Signs and Promises

In yesterday’s blog A Promise is a Promise, I spoke about the reality that we can always trust God’s promise, but sometimes I admit it can be difficult to even remember God’s promise. In today’s reading from Genesis we hear about one of the many signs that God created to remind us His promise. Every time we see a rainbow in the sky, we are reminded that God has promised a world-wide flood would never again cover the earth.

God’s creation is a great place to find signs (reminders) that God has promised the suffering of the world would not last forever. Whether it is the sunrise or a light summer breeze or a chirping bird, the natural world is filled with rainbows (figuratively speaking) to remind us of God’s love. It isn’t just in the natural world that God’s reminds us about His love. Inside the Church too we can find examples of signs from God.

Holy Icons, wafting incense, flickering candles, and soothing chanting all lend our hearts to hear the promise of God’s promise. He has promised to welcome us into Paradise as His adopted children. Fasting, reading the Holy Scriptures, attending Church services, helping the poor and hungry....all help to remind our hearts that God is waiting for us to join Him.

Today’s Old Testament Readings

Isaiah 25:1-9 (RSV) -  O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.  For thou hast made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt.  Therefore strong peoples will glorify thee; cities of ruthless nations will fear thee.  For thou hast been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the blast of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, like heat in a dry place. Thou dost subdue the noise of the aliens; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.  On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined.  And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.  He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken.  It will be said on that day, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."
 Genesis 9:8-17 (RSV) -  Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him,  "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.  I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."  And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:  I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth."  God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth."
 Proverbs 12:8-22 (RSV) - A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of perverse mind is despised.  Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself than one who plays the great man but lacks bread.  A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.  He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits has no sense.  The strong tower of the wicked comes to ruin, but the root of the righteous stands firm.  An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble.  From the fruit of his words a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.  The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.  The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent man ignores an insult.  He who speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.  There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.  Truthful lips endure for ever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.  Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan good have joy.  No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.  Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

A Promise is a Promise

When I was younger the Cold War was in full swing. I lived through disaster drills which included watching movies about how to survive nuclear war. We lived in a time of fear – always afraid the world would end while we slept comfortably in our bed. There was on night while I was in high school that a dear friend and I were discussing the situation. I was not afraid because God made a promise.

In the Nicene- Constantinopolitan Creed we say we believe that God will come again to judge the living and the dead. But how do we know there will be anyone living for Him to judge? In today’s reading from Genesis God makes a promise. “Neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.” This one promise of God brought me great comfort during the Cold War, and it can bring you comfort also.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 14:24-32 (RSV) -  The LORD of hosts has sworn: "As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand, that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains trample him under foot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder."  This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.  For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?  In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle:  "Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod which smote you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying serpent.  And the first-born of the poor will feed, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant I will slay.  Wail, O gate; cry, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks."  What will one answer the messengers of the nation? "The LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge."

Genesis 8:21-9:7 (RSV) -  And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."  And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.  The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the air, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered.  Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.  Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.  For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it and of man; of every man's brother I will require the life of man.  Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image.  And you, be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply in it."

Proverbs 11:19-12:6 (RSV) - He who is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.  Men of perverse mind are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.  Be assured, an evil man will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will be delivered.  Like a gold ring in a swine's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.  The desire of the righteous ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked in wrath.  One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.  A liberal man will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.  The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.  He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.  He who trusts in his riches will wither, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.  He who troubles his household will inherit wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but lawlessness takes away lives.  If the righteous is requited on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!  Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.  A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but a man of evil devices he condemns.  A man is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.  A good wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.  The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are treacherous.  The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers men.

Following Christ to Heaven

Half way through the Great Fast the Church reminds us of our destination. We are on a journey to the Cross. We are on a journey to heaven, but first we must learn to deny ourselves and take up our cross. The Church provides us with all the tools we need for our journey including fasting, almsgiving, patience, love, forgiveness, repentance, and humility. Once we can overcome our own self-desires we can then, and only then following Christ to heaven.

The Destination Matters!

