April 30, 2023

BE ZEALOUS AND REMEMBER

1 Maccabees 2:50-51

Therefore, children, be zealous for the law, and offer your lives for the covenant of our fathers; and remember the deeds our fathers did in their generations, and receive great honor and an everlasting name.

Personal Challenge

As Mattathias was reaching the end of his days and on his deathbed, he offered these words up to his children. We no longer have the law as they did in the days before Christ because He fulfilled the law. We do, however, have Christ and all His teachings. We should live our lives zealous for Him, for His teachings, for His body that He created, His Church. We must be careful to not be zealous for how we want His Church to be. We must be willing to offer our lives for the Church that He has built over the last 2,000 years and for those who have gone before us giving their lives for Him. It is their deeds that have kept the church going and growing. This also means giving respect to our elders that are still alive in our body and learn from them. We do all this to glorify our God.

April 28, 2023

REJOICING

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.

Personal Challenge

God works in the lives of those who submit to Him and trust in Him as their Lord and Savior. As He does this, we should never get wrapped up in rejoicing about how He has used us for His work, but rejoice in the truth that we are His adopted children and that our names are written in His book of life. Our rejoicing is to always be in Him. Glory be to God!

April 27, 2023

WHO KNOWS?

Esther 4:13-16

And Mordecai said to Hathach, “Go and say to Esther, ‘Do not say to yourself that you alone will be saved in the kingdom apart from all the other Jews. For if you choose not to heed this request at this time, help and deliverance for the Jews will arise elsewhere, but you and your father's house will perish. Besides, who knows whether it is for this occasion you reign as queen?’ ” Then Esther dispatched the one who came to her to Mordecai, saying, “Go and assemble together the Jews in Susa. Fast for me; do not eat or drink for three full days and three full nights. I and my maids will also fast. Then I will go to the king, contrary to the law, even if I am to perish.”

Personal Challenge

This story about Esther is such an important one for all of us who proclaim to be followers of Christ to be aware of. In a nutshell, Haman, a person high up in the court of King Artexerxes, had just convinced the king to make a decree to kill all of the Jews in his kingdom. Haman hated the Jews, especially Mordecai, who also had a presence in the king's court. What Haman did not know was that Queen Esther was not only a Jew, but Mordecai's niece. Now come to this passage and we see Mordecai asking Esther to go to the king on behalf of the Jews. There is one "small" problem. Anyone that sought the presence of the king without him first asking for it, was subject to being put to death. This was a heavy penalty. The power of this passage is both Mordecai and Esther recognizing that God always orchestrates things so that His will is accomplished, but He never forces anyone to do what He wants. We must always look for God's work in our lives and wonder if we are in our current situation so that He can use us and always be ready to answer "Yes!" when He calls. Glory be to God.

April 25, 2023

HEAL THE SICK

Luke 10:9

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

Personal Challenge

When Jesus sent the 70 out to proclaim that the kingdom of God had arrived, He gave them the power to also heal the sick as He had done. As we continue to read the accounts of the early church we continue to see accounts of His disciples healing the sick. Why do we not see this more today? Is it possibly that we have become deadened to what God can do in and through us by the modern thought that we are all immersed in? We have come to a place where we do not, or cannot, believe in miracles and therefore we cannot be used by God to do his acts of mercy? This is truly something to ponder and seek ways to shift our thinking, and therefore, our belief, to what God is capable of doing through those who truly believe and embrace that His kingdom has come. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

April 24, 2023

GOD OF THE LOWLY

Judith 9:11

For Your might is not in numbers, nor Your power in men who are strong, but You are the God of the lowly; You are the helper of the oppressed, the defender of the weak, the protector of those who are forsaken, the savior of those without hope.

Encouraging Words

As we end up the special verses in Judith we come to this proclamation from her about how God works in our lives. He does not work in the lives of the proud but in the lives of the lowly, those who are humble before him and their fellow mankind. By being humbler we can easily proclaim everything that we accomplish in our lives is because of Him and not us. Judith and her handmaiden had just returned from the camp of Holofernes. They had walked into the camp, head up high ,and persuaded the great and ruthless commander of the Assyrian army, the conquerors of the known world at the time to take them in. Judith, being humble before our God, was able to deceive Holofernes to the point where she could behead him and send the troops in disarray back home. God does many magnificent things when we humble ourselves before Him. Glory be to God!

April 23, 2023

PRAY

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

For over 2000 years we have been in the midst of the great harvest. This is the harvest of souls for our living and loving God. We should never cease praying for both the workers of the harvest and the fruit that is being harvested. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Love, have mercy!

April 22, 2023

Saint of the Week

St. Cyril of Alexandra

April 21, 2023

BE AN EXAMPLE

Judith 8:24-25

“Now my brothers, let us set an example for our people, for their very lives depend upon us. Furthermore, the sanctuary, the temple, and the altar rest upon us. Besides all this, let us be thankful to the Lord our God, who is testing us just as He did our fathers.”

