December 29, 2022

IN OUR MIDST

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Encouraging words

Jesus promises us that if we are gathered together in His name, then He is there with us. He is present with us in community. Whether it be a church service, a book study, a fellowship group, a meal shared, or just a small group of believers together. He is there with us. What a wonderful promise this and what a way to remain strong in our lives. Glory be to God!

December 28, 2022

THE LORD OUR GOD

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be valiant and strong, do not fear nor be afraid of them, nor be terrified before them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes before you and with you and among you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Encouraging Words

The Lord our God is the one who goes before us. He is the one who is with us and among us. He will never leave us or forsake us. There is nothing in life that is more encouraging than this promise, especially when it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ Glory be to God!

December 27, 2022

DISCIPLINE

Matthew 18:15-18

Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Personal Challenge

We have made it a practice in our modern society for each to be their our own judge, prosecutor, and jury when it comes to dealing with those who have sinned against us. Notice that this verse does not call out when someone offends us. When we are challenged or offended by someone, we are admonished to turn our other cheek to them. This verse calls out when someone sins against us. We are then expected to follow this path of discipline to deal with the sinner. We are not in charge of the discipline, but the body of Christ is. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have money! Lord, have mercy!

December 25, 2022

SECRETS REVEALED

Deuteronomy 29:28

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Encouraging Words

Our glorious God is awesome and very much beyond our capacity and ability to ever understand. He is eternal and we are temporal. And yet, because He loves us. He choses to share with us, those who are His children, some of his mysteries. The most glorious mystery is the birth, the incarnation of His son. Jesus was born at a very dark and trying time in the history of mankind. He was born into a lowly and poor family that was oppressed and outcast by society. He was born so that we might live. So much of Jesus, who He was/is, what he did/does for each of us, and how we celebrate him in sacraments such as the Eucharist, are still mysteries that we will never fathom. But the fact that He is God incarnate is a mystery to cherish. Glory be to God!

December 24, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Irenaeus

December 23, 2022

NONE SHOULD PERISH

Matthew 18:12-14

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Personal Challenge

It is sad to see that fewer and fewer leaders in the modern church, the pastors and the priests, are being taught to be shepherds. Jesus used parables related to shepherds very often because these parables paint very good pictures of what He wanted His followers to do. In this parable He makes it clear that leaders should care about those who have walked away. They should be lovingly pursued, not chastised. They should be shown the love of Christ, not admonished for the services the have missed. We should all care about those whom we notice are missing from our communities, not snub them when they do show up after an absence. What does Jesus expect us to do? To love our neighbors as ourselves. Lord, have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

December 22, 2022

WHAT DOES GOD WANT?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and His ordinances I command you today for your good?

Personal Challenge

This is not something that changed between the old covenant and the new covenant. God still wants us to love Him with all our heart and soul. All the other expressions of our love for Him, fearing Him, walking in His ways, serving him, keeping His commandments, all flow from that love. The important thing for us to remember here is that He is not asking us to do anything that He is not doing for us as well. He loves us so much that He gave us His only Son. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!Lord, have mercy!

December 21, 2022

A LITTLE CHILD

Matthew 18:1-6

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Personal Challenge

Jesus makes it very clear in this passage, and others, that there is a state of mind and spirit that His followers must approach Him in. He never encourages "churchiness", how many books we have read about Him or others, or times we go to the monastery or "spiritual" retreats, or even how often we go to liturgy, mass, or services. What we admonishes us all to do, or be, is like little children. Little children are accepting...100%. They are humble. They are loving and caring to those around them. If we are to be truly following our Lord Jesus Christ, then we must become like a child in His presence and to lovingly receive and accept those who also become like a child before their God. Glory be to God!

December 20, 2022

HE GIVES US STRENGTH

Deuteronomy 8:18

Then you shall remember the Lord your God, for He it is who gives you strength, that you may gain power, and He may establish His covenant the Lord swore to your fathers, as it is today.

