March 30, 2022

RAISED WITH CHRST

Colossians 3:1-2

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to be "raised with Christ"? Backing up a few verses before this passage, Paul talks about us dying to this world for Christ. When we choose to follow Him we are to die to this world and live for Christ. In our baptism we go through the process of death, burial, and resurrection for our Lord. If we have done this, not just as a symbolical act, but as a true commitment, then we will seek those things which are above where our Christ is. Our minds and hearts will be heavenly focused and not earthly focused. We will be changed. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

March 27, 2022

RECONCILED TO GOD

Colossians 1:19-20

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Encouraging Words

Mankind was separated from God by the sin that entered into the world from Adam and Eve defying God. We have continued in that defiance by our own choices by continuing to sin. Jesus, by His incarnation and obedient work, even unto death, has reconciled us to God and reunited us with Him. Glory be to God!

March 28, 2022

WALK IN CHRIST

Colossians 2:6-7

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to walk in Christ? We are to follow Him in all that we do, copying His way of being and doing that until it becomes our natural way of being and doing. We emulate Him. As we do this our roots begin to set deep into Him and we are changed into His disciples. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

March 26, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Isaac the Syrian

March 25, 2022

DO NOT CEASE PRAYING

Colossians 1:9-12

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Personal Challenge

Paul commits to be praying for his brothers and sisters in Christ. He asks that we do the same. We can pray for our needs, but is more fruitful to be praying for others and their needs. So, what do pray for in the lives of others? We pray that they will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We pray that they may walk worthy of Him, pleasing Him, being fruitful in good work and increasing in the knowledge of Him. We pray that they might be strengthened in Him and to grow in Him. As we pray for others this way, we too are blessed. Glory be to God!

March 24, 2022

NEEDS SUPPLIED

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the scriptures we are reminded that God will supply for our needs. This is not some prosperity or name it and claim it gospel. God knows our true needs. He also knows our wants. The issue is that we often do not even know our needs because we are so focused on our wants. God will always take care of us, His children. He will always make sure that our needs are met. These are needs that He sees for each one of us. They are not needs as we, or the world sees them. Our role in this supply is to be content with what He gives us and to trust that He knows what is best for us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

March 23, 2022

BE CONTENT

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Personal Challenge

There is a wonderful promise at the end of this passage. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." There is a caveat that goes with this promise. We must learn to be content with every circumstance that comes our way. Content that God is in control. Content that the circumstances that we are in the middle of are there for our own good. Content that God will strengthen us through His Son. If we cannot learn to be contain in this way then we should not expect God to work through us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

March 22, 2022

MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Encouraging Words

I think we all desire to have peace in our lives. If that peace can be godly, God-centric peace, then it is even better. There are things that we can do to help bring this peace into our lives. Paul tells us to meditate on those things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good report. Also things that have virtue and that are praiseworthy. Meditating on these kinds of things in our lives will help to usher in the peace that God wants us to experience. Glory be to God!

March 19, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Ephraim the Syrian

March 18, 2022

REJOICE

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

We have so much to be thankful for in our lives. For those of us who are followers of Christ, that thankfulness extends far beyond all that we have in this earthly life. Living a thankful life points us in the direction to be able to rejoice in our Lord at all times and in all ways. We can become people that show gentleness to those around us. We can live our lives without anxiety by doing everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, knowing that God will answers those prayers with what is best for us. We will be able to live our lives in the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. Glory be to God!

March 17, 2022

PRESS ON

Philippians 3:12-14

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

There is a prize, a special and glorious price, at the end of our life, that we press on towards. It is that upward call into our place in heaven by God through Jesus. This is our goal, our target, in life. We keep our eyes and hearts focused on that prize every moment of every day, not looking back or to the side, so that we keep moving toward it. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

March 16, 2022

COUNT ALL THINGS LOSS

Philippians 3:8-11

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Personal Challenge

So, what exactly is Paul is choosing to count as loss? It is all those things of this world that comes between him and his Lord. He chooses to count these things as rubbish in his life. Why would he do that? Why. would we do this? Because that which we gain in Christ by giving up the things of this world far exceeds the loss. We actually gain Christ. We are found in Him. We receive His righteousness. We attain resurrection from death through Hm. Glory be to God!

