February 28, 2018

MEMORY ETERNAL!

Wisdom of Solomon 3:9

Those who trust in Him will understand truth,
And the faithful shall continue with Him in love,
Because grace and mercy are upon His elect.

Encouraging Words
Today would have been my father's 91st birthday. This verse today reminds me of him. Dad trusted in God with his entire being and because of that he did understand truth very well. He was a man that put all of his faith in his God and because of that, I know that he is now continuing his life surrounded by the love of God. Dad is seeing today the full abundance of God's grace and mercy and I know that he is fervently petitioning God on behalf of all of us who still remain here is this temporal realm. Memory Eternal, Dad?

February 27, 2018

KNOWING GOD

John 17:3

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the history of mankind, there has always been the pursuit of eternal life. This is probably because we were created as eternal beings but lost that gift from God when mankind disobeyed God and caused the fall. However, the ways that we choose to pursue eternal life are all in vain, unless we pursue it Gods way. Jesus defeated the hold that death had on each and every one of us and provided the way for us to be eternal beings once again. And this verse tells us what this eternal life is. Eternal life is the ongoing pursuit, in this physical life and the heavenly life to come, of knowing the only true God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. This knowing is not about knowledge or studying, but about knowing God personally, sacrificially, unconditionally, and with a willingness to give up all for Him. This eternal life began the moment that we were baptized into His family and chrismated with His oil of regeneration. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner and help me to eliminate all obstacles to knowing You!

February 26, 2018

SEEK GOD

Wisdom of Solomon 1:1-2

Seek the Lord
Love righteousness, you who judge on the earth.
Think about the Lord in goodness
And seek Him with sincerity of heart;
Because He is found by those who do not tempt Him,
And He is manifest to those who do not disbelieve Him.

Personal Challenge

Once again, we read through the words of wisdom presented in the scriptures and observe how much different they are from what the world would teach us. Why is this? This is because we still live in a fallen world that is subject to the enemy of God. However, what we have on our side is the Holy Spirit and He will guide us through this temporal world if we do what this passage tells us... seek the Lord. Jesus promised us that if we pursued Him, then He would respond. This passage also tells us how to seek Him. We are to love righteousness. We are to think about Him in goodness and seek Him with a sincere heart. We are to live our lives in a way so as to not tempt Him and believe in Him. In other words, we live our lives with God at the center of it and the things of this world cast aside. This is contrary to what the world teaches, but the way of the Lord. Lord, have Mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 25, 2018

HOPE...

John 16:33

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Encouraging Words

As followers of Christ, He is who we put our hope in. Jesus calls us to be set apart from this world because He knows that the world will do everything it can to distract us from following Him and living lives His way. It is for this reason that our lives as ambassadors for Him in this world will be so full of trials and tribulations. Not only did He warn us of this, but He promised us that we could be of good cheer because in Him we can find the peace that we need to make it through each day. In Him, we can have hope, because He has overcome the world by becoming incarnate, living a sinless life, giving up that sinless life as a sacrifice for all of mankind, and rising from the death reigning victoriously over the world. He did this for us. Glory be to God!

February 24, 2018

Saint of the Week

St. John Climacus

February 23, 2018

A GODLY LIFE

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God
And keep His commandments,
For this is the whole man.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including everything that has been overlooked,
Whether it be good or evil.

Personal Challenge

Ecclesiastes sums up its discourse on life with these two verses. The entire book teaches about the futility of pursuing a godly life by living within the precepts of the world. If we desire a full life, both now in this temporal domain and throughout eternity in the spiritual domain, then we must fear God and keep His commandments. And what are those commandments? Love God and love our neighbor. The entire body of scripture, traditions, teachings, and examples of the Saints can be summed Up in those six Words...love God and love your neighbor.

February 22, 2018

ASKING RESPONSIBLY

John 16:23-24

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Encouraging Words

Ask and you will receive. Jesus promises us that if we ask of the Father in His name that we will receive what we ask for. This is not some form of prosperity gospel because God is not our great vending machine in the sky, The fundamental truth here is that if we are living our lives in humble submission to Jesus and the will of the Father, then what we ask for will be in alignment with what the Father would want us to have anyway. We would not be asking for anything that would be contradictory to God. We must always remember that as we became children of God we were adopted into His family with all of the rights of a child of His. He will honor our requests, but as His children, our requests will honor Him. Glory be to God!

