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!