The Vine & Crossroads

of Faith

Newsletter

For: February 1, 2009

The Icons to the left and right, when clicked on will take you to interesting information

The American Orthodox Church

St. Michael's Monastery and Theological Seminary
New Warrior Ministries

The Orthodox Church is not a denomination, it is the living body of Christ.
The Word of God is not a book, It is a Person; Jesus the Christ.
The Prophets of the old and new covenant are those who have seen, heard
and touched the Word of Life (
He who was from the beginning, the one whom we have
heard, and have seen with our eyes, have touched with our hands, we declare to you is
the Word of Life,)
I John 1:1

I am Rev. Father Gary Sweet, I write articles and run a website under the pseudonym of Monk Michael. I hope that
these articles aid you in your search for truth and salvation. Monk Michael.

 
We are what you once were.
We believe what you once believed.     
We worship as you once worshiped.
If you were right then, we are right now.
If we are wrong now, you were wrong then.
A Canonical Orthodox Church of World Wide Orthodox

A Monk's Wisdom!


Agathon was a young man when he came to the thebaid, where he was trained by Poemen. His abba thought highly of him, and Poemen 61 shows abba joseph expressing surprise that Poemen should call such a young disciple abba. Agathon went to scetis, where he lived for a time with Alexander and Zoilus, who were later disciples of Arsenius. He left scetis, perhaps after the first devastation, with his disciple Abraham, and lived near the nile, not far from Troe. He knew amoun, macarius, joseph, and Peter from the early days in scetis.
1. Abba Agathon said, "Under no circumstances should a monk let his conscience accuse him of anything."

2. He also said, "Unless he keeps the commandments of God, a man cannot make progress, not even in a single virtue."

3. He also said, "I have never gone to sleep with a grievance against anyone and as far as I could, I have never let anyone go to sleep with a grievance against me."

4. It was said concerning Abba Agathon that some monks came to find him having heard tell of his great discernment. Wanting to see if he would lose his temper they said to him "Aren't you that Agathon who is said to be a fornicator and a proud man?" "yes it is , he answered. They resumed, "aren't you that Agathon who is always talking nonsense? I am. Again they said, "Aren't you Agathon the heretic. He repudiated the last insult. He replied "The first accusations I take to myself for they are good to my soul, but heresy is separation from God. Now I have no wish to be separated from God. At this they were edified.

5. It was said of him that he often went away taking nothing but his knife for making wicker-baskets.

6. Abba Agathon was wise in spirit and active in body. He provided everything he needed for himself, in manual work, food, and clothing.

7. The same Abba Agathon said, I have never offered agapes; but the fact of giving and receiving has been for me an agape, for I consider the good of my brother to be a sacrificial offering.

8. Whenever his thoughts urged him to pass judgment on something which he saw, he would say to himself, "Agathon, it is not your business to do that." Thus his spirit was always recollected.

9. The same Abba said, "A man who is angry, even if he were to raise the dead, is not acceptable to God."

10. A brother asked abba Agathon about fornication. He answered, "Go, cast your weakness before God and you shall find rest."

11. Abba Agathon said, "If someone were very specially dear to me, but I realized that he was leading me to do something less good, I should put him from me."

12. He also said, "a man ought at all times to be aware of the judgements of God."

13. One day when the brethren were conversing about charity, Abba Joseph said, "Do we really know what charity is?" Then he told how when a brother came to see abba Agathon, he greeted him and did not let him go until he taken with him a small knife which he had.
14. Abba Agathon said, "If I could meet a leper, give him my body and take his, I should be very happy." Indeed this is perfect charity.

15. It was said of Abba Agathon that he forced himself to fulfill all the commandments. When he sailed in a vessel he was the first to handle the oars and when the brethren came to see him he laid the table with his own hands, as soon as they had prayed because he was full of the love of God. When he was at the point of death he remained three days with his eyes fixed, wide-open. The brethren roused him, saying, "Abba Agathon, Where are you?" He replied, "I am standing before the Judgment Seat of God."

16. Without vigilance man does not advance in even a single virtue.

17. It was said of him that, coming to the town one day to sell his wares, he encountered a sick traveler lying in the public with no one to look out for him. He rented a cell and tended to him there. He used his work money to pay for the sick man's treatment.
:My personal Blessing to you!

May God in His infinite love and mercy, rain down upon you compassion so that your heart is filled with the mercy of God within you.

May you in turn bestow this mercy of God that He has bestowed upon you, upon every person that you meet in this life. May you never forget to smile from your heart so that your smile may warm the heart of another.

In this mercy may you develop compassion and love for everyone that you meet so that you may never in your lifetime leave anyone sorry to have met you, but that all who meet you in this life also meet Jesus Christ who is Himself the life emanating from your heart to theirs.

Rev. Father Gary Sweet
(Monk Michael).


More from Monk Michael;

You ask what in the world makes us think that we know everything, I tell you that we/I do not know everything. But there is a resource that has the earliest church writings for you to study.

It's your soul and your eternity, do with it what you like but the excuse that you just simply did not know will not be accepted on that dreaded day of judgement. Don't be one who neglects his own communion with the Father through the blood of Jesus Christ because of the subtle pride that has you trapped.

Study to show thyself approved, get rid of your pride and just do it. Knock and the door shall be opened, seek and ye shall find. Ask and it will be given unto you.

Who said these words? The person that you claim to follow, are you doing as He said? Or does your pride keep you where you are because you are the Pastor, the music director, the assistant Pastor, the youth director, the Deacon, the head of the women's committee?

Here is a resource for your re-course for a better understanding..

