November 22, 2024

IF...

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

It is one thing to claim to be a Christian and an entirely different thing to actually be a follower of Christ. "What do you mean?" you might ask. This passage helps to clarify this. Am I truly seeking those things which are above, or heavenly? Am I loving my neighbor, no matter what their color, age, sex, race, sexual preference, religious preference, political party, or any other standard of measurement used in this broken world? Am I humbly trying to be like Jesus, the Jesus of 2,000 years ago and not the Jesus of this modern age. Is my mind set on things above and not on things on earth, for as a follower of Christ my citizenship is in heaven? If I am not doing these things as best as I can then labeling myself as a Christian is besmirching the name of Christ: Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 21, 2024

BE CONSISTENT

Sirach 5:10-11

Be established in your understanding
And let your word be consistent.
Be quick to listen
And give your answer with patience.

Personal Challenge

One thing that I have learnt, and try to adhere to, is to be consistent in my word. This applies both to what I say and what I write, especially on social media. If we are truly established in our understanding of who we are in Christ and because of that who we should be in the world, then we can work on the consistency of our word. The best place to start with this is to be quick to listen and slow to speak Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 20, 2024

WALK IN HIM

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

We live in on age where the true nature and characteristics of Jesus Christ are no longer taught. This does not mean that we need to fix our schools and teach about Him there. Our schools are secular institutions and should be where we teach the truths of reading, writing, arithmetic, science, etc. Where we need to start teaching the true nature and characteristics of Jesus Christ is in our churches and Christian homes. We have lost our way and in that have lost our relationship with our God. Heaven forbid! Jesus is fully God who became fully man. In His incarnation He left His place in heaven to be humbly born of a virgin in one of the harshest times in history. He lived the life of a wandering immigrant, without sin, and showed us how to love God and love our neighbor, without compromise. He taught His disciples the truth of God and sent them forth to spread His good news throughout the world. We, the modern-day people that claim to be Christians, must go back to His basics, confess our sins and abuses of his truths, repent and follow Him in His ways. If not, we will be accountable for blasphemous and heretical actions. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 19, 2024

BE HUMBLE TO BE GREAT

Sirach 3:18-19

The greater you are, the more humble you must be,
And you will find grace before the Lord;
Because great is the power of the Lord,
And He is honored by the humble.

Personal Challenge

This teaching is showing the true spiritual contrast of what God expects in leaders and what man expects, especially in today's world. Humility is looked down upon· It is perceived as a weakness. However, true humility, a humility based on love for God and love for our neighbor, is the strongest force in the world. It cannot be overcome by brute force. If we want to find grace before our God, to have peace in our lives, to be truly righteous followers of Christ, then we must be humble and continually strive to love God and love our neighbor. This will be the only thing that will prevail against the tyrants of the day. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 18, 2024

RECONCILED

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

At the beginning of mankind, having been created with free will, we chose to reject God. This propensity to sin is in our DNA and we continue to reject Him by our choices. Jesus Christ chose to incarnate as one of us so that he could live a sinless human life in order to provide a way for us all to be reconciled to God. By doing this He not only reconciled all mankind, but all of creation. Glory be to God!

November 17, 2014

SO, YOU WANT TO SERVE GOD?

Sirach 2:1-6

My son, if you draw near to serve the Lord,

Prepare your soul for temptation.
Set your heart right and be steadfast,

And do not strive anxiously in distress.
Cleave to Him and do not fall away,
That you may be honored at the end of your life.
Accept whatever is brought upon you,
And in exchange for your humiliation, be patient;
Because gold is tested in fire
And acceptable men in the furnace of abasement.
Believe in Him, and He will help you;
Make your ways straight and hope in Him.

Personal Challenge

This passage, hidden in one of our Old Testament apocryphal books, gives us clear guidance on what we must expect if we desire follow and serve our God. This guidance is so counter to the modern Christian way of thinking. First of all, we must be prepared for temptation that will swell up to prevent us from serving God properly. We must be willing to set our hearts right on His precepts of loving others and remain steadfast in that. We cannot strive anxiously in distress that comes our way. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus and loving God and our neighbor. We cleave to Him at all times and in all circumstances and do not fall away from Him and His promises. We must be willing to accept whatever is brought upon us, whether good or bad. Finally, we must be humble in our lives and accept humiliation in exchange, or response, to our patience. All of this reminds us that gold is refined in fire and that if we are to truly be followers of Christ, then we must be ready for fiery refinement: He is worth it. A righteous life is worth it. The sharing of the gospel, or good news of Christ, is worth it. Glory be to God!

