THE PRAYERS OF SAINT PAUL - SPIRIT INSPIRED INTERCESSION

St Paul's letters to the churches are not only filled with the teaching of sound doctrine, challenging exhortations, and stern reproof, but they reveal St Paul at prayer. As St Paul teaches the inspired Word of God, he will break into prayer for those he is teaching. These prayers are Inspired by the Holy Spirit the same as the doctrines, exhortations, and reproofs are. And just like we follow St Paul's doctrine, we can follow St Paul in prayer.

Ephesians 1:15-23 > In verses 3-14 of Ephesians chapter 1 St Paul lays out God's amazing plan for us with all kinds of mystical complexities and divine revelation > Then he prays for those who believe, that "God...may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him (verses 3-14): the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his (Christ) calling...." And on it goes. > This is Paul's inspired intercessory prayer that we too can and should pray for our fellow believers.

Ephesians 3:14-21 > Again we see St Paul's Holy Spirit-inspired prayers for the Ephesian believers > "That you may be strengthened with all might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you would be rooted and grounded in love...that you might be filled with all the fullness of God"

NOTE: Have you ever wanted to know how to pray? Ever wanted to know what to pray? When to pray? I hope to share with you truth from the Bible about prayer, and truth from the ancient Church about prayer, and truth taught by the Church fathers on prayer from over the centuries. The important thing is that it is Truth, truth about prayer.

Colossians 1:9-11 > You can mirror St Paul's prayers or tailor them for your prayers that you pray for yourself and your brothers and sisters in Christ or anyone on your prayer list. > Paul does not cease to pray for the Colossians these prayers. He prays them repetitiously, daily, morning, noon, and night; sometimes all night. Not vain repetitions, but faith repetitions!!! > "that you might be filled with knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord...being fruitful in every good work...strengthened with all might..." >

NOTE: The Psalms are the "Song Book" or "Prayer book" of the Church. Each and every Psalm applies to some part of our life's experience, even to different parts of each and every day. Learn the Psalms, memorize the Psalms, learn to pray the Psalms.

Philippians 1:9-11 > St Paul prays "that your love may abound yet more and more...that you may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness." >

***Here's a prayer that I wrote based on these inspired prayers of St Paul that I tailored for my own "prayer rule". To pray all of St Paul's prayers each and every time you "stand to pray" or "someone comes to your mind" would not be practical. So I created a prayer that I can say that is succinct and powerful and true. I mention each person by name (first name will do) and I pray "Father, that you would grant to each one the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus the Messiah, that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened to know what is the hope of Christ's calling; That you would direct their hearts into the love of God, strengthening them with all might by your Spirit in the inner man, filling them with fruits of righteousness, and filling them with the exact knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; establish their hearts in grace and truth, and may Christ Jesus dwell in their hearts by faith".

1 Thessalonians 3:8-13 > Pray for abounding love. Pray for established hearts in holiness. Pray for believers to be ready for the Second Coming of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:11,12; 3:1-5 > Pray for believers to be worthy of their calling. Pray that God's power will work through faith in  those you pray for. Pray that Jesus Christ be glorified. Pray that God will direct their hearts into the love of God. Pray that the Word of God have free course. Pray that Preachers and believers have open doors of utterance. Pray that we be delivered from absurd and wicked men. Pray that we be kept from evil. > Romans 15:30-33

THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS BY KING HEROD - RACHEL WEEPS FOR HER CHILDREN

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not”. (Mt. 2:16-18)

There are Bible critics who make the claim that Herod could not have massacred the baby boys of Bethlehem because the Jewish Historian Josephus failed to make reference to King Herod committing this particular evil. But Josephus is not the only first century historian, or source of what happened in first century Judah. Matthew, the author of the gospel by his name, gives us a historical account of the slaughter of the innocents by King Herod. The Holy Spirit inspired Evangelist Matthew is much more trustworthy than a Jewish historian writing 100 years after the said event. There was, by the way, a Roman historian, Macrobius (c.a. 400 A.D.), that writes about Herod’s slaughter of the Innocents.

