Judge Yourself

A judge using their gavel

I hear it all the time. Don’t judge! Under most circumstances I hear this as a defense of someone’s behavior. We cling to God’s warning against judgment not for salvation sake, but for our self-interest. We think if we are not judged by those around us, then our behavior is given the ‘green light’ to…

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Run to God

It never ceases to amaze me how many people outright ignore God until they need Him. We go through life ‘minding our own business’ until suddenly something takes place that we cannot control. It can be a natural event like a hurricane. It can also be the actions of other people. Either way, because we…

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False Prophets

Intuitively we understand the idea of false prophets. It is those who lead us stray from God through their words of warning. In the biblical sense prophets are not future tellers per se. True prophets are allowed by God to see what might happen if and when certain behaviors take place. False prophets use this…

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Trust and Betrayal

There are so many examples of human betrayal it can be difficult to trust anyone. Some parents abandon their families. Some adults abuse the people in their care. Even the ‘system’ can betray us when corrupt leaders take control. It is no surprise then that so many Christians do not trust the Church. I get…

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Episode 399 – Living as Saints

People along with the priest worshiping in the church

When we accept the invitation to become saints, we must also accept the challenge of a life willing to give it all up for God. We must live the life of the Church which has been guided by the Holy Spirit since Pentecost. A life of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is meant to help us…

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The Divine Standard

One of the things I’ve noticed recently about keyboard warriors is that they rarely live the message they proclaim. This is not limited to Christians. It seems lately that everyone is ready and willing to offer advice and demand behavior shifts to anyone and everyone who is ‘lucky enough’ to read the comment section. It…

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Orthodox State of Mind

Blessed written on wooden blocks

We begin our new season in the Church by reading from the Gospel of Matthew and Saints Paul’s letter to the Romans. Now that we have celebrated Pentecost, the Church turns our attention immediately to our state of mind. At that time, Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel…

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Foreknowledge of God

Knowledge written in a book in bold letter

We like to say that God knows everything. Yet, we still try to hide from Him. We like to say that God already knows what we are going to do. Yet, we still act as if our sins are secret. We like to say that God is all knowable. Yet, we still live as if…

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Seek the Kingdom

Inside View Of A Church With Jesus Christ Idol

Christ is Risen! When we think of our resources and income, we think about investing for the future. We think about vacations in the Alps. We think about leaving a legacy for our children. It is well known that most Americans live ‘paycheck to paycheck’ thinking only about getting through today. The two concepts, focusing…

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2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 14

A golden abstract artwork of the Jesus

When one paralyzed man was brought by his four friends to Jesus Christ for healing, it was THEIR faith that Jesus noticed. We hear in the Gospel of Mark, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2.5) In this encounter, Jesus is reminding us that…

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