens and the caves of the earth. And through faith all of them, though having lived good lives, didn’t get the promise because God, having provided something better for us, wanted them to be completed along with us.

12[1-10] So seeing that we also are surrounded by so many witnesses, let’s get rid of everything that weighs us down, and all the sin which so easily overcomes us, and let’s run the race that we’ve been called to with patience, looking to Yeshua, the beginning and end of our faith; As the Christ, for the joy to come, suffered through the cross, despising its shame, and is now at the place of honor beside the throne of God. So consider the One who suffered through such opposition from sinners, in case you get so tired that you want to give up in your minds. In your fight against sin, you haven’t yet fought to the point of loosing your life blood. And you’ve forgotten the encouragement which speaks to you as to children, My child, don’t hate the discipline of God, nor give up when you’re under God’s controll: because God loves whom God disciplines, and punishes every child accepted by God. So don’t get discouraged when you’re disciplined, because God is dealing with you as with children; what child doesn’t a parent discipline? But if you’re not disciplined, in which all are one who have taken part, then you’re bastards, and not legal children. Besides, our physical parents corrected us, and we respected them: so shouldn’t we instead allow ourselves to be even more under the control of God, the source of our spirits, and live? The truth is, our parents, for a short time, punished us as they thought was best for us; but God punishes us for our good, so that we might be one who has shared in God’s goodness.

[11-24] Now no discipline seems good at the time, but very hard to deal with: but later it brings peace and goodness to those who are trained this way. So lift up your hands which are hanging down, and strengthen your weak knees; Run straight in the path, so your feet won’t be broken; but well. Try to have peace with everyone, and be good, which without goodness no one will see God: Carefully watching so no one fails to receive the grace of God; or in case any root of bitterness springs up to trouble you, and ruins many others by that example; Or in case there be any sexually immoral, or disrespectful person, such as Esau, who for one meal sold his birthright, because you know how that later, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected because he didn’t change his way of thinking, though he begged for the blessing with many tears. And you aren’t coming to the physical mountain that can be touched, that burned with fire, nor to black skies, darkness, and eruptions, along with the sound of a trumpet, and the voice speaking with words with which those who heard begged that they wouldn’t be spoken to any more because they couldn’t handle what was told them, And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned, or killed with an arrow: And the sight was so terrible that Moses said, I am shaking with fear: But you’re come to Mount Zion, and the heavenly Jerusalem, where God lives, and to a countless number of angels, to the gathering together of the church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of All, and to the spirits of good people who are spiritually completed, and to Yeshua, the One who speaks up for us in the new promised agreement, whose sprinkled blood speaks of better things than the blood of Abel.

[25] So see that you don’t refuse the One who speaks, because if the ones who refused the One who spoke on earth didn’t escape, how will we ever escape if we turn away from the One who speaks from heaven: Whose voice shook the earth then: but now God has promised, saying, Yet once more, I won’t shake the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies what can be shaken will be removed, that is the physical world, so that only what can’t be shaken will be left. Since we are going to a spiritual place which can’t be moved, let’s be graceful, so that we can serve God acceptably with respect and godly fear: because our God is like an uncontrollable fire.

13[1-6] Keep loving eachother like a family. Don’t forget to take care of strangers because in this way some have unknowingly taken care of angels. Remember those who are imprisoned, as if you were a prisoner with them; and those who suffer hard times, as you yourselves also suffer in the body. Marriage is to be respected in all ways, and the marriage bed kept pure and holy: but God will judge those who practice sexual sin and are sexually unfaithful. Let your lifestyle be without selfishness; and be happy with what you have because God has said, I’ll never leave you, nor turn away from you. So that we can say without fear, “God is my helper, so I won’t fear what anyone will do to me.”

[7-17] Remember the leaders who have spoken the Word of God to you: whose faith you should follow, considering what kind of lifestyle they have. Yeshua, the Christ, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So don’t let all different kinds of strange teachings change your mind. It’s good for the heart to depend on grace; not on eating certain foods, which haven’t helped those who have been controlled by them. We have an altar, from which those who serve in the place of worship have no right to eat. Just as the bodies of the beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the leading priest for sin, are burned outside the camp, so Yeshua also, in order to set apart the people with the Christ’s own blood, suffered outside the gate. So let’s go to the Christ outside the camp, being dishonored as the Christ was. Here we have no everlasting city, but we look for the one to come. So by the Christ, let’s offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to the name of Yahweh God. But don’t forget to do good and to share because God is very pleased with such sacrifices. Obey your leaders, and accept what they say because they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Do this so that they can lead you with joy, and not with grief, because that isn’t good for you.

[18-25] Pray for us because we believe we have a good conscience, and are willing to live honestly in everything. But I beg you instead to pray that I can come back to you sooner. Now the God of peace, that brought our Christ Yeshua back again from the dead, that great Keeper of the animals, through the blood of the never ending promised agreement, make you complete in every good work to do what God wants, working in you what is pleasing in the sight of God, through Yeshua, the Christ; who will be made known forever and ever. So be it! And I beg you, Christians, accept this word of encouragement because I’ve written this letter to you in just a few words. I want you to know that our Christian brother Timothy has been freed and if he comes shortly, I’ll see you with him then. Say hello to all those who lead you, and all of the Christians. All those of Italy say hello to you. May grace be with you all. So be it!





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Notes and Prayer Requests

• My husband, Rocky, (we are separated) has had two major surgeries recently and has just had another surgery to undo the colonostomy that he had in the first surgery. Please pray for the healing of his body and spirit.

• I’m doing my internship with the Salvation Army throughout January and then taking my last two classes in the spring, God Willing! Please remember me as I finish up this last year in my program. Thanks be to God Almighty!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Pray for our country, and our new president, and that God’s will be done in these next four years. Though we can’t stop the coming tide, we can grab the Lifesaver in prayer and hope. God bless the USA!