VARIETY #  ONE

THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF CHRIST 

Great members of the Kingdom!

Martyrdom for them is the door to eternal life.

Andrew the first call was crucified.
Bartholomew was crucified, skinned, beheaded.
James, son of Zebedee was beheaded.
John the Theologian translated without death.                                                                                                                         
Matthew the Evangelist was burned by fire.
Matthias, replaced Judas Iscariot he was stoned;
then after death he was beheaded with an axe.
Peter (Simon), Andrew’s brother was crucified                                 upside down.
Philip was crucified.
Simon the Zealot of Canna was crucified.v    
Thaddeus was crucified.
Thomas was pierced with five spears.

MISTRANSLATION OF SCRIPTURE
Pre-eternal, no such word or no such place
for only God is eternal and nothing precedes Him
Mistranslation of (pro-aionion) before the ages

Lust; There us no such word in the Greek Bible;
It is a mis-translation of the Greek word                                              (epithimyou)  “desire”

Righteous, no such word in Greek Bible. This
mistranslates dikeosyni the correct word for justice

This is found in the phrase: This is my beloved son                           in whom I am well pleased (evdokisa) should read:                           in whom I have well-decided or in whom I approve

You are a loving God, (filanthropos) correctly                                   translated isYou are the lover of man.

In the Lord’s Prayer; Give us this day our daily                                 Bread;Correct translation of (ton arton imon, ton                               epiousion) is Give us this day our most essential                               bread, referring to the Holy Eucharist, this is used                             right before partaking.

THE DANGER OF ECUMENISM

     The danger of Ecumenism is not dangerous to the Church for the Church is the Body of Christ. Having Him as its Head, and is not subject to error or any other ill. The only danger in Ecumenism is to the souls of those who preach it or adapt it, for it removes their souls from the book of eternal life. The Orthodox leaders who brought ecumenism into Orthodoxy. They first changed the name of those outside the Church from heretics, which they are to brothers in Christ, which they are not, recognized their infernal sacraments performing action which is outside their authority and power, and eventually the Church will reject. 

     The name heretic as applied to those outside the Church has been in use in the Orthodox Church for almost two-thousand years! Scripture commands that if a man is a heretic, admonish him several times and then have nothing to do with him, being that he is self-condemned. Orthodox Christians should never dialogue with heretics, unless they have shown a desire to learn and enter the Church. This is accomplished not so much by dialogue but by teaching. All those who preach and embrace the heresy of “ecumenism” will find themselves outside the grace of God. For the doctrine of “ecumenism” denies the existence of the one and only Orthodox Church, and they spread the outright lie which announces that “the church” is divided and seeks to be reunited! Thus they invent a second church which is divided, which is not a real church but consists of whole groups of condemned heresies. The great danger of ecumenism is not to the Church which cannot be damaged, but the loss of eternal life to its advocates and all those who accept this heresy which wars against Orthodoxy through unfaithful leaders within the Church.

Various heresies of ecumenism are: 

1. They preach different Gospels.

2. They establish numerous different churches.

3. They fail to honor the Virgin Mary.

4.  They fail to connect with the true Church.

5. Their bishoprics are non-existent or invalid.

6.  The fail to accept and honor holy icons.

7. They fail to accept validity of the Church Fathers.

8. They fail to accept the Seventh Ecumenical synods.

9. They are without priests and bishops.

10. They do not celebrate the Church Mysteries.

11. The Pope of Rome is the man in charge.

12. They accept the pope’s infallibility.

13. They believe in a mythical purgatory for suffering.

14. They have women bishops and priests.

15. They preach myriads of false doctrines.

16. They have no genuine mysteries (sacraments).

17. Some fail to accept Christ as God.

18. They fail to pray for saints.

19. They fail to pray for the dead.

20. They accept Church-condemned heretics

21. They reject the Fathers and accept Luther, Calvin and Zwingli.

MAKING USE OF OUR TIME

      Our lives are composed of periods of time and we frequently ask, what time is it?  We see hours  come and go as do the days, the weeks, the months, and the years which are divisions of time. They pass quickly and leave us with memories of the past and hope for the future. We have times  for work and play, for meals and for entertainment. Time is finite and limited, but eternity, having no yesterday or tomorrow always remains the same. It is said: “Our days are numbered” and this is true, for God determines the length of our days which are not within our power to extend or determine.  Death is very unpredictable in most cases. Infants and youths  die and the elderly realize the approach of death.  Death sometimes comes very slowly and at other times suddenly without warning. 

Each day quickly comes and goes  and we usually utilize most of our days for working and other activities and our nights are darkened for sleeping. The successive days quickly add up to  weeks then months and eventually years. The days come and go as do the months and years and we anticipate old age until certain death brings everything we have done to an end, and we take nothing material from this world with us. The only thing we bring into the next world is a soul filled with faith, hope and love, and which did good works with the body. Death appears to be an end but it is not really an end but a new beginning and another life, a life that is endless and eternal.  To the glory of the Divine Trinity, we who are formed in the image of God have three lives, each different, in the womb, in this world, and in the future world

     There are many who do not believe that there is another endless life and that death is not the end.  Nor do they believe that we will be held responsible for how we spent our lives while in this world. What about those who lived wickedly and leave this world without punishment?  And those who have done only good deeds in the name of Christ, certainly they will receive a reward. Many holy people have returned from the dead and told us what awaits us.  So we know for certain what is true and beneficial regarding life after this life. Jesus Christ spoke on these matters and being that He is the Lord of all, He instructed us concerning these matters. Jesus Christ speaks of  every important question, and guides us along the path that we must travel to gain everlasting life and avoid eternal punishment. He is the conqueror and destroyer of death and the Giver of eternal life.;

“O, when will we get to the point of making as much effort over our souls as we do over our bodies?  When shall we come to the desire to adorn ourselves with virtues before God and His glorious angels as much as we adorn ourselves with vain and transitory outward gaudy apparel? 

