December 24, 2020

WAITING ON GOD

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives strength to the hungry, and sorrow to those who do not grieve. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the elect shall be without strength. But those who wait on God shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not hunger.

Encouraging Words

This has always been one of my favorite passages. God takes care of us. He holds us in the palm of His hands. The more we do Ho's work the more He lifts us up and restores us. The more we wait on Him the more we see Him. Glory be to God!

December 23, 2020

THE WORD OF GOD

Isaiah 40:7-8

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God abides forever.

Encouraging Words

We have some faith practices today that believe the only true and complete word of God are those writings that have been bound between two leather covers. Some even go so far as to say that the only correct version of these writings is the one that is written in old English. How can this be when these writings themselves say that the word of God abides forever? This is because Isaiah is talking about the Word of God, Jesus Christ who is eternal with no beginning and no end. He is the only true Word of God. He is not bound between two leather covers or held to one form of language. He is the Word that we cherish and worship. He is the one who continues to write His story on the hearts of mankind and the pages of history. Glory be to God!

December 22, 2020

GLADNESS

Isaiah 35:10

and those gathered by the Lord shall return and come to Zion with gladness, and with everlasting gladness over their head. For praise and exceeding joy will be on their head, and gladness shall possess them. Pain, sorrow, and sighing fled away.

Encouraging Words

It has been quite a year for most of us. A year that many would like to forget. As Christians, we put our hope in our Lord and the future life that we will spend with Him in eternity. This hope includes a Kingdom with no pain, sorrow, or sighing. This is a Kingdom of gladness. Jesus ushered this Kingdom in and we are already citizens of it. We can claim our hope now and be glad in it. Glory be to God!

December 21 ,2020

WHO?

Isaiah 33:13-16

“Those afar off will hear what I have done; and those near will know My strength.” The lawless in Zion departed; trembling will seize the ungodly. Who will tell you a fire is burning? Who will tell you about the eternal place? He who walks in righteousness and speaks uprightly, he who hates lawlessness and wrongdoing, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, he who stops his ears from hearing the judgment of blood, and he who shuts his eyes from seeing wrongdoing. He will dwell in a high cave of a mighty rock. Bread will be given him, and his water will be plentiful.”

Personal Challenge

Who will be the ones that will be able to tell the world the truth about Christ? It will be those who walk in His ways and live their lives for Him. We speak loudest with our actions and behaviors. Words fall by the wayside if they are not accompanied by walking in righteousness, speaking uprightly, and living for Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 19, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. John Climacus

December 20, 2020

WHEN WE RETURN

Isaiah 30:15

For thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel: “When you return and groan, then you will be saved and know where you were. When you trusted in vain things, vain was your strength, and you did not will to listen.”

Personal Challenge

Throughout the history of the Jewish people, God's chosen ones, they were in exile from their promised land. The exile was the consequence of departing from their relationship with their God. When they would get their priorities straightened out and return to their worship of God, they would be returned to their rightful state. It was always trusting in vain things that led them away from God. How often do we do the same thing? How often do we put our trust in the things of this world and look away from God? We too must return to Him to receive His blessings. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

December 18, 2020

WORSHIPPING IN VAIN

Isaiah 29:13

So the Lord said, “These people draw near to Me and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and they worship Me in vain, teaching the commandments and doctrines of men.”

Personal Challenge

Is our worship that we do on Sunday's for Gods' edification or ours? Are the songs that we sing glorifying God or are they written to make us feel good? Are our prayer times focused on praising God and interceding for those around us or are they our wish list approaching God as if He is Santa Claus? God wants us to worship Him from the very depths of our hearts and souls. He does not want us to perform for Him every once in a while and then live the rest of our lives as if He doesn't matter. True worship comes from a transformed heart and life. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 17, 2020

OUR CORNERSTONE

Isaiah 28:16

therefore, thus says the Lord: “Behold, I lay for the foundations of Zion a costly stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone for its foundations, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.

