January 31, 2022

LIVING BY FAITH

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Personal Challenge

We have the opportunity, and the privilege, to be made into new creations by the work of Christ. Are we willing to accept that change and like our lives for Him? We must be willing to follow in His footsteps and crucify our temporal selves, our wills and desires, to Him so that we no longer live in the flesh, but Christ lives in us. By doing this we can live by faith in Him trusting that He will lead our lives to His glory, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

January 29, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. John of Kronstadt

January 27, 2022

PLEASING MEN OR GOD

Galatians 1:10

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Personal Challenge

Today's challenge is tough, especially in this modern age where we have social media and a climate of self-service. In all things that I do, I must ask myself the question, "Am I doing what I am doing to please men or to please God?" Sometimes there will be a fine line between the two with this question. Do I have something that is real important to me? Something that I don't want to let go of? If I am pushing that forward and it is not for God's glory and the edification of my neighbor, then I am serving myself. Is there something that I know that I should be doing, or asking those under my authority, to do, but I am choosing to not do it because the backlash will be unpleasant and a hurdle to overcome? If it is the right thing to do in the eyes of God and it is for the good of my neighbor and I choose not to do it, then I am serving or pleasing men and not God. God expects us to serve Him. He wants us to please Him. If we cannot do this regularly then we need to question if we are truly His bondservants. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

January 26, 2022

SUFFICIENCY OF HIS GRACE

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Personal Challenge

More than once in my life I have looked at the circumstances that I am in the midst of and pleaded with God, "Why me?" We often are in these situations for no reason  of our own, but in most cases it is because of the consequences of our choices.  Whatever the case may be, our Lord is always there reminding us that His grace is sufficient for us His strength can be perfected in our weak­ness. So, it is with Paul, that we can proclaim that we boast in our infirmities and weaknesses so that the glory goes to our Lord. When we accept and embrace our weaknesses in Him, then we become strong through Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

January 25, 2022

MEANT FOR GOOD

Genesis 50:19-20

So Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I belong to God. But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Personal Challenge

Do we really believe this in our daily walk with our Lord? Do we believe that everything that has transpired in our life, whether good or bad, every trial and Tribulation, every victory and loss, everything, will be used by God for our good? Do we live our lives this way or do we live like everyone else around us, beaten down by the world and devastated by the conse­quences of our choices? Whether we want to admit it or not, believe it or not, God is still in control of the whole of creation, of time itself and because of His love for us, all of us, He is constantly trying to make everything that happens in our lives be for our good. Are we willing to receive that? Are we willing to make His job easier by choosing His path to follow. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner and forgive me of my stiff necked way of behaving.

January 24, 2022

GIVE CHEERFULLY

2 Corinthians 9:7-8

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Encouraging Words

God operates within an economy that defies all of the ways of doing things here on earth. He asks us to give out of our abundance cheerfully and not grudgingly or of a feeling of compulsion. He promises to poor out His grace upon us, cheerfully, expecting nothing in return from us. This grace poured out upon us will always give us, in abundance, whatever we need to do His good work. We are blessed, so why would we not bless others? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

January 23, 2022

WHO SENT HIM?

Genesis 45:4-8

But Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now therefore, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to save life. For this is the second year of famine in the land, and five years still remain in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. For God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth, and to sustain you as a great remnant. So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Encouraging Words

This story reminds us that God has a greater plan for all of His creation and us as part of that creation. He also has the view across all eternity; past, present, and 
future, so He knows how things will all work out for us. The real question is whether or not we are willing to submit to Him and recognize that all that happens has a reason and will be used by God for our good. Glory be to God!

