BLESSED

Psalms 1:1-3

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the way of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the troublesome;
But his will is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by streams of waters,
That produces its fruit in its season;
And his leaf shall not wither,
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Encouraging Words

In my life, I have been asked why I continue to choose to be a Christian when science and reality disproves it. First, I have never seen anything related to science that does not prove more deeply that what true Christianity believes is irrefutable. Now for all those false beliefs that profess to be Christian, much of what they profess is refutable and even heretical. As for reality, every real day proves to me that God is God and we humans are not. I choose to hold on to orthodox Christian believes, walk in the counsel of the godly, not walk in the way of sinners, and not sit in the seat of the troublesome because I have been the recipient of God’s blessings and will cherish those more than any temporary blessing that may be experiencedby rejecting God. Glory be to Him, and Him alone!

Saint of the Week

St. John of Kanty

DIFFERENT

3 Maccabees 3:3-5 (not in the Protestant or Catholic Bible)

The Jews, though, maintained their goodwill and unswerving faith toward the throne. But because they worshiped God and lived by His precepts, theykept themselves separate from others with regard to food, and therefore appeared hateful to some. But they adorned their way of life with the good deeds of righteous people, and thus established themselves as honorable to all men.

Personal Challenge

Being a follower of Christ is not easy. Our heart, mind, and soul are to be focused on our heavenly kingdom, our home, and not this world. And yet, we still live in this world. The Jews in this passage are living in Egypt around 210 BC and suffering persecution under Ptolemy IV. The message to them is the same message to us today. We are to live our lives of Christian goodwill and faith in way that draws people to Christ. We are to maintain our Christian principles and values even though at times it will cause persecution and misunderstanding. If our lives for Christ are above reproach, our actions will be appreciated as righteous people and honorable to all men. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mency on me, the sinner!

WHO DO WE TRUST IN?

2 Maccabees 8:18 (not in the Protestant Bible)

“For they trust in arms and bold acts,” he said, “but we trust in Almighty God, who with only one nod is able to overthrow both those who come against us and the entire world.”

Personal Challenge

Today’s verse is specifically targeted to those who proclaim to be followers of Christ. We are reminded by Judas Maccabeus where our help comes from and Who we should be putting our trust in. It is the almighty God! As followers of Christ, we are not to put our trust in any earthly nation. Therefore, Christian nationalism is heretical to the Christian faith. We are not to put our trust in any person or group or ideology. Therefore, Trumpism or MAGA are also heretical. We are called to be good representatives of Christ wherever He has placed us. The Apostle Paul calls us ambassadors for God. If we are to be the salt and the light to our world then we must get our priorities right. Glory be to God!

SETTING AN EXAMPLE

2 Maccabees 6:24-28 (not in the Protestant Bible)

“For to pretend such things,” he said, “is not worthy of our time of life, lest many of the young should suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to a foreign religion, and because of my pretense for the sake of living a brief moment longer, they should be led astray through me, while I earn only pollution and defilement in my old age. For even if for the present I should avoid the punishment of men, yet whether I live or die, I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty. Therefore by manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age, and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and bravely for the venerable and holy laws.”

After he said this, he went straight to the rack,

Personal Challenge

The example that we set for those in our lives is the most profound statement that we may ever make. Eleazar was a scribe in the temple of his day. He was ninety years old. King Antiochus was forcing the Jews to be Helenistic, which included worshiping the Greek gods and participating in their rituals. Part of the ritual was eating food sacrificed to these gods. Those who refused were tortured and put to death. Eleazar was being threatened by an Athenian Senator who had been sent to Jerusalem to convert or persecute the Jews. When it was clear to Eleazar’s friends that he would not submit, they came up with a plan to substitute the profaned food with Kosher food so that Eleazar world survive. They told him that no one would know. This passage is his response. He chose to die rather than appear to submit and fake it. He knew that he would set the wrong example for those whom he loved and cared for. We must choose this same approach with our lives to truly be followers of Christ. Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

BETTER FOR US TO DIE

1 Maccabees 3:59-60 (not in the Protestant Bible)

“For it is better for us to die in war than to look upon the evils the Gentiles would bring to us and the sanctuary. But as God’s will is in heaven, so He will do.”

