Nobody is Turned Away by God

Do you sometimes feel that God won’t listen to your prayer? Do you sometimes feel that your sins are keeping you from coming to Church? Then this week’s episode of Be Transfigured! is for YOU! In the story of the Ten Lepers, Christ reveals that there is nobody who will be turned away from God.

Our Journey from Childhood to Adulthood

When Jesus called His Disciples, He said to them, “You will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6.35-36) Saint Paul, quoting the Old Testament, reminds us that God had promised to become our Father long before He called His disciples. “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6.18, 2 Kingdoms 7.14)

Once we are Baptized and Chrismated into Christ, we ARE the children of God, but just like “normal” childhood, we still have some growing to do. This is why Saint Paul said, “Therefore having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7.1) Our Christian life is a journey from childhood to adulthood.

Every child is guided by teachers, mentors, and parents to become the most they are meant to be, and in every way we are children of God. He has given us His Church as teacher, mentor, and mother to guide and shape us as we become children of God. We are never quite complete; as Saint Paul says, we are “perfecting holiness” through the life of the Church. However, even though we may still be children, we are STILL children of God, and He will never abandon us on our journey.

It isn’t about Doing More; it’s about Being More

You wake up every morning running at full speed even before getting out of bed because you already know there are more things you need to accomplish today than you have time to finish. But every day you wake up committed to working hard for your family’s needs, and you don’t stop until the moment your head hits the pillow, and the next day begins all over again before you are even finished with today. The sense of exhaustion is real. Just when we are at our most exhausted moment, the Christ calls to us, “Let’s go, there’s more to do.” Just then you beg God, “Please, don’t ask me to do more.” 

Trust is Power!

The Feast of Pentecost commemorates the event during which the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church to fulfill a promise Jesus made shortly before His Passion. Jesus promised His Disciples, “When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 15.13) Moments before His Glorious Ascension (celebrated 40 days after Pascha) He commanded His Disciples, “Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24.49)

Since the moment the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, the Holy Apostles have been entrusted by God to lead His Church according to His commandments. Since the day of Pentecost, the Orthodox Church has trusted in the teachings of the Holy Apostles to lead us to heaven. The trust has been confirmed in the power of the Holy Spirit, who continues to guide the Church into all truth, PROVIDED THAT we remain faithful to the way of life and teachings of the Holy Apostles.

In a day when we are bombarded with mixed messages of moral shifts and self-oriented priorities, sometimes is just helps to be reminded that the Holy Spirit, as promised by God, guided the Holy Apostles into ALL TRUTH, not just some truth, not just “a” truth, but ALL TRUTH. When we trust in that way of life and teachings of the Holy Apostles, what we call, Holy Tradition, we also are given the power of God to endure the struggle against sin and selfishness, and join ourselves to God.

Salvation Requires Free Will

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, when the Archangel Gabriel invited Mary to accept God’s challenge by becoming His Mother. Of course, that isn’t how it’s written in the Bible, but that IS the essence of what took place.

Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. "For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1.24-38)

I choose my words VERY carefully here to illustrate that God indeed invited the Virgin Mary to accept this challenge. There should be no doubt that Mary exercised her free will by her response, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.” She could have said, “NO!” Thank God she didn’t…

If Mary, the betrothed of Joseph, had rejected the Archangel’s offer, we might still be under the curse of death, as God may not have taken on human flesh and become a human being for our salvation. You might say, it was only possible for God to take on human flesh BECAUSE Mary said, “YES.” If Mary had chosen her own comfort and acted in her own self interest, Jesus may not have been born. If Jesus had been born, we would still be dead today…..BUT thankfully, she said, “YES.” This explains not only the Archangel’s greeting, but also the hymn of the Feast, in which we are invited to also call out to her.

Today is the summary of our salvation, and the revelation of the age-old mystery. For the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announces the good news of grace. Therefore, let us join him, and cry aloud to the Theotokos: "Rejoice, Maiden full of grace! The Lord is with you."

