Posts Tagged ‘Temptation’
God’s Work
As Christians, we are called to be coworkers with God. Practically speaking that means that the work we do is supposed to be part of the work God does. You cannot be a coworker and work on a different project. Then you are just colleagues. Coworkers have a shared vision. Brethren, we are God’s fellow…
Read MoreChained Down by Sin
The Devil made me do it. I couldn’t help myself. You have no idea how strong the temptation was that made me sin. These are all common excuses for sin. We have all used them because we have all been weak. We have all sinned, but there is a better way. About that time, Herod…
Read MoreTest God
If you chose to make a New Year Resolution, you may already be asking yourself if it was worth the change. Temptation is greatest when we try to change our lives to follow God, and this year will be no different. If you are wondering if God will fulfill His promise to help you and…
Read MoreHere today, Gone Tomorrow
I recall many years ago, shortly before graduating from high school, sitting in a park with my best friend. After striking up a conversation with us, a stranger broke the bad news to us. “You probably will never see each other after graduation.” We were angry and sad, and determined to prove the stranger wrong.…
Read MoreWhat Jesus Has Done
In the Gospel lesson for the 6th Sunday of Luke, we hear how Jesus cast out many demons from a man who had been tormented for years. The demons were so fierce, they “had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was…
Read MoreBe Strong
Among the many struggles of being a Christian in 21st Century America is the reality that we are not living among fellow believers. Either we are among Christians who are not Orthodox, or we are among non-Christians. Worse than both is to be among Orthodox Christians who do not live nor believe as Orthodox Christians.…
Read MoreHumans and Animals are not the Same
There is a troubling trend in our society to reduce humanity to ‘just another’ animal in the ecosystem. More and more consider our having dominion over the earth as a sin or even misplaced power. Activists search for examples of ‘human behavior’ in animals as a means of distraction from certain behaviors. We are not…
Read MoreGuilt by Association
When I was young, I was spending time with a friend when we found ourselves in a bit of trouble. We were walking past a swimming pool where a group of people had jumped the fence for a night swim. We knew the group of people, so we were chatting with them when we were…
Read MoreAvoid Temptation
Every day we pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Sit back and ponder over this verse of the Lord’s Prayer. We are asking God the Father, not just to keep us free from temptation, but to lead us away from temptation. God knows how much temptation we can handle. He…
Read MoreSpiritual Glasses
The past couple of days I have been focusing on the choice between the world and the Church. For some people, it can be difficult to distinguish between the world and the Church. Temptation is experienced. It is not imagined. What the world uses to tempt us can be so convincing, we are blinded to…
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