January 29, 2018

FRUIT

Proverbs 23:18

For if you keep these words, you shall have offspring,
And your hope will not depart from you.

Encouraging words

We are encouraged by the author of the proverbs to hold on to the words that are given to us by Wisdom, our Lord. As we take these words, these teachings, into our hearts, they will produce fruit in the form of the virtues and our hope in the Lord will grow deeper. Glory be to God!

January 28, 2018

LOVING GOD

John 14:15-17
If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Personal Challenge

Jesus promised to make the Holy Spirit, the Helper, available to each one of us that are baptized into Him. The Helper is within us and always present to guide us through our daily life, We can quench Him by ignoring Him and doing what our stubborn will tells us to do, but that does not remove Him from our lives. We can choose to listen to Him and yield our wills to His and we will see His greatness in our lives. Once again, God gives us the choice to yield to Him or to hold on to our earthly ways and live for us. As Jesus started off this passage, He reminds us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Yielding to the Holy Spirit and following His leading is one of those commandments. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

January 27, 2018

Saint of the Week

St. Macarius of Optina

January 26, 2018

MY EZER KINEGDO

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

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.

Encouraging Words

What an appropriate passage to be presented on this day, the day that I celebrated my 10th anniversary with my lovely bride. I have so much that I can praise my Lord for, but she is truly a special blessing that our God has filled my life with. God is so good to us if we will just take the time to step aside and let Him be the master of our lives. He knows our needs and will supply them in the ways that are best for us. Happy Anniversary to my very precious Laura, my ezer kinegdo! Glory be to God!

January 25, 2018

ESTABLISH YOUR HEART

Proverbs 22:17-19 (22:20-22 LXX)

Incline your ear to the words of the wise and hear my word,
And establish your heart, that you may know they are good.
And if you apply them to your heart,
They will gladden you and at the same time be upon your lips;
That your hope might be in the Lord,
And His way might be known to you.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to adhere to the modern way of thinking and beliefs that we can be independent of everything and everyone as we live our lives centered on ourselves. However, if we desire to live godly lives, we must shift our focus from self-centeredness to a focus on our God who is the source of life and wisdom. This is the only way to establish our heart on a path to righteousness and godliness. It is never about me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

January 24, 2018

BELIEF IN HIM

John 14:12

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Encouraging Words

Jesus did many amazing things while He was incarnate here on earth. He healed many, raised people from the dead, fed the hungry, walked on water, and returned alive from the grave. And yet He told us that if we believe in Him, then we would do greater things than He did. In the history of the early church, these greater things did happen. People were healed of many sicknesses, some were brought back to life, and the church was spread all across the known world. So, why is this not happening today? The answer lies in Jesus' own hometown. Elsewhere in the scriptures, we are told that He was not able to perform miracles in His own hometown due to the disbelief of His neighbors. We live in an age of disbelief. We live in an age when so many, even many participating in churches, do not believe in God, Jesus, or the power that they have to work through us. It is our own disbelief that has fettered us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

January 23, 2018

NEARNESS THROUGH FAITH

Psalms 145:18 (144:18 LXX)

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

Encouraging Words

So, the Psalmist promises us that the Lord is near to those who call upon Him. That is good news, especially in times of need. But, there is a little caveat here. We need to seek upon Him in truth. What does that mean? The original text would have used faith rather than truth. We must call upon God with a spirit of faith if we want Him to be near us, or better yet if we want our eyes and minds to be opened to seeing Him since He is always near to us. This is why Jesus could say to so many that He healed, "Your faith has made you whole." Glory be to God!