Encouraging Words

Every great structure, profound idea that matures into something great, or accompl­ishment is founded upon a strong cornerstone. For Christians, that cornerstone is Jesus Christ. When we choose to follow Him, we allow Him to rip out from under every aspect of our lives, those cornerstones that we have built upon, and replaces them with Himself. Our journey to theosis is then built upon that foundation. Glory be to God!

December 16, 2020

THE WAY

Isaiah 26:7

The way of the godly is straight; and the way of the godly is prepared.

Personal challenge

We are all on a journey called life. This is one short piece of the rest of eternity in which we find ourselves. It is important that all of us determine where we want to continue our journey after we repose here in this temporal realm. Jesus has given us the path to eternal life in the presence of God. It is through Him that we enter that realm. Part of what we can do in this stage of our journey is to strive to be godly and live for Him. This helps to make this path straight and to prepare us for Him. Glory be to God!

December 15, 2020

OPEN THE GATES

Isaiah 26:2-4

Open the gates; let the people enter who keep righteousness and guard the truth, and who lay hold of the truth and keep peace, because they hope forever in You, O Lord, the great and eternal God,

Encouraging Words

The gates to heaven have been opened by our Lord Jesus Christ. He welcomes all who believe in Him, who keep His righteousness, who guard His truth, and who hold onto that truth and keep His peace to enter in. Our hope is in Him and it is because of this hope that our lives are changed so that we desire to live for Him and walk in His footsteps. Our Lord is the great and eternal God and we are His children. Glory be to God!

December 14, 2020

GOD IS...

Isaiah 12:2

Behold, God is my Savior and Lord. I will trust in Him and be saved by Him. I will not be afraid, for the Lord is my glory and my praise. He has become my salvation.

Personal Challenge

It is indeed one thing to proclaim these types of things about our Lord and yet an entirely different thing to live out our lives demonstrating this belief. Do we submit our all to Him as if He truly was our Lord? Do we trust Him and go through both the challenges and the victories of life as if we are convinced that He will save and protect us? Or do we rely on ourselves and the things of this world for our salvation? Do we go through every day without fear because we see God as our glory and praise? He is our salvation! He is our Lord! And we are blessed to be His children! Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 12, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrystostom

December 11, 2020

HIS GOVERNMENT, HIS KINGDOM

Isaiah 9:6

Great shall be His government, and of His peace there is no end. His peace shall be upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order and establish it with righteousness and judgment, from that time forward and unto ages of ages. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

Encouraging Words

I have spent most of my Christian journey being taught, and believing, that God's Kingdom was coming, someday after Jesus returns. However, if you read the scriptures through the eyes of Eastern Orthodoxy, eyes similar to those of our Apostles and Jesus himself, you will see that Jesus ushered in His Kingdom and His government with His incarnation. We believe that we are living as members of His Kingdom and under the rule of His government today. The key here is that we are living this out in this temporal world as His ambassadors, representing Him to the world around us. We do not put our hope in some future Kingdom but in the one that belongs to Him today. Glory be to God!

December 10, 2020

CLOSED EYES AND EARS

Isaiah 6:8-10

I also heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people?” Then I said, “Behold, here am I, send me.” So He said, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You shall hear indeed, but not understand; and you shall see indeed, but not perceive.’ For the heart of this people has become insensitive, and their ears hear with difficulty. They have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return, and I should heal them.”

Personal Challenge

So often, the commentary on these verses focuses on Isaiah and his willingness to be sent. There is also a lot in the passage about the eyes and ears of Gods' people being blind and deaf to God's message. We need to ask ourselves if our eyes and ears have become blocked to His words. Have we shifted our worship to being performance to tickle the ears of the participants and dazzle them with the spectacle of brilliance? Does that mean that we are catering to the pleasures of man and not worshipping God? Are the things that we do in the name of Jesus done to make us feel or look good or are they done in silence so that God gets the glory? Every­thing that we do should glorify God and point others to Him. Anything else is acting with our eyes and ears closed. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

December 9, 2020

WHITE LIKE SNOW

Isaiah 1:16-20

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Put away the evils from your souls before My eyes. Cease from your evils. Learn to do good. Seek judgment and redeem the wronged. Defend the orphan and justify the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “although your sins are like crimson, I shall make them white like snow, and although they are as scarlet, I shall make them white like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good things of the land. But if you are unwilling and disobedient, you shall be devoured by the sword,” for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Command with a promise