Encouraging Words

Our strength comes from the Lord our God. We do not get our strength from anything in this world. Not our job. Not our wealth or position. Not our political leaders. Not our own selves. We are truly nothing without our God. That very same God who chose to become one of us and live in this fallen world, experiencing the same challenges and sorrows that we do, dealing with the same temptations that we do, and yet showing us the pathway to living a sinless life before a holy God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 19, 2022

DENY, TAKE UP, AND FOLLOW

Matthew 16:24-28

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Personal Challenge

Living a life following Jesus Christ is not an easy life. It is a life filled with difficult decisions that will set us contrary to those around us who still follow the ways of the world. Sometimes this way of life will even set us on a contrary path to those who we worship beside. Jesus made it clear during His last days that if His disciples, His true followers, wanted to be with Him, they needed to do three things. First, is to deny ourselves. We are to be willing to die to ourselves and what we want in this world in order to begin the journey to righteousness. Second, we take up the cross that He has fashioned for us. Each of our crosses will be tailored for us individually by our Lord and we must take them up in the place of our denied self. Third, we are to follow Him. We strive to walk in in His footsteps. We love those whom He loved. We reject that which He rejected. We do what He asks us to do and go where He leads us, even when it makes no sense. By doing this we become little-Christs, growing in His image, and building His kingdom for Him. Glory be to God!

December 18, 2022

OUR CHASTENING

Deuteronomy 8:2-5

Now you shall remember the whole way the Lord your God led you in the desert, to deal harshly with you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He dealt harshly with you and weakened you with hunger, and fed you with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word proceeding from the mouth of God man shall live. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your feet become callused these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.

Encouraging Words

I have often heard people comment that they cannot believe in a God that allows suffering. Believe me, our God grieves at the suffering that we bestow upon one another. We still live in a fallen world. God loves us so much that He sent His son, His only begotten son, into this world so that He could become one of us and suffer in the midst of our sinfulness. He lived a sinless life and gave His life as a sacrifice for us and to cleanse our sins. He will come again to restore creation to its original state before the fall. So, why is He waiting? So that more may know Him and be redeemed. Why must those of us who love Him have to suffer in our lives? So that we might grow in His image and gain theosis in our lives. God loves us more than we will ever understand. Glory be to God!

December 17, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Isaac the Syrian

December 16, 2022

HYPOCRITES

Matthew 15:7-9

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Personal challenge

The challenge in the body of God that Jesus had to deal with in His time here on earth was not what was going on in the world but what was happening within the ranks of God's chosen people, the church of the old covenant. Legalism had become the norm. Rules and traditions were established by the leaders and they elevated them to being above God. Clericalism was well established and the common participant, the lay person, was delegated to the role of just being an observer. People were falling away and the leaders, the priests, did not care, as long as they could attract new ones that wanted legalism, clericalism, and just clear steps to follow. God was pushed out just as those who loved Him and His ways. This is happening again today in many of our churches, parishes, and Christian faith practices. Even Jesus is becoming pushed into the role of being an observer. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

December 15, 2022

OUR FAITHFUL GOD

Deuteronomy 7:9-10

Therefore know, the Lord your God, this God, is a faithful God, who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with those who hate Him; He will repay them to their face.

Encouraging Words

Our God is a faithful God. He keeps His covenants with us, whether we hold up our part or not. If we keep His commandments, He will not only show His mercy to us, but to the generations that follow us. We are in a symbiotic relationship with Him and recipients of all that He has to offer us. He will guard and protect us for from those who hate Him. Glory be to God!

December 14, 2022

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Matthew 14:27

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

Encouraging Words

The world that we live in can be a scary place at times. It seems to be getting worse all the time. In the midst of all this, we have our Lord and Savior coming to us and telling us to be of good cheer. He is here amongst us. He is present in our lives, often more present than we are. We have nothing to fear for He casts out all doubt and fear. Glory be to God!

