July 27, 2021

RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

John 7:37-38

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to have rivers of living water flowing out of our hearts? Does this mean that we can continue to gossip about our neighbor? How about be mean to them or talk bad about them? Can we continue to be prejudiced, racist, sexist, derisive, or in any other way derogatory to our neighbor? Absolutely not! If we truly belong to Jesus and He has taken over our lives, then our hearts will only be able to pour out love for Him and our neighbor. It is time that we all take stock of our relationship with Him and abandon the things of this world-for the things of His world. We are no longer citizens in this world if we have come to Him and drunk from His well of life. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

July 26, 2021

TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

John 6:68-69

But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Personal Challenge

Sometimes we need to evaluate our lives and determine what is driving us day by day. What is behind our decisions? What is behind our desires? When confronted with the opportunity to leave Jesus as others had begun to, Peter responded that there is nowhere else to go and no one else to follow but Jesus. This is the question that we must answer. Is Jesus so important to us, so much the center of our lives, that we have no where else to go? If not, then it is time to rework our priorities. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

July 25, 2021

BREAD OF LIFE

John 6:35

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

Encouraging Words

Our every need in life can be met by our Lord. He is able to provide for those needs exactly in the way that will best take care of us. When we focus on our "wants", our desires, then we lose our satisfaction with the things that He gives us to meet our needs. This goes down to the very bread and water that He gives us to sustain physical life as well as eternal life. Glory be to God!

July 24, 2021

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

July 22, 2021

SEEING AND BELIEVING?

John 6:14

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Personal Challenge

These men had the opportunity to see Jesus perform spectacular miracles, over and over again. And yet, many who observed these miracles and proclaimed Him as the great Prophet, later called out for Him to be crucified. Seeing is not always believing. Jesus later called out Thomas for his doubting and proclaimed how blessed many of us will be for believing without seeing. Our belief must come from deep within us and change us permanently. If it doesn't then it can be shaken. If we truly believe in Jesus then our eyes will be opened and we will begin to see Him. Glory be to God!

July 20, 2021

LOOKING IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

John 5:39-40

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

Personal Challenge

In the days that Jesus walked on this earth, the chosen people, His early church, were all wrapped up in searching their scriptures and observing their traditions in search of the coming Messiah. All the while, their Messiah was standing there before them and being ignored by them. He did not fit their preconceptions of who He would be and therefore, they missed Him. We are seeing the same thing happening today in our churches. People are so focused on searching for Jesus in their teachings, their traditions, and their trappings of piety, that they do not see Him standing right there in our midst. He promised that He would be with us always. He proclaimed the Kingdom of God is amongst us. And yet, just like our ancestors of old, we ignore Him and look for Him in places where He is not. Is it no wonder that our churches are dying and being devoured from within by petty arguments and politics. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

July 19, 2021

SUBMISSION

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

Jesus is fully God. He is an integral part of the Trinity, the God-head. And yet, here He makes it clear that He submits to the Father for everything. He seeks the will of the Father in everything that He does. This is complete submission for the purpose of unity. It is this example that we are to follow as we submit our will to God! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!