| We are not a living body that contains a soul! We are a living soul that dwells within a living body! | April, 2008 |
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in this issue |
In Loving Memory of Clarence Edward Lowery:
June 4, 1924 - March 13, 2008
He will be lovingingly remembered by all who knew him and wait to be with him again.
Mr. Clarence lowery was a man who knew the difference between right and wrong.
O God of spirits and of all flesh, who has trampled death, broken the power of Satan, and have granted life to your world; grant rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant Clarence Lowery in a place of light, joy and peace, where there is no pain, sorrow, or mourning. As a kind and gracious God, forgive every sin committed by him in word, deed, or thought, since there is no man who lives and does not sin. You alone are without sin, Your justice is everlasting justice, and Your word is the truth. For you are the resurrection, the life, and the repose of Your departed servant Clarence Lowery, O Christ our God, and we glorify You, together with Your eternal Father +, and Your all-holy gracious, and life giving Spirit, now and ever and forever, Amen.
May God grant rest to the soul of His servant Clarence Edward Lowery and may his memory + be eternal. Amen.
Relationship with Christ!
You know what? I just don't get it!
The world is full of people who are only kidding themselves. There is an incredible amount of people around that allow the words God or Jesus or "yes Lawd I hear you talking to me", to come out of their mouth like they themselves are the embodiment of heaven. What I have discovered is that for the most part these people have no clue what is going on, oh they shout the name of Jesus alright but their thoughts, as honest as they are, simply do not ring of the truth of scripture, their life is full of pride in what they do, pride in what they have and even pride in what they do not have and for some, there is even pride in the fact that they say the name of Jesus so many times a day.
What was the sin of Satan?
I'll give you a hint, it starts with a p and ends with an e and the middle three letters are r-i-d.What does that spell? Or better yet maybe take the middle three as a clue and dump the p and the e. Do you know what words I hear constantly from these people? You might be a Monk in the Orthodox church but do you have a relationship with Jesus? So let me ask you, do you have a relationship with Jesus? I have a relationship with my wife, that's one relationship, I have a relationship with my children and there are several and each relationship is different, one from the other. I have a different relationship with my mother than I do with everyone else. I have different relationships with in-laws and out-laws. Does Jesus have a relationship with you?
What did Jesus say about our relationship?
The word relationship exists only in three versions of all of the scriptures and these versions are of the new translations of scripture and cannot be found in the originals,but only two of them actually use the word relative to God and had to be placed there out of character. What does it mean to be rich towards God? Does it mean this?-OK Jesus, I'm going to tithe to the church because the preacher said if I do the Bible says that it will be given back to me ten fold, that's money in the bank. Is this what it means? OK Jesus I'm going to church to hear the preacher because you're going to take care of me when I do. Are these true statements? Do you know what daily bread is? How many people have you ever seen or have heard of who have given their life over completely to the service of God and still lived in total poverty. So what does this mean?
What do the Scriptures say?
1 Peter 1:16 Because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy.
Colossians 3:12 Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience:
1 Peter 3:8 And in fine, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble:( Monk Michael's words: you cannot be of one mind with 20,000 different denominations all claiming to be telling the truth, give up your pride and begin to worship God as the church prescribed.) Why should you, did I hear you ask? Where is the authority of the church? We have seen this answered several times already but here is more;
1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
I'm telling you again to get rid of your pride, the church was established from the beginning and has not changed, only the liars and perverters of the truth have created new denominations, there is only one truth. If you refuse to heed these words you are only condemning yourself and it is only the very grace and mercy of God that you will escape the death as if through fire, with nothing. (1 Cr. 3:15) Take heed.
This is not simply a relationship, we are to become like God Himself, this is an eternity of striving, be holy for I am holy.
The next time you think of this life as simply a relationship with Jesus, think of these words and realize, this is not a give and take, this is not an I'll do this because you're gonna do that. We have something to do, be of One Mind, and strive daily to become like God, not merely on the sidelines with our hand out, work for it, earn it, strive for it, run the good race, look for the Face of God, seek it with all of your heart, strive to become like Jesus Christ.