We are told that we must make the effort to cleanse ourselves, put away evil from all aspects of our lives, stop doing evil, do good, seek out justice for those who have been wronged, and defend those who cannot defend themselves. As Christians, we know that we are no longer bound by the Law because Jesus fulfilled the Law. We also know that there is nothing that we can do to earn, or even deserve, the mercy, grace, and love of God. He gives it to us freely. So why do all these things that really manifest the Lord? We do them out of our gratefulness to our Lord, out of our love for Him. We also know that by living for Him, His way, we will more deeply experience the promises that came with these commands. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

December 8, 2020

MESSENGERS

Malachi 3:1-5

“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come into His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord Almighty. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can withstand His appearance? For He enters like a refiner's fire and as soap in one's wash. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver and gold. He will purify the sons of Levi and pour them out as purified gold and silver, and they will bring an offering to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years.

“And I will draw near to you in judgment, a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, those who swear falsely by My name, those who exploit wage-earners, those who oppress widows and afflict orphans, those who pervert the justice due foreigners, and those who do not fear Me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Personal Challenge

Malachi prophesied that there would be two very important messengers coming in the future. These messengers would totally upend the state of their religious beliefs that they practiced. The first messenger was John the Baptist who was sent to announce the coming of the Messenger of God, the Messiah. John challenged the leaders of his religious practices for being deadened to the voice of God and creating a religion of men. Jesus picked up that challenge to the leaders and then extended it to every person. He called us to Himself and challenged us to abandon this world and to take up His cross as ours and follow Him. Through Him, we are now His messengers taking His word out to the world around us. Are we living up to that responsibility as His messengers? Am I? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 7, 2020

HONOR

Malachi 1:6a

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then, I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the reverence due to me?” says the Lord Almighty.

Personal Challenge

As Christians, we must always be looking at our lives and making sure that we are honoring God above ourselves and the things of this world. It is so easy nowadays to be distracted and take our eyes off of God and that which He wants us to focus on. Sometimes it is a thing that distracts us. Sometimes it is a person that we set up on a pedestal. Sometimes it is our material positions or our desires for them. No matter what is going on in our lives, there is always an opportunity to honor God more than yesterday. Glory be to God!

December 6, 2020

REJOICE

Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is righteous and saving; He is gentle and mounted upon a donkey, even a young foal.

Encouraging Words

In Zechariah's day, all they had was the hope that their Messiah, the King, was coming to save them, to free them from the slavery of the world. We, however, have the opportunity to look back and worship the King that was born in a manger. We have the truth that we can hold on to and place our hope in. This is the essence of this season of Christmas. Glory be to God!

December 5, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

December 4, 2020

THE GATHERING

Zechariah 8:7-8

Thus says the Lord Almighty: ‘Behold, I shall deliver My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. I shall bring them in and settle them in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be to Me a people and I will be to them a God in truth and in righteousness.

Encouraging Hands

God knows that his people are spread all over the world, both literally and figuratively. It is from this spreading that His Gospel, the Good News, is being taken to every corner of the earth. He promises us though that there will be a day of great gathering where all of His people, His followers, will be brought together to live in His heavenly Kingdom. This is a hope that we can all hold on to. Glory be to God!

December 1, 2020

HIS SPIRIT

Zechariah 4:6

And he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by mighty power nor by strength, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Encouraging Words

Every person has battles to fight in their lives. This is a consequence of this fallen world that we live in. This is our lot until our Lord returns and His new Kingdom is established. Zechariah reminds us that these battles are not won by power or strength. They are won by the Spirit of God who was sent by God to dwell within us. Our part is to not quench His work in us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 2, 2020

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Zechariah 7:9-10

Thus says the Lord Almighty: ‘Render a just judgment; show mercy and compassion each to his brother. Do not oppress the widow, or the orphan, or the foreigner, or the poor. And let not one remember in his heart any wrong of his brother.’

