September 26, 2017

PATH OF WISDOM AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Proverbs 9:9-12

Give the opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser;
Instruct a righteous man, and he shall continue to receive it.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the counsel of saints is understanding;
For to know the law is characteristic of a good mind.
For in this manner you will live a long time,
And the years of your life shall be increased.
My son, if you become wise in yourself,
you shall also be wise toward your neighbor;
But if you prove to be evil, you alone will go through troubles.

Personal Challenge

Wisdom and righteousness are both worthy aspects of life to pursue, however, we cannot achieve these on our own. We need our Lord to provide these to us or we will always come up short. How does God get these into our lives? When we give our lives over to Him as our Lord and submit our wills to Him, He fills us with His Son and Holy Spirit which begins the process of gaining godly wisdom. He has provided to us centuries of saints that have gone before us that we can learn from. He has given us His living Word, both in the incarnation of His Son and the canonization by the Church of the written word, so that we can know His precepts. He has given as our neighbor to love and meet the needs of giving us humility. He remains active in our lives leading us in the path of wisdom and righteousness. Glory be to God!

September 25, 2017

POSSIBLE IMPOSSIBILITIES

Luke 18:27

But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Encouraging Words

What kinds of things are impossible for men to accomplish on their own? Being healed of an incurable disease? Being spared in the midst of a significant natural disaster? Having someone anonymously meet your financial need when there is nothing left to pay even buy food? We often think of these big things as miracles and neglect the small things that God does over and over again in our lives. What kind of small things does God make possible in our lives? How about every breath

that we are able to take in? Every beat of our heart? The miracle of modern medicine that provides us medications or treatments for things like cancer? The miracle of birth? And this list goes on and on. God is in every aspect of our lives, whether big or small. His ability to make the impossible possible in our life is there all the time. So, how does this affect my life? By living my life, moment by moment looking for Gods' active participation in my life, I am blessed to see His hand at work, time and time again. By doing this I find myself looking for ways to submit myself to Him. Glory be to God!

September 20, 2017

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Psalms 111:10 (110:10 LXX)

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord;
A good understanding is in all who practice it.
His praise continues unto ages of ages.

Encouraging Words

Since Jesus is who the word wisdom in the Psalms refers to, then this verse is telling us that the beginning of our relationship with Him comes from fearing our Lord. The concept of fearing someone in our modern day language and culture has become a bad thing. The true nature of this kind of fear is to view our God with a great sense of awe and respect, knowing that He holds the universe, and therefore our very existence, in the palm of His hand. This kind of fear drives us to live our lives in a way that honors and adores Him, not that we are afraid He will angrily punish is, but because we desire to please Him as a child does for his parent. Fearing God this way sets our minds and hearts into a state where we can receive His good understanding, apply it in our lives, and praise Him all the more. In a sense, this creates a symbiotic relationship with our Lord, especially since He dwells within our hearts. Glory be to God!

September 19, 2017

HEARKENING TO GOD'S VOICE

Proverbs 8:32-34

Now therefore, my son, hear me:
Blessed is the man who shall hearken to me
And the man who shall guard my ways;
Who watches daily at my doors,
Who keeps watch at the doors of my entryways;
For my issues are the issues of life,
And grace is prepared from the Lord.

Command with a Promise

We are told that if we listen to our God, hearken to His voice, guard the ways of our God, and keep watch daily at His doors and entryways, then His grace will be prepared for us. What does this mean? Our Lord has told us that His kingdom has arrived. Jesus established God's kingdom in our hearts when He came to dwell amongst us. So, doesn't it make sense that the doors and the entryways that we are being told to keep watch over are the doors of our hearts? It is so easy to get distracted by the things of this world and drop our guard allowing the world to creep into our hearts and lead us into sin. That is why the ability to effectively watch over our heart is to keep listening for His voice and hearkening to His instruction. This is the beginning of receiving His grace and blessings. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

September 18, 2017

LIKE A CHILD

Luke 18:15-17

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

Personal Challenge

Why is it that we, as adults, always make things so much more complicated than they need to be? I think a lot of it has to do with pride. Jesus made it clear to His disciples, multiple times, that in order to inherit the Kingdom of God, we need to become as little children. What are the characteristics of a child? Humility. Sincerity. Trusting. Honesty. Simplistic. Theophylaet of Bulgaria said in respect to this verse,

“A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless. He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows. Instead, he lives in complete simplicity”

This sums up what Jesus desires from us as we choose to follow Him as our Lord and Savior. Our life must become other focused in order to enter into His Kingdom. He desires that we set aside everything that we think we know so that He can teach us what He wants us to know. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy' Lord, have mercy!

