November 23, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Anthony of the Desert

November 22, 2019

OUR WHOLE POWER

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

These are the ordinances and the judgments the Lord commanded the children of Israel in the desert, when they came from the land of Egypt: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, from your whole soul, and from your whole power. So these words I command you today shall be in your heart and in your soul. You shall teach them to your sons, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and it shall be immovable before your eyes; and you shall write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.

Personal Challenge

Where do we get our power and strength to make it through every day of our lives? From the word of God. What is the word of God and where do I find it? We can get a lot of the word of God from our written Scriptures, however, that is just a small portion of God's word. God speaks to us through His creation, through His church, but most importantly, His Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we want to live a full and righteous life then we must pursue our God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit with our whole power, our whole heart, and our whole soul. Being a child of God means total surrender to Him and total immersion in His loving ways and commandments. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 21, 2019

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Genesis 15:6

And Abram believed God, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Encouraging Words

Abram, later to be renamed Abraham, is recognized as the father of Judaism and Christianity. The Muslims also claim him as their father. In this simple verse we see that because he believed God, God proclaimed him to be righteous. This is where our life with God begins... believing. Glory be to God!

November 20, 2019

AFTER HEARING THE SCRIPTURES

1 Esdras 9:54-55

Then everyone went on their way to eat and drink, to gladden themselves, to give gifts to those who were lacking, and to heartily rejoice. For they were inspired by the words which were taught to them, and they gathered together.

Personal Challenge

Finally, the people of Israel have finished rebuilding their temple. They have assembled together to hear the reading of their scriptures that they have not heard for many years. What was the result? They were brought to tears at what they had missed for so long. They were moved to celebrate the glory of their God and to share that celebration with those who lacked. They rejoiced and they gathered together as a community. Does the hearing of the scriptures today move us to behave this way or are our hearts hardened by the softness of our lives? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 19, 2019

BLESSED IS OUR GOD

1 Esdras 4:59-60

“The victory and the wisdom are from You, the glory is Yours, and I am Your servant. Blessed are You who granted me wisdom, and I give thanks to You, O Lord of our fathers.”

Personal Challenge

Are we as willing to give God the praise that He is due as Zerubbabel was after God encouraged Cyrus to let His people rebuild the temple? God is always at work in our lives. His work is always for our good. Sometimes He works through us and sometimes He works around us. Are we willing to give Him all of the credit and trust that He knows what is best for us? I know that I do not spend enough time giving God the credit that He is due or blessing Him for the great works that He is doing in my life. Glory be to God!

November 18, 2019

KNOWING THE TRUTH

1 Esdras 4:38-40

“But the truth abides and is strong forever. The truth lives and rules unto ages of ages. There is no partiality or prejudice with the truth, but it does righteous things, distinct from all wrongdoings and evil. All are pleased with its deeds, and there is nothing unjust in its judgment. For strength, dominion, authority, and majesty belong to it unto all ages, and blessed is the God of truth.”

Encouraging Words

We live in an age of lies. False news, fake news, has become more prevalent than real news. We have unlimited amounts of information available to us through the internet and yet we have lost the ability to discern between the truth and the lies. King Zerubbabel of the Old Testament reminds us that our God is the God of truth and that we must stay close to Him if we desire to know the truth. Glory be to God!

November 12, 2019

THERE ARE MORE WITH US

2 Chronicles 32:7-8

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of the king of Assyria, nor before all the nation with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him are arms of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to save us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Encouraging Words

Once again we hear the charge to be strong and courageous given to the people of Israel. How many times do we need to see God's hand at work in our lives before we believe that He is always with us? How many miracles does He have to perform for us to trust Him with every aspect of our lives? God is God and I am not. He has promised to be there for us and to guard and protect us. He has never faltered on His promises. What are we waiting for? There are more with us in our Lord than there is against us in the entire world, both physical and spiritual. Glory be to God!

November 17, 2019

GOD SPEAKS TO A GENTILE

1 Esdras 2:2 (Ezra)

“Thus says Cyrus the king of the Persians: Israel's Lord, the Lord Most High, revealed and indicated to me, the king of the inhabited world, that I should build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judea.”