(Prologue 4). 

     We take good care of our bodies that worms will one day consume and neglect our souls which will appear before the dread judgment seat of Christ. Of all the time allocated to us by God how much do we utilize in offering thanksgiving and gratitude? What answer will we give for wasting all of our time on earth on foolish things and using none of it to acknowledge God and to give Him glory and thanksgiving. Being in communication with God sweetens our souls and strengthens our bodies, and our keen desire for a  a future kingdom that is endless. 

None of us have any idea as to when we will leave this world but we know that we will. So today is the time for communication with the Lord, offering gratitude, repentance and thanksgiving to the Creator who brought everything into existence.

     The freedom we enjoy comes with responsibility before the law of God. In our societies we see policemen, court systems judges, lawyers, all designed to regulate and govern a free people. They receive punishment when the do wrong, because they understand the rewards and penalties The laws warn of penalties for violation but rewards for conformance.  How much more important are the laws of God than the laws of man! For human laws are temporary and will one day end but divine laws are endless and their rewards or penalties are for ever. Today is the time for us to freely choose, either everlasting life or everlasting punishment, heaven above or hell below!

     But time will keep on passing and will surely come to an end on the last day. The days of our lives rapidly fly by. The end of this life is also the beginning of the second life which is different from this present life and it never changes back to time. The second eternal life will be without days and nights for all time is eradicated and we live in eternity which never is endless It is a permanent life which is not changeable and is filled with joy or with misery as we freely chose in this present life. If we make no choice we will end in misery, for by not choosing we ignore and insult the Godman Jesus Christ who came to speak of the things written herein. Choose life that you may live! All that we do in time, whether good or evil, will determine our place in the life to come.

THE GOSPEL LAW

The Beatitudes

     The Gospel Law is found in Matthew chapters 5 to 7, and begins with the Beatitudes.”

     “And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain, and when He was set; and He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. 

Blessed are they which are persecuted for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. 

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” 

     “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Ordinarily poverty is not considered a blessing and usually we seek to escape poverty by working or begging. But it is not poverty itself that is being blessed, but it is the realization of our poverty of spirit that is indeed blessed, for we must struggle to become rich in the spirit of God. Poverty of spirit makes us feel deprived and naked , and thus moves us to seek wisdom and knowledge in accordance with the divine proverb: “Blessed is the man that has found wisdom, and the mortal that has seen prudence.”   So those who are poor in sprit are blessed, not for their poverty, but for the realization of their poverty. Those who realize their poverty of spirit seek to acquire spirit so this is a beginning.

“Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” 

     Those who are poor in spirit mourn their condition, being conscious of their misery and wretchednes in having transgressed the law of God. Their mourning attracts God’s mercy for He is good and is the only Lover of man. Worldly mournfulness  does not attract God’s mercy, for worldly mourners seek not spirit but material things. But holy mournfulness attracts the grace of God.

“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”  

     The opposite of unreasonable anger is meekness, for the meek, having experienced the mercy and kindness of God do not become angry, but are filled with gratitude. Meekness is a social virtue and the meek become innocent  lambs . They do not become  angry neither do they take the law into their own hands. We must all become  meek like Christ and inherit the earth over which God will reign forever.

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice for they shall be filled.” 

POPES AND MORE POPES

     Who is the Pope? Roman Catholics when asked, who is the head of their  church, will respond: the pope of Rome of course, perhaps surprised that you even asked for this is common knowledge. Recently during the event of the present pope’s tour and mission to the U. S., it was brought to my attention that some Orthodox priests had spoken of the pope quite favorably, as though he is one of us, even though he openly believes and declares that we are inferior and he is superior. Priests and bishops who speak well of him are setting fire to their own homes, for the pope’s existence is anti-Orthodox and the pope is an enemy of Orthodoxy and its bishops and priests. He does not seek to change but to dominate Orthodoxy, the true Church. Since they left the Church, their plans are to swallow up and destroy Orthodoxy by bringing it into the papal kingdom

     The papacy has no resemblance to the church which Christ built when He sent His Apostles to preach the Gospel to all the nations. He did not send Peter as chief over all  the other Apostles, for He established the apostles with equal authority, and sent them all, not just Peter, to go forth and proclaim the Gospel, baptizing believers in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The papacy claims that all bishops in the world, including the Orthodox,  are inferior to the pope. They claim is that he is the single bishop who directs the world following direct orders from God. Further they claim that he is the sole representative of God and that the pope and papacy are the only source of divine truth, divine doctrine and divine grace!