November 16, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios the Athonite

November 15, 2024

DO NOT CEASE TO PRAY

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 shares with us here in Colossians how much he cares for the church that he has planted. His prayer is one that continues over us, the Church, even today, and is one that we can pray as well. He asks that we be filled with knowledge of God's will in wisdom and spiritual understanding. He desires that we walk worthy of our Lord, fully pleasing Him and to be fruitful in every good work as well as increasing in our knowledge of God. He petitions that we are strengthened with all might, according to God's glorious power, that we have patience and longsuffering with joy and continually give thanks to our Father. Glory be to God!

November 13, 2024

A PATIENT PERSON

Sirach 1:20-21

A patient man will hold fast until the proper time,
Then afterwards gladness shall burst forth for him.
He shall conceal his words until the proper time,
And the lips of many will tell of his understanding.

Personal Challenge

We live in such a fast paced, instant gratification world that we have forgotten of the benefits of being patient. Part of be patient is holding fast on to our expectations, desires, and promises given to us. It is not patience if we are not waiting for something. One of the rewards of this patience is the gladness that bursts forth within us when what we have been waiting for comes into fruition. Another part of being patient is holding onto or concealing our words until the proper time. The result of doing this is that the lips of others will tell of our understanding. Glory be to God!

November 11, 2024

GOD WILL SUPPLY

Philippians 4:19

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

Personal Challenge

We, our nation, as a people proclaiming to be a Christian nation, have followed in the footsteps of so many nations and people groups that have come before us. We have put our trust in princes, kings, presidents, and sons of men to "save" us. Our Lord has made it clear that there is only one that we should put our trust in. The Lord God Almighty. This verse reminds us about that only God will supply our needs, and only then through Christ Jesus, not some elevated and worshipped man or group Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy? Lord, have mercy!

November 10, 2024

CROWN OF WISDOM

Sirach 1:16

The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom,
Making peace and soundness of health to flourish.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to proclaim that you are a Christian. This is the same with all professions of how we label ourselves. The truth is that labels mean absolutely nothing to God. Do we have a true fear of God. Not a cowering, He will punish me kind of fear, which is a clear demonstration of not knowing Him, but a deep trust, or faith, a committed conviction to follow in the footsteps of our Rabbi and to do as He does and speaks. If we truly desire a crown of wisdom in the godly things that lead to peace and soundness of health, then we must do as Jesus would have us to do. What are these things. To love God and to love our neighbor. To do as Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians: Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32) Living a Christian life is a life focused on Him and not the ways of this world. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 9, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Joseph the Hesychast

November 8, 2024

TO 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

This life on this earth is temporary. It is also filled with many things that can beat us down, if we let them. As followers of Christ, we know that we can count on Him to meet our every need. He can give us peace and contentment to carry us through every event. He strengthens us to fight the good fight. Glory be to God!

November 7, 2024

FEAR OF THE LORD

Sirach 1:10-11

The fear of the Lord will cheer the heart
And will give gladness, joy, and long life.
For those who fear the Lord, it shall be well to the utmost,
And on the day of his death, he will be blessed.

Personal Challenge

There is no person, organization, or thing in this earth that we need to fear. If we put our trust, our faith, a godly fear and respect in our Lord, then He will cheer our heart, give us gladness, joy, and long life, and our lives will be blessed. However, this also means that we will strive to do His will and live His ways, which may cause earthly hardships for us, for we are no longer of this world, but in it as his ambassadors. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner!

November 6, 2024

MEDIATE 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.

Personal Challenge

So often in our lives, things do not go the way that we would like them to. Sometimes, it even looks like things do not go the way that God wants them to. We must remember that we still live in a fallen world and a world where free will can still take us in directions away from God. Paul reminds that if we want the peace of God in our lives then we must think on the good things of God. Glory be to God!

