3rd Sunday After Pentecost. Walk in Faith!

3rd Sunday after Pentecost!

                                      

Greetings in Christ Jesus,

Sunday June 25, 2017

Epistle: Romans 3: 21-4:3

Gospel: Matthew 7: 7-11

Psalm:  Psalm 76/77

Friends,

Justified by faith! What does this mean to us today? We are still looking at Justification by Faith today and not our works but the works of God for God’s works are greater than man’s. Friends we can do nothing to earn our salvation, there is no works that we can do to gain heaven and yet by our faith and belief in our Lord and savior Jesus the Christ we will begin a life of works. If we say that there is no God and yet we help people who need help and give money to non-profit organizations who claim to help others; will we see heaven? No! We will not see heaven, we may do some good here but by denying God, claiming that He does not exist we have already separated ourselves from Him and therefore we have no part in Him.

By claiming that Christ Jesus was a good man full of wisdom and good teachings and denying His sacrifice for our salvation, denying that He came from God, taught, died, was buried, rose, and ascended back to God then we have separated ourselves from our Lord and therefore if we do not claim Him how can He claim us? We are not His by our own admission.

It is only by our faith in our Lord Jesus that we can be saved. Our labors are in vain when it comes to our eternity. Even though we may have helped some on earth we have not helped our own eternal soul. This is an issue for today because the saying is; ‘I can do good things all on my own I do not need some god to tell me to be good’, so, my friends, I know that you have seen this written and possibly even heard some speak these words. If possible you may attempt to correct this understanding but if it is not possible it is on them. It is a rare place in what is considered to be the civilized world that the name of Jesus has not been heard.

We must live our faith in spite of the goody two shoes who make the statement that they do not need God in their life to do good. We who believe still need our Savior because we sin everyday whether in thought, word or deed. There is no amount of good that we can do that will erase our sin once we have committed it. There is only our faith in Christ Jesus, our recognition of our sin, our confession, and repentance. This is our faith.

Remember; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

In Christ

Member of the Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Church of the Americas

Monk Michael's videos; http://www.youtube.com/user/HieroMonkMichael

Many Blessings!

+William

2nd Sunday after Pentecost

2nd Sunday after Pentecost!

                                       

Greetings in Christ Jesus,

Sunday June 18, 2017

Epistle: Romans 5: 1-10

Gospel: Matthew 6: 19-25

Psalm:  Psalm 74/75

Friends,

Justified by faith! What does this mean to us today? According to today’s epistle we will not be neglected in suffering, we will suffer. We are told to glory or boast in our suffering as well as in our hope of sharing the glory of God. We are told to store up treasure in heaven and not here on this earth. Our heart will be wherever our treasure is, according to the gospel. We have a warning here; 22 the light of your body is your eye. If your eye be single, your whole body shall be lightsome. 23 But if your eye be evil your whole body shall be darksome. If then the light that is in you, be darkness: the darkness itself how great shall it be!

So what is this “justified by faith” meaning? We simply believe and that is it? Regardless of what comes upon us and regardless of our reaction to it; we are justified simply because we believe?  In another scripture we are told that even the demons believe and tremble, are they justified by their belief as well? What does it mean to store up treasure in heaven? Is this simply a matter of believing? I say that it is not.

We believe and have faith that Jesus is true to His word and that we have salvation through Him unto everlasting life in the light of Almighty God, we store up our treasures in heaven by being faithful to the commandments of Jesus; love God first with all of our heart, with all of our mind, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength. Secondly we love our neighbor as our self. It is by doing these two commandments that we begin to store up treasure in heaven by doing for others. Care for people, clothe them, feed them, give them water, pray for them, and comfort them. This is storing up treasure in heaven. By loving and acting out of true love.

It need not be difficult through many rituals, care for one another as our Lord Jesus cared for us. Carry each other’s burdens as best as we can. Of course we are limited often times in what we can actually do but we do what we can and never, ever, neglect prayer for others, this is free to all of us.

Remember that it is Almighty God who judges us; rejoice in His love and care of and for us and do not be so quick to judge, discern what is right and wrong and stay away from the wrong but it is not ours to judge, judgment and discernment are not the same and are often times confused with each other, by discernment we may keep our hearts and our souls pure, by judgment we cast judgment on ourselves as well. By this I mean that we do not determine who goes into eternal damnation and who does not, we discern one who is on the road to eternal damnation but we do not send that one there. That is God’s decision alone.

Remember; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

In Christ.

   

Member of the Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Church of the Americas

 

Member of the 

Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic 

Church of the Americas

Monk Michael's videos; http://www.youtube.com/user/HieroMonkMichael

Many Blessings!

+William

I Pentecost. 1st Sunday after Pentecost.

1st Sunday after Pentecost!

                                      

 Greetings in Christ Jesus,

Sunday June 11, 2017

This day is also one of two All Saints Days’ in the year.

Epistle: Galatians 6: 8-14

Gospel: Matthew 16: 24-27

Psalm 147/148

Friends,

We reap what we sow! If we sow to the flesh we will also reap to the flesh. Therefore we have made no heavenly or spiritual gain. If we want heavenly or spiritual gain we must not sow to the flesh, we must become followers of Jesus; deny ourselves and take up our cross.

If we sow to the flesh in order to gain the whole world and in this we lose our own life, how have we made profit? We must lose our life in the flesh in order to gain our life in the heavenly realm. This is the basic teaching of today’s readings.

Praise the Lord; in all things give glory to God through our Lord and savior Jesus the Christ. All of creation praises the Lord. Man who has a mind and free will has chosen to not praise the Lord but to seek power and glory for himself and to lord himself over all that he is able to lord himself over.

These are the ones who are sowing to the flesh. They seek riches at the expense of others. They care nothing for the struggles of anyone else. Some even say; I can do good all by myself I do not need a god to tell me to help others. Look and see how much I give to the many foundations. I am a good person, I need no one to tell me and I answer to no one.

We must be different than this, love God first with all of your heart, with all of your mind, with all of your soul, with all of your strength. Then love your neighbor as yourself. Then we will be sowing to the spiritual things. Do this in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus. Give up yourself when needed to help someone in need. Do what you are able to do, we all do not have money but we may have bread, we may have a bed, sometimes we may only be able to just simply be there for someone who is in pain whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.

If you are married then give up yourself to care for your family, this means also to instruct them in the ways of the Lord and not to neglect their proper upbringing. Work to support them, love them. If you are single then you must be celibate, you will then have even more time to help others who are not within your family.

Pray always, do not chase after entertainment at the expense of time with the Lord. We will become what we begin and strive for here. If we choose to neglect God then we have taken ourselves away from Him today and in the new world we will be separated from Him because we have separated ourselves from Him here today.

Strive for the true prize that awaits us with patience, faith, perseverance, and diligence. Do not neglect the time here today, it will determine the time tomorrow.

Remember; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

 In Christ!

   

Member of the Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Church of the Americas

Monk Michael's videos; http://www.youtube.com/user/HieroMonkMichael

Many Blessings!

+William