On the Third Sunday of the Great Fast, the Church places in front of us the Precious and Holy Cross of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. We are half-way through our Great Lenten Journey, just as with any journey, we see a sign of what is ahead of us on the road. Every traveler needs to be reminded of the destination every now and then during the journey. That is the case today. The Holy Cross is our destination.

The challenging words of Christ in today’s Gospel speak profoundly of the destination of the Great Fast. If we desire to follow Christ, we cannot avoid our cross. “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8.34) The Great Fast is not about a diet or mastering some fantastic vegan recipe. The Great Fast is about one thing and only one thing. It is about learning to deny ourselves and take up our cross.

In the case of every journey, if we don’t know where we are headed we are destined to get lost along the way. If we don’t understand the Great Fast as a journey to the Cross of Christ, then we may lose weight because we fasted, but we will never follow Christ into heaven. If we don’t understand the Great Fast is about putting our agenda aside, we will never learn the path to paradise. The destination matters.

During the Divine Liturgy today we will process the Precious Cross around the Church while we sing the hymn, “We venerate Your Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection. Τὸν Σταυρόν σου προσκυνοῦμεν, Δέσποτα, καὶ τὴν ἁγίαν σου ἀνάστασιν δοξάζομεν.” Without the Cross, there is no Resurrection. If we are going to celebrate Holy and Great Pascha in a few weeks, then we must first encounter the Cross. Life without struggle is life without relief, and life without sorrow is life without joy. If we desire to follow Christ into heaven, the only way is to follow Him first to the Cross.

This is why the Orthodox Church lifts the Cross high in the Holy of Holies for all to see. For us the Cross is a sign of victory over death. It is a sign of life. It is a sign of the power of God. I invite you to take an opportunity and evaluate your Great Lenten journey so far. Has it brought you closer to Christ? Has it been a struggle? Has it opened your eyes to your sinfulness? If not, then you may not be on the right path.

Thankfully the Church reminds you where you are headed…if you desire to follow Christ. The cross is the sign of our destination, and when it comes to our road to heaven, the destination matters!

Here are today’s Readings:

Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6 (RSV) -BRETHREN, since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"; as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek."
 Gospel Reading: Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 (RSV) - The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."
 

You Have Need of Endurance

The third week of the Great Fast has come to an end. Tomorrow is the Feast of the Universal Elevation of the Holy Cross and two things come to mind. First is the reality that suffering is a real part of life, and the second is related to the first. More than anything we need endurance. Whether it is to make it through the Great Fast or to survive the struggle that life has thrown at us, endurance is the key to our success.

One important benefit that many do not consider from fasting is that of endurance. When we spend weeks fasting for Great Lent, we learn not only patience and vigilance. We learn the importance of endurance. In today’s reading from Hebrews Saint Paul says, “For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.”

God knows the challenges of living the Christian life in a secular and often non Christian world. He knows that we are faced with temptations around every corner. He knows that we can become weak if we are under attack more than we can endure, so He offers us a chance to practice endurance. If you can master the Great Fast, you can master any struggle that life offers. Just another blessing of the Great Fast.

Here are today’s Readings:

Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 10:32-38 (RSV) - Brethren, recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.  For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.  Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.  "For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry; but my righteous one shall live by faith."
 Gospel Reading: Mark 2:14-17 (RSV) - At that time, as Jesus passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaios sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Giving Thanks in Worship

As this week comes to an end we hear the story of the Flood come to an end. Noah finally sets foot on “dry” soil after months of floating around in a huge boat with a bunch of stinky animals. What the first thing Noah did? He built and Altar and gave thanks to God in worship. In this act Noah set the tone for how we should give thanks to God. As Orthodox Christians we “build churches” and worship God by offering God some of the very animals that God saved in the Ark. Imagine that! After months of keeping the animal safe, Noah turns around and offers them to God as an expression of thanks.

