Posts Tagged ‘Church’
Serving God VS Serving the Flesh
According to logic and the Holy Scriptures, it is impossible to serve two masters. You “will be loyal to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6.24) We talk about multitasking and threading the needle, or walking a fine line, but when push comes to shove, we have only one loyalty. I once led a…
Read MoreDenial and Sin are a Dangerous Combination
Everyone knows toddlers are treated differently than teenagers when it comes to behavior. What is ‘cute’ in a toddler is ‘inappropriate’ for a teenager. If we never teach children about proper behavior, they will grow to become destructive adults. Today’s blog isn’t about childrearing. Today’s blog is about sin, and the danger of denying sin…
Read MoreRejecting the Church is Rejecting God
We risk alienating ourselves from God when we reject the guidance and teaching of the Church. It isn’t because the Church is powerful. It is because the Church is the Body of Christ. It is because the Church is guided into the entire truth by the Holy Spirit. Christ said as much. The Lord said…
Read MoreBelief is not Enough
We all know that being a Christian isn’t easy. There are teachings to memorize and rules to follow. For Orthodox Christians there are Sacred Traditions to keep and spiritual disciplines to practice. Is all this necessary? Why can’t we ‘just believe’ in God? Consider today’s lesson from Saint Paul. There were many who knew God,…
Read MoreTruth is not Subjective
Music can be defined as a series and combination of sounds pleasing to the ear. Music is subjective. What is a masterpiece to one, is garbage music to another. Nonetheless, music brings joy to every human being. The same can be said about God, but for a different reason. Some love God while others think…
Read MoreTake No Offense
We’ve all said it. We’ve all had that moment when we needed to tell someone the truth, but we knew it would hurt to hear the truth. So, we soften it with a simple warning. “No offense, but…” Let’s face it, with the wrong heart, hearing these words are always an offense. We take offense…
Read MoreEpisode 479 – Knowing God in Communion
When Christ was about to be crucified, He prayed for the Church. He prayed that we might know Him. He prayed that we would have life in Him. He prayed that knowing Him as Father, Son and Holy Spirit would mean eternal life. The Church has protected that truth ever since. Transcript: My brothers and…
Read MoreA New Month Means a New Challenge
Today is a good day to be reminded by the Church about the source of life. We may think life comes from the earth but that is only the tip of the iceberg. We only get our flesh and blood from the earth. That flesh and blood remain dead without God. The Lord said to…
Read MorePower Before Our Eyes
For many years I used to wonder why so many people do not believe in Jesus Christ as God. He has presented Himself to the entire world through direct personal interaction, and through the Gospel and the Church. Still, so many choose not to believe. This is what comes to my mind when I read…
Read MoreDo What He Tells You
Every Orthodox Christian is taught that obedience is a blessing. We are taught to be obedient first to God, then to the Church through our spiritual father. There are many stories of blessings that come from obedience, not the last of which is eternal life. In today’s readings I was reminded of obedience. Take a…
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