Small Man to the Sacred Family in Village of Horses 1

GREETINGS

1From Small Man (Paul) and He Gives Honor (Timothy), sacred servants of the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus).

To all of Creator’s holy people who gather in Village of Horses (Philippi) and to the spiritual leaders and those who have the sacred task of helping others, who together watch over the sacred family.

2May our Father the Great Spirit and our Honored Chief, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, bless you with the gift of his great kindness and peace.

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

3Whenever you come into my thoughts I give thanks to my Creator. 4I always pray with a glad heart when I send up prayers for you, 5because from the first day until now we have walked side by side in the telling of the good story. 6I have no doubts that the one who set your feet on this good path will keep walking it with you until the day that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One appears.

7It is right for me to think of you in this way, for you hold a warm place in my heart. You have shared with me in the gift of Creator’s great kindness, both in my chains and when I stand on the truth of the good story. 8The Great Spirit knows that the longing I have to see you comes from the warm and tender heart of the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus).

9When I send my voice to the Great Spirit, I pray that the love you have for each other will grow strong and remain steady in wisdom and understanding. 10In this way, you will be able to make good choices that will lead to a pure heart and keep you from stumbling until the day of the Chosen One. 11I pray that your lives will be filled with the good fruit of doing what is right, which comes from remaining true to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. All of this will bring honor and praise to the Great Spirit.

THE STORY OF THE CHOSEN ONE IS BEING TOLD

12My sacred family members, I want you to know that the hard times I find myself facing have not held me back. Instead, new ground has been gained for the telling of the good story. 13So now the soldiers who guard the lodge of the People of Iron (Romans) and all the other people here know that I am in chains because I follow the Chosen One.

14Knowing that I am in chains has given a great number of the sacred family members new courage in our Honored Chief to win the victory over their fear and boldly tell the good story. 15It is true that some tell about the Chosen One only because they are full of jealousy and bitterness, while others do so out of a good heart.

16The ones with good hearts do so because of their love, for they know that Creator has given me the sacred task of guarding the truth of the good story. 17The others, who are filled with jealousy and bitterness, tell about the Chosen One with crooked hearts and out of a selfish desire to cause trouble for me while I am a captive in chains.

18So here is how I see it. Whether they do these things for the wrong reasons or the right reasons, the story about the Chosen One is being told. This is what makes my heart dance. And my heart will keep dancing, 19for I know that when I am set free it will be through your prayers and the help given from the Spirit of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One.

HONORING THE CHOSEN ONE

20From deep in my spirit comes the hope that I will never face the shame of defeat but that I will have the courage, now and always, to bring honor to the Chosen One by the way I live or by the way I die. 21How can I lose? The Chosen One is my life, and death only brings me something better.

22Even if death would be a better choice, living in this world means my work will bear good fruit. So I do not know which way to go. 23I am being pulled from both directions. On the one hand, I desire to go and be with the Chosen One, which would be far better than staying here in this world.

24But on the other hand, staying here to help you is needed even more. 25Since I am needed here, I am sure that I will stay, so I can continue to walk you down a road of joy and strengthen your faith. 26Then when I come face to face with you once again, you can be full of joy and stand tall in what the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus), has done through me.

WALKING WORTHY OF THE CHOSEN ONE

27Whatever happens, you should walk in a manner that brings honor to the good story about the Chosen One. In this way, whether or not I come to see you, I will hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, having one purpose, and struggling together to hold true to the good story in which we have put our trust.

28Show courage in the face of those who oppose you. This will be a sign to them that they are coming to a bad end, but for you it will be a sign that Creator is setting you free. 29For you have been given the honor not only to trust in the Chosen One but also to suffer for him. 30For you are now struggling in the same spiritual battle you saw me fight in the past, one I am still fighting.

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Small Man to the Sacred Family in Village of Horses 1: FNVNT

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