March 15, 2022

HOW TO LIVE

Philippians 2:14-16

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Personal Challenge

I have had more than one Christian ask me how they are supposed to live their life. It is presented throughout the scriptures and the teachings of the church. This passage has some clear instructions. Do all things without complaining and disputing. God has called us to love our neighbor and to take care of them. We do this without pushing back on God or them. Live our lives without fault, or as another verse says elsewhere, above reproach. We are to shine as lights in this dark world holding on fast to the word of life, rejoicing in the day of Christ. The instructions for living a godly life are available, to those who seek it. Glory be to God!

March 14, 2022

WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION

Philippians 2:12-13

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Personal Challenge

Our salvation in Christ is not a "one and done" event. We are saved from eternal death by the work that Jesus did on the cross. Just because we say a prayer or call out once to Him to be our Lord, does not mean that He is done with us. He will be doing His work of salvation from within us the remainder of our days and He expects us to be coworkers in that process of sanctification all of those days. We do this fear and trembling out of our love for Him and our thankfulness for His love, mercy, and grace poured out on us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

March 13, 2022

THE MIND OF CHRIST

Philippians 2:5-7

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Personal challenge

We are being asked here to adopt the mind of Christ Jesus in our lives as Christians. What does this mean? What is the mind of Jesus Christ? This is truly a question that we can never fully answer because Jesus is fully God and we will never know the mind of God but we can understand that which Jesus portrayed as the incarnate son of God. Jesus was humble. He gave up His place in Heaven to be born of a lowly virgin, in a stable no less, and lived a hard and humble life in one of the most challenging times in the history of mankind. He lived His short life loving those around Him, feeding the hungry, and healing the sick. He willingly gave His life, without resistant, to a terrible and vicious death. He descended into hell to destroy its gates and set its prisoners free. This is the mind of Jesus Christ that we are to adopt, to give up our hold on this temporal earth, to love our God above all else, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We do this out of love for Him and all that He has done for us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

March 12, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Silouan the Athonite

March 11, 2022

CONSOLATION, COMFORT, FELLOWSHIP, AND MERCY

Philippians 2:1-4

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Personal Challenge

We are charged to not just look out for our own interests, but for the interests of others as well. We are also to not do anything through selfish ambition or conceit, but in a lowliness of mind, esteeming others better than ourselves. Why should we do this? By living our Christian life this way, we will receive consolation in Christ, comfort in love, fellowship of the Spirit, and affection and mercy. We will experience Christ in ways above imagination. Glory be to God!

March 10, 2022

CONDUCT WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL

Philippians 1:27-30

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

Personal Challenge

The gospel of Christ is the message of grace, mercy, love, joy, and peace. It is a message loving God above all else and loving our neighbor above ourselves. We are charged by Paul to live our lives in a way that is worthy of that gospel. That means living out those expectations every moment of every day. We are to do this whether someone is watching or not. We are to do this whether it is easy or hard. He do this by standing fast together as brothers and sisters in Christ in one spirit and one mind. We do this knowing that God will bring us through all adversities. Glory be to God!

March 9, 2022

THE CHOICE

Philippians 1:21

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Personal Challenge

As Christians, we must make a choice, a choice that has to be made every moment of every day for the remainder of our life. Am I going to live for Christ and die to myself and this world or not? Our life, both this temporal life and the eternal life, must be given over to Christ if we are to experience His blessing to the fullest. He does not want us to physically die, but to choose over and over again, to sacrifice our fleshly desires and passions so that we can pursue Him and His desires for us. This is dying to ourselves in order to live for Him. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