November 4, 2024

EXALTED AND GLORIFIED

Wisdom of Solomon 19:22

For in everything, O Lord, You have exalted and glorified Your people,
And have not neglected to be present with them in every time and place.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the history of mankind, God has honored the people of His covenants. He has continually exalted and glorified them in His heavenly realm, and He will continue to do so throughout eternity. If we are His followers, we need to look for His rewards in His kingdom and not the kingdom of this earth. Glory be to God!

November 3, 2024

REJOICE AND BE AT PEACE

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.

Command with a Promise

We are told to rejoice in our Lord always, let our gentleness be known to all people, be anxious about nothing, pray in thanksgiving, and let our requests be made known to God. This is almost in the form of command, a directive. What happens when we do this? The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. That is the promise that comes with this command. Glory be to God!

November 2, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Hilary of Poitiers

November 1, 2024

KNOWING GOD

Wisdom of Solomon 15:1-3

But You, our God, are kind, true, patient,
And govern all things in mercy.
For even if we sin, we belong to You and know Your might;
But we will not sin,
Because we know that we are counted as belonging to You.
For to know You is complete righteousness,
And to know Your might is the root of immortality.

Personal Challenge

Our God is so good. He is kind, true, patient, and merciful. He knows us better than we even know ourselves and yet He still loves us. If we truly believe this, we will strive to not sin and offend Him. But once again, He loves us so much, He will forgive those sins and count us as belonging to Him. Glory be to God!

October 31,2024

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.

Personal Challenge

As long as we reside here on earth in our temporal bodies, our journey of theosis will never be done. We must continually press on to the goal of being like Christ, following closely in His footsteps. Part of doing this is forgetting that which we have left behind and reaching forward to that which is ahead. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 30, 2024

IN ALL THINGS

Wisdom of Solomon 12:1-2

For Your immortal Spirit is in all things.
For this reason You correct little by little those who fall away,
And You remind and warn them of the sins they commit
So they may be freed from evil and believe in You, O Lord.

Encouraging Words

The Spirit of God is in all things. That is indeed possible because God is the creator and sustainer of all things, past, present, and future. Because of this, God can use all things to provide guidance for us to draw closer to Him, to correct us when we miss the mark, and free us from the evil of this fallen world. Sometimes our free will gets in the way, but He is patient. Glory be to God!

October 29, 2024

ALL EARTHLY THINGS AS RUBBISH

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

Paul had a lot going for him before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He was educated in the best circles. He was well to do, especially since he was a Roman citizen. He was a leader in his church. And yet, he calls all of that rubbish compared to his new life in Christ. Are we willing to give up everything for Christ? Am I? Do we find everything in Christ, or do we look to ourselves, our jobs, our political leaders, or everything but Christ? Only in Christ will we find eternal life, resurrection from our death. Only in Christ will we find righteousness. There is a price though for these blessings. We must be willing to count all earthly things as rubbish and seek after Him. Glory be to God!

October 28, 2024

KINSHIP WITH WISDOM

Wisdom of Solomon 8:17-20

When I considered these things within myself
And thought about them in my heart,
That in kinship with wisdom there is immortality,
And in friendship with her there is good pleasure,
And in the labors of her hands there is unfailing wealth,
And in the shared training of her company there is discernment,
And in the fellowship of her words there is good repute—
Thus I searched about that I might take her for myself.
As a child I was good by nature and received a good soul;
And much more, since I was good,
I entered an undefiled body.

Encouraging Words

The apocryphal book, Wisdom of Solomon, is such a powerful addition to the Old Testament. It is such a shame that so many Christians have never had the opportunity to read this book. As a reminder, Jesus is the Wisdom that the entire Old Testament refers to. We are in kinship with this Wisdom, when we choose to follow Christ. This passage points out some of the benefits of this kinship. Immortality. Good pleasure in His friendship. Unfailing heavenly wealth from our godly labors. Discernment through His training. Good repute in the fellowship of His words. An undefiled body. Who would not want this. Glory be to God!