December 13, 2022

LOVING GOD

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

In the days of old, writing things down was a significant event. Today, in the information age, we take the written text for granted. The people of Israel were now freed from the slavery of Egypt. They have finished their time wandering in the desert. They are now ready to enter the promised land. What are their instructions? To know and understand that their God is one Lord, the only One. To love Him with their entire being, heart, soul, and power. And to record this in every means possible so that every time they open their eyes, everywhere that they look, they see these truths written down as reminders. How much do we do this today? Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 12, 2022

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Matthew 13:44

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Personal Challenge

Jesus went to great lengths to articulate just how wonderful and glorious heaven is. He did this because He desires that all follow Him and become citizens of the heavenly realm. The rest is up to us. Are we willing to sell everything that we have, to give up all that we hold dear to us, so that we could receive this gift of eternal residence in the kingdom of God. We cannot be citizens of both the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of earth. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have, mercy!

December 11, 2022

ALL THE TIME

Deuteronomy 5:29

Would they had such a heart in them so as to fear Me and guard My commandments all the time, that it might be well with them and their sons forever.

Personal Challenge

Throughout the history of mankind's relationship with God we have been fickle and inconsistent. However, God has always been consistent and true. So often, we have an experience that draws us near to God. Sometimes it is a crisis that He shows himself in. Sometimes it is His beauty that we see as He reveals Himself to us. Sometimes it is the blessing of His presence in our lives. Then as life moves on we forget about him and do our own thing again. God yearns for us to have a heart for Him...all the time. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.

December 10, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Justin Popovic

December 9, 2022

REST

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Encouraging Words

Life continues to get more hectic and convoluted every day. In all this hustle and bustle, all this scrambling to carry the burdens of our labor, we are getting more and more tired and irritable. Then we have Jesus asking us to take up His yoke with the promise that He will give us rest. The problem for most of us is that we try to add His yoke to whatever we are already carrying. This is not what He is asking us to do. He wants us to take off the yoke that we have, which is loaded down with the burdens and cares of the world, set it down permanently, and then put on His yoke. He will pick up our old yoke and carry that for us. That is how we begin to learn from Him. That is how we find rest for our souls. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 7, 2022

OUR MERCIFUL GOD

Deuteronomy 4:31

for the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not forsake you nor annihilate you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers, which He swore to them.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the history of mankind, all the way back to Adam and Eve, we have example after example where God has bestowed His love upon us and we eventually turn our backs on Him and go our own ways. Every time, He shows His great mercy by continuing to show us His love. He created us in love. He embraces us in love. He cares for us in love. He forgives us of our sins in love. He yearns for us to love Him in love. Glory be to God!

December 5, 2022

BABES IN CHRIST

Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.”

Encouraging Words

One of the things that has been troubling with respect to the modern church, both Eastern and Western, is the drive to intellectualism that is overtaking the gospel. Jesus makes it very clear in this verse, as well as many others, that He has presented His teachings and secrets in such a way that His babes will get it but the wise will not. When we intellectualize Christ and His His teachings we cloud them. Why do we focus on how many books we read about God, how many podcasts we listen to, or worse yet publish, or any other means of gaining knowledge. We do all that for our own edification and glory, not God's. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy!

December 4, 2022

DUTIES OF THE PRIESTHOOD

Numbers 18:1-3

Now the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, “You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the sins of the holy things, and you and your sons with you shall bear the sins of your priesthood. You shall also bring your brethren, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, to yourself, and they shall be joined and added to you, and minister liturgically with you and your sons with you before the tabernacle of testimony. They shall perform your guard duties and the duties of the tabernacle, but they shall not come near the holy vessels and the altar, lest they die—they and you also.

