The Life Application Bible gives this forward to the book of Philemon that is worth sharing in hope of breaking down those walls in our lives that separate us from each other.
Life has many walls and fences that divide, separate and compartmentalize. Not made of wood or stone, they are personal obstructions blocking people from each other and from God. But Christ came as the great wall remover, tearing down the sin partition that separates us from God and blasting the barriers that keep us from each other. His death and resurrection opened the way to eternal life to bring all who believe into the family of God.
The letter to Philemon is Paul's personal plea for a slave. Onesimus belonged to Philemon, a member of the Colossian church and Paul's friend. But Onesimus, the slave, had stolen from his master and run away. He ran to Rome, where he met Paul and there he responded to the Good News and came to faith in Christ. So Paul writes to Philemon and reintroduces Onesimus to him, explaining that he is sending him back, not just as a slave but as a brother. Tactfully he asks Philemon to accept and forgive his brother. The barriers of the past and the new ones erected by Onesimus's desertion and theft should divide them no longer, for they are one in Christ.
This small book is a masterpiece of grace and tact and a profound demonstration of the power of Christ and of true Christian fellowship in action. What barriers are in your home, neighborhood, and church? What separates you from fellow believers? Is it race? status? wealth? education? personality? As with Philemon, God calls you to seek unity, breaking down those walls and embracing your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Philemon
Greetings from Paul
1This letter is from Paul, in prison for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
It is written to Philemon, our much loved co-worker, 2and to our sister Apphia and to Archippus, a fellow soldier of the cross. I am also writing to the church that meets in your house.
3May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Pauls Thanksgiving and Prayer 4I always thank God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5because I keep hearing of your trust in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people. 6You are generous because of your faith. And I am praying that you will really put your generosity to work, for in so doing you will come to an understanding of all the good things we can do for Christ. 7I myself have gained much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because your kindness has so often refreshed the hearts of God's people.

Pauls Appeal for Onesimus 8That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do, 9but because of our love, I prefer just to ask you. So take this as a request from your friend Paul, an old man, now in prison for the sake of Christ Jesus.
10My plea is that you show kindness to Onesimus. I think of him as my own son because he became a believer as a result of my ministry here in prison. 11Onesimus[a] hasn't been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. 12I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.
13I really wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. 14But I didn't want to do anything without your consent. And I didn't want you to help because you were forced to do it but because you wanted to. 15Perhaps you could think of it this way: Onesimus ran away for a little while so you could have him back forever. 16He is no longer just a slave; he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord.
17So if you consider me your partner, give him the same welcome you would give me if I were coming. 18If he has harmed you in any way or stolen anything from you, charge me for it. 19I, Paul, write this in my own handwriting: "I will repay it." And I won't mention that you owe me your very soul!
20Yes, dear brother, please do me this favor for the Lord's sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ. 21I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more!
22Please keep a guest room ready for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon.

Pauls Final Greetings 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. 24So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.
25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Share the Good News in good times and in bad times. The time is short and our days are numbered. What fruit am I bearing for eternity?
2 Timothy 4
1 And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus--who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: 2Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
3For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. 4They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.
5But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you.

Pauls Final Words 6As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8And now the prize awaits me--the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return.
9Please come as soon as you can. 10Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me. 12I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers.[a]
14Alexander the coppersmith has done me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done. 15Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said.
16The first time I was brought before the judge, no one was with me. Everyone had abandoned me. I hope it will not be counted against them. 17But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength, that I might preach the Good News in all its fullness for all the Gentiles to hear. And he saved me from certain death.[b] 18Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly Kingdom. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Pauls Final Greetings 19Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living at the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.
21Hurry so you can get here before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.[c]
22May the Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

This last paragraph really speaks to my spirit. We must remain faithful. GOD'S WORD teaches us, corrects us, guides us, helps us, equips us and each word is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3
The Dangers of the Last Days 1You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.
6They are the kind who work their way into people's homes and win the confidence of[a] vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by many desires. 7Such women are forever following new teachings, but they never understand the truth. 8And these teachers fight the truth just as Jannes and Jambres fought against Moses. Their minds are depraved, and their faith is counterfeit. 9But they won't get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as happened with Jannes and Jambres.

Pauls Charge to Timothy 10But you know what I teach, Timothy, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith and how long I have suffered. You know my love and my patient endurance. 11You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra--but the Lord delivered me from all of it. 12Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will go on deceiving others, and they themselves will be deceived.
14But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. 17It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

2 Timothy 1
Greetings from Paul 1This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.
2It is written to Timothy, my dear son.
May God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.
Encouragement to Be Faithful 3Timothy, I thank God for you. He is the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.
5I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois. 6This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 8So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for Christ. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the proclamation of the Good News.
9It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began--to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. 10And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News. 11And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.
12And that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him[a] until the day of his return.
13Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you learned from me. And remember to live in the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard what has been entrusted to you.
15As you know, all the Christians who came here from the province of Asia have deserted me; even Phygelus and Hermogenes are gone. 16May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in prison. 17When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. 18May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ's return. And you know how much he helped me at Ephesus.

