Author: David Short

Matthew 22:31-32

“But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Personal Challenge

Do I really believe that God is the God of the living? If so, then why do I not live my life, every single breath of it, as if God is fully alive in me and around me? Why do I live my life just for me and not for Him? Why do I live my life loving me more than my neighbor? The answer to these questions lies in the state of my heart, which can sometimes revert to its old, temporal way and therefore, create withing me a death toward my God and my neighbor. What is the remedy for this death? To be constantly reminding myself that I am alive in Christ, and only in Christ, and let Him do the rest. Glory be to God!

Ezekiel 1:29

This was the vision of the likeness of the Lord’s glory. I saw it, and I fell down on my face, and heard the voice of One speaking.

Encouraging Words

Who did Ezekiel see that caused him to fall down on his face in worship? He was blessed to be able to stand before the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. Jesus is the living Icon of God the Father whom no man can see and still exist. Through Jesus, and Jesus alone, we can see God in all of His glory. And we, today, are blessed to have the Incarnate Son through whom we can see God. The real question that I must ask myself is, “Do I fall down on my face in His presence or do I just look at this Icon as if it is just another object in my temporal life?” Jesus is the Icon of God the Father. He is the window through whom we can get a glimpse of heaven. He is the door through whom we can enter into the kingdom of God. Glory be to God! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! I fall down before you and hide my face for I am not worthy to be in your presence.

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Encouraging Words

Our Lord is eternal. His Living Word is eternal. It is encouraging to know that even if the heavens and the earth should perish, and all of the printed versions of the scriptures should perish with them, that the Living Word will always be there. This is why I must not worship the physical representation of some of my Lord’s words but worship Him. I must allow Him to be the Living Word written on my heart and carried with me wherever I go. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Zechariah 9:9

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is righteous and saving; He is gentle and mounted upon a donkey, even a young foal.”

Encouraging Words

What kind of King rides into His kingdom on a donkey? An angry and wrathful King? No! What kind of King approaches His subjects as a lowly and humble human? An overpowering and vengeful King? No! Our Lord came to us as a humble baby in a manger, lived a humble, yet perfect life, made His mark on His society for 3 years, and then gave up His life for us. This is a King who loves His people! Thank You Lord Jesus!

Hebrews 12:28

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Personal Challenge

My humanness and the sin which I harbor in it leads me to that place where I believe that I am the center of the universe and everything revolves around me. However, the truth is that only God and His kingdom are the center of all and are the only things that are unshakable and worthy of praise. It is imperative then that I enter into His kingdom with fear and reverence and share God’s grace with everyone that I come into contact with.

Titus 1:1

Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,

Personal Challenge

I love the note in the Orthodox Study Bible that accompanies this verse:

Acknowledgment (Gr. epignosis) is deeper than mental knowledge; it is experiential, not theoretical. Knowledge (the truth) and action (godliness) are a unity; knowledge that does not change one’s life does not save.

God does not care how much I know about Him, or the Church, or anything else if that knowledge is not being internalized and changing me. God wants me be an active Christian, not just an academic Christian. I must always be careful to not be prideful in the books, blogs, scriptures, or whatever other sources I use to gain knowledge, especially if they are not changing me to be more like Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of god, have mercy on me, a sinner!

1 Timothy 6:20-21

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.

Personal Challenge

Paul challenges Timothy in this letter to remain true to that which has been passed down to him from the previous leaders of the church and that which can be traced back to the Apostles. For those of us who have converted from the practice of sola scriptura and being taught that we, individually, have the right and the authority to interpret the scriptures, there is the lifelong challenge of letting go of our self-gained knowledge and holding on to the teachings that have been handed down from the Fathers. It is my responsibility to apply these teachings and the scriptures to my own life and to have them change my behavior, but not my responsibility to expound on whatever earthly knowledge I have gained. In others words…stay true to the faith!

Habakkuk 3:18-19

Yet I will glory in the Lord;
I will rejoice in God my Savior.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will direct my feet to the end;
He will set me upon high places,
So to conquer by His song.

Encouraging Words

Our God is so good! He loves His children so much and desires to be in constant fellowship with us. He gives us the strength that we need to make it through every moment of life and directs our footsteps along His path for our lives. He lifts us up to the high places so that we can proclaim Him to the world. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 21:3

To do righteous things and to speak the truth
Are more pleasing before God than the blood of sacrifices.

Personal Challenge

Does God really care about how closely we follow the traditions and practices of our church (fasting, reading the scriptures, praying, etc.)? While all of these are important to our development, He is much more interested in the state of our heart and how we let Him permeate our lives. As Paul reminds me in 1 Corinthians 13, it does not matter what spiritual gifts I have or how I use them if I do not do everything in love and in His truth. This is what I need to be working on every moment of my life…the state of my heart and how it drives what I do. Glory be to God.