February 28, 2019

DAILY DEATH

Colossians 3:5

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Personal Challenge

In today's world, we look at a verse like this and tell ourselves that there is no way that we do anything like these grievous and gross sins. But is this really true? It is much easier to sin in these areas than it ever has been. It is nearly impossible to watch a movie or a television show, read a magazine, or even listen to music on the radio without being presented with an image that leads our minds to think about someone presented to us in a way that is sinful. We do not have to physically perform the act of fornication, but if we think it in our head, then Jesus said it is the same as doing it. What about uncleanness? What kind of words comes out of our mouths? Do we tell or laugh at dirty jokes? Do we enjoy putting others down or gossiping about them? Do we ever feel like chasing that person down that just cut us off and give them what they deserve? Do we desire what we do not have or spend our entire effort grasping more in life than we need? These are the members of our lives that we are to put to death daily. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 27, 2019

LOOK TO HIGHER THINGS

Colossians 3:1-2

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day events and demands of everyday life that we become used to focusing on this life only. Paul reminds us that if we have been baptized into Christ, then we should be aggressively seeking those things of Christ, His heavenly kingdom and the promises that He has made to us. As we do this the things of this earth began to wave in both comparison to the things of heaven and in the amount of control that they have over us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 26, 2019

WALK IN HIM

Colossians 2:6-7

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Personal Challenge

The Scriptures make it clear in so many different verses, that our salvation in Christ is not a single point in time event in our lives. We are not saved by saying some special prayer and then being done with it. Salvation is the process of Jesus working in our lives, our minds, hearts, and souls, day after day, moment after moment, until that blessed day that we leave this temporal body and join Him in His kingdom. This ongoing salvation process also requires that we are active contributors to it. Here we are admonished to walk in Christ, not just stand still, but to move forward in our relationship with Him. We are to be building up our lives in Him by prayer, reading of the Scriptures, participating in the liturgy and sacraments, and doing good works for Him. We must be actively building and establishing our faith in Him. The rest of our temporal life is to be walking in Him. Glory be to God!

February 25, 2019

PRAYING FOR US

Colossians 1:9-12

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Encouraging Words

In the Eastern Orthodox church, we the saints that have gone before us as being in the presence of our Lord and Savior. We put our hope in Christ that when we repose that too will be in His glorious presence. Part of this belief and hope is that these saints are praying and petitioning for us on an ongoing basis. This belief makes Pauls' prayer for the Colossians so much more powerful. Just as he never ceased to pray for the Christians of his day, we can believe that Paul has continued his prayer vigil for the Christians ever since. We are not alone on our journey through life. We have each other in the church and those who have gone before us paying for us. Glory be to God!

February 24, 2019

NEED OR WANT

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

Paul sends his letter to the people of Philippi with this admonition, that God will supply their every need. Then we might read this today and ask why we don't have everything that we want and proclaim that God is reneging on this promise. In our modern, instant gratification, fast food culture, we have confused the concepts of "need" versus "want". We often believe that if we want something, then we need it. God knows best what we need and He will supply for that need. We must accept that and be appreciative for His love and grace. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 23, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Gregory of Nyssa

February 22, 2019

TO BE CONTENT

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Personal Challenge

True personal contentment is not something that this temporal world can give us. It can only be given to us by our loving God. The results, or better yet, the manifestation, of this Godly contentment in our lives are evident in how we deal with the things and events of this world. Whether we are abounding and being celebrated and recognized in our regular, ongoing daily activities or being rejected, by those around us, are we content. If our bellies are full or empty, are we content? Are things going exactly the way that we want than to or are we suffering day-by-day, and are we content in either situation? True godly contentment, like true godly joy, is not based on circumstances. It is based on our Source of contentment, Jesus Christ, through Whom we can do all things because He strengthens us. Glory be to God!

February 21, 2019

WHATEVER THINGS...