But in your daily striving do not forget to repent. The prophets say to repent and be saved, the Apostles say to repent, John the Baptist came preaching repentance, St. Mt. 3:2 Saying, Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near. ( "Do penance"... Paenitentiam agite. Which word, according to the use of the scriptures and the holy fathers, does not only signify repentance and amendment of life, but also punishing past sins by fasting, and such like penitential exercises.)
Jesus said to repent; St. Mt. 4:17 From that time, Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is coming near.
James 5:16 Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.
1 Corinthians 15:2 By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. (What did you do in vain?) Do you need to read it again?
So how is your personal relationship with Jesus? Do you make confession everynight, is the last thing that you do before climbing into bed, confessing to God and asking His forgiveness?
Do this: O God, remit, pardon and forgive the sins I have committed deliberately and through human frailty, in word and deed, knowingly and in ignorance, with foreknowledge and purpose, by day and night; forgive all these, for You are gracious and + You love mankind. Amen
And this: Psalm 51;
O God have mercy on me in the greatness of Your love; in the abundance of Your tender mercies wipe out my offense. Wash me thoroughly from malice and cleanse me from sin; for I am well aware of my malice and my sins are before me always. It is You alone I have offended, I have done what is evil in Your sight; wherefore, You are just in Your deeds and triumphant in Your judgment. Behold, I was born in iniquities and in sins my mother conceived me. But You are the Lover of Truth; You have shown me the depths and secrets of Your wisdom. Wash me with hyssop and I shall be pure, cleanse me and shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear sounds of joy and feasting, the bones that were afflicted shall rejoice. Turn Your face away from my offenses and wipe off all my sins. A spotless heart create in me O God, renew a steadfast spirit in my breast. Cast me not afar from Your face, take not Your blessed Spirit out of me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and let Your guiding Spirit dwell in me. I will teach Your ways to the sinners and the wicked shall return to You. Deliver me from blood-guilt, 0 God my saving God, and my tongue will joyfully sing Your justice. 0 Lord, You shall open my lips and my mouth will declare Your praise. Had You desired sacrifice, I would have offered it, but You will not b satisfied with whole-burnt offerings. Sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; a crushed and humbled hear God will not spurn. In Your kindness, 0 Lord, be bountiful to Sion; may the walls of Jerusalem b4 restored. Then will You delight in just oblation, in sacrifice and whole-burnt offerings; then shall the’ offer calves upon Your altar. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now an ever and forever. Amen.
Remember this: 1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Think on all of this!
For the answers to these and any other questions contact me.
Yours in Christ,
A humble servant of Jesus Christ
Monk Michael
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Teaching of the Church! | |||
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I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing the truth.
I warn you that if truth offends you then you should not read the truth, if you are truly working for Jesus the Christ then please read the following truth and think about it. Once convicted, then change your life to reflect it.
The article below has been edited for volume, it is an excerpt, to read the letter in it's entirety then you must go here; entire letter.
Some Comments on Officialdom, the Sacred Canons, St. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain and the Continuity of Byzantine Thought
A Letter from Archbishop Chrysostomos of Etna
Dear Father ________:
Thank you for the excerpts from your exchange on the Internet. In response to your several questions, let me make some general observations that might help you to put a number of issues in perspective.
First, I would not reduce your arguments down to the level of adolescent debates about whose Church is "official" or "canonical." We once had a priest from an "official" Orthodox Church visit the monastery. He presented what was essentially a not very intelligent summary of his ecclesiology, drawn from various secondary sources and formed by distinctly Western ideas about the Church. He had no knowledge of Greek, no knowledge of the Fathers (despite constant references to them), and, while a rather nice man, such a simplistic understanding of our resistance movement as to be insulting. I said little to him, until he appeared to challenge me with regard to the canonicity of the "Old Calendarists" (about whom, despite his pretensions, he knew virtually nothing, aside from gossip and rumors). I told him that, since the time of St. Paul, the Orthodox in my family had followed the Church Calendar. I noted that I simply stand in accord with them and that such accord gives me comfort. "So does my traditional way of life," I told him, "as does my immersion into the Hesychastic life of our monastery." In response, he said: "But I need the official sanction of a canonical Patriarchate." As I told him, "I draw on Christ and Holy Tradition; you draw on administrative pillars that help you in your unbelief." He left here shaken. I was enlightened by him.
