June 30, 2021

APPROACHING GOD

Luke 18:13

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Personal Challenge

I challenge us all to observe ourselves the next time we approach God in our prayers and worship. Do we approach Him with our heads held up high as the Pharisee in this parable or with our heads down in respect as the tax collector? God is not our equal or our lessor. We owe Him everything and if we explore this in the depths of our hearts, we will find that we too should be coming before Him as the tax collector with our heads and eyes down, beating our breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

June 29, 2021

WITHIN US

Luke 17:20-21

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Encouraging Words

So many well meaning Christians have spent their entire life looking forward to the Kingdom of God arriving. Jesus tells us, however, that His Kingdom will not be something that is out there some day in the future. He tells us that His Kingdom is within us today. We are to live our lives in such a way that His Kingdom is materialized here and now. He still promises that we will someday enter into His heavenly Kingdom, to live out eternity, but since we are already citizens of that Kingdom, we can be living like those citizens today. Glory be to God!

June 28, 2021

GLORIFY GOD

Luke 17:15-16

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Personal challenge

Am I like this Samaritan or more like the other 9? If we keep our eyes and hearts open to see the work that God is doing in our lives every minute of every day, then we truly will see God performing miracles. When He performs those miracles in our lives do we run back to Him, fall at His feet, and give Him thanks or do we go on our merry way taking His miracle for granted? I know that I do not thank Him enough. I do not drop everything and run back to Him to show my appreciation as often as I should. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner and thank you for the miracles that You perform in my life.

June 27, 2021

FAITHFUL

Luke 16:10

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to be faithful or unjust in little or much? Each of us are given things from God in our lives. Sometimes it may be stuff. Sometimes it may be spiritual gifts or responsibilities in our churches. What is expected from us is that we use that which is given to us for God's glory. God will usually give us a little to see what we do with it. If we use it effectively for Him He will give us more. The cycle continues as long as we use His gifts faithfully. He also knows that if we use His gifts unwisely, or unjustly, that we will most likely do it even more so with greater gifts. If we view life as if everything that we receive from God is still His and that we are His stewards of these things, then it is easier to use it faithfully. Glory be to God!

June 26, 2021

Saint of the Week

St. Macarius the Great

June 25, 2021

A FATHER'S LOVE

Luke 15:31-32

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

Encouraging Words

The parable of the prodigal son is such a beautiful picture of a father's love for his sons. This picture is an image of Gods love for His children, both those who have wandered away from Him and those who have stayed close to Him. All of humankind throughout all of history have been recipients of His love. And yet there are those who still reject Him. That does not mean that He loves them any less. Our lesson in this passage is that if we have not left God, if we are the older brother, then we should not be jealous of our prodigal brothers and sisters that return to our family. We should celebrate as the angels do and embrace the returning lost sheep in arms of love. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

June 24, 2021

UPSIDE DOWN

Luke 14:11

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Personal Challenges

Many of the teaching of Christ, appear to be upside down compared to the teachings of the world. This makes sense when you acknowledge that our enemy, Satan, has one goal in mind, to keep as many people away from God as possible. In the world, people who push their way to the top, irregardless of how many people they impact along the, are the ones that are glorified and idolized. In God's perspective, however, He wants the opposite. He wants us to humble ourselves and put others first. If we view this through our temporal, worldly eyes, then it looks ludicrous. But in the greater scheme of eternity it is laying up our rewards in heaven and helping those around us in this life. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

June 23, 2021

MUCH IS REQUIRED

Luke 12:48b

For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Personal Challenge

God has a much different way of looking at things than we do. He is, and sees, eternally. He gives to us abundantly, expecting us to be good stewards with those gifts. We need to be aware that the more that we are given, the more is expected of us to use that gift wisely. If we receive wealth we are to use it to help those who don't have it. If we receive time, we are to use it for His work. If we are blessed with leadership roles in His body and in our work, then we will be held accountable for how well we administered the authority that comes with that leadership for the edification of the people that we are leading. In essence, everything that we have, every breath that we take, every beat of our heart, is a gift from God. What are we doing with that gift that glorifies Him. Glory be to God!

June 22, 2021

BE READY

Luke 12:35-36

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.”

Personal Challenge

Do we as modern Christians live our lives in a constant state of readiness for the return of our Lord? I don't think so. We are so caught up in the moment, so focused on meeting the needs, or actually in most cases, the desires that we have, that we forget to look to our Lord who may be coming any moment. Are we at a place in our lives where we could drop, even abandon, everything and answer His call? I know that I am not. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

June 21, 2021

OUR TREASURE

Luke 12:34

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Personal Challenge

What really is our treasure? Is it the money that we earn and have saved up for our future? Is it the stuff that we have bought with some of that money? Is it our time? Is it certain people that we put above all others? We all have things in our lives that we value higher than everything else. It is important to do an inventory every once in a while to take stock of what has become important in our lives and make sure that we are prioritizing in such a way to put the treasures of God, the treasures that really matter, at the top of the list. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

June 20, 2021

TREASURE IN HEAVEN

Luke 12:32-33

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.”