THE SCOPE OF THE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS

Some historians, even Christian historians, say that only a few children were slain by King Herod because Bethlehem probably only had a population of about 1000 people, and therefore would have only had 10 to 30 two year old and under children that could have been slain. But the scope of the slaughter appears from the text of Matthew that it was not just the children in the little town of Bethlehem that were in danger of King Herod’s edict. The text states that the slaughter was not limited to the “little town of Bethlehem”, because it bluntly reads that Herod “slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, AND in all the coasts thereof” (KJV, 1599 Geneva, Wycliffe). In other translations we read, “and the borders” (Young’s, Douay-Rheims, ASV, Aramaic Bible in Plain English, Jubilee 2000, Darby, Webster’s); “and in the environs” (NASB, NAS 1977, ); “and in the region” (RSV, ISV ); “and in the vicinity” (NIV); “and in all the districts” (NKJV, Phillips). We can see from these translations that the massacre was not limited to the town of Bethlehem, but included a far greater territory, as far as the coasts and/or borders of Judah.

“There appears to be a hint in verse 18 as to what is being spoken of when we read, “AND in all the coasts thereof”, or “AND in all the borders thereof”. Ramah, the city of Jeremiah’s prophecy is located 5 miles north of Jerusalem (10 Miles north of Bethlehem). Ramah is the city where Rachel lamented from. She was buried in Bethlehem (Gen. 35:19). Ramah is a border town situated on the northern border of the kingdom of Judah, and the southern border of the kingdom of Israel. Judah’s borders ran from the east along the shores of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea to the west at the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, some 30 miles; in the south in the desert, and borders in the north, Samaria, some 55 miles. We also have a hint from the prophecy of Micah as to the scope of Herod’s slaughter; “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah…” (Micah 5:2). Let us take note that the prophecy that Herod was made aware of by the chief priests (Mt. 2:4-8) references Judah as the greater territory in which the Messiah-King would be born. Micah, of course, names the very birthplace of the Messiah, the little town of Bethlehem, and its 1000’s of villages (hyperbolic or not). So it appears from the textual evidence that the slaughter was not limited to “the little town of Bethlehem”, but spread all the way north to Ramah on the border with the kingdom of Israel and quite possibly to the remaining borders; west, south, and east.

An interesting note is that Ramah was the city where Jewish captives were gathered for deportation to Babylon (Jeremiah 40:1). Rachel, the wife of Jacob-Israel, was the mother of Benjamin, whose tribe became part of the southern kingdom, Judah. The city of Ramah was given to Benjamin by lots. So Rachel’s descendants, her beloved children, after much suffering as captives, are now suffering the slaughtering of Herod’s soldiers. Rachel weeps for her children.

So, exactly how many children were slaughtered? According to the Tradition of the Ancient Church, 14,000 children were slain. They are commemorated every year on December 29. For me, this number is far more likely than the 6 or 10 children as the modern scholars seem to prefer.

PUT THE TREE IN THE SEA - COMMENTARY ON LUKE 17:1-10

Luke 17:1-4 “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!² It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.³ Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.⁴ And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”
 

Faith, according to the scriptures, is for overcoming! “..and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) In the text we are studying now (Luke 17:1-10) faith is for overcoming a number of things; love of money, offences or obstacles put in our paths to thwart ministry, and the “sycamine tree” of bitterness and unforgiveness. The backdrop for Jesus’s teaching here to his apostles is what you find in the previous chapter, Luke 16. In Luke 16:1-13 the Pharisees are listening to Jesus teaching his disciples about the significance of non-possession, that is, being free from the love of money. In Luke 16:14 we see the Pharisees, who were covetous (lovers of money), mocking Jesus about his teaching  where He instructs the servants to be good stewards over the wealth they have been given and to be careful not to hoard it, but to distribute it to the poor while they had the opportunity while still alive. Then when they depart this life they will be received into everlasting habitations by the very poor they ministered to while alive on earth. Jesus responds to the Pharisees mockery with the story of “The Rich Man and Lazarus” in Luke 16:19-31. In this story Jesus warns the Pharisees of the eternal torment awaiting them for choosing to love mammon (money/things) over loving God and having pity upon the poor. This brings us to Luke 17 where Jesus begins with a warning to his disciples that there will be offences put in their pathway of ministry by the religious elite because of their love of money and hatred of the truth. The Greek word here for offences is “skandalon” which is defined as stumbling block or obstacle. Woe to those who cause the offences and would hinder someone from hearing the truth. It would be better that they were cast into the sea with a millstone around their neck. This is speaking metaphorically of being cast into the sea or abyss of fiery torment. Then Jesus warns the apostles that they are to take heed among their own ranks to be watchful concerning trespasses and how they respond to them. For as sure as offences will come from those without the church, trespasses will come from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus commands us that we are to forgive the repentant brother as often as he repents, even endlessly (Matthew 18:22). 