True spiritual life is not artificial, but is natural. And true authority is not a matter of what is official, but concerns that which arises organically and naturally from the heart. Converts who fail to draw on the heart of Orthodoxy, turning to their own standards of authenticity, never really touch what is genuine. Rather, they reject what is genuine in defense of their concocted beliefs, giving apparent life to their creation by the breath of an "official" Orthodoxy which is moribund. You cannot reach such people, since, were you to do so, they would have to begin their spiritual search anew. Few are willing to do that.
Second, there is nothing to be gained in arguing with those who want Christ to be a monolithic idea and not a way of life within His Body, the Church. Such individuals find the Holy Canons legalistic, Holy Tradition stifling, and orthopraxy too rigid. They have gone seeking God, and in this search they use what is convenient and discard what they think is unnecessary. For those of us who experience God in a Faith guided, but not defined, by laws and spiritual customs, every spiritual act of obedience or every sacred Mystery brings us closer to God. For we know that it is not we who search out God, but God Who seeks us. And He reaches us in those things which reify him in our daily lives: transforming us inwardly by transforming the way that we eat, talk, dress, and relate to one another, all disciplines therein guided by the rudder of the Sacred Canons and by Holy Tradition. We do not disdain the world because it is evil, but we turn from the empty and evil effects of living a worldly life which is not harmonious with God. We take on the life of those who come into a natural oneness with the simple and pure things of God’s world. And this life is the life dictated to us, again, in our fasting regulations, in the way that we divide our days (the Festal Calendar), and in the way that we relate to the disharmony of the fallen world around us (that is, as a peculiar people). There is chasm between our Orthodoxy and the presumed Orthodoxy of the world that is as great as the chasm between genuine spiritual life and fabricated ideas of "canonicity" and "officialdom."
Third, the Pedalion (the Rudder) should be approached with great piety. To imagine that it or its compiler, St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite, belongs to a single era (the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries), or is outmoded, is not unlike believing that Scripture is irrelevant because it does not directly address us in our own time, but belongs to the first centuries of Christian history. These Western ideas are not only blasphemous but, despite the many defenses of such thinking (some intelligent, some thoughtless and simply trendy), they are foreign to the spiritual ethos of Orthodoxy. They belong to the realm of systematic theology, religious relativism, progressive revelation, and those other desires of the mind that betray an essential ignorance of the inner path of knowledge that leads to Orthodox enlightenment. Applied to the Rudder, of course, they become absurd, since its contents span many centuries of Christian history and are hardly the product of a single period of time. Some may claim that St. Nicodemos’ commentaries are restricted to a certain time frame; but in so doing, they must thus cease to be Orthodox in their outlook, in so doing, since such a leap backwards in faith challenges the universality and timelessness of Patristic wisdom (not withstanding the fact that such backward action is all around us today).
Intellectual brilliance, Father, is not the path to inner satisfaction or to spiritual authenticity. If it were, the post-Byzantine Greeks would have reached the zenith of spiritual eminence with their minds alone. But this is not the case. They reached that zenith through piety, self-sacrifice, the simplicity of heart that comes from inner wisdom, and that spiritual trust in humility which is not available to those who, embracing a faith that they cannot truly live, decide to distort it, denigrate it, and condemn those who live it as charlatans. In this upside down world, where the insane are considered sane and the sane are considered insane, you must, as I always tell you, go to bed at night in peace, feeling sorrow in your heart for those disturbed and tormented souls who find no solace in their self-declared canonicity and officialdom. Arguing with them accomplishes nothing. Put the truth before them, for the sake of those who might be misled by their sophistry, and rest your case.