February 21, 2018

GREATNESS

Ecclesiastes 10:6

The senseless man devotes himself to great heights,
And rich men shall sit in a lowly place.

Personal Challenge

Senseless man? Rich men? This simple passage sounds a little confusing. What we are being taught here is that if we spend our entire life pursuing those things that the world proclaims as great, we will end our lives as senseless and lost people. Our true greatness is not found in that next promotion or that mega-house, or a fleet of cars, boats, and other toys, but in the pursuit of God. If we truly desire to be rich in the sight of God then we will live humble and submissive lives, sitting in the lowly places of this world. This is quite the contradiction of the teachings of this world. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 20, 2018

OUR GUIDE

John 16:13

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

Encouraging words

We are not alone on our journey to theosis. Jesus loves us so much the He did not want to leave us alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us through our lives. The Holy Spirit speaks to us on behalf of loving Father. He is always with us. What a blessing. Glory be to God!

February 19, 2018

RIGHTEOUSNESS AND WISDOM

Ecclesiastes 7:16

Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise,
Lest you be confounded.

Personal Challenge

Righteousness and wisdom come from our Lord. They are given to us as a result of living humble and submissive lives before our Lord and loving our neighbor as Jesus loves us. When we start adding our own attempts to appear righteous or to gain much knowledge in the pursuit of wisdom, then we take the risk of becoming like the Pharisees and be overly righteous and wise. This is what sets us up for a fall in our lives. This is because we have become dependent upon ourselves and not on God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner?

February 18, 2018

DIFFERENT THAN THE WORLD

John 15:19

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Personal Challenge

Why did Jesus consistently warn us that if we love Him and follow His teachings that the world would hate us? He knew that as soon as we chose to follow Him and His way, then we became foreigners to this world. If we find ourselves fitting comfortably in this world, socially, politically, occupationally, on in any other way, then we must suspect that we are no longer following in the footsteps of our Lord. We have lost our way. Have I become comfortable with what is broadcast on television or portrayed in the majority of movies? Am I at peace with the messages delivered in the news or commentaries of the world? Am I at ease with the images and opinions that the world wants me to accept and not resist? Then I have departed from the teachings and instructions of our God. If I am not different than the world around me, then I have become a part of it. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 17, 2018

Saint of the Week

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

February 16, 2018

STRONGER TOGETHER

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For there is not a second one to help him up!
If two lie down together, both stay warm,
But how can one stay warm alone?
If one is added strength, two will stand before him,
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Personal Challenge

We live in an age and a society where the loner is praised and individuality is the sought after treasure. However, the early church fathers taught that our salvation can only be fully worked out in our church community. This passage presents this teaching as well. It is so important to have others in our lives that we can count on and learn from, as well as be available to our brothers and sisters to encourage and support them in their lives. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, tale Mercy on me, the sinner?

February 15, 2018

FRIENDS

John 15:15-17

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.

Encouraging Words

Christianity is the only religious practice where the God that we worship invites us to be His friend and adopts us into His family. This is so much different than being treated as an object that lives their life under the oppressive thumb of a tyrant leader or master. This does not excuse us from living obedient and submissive lives, but it does shift our reason from fear to love. God loves us and through that love, we can love Him back. Glory be to God!

February 14, 2018

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to give birth
And a time to die;
A time to plant
And a time to pluck what is planted.
A time to kill
And a time to heal;
A time to pull down
And a time to build up.
A time to weep
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn
And a time to dance.
A time to throw stones
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace
And a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to seek
And a time to lose;
A time to keep
And a time to throw away.
A time to tear
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silent
And a time to speak.
A time to love
And a time to hate;
A time of war
And a time of peace.

He made everything beautiful in its time, and He indeed put eternity in their hearts in such a way that man may not find out the work God made from the beginning to the end.

