August 29, 2024

HEAR

Proverbs 19:20

Hear, my son, the instruction of your father,
That you may become wise in your last days.

Personal Challenge

In our modern, self-centered culture, we have lost the practice of listening to our elders and learning from their wisdom. In the workforce we are seeing ageism raise its ugly head. In our families we are seeing parents and grandparents isolated because their opinions appear outdated our contrary to current opinions. If we want to become wise in our last days, it behooves us to spend time with our elders, loving them, thanking them, and listening to them so that we can learn from the past. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

August 28, 2024

BOASTING IN CHRIST

Galatians 6:14

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Personal Challenge

Am I able to make a claim like this one that Paul made in His letter to the church in Galatia? Can I truly claim that I have crucified the worldly part of me on the cross of Jesus? If only I could! I have so far to go in my journey of theosis. I am truly blessed that my God is so patient, merciful, and loving. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

August 27, 2024

RUN TO THE NAME OF THE LORD

Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is of great strength,
And when the righteous run to it, they are exalted.

Encouraging Words

There is power in words. Sometimes that power is positive and sometimes it is negative. In our culture today, we have mastered the use of words in a negative way. We tear down the other person. We profess lies and call them the truth. We are coercive and manipulative. As followers of Christ, we are called to be countercultural, even to the point of martyrdom. The place to start with this is to run to the name of the Lord, to do and say everything His way. Then we will see Him exalt us into His kingdom here on earth. Glory be to God!

August 26, 2024

DOING GOOD

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Personal Challenge

We are not saved by the works that we do because our salvation is a gift that only God can give us. Our works, or doing good things for God, come from our sense of gratitude for all that He has done for us. Doing these kinds of works never cause us to be weary because He gives us strength until that day when the harvest is reaped. Glory be to God!

August 25, 2024

ASK

Proverbs 17:28 (17:30)

Wisdom shall be imputed to a man without understanding who asks for wisdom,
And anyone who holds his peace will seem to have discernment.

Personal Challenge

I truly believe that we all desire to have wisdom. True wisdom only comes from God. Since we are created in the image of God, it makes sense that we desire to have the wisdom that comes from Him. The act of asking Him for wisdom sincerely shows that we are willing to humble ourselves before Him and seek His blessing of wisdom. Glory be to God.

August 24, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Nektarios the Wonderworker of Aegina

August 23, 2024

RESTORATION

Galatians 6:1-5

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.

Personal Challenge

We are not alone in our journey through life, especially our spiritual journey. We live and thrive in community with one another. We are seeing more and more in our culture people being just plain mean and nasty to one another. We cannot claim to be followers of Christ and behave this way. We must treat others with a spirit of gentleness, bearing one another's burdens, and loving our neighbor. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

August 22, 2024

INTELLIGENCE AND DISCERNMENT

Proverbs 17:27 (17:29)

He who refrains from uttering a harsh word is intelligent,
And a longsuffering man has discernment.

Personal Challenge

I love how the Proverbs always cut to the chase. If we keep from uttering harsh words, either verbally or on the keyboard, we are intelligent. If we are longsuffering with all those who are in our live, especially those who drive us crazy, then we have discernment. It couldn't get any more succinct than that. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy!

August 21,2024

WALK IN THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:24-26

And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Personal Challenge

Do we really want to live a godly, righteous life? It is one thing to say that we do, and it is an entirely different thing to actually do it. To live a godly, righteous life, we must be willing to crucify our fleshly desires and passions on the cross of Christ. We must then desire to live our lives walking in the Spirit, yielding to His leading and not ignoring Him. We will need to avoid conceitedness, provocation, and envy. We must be so close to Jesus that we never lose sight of his footsteps to follow in. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

August 20, 2024

OUR FOUNDATION

Proverbs 17:14 (17:15)

The foundation of righteousness gives authority to words,
But discord and quarreling precede poverty.

Personal Challenge

What is the foundation of who we are? This is a question that we all need to ask ourselves on a regular basis. Is it based on discord and quarreling? Are we always trying to stir the pot or play the devil's advocate? Or is our foundation built on righteousness, which only comes from our Lord Jesus Christ? We have a choice. We can live our lives one of these two ways, each of which has their own consequences. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

August 15, 2024

THE FRUIT

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Encouraging Words

If we are followers of Christ blessed by baptism into His body, and anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit, then we have been given the fruit of the Spirit. It is up to us to pick this fruit, eat of it, and let it permeate our lives. What a glorious and life generating, fruit it is. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are all ours to claim and let us drive who we are. Glory be to God!

August 14, 2024

HOW IS YOUR HOUSE?

Proverbs 17:1

Better is a morsel with enjoyment in peace
Than a house full of many good things and unrighteous sacrifices with quarreling.

Personal Challenge

There are multiple passages in Proverbs that remind us of how important it is for us to live in peace with those in our household, especially our spouse. Peace does not come from stuff or numerous activities, including multiple religious activities, but from loving one another. Here is a prayer that I utter every day to help me focus on a peaceful relationship in my home. I may not get it right every day, but the foundation keeps getting referenced with this prayer.

