1 Corinthians 14:33a

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace,

Encouraging Words

God is the author of peace. He is not the creator or author of confusion or disarray. We can look at the order of how His creation works and functions. We can apply this to every aspect of our lives, whether it be that which is going on in our heads and hearts or that which is going on around us in the world. If we find that we are encountering confusion or disarray we can turn to Him and seek His peace to sort things out and to give us His peace. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 9:6

Great shall be His government, and of His peace there is no end. His peace shall be upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order and establish it with righteousness and judgment, from that time forward and unto ages of ages. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

Encouraging Words

One of the problems with taking the scripture in with only a literal translation is that you miss out on so many of the other teachings and meanings that our God wants us to receive from His living word. This verse is a great example of that. So many people see this as some future kingdom that Jesus will set up some day in the distant future. This is part of the promise of this prophecy, but Jesus Himself said that His Kingdom had arrived when He arrived. He also told us that He gives us His peace. So rereading this verse with that perspective in mind it is easy to see that His government is already great. His Church has been strong and growing for 2,000 years. There is no end to the peace that He bestows on His followers if we choose to accept it and let it permeate our lives. There is an order established in our world based on righteousness and godly judgment by the Church, the Bride, that He established. His Kingdom was established 2,000 years ago and we are members of it. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Personal Challenge

This may be one of the most complete definitions of love. There is nothing that I could add to this passage except a prayer for forgiveness. I desire to be loved this way and to love others this way, and yet I find myself far short of loving others, even those closest to me this way. And it is for this that I seek forgiveness, both from my God and those in my life whom I should be loving this way. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Isaiah 6:8-10

I also heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people?” Then I said, “Behold, here am I, send me.” So He said, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You shall hear indeed, but not understand; and you shall see indeed, but not perceive.’ For the heart of this people has become insensitive, and their ears hear with difficulty. They have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return, and I should heal them.”

Personal Challenge

The portion of this passage that usually stands out to me is Isaiah’s willingness to be used by His God. I always have to ask myself if I would be this willing. However, today the part of the passage that struck me, is the description of the people that Isaiah is going to go preach to, God’s chosen people. They are described as having insensitive hearts toward God and their neighbor, people who know God but have chosen to close their ears and eyes to what their God would say to them and show them. As I read this I must ask myself if I am becoming this way. Am I developing an insensitive heart toward both God and my fellow human being? Am I choosing to close of my eyes and ears to what God is asking of me so that I can do my own thing? Lord, have mercy! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Personal Challenge

We are not alone. We are part of a bigger group. In Orthodoxy, we believe that our salvation can only be worked out within a community of fellow believers, our local parish or church. It is in this setting that we have others that can model godly behaviors for us. It is here that we are stretched and challenged, guided and disciplined, and free to exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have been bestowed upon us. This is why so many of our prayers speak of “we” and “us”. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 1:16-20

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Put away the evils from your souls before My eyes. Cease from your evils. Learn to do good. Seek judgment and redeem the wronged. Defend the orphan and justify the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “although your sins are like crimson, I shall make them white like snow, and although they are as scarlet, I shall make them white like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good things of the land. But if you are unwilling and disobedient, you shall be devoured by the sword,” for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Encouraging Words

Because of God’s great love for us and His mercy and grace, our sins will be forgiven and we will stand purified before our God cleansed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. His desire is that all of His creation will turn to Him and away from the ways and desires of the world. But our life in Christ does not stop there. When we truly turn our lives over to God, we will desire to serve Him. We will desire to wash and become clean. We will desire to put away evil from our eyes and our minds. We will desire to defend the orphan and justify the widow amongst us. God forgive me of my pride and arrogance that constantly puts me and my desires before You and my neighbor. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 10:3

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Personal Challenge

This is quickly becoming a lost part of our modern world. When God was more important in people’s lives and in the mind of society as a whole, people knew that what they did either glorified Him or offended Him. Artisans plied their trade so that God would be glorified. Workers did their jobs, not only to provide for their families but so that God would be pleased with the fruit of their labor. Now, people so often just do things to get ahead or to get by. There is becoming less and less pride in one’s workmanship because people don’t think God is watching, let alone even in the picture. Paul reminds us that no matter what it is that we are doing in our lives, no matter how spectacular or mundane, we are doing it for God’s glory. When we go to work each day, we are not working for our employer, we are working for God. When we spend time with our family and loved ones, we have God in the midst and want to glorify Him in our actions. When we volunteer our time at our churches and other institutions, we work as if God is the recipient of the fruit of our labors, as well as those around us, and our desire should always be to give Him our best. There really is no room in the kingdom of God for shortcuts, laziness, sloppiness, or apathy. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Malachi 3:1-5

“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come into His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord Almighty. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can withstand His appearance? For He enters like a refiner’s fire and as soap in one’s wash. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver and gold. He will purify the sons of Levi and pour them out as purified gold and silver, and they will bring an offering to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years.

“And I will draw near to you in judgment, a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, those who swear falsely by My name, those who exploit wage-earners, those who oppress widows and afflict orphans, those who pervert the justice due foreigners, and those who do not fear Me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Personal Challenge

We, as a post-modern culture, have developed a “familiarity” with Jesus. We act as if He is just one of us and in that process, we minimize His God-ness. In this prophecy of Malachi, Jesus is presented as our coming Messenger of God. As with many of these prophecies, both His first coming and His second coming are comingled. When Jesus first came, He came to be the Savior of the world, to provide us the way to eternal life with Him in heaven. When He comes again He will be judging the world, especially His church on how well we did His work. And what is that work? How well do we love our neighbor? Do we treat those who work for us with honor and respect? Do we take care of the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners amongst us? And the hardest part of all of this is how well do me treat those who do not fear Him. He wants us to be His salt and light in the world for these people so that the might see Him and turn to Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 10:24

Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

Personal Challenge

If you had to sum up the responsibility of a follower of Christ in a simple and succinct statement, it would be, “Put others before yourself.” Isn’t this what God did went He sent His son to be incarnated? Isn’t this what Jesus did when He willingly went to the cross? Isn’t this what Mary did when she said, “Yes!”? Isn’t this what the prophets and the martyrs did when they died for our Lord? Isn’t this what Jesus asked us to do when He asked us to take up our cross and follow Him? Lord, have mercy! Lord. have mercy! Lord, have mercy!