     The following facts describe who the pope of Rome really is and what he represents. He is not the vicar of Christ which is impossible. Impossible, because a vicar represents someone who is absent, and Christ is not absent for He promised to be “with us to the close of the age”.  The Roman church defines the pope and papacy with preposterous claims that are just clever lies which come from the father of lies. So why admire and exalt a man whose source of authority is falsehood?  Or what claim to fame can a liar possess?

ORTHODOX PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part 18   CONCLUSION

     Having presented herein a series entitled “Orthodox Problems And Solutions,” the next to last was the seventeenth article of the series. In this Part 18 which is the conclusion, we will have  mentioned the most important problems and their solutions. We firmly established that Orthodoxy alone is the Church built by Jesus Christ on the firm  rock on which He built Orthodoxy, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God,” We presented many aspects of the Church and its functions.  During the present time our bishops and rulers are not living up to their duties, the main thing being, feeding their flock with the teaching of Jesus Christ and His holy commandments.

     Every Orthodox Christian needs to realize that,  concerning the many Orthodox problems and their solutions, including lack of leadership by many bishops and other clergy, an important thing is our own personal responsibilities and our duties to testify to Christ by our lives.  Realistically the problems are  that each and every one of us are responsible because we are not faithfully living the true life in Christ. Bishops and priests come from families and if we in these families  are  not living a life of piety and love for Christ, the Christian life of the Church will not flourish. So each one of us must accept our own responsibility for the condition of our Church. The Lord completed His terrible suffering and great sacrifice, and then sent us the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Guide; Also He nourishes and energizes us with His divine Body and precious Blood. We must remember that the present temporary world is not our final destination and our days are numbered. If we live only for this world we are far from Christ. But we are seeking eternal life and the heavenly kingdom, which is acquired by our personal deep faith and love for Jesus Christ and the earnest and total dedication of our lives to Him.

     Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the basis of the Orthodox spiritual life. Studying the Holy Scriptures daily accompanied by a faithful prayer life with a rule of prayer, will develop our souls rendering them spiritually healthy and  filling them with divine life.

     This can only be accomplished by those who realize and wish to avoid the threats of eternal fire and set their goal on eternal life. Christ makes this clear and warns that he will be our Judge, judging us according to His words, a few of which are “Therefore whoever confesses me before men him will I confess before my Father in heaven.”  “I am the Light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.”  “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood, has eternal life.” The words and wisdom of Jesus Christ need to nourish our minds and arouse our hearts to love Him who is the Logos and Wisdom of the Father.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Seventeenth,

 PART 2

REFUTATION OF THE PAPACY OR ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

     There are some people within Orthodoxy who assert that the Roman Catholic Church is quite similar to Orthodoxy, but nothing could be further from the truth. The differences are of immense proportions Why? Because of the impossibility of lies being dogmas. It is a blatant lie that the pope is the one and only bishop in the whole world who represents God and derives his knowledge, authority and power directly from the Creator. Further that God created and shaped the papacy as Christ’s church.  It is another lie and an impossible claim that the pope of Rome or any other man is infallible, for God alone is infallible.  It is a lie that there is a genuine place called purgatory, which was introduced by Pope Gregory the Great in the late 6th century. False also is the papacy’s claims that most souls enter this fictional place to suffer for their sins. It is a lie that the many successive popes were all holy men, the opposite being true, for many of them were evil and wicked men, who could never be successors of holy Peter the Apostle/

     The Church canons strictly forbid Orthodox intermarriage with Roman Catholics, and though it takes place it remains illicit. And the marriages?  Their baptisms cannot be considered as baptisms for theydo not use triune immersion. Their bishops and priests have no canonical connections and are thus invalid and empty. They changed the divine services by introducing strange and abbreviated ones. They falsely claim that Joachim and Anna’s  conception of the Virgin Mary was without sin, when Christ is the only sinless one.

     They lay all their claims by classifying their popes to be successors of Peter, which means that each pope has a sacred obligation as Peter’s successor to live a life in holiness and truth. But we will see that this is not the reality. Here is a quick glance at a few of their morbid and sickly lives.

Pope John XII (963

     Became pope at twenty being one of the lowest and most miserable figures ever to occupy the Holy See of Rome. Under him the Lateran degenerated into little more than brothel. Pope John who had taken savage revenge on his enemies, died on May 14, 946.

Leo IX: and the use of known forgeries -1054

The rise to power of the papacy was fueled by known forgeries well known as” the Donations of Constantine.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Sixteenth

REFUTATION OF THE PAPACY OR ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

     The divine authority prescribed in the Bible is totally different than papal authority, which is man devised and worldly and is not divine. The Father spoke of the divinely ordained authority of His Son and subsequently He remained silent, and with His words He introduced Jesus Christ, saying: “This  is my beloved son in whom I have well decided; listen to him.” After this command, authority went from the Father to Jesus and Jesus began to instruct His disciples. Jesus spoke in His own authority which He had assumed. This established Jesus as the Head and authority over the Church which He was now building. Jesus did not transfer that authority to Peter or any other disciple as the popes falsely assert, for He would have to say, as did the Father: “This is my beloved disciple Peter in whom I have decided; listen to him.” So Peter could not exercise authority (which he did not have) over the other disciples and so could not possibly pass authority which he did not have to the popes of Rome. 