But it wasn’t only Mary’s free will that was able to limit our salvation. Just as we are invited to call out the Virgin Mary with the words of the Archangel, we are urged to mimic the Virgin Mary, and responding to God’s call for us. Using OUR free will, God allows us to join the Virgin Mary and say, “YES” to God’s invitation to follow Him into heaven. And just like her, we are required to use our free will to either submit ourselves to God or reject His invitation.

Today, on the Feast which honors the Virgin Mary’s free will acceptance of God as her master, we are reminded that our free will can either save us or condemn us. God could not save us without her free will, and God cannot save us without our free will acceptance of that salvation. Don’t let her freedom go to waste. Say “YES” to God today!

Amazing Grace

In today’s Gospel for the Tuesday of Cheesefare Week, which every year occurs on the Tuesday before Holy and Great Lent, the Church prescribes a rich Gospel lesson from the Mount of Olives. (see Luke 22.39-71, 23.1) The Church calls to our mind just how much grace God grants to us in our weakness. We hear of two accounts of His disciples being weak in the faith and what we might call spiritual stamina.

In the first case, we hear Christ praying in the garden while His disciples fall asleep. “Then He said to them, ‘Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.’” (Luke 22.26) We know the disciples fell asleep THREE TIMES before they finally awoke to the Lord being taken into custody by the guards. In the second case, during His trial, we hear Peter denying Him three times.

In both cases, His disciples were weak and fell into temptation. And in both case, Jesus forgives them. These are the same disciples who would become the Holy Apostles, and establish the Church with the authority of God. These are the same disciples who, though they followed Him for three years, still were not strong enough in their faith to bear with Him at the Cross. And Jesus STILL allowed them to grant the Holy Spirit to others through the laying on of hands.

God’s grace is revealed to us when we allow ourselves to trust in Him beyond all other things. God’s grace is poured over our heads when we allow ourselves to pick up our cross and follow Him. No matter how many times we may fall into temptation; no matter how many times we are too weak to stay awake and attend to Him; no matter how many times we deny Him; He is still willing to welcome us home into His Kingdom.

The Church offers us these lessons today as a preparation for Holy and Great Lent, a time of repentance and vigil. Great Lent will be upon us in a few days, and we will grow tired of fasting, yet we must stay awake. We will want to deny knowing Christ, yet we must be willing to suffer ridicule from others “just because” we are spending additional time in Church. And when we engage Great and Holy Lent to its fullest, then we will feel His grace, and what amazing grace it is!

The Pain of Coming to Your Senses

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15.11-32), Jesus tells us of the journey of the youngest son of a father, who wants to go out on his own. He demands to collect his inheritance early and strikes out on his own. His father, loving and supportive, allows his son to leave the safety and comfort of home. Aside from the demand for an early inheritance, many of us can relate to, and maybe even admire, the courage of a young man going out on his own. But that is where the story takes a turn for the worse.

The young man took his inheritance and, “journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.” (Luke 15.13) After losing everything he possessed, he was left to eat pig slop, “and no one gave him anything.” (Luke 15.16) All those he knew in this far country were no help in his pain. He was suffering from some very poor choices. Jesus said, “He came to himself,” (Luke 15.17) and chose to return to his father, not as a son, but as a servant. At least he would have food in his stomach and a roof over his head.

This young man expressed humility by returning to his father, and his father “ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15.20) He had been welcomed back to the family and FULLY restored to his original place in the family. The young man’s humility gave him not just a roof and food, but a family and a home.

This man represents each of us and the choices we make in life. Many times we find ourselves suffering from the poor choices we make, and none of our friends helps us. It only takes the willingness to humble ourselves, admit our poor choices through Holy Confession, and we will be FULLY restored by Christ to His family – The Church! We will not receive simply food and a roof, but we will have Communion with God in Heaven! We don’t have to remain with the pigs, when our Father welcomes us home.

NOW I Can Die in Peace

We all desire peace in our lives, and we all have something which creates great longing in our heart. Once we achieve that peace, we feel content and even complete. The peace we are longing for is found in Christ and His Church. We only need to allow ourselves to see Christ and allow Him into our heart.

