Verse of the Day

  • July 12, 2012


    Romans 10:8-13 NASB

    But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart”–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

    Encouraging Words…


    How is it that we have come to practice that the only revelation of God is that which has been printed on paper? Paul, who wrote this letter to the Romans years before there was a published Bible, tells us that the Word is near us, it is in our mouth and our heart God’s Word most certainly comes to us through the written Word, the Holy Bible, but it also comes to us through the traditions and teachings of the church. I have been asked why am I interested in worshiping in a way, a method, that dates back to the first century. It is because even this is part of the Word of God, the Word that has been passed from generation to generation with little change. This living Word, this tradition, does not have to doctored up with multimedia or theatrical flare, because it is a way that has been handed from generation to generation. And through it all, what truly rings important is whether or not we believe in Him, if we call upon His name, confess and profess Him.

  • July 11, 2012


    Luke 11:28 NIV

    He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

    Personal Challenge…

    This is Jesus speaking. Contrary to popular belief, the word of God that is referred to here is not just the Bible as we know it today. Yes, this is part of God’s instructions to us, but we are also to be obedient to the traditions of the church and the teachings that have been handed down by those saints that have gone before us. The Christian life is one of submission and obedience. It is not about having it my way, but about me submitting and serving.

  • July 10, 2012


    Proverbs 16:32 NASB


    He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

    Personal Challenge…

    Theosis (“deification,” “divinization”) is the process of a worshiper becoming free of hamartía (“missing the mark”), being united with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in bodily resurrection. Our journey through life as Christians is the process of theosis, the process of being united with God. This journey involves challenges such as these presented in Proverbs 16:32, being slow to anger, ruling our spirit. Even through the challenges of living this way can be significant I am thankful for the opportunities that God presents to us to know Him better and to strive to be like His Son.

  • July 7, 2012


    Psalm 100 NASB


    Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

    Encouraging Words…

    In the Orthodox Church we view people, God’s creation, as diamonds covered with mud. We are created in God’s image and it is through our walk with Him, our journey through theosis, that the mud gets washed away to reveal His likeness. This is so much different than the perspective that we are heaps of dung. Try reading this passage and the rest of the scripture through the eyes of Orthodoxy and things will look so different.

  • July 5, 2012


    Psalm 18:32 NLT


    God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.

    Encouraging Words…

    “He makes my way perfect.” I am sure that many read this in the expect God to give them a perfect life. However, it is His perfection that is being worked out in my life, not my perfection. If I am truly trying to walk in His path, to become more like Jesus, to grow in my theosis, then the perfect way that He make for me is His perfection. And all the while that He is doing this He is arming me with the strength that I need to follow in His path.

  • July 3, 2012


    2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB


    and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

    Celebrating July 4th…


    This statement was made to Solomon by the LORD, the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, after he had finished building the temple for the LORD and seeking His blessing. Our LORD wants to bless us, to bless our land, to bless His people, but He also wants us to pursue Him, to humble ourselves before Him, and to turn from our worldly ways. This is not about a country such as the United States, but about her people, especially her people that claim to be Christians.

  • July 2, 2012


    1 John 4:15-16 NASB


    Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

    Encouraging Words…

    God is love…what a wonderful blessing its is to know that God is love and those who abide in love abide in Him. And how do we abide in Him, by confessing that Jesus is His Son. It is such a great mystery, but nonetheless, it is His work.

  • June 27, 2012


    Romans 5:12-13 NASB


    Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

    Encouraging Words…

    These verses are presented as a command, to not let sin reign in our bodies, but they also remind us that we (those of us who are in Christ) are now alive from the dead, our members, our body are instruments of righteousness to God. As we celebrated on Pascha, Christ has trampled down death through His death, He was victorious over death, which is the ultimate result of sin. Through this work He has provided for us the way to be victorious over sin.

  • June 19, 2012


    Isaiah 45:25 NLT


    In the LORD all the generations of Israel will be justified, and in him they will boast.

    Encouraging Words…

    As the adopted children of our Lord we too will be justified, we too can boast in Him as our Lord.

  • June 18, 2012


    Proverbs 19:20 NASB


    Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.

    Command with a Promise…

    Another one of those commands that sounds much easier than is really possible of doing. We are commanded to listen to the counsel of those in our lives that are wise, wise due to years of life, wise due to experiences, wise due to a journey with Christ that is farther ahead than your own. There are many scriptures that encourage us to listen to counsel and accept discipline. In order to do this we must be willing to submit ourselves to others, especially to our Lord. And with what results? Wisdom in our own lives. But we must remember that as soon as we begin to think that we are wise we must start the process of listening to counsel and accepting discipline all the more. This is a process, a journey.