Personal Challenge

Our predecessors, the Jewish people, were given the keys to God's Kingdom. The law that was given to them pointed them, and us, to God. They were also given the responsibility to take God's good news to the world. They kept it for them­selves. Fast forward to the birth and life of Jesus and that which was made available to the Jews only was made available to all. What are we, those who profess Jesus as our Lord, doing with those keys? Are we rendering just judgments? Are we showing mercy and compassion to others? Are we not oppressing the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the poor? Are we forgetting the wrongs that others perpetrate against us? I know that I have a long way to go in these areas. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 30, 2020

RENEWED

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is with you. The Mighty One shall save you. He shall bring gladness upon you and will renew you with His love. He will delight over you with joy as in a day of feasting.

Encouraging Words

As Christians, we believe that we are never alone. We believe that God is with us always and everywhere we go. He is not only our savior but He is also our sustainer. He brings His gladness, not the world's, into our lives and renews us with His love for us. Not only does He bestow all of this upon us but He even delights in us. This is our hope. Glory be to God!

November 29, 2020

I WILL REJOICE

Habakkuk 3:18-19

Yet I will glory in the Lord;
I will rejoice in God my Savior.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will direct my feet to the end;
He will set me upon high places,
So to conquer by His song.

Encouraging Words

Our God is great! All glory belongs to Him for He has created us and blessed us with His love, mercy, and grace. We can rejoice in Him for He is our Savior. He is the source of any and all strength that we have. He promises to direct our feet in our journey through life. He will set us in the high places so that we can sing to Him of His Majesty. Glory be to God!

November 28, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. Ambrose of Milan

November 24, 2020

LIVE BY HIS FAITH

Habakkuk 2:4

If any man should shrink back, My soul will not be well pleased in him; but the righteous shall live by My faith.

Personal Challenge

This verse is quoted by Paul when he is proclaiming that we are saved by God's grace and not works. The works that Paul was referring to are the works that the Judaizers imposed on Gentiles in order to be proselytized, or in Pauls' day, to become Christians. Clearly, the argument that Paul makes is that there is no work that we can do to earn God's grace because then it would no longer be grace. It does not, however, preclude us from doing good works for our Lord out of our love and appreciation for Him and His grace bestowed upon us. This is how we live by His faith indwelling within us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 23, 2020

HE KNOWS

Nahum 1:7

The Lord is merciful to those who wait on Him in the day of affliction, and He knows those who reverence Him.

Personal Challenge

God knows if our worship of Him is sincere. Do we just go through the motions of worship because it is what we have always done? Are we truly giving all reverence to Him or are we seeking an experience that makes us feel good? Do we choose to wait on Him at all costs believing that He will be merciful to us knowing that we do not deserve that mercy? God is merciful regardless of our behavior. He is worthy of worship and reverence no matter what we think or do. And through all this, He still loves us. Glory be to God!

November 21, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

November 19, 2020

HE HEARS MY VOICE

Jonah 2:2-3

And from the belly of the sea creature, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God, and said:
“I cried out in my affliction to the Lord, my God,
And He heard my voice;
Out of the belly of Hades, You heard the cry of my voice.”

Encouraging Words

God is everywhere, even in the belly of Hades. He is in the midst of our trials and tribulations. He is in the midst of our joys. He is in the midst of our questionings and our understandings. There is no place or state that we can be in where He will not hear our voice when we call out to Him. And when He hears our voice, we are with Him. Glory be to God!

November 18, 2020

INTERCESSION

Joel 2:17-18

Between the porch and the altar, the priests of the altar, ministering to the Lord, will each be weeping and will say, “O Lord, spare Your people; do not give Your inheritance to reproach, that the Gentiles should rule over them, lest they should say among the Gentiles, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

But the Lord was zealous for His land and spared His people.

Encouraging Words

We have a great High Priest who is standing on the porch between death and life. It is the death of this earthly, temporal life that we are all bound by and the eternal life that is made manifest by our Lord Jesus Christ that He is standing between. It is through Him that we receive life. It is also Him that is the great Intercessor for us. Glory be to God!