     Anyone reading the Bible will see that Christ is the authority and He speaks as such.  He says: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Also: “Receive Holy Spirit.”  “Whosoever’s sins you retain are retained and whoever’s sins you remit are remitted.”but he does not pass any authority to Peter alone, but he does transmit authority equally to all His disciples. Nor did He send Peter to Rome to become pope, but He did send all of His apostles into the world to preach the Gospel and “baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

     In order to properly examine any structure’s integrity the foundation must be primarily examined. To examine an organization’s structural integrity, the fundamental law must be examined, for it is vital. The fundamental law of the true and Orthodox Church is found expressed in Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ, son of the living God”. Jesus replied by declaring Peter’s confession saying: “Upon this rock I will build my Church.” This means that everyone who enters the Orthodox Church must abide by its fundamental law and declare: “You are the Christ Son of the living God.”

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Fifteen

CHURCH GOVERNMENT

     Most organizations adopt laws and strive to govern themselves  in accordance with the laws which they have established. Governing the Church is similar for to govern and rule the Church means to conduct it to the end for which it was originally proposed. Ideally in the Church all sincere members have one desire, to be sanctified and justified in the eyes of the Father in heaven, who is the greatest of all, and to inherit everlasting life in His heavenly kingdom. Any soul is able to be sanctified through the propitious sacrifice of Christ, by eating and drinking the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, who  lifts away the sins of the world. They are justified by behaving in agreement with the fundamental law of the Church, which bids us to listen to Christ and do all that He commands. In other words every soul can be justified and saved by doing the will of the heavenly Father.

     The will of the heavenly Father is expressed in the fundamental law of the Church and is the same as the wills of the Son and the Holy Spirit, which is that everyone accept Christ and keep His commandments. The rulers of the Church rule and act in accordance with the Holy Spirit should have the fundamental law constantly before them. Celebrating the propitious sacrifice and the divine mystery, they distribute the food of God to the children of God, thus strengthening them. Within the temple of God the rulers (apostles and bishops) must never cease performing these duties in Holy Spirit. The duties of the rulers includes also to observe  all that happens to the faithful outside the Church, seeing to what extent each person fulfills or fails to fulfill their particular duties. By doing this they will know how to treat each individual within the Church.

     The Church of Christ can be likened to a sheepfold and its rulers to shepherds. In the same way that a shepherd leads his sheep to pasture, and protects them from wolves and robbers, so the rulers of the Church feeds the Christians with the bread of life, watering them with the divine doctrine. If a Christian lacks the Christian nature of sheep he will be excluded from the flock. Spiritual children must be like bees continually eating their flowers, they must produce honey, and those who do not are excluded from the hives as being drones rather than bees. 

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Fourteen

THE LAW THAT GOVERNS THE ENTIRE CHURCH

     When Christ asked His disciples, whom do me say that I am, Peter, enlightened by the Father replied: “You are the Christ the Son of the living God.” The Lord blessed Peter, saying: “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is heaven. And I say unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  The Father starts the work, and reveals the fundamental truth, laying the foundation stone of the edifice, as it is written: “Behold, I lay in Sion a choice stone, a cornerstone, and he who believes on him shall not be confounded.” Peter received his confession from rhe Father and this confession is the rock upon which the holy Church is built, being its chief dogma: “You are the Christ, Son of the living God.”

     The Son continues the building by means of the Mystery of the Eucharist, and with His own Body and Blood, like clay, puts together and cements the stones of the edifice. The Holy Spirit guides the Church, binding and loosening, approving or disapproving those who are accepted and those who are rejected. For the “keys to the kingdom of heaven”, which Christ promised to Peter, are the directive authority of the Holy Spirit who rules and guides the holy Church through Peter and those like him. The authority and power to bind and loose are what is referred to as the governing law of the Church. These laws govern the Church and lead it to its destiny.  The Son sends down the Holy Spirit from the Father, as is written: “When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of me” (John 15:26). The Son imparts the Holy Spirit and its directive authority on those he chooses, saying: “And He breathed upon them saying, Receive Holy Spirit. Whoever’s sins you remit, shall be remitted to them, and whoever’s sins you retain, they shall be retained.” Also: “Whatsoever you lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  This power and authority is distributed through the apostles and bishops to those who are worthy.  This governing law remains in the Church as a guide to those in authority.

     The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of truth by Christ, for He guides the faithful into all truth, which is always in harmony with the right Logos of God, the truth who came down from heaven, as He says: “The Holy Spirit will testify of me.” Nothing that the Logos has uttered will be overlooked but the Spirit will testify to everything, for He is all-knowing. Christ says: “He shall not speak of himself, but whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show you the things to come. He shall glorify me, for He shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you.” There is perfect agreement with the Spirit’s testimony concerning all that He said and did. 

     The popes of Rome with their invented claims of authority and infallibility have no clue as to the Holy Spirit’s function in the Church. Christ is indeed the head of the Church, divine and human as is His Church. But He established the Holy Spirit to be its mentor and guide, reminding all the faithful of what Christ has said and done, knowledge which the Holy Spirit preserves perfectly. To bind and to loose in Holy Spirit means to forbid and prevent whatever is opposed to the laws laid down by Christ, and to permit whatever is not contrary to these laws. It also means to reprimand sinners in a manner that their sins deserve, and to pardon them when they are sorry and repentant before God.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Thirteen

THE EUCHARIST 

THE BOND BETWEEN GOD AND MAN

     The Eucharist has always been the basis for divine worship. Iniquity and sins had separated man from God as well as introducing death, however the virtue and righteousness of Christ has reconciled man and  the holy Eucharist is the bond between God and man!