NOW on iTunes Audio Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/be-transfigured!/id483295178?mt=2

Don’t Lose the Forest through the Trees

Sometimes, when we find ourselves in the midst of a struggle, we lose focus on why we entered the struggle in the first place. This is easy in the forest. From the outside looking in, the forest is nothing more than a bunch of trees clumped together, but from within we notice not just a clump of trees, but hundreds if not thousands of trees, shrubs, grasses, vines, puddles, rocks, and maybe even some wild animals. What should be a quick stroll through a few trees to enjoy the breath-taking lake on the other side, becomes a scary journey of twists and turns surrounded by dangerous obstacles. Once inside the forest, we sometimes forget that we are just using the forest as a path to the lake, or worse, we become engrossed in the details of the forest and forget the lake even exists.

The same danger exists in our spiritual journey. God has given us His Church as the path to heaven. He invites us to enter the Church and walk with Him toward salvation. The Church, like the forest, is much more than just “a” Church. It includes many details that, without them, would no longer be a Church. Just like a forest without trees, shrubs, grass, wild animals, etc., would not be a forest. Rather than trees and shrubs, the Church has a way of life which includes prayer, fasting, almsgiving, the Holy Sacraments, and Divine Services of the Church. Once inside the Church, we can sometimes lose focus on why we entered the Church in the first place. We didn’t enter the Church “just” so that we could fast. We entered the Church so that we could find Christ and live with Him. Along the way we pray, we fast, we help others, we tithe, we confess our sins, we marry, we baptize, we ordain, we anoint, we bury, and we receive Holy Communion.

But if we lose sight of WHY we do these things in the Church, we can lose sight of Christ and heaven all together. How do we know this to be true? Consider the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. It was the Pharisee who lost sight of WHY he was living the life of he chose. He had forgotten that fasting, praying, paying tithes, etc., had a purpose…..to find Christ. As we enter the Triodion Period (also called Pre-Lent) and begin a more intense spiritual journey, let’s try to remember WHY, and not lose sight of the goal….to find Christ. Let’s not lose the forest through the trees.

Jesus is Coming to YOUR House!

Surprise! Yep, Jesus called, and He’s coming to stay at YOUR house tonight. Are you ready? The Church has what you need to get your heart ready to meet the Lord. All you need to do, is come to the Church, and follow the way of life established by Jesus and His Holy Apostles.

NOW on iTunes Audio Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/be-transfigured!/id483295178?mt=2

The Hymn of Simeon Should Be Our Hymn

When the righteous Simeon was presented with the infant Jesus for the Presentation to the Temple, he remembered God’s promise. You see, one day while Simeon was praying, the Holy Spirit revealed to him, “that he would not death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2.26) It was shortly after hearing this promise that the Mother of God was in the Temple with her Son for the Forty Days Blessing. When Simeon held Jesus, he praised God and said, “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2.29-32)

Now Simeon felt he could die in peace, knowing the Savior had been born.

We have also received a promise from God. God has promised that if we believe in Jesus we will live eternally with Him in Heaven. Saint Paul reminds us, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10.9) Simeon knew this promise and believed in his heart, and he rejoiced at the news.

With all the stress and anxiety our world is facing, you would think that we were wanting peace in our hearts. Now we can have it because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has saved us from death. What more could possibly cause anxiety in our hearts if we remember this promise? The hymn of Simeon should be our hymn; maybe it would help us remember God’s promise.

There is Healing in God’s Church

In a society based upon individualism, many have forgotten what Church really means in our life. When we need healing, God sends us to His Church, not for some dead ritual, but to participate in the Community of Faith known as the Church.

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What would you do if Jesus came to your house?

Each year, the Church calendar repeats itself. Each year, the Church reads (if you’re in Church every day) the entire New Testament, excluding the Book of Revelation, from cover-to-cover. Each year, the Church urges us on to a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Each year, we are expected to make a decision to welcome Him into our hearts. But what about welcoming Him into our homes? What would you do if Jesus came to your house this year?