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Encouraging Words

"And the God of peace will be with you." So, in the previous verses, we found out how to live our lives in order to receive true peace that can only come from God. Now Paul tells us what to do to have the God of peace ever present in our lives. We are to meditate or occupy our minds with the following things: truth, nobility, just living, purity, loveliness, good report from good behaviors, virtue, and anything praiseworthy, Doing this prepares our hearts, minds, and souls for the God of peace to be with us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 20, 2019

REJOICE AND GIVE THANKS

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

One thing that so many people are looking for is peace. Sometimes it is finding a place of peace away from our job, or the activities of the world that are weighing us down, or maybe even from our families. However, this kind of peace is temporary and shallow. The peace of God is something that God, Himself, is trying to bestow upon us. How do we get to a place where we can receive this peace? Rejoicing in the Lord...always. Being gentle toward our fellow human being. Don't be anxious about anything, and by praying all the time with a spirit of thanksgiving. If we are willing to do our part then God will give us a peace that surpasses all understanding and will guard our hearts and minds through His Son. Glory be to God!

February 19, 2019

PRESSING ON

Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Personal Challenge

Anything worth having is worth struggling and fighting for. This is why we fix our focus on the prize of the resurrection that our living and loving God has promised us. With this prize in mind, we push forward through every obstacle, challenge, and difficulty that comes in our way. We know that we can hold on to our Christ because He has promised to hold on to us. The prize is worth it. Glory be to God!

February 18, 2019

COUNT ALL THINGS LOSS

Philippians 3:8-11

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Personal Challenge

We live in a day, and a location, where we are extremely blessed. Our blessings exceed virtually all of the generations that have gone before us and the majority of the world around us. It is the things that make up these worldly blessings that I must count as loss compared to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. If I am willing to set aside all of my earthly wealth and blessings for the sake of Christ and His heavenly kingdom and blessings then I can use them for His glory and edification. Through the faith the He has given me, I can serve Him unencumbered by the earthly blessings bestowed upon me. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 17, 2019

DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT...

Philippians 2:14-16

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Personal Challenge

So, if we are supposed to be working out our salvation for the remainder of our lives, how do we do that? The scriptures teach us a lot about this, but these three verses that follow the admonition to work out our salvation focus on our behavior in difficult times. We are to work through these difficult times without complaining and disputing. We do this with the joy that we have from knowing that our salvation is in Jesus Christ and so that we can be blameless and harmless amongst those around us, especially those who do not know our Lord. We do this so that we may shine the light of Christ into the dark, dreary, and lost world. We do this so that our labor for God is not in vain. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.

February 16, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Symeon the Theologian

February 15, 2019

WORKING OUT OUR SALVATION

Philippians 2:12-13

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Personal challenge

It is clear in the scriptures that we are saved only by God's grace and mercy through the Work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But our salvation does not stop there. We are to be spending the remainder of our lives working out our own salvation by living for Christ, pursuing Him, and striving to be like Him. This is a process and our God is active in this process working within us. Glory be to God!

February 14, 2019

GUILTY "IN" THE LAWS OF GOD

Daniel 6:5-6

The administrators and governors sought to find some charge against Daniel, but they could find no charge or wrongdoing or fault against him because he was faithful. Then the administrators said, “We will find nothing against Daniel unless we find it in the laws of his God.”

Personal Challenge

This little tidbit about Daniel speaks volumes about who he was and makes me wonder if someone would ever look at my life this way. Unfortunately, I know that I could never rise to the level that Daniel had achieved in his life. So what is the backstory here? Daniel was another one of the young Jewish men that was taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar, given a new name, and merged into the Babylonian empire. However, the king never realized how committed Daniel, and his three friends Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego were to their God, Yahweh. Not only were they committed to their God, but they lived their lives in their new roles in such a way that both glorified their God and honored the ruler that they now lived and served under. Daniel was so faithful to his God and living a godly life, that those in the courts where he was serving the king could find nothing that they could accuse him of to get him out of his position and good graces with the king. The only way that they could find to trap Daniel was to use one of the laws of his God. And this is what they did. Read the rest of the story, you will love it. My prayer is that someday I will be living my life in such a way that I could be seen as a Daniel. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 13, 2019

HUMBLE, LIKE CHRIST

Philippians 2:5-7

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Personal Challenge

Throughout the expanse of eternity, Jesus is and has been God the Son, past, present, and future. However, a little over 2,000 years ago, in a small and obscure village, Jesus humbled Himself and became a little child, born of a virgin, into poverty and oppression, and grew into a man. He lived a humble life that was comparable to being a servant, submitting to God the Father and His fellow human being oh love, even unto a horrible death. He arose from that death, victorious over the gates of hell paving the way for each and every one of us to receive eternal life in His kingdom. We are reminded by Paul in this letter to the Philippians that we are to be like-minded with Christ and to be willing to give our lives, humbly and complete to Him and our neighbor as He did. This is being a Christian. This is being a follower of Christ, loving our God above all else, including life, and loving our neighbor above ourselves. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 12, 2019

NO SHAME

Daniel 3:40

So let this be our sacrifice before You today,
And may it be accomplished for those who follow You;
For there is no shame for those who trust in You.

