Luke 15:31-32

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

Personal Challenge…

I find myself wondering when I read this passage if I am not more like the elder son. Do I hold others in contempt when they have spent their life away from the Lord and now come running to Him and receive such a warm welcome. I should be rejoicing as the Father does. I must remember that He once threw a party for me because I came home to Him as well.

Luke 21:1-4

And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, “Of a truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all: for all these did of their superfluity cast in unto the gifts; but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had.”

Personal Challenge…

Ouch!! What an indictment this is to the true nature of my heart. I feel good when I give to my church or other ministries, but is that enough? First of all…feeling good about it is the sin of pride. I feel good that I go to church regularly and do Bible studies…but then again there is the pride. This widow was pointed out to me by my Lord to remind me that giving my tithe is not enough. If I truly love Him, if I am truly following in His footsteps, if I am truly becoming like Him, then wouldn’t I be giving Him my all even until it hurts? Where is my heart? Where are my actions? What words come out of my mouth? What desires drive my choices? He is my Lord…so I say. He gave up everything for us. Am I willing to do the same for Him and my neighbor? He stepped out of eternity to live in our time and space. Am I willing to give my time for Him? If I apply the formulaic tithe of 10% of time that would mean giving Him 2.4 hours a day for Him. Ouch!! I have a long way to go to be like this widow. Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy!

1 John 2:17

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Personal Challenge…

Sometimes it is so difficult to keep focused on the fact that I am no longer of this world. My citizenship is in the kingdom of God. I am an emissary here representing my God. It is so easy to forget this and to get caught up in the trappings of the world. This is part of why we fast and pray and give to those in need…so that we can remember where our true home is. I actually look forward to the Lent season coming up. It is a time to concentrate my focus on my Lord and King and not myself.

Proverbs 10:31 (10:32 LXX)

Psalm 119:77 (118:77 LXX)

Psalm 89:47-48 (88:48-49 LXX)

Luke 24:32

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

Encouraging Words…

Do the Scriptures burn within my heart? Does God speak to me and open His Scriptures to me? Through the work of my Lord and Savior and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit I can step into the presence of my living God and be in communion with Him. Isn’t this the purpose of our liturgy and worship every time we do it? Isn’t this the purpose of reading the Scripture and practicing the traditions of our church? None of this is dull or lifeless if my heart, mind, and soul are yearning to be in God’s presence.

Titus 3:4-7

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Encouraging Words…

I have become an heir in the family and kingdom of God through His kindness and love. This was not because of anything that I have done or prayer that I have breathed, but through the work of Jesus Christ and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon me. Jesus saved me from eternal death and when I was baptized in Him and chrismated for Him I entered into the eschatological community of the Church. This baptism and chrismation are the beginning, the rite of passage toward a progressive life of renewal in Christ (Orthodox Study Bible notes). My journey into the eternal family of God did not end when I came to know Christ…it just got started.

1 Peter 5:5

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

     “God resists the proud,

1 Peter 4:10-11

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Personal Challenge…

The scripture is clear that each of us who have been baptized and chrismated into the body of Christ have received one or more gifts from the Holy Spirit. These gifts are for the building up of the Church and the edification of our Lord. We are also commanded to be diligent in using these gifts at our full potential, not with a lackadaisical, laissez-faire attitude. We should always be striving to serve our Lord better today than yesterday knowing that we can do even better tomorrow. It is wrong to apply these gifts more in the world than in our service to the King.