January 22, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Porphyrios

January 21, 2022

SOWING AND REAPING

2 Corinthians 9:6

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to sow and reap in today's world. Most of us no longer live in an agricul­tural setting where we have to sow seed for our crops and reap the results. Sowing and reaping applies to all aspects of our lives. If I sow truth, truth will be reaped. If I sow it sparingly, then I will reap it sparingly. If bountifully, then bountifully. I can choose to sow truth, love, compassion, mercy, grace, and any other righteous gift. I can sow from my financial blessings or my gifts and talents or my time. By sowing all of these abundantly, I will see abundant crops being reaped. But I can also sow lies, disparity, dissension, anger, contempt, selfishness, and many other unrighteous actions and beliefs. The same principle applies. If I sow these negative things, then I must be ready to reap in kind. It is so sad to see how much of the focus of our society and even many of our churches have chosen the unrighteous things to sow. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy as we reap what we have sown!

January 20, 2022

RICH AND POOR

2 Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Encouraging Words

There is no such thing in the scriptures as the gospel of prosperity that has become a popular thing in our modern, prolific society. Both Jesus and the apostles talk about the great blessings that we will receive as followers of Christ, but the blessings are eternal and spiritual blessings. If we are given material blessings, we are commanded to give those blessings to those in need. Our hearts and our minds should be heavenly focused and not earthly focused. Jesus set this example by giving up all His heavenly blessings to become one of us and live a life of poverty so that we might become rich in His heavenly realm. Glory be to God!

January 19, 2022

NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME

2 Corinthians 6:2

For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Personal challenge

Paul begins chapter 6 of this letter by telling his readers to not take the grace of God in vain. We are saved into His family and His mission. What is that mission? To love God above all else and to love our neighbor above ourselves. Our salvation is not just for us to relish in, but for us to follow in His footsteps so that others may know of and receive, His grace and salvation. This often means that we do the hard things, sacrificing our desires and needs, for Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord have mercy!

January 18, 2022

AMBASSADORS

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to be an ambassador for someone? First it means that we are citizens of the land that is governed by that person. We are then representatives of that person and His land wherever we are. As representatives, we live in such a way that everyone around us knows that our allegiance is to our home country or land and not to where we have been assigned. As followers of Christ, our true home is heaven. We are representatives of our Lord here on this earth. Our allegiance should always to our home and our Lord first. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

January 17, 2022

A NEW CREATION

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Encouraging Words

God does not just expect us to turn a corner in our lives when we receive Him as our Lord and be different. He starts that process by making us new creations in Christ, eliminating the old things, and making us new creations in Him. He gives us what we need to turn that corner and to never go back, if we are willing to follow Him on that path. Glory be to God!

January 16, 2022

WHO DO WE LIVE (DIE) FOR?

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Personal Challenge

For those of us who follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, one thing is in common, we believe that Christ died for all. Where the challenge comes in is whether or not we are willing to die to ourselves and not live for ourselves. The last two years of living in the midst of a pandemic has revealed how easy it is for some to ignore this expectation of our Lord and live for ourselves. There are so many who proclaim Jesus as their Loaf and yet refuse to do what can be atone to defeat this pandemic and protect those around them by choosing to be vaccinated and wear masks. They proclaim that it is a violation of their rights and freedoms, all the while helping to spread misinformation and even Covid. If we are truly choosing to die to ourselves and to live for God and love our neighbor above ourselves then we will have no problem doing what is best for them, not what we prefer for us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

January 15, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Gregory the Theologian

January 14, 2022

WALK BY FAITH

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Encouraging Words

The whole essence of being a growing and thriving follower of Christ is faith. Jesus is the object, the person, that our faith is put in. He is our Savior. He is our sustainer. He is our Lord. He is our life. The extent of our faith is everything. We trust and hope in Him in every aspect of our lives, every action, every thought, every breath, every beat of our heart. Our faith in Him makes us confident, gives us hope, and makes it possible to walk this journey of life looking to Him. Glory be to God!

January 13, 2022

AN ETERNAL HOUSE

2 Corinthians 5:1

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Encouraging Words

It is encouraging to know that even though the bodies that we live in are temporary, we have permanent, eternal bodies waiting for us in heaven. This gives us something to hope for, especially as the years pass by and our bodies begin to wear down. We have a future that is so much brighter than any of our past or present could ever be. That future is illumined by the eternal presence of our God. Glory be to Him!