Encouraging Words

Daniel is another one of those books in the Old Testament that is different in the Septuagint versus the version used in the Western church. Inserted between the accounting of the three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, entering into the fiery furnace and their coming out, is the prayer of Azariah. Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were three young Israeli men that were taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar, along with Daniel and other young men. Nebuchadnezzar gave them new Babylonian names as part of his indoctrinating them into his kingdom. Hananiah was renamed Shadrach. Azariah was renamed Meshach. Mishael was renamed Abednego. In verses 26 through 45, we have this prayer of Azariah (Meshach). This verse pops out to me as a reminder that everything that we do in our lives should be a sacrifice for our God. We do these sacrificial offerings to our God out of our love for Him and our appreciation for all that He has done for us, and we know that there is no shame before Him and His great love and mercy. Glory be to God!

February 11, 2019

BEING LIKE-MINDED

Philippians 2:1-4

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Personal challenge

Contrary to popular belief in our modern Christian church, Christianity is not just about our own "personal" relationship with Christ. Granted, He died for each and every one of us, and we must each enter into a personal relationship with Him, but the personal-ness stops there. Our salvation is worked out, or manifested, in a community, our body of believers that God surrounds us with. It is in that community that we are to be like-minded with each other, have the same love for God and each other in, and be of one mind and accord in the work of God that He has given us. There really is no room for the individualist, the selfish ambition that proliferates the world, or the mindset that we are better than everyone else around us. Being a Christian is about being in Christ and not of the world. Glory be to God!

February 10, 2019

CONSEQUENCES

Daniel 3:95

So King Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed is the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent His Angel and saved His servants who trusted in Him; for they altered the word of the king and handed over their bodies to be burned, so as not to serve and worship any god other than their God.

Personal Challenge

So! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived the fiery furnace. Then what happened? Were they praised for their behavior? Were they given a parade for their victory? Not at all. Their God, our God was given all of the praise and even blessed by King Nebuchadnezzar. This is how it should be. We are not to be looking for praise or glory for doing what God wants us to do, even the hard things. Life should always be about pointing to Him. Glory be to God!

February 9, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. John of Kronstadt

February 8, 2019

WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL

Philippians 1:27-30

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

Personal Challenge

Jesus gave His all to bring us the gospel, the good news of our hope and salvation in Him. Paul, Peter, James, and many others that have gone before us also gave their all so that this good news would continue on as long as there are still people on this earth. We are asked to do the same, to live our lives in a way to show that we are worthy to be recipients and sharers of this precious gospel. This is not easy, especially in these days where our society keeps moving away from God. This is all the more the reason to shine our lights for Him, so that all may know who He is and how much He loves them. Glory be to God!

February 7, 2019

STANDING FIRM

Daniel 3:16-18

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you in regard to this thing. For there is a God in the heavens, whom we serve, and He is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us from your hands, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image you set up.”

Personal Challenge

Would I be as bold as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when being confronted by the option of worshiping a foreign god or being put to death? Sitting here in the warmth of my comfortable home with no threat or danger, it is easy to say, "Yes!". However, these were not the conditions for these three young men. They knew that King Nebuchadnezzar was a vicious ruler and that he would surely follow through with his threat. A choice had to be made, and that choice was to stand firm on the promises that they had from their God. Even if they were to die in the fiery furnace, they believed that it would only put them closer to their God. This is truly active, living faith. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 6, 2019

TO LIVE

Philippians 1:21

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Personal Challenge

Jesus gave us the ultimate example of what it means to fully commit one's life to God and His neighbor. Yes, He was fully God incarnate, but He was also fully a man. He had temptations like all of the rest of us, however, He resisted those temptations and chose not to sin. He had plenty of opportunities to be angry at those around Him and to call on the heavenly host to protect Him, and yet He chose not to. He could have said "No!" to the cross, and yet, because of His love for God and His neighbor, He did not. This is what Paul is talking about. Paul gave his life for the work of Christ and the spreading of the gospel. He suffered much for His Christ and his neighbor setting the example for us to do the same. With Christ being the center of one's life then loving is all about Christ and only Christ, and dying is to gain the reward of eternal life in the presence of our glorious God. Both living and dying are full of Christ and love for Him and our neighbor. Glory be to God!