Luke 17:5-10 ⁵ And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.⁶ And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.⁷ But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?⁸ And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?⁹ Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.¹⁰So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

This brings us to the apostles famous request, “Lord, Increase our faith”. The apostles were feeling the gravity of all they were being called to do, and the many spiritual battles that were about to ensue. They sense their need for one particular spiritual quality that will enable them to overcome, faith. Jesus responds by letting them know that they can overcome with the smallest amount of faith, a faith as a grain of mustard seed. A mustard seed is that smallest of grains. Jesus is saying that each and every believer has within them the ability, the faith, to overcome the un-forgiveness and bitterness that can follow the offences and the trespasses. Jesus gives us a metaphor of how we can pluck up by the roots the bitterness and un-forgiveness that has planted itself deep in the soil of our hearts (Hebrews 12:15). And how we can cast out this devilish wisdom (James 3:14-16) from our hearts, and cast them into the sea which is the abyss. Take note that Jesus guides us on how to express this faith to overcome the rooted bitterness in us. We must “say unto the sycamine tree. Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” (Luke 17:6) Faith speaks to the tree of bitterness, “Bitterness, I pluck you out of my heart, and I cast you into the sea to drown and never to be replanted in my heart.” I would like to introduce a little ditty to encourage one another with when we are battling bitterness and un-forgiveness, Let us say to one another, “Put the Tree in the Sea”. The sycamine tree is a kind of Mulberry tree, possibly a Black Mulberry, common in the Middle East and prominent in lower Galilee. The sycamine tree has an enormous and very deep root system and is nearly impossible to dig out of the ground. You can cut the tree down to ground level, but the tree can live on because of its deep root system accessing water. This imagery was not lost on the apostles, nor should it be lost on us. The sycamine tree of un-forgiveness must be plucked up by the roots and destroyed in the sea/abyss. Another feature of the sycamine tree is that the silk worms would feed on the leaves and form nests in the branches. This shows us that when we are embittered there are worms that eat at us constantly. I say, “Put the Tree in the Sea”. 

Jesus finishes his lesson on plucking up the un-forgiveness by faith by instructing them that this “life of forgiveness” is their duty as servants. They are to say (referencing the parable of Luke 16:1-13), “We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which is our duty to do.” We are not to live for mammon as the Pharisees (the religious elite) do, we are to live a life of sacrifice and self-denial, spending all including ourselves (2 Corinthians 12:15), caring for the poor.

A NOTE ON BIBLE STUDY:

Faith is often a very misunderstood bible subject. It is important to study each reference in the bible according to its immediate context first, then its context within the particular book of the bible the passage is in, then study the reference in light of the entire bible. Let us be “a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

HOW TO RESIST THE DEVIL, TRANSFIGURE OUR PASSIONS, AND OVERCOME THE WORLD

1 Peter 5:8,9 > Recognize You Have An Adversary Who Wants To Destroy You > You Must Choose To Not Let This Happen > The Devil "May Not" Devour You Unless You Give Him "Place" In Your Life - Note Ephesians 4:27 (King James) - "Give No Place To The Devil". >  Peter's Advice, "Be Sober" - Sober Means To Be Serious - Like A Soldier Going To Battle > Each Morning You Awake You Should Prepare For Battle As A Good Soldier -
2 Timothy 2:1-4 > Peter's Second Tip, "Be Vigilant" (Check The NOTE Below)