What do we have to be thankful for in the first place? Let’s start with the Holy Cross which we are going to honor this Sunday. Through the Cross we are saved from death. Through the Cross God converts suffering to salvation. Through the Cross we are taught the proper way to express our love for others. This weekend is a chance to rediscover the love that God has shown to us in His Cross. I invite you to take the time to go to Church and worship Him and give thanks.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 13:2-13 (RSV) -  On a bare hill raise a signal, cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.  I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.  Hark, a tumult on the mountains as of a great multitude! Hark, an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle.  They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole earth.  Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!  Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every man's heart will melt, and they will be dismayed. Pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in travail. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.  Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.  For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising and the moon will not shed its light.  I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant, and lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless.  I will make men more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.  Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

Genesis 8:4-21 (RSV) -  And in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat.  And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.  At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made, and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.  Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put forth his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.  He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.  Then he waited another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she did not return to him any more.  In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.  In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.  Then God said to Noah,  "Go forth from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.  Bring forth with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh - birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth - that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth."  So Noah went forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him.  And every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves upon the earth, went forth by families out of the ark.  Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.  And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done."

Proverbs 10:31-11:12 (RSV) - The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.  The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.  A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.  When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom.  The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.  Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.  The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.  The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.  When the wicked dies, his hope perishes, and the expectation of the godless comes to nought.  The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked gets into it instead.  With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.  By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.  He who belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.

God Always Remembers

When we think about God many times we place human characteristics upon Him. We think about our fallen human passions and we presume God shares in those passions. When we hear that God is angry we presume His anger is similar to our anger. Since we are limited in our ability to understand God, we shouldn’t be surprised that we confuse His reality with our reality. That is part of the “growing into His likeness” the Church speaks about. We were created in His image, but still lack His likeness. That will come when we are finally complete and resting in total communion with Him in heaven. Until then we need to constantly remind ourselves that we are fallen, and our passions, emotions, and other human characteristics cannot be attributed to God.

Today is an example. In today’s reading from Genesis we are told, “But God remember Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle there were with him in the ark.” (Genesis 8.1) We are tempted to read this verse with human minds “as if” prior to this point God had not remembered Noah and the animals. It makes sense to us when we read, “They were blotted out from the earth.” (Genesis 7.23) It also makes sense IF we consider the Flood as punishment from God. (See the 2017 Daily Lenten Journey Day 12)But since we don’t consider the Flood to be punishment but salvation, then God couldn’t have forgotten His people, even those who were blotted out from the earth. God had a plan the whole time which He never forgot.

Sometimes we may feel that God has forgotten us in our struggle. We may feel that since He has chosen to not remove our struggle from our life that He has ignored our prayers. We feel this way because we are fallen and lack total understanding of God. Admittedly it is easier to say than to embrace this truth about our lack of knowledge, but it remains true nonetheless. This is yet another benefit to the Great Fast when we are asked to increase our fasting, increase our time in prayer and worship, increase our almsgiving, increase our participation in the Sacraments, all to tune our hearts to hear the Word of God. This is why Be Transfigured Ministries offers a Daily Lenten Journey, so that we can begin every day with a fresh focus on God’s promise. What is His promise?

Since the first humans walked the earth, God has promised to be with us. He will never abandon us. He will never forget us, though we may feel AS IF He has. Just as the flood waters eventually abated at God’s command, our pain, suffering and struggle will also eventually come to an end. God knows the best time and manner for the end, no matter how long we may wait. God always remembers!

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 11:10-12:2 (RSV) -  Thus says the LORD: In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; him shall the nations seek, and his dwellings shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant which is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.  He will raise an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.  The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.  But they shall swoop down upon the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them.  And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt; and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching wind, and smite it into seven channels that men may cross dryshod.  And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant which is left of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.  You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to thee, O LORD, for though thou wast angry with me, thy anger turned away, and thou didst comfort me.  "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."
 Genesis 7:11-8:3 (RSV) - In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.  And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.  On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, they and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every bird of every sort.  They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life.  And they that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.  The flood continued forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.  The waters prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters.  And the waters prevailed so mightily upon the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered; the waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.  And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, birds, cattle, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm upon the earth, and every man; everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.  He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark.  And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.  But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters had abated.

