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Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

UNDERSTANDING TRUTH

Wisdom of Solomon 3:9 (not in Protestant Bible)

Those who trust in Him will understand truth,
And the faithful shall continue with Him in love,
Because grace and mercy are upon His elect.

Personal Challenge

One of the black marks on our society today is the lack of commitment to truth. Even for many that proclaim to be Christians, truth has been minimized and made relative. No matter how much these people want to relativise truth, truth is still truth, and many times absolute. An opinion does not modify the truth. We are reminded here that trusting in God leads us to an understanding of truth. As followers of Christ, we believe that all truth comes from God, regardless of who presents it. This shores up our commitment to love our neighbor, especially those sharing God’s truth. We can do this Through His love, grace, and mercy towards us. Glory be to God!

SINCERITY OF HEART

Wisdom of Solomon 1:1-2 (not in Protestant Bible)

Love righteousness, you who judge on the earth.
Think about the Lord in goodness
And seek Him with sincerity of heart;
Because He is found by those who do not tempt Him,
And He is manifest to those who do not disbelieve Him.

Personal Challenge

Growing up as a Protestant, I never knew how much of God’s truth I was missing out on in the apocryphal scriptures. Wisdom of Solomon is one of those books. We are taught in Christianity to seek God. He is everywhere and in every part of creation. If we seek Him we will find him. This passage reminds us that the state of our heart impacts how well we will find him. A sincere heart will show us His righteousness and goodness. Glory be to God!

FEAR GOD

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God
And keep His commandments,
For this is the whole man.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including everything that has been overlooked,
Whether it be good or evil.

Personal Challenge

We, the followers of Christ, are encouraged throughout the scriptures to fear God. Unfortunately, this interpreted to mean that we are to be afraid of an angry and judgmental God that is ready to squash us at any moment. However, in the context of the scriptures and history of the church, this actually means that we look at our God with a sense of awe, submission, and reverence. His love, mercy, and grace is what will be the balance for judgment that is incurred. The penalty of that judgment is already resolved through the incarnation of Jesus and His redemptive actions. So through this lens we choose to fear Him and keep His commandments. Glory be to God!

HIGH AND LOW

Ecclesiastes 10:6

The senseless man devotes himself to great heights,
And rich men shall sit in a lowly place.

Personal Challenge

God’s way is very different than man’s way. We often call this His economy. It is usually upside down compared to man’s economy. Jesus taught that the meek will inherit the earth. People in power believe that they will. He taught us to give so that we can receive. People believe that whoever hoards the most toys and wealth will win. Here we see that the senseless man, the fool, strives for great heights in the ladder of society, which only ends up in a greater distance to fall. It also points out that ultimately, those who pursue wealth, will end up sitting in lowly places, either in this life or the next. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

WATCH YOUR BEHAVIOR

Ecclesiastes 7:16

Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise,
Lest you be confounded.

Personal Challenge

The scriptures are very clear that a follower of Christ is to be humble and loving, both towards God and our neighbor. When we get all caught up in our perceived religiosity, become overly self righteous, and act like we know everything, we must be prepared to be humbled, for we will be. Better to remain humble and loving than to end up falling from a self-manufactured height. Lord esus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

FRIENDSHIP

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For there is not a second one to help him up!
If two lie down together, both stay warm,
But how can one stay warm alone?
If one is added strength, two will stand before him,
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Personal Challenge

This is a go to passage for a clear explanation of why it is so valuable to have people in our lives that we trust and respect. Friendship flies in the face of the typical, independent psychie because true friendship requires humility and vulnerability. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Saint of the Week

St. Ignatius of Antioch

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to give birth
And a time to die;
A time to plant
And a time to pluck what is planted.
A time to kill
And a time to heal;
A time to pull down
And a time to build up.
A time to weep
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn
And a time to dance.
A time to throw stones
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace
And a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to seek
And a time to lose;
A time to keep
And a time to throw away.
A time to tear
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silent
And a time to speak.
A time to love
And a time to hate;
A time of war
And a time of peace.
The Gifts of God
What profit has the worker from all his labors? I have seen altogether the tasks which God has given to the sons of men to be engaged in. He made everything beautiful in its time, and

He indeed put eternity in their hearts in such a way that man may not find out the work God made from the beginning to the end.

Encouraging Words

The verses that are used to drive this blog are verses that I have collected over my life of reading the scriptures. The order and timing of when a particular verse or passage comes up for any given day is fairly random. Quite often, a verse or passage comes up that is perfect for the day or the event that is transpiring in my life. This is one of those days. What an appropriate passage as we remember the 25th anniversary of the attack on our country. There is a time for everything under the sun. The ultimate question to answer is: “Where am I in my response to the time that is happening in my life at this very moment?”. We can be in a reaction mode or we can have our hearts at a place of humily where we are ready, willing, and able to respond appropriately to the time that God is calling us to. The choice is ours. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

ARROGANCE VERSUS HUMILITY

Proverbs 29:23

Arrogance humbles a man,
But the Lord supports the humble-minded with glory.

Personal Challenge

As people living and growing up in America, we have become accustomed living life as the Marlboro Man. We are a people that thrive on independence and being self-built and self-sufficient. This chosen lifestyle so often leads to arrogance, which will almost always lead to a fall. That fall will be very humbling. A better, and more productive way to go through life is the way of humility. This does not mean that we are door mats but that we choose to put the needs of others before our own desires. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!