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Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter (Revelation 1;19)The instruction given to the apostle John, by the Lord Jesus Christ, was threefold, “write the things which you have seen”, that is the vision of Jesus Christ, standing among the lampstands, in glory, as described in Revelation 1. Second he was to write the things which are, that is the condition of the churches, in this world, as described in the seven letters to the churches. From the vantage point of the things that are, the sight of the...

"Love . . . is not arrogant" (1 Cor. 13:4). Love is the key to effective ministry. In 1 Corinthians 13:4 Paul says, "Love does not brag and is not arrogant." We often equate bragging and arrogance, but in this passage there is a subtle difference. The Greek word translated "brag" emphasizes prideful speech or actions; "arrogant" emphasizes the attitude of pride motivating those actions. The prideful attitudes of the Corinthians were evident in several areas. In 1 Corinthians 4:18-21 Paul says, "Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you...

“To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). True contentment is found only in Christ. There has never been a society in the history of the world that has had as many commodities as Americans have. We are living in affluence that is unheard of in the world’s history. The key philosophy behind it all is this: only as you accumulate enough assets to satisfy your particular lifestyle can you really be happy. Sad to say, Christians have bought into that philosophy. Now, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with commodities, but it is wrong to think...

“Those who went before and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’ ” (vv. 9–10). - Mark 11:7–11 Zechariah 9:9, which foretells the arrival of the Messiah on a donkey, was fulfilled on the first Palm Sunday. Mark 11:7–11 describes the acclaim our Lord received on that day, acclaim that eventually gave way to calls for His crucifixion. The crowd’s response to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem shows that they were aware of the messianic claims He was...

August 17, 2016 Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ez 34:1-11 The word of the Lord came to me:Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israelwho have been pasturing themselves!Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,and slaughtered the fatlings,but the sheep you have not pastured.You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sicknor bind up the injured.You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,but you...

Noted theologian Monsignor Nicola Bux strongly criticizes decision to allow readings from the Quran and participation by Muslim imams in liturgies held in several Italian cities. Rome, Italy, Aug 9, 2016 | Among the thousands of people in Rouen cathedral on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016, for the funeral of Father Jacques Hamel, the French priest who was stabbed to death in his church by an Islamist terrorist, were also Muslims and Jews, in a show of solidarity similar to that of interfaith services that took place Sunday, August 31st, in France and Italy. The presence of Muslim delegations at Sunday’s...

"Love does not brag" (1 Cor. 13:4). Love exalts others; pride exalts self. Most of us shy away from people who have an inflated view of themselves or place themselves at the center of every conversation. Yet perhaps you too struggle with the temptation to spend most of your conversations talking about yourself. Even if you would never openly brag about yourself, might you at times secretly resent others for not acknowledging your accomplishments? That's the subtlety of pride. Boasting always violates love because it seeks to exalt itself at the expense of others—to make itself look good while making...

“‘No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon’” (Matthew 6:24). The believer is to serve God, not riches. When reading Matthew 6:24, many people say, “I believe that you can serve two masters. I work two jobs.” The reason they say that is they don’t understand the Greek word translated “serve.” It refers not to an employee in an 8-to-5 job but to a slave. A slave is one who is constantly and entirely devoted...

I was asked on Reddit about a topic that I blogged about at some point in the past, but not finding the post in question, I thought I would revisit the topic. The phrases “personal relationship with Jesus” and “personal savior” are not only not found in the Bible, but are much more recent than that. Here is what Joel Miller discovered by performing an ngram to see how frequently the phrases appear in books (HT Scot McKnight):

Christians united in response to a 'black mass' that included the desecration of a statue of the Virgin Mary Over a thousand Christians from all denominations gathered for a peace walk and prayer rally in response to a ‘black mass’ in Oklahoma City yesterday evening. According the the local news service NewsOK, hundreds of Catholics met together for a mass service on the lawn outside the civic centre before the satanic service took place at the theatre inside the centre. The ‘black mass’ service, in which a statue of the Virgin Mary was desecrated, was lead by satanist Adam Daniels...

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.(Revelation 1:1-3)The Book of Revelation is unique to all of the other books of the Bible, because it pronounces...

August 16, 2016 Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ez 28:1-10 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are haughty of heart,you say, “A god am I!I occupy a godly thronein the heart of the sea!”—And yet you are a man, and not a god,however you may think yourself like a god.Oh yes, you are wiser than Daniel,there is no secret that is beyond you.By your wisdom and your intelligenceyou have made riches for yourself;You have put gold and...

Troparion & KontakionThe Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary: After the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John the Theologian, and during his journeys She lived at the home of his parents, near the Mount of Olives. She was a source of consolation and edification both for the Apostles and for all the believers. Conversing with them, She told them about miraculous events: the Annunciation, the seedless and undefiled Conception of Christ born of Her, about His early childhood, and about His earthly life. Like the...

Decrease Font SizeIncrease Font Size "Love . . . is not jealous" (1 Cor. 13:4). Jealousy thrives in a climate of selfish ambition. Jealousy is an insidious sin that cries out, "I want what you have, and furthermore, I don't want you to have it." It replaces contentment with resentment and spawns a myriad of other sins. The Corinthians, in truth, were jealous of one another's spiritual gifts. First Corinthians 12:31 literally says, "You are earnestly desiring the showy gifts, but I show you a more excellent way." The word translated "earnestly desiring" is translated "jealous" in 1 Corinthians 13:4....

“‘The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!’” (Matthew 6:22-23). Generous giving brings spiritual understanding. When people see, their body is filled with the light that comes in from the world their eyes perceive. But if their eye is dark (blind), there is no light and they perceive nothing. The eye is like a window—if a window...

August 15, 2016 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mass during the Day Reading 1 Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God’s temple in heaven was opened,and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,with the moon under her feet,and on her head a crown of twelve stars.She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.Then another sign appeared in the sky;it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,and on its...

The Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord: In the Greek Horologion of 1897 the derivation of this Feast is explained: “Because of the illnesses that occur in August, it was customary, in former times, to carry the Venerable Wood of the Cross through the streets and squares of Constantinople for the sanctification of the city, and for relief from sickness. On the eve (July 31), it was taken out of the imperial treasury, and laid upon the altar of the Great Church of Hagia Sophia (the Wisdom of God). From this Feast until the...

Evidently, the murderous Islamic terror organization, ISIS, is media savvy. Why not? They are one of the richest and most successful terror enterprises in the world. So it should be no surprise that ISIS has produced Picture-15.pnga modern glossy magazine to promote it’s nefarious doctrines. "> The magazine is named Dabiq. The name doesn’t usually ring a bell with most Westerners but instantly stirs the passions of devout Sunni Muslims because of a prophecy within Islam which states that the last apocalyptic battle will take place between the Mujahadeen and the western Crusaders at the tiny city of Dabiq, in...

August 14, 2016 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jer 38:4-6, 8-10 In those days, the princes said to the king:“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,and all the people, by speaking such things to them;he is not interested in the welfare of our people,but in their ruin.” King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;for the king could do nothing with them. And so they took Jeremiahand threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,which was in the quarters of the guard,letting him down with ropes. There...

August 13, 2016 Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 The word of the LORD came to me:Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverbthat you recite in the land of Israel: “Fathers have eaten green grapes,thus their children’s teeth are on edge”? As I live, says the Lord GOD:I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among youwho will repeat this proverb in Israel.For all lives are mine;the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;only the one who sins shall die....