November 15, 2017

A VIRTUOUS LIFE

Proverbs 16:1

All the works of the humble are evident before the Lord,
But the ungodly will be destroyed in the evil day.

Personal Challenge

The early church fathers believed that humility was living a life of virtue. What are these virtues? They are chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, and kindness. As we strive to live these virtues in our lives we build the ability to exercise the virtue of humility. If we chose the way of the world, which is lust, gluttony, greed, acedia, anger, and vanity then we produce pride in our lives and build a wall between us and our Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 14, 2017

FULLY GOD, FULLY HUMAN

John 5:30

I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

Personal Challenge

So, how is it that Jesus, who is one of the Trinity, say that He can do nothing by Himself? We must always remember that Jesus is two natures in one person. He had two natures. He is fully God, a member of the God-head, begotten by the Father and fully eternal. It is through Him that creation was done and in His image that all of mankind was made. He is also fully man, just like the handiwork of His creation, incarnate, and living a human existence like every one of us has done since Adam. He had to deal with human temptations, human emotions, and a human will. This is what He is referring to when He says, "I can of Myself do nothing." As a human being, He had to submit His human will completely to God's divine will in order to do that which God had called Him to do. How does this fully human, fully God thing work? No one knows, for it is truly a mystery that only God knows the answer to. What is so special in all of this is that Jesus, the incarnate human being, made it possible for us to follow in His footsteps and to be able to submit our will to God as He did. This is our journey to theosis. This is our true work in this life. This is my desire even though I continue to exercise my own personal will all too often. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 13, 2017

LIKE A CHILD

Psalms 119:130 (118:130 LXX)

The revelation of Your words gives light,
And it causes children to understand.

Personal Challenge

Throughout the New Testament writings, we are taught that we must come to our Lord as little children in order to get all that He has to offer us. Children are innocent. They are open and trusting. They receive input more than they produce output. Here we have the Psalmist saying the same thing. God continually pours out His light upon us. He reveals Himself to us this way. But if we are so caught up in the ways of the world, the busyness of our lives, and our propensity to being in control, then that light goes right past us and we gain nothing. We must humble ourselves and be as a child in His presence, emptying ourselves of our adultness so that we can be receptive to the revelation that He desires us to have. This is a lifelong endeavor and not a point in time action. As St. Paul tells us, we are running a marathon and not a sprint. Our true pursuit of our Land Jesus Christ becomes a pursuit of humility, supplication, submission, and obedience to Him who is greater than all. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner especially the sin of pride and self-centeredness.

November 12, 2017

INSTRUCTION AND WISDOM

Proverbs 15:32-33 (15:37-38 LXX)

He who rejects instruction hates himself,
But he who gives heed to reproofs loves his soul.
The fear of God is instruction and wisdom,
And the beginning of glory will respond to it.

Personal Challenge

Instruction, discipline, correction, reproof and other similar terms are all used in the Proverbs to teach us that we must joyfully accept these things in our lives if we desire to grow in the image of Christ. Since we live in a fallen and broken world it is so easy to turn away from our God and to embrace the things of this world, In doing so, we sin. God desires that we be in constant communion with Him, so He corrects our sinfulness in order to bring us back to Him, just as a parent corrects their child to teach them the right way to behave. We are so blessed that our God loves us so much and that His corrections are always from that love, As we heed the discipline of our Father we begin to see and understand His wisdom and the wisdom that He desires us to have. This is part of our journey towards His glory. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 11, 2017

Saint of the Week

St. Mark the Ascetic

November 9, 2017

HEARING, BELIEVING, LIVING

John 5:24

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Encouraging Words

Jesus makes it clear to us in this verse that He and His Father are inseparable. The gift of everlasting life comes from hearing the word of Jesus and through that word believing in the Father. Our salvation is not in Jesus alone, or the Father alone, or the Holy Spirit alone, but in all three of them, the Trinity. Jesus also makes it clear that our everlasting life, our passing from death to life, begins that very moment that we believe in the Father who sent Him. We do not have to wait for our death to enter everlasting life. This is why our sinning after we become children of God is something that needs to be dealt with and repented of. Sin pulls is away from the presence of God and the blessings of eternal life that He wants to pour out upon us as we continue our journey through this temporal world. This is where the Holy Spirit comes into the picture, He is part of our lives to lead us in paths of righteousness and to turn our head and heart away from the temptations of the world. But we must listen to Him as well. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

November 8, 2017

GOD'S LIGHT

Psalms 119:105 (118:105 LXX)

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my paths.

Encouraging Words

Why spend time reading God's scriptures and the teachings of the Saints? Because they are provided by God to give us His uncreated light to illumine our journey through life and to help us to become more like His Son. We are not alone on this journey. Glory be to God!