     Iniquity and sin were committed by the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, who acted contrary to the law and will of God. Christ the Son of God, who is the New Adam, always acted in accordance with the law, and although he was faultless and righteous yet he was unjustly put to death under the law.  However, this unjust death on the Cross became the total overthrow and loss of authority of the devil and his demons.  Christ suffered everything including insults, mockery, slander, spitting, scourging and crucifixion.  They were entirely unaware that the Lord Christ voluntarily submitted to His Passion and death for the purpose of  destroying their illicit authority and the power of the wicked devil who from the beginning had tyrannized the first man and his descendants, in his  rebellion against God.

     According to the divine law whatever was unjustly taken from a wronged person must be returned manifold. Christ’s life was unjustly taken from Him although He was sinless, and therefore was not legally subject to death. And the lives of all  men who ever existed or will exist, are not equal to the life of Christ which is infinte. Under the law, the Lifegiver bestows life upon all those who come to Him in faith and love, and keeping His commandments they gain eternal which is man’s greatest and infinite treasure.   Sadly, although eternal life is offered to all men, relatively few show interest because the pleasures and attractions of this material world holds them tightly in its grips. And wicked unbelief has gripped their hearts.

     The Lord’s death on the Cross, says St. Paul, is proclaimed through the mystery of the Eucharist. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes”

     This assertion signifies that the mystery of the Eucharist commemorates the propitious sacrifice on the Cross, and that the commemoration shall continue until the second coming of the Lord. 

     The celebration of the Mystery and the propitious sacrifice of the Cross are one as the Lord himself said, when He celebrated the first Mystery saying: “This cup is the New Testament in my blood,” that is, this cup contains my blood by which the New Testament is confirmed and the relations between God and man subsist. Accordingly if the true body and the true blood of the Lord lies upon the altar of the Christian Church, exactly as upon the Cross, both sacrifices are essentially one and they although they differ with respect to mode and place, or rather, there is one sacrifice, extending from Golgotha exists in every place, subsisting in the eyes of the Lord until the end of the world. If this be so, and the sacrifice of Eucharist is identical with the propitious sacrifice on the Cross, it follows that it is because thereof that there subsists a relation and connection between God and man, and that the Mystery is the basis of divine worship; for without this Mystery we are unable to  worship God or commune with Him.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Twelve

 Benefits, Good Effects In A Christian Community

     When individuals change for the better they likely will gradually influence others to do the same; this could become the initial beginning of a community society formed of like-minded men.  In a society composed of those who practice righteousness and good behavior according to Christ’s laws.  Among the few first occurs homogeneity, second concord, third friendliness, fourth equality, fifth freedom. These attributes taken together define the well being of the resultant society. Such a community will by it nature be a free and good society. Brethren who are of the same mind or unanimous have a natural friendship toward each other, always seeking to do good to one another, being equal in honor nor will one brother exalt himself over another. Under such conditions genuine freedom exists for no brother will attempt to tyrannize another and seek to deprive him of his freedom, but will prefer to live with him in harmony and peace. Christian society or community alone is perfectly true because it abounds in all social attributes. All other societies are pseudo-societies and are by nature wicked, vicious and self-destructive.

     The rule of Christian society or community is that it works in accordance with Christian justice which prevails among its members. Christian society is righteousness and demands that each member conduct himself righteously towards the brethren of Christ, just as Christ did towards each one of us. By what He suffered, and in His great goodness Christ bestowed on each of us the greatest benefactions possible. 

     Thus each of us are obliged to return these benefactions with like deeds and sufferings to Christ in the person of His brethren. Christ will judge us in the last day as He said: “Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him. saying, Lord when did we see you hungry and fed you?  Or thirsty and gave you to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in? or naked and clothed you?  Or when did we see you sick or in prison and came and you?  And the King will answer, and say unto them, Amen, I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of these least of my brethren, you have done it to me. And these shall go away to everlasting punishment; but the righteous will go into everlasting life.” 

     Christian justice expects us to do good to all the brethren of Christ, just as each of us enjoys the  goodness of Christ. Remember, insofar as we have done it to the brethren of Christ, we do it to Christ and failing to do good to one’s benefactor is an injustice. That is why they are called just who do good to Christ in the person of His brethren, and unjust those who slight them. But who are the brethren of Christ that are under the protection of Christian justice? There are some who erroneously say that it is the poverty-stricken persons and beggars of the streets, which refer to the words of Christ, but this is not so, for Christ never suggested that such persons were His brethren and equal with His disciples.

     He clearly identified the identity of His brethren while he was teaching in a certain house. "At that time, disciples came and informed Christ that His Mother and brethren were outside waiting to see Him. Here is the Scriptural account:  “Your mother and your brethren stand outside desiring to see you. And He answered  and said unto them: My mother and brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.”  And the will of the Father is this: That people recognize Christ  as His beloved Son and listen to His voice.  According to this condition all who keep the fundamental law of the Church, whether rich or poor, all being members of the Christian society who believe in Christ hearken to His words and do them are brethren of Christ. And everyone that wishes to listen to Christ is told by Him: “Inasmuch as you did it to one of these my brethren you did it to me." It is a false teaching, contradicting the teaching of  Christ helped by all who claims, that all men in the word are equal brothers.  