Personal Challenge

How willing are we, am I, to stand firm on the belief that we, I, have? The Maccabees, like so many of the martyrs throughout history, were willing to stand firm on their profession of their faith, even to the point of death. We have been blessed as a people of faith for quite some time now and we may be surprised if we ever get truly tested for our faith. That day may be coming, if it is not already here. Are we, am I, are you, willing to tell the acuser that we are a follower of Christ, and will never renounce that. Are we, am I, are you, willing to do what Jesus commanded us to do regardless what another, especially an authoritarian government says to us, or threatens us with. This is being able to proclaim that it is better to die than to betray our Lord and his expectations of us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

HEMMED IN

1 Maccabees 3:18-19 (not in the Protestant Bible)

Then Judas said, “It is easy to hem in many at the hands of a few, and it makes no difference before heaven to save with many or with few. For victory in battle does not come from the size of the army, but from the might of heaven.”

Personal Challenge

Our world, especially our nation, is filled with chaos. Wars and rumors of wars abound. Rampant lies and misinformation fill the airwaves. Fascism and other forms of authoritarinism is taking hold of countries around the world. People and organizations proclaiming to be Christian are doing and saying things that would cause Jesus to weep. We are all feeling hemmed in by all this chaos, and as if we will never win the battle of sanity. Judas Macabeus led a ragtag army against an enormous and well equiped military regime that was visciously oppressing his people. He knew though that if he and his as army were staying true to the calling of their God, that God’s army would supplement his. We too can rest in the truth that if we are standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, the widow, the orphan, the naked, the poor, the foreigner amongst us, then we are fighting a war that God is fighting a well. We are not alone. We are not hemmed in. Lord, have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

BE ZEALOUS AND REMEMBER

1 Maccabees 2:50-51 (not in the Protestant Bible)

Therefore, children, be zealous for the law, and offer your lives for the covenant of our fathers; and remember the deeds our fathers did in their generations, and receive great honor and an everlasting name.

Personal Challenge

Even though this passage was written in Old Testament times and was challenging us to be zealous for the law, it still applies to us today. Jesus told us that He fulfilled the law and then ushered in a new covenant based on love. In that case, we are called to be zealous for Jesus and the love for God and our neighbor that He has commanded us to live out. We are not to be zealous for rubrics or traditions. They are helpful for our worship, but not for our salvation. We are also encouraged to remember the deeds of our fathers, those who have gone before us, protecting and forming our church of today. We are to honor and follow 2,000 years of teaching and martyrdom for Christ. Glory be to God!

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

SERVING GOD

Esther 4:13-16

And Mordecai said to Hathach, “Go and say to Esther, ‘Do not say to yourself that you alone will be saved in the kingdom apart from all the other Jews. For if you choose not to heed this request at this time, help and deliverance for the Jews will arise elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. Besides, who knows whether it is for this occasion you reign as queen?’ ” Then Esther dispatched the one who came to her to Mordecai, saying, “Go and assemble together the Jews in Susa. Fast for me; do not eat or drink for three full days and three full nights. I and my maids will also fast. Then I will go to the king, contrary to the law, even if I am to perish.”

Personal Challenge

God accomplishes His will for mankind through His followers here on earth. He never forces us to do His work. He gives us opportunities to serve Him and lets us choose whether or not we want to act. If we choose not to He will ask another until He finds someone willing. This story in Esther is one of those cases. Mordecei, Esther’s uncle, has found out about a plan to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. Esther is the queen of the kingdom. It is unknown that she is a Jew. Mordecai is asking her to go to the king to reveal the plan and save the Jews. There is one problem. The law of the land is that anyone, including the queen, who seeks to see the king without his asking for it, is immediately sentenced to death. Esther chooses to do this regardless of the consequences. It is an awesome story… read it. Our personal challenge is to determine how God is calling us today to serve Him. It may be to stand between and ICE agent and an immigrant. Are you, am I, willing to do that? It may be standing up for someone being harrassed or bullied. What will be our response? Our relationship with God is reflected in our willingness to serve Him when He calls upon us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!