Be Happy for Others

When those closest to us are successful we celebrate with them. Our love for them is poured out in banquets and honors. We tell our neighbors about the honor and success that our friends and family experience. We live through their success. We are happy for their joy. When those we do not know are…

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Eternal Union

It is easy to talk about forgiveness when it doesn’t matter. Too often I hear, “Sure I forgive them. God will take get them. I don’t have to.” I’m sorry to tell you, this is not forgiveness. This is vengeance. The problem isn’t now. The problem comes later when we are eternally together. There are…

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Fork in the Road

Life is full of choices. Do we wake up or sleep in? Do we eat healthy or binge on junk food? Do we ‘give it our all’ at work or settle for ‘just enough’ to get by? With every choice we face our options include some sort of benefit. Good eating and hard work pay…

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Never Good Enough

Here is one saying nobody ever wants to hear, but always needs to hear. You can never be good enough to ‘get in’ to heaven. You are never good enough isn’t a judgment. It is an honest expression of the truth. Even the saints knew it about themselves. We need to know it too. Brethren,…

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Hidden Blessing

We live in a society based heavily on rewards. When we excel at work, we get a raise or promotion. When we excel in sports, a trophy adorns our house. When we excel in the spiritual life, things are different. God knows our achievement but rewards us secretly. Brethren, “What no eye has seen, nor…

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What Makes You Happy?

We all need a little encouragement to ‘keep us going’ each day! For some it is a paycheck. For others it is knowing we are making a difference in the world. Still others keep going by watching their children grow into adulthood. These are all great accomplishments, but all fall short. The Lord said to…

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Mercy is God’s Choice

Two people can hear the same words and understand something totally different. Each person will hear what they want to hear, regardless of accuracy. I find that true almost every day in the Church. We all hear God’s word through Holy Scriptures, but we don’t all understand the same. Brethren, it is not as though…

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Everyone’s Savior

Are you saved? Orthodox Christians have been struggling over this question for years. We struggle not because we fear judgment. We struggle because confuse judgment with salvation. We are all saved and yet we are all judged. Before you get upset that I am teaching ‘universal salvation’ take a moment and read what Saint Paul…

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No Guarantees

Our consumer society has a way of convincing us to purchase products we don’t even desire. Retailers and manufacturers proudly assert a money back guarantee if we are not satisfied. All we need to do is change our mind. Salvation does not come with a money back guarantee. The Lord said, “Not every one who…

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