Personal Challenge

As we continue to walk through the account of Judith with regard to her chastisement of the Jewish leaders of Bethulia for testing God, we see that correction is always accompanied with a charge to do that which is right. The leadership is challenged to be a godly example in front of the people that they serve in order to effectively lead them and teach them to follow God. We too must be examples to those around us. Glory be to God!

April 19, 2023

SELF-DENIAL

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

We must be consistently examining our lives to determine if we are denying ourselves and taking up our cross to follow Christ. Am I taking the needs of others in consideration over my own needs and desires? Am I submitting to God and seeking what He wants me to be doing in my life? Am I giving freely of my blessings and resources, including my time, to serve and glorify my God? I must be consistently losing my life in order to embrace His life for me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

April 18, 2023

WHILE WE WAIT

Judith 8:17

Therefore, while we await His deliverance, let us call upon Him to help us, and if it pleases Him He will hear our voice.

Personal Challenge

The essence of the book of Judith can be summed up in this verse. God has a plan for all of us in His greater story and kingdom. We will seldom have the privilege of knowing what that plan is. Our responsibility is to wait for Him to do His work in our lives and to diligently call upon Him as we are waiting. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

April 17, 2023

NOTHING IS 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.”

Personal Challenge

The only place for mystery in the Christian life are the mysteries of God. These are not mysteries because they come from a secretive and elusive God, but because they are incomprehensible to the human mind. Through Christ, much was revealed to us, and through the Holy Spirit, continues to be revealed to His children. The important part of this passage is our charge to be His lights in this dark world, to be willing to shine God's love, grace, and mercy into the life of every person that we come it into contact with. We are to be revealing God's love to everyone. Glory be to God!

April 16, 2023

DO NOT PROVOKE THE LORD

Judith 8:14

You cannot plumb the depths of the heart of man, nor grasp the thoughts of his mind. How then do you expect to search out God, who made all these things, and come to understand His mind or comprehend His purpose? No, brothers! Do not provoke the Lord our God to anger. '

Personal Challenge

Judith continues to challenge the leaders of Bethulia for giving God a finite number days to protect them. We can barely understand our own thoughts let alone understand that which goes on in the mind of God. His wisdom and knowledge are unlimited and incomprehensible. When we begin to give Him limits or timelines we are provoking Him to teach us a lesson about trusting and obeying Him. It is far better for us to just stick with trust and obedience, living our lives in faith believing that He knows what is best for us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner!

April 15, 2023

Saint of the Week

St. Gregory of Nazianzen

April 14, 2023

JUSTIFIED BY THE CHILDREN

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.”

Encouraging Words

Jesus had just been reprimanded by the leaders of His church for hanging out with sinners and sharing His teachings in the midst of the common world. The Pharisees and Sadducees were so wrapped up in their teachings (not God's) and their traditions (not God's) that they could not engage with the world that God specifically called them to take His message to. We must always be careful of getting so attached to the ways that our faith practice worships God that we lose sight of God Himself. Jesus responds and rebukes these leaders by proclaiming that the proof of His approach is in the numbers and sincerity of His children. History has born this out. Glory be to God!

April 13, 2023

TESTING GOD

Judith 8:11-13

They came to her, and she said to them, “Listen to me now, rulers of the people of Bethulia! Your words spoken today to the people are not right, nor is the oath you have sworn and pronounced between God and yourselves, promising to surrender the city to our adversaries unless the Lord turns and helps you in so many days.

“Now who are you to have put God to the test this day, setting yourselves up as God's equal among the sons of men? You are testing the Lord Almighty, but you will never come to know anything!”

Personal Challenge

Judith is another one of the apocryphal books that many western Christians have never read. It is indeed worth the read. Judith is challenging the leaders of Bethulia because they have just made a decree that they will give God five days to deliver them from the army of Holofernes. If He doesn't do that then they will surrender. We do not have the right or the power to box God in this way. He will always rescue us on His timeline and in his way. Our role is to trust in Him and keep living for Him, no matter how dire the situation may get. That is when His deliverance shows the brightest. Glory be to God!

April 11, 2023

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 serve a ruthless, in-compassionate God. God is love! God is mercy! God cares for all of His creation, not just those who have chosen to follow Him. His desire is that all might come to him. We too must be willing to show compassion to others. We cannot be selective in who we show God's love to for He was not selective in His love for us. Glory be to God!

April 10, 2023

BECOMING A REPROACH

Judith 5:20-21

“Now my lord and master, if there is any sin of ignorance in this people and they sin against their God, then we will identify their offense and will go up to defeat them. But if there is no lawlessness in their nation, then let my lord leave them alone, lest their Lord shield them, and their God defend them, and we will become a reproach before the whole earth.”