November 17, 2020

TURN TO GOD

Joel 2:12-13

Now says the Lord your God, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting and wailing and with mourning; rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate. He is longsuffering and plenteous in mercy and repents of evils.

Personal Challenge

It is the state of our hearts that is important to God. Even though our faith practice calls upon us to fast, pray, worship, and do other things in our lives in order to develop godly habits and disciplines, it is most important to discipline our hearts. God has told us through the scriptures and through the Living Word, Jesus, that God looks at the hearts of men and not their outward appearances and actions. God wants us to turn to Him with our whole heart and to have our actions, all of them, flow from that heart that belongs to Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 16, 2020

HE DELIGHTS IN MERCY

Micah 7:18

Who is a God like You, removing wrongdoings and passing over the ungodliness of the remnant of His inheritance? He does not keep His anger as a witness, for He delights in mercy.

Encouraging Words

It amazes me how many Christians call for God to be judgmental and apply their form of justice to those with whom they do not agree with. If we call for His justice and His judgment, we must then expect Him to apply that to us as well. Lord, have mercy! I am so thankful to be a part of the Eastern Orthodox church. Our foundations were laid long before the Western church adopted the concepts of a legalistic and judgmental God. We believe that God will exercise the judgment of all in our final day, but that He will, more importantly, exercise His mercy upon us because of the work that His Son Jesus did to redeem us. This is our hope and our plea. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 14, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. Ephraim the Syrian

November 15, 2020

LOOK TO THE LORD

Micah 7:7

But I will look to the Lord. I will wait for God my Savior, for my God will hear me.

Encouraging Words

Sometimes life can be tough. For some people, life feels like it is always tough. No matter whether we are in good times or in those rough times, we can always look to the Lord knowing that He will hear us. This gives us what we need to navigate these tough times and relish the good. Glory be to God!

November 13, 2020

WE HAVE BEEN SHOWN

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O man, what is good. Or what does the Lord seek from you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to be ready to walk with the Lord your God?

Personal Challenge

Throughout history, people have asked the question, "What must I do to be saved?" we have it wired within us that we have been separated from our creator and that we need to be saved from the grip that death has upon us. So, what must we do to be saved? It is not about what we do, but about Who we proclaim as our Savior. He has been revealed to us, so we have no excuse. We grab hold of Him and do not let go. Then the doing follows that because we love Him and want to show our gratitude to Him. He wants us to live just lives, to love mercy, and to walk in His ways. Glory be to God!

November 12, 2020

SEEK GOOD

Amos 5:14a

Seek good and not evil so that you may live, so that the Lord God Almighty will be with you.

Personal Challenge

So, what does it mean to seek good and not evil? I know that I can proclaim that I am not doing evil things like murdering someone or robbing banks or beating my wife. Is this where the definition of evil ends? Not really. Am I being disruptive and decisive in my ways and language, whether in person or on social media? Am I choosing to participate in those dirty or harmful jokes and memes? Am I lording it over other people like a bully? These are just a few of the ways that I can seek evil. If I am not truly and sincerely showing love for my neighbor, especially those that I disagree with or perceive as my enemies, then I am seeking evil. To seek good is to strive to do what Jesus would have me do. It is to desire to walk in His footprints and live as He lived, even unto death for another. This is a hard path to take but the one that leads to a life where the Almighty Lord God is with us. Glory be to God!

November 11, 2020

VICTORY OVER HELL

Hosea 13:14

“I will deliver them out of the hand of Hades
And will redeem them from death.
Where is your penalty, O death?
O Hades, where is your sting?
Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

Encouraging Words

There is no place that exceeds the reach of our Lord Jesus Christ in the redemption of His church. Even the depths of Hades have been breached by His love and mercy, redeeming the captives that were once there. So, when we proclaim that God is omni­present, present everywhere, at all times, that means that He is present in heaven, on this earth, and in hell, wielding His power, His mercy, and His grace. Glory be to God!

November 9, 2020

FRUIT

Hosea 10:12

Sow to yourselves in righteousness;
Gather in the fruit of life;
Light for yourselves the light of knowledge;
Seek the Lord till the fruits of righteousness come upon you.