     In a Christian society or community, all members are equal with one another, and the first thing necessary in such a community is to satisfy the physical needs of all its members that there will be none of them in want of anything. Everyone will work not only to take care of himself but also to help the brethren where necessary.  The Lord himself will also add His  blessings to such work by increasing the supplies available to the community. Owing to accidents such as wrecks, fires, diseases, deaths of relatives or acquaintances and the like, during such times who among the well-to-do will scornfully tolerate seeing in their brethren, Christ hungry or thirsty, naked or suffering any other such ill? All will hasten gladly and eagerly to take care of Christ in the person of His suffering brother. In doing good they will be grateful to the one they have favored with an opportunity to do good to Christ in the person of His brethren.

     No one will tolerate seeing Christ hungry or thirsty or naked or suffering or any other such ill. Christian justice does not tolerate, some who wallow in luxury while others are in need, but it wishes all to be in self-sufficiency. It attains this aim, first by obliging all Christians to be industrious and sober, second, the well-to-do should help out the needy, not under compulsion, but out of love for Christ and His brethren. A rich Christian will not use his wealth for the purpose of illicit pleasures and revels, because a Christian life finds true pleasure and delight in the Lord and the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, after supplying his own needs according to what is just and proper, he will give his surplus towards the deficiency of other, that there might be equality in all things amongst all.  All the brethren, seeing these actions, will rejoice and glorify God who inspires them.            

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Eleven

THE POWER IN THE EUCHARIST

       The Eucharist is the divin living food so beneficial to our souls, it also makes our bodies noble and beneficial, doing only good works to others. Our body is the inseparable companion of the soul and is necessary for our various functions of both soul and body. If the body has a wicked disposition it can do harm to the soul, but if it has a good disposition, it will prove beneficial to the soul. Thus the body can be the cause of much distress or of great benefit to the soul. The old man sinned and submitted to the desires of the body resulting in mortality instead of immortality. For sin entered the world through eating what was forbidden by the divine law. Now the divine food gives man the strength to avoid sin and keep the entire law of God which results in eternal life. Sin also brought on fear of death, and it is this fear of death that Christ has changed into the death of death or immortality.  Adam and Eve hid from Lord because of sins, but eating the divine food and doing the divine work, we approach the Father with a new hope and love.

     Adam the first man was told to eat everything except from a certain tree, “for if you eat from that tree you will certainly die.”  But Jesus Christ commands the new men to eat: “Take and eat my body and drink my blood and you will never die.”  Eating and drinking contrary to the divine law arouses in the soul fear, shame, flight, condemnation and death. But eating according to the divine law is results happiness in the soul who is living in righteousness, courage, propriety, frankness, justification, and thus gaining eternal life. When a sinner changes and does right he does not remain a sinner but becomes a son. The Eucharist is offered to sons and daughters with the words “take eat”; and all who eat lawfully and keep the commandments enter the path of life everlasting.              

        
    The power in the mystery of the Eucharist is best comprehended by remembrance of Christ, who He is and all that He did out of love for us, for He emptied himself and became obedient to death even death on the Cross. The remembrance of how Christ, being by nature God, descended to earth and became also a man, that I being by nature a man, might ascend to heaven and become a god.  Christ suffered the greatest of all things evil that I might enjoy the greatest good of all things good, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man. He humbled himself so that I might be exalted.  He suffered dishonor that I might be honored. He underwent hardships, afflictions, sorrows and pain, that I might find relaxation, joy, exhilaration and happiness. He died that I might live. He became a poor man without figure or beauty, that I might become a blissful god invested with honor and glory.

     But I am mentioning what He did for me, and should remember Christ not only for what He did for me, but for himself for He is exceedingly good and worthy of our love. The love of Jesus Christ is similar to a wound in the heart of those who love him. The salve and dressing  applicable to this wound is to heed every word and keep every commandment, for He alone is worthy of our love. Christ says: “All things whatever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets. Let us accept Christ’s commandments with enthusiasm for they will help us to achieve our goal of deification.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part TEN

DOING WHAT THE GOSPEL LAW COMMANDS

      We have mentioned that the work of faith and that of God are one, the beginning of faith being the recognition of Christ as Son of the Living God, and the end is  obedience to His voice. But work cannot be accomplished without food, and no one can do the work of God, which is the law of righteousness, without the food that is bestowed upon them for this purpose by God himself.  Work and food in both the ordinary and Christian mode of living are in the same way and depend on the same law. Work is done for the sake of food. Food further strengthens the man for the sake of accomplishing work.

