May 30, 2024

LOVE

1 Corinthians 13:1-8,13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Personal Challenge

This passage on love provides a very clear definition of the quality of love that is expected of a follower of Christ and the expectation to love our neighbor. If we find ourselves abandoning these qualities of love as we deal with the those who are migrants (illegal or illegal), those who are professing a different sexual orientation as expected, those who have aborted a child, or any other act that we disagree with, then we are not following in the footsteps of Christ. The same goes for if we are supporting and enabling people that abandon these qualities of love. If we want to see our world change to be more loving, caring, and Christ-like, then we most start by being more loving, caring, and Christ-like and supporting those who do the same. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner and lead me in your pathway of loving my neighbor!!

May 29, 2024

DO NOT FORGET

Proverbs 3:1-2

My son, do not forget my laws,
But let your heart keep my words;
For length of days, and years of life and peace
They will add to you.

Personal Challenge

So many who proclaim to be followers of Christ fail to do the things every day that make it possible to truly follow in the footsteps of Christ. We must do everything we can to not forget God, who He is, what He has done for us, and the precepts and laws that He has given us. We need to keep His words in our hearts, which means we need to be reading them. By doing these things we will have years of true peace and fullness of life. Glory be to God!

May 28, 2024

FOR THE PROFIT OF ALL

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Personal Challenge

The Christian life is a life lived in community. We cannot work out our salvation alone. We need others to love as our neighbor. We need others to show us where we have gone astray. We are all blessed with different spiritual gifts and the expectation is that we will use those gifts to build up the community that God has put us in. Glory be to God!

May 27, 2024

IF...

Proverbs 2:1-6

My son, if you receive the words of my commandment
And hide them within yourself,
Your ear will be obedient to wisdom,
And you will incline your heart to understanding;
You will entrust it to your son as an admonition.
For if he calls upon wisdom,
And you utter your voice for understanding;
If you seek perception with a strong voice,
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as treasure,
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom,
And from His face come knowledge and understanding;

Encouraging Words

God does not expect us to do anything to earn our passage to heaven. He gives it to us without asking for anything in return. He created this passage through His incarnate Son. He does offer to us so much more than this earthly life can offer, if we will only incline our heart to His understanding. Glory be to God!

May 26, 2024

TO THE GLORY OF GOD

1 Corinthians 10:31

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Personal Challenge

There is no room for sloppy, lackadaisical output in our lives. Whatever we do, whether it be build a spectacular edifice, or clean a bathroom, we are to do it as to the glory of God. This means that we live our lives with Him constantly in the forefront and the reason for our life. By glorifying God, we bless every person that we come into contact with. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have money on me, the sinner!

May 25, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Kosmos Aetolia

May 24, 2024

DO NOT BE ASHAMED

Proverbs 1:22

So long a time as the simple hold fast to righteousness,
They shall not be ashamed;

Personal Challenge

It is so important for us to realize that the way to righteousness in this earthly temporal life is to live humble and simple lives. This is so contradictory to the world's way of thinking that is always pressing us toward complexity and self-aggrandizement. If we choose to follow Christ and live a simple and humble life, we can better love our God and our neighbor. Living this way will eliminate the chance of ever being ashamed. Glory be to God!

May 23, 2024

SEEK THE WELL-BEING OF OTHERS

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being.

Personal Challenge

Jesus fulfilled the law of the Old Testament covenant. He ushered in a whole new law. That law is to love our God with all of our heart, mind, body, and spirit and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In essence this has made it "legal" for me to do anything that I want as long as these two expectations of loving are not violated. Where this leaves me is to determine if my choices, my actions, will be edifying to God and seeking the other's well-being or edifying to me and seeking my own. The latter is what draws me away from God and injures my brother. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

May 22, 2024

WISDOM IS ACTIVE

Proverbs 1:20-21a

Wisdom sings in the streets;
She moves boldly in the squares.
She preaches on high city walls
And sits at the gates of lords.

Encouraging Words

The early church taught that Wisdom in the Old Testament refers to Jesus, even though it is often referred to in a feminine context. Here we see Wisdom singing in the streets, moving about boldly in the squares of the city, preaching high on city walls, and sitting at the gates of lords. Wisdom is not idle. Wisdom is seeking those who will embrace her and let her permeate their lives. Wisdom is available to all of us who have a fear, or awe, for our God. Glory be to Him!

