New Priest - New Gospel

When a new or visiting Priest arrives, it sometimes seems as if he is changing the rules. Why do different Priests do and say different things? PLUS a bonus question at the end....

The Scriptures and the Feast of Feasts, Holy and Great Pascha

A Bible study focused on the Themes and Scriptures readings assigned for the Feast of Feasts, Great and Holy Pascha! This study is based upon the series "A Year of the Lord, Liturgical Bible Studies" by Father Theodore Stylianopoulos. We will be using Volume 4: Easter and Pentecost.

The Scriptures and Great Lent - Palm Sunday and Holy Week

A Bible study focused on the Themes and Scriptures readings assigned for Palm Sunday and Holy Week in the Orthodox Christian Church. Filmed LIVE Wednesday, April 9, 2014, in Florence, SC.

The Scriptures and Great Lent - Saint Mary of Egypt

A special study of the themes and Scriptures readings for the fifth Sunday of Great Lent.

Do You Doubt God?

It is common to many who desire to believe in God to doubt His ability to actually accomplish what He says He will accomplish. His invitation for us to believe in Him is accompanied by the words, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” If YOU desire to believe, through prayer and fasting, and the Orthodox Christian way of life, you too can experience the evidence of God’s power.

So……You Think You’re Special?

I often encounter faithful Christians who share their frustration about the temptations in their lives. Many faithful Christians also question why they struggle in life. There seems to be belief, unfounded in Sacred Tradition and the Holy Scriptures, in which faithful Christians shouldn’t be tempted nor suffer. This myth is perpetuated by “The Prosperity Gospel” which suggests that God desires for His followers to be comfortable and prosper in worldly fashion. Preachers such as Joel Osteen fill huge arenas filling people with hopes of future comforts and worldly success. Just believe God wants it for you, and you will achieve it….so they preach.  And when the believer doesn’t become rich or they suffer what they consider an “injustice” from God, the cause is their lack of faith and positive thinking. And all along, the preacher becomes wealthy in the process.

Some cannot deal with the pressure of suffering in a world they are told they should not be suffering. Many turn to drugs and alcohol for comfort, or a life of moral decay and financial collapse. When they hit rock bottom, if they survive the decline, the preachers are gone and offer nothing but, “You didn’t have enough faith.” They have nowhere to turn, so they think, and finally become angry with God for letting them down.

It is at that moment when I ask, “What makes you think you’re so special that you shouldn’t suffer?” This may sound tough, but it was self-oriented advice that brought them to this low place to begin with, and just as a drug addict must be shocked into sobriety, I have found (in my experience) that selfish addict requires the same shock treatment. “After all,” I say, “Jesus was tempted and suffered. Do you REALLY think you’re better than Him? Do you REALLY think YOU deserve not to suffer, but He did?”

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. (Matthew 4.1-2)Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands. (Matthew 26.67

Some will say to me, “Sure, but that was Jesus. He could handle it because He’s God.” Then I remind them Christians have been suffering all along.

Have you suffered so many things in vain -- if indeed it was in vain? (Galatians 3.4)For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men. (1 Thessalonians 2.14-15)

So Jesus Christ and His Church have suffered and were tempted to help us.

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2.18)

You may be in the midst of a great struggle, or you have just completed a great struggle and “licking your wounds” looking back and wondering why it all took place. You may be tempted to blame God for your struggle. You may be tempted to think you deserve better in life because you believe in Jesus Christ. You may believe Jesus let you down. Please keep this in mind…..you are TEMPTED to believe these things about God, because someone doesn’t want you to know the truth.

The truth is; you don’t deserve better, not because you’re bad, but because nobody deserves better.

The truth is; nobody deserves God’s love, but He loves you anyway.

The truth is; you will suffer, and God didn’t make you suffer, but He is holding your hand right now.

The truth is; God has NEVER left you.

We are all in the same boat. We “all fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3.23) but He loves us anyway. You’re not special, but you are one of us. Join us and we can struggle together.

W4T (Word for Today) – δἐος – awe

It seems like we hear this word daily. “It was so awesome,” or “I have some awesome news for you.” In both these cases, the word “awe” has the attribute of joy and success attached to it. But if you consider the word in its verb form, “φοβερίζω – to be in awe” we also see the root connected to fear. But awe is not fear as we would think it today.

We are told to be in awe of God. However, the excitement commonly associated with awesome just doesn’t fit. So most settle upon the idea of fear, and MANY Christians lives in fear of God, but God doesn’t desire us to fear Him….or does He?

The Lord said to Isaac, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you.” (Genesis 26.24)

Saint John the Theologian (the one whom Jesus loved – see John 19.26) said, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4.18)

But then Saint Paul says, “Do not be haughty, but fear” (Romans 11.20) and “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Hebrews 13.6)

And in Acts we read, “And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” (Acts 9.31)

On the surface it might seem like a conflict. In Greek, the word we read as “fear” has many uses including, but limited to, “be afraid.” In EACH case above, the use is NOT “be afraid” but (based upon the citations listed above, which are not exhaustive by any means) ONLY Genesis and Saint John’s, “There is no fear…” uses the characteristic of “be afraid” and in this case we are NOT supposed to be afraid.

So today, walk in the awesome contemplation of the Lord (Acts 9.31) . Do not be haughty, but cautious (Hebrews 13.6). But whatever you do……do be afraid of God. He doesn’t want that.