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 > The Battle Is In The Mind/Heart > Take Every Thought Captive To The Obedience Of Christ > If You Entertain Sinful Thoughts They Develop Into Images ie. Imaginations - These Imaginations Lead To Actions That Establish The Original Temptation As A Stronghold > Thanks Be To Jesus Christ That Even Strongholds Can Be Torn Down - But How Much Easier To Take Thoughts Captive > But The Spiritual Life Is Not Easy - The Scriptures Liken The Spiritual Life to These Three - A Champion Athlete - A Faithful Farmer - A Good Soldier > All Three Exact From Themselves Sobriety And Vigilance. > Control Your Thoughts - Set Your Affections On Things Above - "You Can't Keep A Bird From Flying Over Your Head, But You Can Keep It From Building A Nest In Your Hair" >

NOTE: Vigilance = 1. Wakefulness 2. A Being Alert And Vigilant; Watchfulness; Caution. Alert Implies Wide-Awake And Active Watchfulness Or Attention. Vigilant Implies Keen, Often Wary, Watchfulness. > Vigil = A Devotional Watching, Morning Or Evening Prayers; Wakefulness; Sleeplessness. A Watching, To Hold Vigil. (Websters Dictionary 1938) > Luke 21:36 - Jesus Says, "Watch...And Pray Always" - Matthew 26:41 Jesus Says,"Watch And Pray That You Enter Not Into Temptation" > Temptation Is Coming, Whether You Enter Into It Will Be Determined In Direct Proportion To How Much "Watching And Praying" You Have Been Vigilant To Attend To > Jesus Says, "...Men Ought Always To Pray, And Not To Faint" - Mark 13:32-37 Jesus Says "WATCH" (To The One "Not" Watching Jesus Will Come As A Thief. To The One "Watching" Jesus Comes As The Bridegroom) > Proverbs 4:20 - Keep Your Heart/Watch Over Your Heart With All Diligence - Psalm 141:3, "Set A Watch, O Lord,  Over My Mouth; Keep The Doors Of My Lips" - Song Of Solomon 5:2 "Though I Sleep, My Heart Keeps Awake" > Matthew 26:36-46 Jesus Says, "What, Could You Not WATCH With Me One Hour" - Praying And Watching Are Two Sides To The Same Coin > Jesus Says, "The Spirit Is Willing, But The Flesh Is Weak" > We Watch By Standing In Prayer At Set Times Preferably - The Apostles Fell Asleep Because They "Laid And Prayed" - Psalm 134:1-3, "Behold, Bless Ye The Lord, All Ye Servants Of The Lord, Which  By Night Stand In The House Of The Lord"

Matthew 4:1-11 > Jesus Shows Us 'The Way" To Resist The Devil > "It Is Written" - Every Temptation Is Resisted With The Sharp  Sword Of Scripture - Jesus Speaks The Word/Quotes Scripture To Resist The Devil's Twisted Lies Of Deception > This Is Known In The Church Fathers As "Counter-Speaking" > The Church Fathers Speak Of The Use Of "Arrow Prayers", Short And Fervent Invocations Frequently Repeated. This Practice Came To Be Known As "Monologic Prayer", Prayer Of A Single Logos, A Single Word Or Phrase > This Is Why It Is Of The Utmost Importance To Know The Word Of God, To Be Able To Quote The Word Against The Temptations, To Pull An Arrow Out Of Your Quiver And Shoot The Enemy Through His Dark Heart > Psalm 119:11

James 4:4-10 > We Resist Temptation, The Passions, By Speaking The Word As Jesus Did, Then We Hate The Evil Desire, Then We Practice The Particular Virtue That Is Opposed To The Passion > Resist Depression/Apathy With Good Deeds/Go Care For Someone In Need > Resist Sadness With Songs Of Joy - Isaiah 61:1-3 - Put On The Garment Of Praise For The Spirit Of Heaviness > Resist Pride By Humbling Yourself > Resist Greed With Generosity - And So On