May 21, 2024

TAKE HEED

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Personal Challenge

Temptation is always present in our lives. Sometimes it is very apparent and visible. Sometimes it is hidden and sneaky. If we get over-confident in our way of following Christ, then we quickly become susceptible to being blindsided by an unexpected temptation. This is why we must take heed. The enemy never sleeps and desires to cause us to stumble and fall. We can claim the promise found in this passage. God is faithful. He never sleeps either and will always provide us with a way to escape every temptation. The challenge for us is to be seeking God and listening for His still, small voice that is providing us the guidance and help to beat the temptation. Glory be to God!

May 20, 2024

WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,
And there is good understanding in all who practice it;

Personal Challenge

I believe that we all desire to gain wisdom and understanding in our lives. Especially as it relates to spiritual things. That is part of our being created in the image of God and seeking to know Him. Here we see that the place to start on our journey to find spiritual wisdom is to fear God. This is not the kind of fear that one has regarding pending judgment or punishment. It is a respectful reverence for our God, an awe of His greatness and His love for us. As we embrace, and practice this godly fear, we gain His wisdom and understanding. Glory be to God!

May 19, 2024

COMPETE FOR THE PRIZE

1 Corinthians 9:25-27

And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Personal Challenge

Paul often uses sports metaphors to describe the Christian life. We are running a race. We are engaged in a fight. We are pursuing the imperishable crown. We must compete throughout our life here on earth so as to obtain the imperishable crown at the end of the race. We will stumble along the way. When we do, we get up and get back into the race. We will get tired or disillusioned, but we reconnect to our source of life and continue the race. We do all this because we love our God and know that He loves us so much more. Glory be to God!

May 18, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Augustine of Hippo

May 17, 2024

HEAR ME, O LORD

Job 42:4

But hear me, O Lord, that I also may speak.
I will ask You, and please teach Me.

Personal Challenge

Sometimes it feels like God has gone silent and no longer listening to our prayers. The truth is that He is always listening. Sometimes His response is to delay so that our hearts and minds can grow to be ready for His answer. We should always be willing to ask Him to teach us so that we can be growing in Him. Glory be to God!

May 16, 2024

RUN THE RACE

1 Corinthians 9:24

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

Personal Challenge

Life as a follower of Christ is a marathon. It is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, wins and losses. No matter how we look at it though, it is a race to the finish line. Paul encourages us to run the race, in a way to obtain the prize of then end, to give our all. Living this way gives us the opportunity to live without regrets. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

May 15, 2024

WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

Job 28:28

He said to man, ‘behold, the fear of God is wisdom,
And to abstain from evils is understanding.’”

Personal Challenge

Once again, we see the scripture turn the knowledge of mankind upside down. In our modern culture, and somewhat pervasive in the church, it is believed that wisdom and understanding comes from all the information that we take in. What is the latest podcast that I follow? Who is the latest church author that I have read? How many services have I attended? However, God tells us through Job, wisdom comes from our fear, or respect of God, and that understanding comes from abstaining from evils. This shifts the receipt of wisdom and knowledge from what I do to what God does. Glory be to God!

May 14, 2024

FOOD DOES NOT COMMEND OR CONDEMN

1 Corinthians 8:8

But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

Personal Challenge

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, we follow various disciplines with fasting. The objective is to use something that we all need, and rely on, to discipline our physical bodies in order to learn how to discipline our entire being, body, soul, and spirit. We must be very diligent to not let this practice become a stumbling block to us or our neighbor. For too often, people use their fasting rules to try to one up one another. This is when it becomes a sin. Food, or the practice of fasting from it, does not commend us to God nor interfere with our relationship with Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

May 13, 2024

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD

Job 1:21

“Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. As it seemed good to the Lord, so also it came to pass. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Personal Challenge

Life is tough. We can have so many things, both good and bad happen without us ever being ready for them. Sometimes the bad things can cut very deeply. Job provides one of the most visual examples of how life can very quickly turn on us. Job also teaches us that no matter how bad it gets, there is one thing that can never be taken away from us...our relationship with our God. The lives of the martyrs have shown this over and over. This verse in Job reminds us to look at life through the lens of eternity. Our time here on earth is such a small part of the eternity that we will spend with our God! If we look at the events that transpire in our lives as opportunities to get closer to our God, then the extent of both the good and the bad gets tempered greatly. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

May 12, 2024

MARTYRS FOR EACH OTHER

1 Corinthians 7:3-4

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

Personal Challenge

There are so many Christian faith practice that have this passage all wrong. They teach that the wife is submissive to the husband almost to the level of being a second-class part of the marriage relationship. In the Eastern Orthodox wedding ceremony, the bride and groom don crowns that are connected by a ribbon. These resemble the crowns of the king and the queen joined together to lead their family. At one point the priest switches the crowns back and forth, presumably symbolizing that their leadership is interchangeable. They are also charged to be martyrs for each other, just as Paul proclaims in this passage. Glory be to God!

