Posts Tagged ‘repentance’
Repentance of the Mind
You’ve heard me in my sermons. You’ve read my words in this blog. Repentance comes from the Greek word μετάνοια (metania) which literally translates to change of mind. Although we think of repentance in terms of changing our behavior, until we change our mind our behavior will always remain. Brethren, I count everything as loss…
Read MoreReconciliation to God
It is dangerously easy to think of God as angry and judgmental. He is our Father and we constantly disobey Him and disappoint Him. He is the Creator and we are not known for taking very good care of His creation. He is the lover of truth. We are not. Brethren, Christ died for all,…
Read MoreMan of Your Word
Integrity is ‘everything’ today. If people cannot trust that we will do what we say we will do, things begin to collapse. We see this to be true, especially in politics. Politicians rarely do what they say. Instead, they say what they think we want to hear, then do what they want to do. It…
Read MoreBe Known for Something Good
Today is the Fourth of July, Independence Day in America. It is the day we remember the founders and principles of our nation. These great men are remembered for their courage and faithfulness to freedom. They weren’t perfect, but they stood for the ideal of perfect freedom. Brethren, to this end Christ died and lived…
Read MoreRestoration with the Church
Just look around and you will find those who stepped away from the Church. They are family members, friends and even some koumbari (godparents) who decided to leave the Church. Ask them why, and you will hear all sorts of reasons. We may not agree with why someone walks away from the Church, but we…
Read MoreNever Give Up
It is easier said than done. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about secular or spiritual matters. One reason for this is that we witness so many ‘doing it wrong’ that we forget there is a right way to do something. What makes things worse is when the wrong way ‘seems’ to be rewarded…
Read MoreThe Past is more than History
Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. This very popular quote came to my mind today. You may wonder why the Church spends so much time remembering the past. Some may think it is because we honor those who came before us. That is only history. The past is something more. The…
Read MoreOrthodox State of Mind
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…
Read MoreForeknowledge of God
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…
Read MoreYou Are In the Father
Yesterday the Church celebrated the Feast of Ascension, the day which commemorates Christ’s glorious return to His Throne in Heaven. Here’s the deal that most Christians do not consider. If we are baptized into Christ, and become united to Christ, then we too are on the Throne of God with Christ. It doesn’t mean that…
Read More