Saint of the Week

St. John of Kronstadt

ABOVE REPROACH

Daniel 6:5-6

Then the ministers and satraps tried to find grounds for accusation against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could not accuse him of any corruption. Because he was trustworthy, no fault or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said to themselves, “We shall find no grounds for accusation against this Daniel except in connection with the law of his God.”

Personal Challenge

The culture that Daniel lived in under King Nebuchadnezar does not sound that much different than our culture today. Men in leadership were doing everything that they could to please their king. They all lived corrupt lives and expected that everyone else be corrupt as well. Daniel was elevated by the king because of his devotion to his God and his unwillingness to be corrupt. His peers were jealous to the point of doing everything they could to find fault in Daniel. By living his life above reproach, nothing could be found that could be used against Him. This is what we need today…more Daniels. Glory be to God!

HATE FOR ANOTHER

1 John 4:20

If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Personal Challenge

We live in a day where false Christianity has become rampant. This is not about denominations or faith practices. John is very clear here. If you say that you love God and yet hate another human being, then your profession of faith is a lie. Lord, have mercy! We cannot be hateful to immigrants and claim to love God. We cannot be hateful to people with different political perspectives, opinions, or beliefs and claim to love God. If you belong to a faith practice that pronounces or supports any kind of hate, then you are part of a heretical group and need to flee. Strong words, but words directly from the very scriptures that you profess to follow. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

BLESSED

Daniel 3:95 LXX (3:28)

Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants that trusted in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

Personal Challenge

It takes guts to stand up for what you believe, especially when all the olds are stacked against you. Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego knew that they would be thrown into the fiery furnace for defying the king. They trusted that their God would take care of them, even if that only meant being with Him after their death. This is true martyrdom. We must always be ready and willing to lay down our life for our God. This is a given for any true follower of Christ. We are also called by Jesus to be willing to lay down our life for another. That may mean standing between an immigration officer and the foreigner. It may mean protesting the autrocities that an authoritarian government perpetrates against its citizens. It always means feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the infirm, protecting the widow and the orphan, and just plain loving our neighbor, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

WHO IS JESUS?

1 John 4:15-16

Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

Personal Challenge

The Christian faith practices of today have so many different definitions of what it means to be saved, or a Christian. Ultimately, only God knows the true nature of each of our hearts and who will be saved by Him. In the Eastern Orthodox faith practice we believe that no one “deserves” salvation. We are all separated by our sins from our God. Throughout our worship and prayers we consistently call out “Lord, have mercy!”, hoping in the grace and mercy of our God and that He will count us amongst the sheep of His flock. As part of the hope we acknowledge Jesus is the Son of God, that by this acknowledgement God remains in us and we in Him, that God loves us, and that God will love us even in our imperfections. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

OUR SACRIFICE

Daniel 3:40

So let this be our sacrifice before You today,
And may it be accomplished for those who follow You;
For there is no shame for those who trust in You.

Personal Challenge

So, what is this sacrifice that is being given to God? Azariah was one of the three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. They had refused to worship him and his statue. God protected them in the furnace as they were joined by Jesus in His preincarnate form. These young men were willing to stand firm in their belief in their God and to accept any consequences for that behavior. This is the sacrifice that we as followers of Christ are called to make as well. It is an all or nothing commitment to follow Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

THIS IS LOVE

1 John 4:10-12

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

Personal Challenge

The true definition of love is epitimized in God’s love for mankind. He sent His son to live and die for us so that we could participate in the death of death. God wants us to love others this way, giving our lives for another. By living this way, people will see and recognize God through our loving behavior. Glory be to God!

Saint of the Week

St. Joseph the Hesychast

A GOD IN THE HEAVENS

Daniel 3:16-18

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you in regard to this thing. For there is a God in the heavens, whom we serve, and He is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us from your hands, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image you set up.”

Personal Challenge

As followers of Christ we can stand firm in our faith because we know that we are not alone. We believe in our God who is in heaven who is able to save us, no matter what the situation is. We are comfortable with the truth that our salvation may include the end of our physical life, which is okay. We know that we are not alone because of the myriad of saints that have before us, standing firm in their faith, giving their lives for our God, and receiving the prize that God had for them and has for the rest of us who follow Him. We are not afraid to stand up for our belief and stand firm on the promises of God. Glory be to Him!

OVERCOMERS

1 John 4:4

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them (spirits of the world), because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (Items in italics mine.)

Personal Challenge

As the modern church becomes more aligned with the world we will also see more alignment with spirits that are not of God. First of all, God’s Church, His body of believers, which is spread across all nations and denominations will always stay true to Him and never be defeated. It is the manmade churches that have tainted His teachings that are straying from Him. Second, and must important, God’s Church, the Bride of Christ, will overcome the world and remain true to her Groom until they are united in eternity. This overcoming is possible because He who is in us, our Groom, is greater then he who is in the world. Glory be to God!