February 5, 2019

THE STONE

Daniel 2:45

Whereas you saw the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, it ground to powder the clay, the iron, the copper, the silver, and the gold. Thus the great God has made known to the king what must come to pass after this. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.

Encouraging Words

The passage in Daniel that this verse comes from reminds us that God can use anyone He chooses to do His work. Here we have Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon and a non-Jew, non-believer in Jehovah, rendering a very prophetic image in his dream that was interpreted by Daniel. This verse sums up the explanation of the dream by pointing out that there will be a great one someday who will surpass and overthrow all world governments. He will be the one who sets up a new government and a new kingdom. This one is our Lord Jesus Christ whose kingdom is beyond any kingdom of this earthly world. He is our King Eternal. Glory be to God!

February 4, 2019

WHAT THEN?

Philippians 1:15-18

Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

Encouraging Words

In Paul's day, he encountered people that were preaching Christ for one reason...personal gain. This new Jewish sect, as they saw it was the latest and greatest thing to latch on to and use for personal gain. Here we are over 2,000 years later and this is still happening with name-it-and-claim-it preachers, men and women, who have built empires on the backs of other believers, and many people that see Christianity as fire insurance. How did Paul deal with this? He praised God because He knew that ultimately the gospel of Jesus Christ was still being spread, even if for nefarious reasons. He knew that God will always use the seeds of truth that are planted to grow His church and that He would burn the lies of personal gain in the fires of eternity. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 3, 2019

COMMITTED TO GOD

Susanna 1:22-23

Then Susanna sighed deeply and said, “I am hemmed in on all sides, for if I do this thing, it is death for me; yet if I do not, I will not escape your hands. But it is better for me not to do it and to fall into your hands, than to sin against the Lord.”

Personal Challenge

The story of Susanna is a powerful story that is not found in the Western versions of the Bible. It was included as a preamble to the Book of Daniel, in the Septuagint, which is the Old Testament used in the version of the Bible used in the Orthodox church. Susanna was the daughter of Hilkiah and married to Jehoiakim, a very wealthy leader in the Jewish community. She was a young and beautiful woman. In the community, there were two elders in the community who were appointed as judges over the affairs of the people. They met daily at Jehoiakim's estate and listened to the cases of the people. One day after all the cases had been heard and all of the people had left, Susanna went for a walk in the gardens. These two men had stayed behind for they were infatuated with Susanna's beauty. They followed her into the garden and demanded that she have relations with them. They told her that if she did not that they would accuse her of meeting up with a young man in the garden, which was punishable by stoning. With the two of them acting as witnesses and being pillars in the community, she would surely be condemned. This is where these two verses pick up. In her love for her God, she chose to take her chances in the courts rather than to sin against Her God. Every time I read this passage I ask myself if I would be this committed to my God or take the easy way out. For the rest of the story... read Susanna. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 2, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Augustine

February 1, 2019

A GOOD WORK COMPLETED

Philippians 1:3-8

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

Encouraging Words

In the middle of Paul's exclamation of thanksgiving, we find this precious nugget of truth, "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." This is truly something to be thankful for. We are not a completed work. God will continue His work in our lives until that day when Jesus returns. He has us in His hands. Glory be to God?

January 31, 2019

HIS SANCTUARY

Ezekiel 37:26-28

I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant, and I will establish My sanctuary in their midst forever. My tabernacle shall be among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them, when My sanctuary is among them forever.

Encouraging Words

In approximately AD 33, our Lord established His sanctuary in the midst of His people. That sanctuary is the Church, the Church universal, that exists still to this day. Even though there have been divisions and splits through the millennia, His church still thrives and permeates His world, His creation. As members of that church, we are a part of His covenant of peace, an everlasting covenant. He continues to sanctify us and to provide us with a sanctuary, His sanctuary. And we know that even the gates of hell cannot prevail against us as we take refuge in this sanctuary. Glory be to God!