Encouraging Words

Life has a very special way of just plugging along. We often get hung up on the difficult times, the uncomfortable times, those times that we do not want in our lives. But these times do pass and are replaced by the times that we do want and cherish. This is the rollercoaster called life. Enjoy the whole ride. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 12, 2018

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

John 15:12-14

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

Personal Challenge

As the rich, young man asked of Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?", I sometimes find myself looking at the person that God has placed before me and wonder how I am supposed to love this person. That is precisely the point that Jesus makes over and over again. He wants me to love every person that He puts on my path through life just as He does...unconditionally. I must admit that at times this is extremely difficult. Jesus never said it would be easy. Even He had to show love to those who beat Him, scourged Him, spit on Him, and hung Him on the cross. This kind of love is what He is asking of me. I know that cannot do this on my own, but only through Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner and teach me to do the same to others.

February 11, 2018

PRIDE VERSUS HUMILITY

Proverbs 29:23

Arrogance humbles a man,
But the Lord supports the humble-minded with glory.

Personal Challenge

Another way that I have heard this said is, "Pride goes before a fall." It is so easy to get puffed up over our accomplishments or what we have acquired over the years of our life. But when we let these blessings turn into pride or arrogance, then we are setting the stage for a fall that will humble us. It is best to learn how to be humble in mind and heart and to recognize that all that we have in our life is a gift from God. If we learn to truly be humble all the time then God will lift us up as He sees fit. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy,! Lord, have mercy!

February 10, 2018

Saint of the Week

St. Joseph of Optina

February 7, 2018

ABIDING IN HIS LOVE

John 15:9-11

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

Personal Challenge

It is such a blessing, and a relief to know that no matter what we do, good or bad, God still loves us. Our life is so much more full and blessed when we keep His commandments, however, He also promises to forgive us of our sins when we return to Him after straying away. There is no judgment. There is no condemnation. There is no anger. But there is plenty of love and forgiveness. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 6, 2018

GROWING IN CHRIST

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpens iron,
And a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Encouraging Words

Our early church fathers taught that our salvation is worked out in our Christian communities We need one another in order to grow in our sanctification. This proverb reminds us that in our community we sharpen each other so that we can be better instruments for God's use. Sometimes this sharpening is painful. Sometimes it is delightful. As we yield more to those in our lives that are there to sharpen us, the closer we come to being like Christ. Glory be to God!

February 5, 2018

BEARING FRUIT

John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Personal Challenge

I am nothing without Christ. I can do nothing of eternal value without Christ. He is the lifeblood of His children just as the vine is the lifeblood of the branches and the source of life for the fruit that they bear. However, with Him, I can do great works and produce great fruit. Glory be to God!

February 3, 2018

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

February 2, 2018

POUNDED TO CLEANESS

Proverbs 25:4

Beat drossy silver,
And it will be made entirely clean.

Personal Challenge

It is too bad sometimes that we live in a society where we have limited or no exposure to how things worked in the days that the scriptures were written. This verse is an example of this. When working with silver it needs to be pounded and worked on to remove the dross from it. This is the same for us. God works in our lives in ways that are often uncomfortable and even painful by allowing us to live in the world. He helps us through our trials which are like the dross on the silver. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 1, 2018

PEACE!

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Personal Challenge

Why is it that there is so much unrest in the world? Even in our churches where so many claims Jesus to be their Lord, there is a lack of peace. Jesus promised us that we would have His peace. The key is that it is a heavenly peace and not a worldly peace. If we live our lives with our hearts and minds focused on the things and ways of the world then we will miss out on the heavenly peace that Jesus wants to give us. Once again, it becomes our choice to decide where we want to put our focus and Who we want to derive our peace from. Running to Jesus for this will soothe a troubled heart and eliminate fear from our lives. It is a choice followed by continued choices. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

January 31, 2018

DIVINE HEALING

Psalms 147:3 (146:3 LXX)

He heals the brokenhearted
And He binds up all their wounds.

Encouraging Words

Jesus started off His earthly ministry quoting Isaiah, saying

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

By His own words, He proclaimed that our broken hearts, our sicknesses, our captivity were the reasons that He left heaven and became incarnate. Now that is truly a statement of God's love for us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!