September 17, 2017

NOT MISSING OUT

Psalms 110:4 (111:4 LXX)

For the upright, light springs up in darkness,
For he is merciful, compassionate, and righteous.

Encouraging Words

One of the excuses that I have heard as to why a person chooses to not live a Christian life was that they felt that they would miss out on all of the fun things in life. Besides, it was said that we only live once so we might as well make the most of it. I am sorry some people think that way, for it has no truth in it. I have never missed out on having a fun and full life. I have chosen to forgo many of the things that the world deems as fun and I have no regrets. Besides, by trying to live an upright life, I have seen the light of my God spring up in the darkness of this world. I have seen His mercy, compassion, and righteousness poured out so many times, on so many people, and in so many diverse places. God is good! God is loving! And most importantly, those times that I stumble and fall in my journey of life, those times when I turn my mind or heart away from God, He is there shining His light even so much more brightly to bring me back home like the prodigal son so that He can lavish all the more mercy, compassion, and righteousness upon me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

September 16, 2017

Saint of the Week

St. Athanasius of Alexandria

September 15, 2017

FINDING GOD THROUGH THE FOG

Proverbs 8:17

I love those who love me,
And those who seek me shall find me.

Encouraging Words

How awesome it is to know that our God is not allusive. He desires to be in a loving, caring relationship so much more than we do. If we love Him with all of our hearts and souls then we will see how much He loves us in return. It is not that His love is in response to ours. His perfect, unconditional love is always there. It is that the more that I turn my attention toward Him and my love toward Him, the more I see of His love that is always there for me. I can never out love Him. He promises this. He also promises that if I seek Him, I will find Him. Again, this is not because He is lost or hiding. It is because I have to find my way out of the fog of sin and self that I have created around myself. Actually, what I am actually finding is just how far from Him I am.

September 14, 2017

SEEKING MERCY

Luke 18:13

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Personal Challenge

The scripture is full of reminders that if we desire to be close to our God, we must start by recognizing how far from Him we really are and begin our journey towards Him by humbling ourselves. This accounting in Luke of the tax collector and the Pharisee shows us that no matter how much knowledge we have about God or what position we hold in the church, if we do not have humble hearts, then we will never be able to truly know God. The tax collector knows that he is a sinner and that he has no right to expect anything from God. He humbles himself and recognizes that he cannot begin to approach God in all of His glory, and yet, with this humble heart, He still knows that he needs his God. The Pharisee, however, approaches the altar of God with pride and arrogance acting as if God owes him everything for his piety, even to the point where he demeans the tax collector in his prayer. So, what is the state of my heart? Do I come to my Lord on my knees knowing that God owes me nothing? Am I humble toward my God and my neighbor? Not nearly as much as I should. I too, need to pray the prayer of this man. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

September 13, 2017

MERCY

Psalms 109:21-22 (108:21-22 LXX)

But You, O Lord, O Lord, deal mercifully with me for Your name's sake,
For Your mercy is good.
Save me, for I am poor and needy,
And my heart is troubled within me.

Encouraging Words

Mercy: compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender on to one subject to one's power.

Isn't this something that we all desire and ultimately what we all need. As humans, we often live our lives as if we are gods and that every­thing and everyone is subject to us and our whims. But whether we want to admit it or not, there is a God, our Creator, and Sustainer and we are subject to Him. It is Him that we have offended with our sin and continue to offend on a regular basis. The Psalmist reminds us that our Lord is merciful, not just for our sake, but for His own sake because He is mercy in essence and that mercy is good. He knows that we are all poor and needy, that our hearts are troubled within us because we have betrayed Him, and that we need His salvation. What a blessing it is to be able to call my God, Father, knowing that His mercy will cover me throughout the remainder of eternity. Thank You, my Lord.

