WHAT IS FAITH? August 23, 2008

Therefore what is faith? And what is its connection to oil which signifies the Holy Spirit? and what is its connection with the will of God who is in heaven? This faith is alive and is accepted by God as we'll see later... Faith is not simply a belief but also a life. You can test it by its fruits in your life... as the Lord said " You will know them by their fruits....every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Faith Is Beyond The Level Of Our Senses August 16, 2008
Faith does not contradict but beyond our senses. Faith is a higher power than our limited senses. Our senses are only capable of detecting physical or materialistic things, but there are other matters, which are beyond the material sense. The senses are also limited in what they can physically detect. Instruments are often used to sense details and gain information which the senses alone can not accomplish.

Faith Is Beyond The Level Of Our Senses August 16, 2008
Faith does not contradict but beyond our senses. Faith is a higher power than our limited senses. Our senses are only capable of detecting physical or materialistic things, but there are other matters, which are beyond the material sense. The senses are also limited in what they can physically detect. Instruments are often used to sense details and gain information which the senses alone can not accomplish. How much more is it for the non-physical, which the apostle called "invisible things". Faith is not what is seen by the human eye (2 Cor. 5:7). The soul can not be seen or felt by the senses. The fact that the senses do not feel the soul does not mean that it does not exist but rather, unable to detect it. The senses are limited in scope and the level of the soul. Faith Is Beyond The Level Of The Intellect.

God in the Orthodox Church August 9, 2008

The Orthodox hurch belief of God is based upon how He has revealed Himself to His people through the Holy Scriptures and Sacred Tradition. Orthodox theology never speculates in its beliefs (e.g.., the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the person of Jesus Christ, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Jesus Christ, sacramental theology, etc.), but is very comfortable in saying, when things are inexplicable or impossible to comprehend by the human mind, that it is a "mystery." What we do know of God-that is, what He has revealed to us-is that He is: eternal, holy, perfect, all-loving, present everywhere, the Creator, the Source and Giver of life, the Source of virtues, a Trinity, just and therefore Judge, etc.,

The Orthodox Church speaks of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: three divine persons sharing the same essence and a perpetual movement of love which makes the Holy Trinity act
harmoniously as one. The Orthodox have always maintained a theological balance between the oneness of God and the threeness of God. For example, in the Old Testament we read "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." (Deuteronomy 6:4); and, in the New Testament we read "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28.19)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came into the world by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary; thus, the Church gave Him the title "Theanthropos" i.e., the God-man. The Orthodox Church clearly teaches that Jesus Christ was fully divine and fully human.

The purpose of Jesus Christ's coming to earth was to reconcile mankind to God. In order to do this, God, in the person of Jesus Christ, had to become fully human. He had to experience all the pain, temptations and sufferings that all human beings face.
Finally, having preached, taught, healed and performed many miracles, He had to experience the last pain that all people must undergo: death. Thus, He allowed Himself to be crucified. As a human being, He died; but, being God, He rose from the dead, proving that all who believe and follow Him will do likewise. This is why Jesus Christ is called "Savior," for He saves us from death.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity who proceeds from the Father. Like the Son, there was no time that the Holy Spirit did not exist. He was present at the creation of the world (Genesis 1:2). He was present, "in the form of a dove" at the baptism of Jesus; and, He is the person of the Trinity that Jesus promised He would send upon the Church as its Comforter and guide after His ascension (John 14 and John 15:26).

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church (Acts 2:1-4; the Orthodox Church celebrates this great event on Pentecost); and the Church in turn bestows the Holy Spirit to each of its members through the sacrament of Chrismation. In fact, the Holy Spirit is present in all the sacraments of the Church.

3rd Sunday fo the Great Lent(Zemukrab) John 2.12-22  

After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."[b] Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body.After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

--------VERSE OF THE WEEK ------- One Body, Many Parts

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.," 1 Corinthians 12.12-13.
Even as every cell in a human body is linked by a common root (a common DNA code), yet the parts of our body (members) look different, are treated differently, work differently, and accomplish different purposes. Even so, there is great diversity in the body of Jesus Christ, both in appearance and function, yet each member has a common root and a common goal. Jew, Greek, slave, free, did not matter anymore, because we are all one body in Jesus Christ. Also "There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4.4-6

H. G. Bishop Moussa
A Christian marriage is different. It has a perspective of its own which we need to get to know if we want to get the full picture and see it in all its purity. For Christian marriage is a Sacrament: it is the Holy Spirit Who makes it work. So we need to approach it in a different way, with real spiritual depth. Then we will see it work out in practice in authentic Christian behavior.

The Apostle Paul gives us two significant insights into the sanctity of marriage: “This is a great mystery” (Eph. 5:32); “Marriage is honorable among all”(Heb.13:4). More . . .

"Christian Family and Marriage"

The birth of Jesus Christ

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7.15. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9.6.

About Seven hundred years later, this prophecy came true and Christ's birth was declared to all people. "But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2.10-11.

The birth of Jesus Christ

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. . . ." Numbers 24.17.
About Seven hundred years later, this prophecy came true and Christ's birth was declared to all people.

"The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4.16. More . . .