Each year, near the end of January, the Church glances forward to the Feast of Feasts, Holy and Great Pascha. On this Sunday, known as the 15^th Sunday of Luke, the Church reads the Gospel story of Zacchaeus, the short tax collector who wanted to see Jesus. Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus, but he got much more than he had hoped. Jesus said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19.5) What did he do? “So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” (Luke 19.6)

What would you do if Jesus said to you, “Hi there, I’m coming to your house tonight?” Surely, you would run ahead and prepare your house. You would clean it. You would remove to clutter so there would be no distractions. You would probably even cancel any appointments you made, just to make sure you had time to prepare for His visit. Then, once everything had been prepared, you would open the door and receive Him joyfully. Right?????

Well, Jesus IS coming to your house, but not just your house…..your soul. Is it prepared?

Prayer in Public Schools

You might be surprised to know that I do not support prayer in public schools. I often meet people, online and in person, who presume that because I am a priest, I would support a policy of returning prayer to public schools. Well, that couldn’t be the furthest from the truth.

While I do acknowledge that our schools had a long history, as did our other government institutions, in which prayer played an important role in the beginning of every day, I must also acknowledge that we are a very different society today than “yesterday.” Our nation used to be a predominantly Christian society, so public prayer normally consisted of some Christ-oriented prayer. But we have to face facts, whether we admit it or not, that our nation is no longer predominately Christian.

What’s that I say? America is no longer a Christian nation? Well, I’m not sure we were ever truly a Christian nation. We may have been founded by deists, but that is a far cry from Christians. We cannot forget that the Bible of Thomas Jefferson resembled swiss cheese with all the verses and chapters cut out and removed, because he personally did not agree with them. Besides the deists, would a Christian nation have laws supporting abortion and capital punishment? Would a Christian nation have such blatant examples of personal greed? Our nation is founded on freedom, which admittedly is a Christian value, but we have long since turned away from using our freedom to honor God. But on to prayer in public schools….

In 2014, with such a wide range of Christian Churches and a substantial presence of non-Christians, what would such a public prayer include? It wouldn’t include references to Jesus Christ, for fear it would offend the non-Christians. It could, I suppose, include reference to God, but for the growing atheist movement. It wouldn’t be permitted to include references to Allah, even though Allah is technically the Arabic word for God, since many Muslims insist on its usage to be limited to the Islamic God, and fundamentalist Evangelical Christian would have a fit. It might, I suppose, include a prayer to “the supreme energy” which many Christians would pretend acknowledged God, but as Orthodox Christians, we could never tolerate such a blanket reference. EVEN IF the “rest of the nation” could agree on such terminology, it veers so far from the Triune God of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we could never allow our Orthodox youth to participate.

So that leaves us with no prayer in public schools. As an Orthodox Christian Priest, I can better explain why WE prayer and others do not pray, than I can explain why certain prayers are wrong to pray. I don’t doubt many Protestant Christians, and a growing number of Orthodox Christians, are unable to appreciate the nuances that overwhelm such a public prayer. To this I would turn our many faithful to a careful study of Christian history and discover there existed, especially at times of secular and pluralist influences, rules forbidding the faithful from praying with others. It wasn’t because we were being elite, but because we were protecting the faithful from offering incorrect prayer? Lest you think there is no such thing as “incorrect prayer” consider this example of the Gospel.

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one." Luke 11.1-4

The disciples took this instruction so seriously, they commanded Christians to pray this prayer three times each day. I would rather have our children pray this in front of their icon corners and before/after meals, than to have them mumble some “O great unknown in the sky….” prayer, but it could just be me.

Yes, Jesus said, “Go to Church”

I can’t count how many times I have heard, “Father, I don’t have to go to Church to worship God, because He is everywhere.” While we do believe God is everywhere, the idea of not going to Church has never been part of the Christian point of view. In the Gospel of Luke, we hear the story of the Ten Lepers who came to Jesus who, “lifted up their voice and said, ‘Jesus, Master; have mercy on us!’ So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” (Luke 17.13-14)

Of course, this was not an isolated incident. The Old Testament is filled with commandments for the people of God to go to the Temple for healing and to receive the blessings of God. The Church is a holy place where God continues to meet His people. There is blessing in the Church. There is peace in the Church. There is healing in the Church. There is salvation in the Church.

