Posts Tagged ‘Acts of the Apostles’
Not Every Teaching is Correct
We call ourselves Orthodox Christians which has a double meaning. The word means both, upright worship and correct belief. The Orthodox Church has kept the correct teachings since the days of the Holy Apostles. No other church can claim the same reality. IN THOSE DAYS, Paul went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had…
Read MoreWho is Your King?
Proud Americans declare to the world, “We have no king!” The idea of king in America is the idea of oppression and fear, opulent wealth and greed. Throughout history kings were known by their loyalties, not their love. Americans have a king. We just don’t like to admit it. Our king is personal. Our king…
Read MoreChristians Don’t Flaunt Freedom
There is a troubling trend in American Christianity to flaunt our freedom in front of everyone. I’m not sure what the reason is, but the desire for constant attention from ‘the opposition’ brings hatred rather than respect. If only we learned more lessons from the ancient Church. In those days, Peter went to the house…
Read MoreConversion Stories
For those of us who have been Orthodox since our birth the concept of ‘giving a testimony’ is foreign. Since we have always been in the Church, we don’t understand why anyone would need to explain their faith. We’re here because we have always been here, but not everyone. In those days, while Peter was…
Read MoreJesus Christ is the Answer
As Orthodox Christians we live in a world filled with questions. How did the earth come into being? How were humans created? If there is a god, why is there so much violence and hate in the world, my favorite. Jesus Christ is the Truth, and the truth answers all questions. In those days, the…
Read MoreWhen God Calls
Something about which we can all agree, is that living the Christian life is not easy. It requires faith, discernment and constant effort to remain true to God’s calling. One of the hardest, in my estimation, is learning how to hear God when He does call. In those days, at Caesarea there was a man…
Read MoreOne Disagreement Away from Enemies
I have watched best friends willing to die for each other, only to stop talking over a single disagreement. We put so much energy into our relationships that when they ‘go bad’ we are lost. Even family members can turn on each other if loyalties don’t align. In those days, Saul was with the disciples…
Read MoreA Common Starting Point
If you have ever had a conversation about religion with someone who wasn’t Orthodox Christian, then you have likely struggled like the rest of us. “Where should I begin?” Is it necessary to start with Genesis, or can we start someplace else? In those days, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and…
Read MoreWhom do you Desire to Please?
We all like to be liked. There is no pleasure in being disliked, that’s for sure. As Christians though, we find ourselves between a rock and hard place. We are either liked by people or we are liked by God. There is a difference. About that time, Herod the king laid violent hands upon some…
Read MoreFamiliar but Different
Have you ever wanted to read the Bible in its entirety? A very popular Christian desire is to read the entire Bible. It is almost as if Christians as a rule don’t read the entire Book on a regular basis. The Church thought about that a long time ago when it established the Lectionary. Today’s…
Read More