Proverbs 10:1-22 (RSV) - A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.  Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.  The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.  A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.  A son who gathers in summer is prudent, but a son who sleeps in harvest brings shame.  Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.  The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.  The wise of heart will heed commandments, but a prating fool will come to ruin.  He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.  He who winks the eye causes trouble, but he who boldly reproves makes peace.  The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.  Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.  On the lips of him who has understanding wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.  Wise men lay up knowledge, but the babbling of a fool brings ruin near.  A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.  The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.  He who heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof goes astray.  He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who utters slander is a fool.  When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.  The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth.  The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.  The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

Christ is the only cure to death

Several years ago I was speaking with a clergy friend about hospital ministry. He had a parishioner who was a well known oncologist who said once, “We’re lucky if we save one out of ten patients we see.” My clergy friend answered, “I’ve got news for you. You haven’t saved ANY. They all still die.”

When it comes to our earthly journey through the paths of pain and suffering, we expend a great deal of energy avoiding death. As Americans we spend billions of dollars in the last month of life attempting at all costs (sometimes quite literally) to find the last minute cure to what ails us. Our American political environment has been consumed with discussion about healthcare in recent years, mainly to address the skyrocketing cost to families. Most of this conversation focuses on terminal cases such as cancer treatments and organ transplants etc. At times it seems we will spend anything to avoid death.

Death has been a part of life since Adam and Eve first left the protection of the Garden. We read about that two weeks ago. Today we hear that Noah was SIX HUNDRED years old when the flood came, and he lived longer after the flood. Noah (just like every patient of my friend’s doctor) eventually died at the age of 950. Some today don’t really believe the numbers given in the Holy Scriptures, and quite frankly I don’t think it really matters. The point I wish to make today is that no matter what you do, you will eventually die.

The only cure for death is a relationship with Christ. Christ came that we might have life. He didn’t come for us to enjoy THIS life, but that we could have eternal life with Him. The life we live now is to prepare us for that life with Him. Take some time today to evaluate your relationship with Christ and His Church. Are you expending energy on avoiding pain and suffering, or are you expending energy preparing your soul to be with Christ? The Great Fast is our annual reminder that we don’t know when our time here is finished. Let’s not waste any more time on avoiding death, and spend some quality time preparing for it.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings

Isaiah 10:12-20 (RSV) -  When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem he will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride.  For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I have removed the boundaries of peoples, and have plundered their treasures; like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones.  My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as men gather eggs that have been forsaken so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing, or opened the mouth, or chirped."  Shall the axe vaunt itself over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!  Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire.  The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.  The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.  The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.  In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean upon him that smote them, but will lean upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
 Genesis 7:6-9 (RSV) -  Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth.  And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark, to escape the waters of the flood.  Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.
 Proverbs 9:12-18 (RSV) - If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.  A foolish woman is noisy; she is wanton and knows no shame.  She sits at the door of her house, she takes a seat on the high places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way,  "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" And to him who is without sense she says,  "Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."  But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Keeping the Ark Clean and Safe

This week we are hearing the story of Noah and the Flood. In today’s readings from Genesis we hear Noah being told to “go into the ark” since God plans to save him and his family. We are also told by God to get into the Ark because He plans to save us. The Church is Ark, and in the Ark we are kept safe from the death that surrounds us. If Noah did not trust God he would have died along with everyone else on the Earth.

Do you trust God enough to enter His Ark? The Church opens her doors to you every Sunday (more days in some parishes) for you to get in out of the storm of the struggling world. In the Ark you are kept safe until the storm subsides. If we accept that the storm doesn’t actually end until we have reached Heaven, then we know the only to remain safe is to remain in the Church. But that means more than just sitting in the Church.