September 12, 2017

HOLDING FAST TO WISDOM

Proverbs 5:1-2

My son, hold fast to wisdom
And incline your ear to my words,
That you may guard good thinking;
And I command you with the perception of my lips.

Personal Challenge

Contrary to modern, popular belief, salvation is not a one-time event in our lives when we say some canned prayer or answer a call to come up to an altar. Salvation is a process that works out through our entire life. It is a process that requires us to be active in a community of believers because no one is saved alone. Most importantly, as the writer here reminds us we are active participants and workers in our own salvation. We must spend our entire lives holding fast to Wisdom, which is our Lord Jesus Christ. When we take our eyes off of Him we will fall away from Him. We need to listen intently to Him and His teachings so that our own personal thoughts and desires are washed over with His thoughts and desires. This is why we call our life with Christ a journey. It never ends and we must keep moving forward toward Him if we are to fully experience His glory and grace in our lives. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner!

September 11, 2017

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Luke 17:20-21

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Encouraging Words

One of the things that we are hearing about today is thoughts that the end of our days are near. Two Hurricanes back to back, a major typhoon in the process, fires all across the west of our country, a major earthquake by Mexico and Guatemala, and North Korea testing nuclear bombs. For 2,000 years people in the new covenant church have been looking for the return of Jesus and the establishment of His new world. But what we often forget is that for 4,000 years before that, the people of God were looking for their Messiah. We keep missing the point that Jesus made to the Pharisees. When Jesus became incarnate as a human like the rest of us, lived a sinless life, died an innocent death, and rose again, He established His kingdom, the Kingdom of God within the hearts of those who believe in Him. Sure, He also talked about when He would return to set up His new kingdom in a tangible way, but He made it clear that His spiritual kingdom was established 2,000 years ago. Isn't it time that those of us who claim Him as Lord, start living as members of the kingdom of God! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

September 10, 2017

SINGING TO OUR LORD

Psalms 104:33-34 (103:33-34 LXX)

I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing to my God as long as I exist;
May my words be pleasing to Him,
And I shall be glad in the Lord.

Encouraging Words

How is it that we can sing to our Lord all the days of our lives and speak words that are pleasing to Him? It is because we are so thankful for all that He has done for us in our lives and for what we know that He will continue to do in our lives. But more important than this, we can do this because of the nature of our God that we are singing to. So many religions are based on angry and vindictive gods or on leaders who strive to bring fear and trepidation into their followers' lives so that they feel compelled, out of fear, to follow their leader. Our God, the only true and righteous God, is a God of love, pure love. His entire creation sings out to us so that we may know Him, fall in love with Him, and be in a relationship with Him. For those of us who have heard these songs of creation and chosen to follow Him, we find that we cannot do anything but sing to Him every moment of our lives, speak words that are pleasing to Him, and be glad in Him. We still stumble and fall on our journey of life. We still sin, but when we turn back to Him, His love covers us. Glory be to God!

September 9, 2017

Saint of the Week

St. Thalassios the Libyan

September 8, 2017

FROM OUR HEARTS TO OUR MOUTHS

Proverbs 4:23 (4:22 LXX)

Keep your heart with all watchfulness,
For from these words are the issues of life.

Personal Challenge

In this age of abundant access to information, a preponderance of "social" media tools, and a mindset of self-centeredness and open expression, this proverb becomes extremely important to adhere to. It still amazes me how harsh people have become at expressing what they feel they have the right to express. The concept of being gracious to those around us is quickly becoming a relic of the past. The understanding that what proceeds from out of our mouths is what is in our hearts has all but disappeared from society. Even the church and her members have fallen prey to this trend. I am sure this grieves our Lord as He watches His creation devour one another with words, opinions, and sarcasm. It is my own personal responsibility to make sure that I do not go done this path even if I must go against the flow and be rejected for this choice. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

September 5, 2017

UNLIMITED MERCY

Psalms 103:17-18 (102:17-18 LXX)

But the mercy of the Lord is from age to age upon those who fear Him,
And His righteousness upon children's children,
To such as keep His covenant
And remember His commandments, to do them.