NOTE: The Passions Are The Sinful Predispositions of Our Fallen Human Nature > The Passions Are The "Lusts/Desires Of The Flesh" - Galatians 5:19-21 > The Flesh Is Not Our Physical Bodies But The Fallen Nature, The Adamic Nature We Inherited At Birth From Our Progenitors > "Now The Works Of The Flesh Are These; Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness (Lewdness), Idolatry, Witchcraft (Greek = Pharmakeia), Hatred, Variance (Contentions), Emulations (Jealousies), Outbursts Of Wrath, Strife (Selfish Ambitions), Seditions (Disensions), Heresies, Envy, Murders, Drunkenness, Revelries, And The Like" > This List From Galatians 5 Is A Good Start, If You Can Call It A "Good" Start? > There Are More "Lists" Of Passions Elsewhere In Scripture Which Name, Greed, Love Of Money, Gluttony Vainglory, Laziness/Sloth, etc, etc > The Passions Are Qualities We Inherit From Our Animal Nature - We, In Our Sinful State, Reflect More Of An Animal Instinct Than A Human Instinct - It's As If The Instincts/Qualities Of Self-Preservation In Animals Has Been Transferred Into Human Life And Become Our Passions > There Is A Zoo Within Us - Like Many Animals Running Through Us Just Under The Ribcage - We Have A New Nature Through The New Birth Baptism (John 3:1-7) But The Old Nature Still Lurks Within And Must Be Brought Into Subjection To The Law Of Christ (Romans 6) - Our Fleshly Actions Are Frequently Classified As Animals Living On Mere Instincts Rather Than The Good And Holy Feelings Of Human Nature, ie Love - For Example, We Say, "He Eats Like A Pig" - "He's Stubborn As A Mule" - "He's Proud As A Peacock" - A Womanizer Is Called "A Wolf" - A Treacherous Person Is A "Snake In The Grass" - A Grouchy Person Is "A Bear" - A Coward Is Called "Chicken" - A Dull Person Is Called An "Ox". > Another Way Of Dealing With The Passions Is To Cover The Windows Of Your Soul/Your Senses With Fine Nets/Screens Which Will Keep Out Impure Insects, This Is Done By Meditating On The Sober Realities Of Eternal Judgment > And Let Us Not Forget The Powerful "Name Of Jesus" - Always Call Upon The Name Of Jesus, All That You Do, Do In The Name Of Jesus (Colossians 3:17) - Recite "The Jesus Prayer" Whenever A Weak Moment Arises, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son Of God, Have Mercy On Me, A Sinner" - St John Of The Ladder Said, "Flog The Foes With The Name Of Our Lord Jesus". Transfiguring The Passions Should Be Our Goal, Not Destroying Them - Of Course Their Evil Bent Is Destroyed Once The Passion Is Deified By God's Holy Spirit ( 2 Peter 1:2-12 ) - But Our Passions Are Given To Us By God, But Have Been Hi-jacked, Re-directed, By Sin - We Must Direct The Passions Toward God - Physical Eros/Erotic Love Must Be Concentrated On God - St Maximos The Confessor Said, "Every Passion Is Curable Through Abstinence And Love" - "Uncontrolled Anger Is To Be Re-directed Into Righteous Indignation - Sexual Lust Transformed Into Into An Eros Love For God, Whom We Are To Love With An Agape Love And Eros Love. Thus The Passions Are To Be Purified, Not Eradicated; Transfigured, Not Eliminated" (Philokalia, Anthony Conairis, p. 162) -

Ephesians 6:10-18 > A Good Soldier Must Have On His Armour Completely And Have His Sword In Hand/Mouth When He/She Begins The Day > From This Passage We Are Informed That We Can Be Strong, In The Lord > Exodus 14:14 - "The Lord Shall Fight For You" > We Are Informed About Our Enemies > Then We Are Informed Of Our Defensive Weaponry > Truth - Righteousness - Gospel Of Peace - Faith - Salvation > Once Clothed In Our Armour Then We Are To Take Up "...The Sword Of The Spirit, Which Is The Word Of God: PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER And Supplication In The Spirit, And WATCHING Thereunto With All Perserverance And Supplication For The Saints". > It Is In Prayer, "All Kinds Of Prayer" That The Battle Is Fought And Won > We Are To "Pray Without Ceasing" ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ) > Prayer Takes On Several Forms, The Most Basic Is Our "Daily Rule Of Prayer"

NOTE: The Daily Rule Of Prayer Is "Our Set Prayers" Or "Our Written Prayers" > This Is A Written Prescription Of God's Truth That We Are To Faithfully Recite Morning, Noon ,And Night > At Least Morning And Night > Psalm 119:164 - David Mentions Praising God Seven Times A Day - Orthodox Christian Monks Have Daily Prayer Up To Seven Times > Some Monasteries Develop Their Own "Life Of Prayer" Establishing Three "Hours", Five "Hours", Or Even The Strict Seven "Hours" Of Prayer. - Hours Of Prayer Are Mentioned In Acts 3:1-6 (9th Hour) And Acts 10:9 (6th Hour) - It Appears That The Apostles Kept The Hours Of Prayer That Were Part Of Their Jewish Tradition Since Jesus Is The Fulfillment Of Jewish Promise As Recorded In The Law, The Prophets, And The Psalms > As Time Went On The Church And The New Covenant In Christ Became Revealed And Changes Were Made In The Calendar To Reflect The True Faith Of Christ - Sunday Became The Christian Sabbath - Days Of Fasting Went From The Jewish Model, Tuesday And Thursday, To The Christian Model Of Wednesday And Friday - Everything Was Christified > To Begin Your "Rule Of Prayer" Start Simple - Get Some Ideas - Send Me An Email @ Cyclingsimmons@gmail.com - Maybe I could Help You Get Started > The Important Thing Is To Get Started Practicing A Rule Of Prayer Because The Rule Will Inform Your Heart And Mind For When You Are "Out There" In The World In The Thick Of The Battle - What You Prayed While At Home Will Strengthen You "In The Moment" You Are Tested. > Once Memorized, The Rule Of Prayer Can Be Recited Anytime, Even On The Move - The Rule Of Prayer Is Comprised Of Scripture And Scriptural Truth.

THE BOOK OF HEBREWS INTRODUCES JESUS

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
(Hebrews 1:1-6)

The above six verses present 10 facts that demonstrate the deity of the Messiah/Christ

1) The Messiah is called God's "SON".
2) The Messiah is the "Heir of all things".
3) The worlds "were made through Him (Messiah)". (see John 1:1-3)
4) The Messiah shares in God's glory.
5) The Messiah is the very equal of the person of God.
6) The Messiah holds together the vast creation by His omnipotent power. (see Colossians 1;16,17)
7) The Messiah purged us of our sins, an act only God can do.
8) The Messiah shares the throne of God. (see Revelation 22:1)
9) The Messiah is named God's Son by God Himself.
10) The Messiah is to be worshiped by the angels, only God is to be worshiped.

Posted by Mike

COUNTER SPEAKING - POWER OVER THE DEVIL

Jesus said, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". Then again Jesus said, "It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God". Then a third time Jesus said, "Get thee hence, Satan: It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve". In this most amazing event in the life of Christ we see the Son of God doing battle with Satan. Three times Satan tempts Jesus with twisted scripture, and three times Jesus responds with Holy Scripture. Jesus quotes directly from the Holy Scriptures of his day (our Old Testament), using as a sword against Satan he quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, then Deuteronomy 6:16, and thirdly Deuteronomy 6:13. It was in this way Jesus defeats the temptations of the evil one, and thus teaches us how we are to defeat the devil when we are tempted with thoughts contrary to the will of God. We must counter the devils lies with truth. By counter-speaking, speaking against the twisted logic that bombards our minds we will gain victory and the peace that comes with it. (Matthew 4:1-11)

THE HEART OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

The heart of "The Spiritual Life" is the teaching of Jesus found in the "Sermon on the Mount". By doing the sayings of Jesus we build our house on the rock which will then be able to withstand the storms of life. Jesus outlines for us His commands: first the "blessed" commands of the kingdom of heaven: to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful, to be pure in heart, to be a peacemaker, to rejoice when persecuted, to be the salt of the earth, to be the light of the world; then He instructs us to keep the ten commandments with His deeper, spiritual understanding; Thirdly He commands us to keep the three basic spiritual practices of alms giving, prayer, and fasting; then He commands us to serve God rather than money(mammon), "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also", the eye of your heart is to be focused on God, we are to "take no thought" for the necessities of this life, but we are to seek first the kingdom of God. Then He commands us to "judge not" our brother, to guard holy things and spiritual pearls, and to ask, seek, and knock repeatedly for the "good things" of God. Jesus commands the golden rule be kept, and that you must enter the kingdom at the narrow gate and follow the narrow way of suffering and difficulty. Then you are commanded to "beware of false prophets", to discern who the ravening wolves are who come to mislead you. Just because these false teachers say "Lord, Lord" and claim to prophesy, cast out demons, and work wonders, does not mean they are true prophets. Do their lives(fruits) reflect genuine spirituality as taught by Jesus? And finally, you are instructed to not just hear the words of Jesus, but to do them.

SUFFERING ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD

Suffering comes in many forms: Trials of circumstances (2 Cor. 11:23-12;10; 2 Tim. 2:1-13; 2 Tim. 3:10-17), tests of faith (James 1:12-17), temptations that arise from our passions (flesh) (1Cor. 10:1-13), Satanic attacks (Mark 4:14-20, Eph. 6:10-13), the battle in the mind (2 Cor. 10:3-5), co-suffering with all of creation (Rom. 8:14-39), But thanks be to God (2 Cor. 2:14), Jesus is our answer to all suffering: "When in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard (for his piety); Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb. 5:7, 8). "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted" (Heb. 2:18-4:2). "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light: (Mt. 11:28-30). We all have much to learn of Him. And the learning begins with humility. Our suffering can be our teacher and guide, or it can be a bitter pill that poisons us thoroughly (Heb. 12:15). Our calling is to follow in the Master's steps, suffering according to the will of God, and as we obey him THROUGH our suffering, he, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, will keep us from falling by his saving power (1 Peter 1:3-8; 1 Peter 2:19-25; 1 Peter 3:12-15; 1 Peter 4:19). Selah.

OVER 500 WITNESSES TO CHRIST'S RESURRECTION

 Imagine this - The moment that Jesus died upon the cross, "crying with a loud voice, the veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom; the earth did quake, and the rocks split; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves, and after his resurrection they went into the holy city, and appeared to many". > Matthew 27:45-55 > Then imagine this - after Jesus' resurrection, (Luke records what Jesus did and taught for the 40 days between His Resurrection and His Ascension - Acts 1:1-11), "He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them for forty days, and speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" > Then imagine some more - Paul records the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), Christ dies for our sins according to the scriptures; he then is buried, and then He arose on the third day, according to the scriptures: THEN He was seen of Cephas(Peter), then of the twelve, THEN HE WAS SEEN BY MORE THAN 500 Brethren AT ONCE, and most were still alive when Paul wrote his epistle to the Corinthians in 55 A.D., more than 20 years after the Resurrection of Jesus!!! And He was seen of James, then by all the apostles, and finally to Paul himself. The Beginnings of the Church were not done in secret. The Faith of Christ, what we call the Christian Faith, has its foundation in actual history, in the testimony of more than 500 eyewitnesses to His resurrection!!! Glory to God!!!

REMEMBERING TO REMEMBER

We need to be reminded often of the truths of which we should be most attentive. Peter “stirs up” their pure minds. Why? It is because the tendency is to become a forgetful hearer, to lose sight of the vision of God that has been set before us (James 1:22-25). Peter, in this reading, declares what we are “seeing”. In verse 11, “Seeing then that all these things will be dissolved…”; in verse 14, “…seeing that you look for such things…”; and in verse 17, “…seeing you know these things…”. We are being challenged, commanded, to not lose sight of these eternal realities. We are to ever be “mindful of the words which were spoken by the holy Prophets, and of the commandments of the Apostles…” (2 Peter 3:2). This is why the Church is constantly pointing us to the Eschaton, that is, to the second coming of Jesus Christ and all that His second coming portends. We pray in the Divine Liturgy, for “a Christian ending to our life, painless, blameless, peaceful, and a good defense before the fearful judgment seat of Christ.” We confess in the Creed, “And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end…I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” The Scriptures are replete with references to the second coming of Jesus Christ and the final judgment (over 300 times in the 258 chapters of the N.T.). Jesus, Himself, when teaching, included His second coming as a constant point of focus. Today’s gospel reading is an example of this. But, in spite of the scriptures flood of eschatological passages, and in spite of the constant references to the future promises of our hope in Christ, we must still actively remind ourselves of these truths. We must be mindful (purposefully paying attention), of what has been given to us, and to what we have been shown with the eyes of our hearts.