Personal Challenge

In the Old Testament, under the old covenant, the duties of the priesthood are clearly called out. Aaron and the Levites were set apart to perform the priestly duties as defined for God's people. In the New Testament, under the new covenant, all true followers of Christ are called out to be part of the holy priesthood with Jesus being the High Priest. We are called upon to serve, just as the Levites of old, as the ones to take care of the church. It has become a disappointment to see clericalism take over our churches, both Eastern and Western, as they raise up and glorify monasticism, clericalism, and professional priests and pastors, all the while minimizing the role of the rest of the followers of Christ in the administration of the church. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

December 3, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Kosmas Aiolos

December 2, 2022

FOLLOWING CHRIST

Matthew 10:38-39

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Personal Challenge

It has become so easy to proclaim that we are a Christian and yet live our lives as if Jesus Christ never existed. We wear crosses around our necks, we strap WWID bracelets on our wrists, we wear T-shirts with catchy Christian phrases we listen to Christian music and podcasts and we attend "vibrant" churches regularly. And yet, we never take up the cross that Jesus has given us to bear and follow Him. We leave our church services and cut people off getting in line for our lunch during fellowship hour. We ignore the people around us throughout the week because we are focused on what we want. We embrace conspiracy theories and lies because they tickle our imagination. By doing all this we gain our physical, temporal lives hear on earth, but we lose our eternal, heavenly lives. Our cross is to love God and to live for Him, and to love our neighbor as God loves us. Oh, how many of us are destined to stand before our Lord just to hear the words, "I do not know you.". Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy on me, the sinner!

December 1, 2022

NO GENERATIONAL PUNISHMENT

Numbers 14:18

‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth, taking away lawlessness, wrongdoings, and sins; but He would not cleanse the guilty by repaying the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’

Encouraging Words

This verse comes at the end of a long dialog between Moses and God. God has expressed how fed up He is with the stiff-necked people that Moses has been leading through the wilderness. Now, before we start pointing fingers at these people, we must acknowledge that we too, as people that proclaim to be followers of Christ, are also very stiff-necked and self-centered. We are no different than our predecessors. Here we see God indicating that He is done putting up with these stiff-necked antics and Moses reminding God of His promises to not hold their children accountable for their parents' sins. God did not need to be reminder. This is in their for us to be reminded of God's love for us. It is for us to remember the sins of those who have gone before us and to not repeat their sins. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 30, 2022

CONFESSING CHRIST

Matthew 10:32-33

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Personal Challenge

This can be a fairly stark passage focus to read. It is one thing to proclaim that we are a Christian and happily go to church on a somewhat regular basis. However, what are we doing in our lives that confess Jesus Christ as our Lord? Are we being kind to those whom we come in contact with? Does that kindness extend to those who have differing political, social, or lifestyle opinions than us? Are we helping those around us who are in need? Are we demonstrating in our actions the love of Christ? If our lives are not screaming that Jesus Christ is our Lord without ever saying a word, then the second half of this passage should be troubling for us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 29, 2022

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK

Numbers 12:3

(Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men on the face of the earth.)

Encouraging Words

In our society it is considered a bad thing to be recognized as a meek person. However, God praises, and even rewards, the meek. It is in the process of being meek, or humble, that God can do His great work in our lives. Glory be to God!

November 28, 2022

DO NOT FEAR DEATH

Matthew 10:28

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Personal Challenge

It can be so easy to get our focus stuck on the things going on around us and start fearing that everything is going bad. Our God promises that He will take care of us. He will be there to meet our needs. He will be the one to receive us into His arms when we enter eternity. If we put our hope in Him then we have nothing to fear. Glory be to God!

November 18, 2022

BLESSING

Numbers 6:24-26

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be merciful to you;
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Encouraging Words

As Moses was being tasked with setting up the priesthood for the people of Israel and passing on to Aaron all that God had given him in the instructions, this passage was given as the priestly blessing that the priests were supposed to say over their flock every time they came together. God wants to bless us and wants us to bless each other. Glory be to God!

