Posts Tagged ‘Temptation’
Sin and Betrayal is Born in Weakness
Nobody who calls himself a Christian, sins ‘on purpose’ but out of weakness. We are tempted constantly. It is when we let our guard down that sin comes. Just when we think everything is ‘ok’ and we can take a break, temptation returns, and we sin. BRETHREN, no one born of God commits sin; for…
Read MoreNobody is Safe from Temptation
As Christians we are told that God will protect us from evil. We grow up knowing that God is watching over us. So then, why do so many leave the Church and walk in sin? Temptation is the great equalizer. The stronger our faith, the stronger the temptation. The Lord said to his disciples, “When…
Read MoreNothing Can Separate You from God
It is too easy to feel alone in a world filled with billions of people. It is all too common. In the middle of struggle, we look around and feel alone. We feel nobody ‘has our back’ or that nobody understands what we are going through. We even wonder if God has forgotten us. Brethren,…
Read MoreNo Law Against Kindness
I hear it all the time. Be kind. What does it mean to be kind? Is it kind to allow people to think they are something they are not? Is it kind to tell someone they are going to hell if they don’t change? Some say yes. Some say no. Brethren, the fruit of the…
Read MoreTemptations Never End
We wake every day to the same reality. The sun shines. The winds blow. Temptation attacks. Like a natural force of weather, temptation blows, and we get ‘pushed around’ like branches in a tree. The key isn’t to avoid the wind, but to prepare the branches. In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee…
Read MoreCommon Life
In every Divine Liturgy we proclaim our common life in Christ when we pray, “Let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.” We do not commend our unison lives to Christ. We commend our life, singular, to Christ. That should mean something. Brethren, let any one who thinks…
Read MoreDon’t Allow Yourself to be Tripped Up
I was once taught the first step to any sin is to believe I would always be able to ‘say no’ to temptation. Instead of counting on my willpower, I was taught to do whatever I could to set up protections against temptation. That way I would increase my chances of avoiding sin. Brethren, God…
Read MoreThe Forces of Evil
I can’t tell you how often I hear people admit they do not believe in demons. Many do not believe there are ‘forces out there’ constantly trying to trip us up. The forces of evil are real. They exist, and they have been fighting against the Church since Adam and Eve. Brethren, we know that…
Read MoreThe Power of Pride
Our daily struggle during Great Lent is much more than fasting. Great Lent is a struggle against pride. We all have it. We all struggle to subdue it, or at least we should. We all fall to its power through temptation and ego. It is what holds us back. The sons of Noah who went…
Read MoreDependence on God
There was an expression I heard often when I was young. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I don’t hear that much anymore, but it still rings true in the life of the Church. When life gets difficult, people of faith get going to Church and God, and blessings flow. Today the…
Read More