Encouraging Words

It is easy to get the mindset that we, the Christians in our modern-day, are God's elite and that He only speaks to us. Then as we hold onto this belief it grows and we begin to believe that He only speaks to our like-minded group, church, or denomination. This is not so, God chooses whom He wants to speak to and guide to do His will. In this scripture, He spoke to Cyrus, a Gentile and the king of Persia, and Cyrus heard His voice. Cyrus listened to the God of the Jews, rebuilt their temple, and set them free. We must stop acting like we are God and that we know whom He will speak to or not and let Him work the way that He chooses. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 16, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Nektarios of Aegina

November 14, 2019

THE LORD IS GOD

2 Chronicles 33:12-13

Now when he was in affliction, he sought the face of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him. And the Lord received his entreaty, heard his cry, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

Personal Challenge

Manasseh was one of the kings of Israel. Like so many of the other kings, he chose to disobey God and practice the religions of those around him. The result was that the nation of Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians and he was taken off in chains. It was this event that opened his eyes and led him to a point of humility before his God. At this low point he cried out to God and God heard his cry and restored him. Why do we do the things that we know will lead us away from God? Why do we choose to pursue the idols and false gods of this world? We do this because we, just like our Jewish brothers of old, are a stiff-necked and self-centered people. This is our personal challenge, to say "No!" to the world and "Yes!" to our Lord who is God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 10, 2019

LOYALTY

2 Chronicles 16:9a

For the eyes of the Lord look over the whole earth and strengthen every heart that is loyal to Him.

Personal Challenge

Loyalty has become an aspect of our lives that has dissipated. We have become a people who only care about ourselves and what we want. We no longer revere those who deserve it, such as our God. We choose to ignore those people whom He has put in authority over us, especially the leaders in our church. God deserves our loyalty and He rewards us by strengthening our hearts when we are loyal to Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 7, 2019

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

2 Chronicles 14:10

And Asa cried out to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, with You it is not impossible, whether with the many or with the few. Strengthen us, Lord our God, for we trust in You. And in Your name we go against this multitude. Lord our God, do not let man prevail against You!”

Personal Challenge

When will we ever learn that nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible for our Lord? We have become so accustomed to our modern conveniences and the culture around us that we have turned away from our God and put our trust in the things of this world. Nothing is impossible for the God of our fathers. If we rest in His arms and trust fully in Him, then nothing is impossible in our lives as well. Glory be to God!

November 6, 2019

IF MY PEOPLE...

2 Chronicles 7:14

If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will be merciful to their sins and heal their land.

Personal Challenge

The people of Israel, God's chosen people, were given the instructions that they needed in order to get their land healed. Why was this necessary? Because they had departed from the way that the Lord had called them to. The church created by Christ is God's chosen people. We too can follow these instructions to heal our land. it all begins with humbling ourselves before our God, seeking His face, and turning from our wicked ways. So often we call out this verse and call upon God to do the healing, but we do not follow the steps outlined for us to do. God desires to be merciful to us in our sins and to heal our land, but we must act first. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 4, 2019

WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

2 Chronicles 1:10-12

Give me wisdom and understanding, so that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

And God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart and you did not ask for riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor did you ask for long life, but you asked for wisdom and understanding for yourself, that you might judge My people over whom I made you king, now I will give you this wisdom and understanding. I will also give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings before you possessed, nor shall any after you possess.”

Personal Challenge

What has become important to our society? What has become important to us? What has become important to me? Is it wealth and prosperity? Is it honor and respect from those around us? Is it to be able to live a long life? Is it life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Solomon was given the opportunity to receive from God whatever he asked for. He could have asked for all of the items above. He didn't. He asked for wisdom and understanding, not for his own use, but so that he could effectively judge as the king over God's people. Would I be willing to ask for something like this if given the chance? I would hope so. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 3, 2019

SERVE HIM

1 Chronicles 28:9

“And now, my son Solomon, know the God of your fathers, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you forever.”

Personal Challenge

We always make things more difficult in our Christian walk than it needs to be. We complain that we do not clearly know what God's will is for us. We get anxious because we say that we do not know what He wants us to do. However, the scriptures make it clear to us the answers to these quandaries. We need to get to know the God of our fathers and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul. It is that which is in our hearts that God watches, not the things that we say or do. It is what is behind what we say and do that reveals our true nature. God wants us to seek Him at all times, for we will find Him every time. Jesus made all of this so much clearer when He gave the two commandments that sum up the entire law of the old Testament. We are to love our God and to love our neighbor. If we could pursue these two commandments from our heart, we will be seeking God and will know Him, the God of our fathers. Glory be to God!

November 2, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Eprem the Syrian

November 11, 2019

ATONEMENT

2 Chronicles 30:18-20

Most of the people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not cleansed themselves, but they ate the Passover contrary to what was written.