I imagine Noah’s Ark required a great deal of work to remain safe, and to keep the animals healthy and safe during the storm. The animals and Noah’s family were in the Ark for a many weeks. If not kept clean the Ark could have become a place of disease and death, rather than a place of salvation and life. In a similar fashion there is a great deal of the work to keep the Church a healthy and safe place for our brothers and sisters to wait out the storms of life. Without proper attention the Church could become infested with sin and death rather than being a place of life and salvation. In fact this does sometimes happen when churches and/or their leaders forget why they entered the Ark in the first place.

We entered the Ark to be saved by God from death. He invited us into the Ark because He wanted us to be safe, but He won’t force us to do the work that it takes to remain healthy. That much is up to us. During the Great Fast, we have an excellent opportunity to clean house, so to speak, and focus on repentance from the sins that infest our lives. As we approach the half-way point of our Great Lenten Journey this weekend, I invite you to take a moment and contact your spiritual father to schedule confession.

Confession is a vital part of our Great Lenten Journey and it is what keeps the Ark clean and safe. Without confession we are just a bunch of animals sharing a barn until the rain stops. With confession we are children of God working to keep our souls and the Ark clean and safe for our salvation.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings

 Isaiah 9:9-10:4 (RSV) - Thus says the LORD: "And all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:  'The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.'"  So the LORD raises adversaries against them, and stirs up their enemies.  The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away and his hand is stretched out still.  The people did not turn to him who smote them, nor seek the LORD of hosts.  So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day - the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who lead this people lead them astray, and those who are led by them are swallowed up.  Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for every one is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away and his hand is stretched out still.  For wickedness burns like a fire, it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.  Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is burned, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no man spares his brother.  They snatch on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours his neighbor's flesh, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh, and together they are against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away and his hand is stretched out still.  Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!  What will you do on the day of punishment, in the storm which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?  Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away and his hand is stretched out still.
 Genesis 7:1-5 (RSV) -  Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.  Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive upon the face of all the earth.  For in seven days I will send rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground."  And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.
 Proverbs 8:32-9:11 (RSV) - And now, my sons, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways.   Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.   Happy is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.   For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD; but he who misses me injures himself; all who hate me love death."   Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven pillars.   She has slaughtered her beasts, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table.  She has sent out her maids to call from the highest places in the town,   "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who is without sense she says,   "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.   Leave simpleness, and live, and walk in the way of insight."   He who corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.   Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.   Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning.   The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.   For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.

Great Lent is Tried and Tested

Today we begin the third week of the Great Fast and you may be wondering where it all came from? Are the traditions of the Great Fast mere “man-made” traditions? Didn’t Saint Paul speak against such traditions? Here at Be Transfigured Ministries, we strive to teach that our Holy Orthodox Traditions are not just random actions that our grandparents brought from the old country. Our traditions have a purpose and benefit. Our traditions have been “tried and tested” for two thousand years by holy men and women faithful to Jesus Christ.

While the specific traditions of the Great Fast have evolved over the centuries, the basic idea of setting a time aside for an intense spiritual journey is as ancient and the Holy Scriptures. Many of these “spiritual seasons” are a result of a specific historic event through which the Church remembers the power of God. This week we will hear about the Great Flood and how God’s power saved Noah and his family from total destruction. We will hear in the coming days how Noah and his family responded to God’s love with worship.

This week as you make use of the Holy Orthodox Traditions for the Great Fast, I invite you to sit with your priest and ask questions. He will help you understand the origins and purpose of what we do during this holy season. And don’t forget.....we are a part of a long history of faithful and sometimes not-so-faithful men and women who have struggled to live in a relationship with God. Great Lent might seem like nothing more than an ancient custom, but if you welcome the season, you will soon realize that our ancient customs can be just as real today as they were when Noah built the Ark.

