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Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

   “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
   Or who has become His counselor?
   Or who has first given to Him   And it shall be repaid to him?”

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Encouraging Words…

One of the many things that I am enjoying in my journey through life as an Orthodox Christian is the understanding that God is so much more than any man, or group of men, can ever define or pin down…and that is okay. God is far more than any of us finite members of His creation can ever grasp. The beauty of accepting this is that I know that I will be able to spend the rest of eternity getting to know God and that there will still be more to learn. It also frees us up to be more accepting of others and their belief practices because all truth is God’s truth and only He knows who He has given that truth to. Glory be to God!

Psalm 5:3 (5:4 LXX)

In the morning You shall hear my voice;
In the morning I will stand before You,
And I will watch.

Encouraging Words…

One of the things that I have been doing since I converted to Orthodoxy is my morning prayer rule. It is a time to start each day with prayer and reading of the scriptures. It is not a mandatory thing, but a choice. A choice to do as the psalmist echoes here, to come into the presence of our Lord and speak with Him. A choice to spend more time getting to know Him and His teachings through the written words and the teachings and traditions of those who have gone before us. A choice to look to Him for His guidance throughout the day. Glory be to God!

John 3:36

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Encouraging Words…

What do you do with a verse like this when most of your Christian life you are taught that God is wrathful and judging and that we are all condemned to hell unless we receive Christ, then you learn that the early church fathers taught that God is love and does everything in love? This verse seems to point to God as angry and wrathful not loving. It takes a lot more study and research to understand this and I am still wrapping my head around it. As Orthodox Christians we still acknowledge that there will be a final judgment by God. So much so that in every liturgy we pray, “For a good defense before the dread Judgment Seat of Christ, let us pray to the Lord: Lord have mercy.” The encouraging words here are that God loves us, His creation, so much that He has given us the means by which we can stand before that last judgment seat blameless and exonerated. It is His only Son who gave up His life for mankind and provides us the means to be children of God. And God did not stop there. He also placed in our being, and in all nature around us, all of the indicators that we need to point us to His Son. So who am I to say how that judgment plays out. That is up to God and it is a mystery. Glory be to God.

Romans 10:14-15

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Personal Challenge…

I believe we are all called to be one of three types of people in the church when it comes to spreading the gospel: goers, senders, and pray-ers. Someone must go to those who have not heard the gospel, or who do not have it readily available to them. Others must be active in sending the goers by financially supporting their needs. All of us must be pray-ers who lift up the goers and petition for more senders. This does not discount that all of us are commanded to share the gospel in every aspect of our lives. For me, the personal challenge is that I desire to be a goer. I have been blessed with the opportunity to do God’s work both here in my own back yard as well as around the world. I have even been blessed with the opportunity to do this full time for over two years in Haiti. Unfortunately I have made choices throughout my life that now prevent me from being a full time goer. No regrets though, because by the grace of God I am continually given opportunities to go, to send, and to pray for the harvest. God is so good to His children, of which I am one. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

I Kings 8:22-24 (3 Kingdoms 8:22-24)

You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth, and fulfilled it with Your hand, as today. Now, O Lord God of Israel, keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, so long as your people guard and keep their ways to walk before Me, as you walked before Me.’ So now, O Lord God of Israel, let the word be confirmed You spoke to Your servant David my father.

Encouraging Words…

Just as Jesus prayed for His apostles and the future of His church in John, chapter 17, Solomon prays for his people, requesting that God our Father will fulfill His promises to David. God cares for His people more than we will ever be able to comprehend. All we have to do is look at the church and the robust history that we have with it and we can see how much God has kept His promises. Glory be to God!

Matthew 6:32b-34

For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Encouraging Words…

I do not need to be consumed by worries about the earthly things that I want or even need. god knows what my needs are and He will take care of them. Since my heart and mind are to focus on Him and the heavenly realm I can let go of my concerns of this world and live freely in Christ. If I put all of my energy toward Christ the rest will follow. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Matthew 7:24-25

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Encouraging Words…

“for it was grounded on the rock.” Having built homes in Thailand, Mexico, and Haiti after disasters I know all too well the true value of building on solid ground. What a blessing it is to have the Rock of Jesus to build my life on. He will never falter…even when I do. Glory be to God.

Matthew 18:15-18

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. ’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Encouraging Words…

Jesus established for us a very clear and effective model; for discipline and reconciliation in His body, His church. There is no room for gossip and slander, which only destroys the fellowship of the community, but there are dire consequences for not recognizing our sins against each other and repenting from them. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Encouraging Words…

Wages…that which I earn for the labor I have performed. Gift…that which is freely given to me without my doing anything to earn it. What a contrast. Since sin dwells within me, within my flesh, I have committed, and will continue to commit, sin. Therefore, I have earned the wages of that sin, which is eternal death. However, Jesus, who never sinned, and who broke the grip of both sin and death, has become that free gift offered by God to me. Through Jesus’ life and work, and God’s grace and love, I have been given the gift of eternal life. What a blessing. What an incredible act of love by our God the Father. Glory be to God!

Romans 8:1-2

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Encouraging Words…

Prior to the coming of Christ we were all condemned under the law. Christ, however, fulfilled the law and therefore freed us from this condemnation…if we walk in His power and authority. Not only did He do all of this work because I could not, but He also sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within me and to help me walk in Christ. Glory be to God!