But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, even though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

Encouraging Words

The people of Israel had many laws that they were expected to follow. They kept straying from their God and therefore kept abandoning these laws. The laws were put in place because of their stubborn ways and their blatant refusal to follow their God, the God that brought them out of captivity in Egypt. And yet, at this point in time, they have returned to God and are desiring to practice their Pascha in repentance of their sins. They had not cleansed themselves as their laws demanded. Hezekiah prayed on their behalf asking that God look at their hearts and not their outward appearances, which is what He always does. By this supplication, they were healed and purified by the Lord. We too have a Hezekiah praying to God on our behalf, the Lord Jesus Christ, praying that we'll be cleansed before our God. Glory be to God!

October 30, 2019

SAVE US

1 Chronicles 16:34

And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
And deliver us from the Gentiles
To praise Your holy name,
And boast in Your praises.”

Personal Challenge

We are no different than our predecessors in Israel. We call upon the Lord God of our fathers to save us and protect us. He is the God of our salvation and He delivers us from the enemy and the world. But do we remember to praise Him for what He has done in our lives or do we forget Him and continue to go on with our lives? Do we boast in Him or do we boast in ourselves? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 28, 2019

WE ARE NOT ALONE

2 Kings 6:16

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are greater in number than those who are with them.”

Encouraging Words

We are not alone in this life. We need to stop living our lives as if the temporal world around us is everything that there is. We also live in a spiritual world that is ever-present around us. Elisha pointed this out so clearly to his servant in this passage. They were surrounded by the immense Syrian army and the servant was convinced that they were doomed. When Elisha asked that his eyes be opened to the spiritual reality around them, the servant could see that the army of God vastly outnumbered and outpowered the Syrians. These two worlds still exist today and it is upon us to open our eyes to the reality of God's presence in our lives. Glory be to God!

October 27, 2019

ASK THE LORD

1 Kings 22:5

Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Ask the Lord today.”

Personal Challenge

We all have the impression that a king can do whatever they want, whenever they want. It used to be that way in Old Testament times. However, for the kings that trusted and followed their Jehovah, it was not up to them to make decisions. Before they would make their decisions they would seek God's advice and direction first. Maybe we should start doing this with our Lord. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 26, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Maximus the Confessor

October 17, 2019

WHO IS CAUSING THE TROUBLE

1 Kings 18:17-18

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Are you the one who is troubling Israel?” Elijah answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but rather you and the house of your father, in that you forsook the Lord your God and followed after the Baals.”

Personal Challenge

Isn't this how things often play out in our personal lives? We do something that we know is wrong. Then someone points it out to us and we blame them or everyone else for the wrong that we have done. In this story, we find that King Ahab has abandoned God and chosen to follow the false gods of the people around them. God sent Elijah to the people of Israel to remind them of their true God, the God of Israel. He was a prophet and his actions and prophecies were making Ahab pretty uncomfortable. Rather than accept the responsibility for his behaviors, Ahab blamed Elijah for the consequences that were being manifested from the choice to follow false gods. Elijah reminded Ahab that it was he who abandoned God and because of that choice was bringing the consequences upon himself and his people. So who really is causing the trouble in our lives when we choose to do wrong? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 16, 2019

PROMISES KEPT

1 Kings 8:22-24

You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth, and fulfilled it with Your hand, as today. Now, O Lord God of Israel, keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, so long as your people guard and keep their ways to walk before Me, as you walked before Me.’ So now, O Lord God of Israel, let the word be confirmed You spoke to Your servant David my father.

Encouraging Words

One of the encouraging things that come from reading the Old Testament scriptures is how much God keeps His promises to His people. He never breaks an agreement or forgets a promise. We also see how often we, the recipients of His promises, stay away from Him, not keeping our part of the deal, and yet He remains faithful until we come back to Him. He loves us and desires the best for us. He remains constant and stead­fast in His relationship with us, even when we don't. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 14, 2019

IT COSTS US

2 Samuel 24:24

Then the king said to Orna, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with something that costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Personal Challenge

When it came time for King David to build an altar to God, Orna offered David a place to build it for free. David refused the offer and purchased the threshing-floor. Why would he do that? He knew that giving of ourselves and our resources costs us something. If there is no cost, then there is really no appreciation. God wants us to give of ourselves, what we own, and who we are to Him with a sacrificial mindset. If there is no cost, there is no commitment. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!