November 17, 2022

HARVEST TIME

Matthew 9:36-38

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Personal Challenge

A very important question that every church should be asking themselves is are they inward focused or outward focused. Jesus made it clear to His disciples that there are so many people that do not know Him and that they, as well as we, must be reaching out to those who are lost. This means that we take our eyes off of our worship services and our traditions and making them the core of our focus, and look outside our comfortable places to those who need to see and experience the love of Christ. We must be that expression of love. We must be reaching out to those who have come and gone from our flock to make sure that they are okay. We need to be working with those in need showing them the love of Christ. We need to be outward focused. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 16, 2022

OUR GOD

Leviticus 26:12

I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the history of mankind, our relationship with God has been a relationship of intimacy. Even when we go of the rails and seek other gods, He has remained faithful. He does not want to be distant and removed from His children. He desires to walk with us, talk with us, hold us in His arms when we are hurting, and guide us on our journey through this temporal life. Our part of this relationship is to be obedient to Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 15, 2022

THEY RIDICULED HIM

Matthew 9:24

He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.

Personal Challenge

Have you ever been in a situation where you are criticized and ridiculed for your belief in Christ and your trust in God? I have. It is not enjoyable, but it is to be expected. The more that we strive to be like Christ, to walk in His footsteps, hold true to His teachings, then the more resistance we will encounter, the more we will be ridiculed. Sometimes this ridicule comes from people within our own Christian circle, people that we have worshipped and served with. Even Jesus received this behavior, so why should we expect anything different? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 14, 2022

TOO MUCH

Exodus 36:3-5

They received from Moses all the offerings the children of Israel brought for all the works for making the holy place, and they continued bringing him freewill offerings every morning. Then all the wise men who were doing all the work of the holy place came, each according to the work he was doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the work the Lord commanded us to do.”

Encouraging Words

God has a will and He created each of us with a will. He gave us freewill so that our choice to love Him and follow him would not be forced. When we choose to align our will with His, great things will happen. In this case, those building God's temple had to proclaim that the offerings needed to stop because they had too much already. We need to constantly seek God's will and be willing too adjust ours to align with His. Glory be to God!

November 13, 2022

COLLECTIVE FAITH

Matthew 9:2

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

Personal Challenge

What have we done to the Christianity that Jesus and His disciples spread throughout the world 2,000 years ago. Here in the USA, we have made it in the image of ourselves, rugged, independent, and standalone. Throughout many of the miracles that Jesus performed in the healing if the infirm, we see the power of the faith of others contributing to the healing process. We need each other. We need a Christian community that is striving for theosis or deification, becoming in the image of Christ. We cannot do it alone. We cannot do if by focusing on the rubrics, or the traditions, or the number of services that we are participating in. All of these things are external and informative about the church and God. We must be focusing on Christ, being like him, doing what he is asking us to do. Only this way will our churches become transformative and changing us into the image of Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 12, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Gabriel (Urgebadze)

November 11, 2022

A JEALOUS GOD

Exodus 34:14

(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord God, a jealous name, is a jealous God),

Personal Challenge

This is one of those challenging verses that we find in the Old Testament. Isn't jealousy a passion? Aren't the passions what cause us to sin? God loves His children so much. He entered into multiple covenants in the Old Testament. He always wanted to protect them, and us, from those things in the world that will pull us from Him and into painful situations. As any loving father, He is jealous for the protection of His children. He knows the pain that will occur by worshipping false Gods and strives to keep us true to Him, for our own good. So, what are the false God's that we are worshipping today? Our possessions? Our political party? Anything that causes us to take our eyes off of God, is another god. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy!

November 10, 2022

CALMING THE STORMS

Matthew 8:23-27

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Personal Challenge

Sometimes I must ask myself, "Do I really trust Jesus?" He is always present in our lives. Sometimes it feels like He is napping over in the corner, but He is still present. The question is never whether or not He can calm the storms in our lives. It is whether or not I believe He can. If he was sleeping in the boat during the midst of the storm, He must have been confident that nothing was going to happen to Him or His disciples. It is my faith in the stormy times that weakens, not His ability to be the Lord over the storm. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on my the sinner!