Today’s Old Testament Readings

 Isaiah 8:13-9:7 (RSV) - But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.  And he will become a sanctuary, and a stone of offense, and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  And many shall stumble thereon; they shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken."  Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples.  I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.  Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.  And when they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the wizards who chirp and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?  To the teaching and to the testimony! Surely for this word which they speak there is no dawn.  They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their God, and turn their faces upward; and they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be thrust into thick darkness.  But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.  Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.  For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Midian.  For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
 Genesis 6:9-22 (RSV) - These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.  And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.  And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth.  Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.  This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.  Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and set the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks.  For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall die.  But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.  And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.  Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive.  Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them."  Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
 Proverbs 8:1-21 (RSV) - Does not wisdom call, does not understanding raise her voice?  On the heights beside the way, in the paths she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:   "To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the sons of men. O simple ones, learn prudence; O foolish men, pay attention.   Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.   All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.   They are all straight to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge.   Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.   I, wisdom, dwell in prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.   The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.   I have counsel and sound wisdom, I have insight, I have strength.   By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule, and nobles govern the earth.   I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.   Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and prosperity.   My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.   I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries.

Face to Face with God’s Power

When we gather in the presence of God in the Church, we come face to face with His Power. He has the power to save us. He has the power to heal us. Most importantly He has the power to forgive our sins. We are challenged to find our friends and family who need God, and bring them to the Church. Once we are on the inside of the Church, we need to be open witnessing His power, even if that means we lose a little attention from God.

There is Always Room for One More

In the Gospel lesson we find four people who loved their friend so much they carried him to the house that Jesus was teaching. Even though they couldn’t get inside the door, they never stopped trying to get their friend to see Jesus, even tearing a hole in the roof. Once Jesus saw how much they loved their friend, and how great their faith in God was, He said the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2.6) As usual the crowd wasn’t happy, and they accused Jesus of speaking blasphemy against God.

If we think about the message in this Gospel lesson, we must consider how much we love those around us if we do not even try to bring them to the Church to listen to the Word of God. God promised centuries ago to His People, “You shall make Me a sanctuary, and I will appear among you….Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of testimony, and the tabernacle was filled with the Lord’s glory.” (Exodus 25.8, 40.28) The real physical presence of God is in every Orthodox Church in the Holy of Holies on the Holy Table. If we need God we can find Him in the Church.

The message of the Gospel every day, but especially during the Great Fast, is that the glory of God is present in His Church for us to come and encounter Him. When we come to Him, or when we bring others to Him, He will bless and forgive sin. The problem is that sometimes we may be confronted with large crowds and think there is no room for us. Even worse, sometimes we find ourselves already inside the Church enjoying our comfortable seat, but we do not worry about those who need God but are left outside.

As we approach Great and Holy Pascha, and as the Church continues to welcome new and returning faithful, we must be careful to not be like those in the Gospel who were angry that Jesus gave some attention to the young man. Just because we are already on the inside, doesn’t mean our work is complete. When Jesus saw the anger in the hearts of the crowd He said, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?” (Mark 2.9) To show His power to forgive sins and heal our weakness, Jesus then healed the man, and the crowd cried out, “We never saw anything like this.” (Mark 2.12)

The Church will always be a place for God’s power and glory to be felt in the lives of everyone who enters the doors. We better get ready…..the crowds are coming. Please remember when you look around at new faces, there will always be room for one more!

A Secret Gospel is No Gospel

Many Orthodox Christians in America have grown accustomed to the expression, “Orthodoxy is the best kept secret in America.” This phrase was made famous (I believe) by His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of Blessed Memory back in the 1980’s. Invoking the most positive thoughts we can understand that Orthodoxy has remained virtually unknown as a side effect of ethnic communities and immigration. We cannot ignore that for most Orthodox Christians who arrived as immigrants in the 20^th Century, the Church was the only place they felt safe in what was a foreign world. By default most Church communities in America became ethnic enclaves within America’s cities. It was just a natural part of immigration. But as today’s Gospel lesson reminds us, the message is meant to be taken from place to place.

Without dwelling any more than is necessary on the past weaknesses of Orthodox Christian parishes, we can, or at least should, agree that the future is in our control in as much as taking the Gospel from place to place. Today’s Gospel lesson speaks volumes in guiding us to what God expects in terms of the Gospel. First, Jesus says, “Let us go to the next town, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Second, He tells the man who had been healed of leprosy, “Go show yourself to the priest....for a proof to them.”