Personal Challenge

"Life is short, live it with gusto." "He who dies with the most toys, wins." This is the sentiment that this would, and the enemy who reigns in this world, wants us to believe. But God tells us differently. If we are members of His flock, we have the true treasures of eternity being laid up for us in the heavenly realm where there is no thief, moth, or decay. If we can truly embrace this belief, then it becomes so much easier to loosen our gripe on the things of this world and give alms to those in need. We can live our lives knowing that no one or no thing can take our heavenly treasures away from us. Glory be to God!

June 19, 2021

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

June 18, 2021

SEEKING GOD

Luke 12:29-31

“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Encouraging Words

Have you ever been in a situation where you are putting all of your focus into something that you are seeking that every­thing else becomes a blur? It might be that special item that you have lost or misplaced. Or it might be some treasure that you are trying to find. You are so intent on finding what you are seeking and everything else just seems to blur into nothingness. There is joy in the hunt but there is great joy when you finally find what you are looking for. This is what Jesus is encouraging us to do, seek after God and His Kingdom as if your life depends on it (which it does), and He will give it to you. Glory be to God!

June 17, 2021

DO NOT WORRY

Luke 12:22-23

Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”

Encouraging Words

Sometimes life can press in on us and we begin to feel alone. Sometimes things happen in life where we begin to get worried that we will not make it and be able to meet the needs of our loved ones or ourselves. These times are real and the feelings are deep. Jesus reminds us that we are His children and that He will take care of us. That care may not always be in the format that we expect or desire but it is still there. He knows our true needs, including what we need to learn in the midst of our trial, and He will fulfill those needs. Our prayer should be that our eyes be open to His handiwork. Our prayer should also be that He will use us at He sees fit in the lives of those around us who have needs that are lacking so that we can be part of their journey through their trials in a positive, Christ-illumining way. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

June 16, 2021

CONFESSING CHRIST

Luke 12:8-9

“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”

Personal Challenge

What does Jesus want us to do when it comes to confessing Him before men? He wants us to be willing to live our lives in such a way that people see Him in us. He wants our actions to match our words, "I am a Christian.". We cannot be His representatives if we do not follow in His footsteps and do what He has asked us to do. Confession of Christ before men is much more than mere words. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

June 15, 2021

BLESSED

Luke 11:28

But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Command With a Promise

Isn't it truly every person's deep down desire to be blessed? As followers of Christ that desire is to be blessed by God. For others it is a desire to be blessed by someone or something that has more than they do. Jesus informs us that if we want Gods' blessings in our lives then we must listen to God's word and keep it. Jesus is His Word. Jesus is the word that we are to seek and follow. Glory be to God!

June 14, 2021

WITH OR AGAINST

Luke 11:23

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Personal challenge

Jesus continues to remind His disciples, and ultimately us, that there really is no middle ground as a Christian. We are either with Him and doing things His way or we are not and therefore working against Him. This is so contrary to what the world expects from us. We must make a choice. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

June 13, 2021

A HOUSE DIVIDED

Luke 11:17

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.”

Personal Challenge

When our Lord Jesus Christ started the Church over 2,000 years ago, did He start up the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, or the myriad of Protestant churches that we have today? No! He started up the "one holy catholic and apostolic Church". The definition of Catholic here is referring to the church universal and not the Catholic church as we know it today. Jesus even prayed later for us to have unity amongst ourselves as His Church. It appears to me that we have veered Very far from His desire for His Church and have actually become a divided house. Isn't it time that we unify around our Lord and work together to build rather than divide His Kingdom? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

June 12, 2021

Saint of the Week

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

June 11, 2021

ASK, SEEK, AND KNOCK

Luke 11:9-10

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Personal challenge

Context is so important. These two verses are so often used by those who believe in the "name it and claim it", or prosperity, gospel. By themselves, it is possible to see why this happens. In the verses prior to this, Jesus gives the parable of the man who has some visitors show up late at night and he has nothing to give them. Hospitality is an extremely important part of this culture. So, he goes to his neighbor to see if he will give him what he needs to entertain them properly. The neighbor is already in bed and refuses to answer the door. However, through persistently knocking on that door and calling out to the homeowner, the door is opened and the request is granted. Jesus tells us to be persistent askers, seekers, and knockers, to pursue Him relentlessly, so that He will take care of us when the time is right. Glory be to God!