October 27, 2024

WITHOUT FAULT

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

So, we are to be found as children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. How do we do that? We start by doing all things without complaining and disputing. Well, we are failing at that if we are participating in the divisive and demeaning practices that we see in our political culture today. We are to shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life. We really must look at our lives and determine to live for Christ the way that He would have us live. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 26, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Macarius the Great

October 25, 2024

VIRTUES

Wisdom of Solomon 8:7

If anyone loves righteousness,
The products of righteousness are the virtues.
For wisdom teaches self-control, discernment, righteousness and courage,
Concerning which things there is nothing more valuable in the life of man.

Personal Challenge

Wisdom, i.e. Jesus Christ teaches us that some of the virtues that are important to Him are self-control, discernment, righteousness, and courage. He reminds us that there is nothing more valuable in our earthly life than these virtues. How have we, the people who proclaim to be followers of Christ, come to this place where we flush these values down the drain for a political mindset that thumbs its nose at these virtues? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 22, 2024

WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT

Wisdom of Solomon 8:5-6

Now if riches are a possession to be desired in life,
What is richer than wisdom, who works all things?
And if discernment shows itself in action,
Who more than wisdom is its craftsman?

Encouraging Words

What is richer than wisdom? Nothing, when wisdom is Jesus! Wisdom works all things in our lives. And who, again, is wisdom? Jesus Christ is wisdom. He, as wisdom, is the craftsman of discernment. How encouraging it is to know that Jesus has us in His arms. Glory be to God!

October 21, 2024

IN OUR RIGHT MIND

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

This passage starts off with a very critical statement. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." If we are truly following in the footsteps of Christ, then not only will our hearts of stone be replaced with hearts of flesh, but our minds will be conformed to the mind of Christ. Is this evident in how we think, talk, and act? If not, then it is time for a reset. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 20, 2024

WISDOM

Wisdom of Solomon 7:22-23

So in herself, wisdom is a spirit that is rational,
Holy, only-begotten, manifold, subtle, easily moved, clear,
Undefiled, manifest, invulnerable, loving what is good, keen,
Unhindered, beneficent, man-loving, steadfast, unfailing,
Free from worry, all-powerful, all-surveying,
And penetrating all spirits that are rational, pure, and most subtle.

Encouraging Words

These two verses really highlight how wisdom in the Old Testament is the representation of Jesus Christ. Glory be to God!

October 19, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. John Climacus

October 18, 2024

BEING LIKE-MINDED

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

As modern, self-reliant and self-sufficient people, we have lost the importance of the community that we are in. This especially applies to the church. We have grown so comfortable with the diverse denominations and that which divides us that we have forgotten this expectation to be like-minded with our other brothers and sisters in Christ. Do we want any consolation in Christ, comfort of love, fellowship of the Spirit, affection, and mercy? If so, then we must be like-minded having the same love that is centered on Christ and be of one accord and mind with all believers. As true Christians, we cannot be loners. Glory be to God!

October 17, 2024

WISDOM

Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16

Wisdom is radiant and unfading

And is easily perceived by those who love her;
For she is found by those who seek her.
She comes upon those who long to know her beforehand.
He who rises early in the morning to seek her
Will not grow weary,
For he will find her sitting at his gates.
For to think deeply about her
Is the perfection of discernment,
And he who keeps watch for her
Will soon be free from worry;
Because she goes about seeking those worthy of her,
And she appears to them favorably in their paths
And meets them in every thought.

Encouraging Words

Our early church fathers taught that the references to wisdom in the Old Testament were references to Jesus. Reading this passage with that in mind really shows the truth of their teaching.

Jesus is radiant and unfading
And is easily perceived by those who love Him;
For He is found by those who seek Him.
He comes upon those who long to know Him beforehand.
He who rises early in the morning to seek Him
Will not grow weary,
For he will find Him sitting at his gates.
For to think deeply about Him
Is the perfection of discernment,
And he who keeps watch for Him
Will soon be free from worry;
Because He goes about seeking those worthy of Him,
And He appears to them favorably in their paths
And meets them in every thought.

Glory be to God!

October 15, 2024

WORTHY CONDUCT

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

We have been given the gospel of Christ, the Good News, for all of mankind. It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to live lives that demonstrate a conduct that is worthy of that gospel. We cannot live dualistic lives, behaving one way on Sunday and another the other six days of the week. This means standing in one spirit with all Christians, regardless of how they worship, having one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. We cannot be terrified by our adversaries. Yes, we will suffer in this fallen world for living this way, but Jesus gave His all for us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 14, 2024

GIVE EAR!