So what is our call? We MUST take the Gospel from place to place while we continually show ourselves to the Church as proof of God’s love and grace. The Great Fast is not only about fasting and prayer. It is also about reaching out the poor. That should also include the spiritually poor. It is much easier than one might expect. Orthodox Pascha celebrations often draw local media exposure. The Church should take full advantage of the exposure and make the conscious effort to reach out to those outside the Church to reveal to them, like the priests in today’s Gospel, the power and grace of God. Pascha is also a time when many non Orthodox visitors arrive at the doors of our Churches. We should invite them to return on another day after Pascha to discuss and learn more about the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is “Good News” but it can’t be good news if it is kept a secret.

Here are Today’s Readings:

Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 3:12-16 (RSV) - BRETHREN, take care lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end, while it is said, "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." Who were they that heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses?
 Gospel Reading: Mark 1:35-44 (RSV) - At that time, Jesus rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And he sternly charged him, and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to a priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them."

What if the Flood wasn’t punishment?

As we continue our preparations for Holy Pascha, I wanted to pose the question, “What if the flood wasn’t punishment, but salvation?” In today’s reading from Genesis we hear of the wickedness of humanity. Moses even uses the word, “And the Lord was sorry.” As I read various news reports online lately, or listen to radio talk shows, it regularly occurs to me that the wickedness we are experiencing today is nothing new. The world has always been plagued with wickedness since The Fall.

As we finish out the second week of the Great Fast, I thought we would look at the issue of punishment and salvation from the Orthodox vantage point. It should help you navigate the remaining weeks of the fast. If the world has always had evil, then how can today be different? Many Christians today are afraid of God, or at least they think they are supposed to be afraid of Him. In fact when most people refuse to be afraid of God, that often leads not to repentance but further sinful choices. If we don’t have to be afraid, we argue, then why repent? But what if we are supposed to both repent AND not be afraid?

When we look at God’s judgment expressed in the Old Testament, many see the anger and punishment of God. Just a few days ago we heard, “Lest they now eat of the Tree of Life...” and today we hear the flood is coming. The formula seems to be: God gives us a commandment, we screw it up, God gets angry and punishes us leaving in fear. We should really be looking at the cycle like this: God gives us a commandment, we screw it up, God steps in and saves us from further danger, we thank God and try better.

Based on this cycle the flood isn’t punishment but salvation. You see God knew He was going to enter into creation. Today’s reading from Isaiah reminds us of that much. God also knew that if He allowed life to continue (just like in the Garden) evil would prevail and it would be too late to save us because there would be no righteous woman (the Panagia) from which to take flesh. Before it got too late, God allowed everyone to die leaving just one righteous family to start over. This would allow Him to enter into creation as Christ later.

So as you look ahead to the remainder of your 2017 Great Lenten Journey, consider how you may have screwed up, and rather than be afraid of God, make a commitment to try better next time. That is true Orthodox repentance. If we figure that much out this year during the Great Fast, we will succeeded.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 7:1-14 (RSV) - In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could not conquer it.  When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league with Ephraim," his heart and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.  And the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go forth to meet Ahaz, you and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field, and say to him, 'Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah.  Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying,  "Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it," thus says the Lord GOD: It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.  For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. (Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces so that it will no longer be a people.)  And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.'"  Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,  "Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."  But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test."  And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
 Genesis 5:32-6:8 (RSV) -  After Noah was five hundred years old, Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  When men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose.  Then the LORD said, "My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for he is flesh, but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years."  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.  The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.  So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
 Proverbs 6:20-7:1 (RSV) - My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.  Bind them upon your heart always; tie them about your neck.  When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.  For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adventuress.  Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for a harlot may be hired for a loaf of bread, but an adulteress stalks a man's very life.  Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?  Or can one walk upon hot coals and his feet not be scorched?  So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.  Do not men despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry?  And if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.  He who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself.  Wounds and dishonor will he get, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.  For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge.  He will accept no compensation, nor be appeased though you multiply gifts.  My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you.