May 11, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia

May 10, 2024

GOD HEALS US

Psalms 146:3

He heals the brokenhearted
And He binds up all their wounds.

Encouraging Words

Jesus tells us the parable of the lost sheep and how the shepherd will leave the other 99 sheep in order to seek out the lost one to bring it home. This paints a picture of how great God's love is for His children. This verse reminds us that God feels our broken heartedness and heals us. He knows of our wounds and binds them up for healing. He does this because He loves us. Glory be to God!

May 9, 2024

NOT OUR OWN

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Personal Challenge

We were created in the image of God. If we are a follower of Christ, then the Holy Spirit dwells within us. This makes it important for us to be cognizant of what we are doing with, and to, our bodies, for we are doing it to the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are no longer our own because Jesus bought us with His own life. So, even though we are no longer governed by then law, we choose to do what is lawful in order to glorify our Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

May 8, 2024

PRAISE THE LORD

Psalms 146:1-2 (145:1-2)

Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I shall praise the Lord while I live;
I shall sing to my God as long as I exist.

Personal Challenge

Life can get busy. It can be full of distractions. We have the opportunity, and privilege to praise our God for all the wondrous things He does in our lives. We must adopt the mindset of the psalmist and praise the Lord with our all, even to the depths of our soul. We are to praise Him with every breath of our life, as long as we exist. Praise His Holy name!

May 7, 2024

LAWFUL VERSUS HELPFUL

1 Corinthians 6:12

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Personal Challenge

More than once in my life, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I have had someone articulate that they were not interested in following Jesus because it would be a restrictive life. Paul teaches us here that because Jesus fulfilled the law and that He became the forgiveness of our sins, that there was no longer anything unlawful for us. The restrictions placed on us have been removed. However, as we walk in Christ's footsteps, learn from Him, and become more like Him, we understand that there are many things that we could do that are not helpful for us and therefore we choose to avoid them, especially when we know that they could easily overpower us and enslave vs. This is not restrictive; this is choosing to live an abundant life filled with true freedom. Glory be to God!

May 6, 2024

IN TRUTH

Psalms 145:18 (144:18)

The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

Personal Challenge

There is a little twist in this verse that tells us that the Lord is near to all who call on Him. We must call upon Him in truth. Whose truth? His truth. If we have made God out in our own special image, then we do not have one that we can call out to in God's truth. A sobering thought. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

May 5, 2024

WASHED, SANCTIFIED, AND JUSTIFIED

1 Corinthians 6:11

And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Encouraging Words

Our salvation is a process that lasts our entire life. It all starts with our baptism, which washes us clean of our sins through the power and work of Jesus Christ. Our sanctification comes through our chrismation of oil and the reception of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. The justification is the rest of our life living out our faith in Jesus Christ and doing His works. Glory be to God!

May 4, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. John Climacus

May 3, 2024

GOOD TO ALL

Psalms 145:8-9 (144:8-9)

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy.
The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are upon all His works.

Encouraging Words

God is the creator of all. He bestowed His image into all of mankind, whether they follow Him or not. Jesus gave His pure and perfect life for all of creation, and therefore all of mankind. That is why this passage reads so true for all of us. God is gracious and merciful, longsuffering, good to all, and constantly bestowing His blessings upon His creation. Glory be to God!

May 1, 2024

DO NOT JUDGE

1 Corinthians 5:12-13

For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

Personal Challenge

Somewhere in the modern history of the Western Church, we have come up with the belief that we have the right, if not the responsibility, to judge people both inside the body of believers and outside. Paul makes it clear that no believer has the right to judge the actions of non-believers. Only God has this right. We are commanded by Christ, himself, to love our neighbor, no matter what. We, as believers, are also taught that there are guidelines by which members of our community of believers are to be judged and that none of those guidelines give is permission to be independent judges. Our best, and only option, is to love everyone and let God be the judge. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

April 30, 2024

TO DO HIS WILL

Psalms 143:10 (142:10)

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God;
Your good Spirit shall guide me in the land of uprightness.

Personal Challenge

This is a prayer that we need to utter every day. We need God to teach us His will and to have the Holy Spirit to guide us in doing that will. It is so easy to circumvent God's will with our own and to push Him into the corner, all the while doing things that make it look like we are following Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!