Prayers for Married Persons

O Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for blessing our marriage through the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
When we stood together before Your Holy Altar, we invited You to come and bless us.
We claim Your Holy Presence in our marriage this day and every day.
You are the Source of Love.
Keep pouring Your love into us through the Holy Spirit.
Help us to stay close to You.
Help us to prefer one another in love,
To consider it a privilege to be able to serve one another
Until we see You face to face.
Help us to be kind to each other, tenderhearted,
Forgiving one another as You have forgiven us.
Never let the sun go down on our anger.
Grant us always to see our own faults
And not to judge each other.
Open our eyes to the best in each other.
Let patience reign supreme in our hearts.
Give us hope to brighten life,
And joy to lighten sorrow.
May our home be a haven where spiritual values are treasured and
Holy principles are modeled.
Gladden us with Your grace and peace that with one heart we may
Praise and glorify You.
Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

August 13, 2024

WALK IN THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:16

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Personal Challenge

So, how do we walk in the Spirit? We must begin by putting our fleshly passions and desires to death by laying them at the foot of the cross of Jesus. This is what He gave His life for. Then we strive to walk in the footsteps of Christ, doing things that He would do, thinking like Him, loving God and our neighbor. A righteous Christian life comes through continual action, always moving toward God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

August 12, 2024

PATIENT AND TEMPERATE

Proverbs 16:32 (16:30)

A patient man is better than a strong man,
And he who controls his temper is better than he who captures a city.

Personal Challenge

If I have learned anything during my life as a follower ·of Christ, it is to never pray for patience or humility. It is far better to work on those characteristics on a regular basis, trying to be like Christ rather than being forced into them by being the opposite. So many people view patience as a weakness when it is truly a sign of strength. Patience also guides us through dealing with and controlling our temper. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

August 11, 2024

CALLED TO LIBERTY

Galatians 5:13

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Personal Challenge

As followers of Christ, we have been set free from the restraints of the law. We have been called to a life of liberty in Christ. This also means that we must choose to not use this liberty to feed the desires and passions of our flesh, but to use it to glorify and edify Christ. We do this by serving one another in His love. Glory be to God!

August 10, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

August 9, 2024

MOST BLESSED

Proverbs 16:20 (16:18)

A man wise in his deeds is a discoverer of good things,
But he who trusts in God is the most blessed.

Personal Challenge

It is one thing to say that I believe in God, but it is entirely a different thing to put my trust in Him. The former will give us an awareness and an appreciation of God but even the demons believe in God. Putting my trust in God is the true test of whether or not I am truly His follower. Sometimes He will lead me to places that I would not go on my own. Do I trust Him enough to follow Him there? Am I willing to give over my free will to His divine will in order to be most blessed by Him? Glory be to God!

August 8, 2024

FREE IN CHRIST

Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Encouraging Words

God established the law in His first covenant to highlight for mankind their sinfulness and need for redemption. What did we do with it? Rather than see it as a way to see our God and His love for us, we made it so burdensome that it became divisive and even separated us from God. Jesus came from heaven, became one of us, and totally fulfilled the law rendering it unnecessary from then on. Jesus set us free from the law and gave us a new covenant based on love. We must stand fast on this love and the freedom that it brings and not get entangled in the bondage of the fulfilled law. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

August 7, 2024

AVOIDING A FALL

Proverbs 16:18 (16:16)

Arrogance goes before destruction
And folly before a fall.

Personal Challenge

I believe that most of us have heard this verse one way or another. The one that I am most familiar with is, "Pride goes before a fall.". So, how do we prevent a fall or destruction in our lives? It all comes back to humility. If we strive to live humble, righteous lives, we will be able to fend off arrogance and folly. This is not however, a one and done event. We must continually be working on our humility and righteousness, repenting every time that we fail, and pursuing Christlikeness at all times, and in all situations. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

August 6, 2024

"ABBA, FATHER!"

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Encouraging Words

Because of whom Jesus is, fully God and fully man, and what He did through being born a human, living a sinless life, going to the cross for sinners, defeating death, and being resurrected, we can become adopted sons and daughters into the family of God. We can cry out to Him saying, "Abba, Father!". This is the most intimate way possible to call out to Him. Through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we are no longer slaves but adopted children into the kingdom of God. Glory to Him!

August 5, 2024

SEEKING GOD

Proverbs 16:7 (16:4)

He who seeks the Lord will find knowledge with righteousness,
And those who seek Him rightly will find peace.

Encouraging Words

Our God is not some sneaky, elusive entity that likes to play hide and seek with people. He is always present in a way that no one can say that they cannot find Him. He is always present, everywhere. If we truly seek Him, we will find knowledge with righteousness. If we seek him rightly, we will find peace. Glory be to God!

August 4, 2024

ALL ONE

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

I have been awestruck and extremely disappointed in this year's political climate as to just how prejudiced our country still is. The saddest part of this has been to see so many people and groups that proclaim to be Christians as part of the forefront of this prejudice. Jesus was by no means biased, prejudiced, racist, or sexist. He lovingly received everyone into His arms. Paul continues this love of Jesus by telling us that we are all one in Christ. We cannot combine a commentary of prejudice and a proclamation of Christianity in the same message without truly being heretics. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

August 3, 2024

Saint of the Week

St. Ephraim the Syrian

August 2, 2024

LIVING A GOOD WAY

Proverbs 16:3

The beginning of a good way is to do righteous things,
And this is more acceptable to God than to offer sacrifices.

Personal Challenge

I believe we all desire to have our lives run in a good way, a way that is smooth, free of upsets and edifying to those around us. This desire is part of our being created in the image of God. So, what can we do to have our lives play out this way? We can choose to do righteous things to make choices that glorify God and then act upon those choices. And when we make mistakes in our actions and do unrighteous things, return quickly to Him with repentant hearts and get back on His path. This is more acceptable to Him than sacrifices or lip service. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

August 1, 2024

PUTTING ON CHRIST

Galatians 3:26-27

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Encouraging Words

What a wonderful statement of who we are after we have been baptized into Christ. We have put on Christ. We have taken off our old garments of the sinful nature and its resulting death and replaced them with garment of Christ, Himself, making us sons and daughters of God. Glory be to God!