Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

My dear friends and family. For those of us around the world who practice our Christian faith through the traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy tonight at the stroke of midnight we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we join our other brothers and sisters around the world, and from generation to generation, those who have already celebrated the resurrection of Christ on the Western calendar, and those of us who celebrate now on the Eastern calendar, to proclaim: Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! He has come to this world to be the victor over death and to set the prisoner free. As the prophet Isaiah says…

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because of which He anointed Me. He sent Me to proclaim good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to declare the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of recompense, and to comfort all who mourn; to give those who mourn in Zion glory instead of ashes, the oil of gladness to those who mourn; the garment of glory instead of a spirit of indifference. They shall be called generations of righteousness, the planting of the Lord for glory. They shall build the ancient deserts, raise up those formerly abandoned, and renew the desert cities that laid waste for generations.” Isaiah 61:1-4.

May you be blessed by his living presence in your live and throughout the days of your journey toward eternity.

John 13:34-35

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Encouraging Words…

Today is Great and Holy Friday (Good Friday) in the Eastern Orthodox Church. There are many readings in the scriptures for the day and these verses are in the first passage. What a special way to kick off the day that we observe to remember the passion of Christ…teaching us to love others as Christ has loved us. Is this not one of the main reasons that Christ came to earth as a man and walked the path to the cross…because of His love for His creation. He has shown us how to love and has given us a Helper to be able to love this way ourselves.

Job 4:24

But hear me, O Lord, that I also may speak.I will ask You, and please teach Me.

Encouraging Words…

By the grace of God, Job was able to go from hearing God to seeing God. Because of his righteousness God revealed Himself to Job. This is encouraging to me because I believe in the same God as Job did and He is never changing, therefore as I journey through my life desiring to be righteous, to be holy before God, He may someday reveal Himself to me as He did to Job.

Matthew 22:31-32

“But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Encouraging Words…

Why in the world would I ever petition a saint? Here Jesus reminds us that those whom have gone before us are alive and in God’s presence. Why wouldn’t I reach out to them to speak to God on my behalf, to present my petitions to Him for me. I do not pray to the saints hoping that they can answer my prayers…only God deserves that honor and only He can answer my prayers. I reach out to the saints as if they are here and can pass my words on to God. It is only God that I worship, it is only Him that I fall down before in fear and trembling. Glory be to God!

Ezekiel 1:29

This was the vision of the likeness of the Lord’s glory. I saw it, and I fell down on my face, and heard the voice of One speaking.

Personal Challenge…

Since I have converted to Eastern Orthodoxy I have found that my favorite service is the Canon of St. Andrew. We use this service during Lent and it is full of prostrations. My first time of going through this service I found myself being proud and not willing to bow down that way. Then it struck me that every occurrence in the scriptures of God revealing Himself into the lives of our patriarchs and prophets resulted in faces being planted on the floor before the Holy of Holies. Who am I to stand up tall in the presence of my King? I am a sinner, impure and unworthy to be in His presence, and I must bow before Him in awe and respect for He is so glorious. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Encouraging Words…

I grew up in a practice of the Christian faith where much was focused on looking for the end times. So many people were so focused on the belief that Jesus is coming any moment that many opportunities to serve Him were passed up. He promises here that no matter what happens to this earth, His creation, He and His word will remain forever. I should be focusing on doing what I can for Him in the here and now knowing that time is limited. I should be loving my neighbor as He has loved me.

Zechariah 9:9

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is righteous and saving; He is gentle and mounted upon a donkey, even a young foal.”

Personal Challenge…

Throughout the scriptures I am reminded, actually commanded, to love my neighbor as myself, to be humble and to do all that I do in love. God is not asking me to do something that He Himself does not already do. Jesus, the Son of God, God incarnate in human form, the co-creator of all creation, chose to give up all that He had in heaven to be born as an infant in a lowly manger. He grew up dealing with the same issues in His life as I have, but the difference was that He chose not to sin. He did this to restore mankind, and me, to that state we were in before the fall and to defeat the power of death. He also did this to show me that I too can chose to not sin. This verse foretold that when He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week before He would be crucified He again chose to do this in a humble way. He could have summoned all of the angels of heaven to escort Him in. He chose humility over pomp and circumstance and once again presents to me the example of how I am to live my life loving my neighbor…humbly, putting their needs first, speaking kindly but truthfully, magnifying Him. Glory be to God.

Hebrews 12:27

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Encouraging Words…

This earth and all that is within it will pass away. However, God’s kingdom, which has already begun through the work of Christ is and will be steadfast and unshaken. As a child of God I am now a citizen in this new kingdom and through the grace of God I can live a life that is unshaken, I too, however must live my life with grace to those around me serving my God with due reverence and respect for He is the one that is unshaken.

Habakkuk 3:18-19

Yet I will glory in the Lord;I will rejoice in God my Savior.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will direct my feet to the end;
He will set me upon high places,
So to conquer by His song.

Encouraging Words…

Once again I am reminded that I am not going through this journey of life alone. By choice I have given my life to Christ and He is the one who leads me, gives me strength, and sets me on high places. And even though I still choose at times to ignore Him or to do things my way…He still speaks steadfastly into my heart and mind drawing me back to Him. O God forgive me a sinner.

James 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Personal Challenge…

God’s expectation of me in this life is so clear…actively love Him with all of my heart, soul, spirit, and body and then apply that same love to my neighbor in word and action. I need to listen to His teachings and apply them. I must be willing to give up my own good for those in need around me. He wants me to be like His Son who gave all that He had for mankind.