November 9, 2022

A SPECIAL PEOPLE

Exodus 19:5-6

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be a special people to Me above all nations; for all the earth is Mine. You shall be to Me a royal priesthood and a holy nation.’ These are the words you shall speak to the children of Israel.

Encouraging Words

Whenever God enters into a covenant, He designates the other party as special and set apart in His sight. He did that in this accounting of his covenant with Moses and the nation of Israel. He continued to do this throughout the old testament as He confirmed His covenant through His prophets and kings. He established a new covenant through Jesus, one that goes through the remainder of eternity. What is our part of His covenant, if we choose to be a part of it? We are to obey His voice and keep His covenant. In this new covenant, our responsibility, our covenant with him, is if we want to be called His children, then we must love Him above all, even life itself, and to love our neighbor above ourselves. These two actions are the fruit which our commitment to Him will be measured by. Lord, have merry! Lord, here mercy! Lord, have mercy on me, the sinner!

August 29, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

November 8, 2022

SYNERGY WITH GOD

Matthew 8:13

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Encouraging Words

Too many who profess to be Christians look to God to be their vending machine in the sky. Put a prayer in the slot and out comes whatever we asked for. God's activity in our lives is based upon our willingness to work synergistically with Him. As He tells the centurion in this passage, the level healing of the centurion's servant is commensurate with the level of the centurion's faith in what God can and will do. God wants us to be working with Him, not just asking Him to take care of our wants and needs. Glory be to God!

November 29, 2021

POWER AND WISDOM

1 Corinthians 1:22-24

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Personal Challenge

Power and wisdom are two things that mankind has been pursuing ever since Adam and Eve chose to eat of the forbidden fruit. The end results of this pursuit are always the same, separation from God. Christ left behind the glory and power of heaven in order to become a man. He lived a lowly life instead of some princely life in order to humble himself for us. He died on a cross in order to defeat death. It is no wonder that so many see His life as a stumbling block and foolishness. It is through Him and His actions that we can find life. It is through life in Him that we receive power and wisdom to be His disciples. Glory be to God!

November 7, 2022

MY GOD, MY FATHER'S GOD

Exodus 15:2

The Lord became my helper and the shield of my salvation;
He is my God, and I will glorify Him;
My father's God, and I will exalt Him.

Encouraging Words

It is indeed encouraging to be able to look back on my life and my relationship to my God and recognize that my God is also my father's God. To have been raised in a family who loved God passionately and attempted to pass that love on to the next generations is indeed an honor and something to be thankful for. It does not have to mean that we worship our God the same way but that we all still worship God. It is my desire that someday my children and their children will be able to look back and proclaim this same thing and project their worship of our God, our helper and the shield of our salvation. Glory be to God,

October 18, 2020

NO SORROW, NO ENVY, NO ANGER

Sirach 30:21-24

Do not give yourself over to sorrow,
And do not distress yourself deliberately.
Gladness of the heart is the life of man,
And rejoicing by a man lengthens his life.
Love your soul and comfort your heart,
And put sorrow far away from you;
For sorrow has destroyed many,
And there is no profit in it.
Envy and anger will shorten your days,
And worry will bring premature old age.

Personal Challenge

Life is comprised of choices. Every thing we do or don't do, every where we go or don't go, ever thing, is boiled down to a choice. Even if something is thrown at us that is completely out of our control, we still must make a choice of how we will deal with this. Sirach points out some very important, life changing, things that we have a choice to make about. There will always be things in our lives that cause sorrow, but we must choose to not give ourselves over to that sorrow. We must choose to not deliberately distress ourselves for there is enough stress in the world already. We must choose to put sorrow away from us, to run from envy and anger, and to not let worry shorten our lives. Doing this will give us a much better life. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Level, have mercy!