Wisdom of Solomon 6:1-3

Listen therefore, O kings, and understand;
Learn, O judges of the ends of the earth.
Give ear, you that rule over multitudes,
And take pride in yourself over a multitude of nations.
For power was given to you from the Lord,
And your lordship from the Most High,
Who will make a careful search of your works
And examine closely your plans.

Personal Challenge

In days long passed, leadership of nations came in the form of kings and lords. People had no choice in who would rule over them. In those days, scriptures such as this one were so necessary to remind those leaders that they were in their roles because God allowed them to be and that they would be eternally accountable for how they exercised that role. Listen! Understand! Learn! Give ear! These are active reminders to those leaders to seek God's guidance and then to adhere to it. Today, we, the common people, have the ability to select our leaders. This charge to listen, understand, learn, and give ear applies to us to make the right choice. We must choose to vote according to the golden rule, the beatitudes, and all the other teachings of our Christian heritage. These teachings do not advocate rounding up our enemies, casting out the foreigner amongst us, advocating violence against others, or lying to get what we want. It is time for us to wake up and to listen, understand, learn, and give ear to the truth of God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 13, 2024

LIFE OR DEATH

Philippians 1:21

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

Personal Challenge

One of the beautiful things that I have come to appreciate about the Eastern Orthodox faith practice is the acceptance and veneration of the saints of Christianity. We are not alone in our journey to theosis, or being in the image of Christ. We have recognized saints and patriarchs that go all the way back to Adam and Eve who have demonstrated for us how to live our lives for our God. Paul's proclamation here is such a powerful reminder that whether I continue to live my life here on earth or God chooses to take me home to heaven to be with Him, all is for gain, if I am always focused on Him. With this mindset there is nothing to fear about death. Glory be to God!

October 12, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Gregory of Nyssa

October 11, 2024

OUR REWARD

Wisdom of Solomon 5:15-16

But the righteous live forever,
And their reward is with the Lord;
And their care is by the Most High.
Therefore they shall receive a kingly dwelling of dignity
And a crown of beauty from the hand of the Lord,
Because He will shelter them with His right hand
And protect them with His arm.

Encouraging Words

Living a life for Christ gives us blessings that far exceed our time here on earth in our temporal bodies. We must always remember that our journey goes on through the remainder of eternity and that the choices we make on this side of eternity do have an impact on our heavenly future. Now is the time to be pursuing Christlikeness and His righteousness. Glory be to God!

October 10, 2024

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

In all that we do, we are to be proclaiming or preaching Christ. In most cases, it is our behavior that preaches the loudest. This is our personal challenge, to be living our lives in such a way as to glorify God. We also need to recognize, as Paul did, that sometimes others preach Christ differently than we do and that we should take joy in that because Christ is still being preached Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 9,2024

GRAY HAIR AND MATURITY

Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-9

But though a righteous man may die before his time,
He shall be at rest.
For old age is not honored for its length of existence,
Nor measured by its number of years;
But discernment is gray hair for mankind,
And a spotless life is the maturity of old age.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the entire history of mankind, we have spent so much time and wealth looking for that allusive fountain of youth. People do all kinds of things to stay forever young. Here is a reminder of the beautiful and glorious aspects of old age. With gray hair comes discernment, due to the many experiences of a long-lived life. With maturity of old age, if we have grown in our relationship with God, our life becomes more spotless and purer, in Him. Glory be to God!

October 8, 2024

COMPLETION OF THE GOOD WORK

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

This set of verses from Paul, written first to the people of Philippi, and secondly to all of the followers of Christ that have the opportunity to read this letter, is such a blessing to us. I specifically call out verse six because of the power in that verse as it relates to each of us individually and collectively. When we answered the call of Jesus to follow Him, He began a work of transforming us into an image of Him. He will never abandon that work, no matter how much we resist. He will continue working within us until we are mirrors of Him to the needy world around us. Why resist? Glory be to God!

October 7, 2024

VIRTUE

Wisdom of Solomon 4:2

When virtue is present, people imitate it,
And when it goes away, they long for it.
Throughout one’s lifetime,
Virtue leads the struggle for undefiled prizes,
Wearing a crown and conquering.