Personal Challenge

We often read in the Scriptures about the fruit of our labors. We can judge the nature of a tree by the type of fruit that it produces. We are the same. What is the fruit that we are producing in our lives? Is it bitterness or sweetness? Is it division or unity? Is it falsehood or truth? And these contrasts go on and on. Hosea reminds us that if we sow ourselves as seeds in righteousness then we will produce the fruit of life. We will be measured by the fruit that we produce. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 6, 2020

MERCY

Hosea 6:6

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God
More than whole burnt offerings.

Personal Challenge

Our God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is merciful. He puts up with us as we continue to seek after our own ways and our own desires. He patiently waits for us to turn to Him and to share His truths with others so that they might turn to Him as well. He desires that we show mercy to those around us. He desires this more than seeing us practice the traditions of our churches which often turn us into legalistic people. He desires that we know Him more than offering all kinds of sacrifices to Him hoping to earn His favor. Jesus left us two commands to live by. They are to love our God and to love our neighbor. This is how we learn to be merciful. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 5, 2020

PURSUE GOD

Hosea 6:3

Let us know, let us pursue
That we might know the Lord.
We shall find Him ready as the daybreak,
And He will come to us
As the early and latter rain to the earth.

Personal Challenge

Throughout the scriptures, we are encouraged to pursue God as if He is an evasive creature that tries to hide from us. However, the scriptures also teach us that God is ever-present and waiting for us. Which one is it? I will go back to the scripture that calls upon us to pursue God as a hunter tracks the game that he is pursuing. It is not that God is hiding from us at all. He is everywhere. He is in our loved ones. He is in our neighbor whom we are commanded to love, He is in the beauty of His creation. Just as pursuing the deer in the wilderness, the pursuit is not about the deer revealing itself to us, it is about us learning more and more about that deer, its characteristics, its behaviors, its essence, until we see the deer where it has always been. Our pursuit of God is about us changing to be able to see Him where He is already all around us. This is how we should pursue Him. Glory be to God!

November 4, 2020

BETROTHAL

Hosea 2:20-22

I will betroth you to Myself in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord.
“It shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord,
“That I will listen to heaven,
And it shall listen to the earth.
The earth shall listen to the corn,
And the wine, and the oil;
And they shall listen to Jezreel."

Encouraging Words

What is the most intimate and permanent relationship called out in the scriptures? Marriage! God looks upon His relationship with the Church, His people, as a marriage. It is based on and filled with, love. It is permanent, no matter how unfaithful we may be in our lives. God loves us! God desires to be in a relationship with us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner, and forgive me for my unfaithfulness to you!

November 3, 2020

THE GOD OF ALL

Sirach 50:22-24

And now bless the God of all,
Who does great things in every way,
Who exalts our days from our birth
And deals with us according to His mercy.
May He give us gladness of heart,
And may there be peace in our days,
In Israel as in the days of old.
May He entrust with us His mercy,
And let Him redeem us in our days.

Encouraging Words

Our God is all and in all. He is the creator and sustainer of everything past, present, and future. We are His children, His beloved and we can put our trust and hope in Him, for He will give us peace in our days and redeem us for Himself. Glory be to God!

November 2, 2020

ALL IN GOOD TIME

Sirach 39:33-35

All the works of the Lord are good,
And He will supply every need in its hour.
No one can say, “This is worse than that,”
For all things will be well pleasing in their time.
So now sing praise with all your heart and voice,
And bless the name of the Lord.

Encouraging Words

We still live in the age of instant gratification, even though the COVID pandemic has forced us to put much on hold and to have to be patient. We are an inpatient people. We want things and we want them now. God has continually told us throughout the history of mankind that if we trust in Him, He will supply our needs. That trust also means that we believe that He knows best about what we need. We always want more than we need. He promises to fulfill our needs, not our wants. Now is the time to praise Him, to thank Him, to trust in Him, and to glorify Him.

