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Philippians 2:14-16

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Personal Challenge

So, what light is it that shines through me to those around me when I am living my life for God? It is not me! It is not my good works! Could it be that the light others see when I am living a life that glorifies God is His uncreated, glorious light? If I am living for Him, loving others for Him, caring for others through Him, then I am becoming an icon, a portal, through which others can see God. I become transparent and therefore, disappear so that He can become apparent and appear before others. I must decrease so that He can increase.

1 Timothy 4:7-8

But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Personal Challenge

So much of the Christian walk comes down to balance. Balancing what we do in our lives so that we are not over-focusing on any one area. Just as the athlete cannot just focus on one form of exercise or practice, but must have a suite of exercises to develop his whole body, so too must the Christian develop all aspects of his walk with Christ to be able to grow in godliness. This included reading and studying the scriptures and teachings of the saints, participating in the worship and liturgical traditions of the church, being a part of the church body through fellowship, cleansing ourselves of the toxins of our actions in the world through confession and repentance, and exercising our faith through prayer, fasting, serving, giving alms and tithes, and whatever else our Lord asks of us. The Christian walk is a marathon and requires diligent and persistent work.

Psalm 143:1 (142:1 LXX)

O Lord, hear my prayer; Give ear to my supplication in Your truth;
Answer me in Your righteousness;

Personal Challenge

Does God answer my prayers? Always! Do I recognize these answers? Not as often as I should! There is a very valuable truth about proper prayer in this little nugget, “my supplication in Your truth”. I can pray and pray for all the things that I want from God. Any many of these things may be good and proper things. But if I am truly walking in Christ, living my life close to Him, being obedient and submissive to Him, then He will reveal to me those things that I should be praying for. I will then be praying in His truth. This is when I truly see His answers in righteousness. This is when I accept His “No” answers as readily as His “Yes” answers. A true Christian life is lived within Him, for Him, by Him, with all abandonment of self and love of this world. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

John 2:9-10

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now.”

Encouraging Words

Jesus constantly invites us to partake in His special wedding feast. We get to this every time that we partake of the Eucharist. He is the Groom, ad were are both the bride and the guests. He takes that which is plain and bland, our earthly and unrepentent selves, and turns us into new creatures that taste sweet and are aromatic to the lost world. I cannot do this by myself, but only He can. glory be to God!

Acts 4:13

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Personal Challenge

If I have truly “been with Jesus”, if I am in an intimate relationship with Him, then I do not have to brag about my educational or occupational accomplishments to be recognized as a bold follower of Him. I have been given the Holy Spirit so that He can impart to me the divine knowledge and wisdom that I need to live for Him, to proclaim Him, and to die for Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

2 Timothy 4:18

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

Encouraging Words

I am my Father’s child. As His child, I am always under His protective wing. There is nothing that can take place in my life, either in this current age or the age to come, that He cannot deliver me from. He demonstrated this over and over again with the children of His old covenant and has consistently demonstrated this throughout His new covenant. His deliverance may not always come in the way that I expect it to, but then I am human and only have a finite view of what options of deliverance I think are best. He is infinite, all-knowing, and all-powerful. He always knows the deliverance that is best for me. Glory be to God!

Psalm 119:105 (118:105 LXX)

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my paths.

Encouraging Words

What a blessing it is to know that God’s word, whether it be the written scriptures, the teachings of the fathers, or the traditions, hymns, icons, and sacraments of te Church, will always be the light that guides me through the journey of my life. This is a light that will never go out and never lead me astray. Glory be to God!

Philippians 2:5-7

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Encouraging Words

Jesus did not become man and die on the cross to fulfill the anger and wrath of His Father. God is love, mercy, and grace! He did not come in order to correct the sin of Adam and the rest of mankind as some kind of Plan B. He was incarnate before the beginning of creation! Jesus came so that by taking on the form of humankind, we might be able to be joined to our Father. He lived a sinless life so that we can strive to do the same. He died because we all die. He rose from the dead, conquering death and the hold that it had on us so that we too will one day be raised up victorious over death. This was God’s plan all along. Someday, we will once again walk with God in His garden. Glory be to God!