Personal Challenge

What a beautiful explanation of virtue. It is such a shame that we live in a day where virtue is no longer present, especially amongst so many of our political leaders. It has become acceptable to lie, cheat, steal, verbally abuse everyone that disagrees with us, and commit many other forms of debauchery, without any remorse. We must all proclaim, "Lord, have mercy!", and seek our Father's forgiveness for falling in line behind those who perpetrate these acts. Let us, those who proclaim to be followers of Christ, seek His forgiveness and pursue those virtues that glorify Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 6, - 2024

GRACE AND PEACE

Philippians 1:2

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

Encouraging Words

Paul often started off his letters to the first century churches with greetings like this one. We must also remember that by the grace of God, these letters are also written to us. He is calling upon our God to give us grace and peace as we read through this letter. What a joy to know that this 2000-year-old greeting is still called for us. Glory be to God!

October 5, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

October 4, 2024

TRUST AND TRUTH

Wisdom of Solomon 3:9

Those who trust in Him will understand truth,
And the faithful shall continue with Him in love,
Because grace and mercy are upon His elect.

Personal Challenge

Real truth comes from the right entity that we put our trust in. If we desire to receive godly, righteous truth, then we must put our trust in God, the only source of this kind of truth. If we put our trust in men who proclaim their tainted version of the truth, then all that we receive is corrupted truth, lies painted to look like the truth. The same goes for organizations or parties or institutions that pander unfounded, ungodly lies painted as the truth. True truth only comes from God. Lord, have mercy!

October 3, 2024

BE STRONG... AND STAND

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—

Encouraging Words

This passage stands on its own and needs no additional commentary. We are commanded to be strong in our faithful commitment to our Lord and to stand in the breach of the spiritual battle that rages on around us. The encouraging part is that God gives all the battle gear that we need to wage this war. Glory be to God!

October 2, 2024

SINCERITY OF HEART

Wisdom of Solomon 1:1-2

Love righteousness, you who judge on the earth.
Think about the Lord in goodness
And seek Him with sincerity of heart;
Because He is found by those who do not tempt Him,
And He is manifest to those who do not disbelieve Him.

Personal Challenge

We are told here to love righteousness and to think about the Lord. Neither of these actions have any value unless they are done in goodness and in sincerity of heart. Our Lord appreciates our actions that we do for Him, but He always looks at the state of our heart to determine the intentions behind Those actions. By living this way and believing in Him. we will find Him in our lives, and He will be manifested there. Glory be to God!

September 30, 2024

OBEDIENCE

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

In the book of Ephesians, Paul goes through various relationships and lays out clear guidelines on how we are to behave in them from a godly perspective. Husbands and wives. Parents and children. Subordinates to their superiors, which is this passage. As subordinates we are to be obedient with sincerity of heart as if we were giving that obedience to Jesus. This means doing the will of God in that obedience. It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to emulate him in thins, and all other relationships. By doing this, we will glorify God and spread the good news of His kingdom. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

September 29, 2024

THE WHOLE MAN

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God
And keep His commandments,
For this is the whole man.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including everything that has been overlooked,

Whether it be good or evil.

Personal Challenge

We can hide nothing from God, so why even try? God knows all that we do and think, and He still loves us. Amazing! So, what are we to do? We are to fear Him, which does not mean to shrink away from Him as if He will squish us like an ant. It means to show Him the respect and awe that He is due. In that fear, keep His commandments. What are those commandments? To love God and to love our neighbor. Who is our neighbor? Everyone! Glory be to God!

September 28, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Joseph the Hesychast

September 27, 2024

RAISING OUR CHILDREN

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

Paul gives us guidance in Ephesians on how to live in our relationships as husbands and wives as well as how to treat our children. His admonitions are directed mostly to us men as husbands and fathers. Our responsibilities as fathers goes far beyond just being good providers. We must learn to not provoke our children to wrath but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. We sometimes fail at this, and it is in these times that we teach our children the lesson of repentance and forgiveness by apologizing to them and asking for their forgiveness when we do the provoking and forgiveness when they do the provoking. Lord Jesus Christ, Sof God, have mercy on me, the sinner!