Early Church Fathers  


I will give you another one here, the seven Oecumenical councils that established and shaped the church. Agreed on by the whole church before schism and reformation. These two links; one above and one below will show the true church to you, it is up to you to believe the truth or to believe a lie. You'll find that the scriptures that you claim to follow will be found here in these two links, in living color.

The Seven Oecumenical Councils.

Important Links:

Daily Scripture Reading

  Some personal thoughts from the heart of Monk Michael.

Am I then become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Galatians 4:16

Come Home!

We are going to look at prophecy and the true church. I want to ask a question: where in all of scripture does it say that if things are not going well you may and should leave the church and start one of your own interpretation?

If you cannot find the answer then
I want you to go to your Pastor and ask him the same question, give him this newsletter or the address to the website or my own email, tell him to write to me personally and give to me the scripture that says it is O.K. to do so. This is your challenge. Either accept it or continue on in your non-caring christianity paying no regard what so ever to truth.

Let's begin with a prophecy from Jeremias or Jeremiah: chapter 35, I will be pulling specific verses out of the chapter, they are not out of context, but for the sake of space and reading time this is what I am doing.
Jeremias 35:
1 The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord in the days of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, saying: 2 Go to the house of the Rechabites: and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers of the treasures, and thou shalt give them wine to drink.

2 "Rechabites"... These were of the race of Jethro, father in law to Moses.

6 And they answered: We will not drink wine: because Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying: You shall drink no wine, neither you, nor your children, for ever: 7 Neither shall ye build houses, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyards, nor have any: but you shall dwell in tents all your days, that you may live many days upon the face of the earth, in which you are strangers. 8 Therefore we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all things that he commanded us: so as to drink no wine all our days: neither we, nor our wives, nor our sons, nor our daughters: 9 Nor to build houses to dwell in, nor to have vineyard, or field, or seed: 10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have been obedient according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

12 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying: 13 Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Go, and say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Will you not receive instruction, to obey my words, saith the Lord? 14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, by which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, have prevailed: and they have drunk none to this day, because they have obeyed the commandment of their father: but I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, and you have not obeyed me. 15 And I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising early, and sending and saying: Return ye every man from his wicked way, and make your ways good: and follow not strange gods, nor worship them, and you shall dwell in the land, which I gave you and your fathers: and you have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened to me.

17 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Behold I will bring upon Juda, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, and they have not heard: I have called to them, and they have not answered me. 18 And Jeremias said to the house of the Rechabites: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and have kept all his precepts, and have done all that he commanded you: 19 Therefore thus saith the Lord of host the God of Israel: There shall not be wanting a man of the race of Jonadab the son of Rechab, standing before me for ever.

So what does this prophecy have to do with anything? To start with it is scripture, it is what God spoke through the prophet, it is something to be heard.

What esle has been spoken in scripture that is not obeyed by a large amount of christianity?

Ephesians 3: 6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and co-partners of his promise in Christ Jesus, by the gospel: 7 Of which I am made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which is given to me according to the operation of his power: 8 To me, the least of all the saints, is given this grace, to preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 And to enlighten all men, that they may see what is the dispensation of the mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God, who created all things: 10 That the manifold wisdom of God may be made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places through the church,

19 To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the fulness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do all things more abundantly than we desire or understand, according to the power that worketh in us;

21 To him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus unto all generations, world without end. Amen.

Acts Of Apostles 20
:28 Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Philippians 11 Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ; to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.

1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophesy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood.

2 Timothy 1:13 Hold the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith, and in the love which is in Christ Jesus. 14 Keep the good thing committed to thy trust by the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in us.

2 Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus: 2 And the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses, the same commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also. 3 Labour as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No man, being a soldier to God, entangleth himself with secular businesses; that he may please him to whom he hath engaged himself.

Matthew 16:19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

My friends, I really do not know what else to say at this moment in this limited space, you must contact us and ask the questions that you have.

Jesus the Christ is waiting for each and every one to come home to the church which He began, do not hesitate, we do not know from one blink of the eye to the next what lies in store for us.

Truly in the blink our life may be called from this earth. You must hear and heed the plea from Jesus the Christ who shed His blood for your salvation, do not neglect so great a gift by not heeding the Word of God, He is calling you now to make a decision, now is the time, come home to the church that Jesus the Christ began and leave the church started by man behind you.

Learn and then reach out to those who have remained before it is too late.

Do not take offence at anything that I have written here, this is for your eternal soul, do not forsake the truth for a lie and waste your life as well as destroy the lives of your whole family by teaching the lie. Study to show thyself approved.

Those who follow and teach the original teachings will become outlaws, criminals to the world and will have to speak in private churches in secrecy as it was in the beginning. Only those who destroy the teachings of Christ and conform to the world will be able to speak publicly, we will need to be "of One Mind" literally, understanding one truth not many different truths, such is the essence of this ministry.

You need to look inside of yourself and see the truth of yourself and begin to become one with God through the church that Jesus Christ established. Do not let a good deed go unnoticed by Christ in the day of judgement, don't say it won't happen, you already know that Jesus Christ said to go because He never knew you. Pay attention to these words.

May God Bless you and keep you today, tomorrow and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Important Links:

Daily Scripture Reading

Write to us if you want to know more at;

monkmichael@newwarriorministries.com

or to the Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Thaddeus who will take the time to help you for the sake of your soul, reach him at; thaddeus@apostle1.com

Your humble servant in Christ,

Monk Michael

 http://newwarriorministries.com
monkmichael@newwarriorministries.com


Daily Scripture Reading