Posts Tagged ‘repentance’
Remain or Repent; Which is it?
It has become popular to use the expression, “God made me who I am,” as an excuse toward all sorts of behaviors the Church teaches against. “God doesn’t make mistakes,” is another excuse. I say excuse, because we never want to remain how we are if we don’t like who we are. Brethren, in whatever…
Read MoreBeware of Judgment
As Christians we know we are not supposed to judge others. We quote to each other all the time. “Judge not, lest you be judged,” (Matthew 7.1) but judgment does much deeper. When we judge others, not only will we be judged, we are already judging ourselves. Brethren, since the ungodly did not see fit…
Read MoreRemain or Depart
Free will has been given by God to every human being. We are free to choose to do good or to do evil. We are free to love God or that hate Him. We are free to remain close to Him, or to depart far from Him. The choice is ours to make. Not everyone…
Read MoreProve Your Faith
There is an old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” This saying has been said of just about every professional, including clergy. It is because so many of us do not live the faith we proclaim. It is the reason so many mock the Christian Church as organized hypocrisy. Are you any…
Read MoreAre We Good Witnesses for God?
The vast majority of us will not die a martyr’s death. In fact, most of us will live to an old age. This is both a blessing and a heavy responsibility. The longer we live, the more our life is on display for others to judge. The blessing comes only if we are good witnesses…
Read MoreRun to the Light
There was a study of the healing power of light in which it was discovered that patients who were positioned near windows healed faster than patients away from natural sources of light. What is true about light in our physical health is also true in our spiritual health. The Lord said to his disciples: “God…
Read MoreDo Not Envy Evil
It is totally natural. We look around and see ‘everyone but us’ enjoying life. We are struggling to keep the fast of Great Lent and attend extra church services while our friends are going to parties and living it up. We feel like oddballs among our friends, and sometimes even family. Great Lent will be…
Read MoreEvil is not worth the gain
Just look around and you will find those who choose not to live according to God’s desire. People are greedy, hungry for power, oppressive to others, even violent. It seems like ‘they’ are the ones who are rewarded with comfort and advancement in the world but their gains are short-lived. He who is steadfast in…
Read MoreHalf-Way Evaluation
Today is the half-way point of Great Lent. You now realize the days go by quickly when you’re focusing on Christ. You also realize that Pascha will be here ‘before you know it,’ and you still have work to do. It’s time for evaluation. Let’s review what the Church has asked us to focus on…
Read MoreThe Power of Repentance
I keep writing that Great Lent is not about following the rules, but about changing our hearts. Fasting from food is how we learn to control our desires, but it all begins with repentance. When we decide to change, then we put into action life choices that change our hearts. But the LORD of hosts,…
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