March 8, 2022

PREACH CHRIST

Philippians 1:15-18

Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

Personal Challenge

Paul rejoices, as should we, that in many ways, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is being preached. In today's world, even as it was in the day of Paul, there are many who are preaching Christ out of selfish ambition and personal gain. Even in these circumstances, God can winnow out the chaff of deceit and error in order to use the truth in these preachings to reach the unreached. God knows what each person needs to hear and can use any means to get that to them. How much better it is to preach His truth, and His truth alone, to those who need to hear. We also need to realize, and embrace, that many times preaching Christ happens with no words, just our actions. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

March 7, 2022

A WORK TO BE COMPLETED

Philippians 1:3-8

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

Encouraging Words

As we continue to walk in Christ throughout or lives, we can rejoice in the truth that the work that Jesus began in us will continue until it is complete in His perfection. We are His and as the Master potter, He is forming and shaping us into His image. Glory be to God!

March 6, 2022

GRACE AND PEACE

Philippians 1:2

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Encouraging Words

What a perfect verse to show up for today. Tomorrow, in the Orthodox church, we begin our journey of Great Lent toward Pascha (Easter). This journey can be enlightening as well as challenging. This journey is not just about giving up food. We are to be focusing on our relationship with our Lord. We observe how far from Him we have strayed and strive to close that gap. We search our lives to see how little we have loved our neighbor and strive to becomes lovers of our neighbors. We take the savings from limiting our intake, both food and any other indulgences, and give alms to those in need. This journey is a time to recognize how much God loves us and how much we need Him. We set our eyes on the cross, knowing that Jesus gave His life for us and our hope is in His resurrection on Pascha. We do all this knowing that God's grace and peace is being poured out on us. Glory be to God!

March 5, 2022

Saint of the Week

St. Silouan the Athonite

March 4, 2022

LIVING IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Personal Challenge

There is so much that can be unpacked in this passage about dealing with life in the spiritual realm. I will not write about any of the details for they can stand on their own. It is important for all of us to understand and embrace that we do not just live in a physical, temporal realm. Jesus proclaimed that His kingdom, the eternal, spiritual kingdom is amongst us. It is not some future reality that we will see and participate in after we die. It is here and it is now. Everything highlighted in this passage is going on around us every moment of every day, whether we see it or not. The sooner that we embrace that the kingdom of God is amongst us, the sooner that we can take up arms and fight for it beside our Lord. We are living in the spiritual realm. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

March 3, 2022

LIVING AS BOND SERVANTS

Ephesians 6:5-8

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Personal Challenge

We are fortunate that we do not live in an age where slavery is the norm. Granted, we still have egregious issues of human trafficking that must be addressed and eliminated, but for the most of us, We are not around slavery. We are charged in this passage to live as bondservant to Christ. What is a bondservant? In the day of Paul, the author of this letter, people would be sold into slavery or servanthood to pay for a debt. It was a tough life. In some cases, this person would pay their debt and be able to be released back to freedom. The person that was being released would sometimes be so blessed by their master, their owner, that they would ask to stay in that position. They would become a bondservant. Jesus is our Master, our Lord. He paid a very expensive price to free us from the bondage of sin and death. He then sets us free. We have the choice to remain His bondservant and live for Him. Glory be to God!

March 2, 2022

FATHERS

Ephesians 6:4

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Personal Challenge

As fathers, we are instructed to not provoke our children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. It is our responsibility to set the example for them to follow by loving our God and loving others. We must be willing to admit our shortcomings and seek forgiveness if we are wrong on anything in our relationship with them. This does not end when they becomes adults but continues as long as we are alive. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

March 1, 2022

LOVE YOUR WIFE

Ephesians 5:25-28

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

Personal Challenge

As husbands, our first priority in life is to love our God. The next priority, which should be above all others is to love our wife. If we truly believe the teachings of our Lord that when we marry we become one flesh, then it is imperative that we love our wives as we love ourselves. It always amazes me when I meet men who proclaim to be godly, righteous men all the while leaving their wife to practice their Christian faith at a separate church. How does one separate the one flesh into two separate faith practices without harming the other. It is our responsibility as husbands to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave up himself for her. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!