2 Timothy 2
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus 1Timothy, my dear son, be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others.
3Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6Hardworking farmers are the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things.
8Never forget that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David's family and that he was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
11 This is a true saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him.
12 If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
An Approved Worker
14Remind everyone of these things, and command them in God's name to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 15Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16Avoid godless, foolish discussions that lead to more and more ungodliness. 17This kind of talk spreads like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples of this. 18They have left the path of truth, preaching the lie that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; and they have undermined the faith of some.
19But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his,"[b] and "Those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness."[c]
20In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
22Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
23Again I say, don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people. 25They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will believe the truth. 26Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

Chapter 6 really spoke to my spirit today. It was rich in instruction. Especially today as I feel that I'm walking a tightrope between worldliness and following the spirit of GOD. I live and play with people who for the most part are very well off. My heart is for all people. I don't want to get caught up in the worldliness. It feels at times like I'm trying to duck an octopus that is trying to wrap it's tentacles around my body. If God has blessed you with riches, give generously and always praise Him for His abundance. Wear the garment of abundance loosely for we don't know when we will have much or little. But always be content with what you do have. Little the contented life is the challenge.
1 Timothy 6
1 Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. 2If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer[a] by your efforts.

False Teaching and True Riches Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. 3Some false teachers may deny these things, but these are the sound, wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they are the foundation for a godly life. 4Anyone who teaches anything different is both conceited and ignorant. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, fighting, slander, and evil suspicions. 5These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they don't tell the truth. To them religion is just a way to get rich.
6Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth. 7After all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. 8So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Pauls Final Instructions 11But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 13And I command you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14that you obey his commands with all purity. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 15For at the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No one has ever seen him, nor ever will. To him be honor and power forever. Amen.
17Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. 19By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life.
20Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.
May God's grace be with you all.

The LORD chose you and me. WoW! He chose our ancestors as the object of HIS LOVE. That's incredible. I read those words today and really felt GOD'S LOVE. We are very special and don't ever forget it. You are an object of God's love, chosen by HIM. WOW!
Deu. 10
A Call to Love and Obedience
12"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, 13and to obey the LORD's commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good. 14The highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the LORD your God. 15Yet the LORD chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above every other nation, as is evident today. 16Therefore, cleanse your sinful hearts and stop being stubborn.
17"The LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and takes no bribes. 18He gives justice to orphans and widows. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. 19You, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20You must fear the LORD your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. 21He is your God, the one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done mighty miracles that you yourselves have seen. 22When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky!

I'm excited for it seems that this Bible Study that I have wanted to start is finally coming around. We are going to start with the Book of Genesis. It's where God started and I've found that it is a book of beginnings. So, that when we begin our Christian walk or even want to walk closer to GOD, reading this book is a good point of entry.
I was reading 2 Thes. Today. Paul's prayer in Chapter 3 spoke to my spirit. If it was so important for Paul to ask for prayer, how much more important is it for us to be vigilant in prayer today. Both for ourselves, our ministry, our families, our nation, and beyond. I would encourage everyone to see if they can hook up with a prayer partner. It really makes a difference, for two are better than one.

2 Thessalonians 3
Pauls Request for Prayer
1Finally, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2Pray, too, that we will be saved from wicked and evil people, for not everyone believes in the Lord. 3But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one.[b] 4And we are confident in the Lord that you are practicing the things we commanded you, and that you always will. 5May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ.
An Exhortation to Proper Living 6And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian[c] who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the tradition of hard work we gave you. 7For you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. 8We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9It wasn't that we didn't have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Whoever does not work should not eat."
11Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. 12In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people--no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living. 13And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
14Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15Don't think of them as enemies, but speak to them as you would to a Christian who needs to be warned.
Pauls Final Greetings 16May the Lord of peace himself always give you his peace no matter what happens. The Lord be with you all.
17Now here is my greeting, which I write with my own hand--PAUL. I do this at the end of all my letters to prove that they really are from me.
18May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

I don't know what to say. I'm somewhat speechless. This disaster in New Orleans and on the coast has really taken my breath away. While I was praying with my prayer partner this morning all I could say to begin with was the verse that says The Holy Spirit makes moanings and groanings to GOD on our behalf when we don't have the right words for the situation. I'm paraphasing so please forgive me. But the truth remains, what do we ask for on behalf of our brothers and sisters in the battle zone? What do we do individually and corporately as the body of Christ, as Americans? When I see the images on the sceen they trouble my soul, begging everyone everywhere for an answer. What do you want me to do LORD?
I was reading yesterday in the WORD that there is a season for everything. What can we make of this? Is GOD trying to tell us something? I pray that even this horror can be used for GOD'S glory and bring many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

A Time for Everything
1
Ecclesiastes 3

1 There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
2
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
4
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
8
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
9What do people really get for all their hard work? 10I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do. 11God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. 12So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. 13And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

14And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God's purpose in this is that people should fear him. 15Whatever exists today and whatever will exist in the future has already existed in the past. For God calls each event back in its turn.[a]

The Injustices of Life
16I also noticed that throughout the world there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17I said to myself, "In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds."
18Then I realized that God allows people to continue in their sinful ways so he can test them. That way, they can see for themselves that they are no better than animals. 19For humans and animals both breathe the same air,[b] and both die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20Both go to the same place--the dust from which they came and to which they must return. 21For who can prove that the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward into the earth? 22So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why they are here! No one will bring them back from death to enjoy life in the future.