God established His Church, the people AND the Temple, as a place of salvation. Our journey as Orthodox Christians is not as lone rangers, but a community of faithful dedicated to living in communion with God. When God commanded the Ten Lepers to show themselves to the priests, He was offering the Lepers the blessing, and ultimately healing, of being part of the People of God. Had they said, “We don’t need to go to Church…” they would never have been healed.

It’s time to get back to Church to find peace and be healed!

Orthodox Christian Stewardship

Since the Church commemorates the Holy Prophet Malachi today, and since we are in the beginning of another new year, I thought I would remind you of your Orthodox Christian Stewardship. For those Orthodox Christians from a “traditionally Orthodox country” such as Greece, where the Church receives if even limited State support, Orthodox Christian Stewardship is a new or even unknown concept.

January is a time of all sorts of resolutions like joining a gym to improve our physical health, or getting out of debt. Some even make resolutions to be more organized and outgoing socially, but have you ever considered making a New Year’s Resolution to increase your Orthodox Christian Stewardship?

That’s right! Orthodox Christian Stewardship is worthy of a New Year’s Resolution. Unfortunately, many will routinely contribute their weekly Stewardship to their Church without any thought. Even “tithers” can fall into this trap, where giving to the Church has become a “rote exercise” rather than an intentional act of worship and gratitude to God.

But proper Orthodox Christian Stewardship requires faith and action. It is something that MUST be connected to our hearts, not just our pocketbooks. While most Orthodox Christians are very supportive of their local Church, nearly all fall short of the challenge God offers to us in Malachi.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3.10)

Have you tried God on His promise? You shouldn’t be confused, however, and think that God is challenging you to bring Him 10% of your worth SO THAT you will become rich. This is NOT the purpose of His challenge, though tragically many (including Orthodox Christians) preach this version of the “Prosperity Gospel.”

The intent of God’s challenge is for you to place your trust in God. Trust me on this; it requires great faith to bring 10% of your wealth to the Church, especially in our current economic uncertainties. Will we have enough food in our cupboard? Will we have enough money to pay the rent? These are series questions and require serious discussion and faith.

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. " Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. "But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. "And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. "Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. "If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. (Luke 12.6-31)

Why not make a New Year’s Resolution to have enough faith in God to bring your TOTAL TITHE to God’s Church, not to become rich, but simply to honor God? The blessings God has promised will be well worth the risk.

God’s Guest List

There is a great banquet coming and you have been invited. Will you make excuses as did those in the Gospel of Luke, or will you answer the invitation and enter into the banquet. The Banquet is the Church and Heaven. The Divine Liturgy is the taste of what is to come in Heaven. Are you prepared to enjoy the Feast of Heaven or is your soul dirty and filled with sin? Don’t find yourself on the outside of Heaven wondering who all the strangers are on the inside. Prepare yourself and come to the banquet. And while you’re at it….bring a friend.

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2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 32 (Reflections on Luke 17-24)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21.36)

When you hear of Biblical Signs, the temptation can be to read them as future telling, but a Biblical Sign is much deeper than just reading the future. When Jesus outlines the many things to look for so they can understand the “end times” and His return, He is planting an image for us, so that when we witness them happening, we will remember His promise. And why does He do this? Because we are weak. He knows we will grow impatient and begin to doubt His return. He knows we will fall to temptation and become lazy, comforting ourselves by believing He is delayed. He also knows that sometimes we need a firm reminder about the things that really matter.

Many believe we are currently living in the “end times” based upon the decline of morality. I’m not sure I disagree based upon what Jesus said.

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke 17.26-30)

There is little doubt our society is experiencing a moral decline. We human beings seem to have a pattern of decline. Noah, Lot, the Jews at the time of Christ….and as Saint Paul teaches in Romans. “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the hosts of their hearts.” (Romans 1.24) Really only one question remains. If God has rescued His people just in time to save us from total destruction, beginning in the Garden, just how much further must we decline this last time before He returns? I’m not sure I want to find out.

Until tomorrow…..I suppose I’ll settle for trying to be as ready as I can, just in case it happens tonight.

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 31 (Catch Up! Part 2)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

I continued with my “catch-up” today.