     For our food the Lord feeds us with the Body and Blood of Christ as He has instructed, available only in the Divine Eucharist of our precious Orthodox Faith. He who eats the food of God receive strength to execute the Father’s will which is the law of righteousness. Without the divine food performance of the divine work is not possible.  However, He who eats the food of God can quite easily perform the task of fulfilling righteousness. This is what Christ says: “He who eats by body and drinks my blood abides in me and I in Him. And he who abides in me and I in Him bears much fruit and  “without me you can do nothing” 

     It is Christ’s desire that we become holy as He is holy and perfect as His Father in heaven is perfect, and He makes this apparent difficult task very possible, for this constitutes the work and Christ supplies himself as the necessary perfect food and drink. As if He has said: I expect all those who believe in me to achieve a great task, and to become righteous and perfect just as my heavenly Father is righteous and perfect; but great is the power also with which I will strengthen them, and make them able to do what is commanded. I will afford them my Body and Blood for him to eat and drink. That when they have been strengthened by the divine power residing therein, they shall be able to perform the will of my Father and fulfill all righteousness just as I have done. I will be in them and they with me, they will be enabled to do all things.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Nine

THE LAW CHRISTIANS MUST OBEY (B)

     “You have heard that it has been said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies; bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you.  That you may be children of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and unjust. For if you love them that love you what reward do you have? Do not publicans do the same? You, therefore, be perfect even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”  God’s negative laws inflict punishment on transgressors, but His positive laws rewards and recompenses those who serve them. So while violations, without repentance, will result in punishment, doing good according the Christ’s commandments will results in rewards.

     Christ first laid down the negative laws which inflict punishment, such as Be not angry without good cause, do not use vituperation, do not blaspheme, do not commit adultery, either by looking or in illicit marriage, do not swear at all. Do not resist evil, neither have recourse to courts of law. Then Christ lays down the law of goodness, commanding Christians to do good even to their enemies, imitating the heavenly Father, who causes His sun to shine on good and evil alike, and rains upon the just and the unjust. Loving those who loves  us will gain no reward, for it is only paying back what is equal and just.

     A perfect penalty and a perfect reward are not possible in this present life, so they are provided for in the future, the present time is the time to conform to the teaching of the Gospel and look to a reward. It is therefore wise for every man who has good sense to live in conformity with the Gospel law.  Some will say the fulfillment of the perfect law is impossible to man, and what is impossible should not be attempted. This is absurd and false because it traduces God as acting absurdly and will only come from the mouth of fools. God cannot make a law that is absurd or not possible as this would foolish in our judgment and God is not foolish nor can He be, for He is our Lord and Creator, who establishes only what is to our benefit.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Eight

THE LAW CHRISTIANS MUST OBEY

     Whoever has faith in Christ has made a good beginning which needs to be brought to fruition. Faith in Christ without works, as James the Apostle says, is dead. The works are accomplished by hearkening to and carrying out all that the Son commands, for He speaks what His Father wills, thus we all need to listen and obey. Christ speaks as follows: “You have heard that it was said to them of old time, you shall not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment, and whoever shall say to his brother Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whoever shall say you fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

     The law of Moses subjected murderers to the penalties of justice. Christ’s legislation differs by forbidding  the lesser behavior that leads to murder, such as anger, insult and blasphemy forbidding and penalizing these things preventing the crime of murder. To be guilty of these lesser things must be shown as being related to the potential crime, for example, all types of anger do not lead to murder. Also whoever called his brother raca ( similar to “worthless” or “good for nothing”) makes him liable before the council,” and possible condemnation. 

The Gospel Laws established by Christ are for those who believe in Him and strive to keep His commandments as members of His Church. All Orthodox Christians are brothers and sisters of Christ and what they do to each other is done to Christ who said: “Amen, Amen, I say unto you as you have done to the least of these my brethren you have done it to me” (Mat.25:40). Therefore a Christian unreasonably angry with another is also unreasonably angry with Christ. He who calls his brother a fool, knowing him to be the brother of Christ, evidently calls Christ a fool. And he who calls Christ a fool blasphemes against the Holy Spirit. For whoever is a fool is a fool because of his folly, and folly indicates a spirit of foolishness and senselessness. That means he has called the spirit in Christ a spirit of folly. Christ was maligned by the Pharisees and said: “whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit., it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the world to come” (Mat. 12:32).

     “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled with your brother and then come and offer your gift. When you know your brother has been wronged go to him and be reconciled then offer your gift.” Not just remembering our own ill feelings toward a brother, but also those of him towards us, requires us to seek reconciliation with him.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Seven

FAITH GENERATES NECESSARY GOOD WORKS

     When the Jews heard Christ command them not to work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures unto everlasting life, they asked him what they ought to do in order to do the work of God?  Jesus told them: “This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.” He makes it clear that faith in Christ is the work of God leading to eternal life. But why does Christ refer to faith in Him as being work?

     Our souls believe when we accept with certainty that what is being said is to be taken just as said.  This certitude is what is called faith. However the soul does not act  unthinkingly but goers through the process of work within itself, comparing, judging and reasoning. Thus believing is indeed work, not physical but mental work, where the soul distinguishes between truth and falsehood, always seeking and accepting truth. This work is most difficult and intense for the soul is drawn to the good teaching of Christ and is also drawn away by the evil and worldly enticements which surround it on all sides. 