June 10, 2021

BUSINESS OR BUSYNESS

Luke 10:41-42

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Personal Challenge

Is there a difference between business and busyness? There definitely is, especially in our relationship with God. What is His business that we should be involved in? It really is simple to articulate. Loving Him and loving our neighbor. If we make this our business, then we too, just like the apostles will change the world around us. Unfortunately, what we so often do is get caught up in busyness. This is doing all those things that look good in the eyes of man as if we are doing His work. We are checking off the lists that we have created that we believe describes the things we need to do to be good Christians. However we become Martha's and get too busy to love God and love our neighbor. We lose our joy in Him and eventually, if we keep this up, we lose Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, hare mercy!

June 9, 2021

WRITTEN IN HEAVEN

Luke 10:19-20

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

Encouraging Words

We can rejoice in the truth that as followers of Christ, our names have been written in the book of eternal life. This is more valuable than any of the blessings that God would bestow upon us while we live here on earth. Knowing this truth helps us through every trial and tribulation as we take each step closer to our home in heaven. Glory be to God!

June 8, 2021

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Luke 10:9

And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Personal Challenge

What has happened to the Church in the past 2,000 years that has made us so different from when Jesus started us up? In the passage leading up to this verse, Jesus had just commissioned His disciples to go out and proclaim His God News. They were able to heal the sick and perform miracles on His behalf. As we continue reading through the Scriptures we see that after His ascension the apostles and disciples continue to do the same. And yet today, we see none of this. Is it because God can no longer work through us, His followers? God is the same. It is us who have changed. Jesus often showed us that faith was needed to be healed by Him. If we do not truly believe in the power that He has and that He has the power to work miracles through us, then we will not be able to be used by Him. When He said that the Kingdom of God has come near to us, He meant that it is here and now and that we can live in that Kingdom today, if we believe in Him. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner and forgive me of my disbelief!

June 7, 2021

LABORERS

Luke 10:2

Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Personal Challenge

Is it necessary for us to drop everything, sell all that we have, quit our jobs, and become missionaries so that we can be God's laborers in His great harvest? Sometimes God does ask us to do this. But He also wants us to be willing to do that and to be willing to be used where we are, all of the time, as His laborers. We live in the very midst of one of the largest mission fields that exists. God wants us to be His hands, feet, and mouth everywhere that we go and in all that we do. He wants to be available to Him and to always be doing things that are harvest minded. This is the only way that the harvest will be yielded. Glory be to God!

June 6, 2021

DENY OURSELVES

Luke 9:23-24

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Personal Challenge

A true Christian walk is a journey of constant denial. If we are to proclaim Christ as our Lord and take up our cross and follow Him, then we must deny the world around us for it is an enemy of Christ. We must deny the desires to be a part of this world and the enjoyment in the many pleasures and joys that it offers us that are contrary to what God offers us. Most importantly, and most difficult, we must deny ourselves. We put God before us. We put the love for our neighbor before love for ourselves. This is how we truly act upon a desire to follow Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

June 5, 2021

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

June 4, 2021

NOTHING SECRET

Luke 8:16-18

“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”

Encouraging bonds

So often this passage is interpreted in one of two ways: we are supposed to put the light of Christ on display so that everyone can see it; and there is nothing in our lives that we can hide from God. Both. of them are in there. Another one that we might consider is that there is nothing in the Christian way of life that God will hide from us. He wants us to live full lives for Him. So many misguided people are looking for that special secret that God has only for them. What is hidden behind that door? What is the special handshake? God tore down the curtain in front of the holy of holies for a reason, so that through Christ we might see God. The closer to Him that we walk the more of God we see. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

June 3, 2021

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Luke 7:31-35

And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

Personal challenge

Jesus was preceded by John the Baptist who lived a very ascetic life. Jesus lived His life with more freedom from the law and engaged with the common and unclean people of His day. The leaders of the church in that day condemned them both for their ministries and their lifestyles. They were so ingrained in how they had perverted the laws and covenant with God that nothing outside of their own definition of the church would satisfy them. We must be careful to not do the same in our churches and Christian walk today. We must be careful to not build institutions and rubrics that end up excluding the very people that God wants us to love, as well as God Himself, from being a central part of our life. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

June 2, 2021

COMPASSION

Luke 7:13

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

Encouraging Words

We do not worship and serve a harsh and mean God, He is full of compassion, mercy, and grace, even to the point where He will weep over the death of a child. God loves us, His creation, so much that He was willing to give up His Son for us. Jesus became one of us so that He could fulfill the law of the first covenant and create a new covenant between us and God, a covenant based upon ultimate love. Glory be to God!

June 1, 2021

WHY?

Luke 6:46

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?"

Personal Challenge

This verse presents a real conundrum for the modern church. The modern church has in many ways become so connected with the things of this world that you cannot tell that it is a place of worship. Jesus challenged those of His day for proclaiming Him as Lord but not living their lives in a way that honors and glorifies Him and His Father. To be a follower of Christ means to be set apart from the things of this world. If this is the case in our lives then we are doing the same things that Jesus was challenging here. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!