Personal Challenge

Achior wan an Ammonite conscripted by the Assyrian army to betray the Israelites. These were vicious times and army commanders like Holefernes were relentless in conquering people. Achior made this statement about the Israelites in order to warn the attackers that the God of Israel was invincible and that if His people were being true to Him, then they would be invincible as well. He was trying to save them from becoming is a reproach in front of the entire world of that day. We too can avoid becoming a reproach in our lives by staying true to our God. The choice is ours. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

April 9, 2023

FROM OUR HEART

Luke 6:45

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Personal Challenge

That which comes out of our mouths truly reveals what is in our hearts. It is indeed possible to maintain a facade and convince those around us that we are good and godly people...for a while. Only if what we are presenting is what is within our hearts will we no longer be presenting a facade but our true representation. Do we make snide remarks? Do we put others down jokingly? Are use constantly complaining? Are we really grumpy and lacking joy? Do we demean others? What comes out of our mouths is what is present in our hearts. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

April 8, 2023

Saint of the Week

Elder Nektary of Optina

April 7, 2023

GIVE THANKS TO GOD

Tobit 13:3-4

Give thanks to Him before the nations,
O children of Israel,
For He scattered us among them.
Make known His greatness there;
Exalt Him in the presence of all the living,
For He is our Lord and God;
He is our Father unto all the ages.

Encouraging Words

God is everywhere at all times. He knows all, throughout eternity. He is God and I am not. He has chosen us, no matter how broken we are, to be his emissaries throughout the unsaved, unredeemed, world. We can, and must, give him thanks for this. It is our responsibility to make known His greatness wherever we are blessed to be, for He is our Lord and God, our Father unto all the ages. Glory be to God!

April 6, 2023

HYPOCRISY

Luke 6:46

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

Personal Challenge

Am I consistently doing what Jesus commanded me to do? Am I loving God in such a way that I put Him before my desires and even my needs? Am I loving my neighbor as I love myself? These can be very sobering questions if I truly search my heart and my actions as I strive to answer them. If I cannot answer each of them with a resounding "Yes!", then I must question whether or not I can proclaim to those around me that I am a follower of Christ. This is the most important are if hypocrisy for me to be examining. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

April 5, 2023

PRAYER, FASTING, AND ALMSGIVING

Tobit 12:8-9

Prayer is good with fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness. A few prayers with righteousness are better than many with wrongdoing. It is better to do almsgiving than to lay up gold. For almsgiving rescues one from death, and it will wash away every sin. Those who do almsgiving and are righteous will be full of life.

Personal Challenge

In the Eastern church and much of the Western church we are in the end stretch of this year's Lenten season. This year the two calendars are only one week apart. What do we do during Lent? We are asked to spend more time in prayer and do more fasting and almsgiving. For many this is perceived as living a life based on works. This could not be farther away from the truth. We choose to do prayer, fasting, and almsgiving because we are grateful for what God has done for us through His Son and we desire to be more like Christ and closer to God. We do this because we want to bring the desires and passions of the flesh under control and live lives worthy of our God. We do this out of love for Him. Glory be to God!

April 4, 2023

LOOK TO OUR OWN SINS

Luke 6:41-42

And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.

Personal Challenge

Jesus continues His teaching on our behavior in relationships by telling us that it is not our responsibility correcting another in their sin. We must focus on resolving and eliminating the sin in our own lives before we focus on calling out someone else's sin. This does not mean that we stop being there for one another and loving them through the midst of their trials. If we are to be "fixing" anyone, it is ourselves that we should be focusing on. By doing this we are freed up to be able to encourage another. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

April 3, 2023

BLESS GOD

Tobit 12:6-7

Then Raphael secretly called the two of them, and said to them, “Bless God and give Him thanks. Ascribe greatness to Him and give thanks in the presence of all the living for what He has done for you. It is good to bless God and to exalt His name. Make known the words of God's works honorably and do not delay to give thanks to Him. It is noble to keep hidden the secret of a king, but glorious to unveil the works of God. Do good, and evil will not find you.

Encouraging Words

The book of Tobit is an excellent reminder that no matter what the circumstances are that we are facing in our lives, we can always trust in God. He will always be there with us and for us. Unfortunately, most western Christians have never seen Tobit since it is an apocryphal book. In this passage we are reminded that sometimes God sends angels into our lives to guide us through our challenges. This angel, Raphael, teaches Tobit and his son, Tobias, to always give God thanks and blessings for how much He does in our lives. Glory be to God!

April 2, 2023

GIVE, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Personal Challenge

How interesting it is that the last verse that I meditated on from Tobit focused on giving and then this verse is next in line. Definitely not a coincidence. Here Jesus is teaching us one of God's natural laws. We are measured in what we receive from God by what we give to others. If we give abundantly then we receive abundantly. If we give abundantly, then we receive abundantly. If we give begrudgingly, then we receive the same. This law works both in the giving of good things as well as in the giving of bad things. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, the sinner!

April 1, 2023

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom