One-Year-Bible

December 28, 2006 in General, Spiritual with 1 Comment

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This is the time to think about reading the bible in one year. I have used this before, I will use it this year also (by God’s grace) and I do recommend it. After looking at many options I came to this schedule/system that is designed by Tyndale publishing.

You can get it as a hard copy or soft copy.

https://www.orthodoxbookstore.org/product.details.aspx?ProductID=1822

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/

You can find it in many translations. I’m using the NIV because it’s easy to read and understand. It’s not the most accurate but again this is just ready through the entire bible and not a study.

I found many advantages of using the one-year-bible:

1- It puts you on a system: what you should read every day vs if you leave it up to you. You may read a lot some days and other days you might not read at all.

2- It helps you develop the habit of reading the bible daily.

3- It let’s you go through all the books of the bible including the ones you do NOT like to read and will NOT read if it’s up to you!

4- It gives you a variety of Old Testament, New Testament reading and also a psalm and a proverb.

5- You will find a message in it in case you don’t get a message from the Quiet Time.

6- If you do it with the family it gives you chance to discuss together and even to read it together. I know couple of families who did that before.

Have fun with it!

Here are some more resources:

http://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Companion-Questions-Answers-Reading/dp/0842346163

https://www.orthodoxbookstore.org/product.details.aspx?ProductID=706

https://www.orthodoxbookstore.org/product.details.aspx?ProductID=97

Long time no see!

December 14, 2006 in Devotional, Spiritual with 2 Comments

Because of travel there was no chance to post but thought to share this beautiful quotation:

“If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God’s will, and with equal joy they would lift a Lazarus in his rags to Abraham’s bosom, or be a chariot of fire to carry an Elijah home.”—John Newton

I love you … I hate you …

September 21, 2006 in Devotional, General with 7 Comments

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A young monk asked a wise monk for a word of advice. He told him “go to the cemetery and praise the dead and say all good things about them.” The young monk did so, even though it was very weird, and came back. The old monk asked him “what was their response to praise?” he said “nothing!” “Go back and curse them then” the old monk ordered. The monk obeyed and when he came back the old monk asked him “and what was their response to insult?”  He replied: “Their response was the same NOTHING!” The wise monk advised him to imitate the dead in their response to praise and insult. Not to be proud when people praise you and not to be angry and hateful when they curse you.

I have read this story many times ever since I was a young deacon but I never learned the lesson except after many years of priesthood and many experiences of: you are the best …you are the worst! The people who praised me criticized me later on. The people who didn’t like me became friends later on. In the beginning I thought the people who liked me are the smart ones and the people who didn’t like me are not as smart! Well, neither was true. They are neither good nor bad, they are NORMAL people. Just like myself. I liked someone one day and I didn’t like him the next day, then I liked him again the day after…. People like me when I tell them what they want to hear and they don’t like me when I tell them otherwise. People like me when I do things their way and they don’t like me when I don’t do things their way. C’est la vie!

I used to take these things personal. It used to bring me up and down but not any more thank God. When I hear good words I thank people especially when it’s genuine. But I don’t favorite the people who praise me and I don’t have high expectations from them because they are NORMAL human beings. At the same time I don’t take it personal when people criticize me because they are also NORMAL human beings. Both of them will change anyways one day. Or even if they don’t change I might change!

Jesus heard “Hosanna” and “crucify him” in the same week. The great thing is that He loved the people regardless of what they said. They are humans and humans change.  God wants us to genuinely love all as He did, and not seek to please them but only Him.

Does that mean that I shouldn’t listen to what people say and totally ignore it? NO. But rather I should listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in what people say. St. Anthony heard God’s voice through a comment from a sinful woman. I have to decide first whom I’m trying to please. I can choose to please people but good luck with this! And I can try to please God but people may not be pleased.

If you try to please people you may need to change the truth. You may not live with one standard. You may have to be always guessing, always careful, always sensitive, always anxious and finally always frustrated! You may have one hour of good self esteem but 10 days of depression.

When you try to please God you will find ONE standard. God is NOT moody and does NOT change. What He liked 5000 years ago is the same today, tomorrow and forever. He will always put you up and NEVER down; even when He rebukes.

Thank God

September 8, 2006 in Devotional, General with 6 Comments

On the same day that an employee received his salary, a thief took advantage of the crowded situation on his bus ride home and stole it all from his pocket.  When the poor employee arrived home, he searched through his pockets for the money to give his family to take care of their monthly expenses and then realized that he had been robbed.

In the midst of the grief that came over the poor family, the man was thinking deeply, “How am I going to provide for my family this month?  And what about our debt from last month??”  The whole family, which has nothing to live on except the father’s salary, was crushed by this incident.

In the middle of all this thinking, the man shouted loudly, “Thanks God!”  His wife thought he must have found a solution for their dilemma.  But then he picked a paper and a pencil and wrote down his thoughts:  “Thanks God.  Thanks God that I was the one who was robbed and that I was not the thief.  Thanks because what was stolen is only some of what I have but not all that I have.  He stole my salary, but not my job.  He stole some of my money, but not all my money.  He stole the food of the month, but not the furniture of my house.  He stole the money from my clothes, but not my clothes.  Thanks God because I can compensate for what I lost.  Because if he stole my son, how would I compensate for him??  And if he steals my soul, what am I going to benefit if I gain the whole world instead??”

This father found something to thank God for in the middle of this tough test.

Do you ever thank God that you’re the victim and not the oppressor?  And the one who was knocked down, not the one who knocks others down?  You might thank Him for a gift or a raise in your salary, but will you thank Him when He allows you to be robbed or deceived?  Will you thank Him for sickness as you would thank Him for your health?  For death as for life?  Will you thank Him when He takes as you thank Him when He gives?  So thank God.  Would you believe that a thief thanks God because He covered up His crime and did not dishonor him before his victim?

Is it possible for us to have this kind of relationship with God?  That we thank God that He didn’t let us become burglars, thieves, and killers?  God, who allows the hands of such people to reach us, is certainly able to compensate us for the evil inflicted by man with a great godly compensation.  So let’s thank God for everything.

 

 

Our Blessed Mother

August 23, 2006 in General with 1 Comment

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B G is a good nine-year-old kid went to the liturgy 5:30 AM yesterday because it was the feast of St. Mary. After the liturgy he went with group of missionaries and did mission work in DC. They were serving other kids their age and talking to them about Jesus. They had a blast and God really did great things in their ministry. Because he is a good kid he decided to treat his mother with a car wash even though it was already a very tiring day. When he was getting his stuff ready for the car wash he got hit by a careless driver who was backing up very fast like a rocket. He was rushed to the hospital but when he got there things became really scary. His head was swollen really bad as well as his belly (almost like a soccer ball in his stomach). That’s when we really called on God and His blessed Mother St. Mary (because it was her feast).
He went into CT scan, X-ray, you name it …doctors said it looks like an internal bleeding and don’t know what to expect. But, when he came back from the scans and tests he looked normal as if there is nothing happened to him! All tests came also very normal as of a very healthy kid. He went home same night walking and talking. His mother said “my son was dead and now he is alive”!
 

If God said “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16. How about the prayer of the mother of God wouldn’t avail much? If God said “honor your father and mother” wouldn’t He honor His mother first? That’s why she said in the Spirit “For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. Luke 1:48

Palm Tree

August 8, 2006 in Devotional, Spiritual with 6 Comments

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Every body hates ups and downs! God even hates it although He knows that it’s part of our nature. Ups and downs are like this: Today things are good I love God, I love people and I love life; tomorrow things are a little tough I hate life, I hate people and I’m not sure of God’s love!

On the contrary God speaks a lot about faith and about faithful people (righteous) as: steadfast, single minded, single hearted …etc.

In today’s Q.T. it says: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Psalms 92:12

The palm tree and cedar are STRAIGHT! They don’t bend even with a huge storm (temptation); you can knock it down but you can not bend it. God’s way does not change …God is always the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God is the truth and the truth can not be bent.

Our heart needs to be straight first before our actions. Our conscience needs to be straight first and doesn’t bend. This will only happen if we hold unto the Lord ALWAYS …hold unto His word day and night …hold unto Him in the midst of temptation …ask Him before asking myself or the devil … go to Him before going to any human being.

Get the seed of doubt of the mind before it grows …get the seed of sin out of the heart before it grows to action.

Palm tree and cedar are always green, very tall, very strong, live long …basically they are a land mark! So as the faithful who always witnesses to the Lord …he is a tower that every one sees and praises God.

Are you a palm tree, cedar or grass?!

A Miracle!

July 27, 2006 in General with 6 Comments

The man was expected to die from bleeding; he asked to buy a burial site from our church just 2 days ago. After the best doctors in America gave up God decided to intervene and prove His power! Read what his relative doctor said: the miracle.pdf

My yoke is easy and my burden is light

July 27, 2006 in Spiritual with 0 Comments

A homily by St. John Chrysostom on today’s QT. It’s worth reading.
Homily XXXVIII.doc

Open My Mouth

July 25, 2006 in Devotional, Spiritual with 0 Comments

My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits…O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. Psalms 71:15-18

Today’s QT reiterated the purpose of this blog: to declare the Lord’s strength to this generation. I feel guilty keeping so many miracles and wonders I get to see every day. I feel guilty for not recording them and telling every one how awesome is our God. I also feel guilty for not praising the Lord as I should. I will say this prayer and go do the midnight praises.

“Lord, forgive me for opening my mouth with complaints more than praises. I tell people how great I’m not how great you are. Lord, open my mouth that I can tell all people your wonders. I know your wonders but I don’t speak about them; open my mouth that I can tell every one about your greatness. Give me humility so I can open my mouth and sing your praises ALL day like a little child singing. I do listen to hymns and songs but you want to sing to you. Same way I like to hear my child singing …even if it’s imperfect or out of tune! Open my mouth that I can do that for the rest of my life! Amen.”

Holy Cell Phone

July 22, 2006 in Devotional, Spiritual with 3 Comments

God has been teaching me a very important lesson lately: how to use the bible to make decisions. Not only to make big decisions but even to make very little moves. If I ask God how to use my afternoon or evening He can show me through His word. He wants me to be dependant on Him; like a little child He wants me to ask before doing any thing.

Not only He guides me He also encourages, supports, and teaches me constantly. He wants me to hold His word as I’m holding unto His hands ALL the time.

The message was clear but I thought this is not practical. Should I hold the bible all day and keep looking at it as I look in a map?!

The following day I got this forward in an e-mail:

Cell Phone vs. Bible

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones.

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

Interesting “Mesh Kedah”!

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