Isaiah 26:2-4

Open the gates; let the people enter who keep righteousness and guard the truth, and who lay hold of the truth and keep peace, because they hope forever in You, O Lord, the great and eternal God,

Encouraging Words…

What a wonderful progression we have here. It all starts with our great and eternal God. Jesus, God as man, came to live amongst His creation so that death coud be conquered and so that we would have someone to put our hope into. Through that hope in Christ and our desire to be like Him we can be peacemakers in the world around us. As we do this we can begin to lay hold of the truth that He reveals to us. As we guard this truth, assimilate it into our lives, we become more like Him in our righteousness and enter the gates that He has opened before us.

Luke 17, 20-21

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, See here! or See there! For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.

Encouraging Words…

The notes in my Orthodox Study Bible say, ‘The “kingdom of God” is a spiritual reality present within the Christian believer and within the community of the Church. “Within you” can also be translated “among you” or “in your midst.” What a wonderful and refreshing view of eternity and our hope for heaven. The moment that we were baptized into Christ through the Holy Spirit we stepped into the reality and the presence of the kingdom of God. This is not something that we are waiting upon our physical death to be made present, but it is now. With that in my mind (and in my heart) I should be living my life as an eternal being in the kingdom of God, pursuing Him, striving to be like His Son…progressing on my journey of theosis. It is a mystery, but then again, He is God and I am not, who am I to question His ways.

2 Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Encouraging Words…

What a precious gift from God…to give up His Son so that I, a part of His creation, might be reunited to Him in eternity. What a wonderful sacrifice that Jesus was willing to make in order to heal the brokenness caused by sin. If only I can become more like Christ and give up of myself to those in my life…especially my wife, children, grandchildren, other family, and friends.

Psalm 91:1 (90:1 LXX)

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Encouraging Words…

As a child of God I am set apart and special in His eyes. If I truly believe this then it is imperative that I live my life in a way that proclaims Him, praises Him, sheds light (His light) on those around me. May God, in His grace, be ever present in my heart and therefore in my actions.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Personal Challenge…

I cannot remember how many times I have found myself in the midst of a church family feeling lonely, overlooked, and looking for community. I admit that part of that falls upon me, but part also falls upon the church. I believe one are of deep brokenness in our church here in America is the lack of true community, true fellowship. And I believe a lot of this is due to our individualism and propensity to define the gospel that way that fits our own personal doctrine. One of the things that I sincerely appreciate in the Orthodox church is the focus on community. We believe our salvation is worked out in community. Even our prayers use collective petitions (us, we, our) versus individual ones (I, me, mine). Paul tells us in these verses to live our lives active in our church community…not as consumers, but as investors.

Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim

O Lord and Master of my life, do not give to me the spirit of laziness, faintheartedness, lust for power, and idle talk.
But give to me Your servant the spirit of purity, humility, patience, and love.
O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brother, for blessed are You unto ages of ages.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Personal Challenge…

I am getting so tired of well-meaning people around me acting like doing the “right” things in my Christian life are what make me a better, more godly Christian. Say these prayers at this time, bow this way, go to this “spiritual” place, read more scripture (or worse yet, more books about the scriptures). Jesus did all of the work that could possibly be done to save me from death. I can do nothing to be saved or be more saved. If I am truly following Him with all of my heart, soul, mind and body then I will do things that glorify Him, that build up His body, that encourages and uplifts those around me, I must always be examining my heart to make sure that my motives are His motives and not mine.

Psalm 119:130 (118:130 LXX)

The revelation of Your words gives light,And it causes children to understand.