Encouraging Words

God's memory is infinite. There is no beginning to it nor end to it. Since He is ever present, throughout all time, He is in the midst of every moment at every instance of time. How does this work? We do not, nor will we ever know, for it is a mystery. But what this means to those of us who choose to put our lives into His hands is that there will never be a moment in our finite lives that God is not lavishly pouring out His mercy upon us. He is also anointing us with His righteousness. He not only does this to us but to the generations that follow us as a reward for our commit­ment to Him. God loves us this much. God loves me this much. So, if I truly believe this and choose to put all of my faith and trust in Him, and Him alone, then why would I not fear and respect Him? Why would I not strive to keep His covenant with His bride, the church? Why would I not try to keep His commandments and live my life His way and not my way? Glory be to God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

September 3, 2017

LIVING CONFIDENTLY IN OUR LORD

Proverbs 3:23-26 (3:26-29 LXX)

That you may walk confidently in peace in all your ways,
And your foot may not stumble.
For if you sit down, you will be without fear,
And if you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
And do not be afraid of intimidation when it comes upon you,
Nor of the attack of the ungodly when it comes at you;
For the Lord will be over all your ways,
And He will plant your feet firmly, that you may not be shaken.

Encouraging Words

Continuing with the teaching that the Lord will make our paths straight if we trust in Him, the writer of Proverbs eloquently reminds us of all that God will do in our lives if we keep our minds and hearts focused on Him. He will help us to walk confidently in peace, even if the world around us is in chaos, we will not stumble. We can sit down without fear and lie down in pleasant sleep. We do not need to be afraid of intimidation when the world pours it out upon us or of the attack of the ungodly. Why can we live our lives this way? Because the Lord will be over our ways and He will plant our feet firmly. It is only in Him that our ways will not be shaken. Glory be to God!

September 6, 2017

GIVING THANKS

Luke 17:15-16

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Personal Challenge

This accounting of Jesus healing ten lepers is so telling of the state of so many of our hearts. Jesus encountered ten lepers and standing off in the distance they called out to Him for His Mercy and possibly healing. Jesus told them to go to the local priest and show him that their leprosy was gone. They were not healed immediately, but while on the way to the priest their leprosy was healed. Out of the ten of them, only one felt that it was appropriate, or necessary to run back to Jesus, fall at His feet in humility, and thank Him for His act of kindness and mercy. And on top of it all, he was a Samaritan, an outcast in the society in the day of Jesus. How often has my Lord performed a miraculous event in my life, and I just went on as if it was a given that He would be doing this for me? How often have I neglected to abandon what I am doing, that which is important to me, to run to Him, fall at His feet, and thank Him for His love, kindness, and mercy? Jesus loves me! He cares for me more than even I do. He is constantly performing miracles in my life. I cannot thank Him enough for all of this. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord have mercy!

September 2, 2017

Saint of the Week

St. Maria of Paris

September 1, 2017

BEING FAITHFUL

Luke 16:10

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

Personal Challenge

God cares about what we do with what He gives us. Whether it be wealth or health or time or our talents, we are ultimately measured by what we do with them. The more that we do for Him, with what He has given us then the more that He gives us in order to use for Him. It all belongs to Him anyway. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner and please use my feeble attempts to serve you for your good.

August 31, 2017

AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST

Psalms 103:10-13 (102:10-13 LXX)

He did not deal with us according to our sins,
Nor reward us according to our transgressions;
For according to the height of heaven from earth,
So the Lord reigns in mercy over those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So He removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him,

Encouraging Words

I am so thankful and so blessed that my God does not deal with according to who I am and what I have done in my life. If He did, then I would be doomed for sure. As this passage tells us, our God is a God of mercy and love. He pours out that unlimited mercy and love on me every moment of every day. Glory be to God!