November 1, 2020

DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF GOD

Sirach 39:1-3

How different is the man who devotes himself
To the study of the law of the Most High.
He will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients And be occupied with their prophecies.
He will preserve the discourse of notable men
And penetrate the subtleties of parables.
He will seek out the hidden meanings of proverbs
And be engaged in the riddles of parables.

Personal Challenge

I have found in my journey through this life that the more that I get to know my God, the less I know Him. God is so great, so much more than us finite humans can ever be or comprehend. Every little bit more we learn about Him, the more we realize how much more there is to learn. The more that I think that I am in a relationship with Him, the more I realize how far away from Him I am. This is why we never stop being devoted to the study of Him and where we are in our relationship with Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 30, 2020

THE HEART OF OUR SOUL

Sirach 37:13-15

Stand firm on the counsel of your heart,
For no one is more faithful to you than it.
For a man's soul sometimes tells him more
Than seven watchmen sitting high on a watchtower.
And in all matters, pray to the Most High
That He may direct your way in truth.

Encouraging Words

Jesus promised us that if we believe in Him, then He would give us a new heart. He, through His work and the gift of the Holy Spirit, has removed our heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh, a heart that belongs to Him. That is why this passage tells us to listen to the counsel of this new heart for it is the counsel of our Lord. Glory be to God!

October 28, 2020

HAVE MERCY ON US

Sirach 36:1-4

Have mercy on us, O Lord, the God of all, and look upon us,
And put Your fear on all the nations.
Raise Your hand against foreign nations
And let them see Your power.
As in us You have been sanctified before them,
So in them may You be made great before us.
Let them know You as we also have known You,
For there is no God but You, O Lord.

Encouraging Words

When we proclaim that God loves all of His creation and that Jesus has redeemed it from death, we are not just talking about people. We are talking about all of creation. One aspect of creation that we coexist with are the nations that have formed throughout the history of mankind, the governments that have ruled in those nations, and the works that they have done. In this passage, Sirach pleads on behalf of the nations of his time and that they will submit to God. We too should be praying for the nations of our day and that they will see God for who He is and bow down before Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 27, 2020

GLORIFY THE LORD

Sirach 35:7-10

Glorify the Lord with your generosity,
And do not reduce the firstfruits of your hands.
In every gift let your face be cheerful,
And sanctify your tithe with gladness.
Give to the Most High as He has given to you,
And give to Him with generosity, according to your windfall.
For the Lord is He who repays,
And He will repay you sevenfold.

Encouraging Words

We are so very blessed by our Lord, whether we choose to acknowledge Him as our Lord or reject Him. No matter what, He still loves His creation and chooses to bless us. In response to Him, we can either go on enjoying those blessings and ignoring Him or use our lives and the blessings bestowed on us to bless and glorify others. This passage provides many ways that we can glorify our Lord with the blessings bestowed upon us. Glory be to God!

October 26, 2020

WE STILL NEED TO DO

Sirach 35:1-3

The man who keeps the law will abound in offerings;
He who heeds the commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
He who returns a kindness offers fine wheat flour,
And he who does alms sacrifices a praise offering.
To forsake evil is pleasing to the Lord,
And to forsake wrongdoing is atonement.

Personal Challenge

All too often I have been reminded that things that I choose to do for my Lord will not earn me a ticket into Heaven. Believe me, I know this. I know that I am saved by His grace only through the work of Jesus Christ. But I also know that the scriptures abound with the reminders that I show my love for God and my appreciation for His grace and mercy by doing those things that please Him. I do them because of His grace and mercy, not to earn it. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 24, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. Sophrony

October 23, 2020

THE EYES OF THE LORD

Sirach 34:15-17

Blessed is the soul of a man who fears the Lord.
To whom does he look? And who is his support?
The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love Him.
He is a powerful protection and a strong support:
A shelter from the burning heat,
A shelter from the noonday sun,
A guard from stumbling,
And help from a fall.
He raises up the soul
And gives light to the eyes.
He gives healing, life, and blessing.

Encouraging Words

God desires that we be in a relationship with Him. He wants to walk with us as He did with Adam in the garden. If we fear Him, esteem Him as our Lord, then He will do all that is highlighted in these verses in our lives. Glory be to God!