Day 26 – Romans 1-8

Saint Paul couldn’t make it any clearer for us. Our new life in Christ shouldn’t be a slave to our former passions, but united to a Godly life free of sin. Of course, since we are never truly without  sin, obviously Saint Paul is talking about the attempt to live a sinless life as he said.

Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7.13-25)

How can we give up so easily? It seems like we throw in the towel when it comes to our sinful passions. But Saint Paul’s advice is to challenge and comfort us at the same time. Since God came, “while we were yet still sinners” and we each are warring against sin not always successfully, then we should be comforted to know that God will forgive us. He already HAS forgiven us if we accept His forgiveness. And since He has forgiveness us, how can we not try harder to live as He desires for us to live? I’m sure you feel this same battle in your life, so we can all join Saint Paul’s words of praise, “I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Yes indeed.

Day 27 – Romans 9-16

Building on his advice to live a new life in Christ, Saint Paul reminds us that if we fail to live as we should, we will face the same judgment as the Jews. As they witnessed the Church being taken away from the, we will see the Church depart from us, although in actuality it will WE who have departed from the Church. We shouldn’t be so smug that we are members of the Church.

You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? (Romans 11-19-24)

I find this to be a problem in many “cradle” Orthodox raised in the Faith. As the Jews felt certain superiority because they were the “chosen ones” and the People of God, they failed to understand His intent to save the world. Likewise since we are already comfortable inside the Church as members, we often forget that our mission is to continue Christ’s saving work. But if we’re not careful, we will (as today’s Gospel reading during Liturgy pointed out – Luke 14.16-24) find ourselves OUTSIDE the Church.

Saint Paul thought it was God Himself who hardened the hearts of the Jews, so that the Gentiles could come into the Church. I sometimes wonder if the same thing is happening today with the cradle Orthodox Christians. If our Churches were full, which they unfortunately are not, there might not be an urgency to reach out and bring new people into the Church. Jesus said He wanted His Church full, so maybe He sends some away to make room for more. And if, as Saint Paul suggests, it is God who does the sending away, then His mercy is sufficient.

Day 28 – Luke 1-7

It never ceases – my awe of the Holy Scriptures. At this time in my life, age 44, I guess I have read the entire New Testament more than a couple dozen times, either from the pulpit during services, or in person as I am for the New Testament Challenge. YET, each passage STILL reaches me with profound respect.

Take for example, the opening verses of the Gospel of Luke,

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. (Luke 1.1-4)

Not only does he write with complete certainty, but he writes for clarity’s sake. We know the Gospel of Mark had already been written, and Luke traveled with Saint Paul, so he was well versed with the Gospel. But being a physician, he desired for us to have clarity. He must have known that confusion leads to doubt, and doubt leads to faithlessness, and faithlessness leads to despondency, and despondency leads to death.

But the Gospel is for life, eternal life! And I am given new life every time I pick up the Holy Scriptures. Thank you Saint Luke; and thank you God.

Day 29 – Luke 8-16

Some people are just hard-headed. No matter how many miracles Jesus performed (and they witnessed), no matter how many times Jesus revealed their most inner thoughts; many could not bring themselves to accept Him as the Christ. I think the same thing happens nowadays. I wonder sometimes what WE would do if we were blessed to witness the things they witnessed. Jesus taught and healed PUBLICLY in the Temple and Synagogues and in the marketplaces. Some believed, while others refused to believe. And why did they not believe?

The only way for them to accept the Christ was to deny their own comfort and prestige. This was the basis for the challenge Christ offers,

Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it --  "lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, "saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' "Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? "Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14.25-33)

So…..do you believe?

Until tomorrow…..I’m finally caught up. Tomorrow we finish the Gospel of Luke.

Stop Being a Hypocrite!

The religious “elite” couldn’t tolerate that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, even though they regularly broke the Sabbath by watering their animals. Their obedience to the Law, something which should have been a blessing, became their condemnation because their hearts were not in their actions. They obeyed the Law, while not knowing the purpose of the Law. The same can happen to YOU as you struggle to be a “good Christian” and obey the laws of Christianity. Don’t fall into the trap of judging your brothers and sisters. That’s what the hypocrites do. Stop  being a hypocrite!