January 12, 2022

DO NOT LOSE HEART

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Encouraging Words

It is indeed encouraging to know that as each day passes and we get one day closer to old age our Lord Jesus Christ is within us, renewing us over and over again. Our bodies and minds may be growing older and more feeble, yet our spirits are being lifted up and renewed by the grace and mercy of God. This is a promise that can be held onto, embraced, and cherished. Glory be to God!

January 11, 2022

EARTHEN VESSELS (CRACKED POTS)

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Encouraging Words

God has made us fragile so that we will always be reminded that is not ourselves that make us great in this world, but God dwelling within us, working in and through us, and blessing us with His great mercy. He does this because He loves us and in His eyes we are worth every iota of His love and mercy that He chooses to pour out upon us. There is nothing that we can do to earn it. We don't have to. He gives it to us freely, even though it was very costly for Him. Knowing this is what makes it easier for this cracked pot to make it through each day. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

January 10, 2022

LIGHT

2 Corinthians 4:6

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Encouraging Words

In the creation account we hear the proclamation from God, "Let there be light!" God is the creator of light and He consistently shines His light into the dark corners of our lives and hearts in order to give us the knowledge of His glory, which is manifested through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is His light that illumines us and leads us into eternity. Glory be to God!

January 9, 2022

DO NOT LOSE HEART

2 Corinthians 4:1

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

Personal Challenge

We are all given gifts and talents from our Lord as we follow Him through our lives. We are also given ministries in which we can use those gifts and talents for His glory. Sometimes we encounter resistance as we exercise those gifts and talents for Him, just as Paul did. We can hold onto our Lord and mercy that He has given us and not lose heart. If He has called us to do His work, and we are doing it for Him, He will guide and comfort us through this resistance. Glory be to God!

January 8, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

January 7, 2022

EPISTLES WRITTEN IN OUR HEARTS

2 Corinthians 3:1-3

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Encouraging Words

As a follower of Christ, has our lives been visibly changed so that people see us different from others? According to Paul, the only recommendation that he needs to point him out as a follower of Christ is all of the people whom he has brought to the saving knowledge of Christ and whose lives have been visibly changed by having the epistle of Christ written on their hearts. This too should be our goal in life, to have the epistle of Christ written on our hearts and to be raising up others that are the same. Glory be to God!

January 5, 2022

SIN OF THE HEART

Genesis 4:7

Did you not sin, even though you brought it rightly, but did not divide it rightly? Be still; his recourse shall be to you; and you shall rule over him.”

Personal Challenge

The story leading up to this verse is about how Cain brought a sacrifice to God from his crops while Abel brought a sacrifice from His flock of sheep. Cain's was rejected and Abel's was accepted. On the surface this sounds unfair. The understanding of what actually happened here is in the details around the story, some of which shows up later in the scriptures. What God rejected was the condition of Cain's heart. What he sacrificed was fine and acceptable but his heart was conflicted. His passions were of the world and not focused on God. How much do we as Christians do this today? We worship our God with rites and rituals, going through the actions of worship, yet we treat our neighbors with contempt or belittle them because we believe we are better than them. We nullify our worshipful actions towards God by the malice that we carry in our hearts. God cares more about our inward nature than our outward actions and words. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

January 4, 2022

DELIVERED

2 Corinthians 1:10

who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

Encouraging Words

Who has delivered us from death? God has through the work of His son, Jesus Christ. What death has He delivered us from since we still die? We have been delivered from eternal, spiritual death. We have been delivered into eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we can put our trust and faith in. Jesus is who we can put our trust and faith. Glory be to God!

January 2, 2022

COMFORT

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Encouraging Words

One thing that has always comforted me as I have gone through difficult trials in my life has been these two verses. Nothing is ever wasted in our journey through life. Knowing that the trials that I have been through, the lessons that I have learned from them, and the fact that there was light and life on the other side, would be something that I could use to help someone else through the same difficulty, gave me the fortitude to push through. God uses our life experiences to help and encourage others through theirs. We are not on our journeys alone. We have others who can speak into our lives just as we can speak into other lives. This is comforting. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

January 1, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Macarius the Great