October 22, 2017

TURNING THE ORDINARY INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY

John 2:9-10

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

Encouraging Words

Jesus had not yet started His ministry here on earth when He and His mother were participating in a wedding. Most likely this would have been the wedding of a family member or a close friend since Mary was so actively involved in the affairs of the host. What is so powerful about this is that Jesus chose this opportunity to perform His first miracle and also chose to take something everyday and ordinary such as water and turn it into the best wine that anyone there had ever tasted. This is how Jesus works in our lives as His children. We are ordinary human beings and He turns us into saints. He takes the ordinary things that we do and turns them into miracles, He takes the ordinary things in our lives, like the tithes and offerings that we give to our churches and ministries and turns them into resources that build the kingdom of God. What a glorious opportunity for each of us to be used by God. Glory be to Him!

October 21, 2017

Saint of the Week

The Ladder of Divine Ascent

October 20, 2017

REFOCUSING

Psalms 119:2 (118:2 LXX)

Blessed are those who search out His testimonies;
They shall search for Him with their whole heart.

Encouraging Words

Doesn't everyone want to receive blessings? We are told here by the Psalmist that if we search out the teachings and testimonies of our Lord with our whole heart then we will receive blessings. This is not some kind of prosperity gospel. The Psalmist knows that the more time that we spend seeking God and the more that we get to know Him, the more that we realize that the only blessings from God that mean anything are those that relate to Him and our spiritual lives. The things of this world such as temporal wealth, fancy toys, big houses, etc., become nothing to us as we embrace the spiritual blessings that God pours out on us. What are those spiritual blessings? Immortality and living in God's Kingdom. His grace and mercy poured out upon us. Peace and love for those around us. Our attention shifts from being focused on ourselves to focus on Him. Glory be to God!

October 19, 2017

GODLY PERCEPTION

Proverbs 12:1

He who loves instruction loves perception,
But he who hates correction is without discernment.

Personal Challenge

The early church fathers believed that Godly perception or discernment was the crown of the virtues. We are informed by the writer of the Proverbs that perception comes through instruction. Instruction is not always learning something from a teacher. More often than not instruction comes through correction and discipline. It does not always feel good, but it does produce good results. The sign of a person growing in their relationship with God is a person who cherishes the challenges that life brings them and perceives them as opportunities for growth, opportunities to develop our theosis. No parent enjoys disciplining their child, but we do enjoy immensely seeing our children learn from their mistakes and their bad choices. God is no different in His relationship with His children, which is why He gives us correction and discipline when we sin. So, the moral of this proverb is not that we should be out doing things that are sinful so that we can receive Gods' discipline, but that we should cherish the discipline that we do receive, knowing that it is coming from our loving Father. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 18, 2017

RECEIVING CHRIST

John 1:12-13

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Encouraging Words

John makes it so clear that for those who receive the gift of salvation given to them by God through the incarnation of Jesus, they become children of God. Through Jesus and His work on the cross, we can be adopted into the family of God and take on the nature of Jesus. This act of receiving Jesus is so much more than just saying some prayer or walking up to the front of the church for an altar call. When we truly receive Jesus and choose to live our lives for Him, everything begins to change in our lives. We begin to feel uncomfortable in this world because it is no longer our home. We begin to feel ill at ease with the way the world functions and the expectations that the world has for us to participate in its ways. We begin to yearn for being in the presence of our God. However, just as Satan, in the form of the serpent was bent on causing Adam and Eve to sin and to fall away from their relationship with God, so too does he do everything in his power to pull us away from our relationship with God. We must choose, over and over again, consistently and persistently, to receive Christ and live for Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 17, 2017

REJOICE IN EVERY NEW DAY

Psalms 118:24 (117:24 LXX)

This is the day the Lord made;
Let us greatly rejoice, and be glad therein.

Encouraging Words

Every day, every breath, every beat of the heart is indeed a blessing from our living and loving God. This is indeed something to greatly rejoice about and to be glad therein. He has chosen us to be His blessed children. All we need to do is accept that and live under His loving wings. Glory be to God!

October 16, 2017

CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE

Proverbs 11:9 (11:10 LXX)

A man in need of discernment treats citizens with contempt,
But a man of discernment keeps quiet.

Personal Challenge

Once again the writer of the proverbs reminds us just how powerful the tongue can be. We are also reminded that the need for discernment and how the application of the proper discernment can make a major difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. In this case, that discernment informs us to keep our mouths shut so that we treat those around us with grace, even when there might be cause to call people out. We must always remember to think before we speak, or tweet, or instant message, or Facebook, and then act on that thinking by being quiet more often than we speak. Lord have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!