     The souls of men continually seek happiness and reject sorrow and sadness whenever possible, for happiness is a continually desirous human goal for which men always reach but few find. Happiness can never be found in the pleasures or works of this world no matter how benevolent they may seem. Giving alms to the poor, feeding the hungry, showing kindness to strangers, are good works for which the world offers its thanks. But if they are done for worldly praise and self-aggrandizement they are without any value in Christ’s eyes. Because He is the source of everything good, the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end of all things and is so preached. He saves those who know him and perform works in His name, and consigns to fire those who remain ignorant of Him.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Six

Living The Orthodox Christian Life

     The everyday lives of all men are basically the same, working, feeding and maintaining the human body. Food is usually acquired by farming or working and purchasing.  If we are healthy we do not forget to eat for it is well known that you must eat in order to stay alive and we prefer life to death. and eat most every day. Every man alive preserves his precious life by working, acquiring and using the things which are helpful to his body. Life can be seen as work for the purpose of acquiring and utilizing those things which support life.

      Common life’s main objective is feeding and maintaining the body; Christian life aims at feeding and perfecting the soul leading to eternal life in the kingdom of God. Christian life accomplishes its objective by means of mental and spiritual work in the imperishable Spirit of God.  Common life maintains the body which will perish but on Christian life raises the soul into the eternal kingdom. Christian life provides the means to ascend through spiritual food and drink and proper garments for the soul, all of which are provided by our Lord and Savior Christ.

     Man is destined to become the perfect image and likeness of God and accomplishes this by faith in Jesus Christ and good works with membership in His holy Church. It is the greatest of  honors far superior to any other honor to be a human being, for we are created in the image of God destined to become the image and likeness, and this involves struggling to become holy like God the Father!  This is the aim and objective of our Christian life imposed upon us by the order of Christ who says: “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give you; for Him it is whom the Father has certified” (John 6:27). Christ clearly teaches us not to work for the food of the body alone, but much more so for the food of the soul, not for the food that perishes but for the food that leads to everlasting life.

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Five

The Great and Final Judgment

     Everything that God creates and forms is good and perfect and it could be no other way. He has His perfect plan for the entire universe which He created and He confided His plan to us in these words: “Let us create man in our own image and according to our likeness.”  Every human being in the world is welcome to take advantage of the generous offer of God. He sent His Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world to teach and inform us what we are offered by God. More, He came into the world and voluntarily suffered crucifixion in order to effect our salvation and through the Cross we are saved. We have the freedom to accept or reject God’s wonderful offer, but we are also warned of the day of the great and final judgment, wherein each of us will be judged by Jesus Christ. We  will saved by our faith and judged according to our works, for faith is evident by works.

      The entire race of man is subject to our Creator’s perfect law, whether they agree or disagree.  Our Lord encourages us to accept and work toward our eventual destination and threatens us with punishment if we reject to conform and follow His law.  The reward for faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments is everlasting life, but the penalty for rejecting Him and His commandments is everlasting condemnation. 

     Those who deny the future judgment, everlasting life and everlasting punishment also deny the existence of the perfect law which expresses the perfect volition of the perfect being – God. But when they deny the perfect volition of God they also deny the existence of God, and then hold that the principle of creation and beginning of the universe is the work of non-being matter or some other blind and brute force acting at random.

     The fools disregard the harmony and order of heaven and earth.  Using their minds they call themselves learned and think that they are thoughtful in what they say. Yet they foolishly assert that  the principle of all things is  mindless and senseless.  They deny the justice of God, and yet if they become victims of injustice, they protest in the name of justice!

     Such insanity prevails today throughout many schools of the West; and they foolishly praise it as being some sort of exceptional wisdom, yet they do not give their attention to the law of God, nor do they take any notice of the wrath that threateningly hangs over their heads. God, being righteous will continue to do His part. He made a law, and stated His will to all the nations to which it was possible to state it; subsequently He will also judge the nations according to the law stated in the fixed day of judgment, and woe to them who have disregarded it and not behaved in accordance with the law!

ORTHODOXY – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Part Four

The Basic or Fundamental Law of the Church

     What is a law?  Usually it is the will of a ruler or rulers to those under them. Laws are usually sanctioned with rewards or penalties. This gives force to the law and good reason for its observance. It is impossible to begin conceive the human race without necessary laws. The first law to be made by a ruler or a state is called the basic or fundamental law, without which the state could not exist. Thus the will of God for those ruled by Him for the edification of the Church, and sanctioning a reward or penalty, is called a law. The first law made by God for His Church is called its fundamental law. With this law the Church continues to exist, without it would be reduced to nothing. The fundamental law of the holy Orthodox Church is this: “It is the duty of every human being to recognize Christ the crucified as His beloved Son, as the right and perfect Logos or Word of the perfect Mind, and to listen to what He says." 

     Everyone who accepts and submits to this law is set on the path to salvation and eternal life and can be saved, while those who reject this law are on the road leading to perdition and eternal death. This cannot be taken lightly as the law is real, the reward is exceedingly great and the punishment is exceedingly torment.

     This fundamental law of the Church was made effective at the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River, for after His baptism and at the same time as the Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, the Father cried out from heaven: “This is my beloved Son in whom I have well decided; listen to Him.” John the Baptist believed by the people to be a prophet, preached and showed this same fact to them. Also on Mt Tabor at the Transfiguration of Christ, the same voice spoke from within the cloud, saying: “This is my beloved Son in whom I have well decided; listen to Him.”

     And this voice says Peter in his second epistle: “which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.” That is the reason why after the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, he reminded the Jews: “For Moses truly said unto the fathers:  A prophet shall the Lord your God raise you of your brethren like unto me, Him shall you hear in all things whatever he shall say unto you. And it shall happen, that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:22-23).