In short, keep your eyes fixed on what has been passed down to us, revere and protect it, and shake the dust from your feet in the face of those who will not hear, who will not listen, and who seek to destroy and innovate.
My warmest brotherly and paternal affection to you.
Least Among Monks,
+ Archbishop Chrysostomos
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Holy Canons Related to Ecumenism On Praying with HereticsHoly Canons Related to Ecumenism - and Praying with Heretics
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The Doctrine of the Orthodox Church: The Structure of the Church
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St. Mark of Ephesus and the False Union of Florence
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The Gospel Call to Monasticism
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Announcement of the Extraordinary Joint Conference of the Sacred Community of the Holy Mount Athos
Orthodox Information Center Home Page
By clicking on the links just below you will be directed away from this
page. You must use your browser back button to return to this letter.
From the pages of the American Orthodox Church/North American Orthodox Church
It is obvious that Jesus meant for the church to be one in Spirit and in teaching. There is only one truth.
There is only One God, One Lord Jesus Christ, One Holy Spirit, One Christian Church. It is plain and obvious that the Holy Spirit does work through those in many different denominations. God still uses those who are true to Jesus Christ. However, this does not change the truth of the teachings of the original Orthodox Church.
Send this newsletter to your friends and family, encourage them to sign up. It remains free thanks to your financial help.
Please give these things prayerful thought, meditate on these words, learn to be still and listen to the Holy Spirit in the quiet time.
This will continue next issue. See you then.
Monk Michael
I'll see you in the next issue. Send this to your friends and family and ask them to sign up. You cannot know Jesus without becoming concerned for the life of everyone you meet.
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Thoughts and meditations! | |||
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Spring is here and depending on where you live, flowers are in full bloom,
there is life everywhere, new life. Nature has exploded among the animals
and the plants. The world is still turning. Everything is beautiful to
see and mankind is going downhill fast. There is a story out right now
about a group of 8 to 10 year old children who decided to smash their teacher
in the head with a paper weight, duct tape this teacher as a prisoner and
then torture this teacher for their personal pleasure.
These kids were equipped with all of the necessary things to get the job
done, including handcuffs. They had a list of duties assigned to each kid
to pull this off, one would smash the teacher in the back of the head with
the weight, another would run and pull all of the blinds down so no one
would see, another would do the cuffing, etc. etc.
The teachers crime? Correcting one of the kids verbally for doing something
that should not have been done for any reason. The children decided that
a teacher has no right to do this.
What is the school reaction and the reaction of other adults as in the
parents of the kids? 'Well maybe they are to young to actually understand
the consequences of what they were planning and who knows, they probably
weren't actually going to attempt to make this happen anyway.'
So we have evolved (according to Darwin and all Darwinists) into a culture
that condones our children plotting what could very well have become a
murder without consequence. Unless you have heard anymore of the story
and would care to enlighten me and the rest of us as well, the kids are
too young for juvenile incarceration and most likely will receive nothing
except a whole lot of attention and noteriety.
They will learn a valuable lesson though, in the United States, there is
no justice, no laws are enforced, especially when it comes to our own children
and we are only one generation away from complete barbarism and anyone
who defends themself will be held liable in a court of law for having the
auducuty to stand up for God and the law.
Think about it, do you live your life as Christ directs or do you turn your head away
from the garbage with a live and let live mentality so that you can continue
living in your own sin without fear of punishment?
Have something to say about this article? Want to add a few comments? Do it here; Putting in my 2 cents.
Think about these things.
Monk Michael
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The Spirit of the Fight! Physical Training! | |||
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This is your health, April 2008.
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I hope that you enjoyed this article. I will say again, watch what you eat and do your exercises. We will have more films coming out on these things soon. Keep an eye out. Also follow the link below this article called "Breathe" and do the simple slow motion movement at least 10 to 20 times per day.
Questions or comments? Send them here; I have something to say about it!
Don't forget to follow the links below for this month's self-defense and exercise plan.
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