November 6, 2022

DOING, NOT JUST HEARING

Matthew 7:24-25

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Personal Challenge

Salvation is a process and not just a one time event. I know that there are many who will argue this point with me but that is fine. Jesus Christ gives us our salvation through His works of incarnation, sinless life, death and resurrection. Our faith in Him begins the journey of our salvation process, often called sanctification. As Jesus, Himself, proclaims in this passage, as well as many others, we must not stop at proclaiming Him as our Lord, but do what He tells us to do. We are to build upon that faith by doing His works.The core essence of His work is to love God and love our neighbor. The love your neighbor part is the one that is getting so abused by those who are proclaiming to be Christians. Who is my neighbor? Republicans! Democrats! Independents! Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and the rest of the current and former elected officials. Immigrants and those who have been born in this country. Those who are gay, straight, married, unmarried, you name it. And the list goes on and on. My neighbor is anyone and everyone who breathes air and has a heartbeat. We may not agree with what the believe or do, but we are still to love them as people created in the image of God. We CANNOT proclaim to be Christians in one breath and then spew hateful conspiracy theories and other harmful rhetoric in the next. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have master! Lord, have mercy!

November 5, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios

May 16, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. Macarius the Great

November 3, 2022

CHANGE OF HEART

Exodus 8:11

But when Pharaoh saw there was relief, his heart was hardened; and he did not heed them, as the Lord said.

Personal Challenge

We all have difficult times that surface in our lives. Often we will turn to God and make promises to Him that our behavior will change if He will just help us with our difficulty, one more time. We pray more. We go to more church services. We even read the scriptures. Then, when God responds and starts helping us through the challenge, our hearts change, they harden, and we renege on our deal with God. God wants us to be true to Him all the time, for He is true to us all the time. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 2, 2022

THE WILL OF THE FATHER

Matthew 7:21

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Personal Challenge

One of the institutions that Jesus was in conflict with was the church itself. Between the sadducees and the pharisees, the pomp and ceremony of the church became more important than the people within the church. Jesus makes it clear that many people who proclaim the name of the Lord, do not actually know Him and are therefore at risk of not entering the kingdom of God. What God wants is for us to be obedient to him, not putting on a show for him. Are we loving him and doing what He desires of us? Are we feeding the poor, clothing the naked, caring for the widows and the orphans amongst us? Are we pursuing the lost sheep and leaving the 99 to take care of themselves while we bring the lost one home? God wants us to be Christians all the time and not just talk about being Christians. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 30, 2022

Holy Ground

Exodus 3:5

So He said, “Do not come any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

Personal Challenge

Here we find Moses standing before the burning bush and in the presence of God. He is told to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. This makes me think that we, the modern day Christian, have become too "familiar" with our God. We no longer hold Him in awe because of His holiness and majesty. We treat Him as just another person around us. This leads us to a place where we no longer heed Him as our Lord and Master, we follow Him frivolously, we ignore His commandments to love Him above all else and our neighbors above ourselves. We must continue to recognize God as God and submit entirely to Him, obeying Him, and loving those around us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 29, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

October 28, 2022

RAVENOUS WOLVES

Matthew 7:15-16

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Personal Challenge

According to 1 John, what is the core essence that should be in the heart and life of everyone who proclaims to be a Christian? Love! Love for our God and love for our brothers and sisters, our neighbors. What does this have to do with false prophets and ravenous wolves? When our churches become more focused on the glorification of our liturgical and worship practices, the performance of choirs and leaders, the less we become focused on the simple, loving, and transparent teachings of our Lord. The practice of "doing" Christianity becomes our god that we worship rather than the God that calls us to "be" Christians. This is when even the leaders of our churches, the priests and the pastors, become the false prophets and ravenous wolves. This is when those who have a love for our Lord that focuses on being His light and salt are pushed out of the their churches because their message and belief is challenging and uncomfortable. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!